Cursed...ish

Daniel Stevens and Angela Mattes
  • 4.4 (7)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Cursed...ish is a podcast about misfortune, mystery, and the stories we tell when bad luck stops feeling random. Have you ever thought, “I don’t believe in curses… but I feel cursed”? A project that keeps going wrong. A string of strange coincidences. A disaster that, in retrospect, feels almost inevitable. That’s when people start reaching for a bigger explanation. It’s not just bad luck, but something more sinister. Hosted by Daniel Stevens and Angela Mattes, Cursed...ish explores stories in which misfortune is framed as more than mere happenstance: as something malevolent, approaching the macabre with curiosity, skepticism, and the occasional dark joke. From King Tut and the Dybbuk Box to the Avada Kedavra, and even your favorite four-letter word, each episode pulls apart the history, folklore, and media hysteria surrounding the human impulse to explain chaos. Sometimes a curse is a supernatural claim. Sometimes it’s a metaphor. And sometimes it’s just what people tell themselves when the universe keeps kicking them in the teeth. Welcome to Cursed...ish.

  1. 14h ago

    Cursed Creatures: Werewolves Part I - Ep. 23

    In Part 1 of our Cursed Creatures deep dive, Cursed...ish heads into the woods under a full moon to ask a deceptively simple question: where did werewolf legends actually come from? Before silver bullets, full moons, and shirtless men chaining themselves to basement pipes, werewolves were already prowling through ancient mythology, folklore, and some deeply cursed corners of human history. Daniel and Angela trace lycanthropy back to the Old English roots of “werewolf,” the Greek origins of “lycanthrope,” and one of the earliest Western werewolf stories: King Lycaon, the mythological ruler cursed by Zeus to become a wolf after committing a dinner-party crime so horrifying it should have voided his hosting privileges forever. From there, we follow the wolf trail through the Epic of Gilgamesh, Norse wolf-warriors, medieval fear, and the terrifying reality of European werewolf trials. Along the way, we meet Peter Stumpp, the infamous Werewolf of Bedburg, whose story may be part murder trial, part scapegoat panic, and part tabloid nightmare. We also meet Old Thiess, the self-proclaimed “hound of God” who insisted the court had werewolves all wrong. So are werewolves cursed monsters, misunderstood victims, or just another story humans invented to explain the darkness in ourselves? Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Definitely hairy. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    Cursed Creatures: Werewolves Part I - Ep. 23

  2. Jul 22

    Cursed Literature: The Curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor - Ep. 22

    Why can no Hogwarts professor survive more than one year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? In this very unofficial Harry Potter episode of Cursed...ish, Daniel and Angela return to Hogwarts to investigate one of the wizarding world’s most suspicious job openings: the cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Across seven books, Hogwarts burns through professor after professor, from Quirrell and his deeply inadvisable Voldemort head-share to Gilderoy Lockhart’s fraudulent little memory-wiping empire, Remus Lupin’s tragic exit, Fake Mad-Eye Moody’s disturbingly committed lesson planning, Dolores Umbridge’s pink-cardigan fascism, Severus Snape finally getting the job he absolutely should have known better than to want, and the full Dark Arts nightmare of Voldemort’s Hogwarts. Along the way, we talk Dumbledore’s questionable hiring practices, Barty Crouch Jr.’s bizarre commitment to education, whether anyone at Hogwarts understood red flags, and why this revolving door of cursed professors became one of the most effective recurring patterns in the Harry Potter series. Was the Defense Against the Dark Arts job cursed because Voldemort hexed it after Dumbledore rejected him? Was it cursed because Hogwarts HR was apparently run by owls and vibes? Or was the real curse simply letting children attend a school where every year’s teacher came with a new trauma package? Maybe cursed. Maybe not. But this time, honestly, pretty cursed. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    Cursed Literature: The Curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor - Ep. 22

  3. Jul 15

    The Curse of the Flying Dutchman - Ep. 21

    What happens when a cursed ghost ship becomes both victim and warning? In this episode of Cursed...ish, Daniel and Angela set sail into the foggy, storm-tossed legend of the Flying Dutchman, the doomed ship said to be cursed to sail the oceans forever, never reaching port and never finding peace. From eerie sightings by British sailors and royal witnesses to centuries of maritime folklore around the Cape of Good Hope, this episode explores why the Flying Dutchman became one of the most famous ghost ship legends in the world. Along the way, we dig into Dutch sea power, the dangerous trade routes of the Dutch East India Company, Captain Hendrik van der Decken, cursed letters from the dead, and the strange idea that simply seeing the Flying Dutchman could bring disaster. Then we look beneath the surface at possible real-world explanations, including St. Elmo’s fire, Fata Morgana mirages, stormy seas, sailor superstition, and the very human need to turn fear, loss, and uncertainty into a story. Was the Flying Dutchman a cursed ship doomed by hubris, a ghostly omen of death, or just a terrifying trick of light on the open ocean? Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    The Curse of the Flying Dutchman - Ep. 21

  4. Jul 8

    The Superdome Curse - Ep. 20

    New Orleans has no shortage of haunted history, but the Superdome Curse is one of the city’s lesser-known legends hiding in plain sight. In this episode of Cursed...ish, Angela and Daniel head to the Big Easy to explore the eerie story connecting the New Orleans Saints, the Louisiana Superdome, and the old Girod Street Cemetery, a burial ground once overwhelmed by cholera, yellow fever, decay, and thousands of human remains. Was the Superdome really cursed because part of its parking structure was built over a former cemetery? Did the Saints spend decades as the “Aints” because of bad management, bad luck, or something a little more accursed? And what exactly happened when voodoo priestess Ava Kay Jones arrived at the 45-yard line with a boa constrictor, offerings for the ancestors, dancers, drums, and a mission to break the curse before the Saints faced the St. Louis Rams? From New Orleans cemetery lore and above-ground burials to sports curses, ghost tours, grigri bags, playoff heartbreak, and one very dramatic act of spiritual crowd participation, this episode asks whether the Curse of the Superdome was supernatural, symbolic, or just the perfect New Orleans story. Maybe cursed, maybe not. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    The Superdome Curse - Ep. 20

  5. Jul 1

    The Lottery Curse - Ep. 19

    Winning the lottery is supposed to change your life for the better, but for some jackpot winners, sudden wealth has brought bankruptcy, betrayal, addiction, lawsuits, murder, and the uncomfortable realization that money can solve plenty of problems while creating entirely new ones. In this episode of Cursed...ish, Daniel and Angela investigate the so-called lottery curse. From the British tabloid sensation who promised to “spend, spend, spend” to Powerball and lottery winners targeted by relatives, scammers, spouses, and strangers, they examine the true stories that turned instant millionaires into cautionary tales. But do most lottery winners really lose everything? Is the infamous claim that 70 percent of winners go bankrupt even true? The hosts explore hedonic adaptation, financial self-destruction, media selection bias, and research suggesting that most winners actually become more satisfied with their lives. Then Daniel unveils his extremely sensible and only mildly unhinged 13-step Lottery Curse Avoidance Plan, featuring lawyers, anonymity via Ghostface mask, and a Never-Be-Poor-Again Fund. Maybe winning the lottery is cursed. Maybe money simply amplifies whatever was already waiting underneath. Either way, check your numbers twice. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    The Lottery Curse - Ep. 19

  6. Jun 24

    The 27 Club - Ep. 18

    What happens when some of the most brilliant musicians in history all seem to meet the same tragic end? In this episode of Cursed...ish, Angela and Daniel dig into the legend of the 27 Club: the eerie cultural grouping of famous artists who died at just 27 years old. From Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse, the so-called “Big Six” of the 27 Club left behind music that changed the world, and deaths that made people wonder whether fame, addiction, tragedy, and coincidence had formed something darker. Along the way, we explore Woodstock, death by misadventure, the white lighter myth, the toxic machinery of celebrity, the haunting legacy of artists gone too soon, and why 27 became the age people started whispering about as cursed. Was the 27 Club really a supernatural pattern, or is the true curse something much more human, like fame, substance abuse, mental health struggles, and an industry that burns through young talent? We’re not here to tell you curses are real. But when Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse all wind up in the same tragic mythology, we are absolutely here to ask why the story still refuses to die. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    The 27 Club - Ep. 18

  7. Jun 17

    Cursed Commerce: Lawn Darts - Ep. 17

    For decades, American families gathered in their backyards to throw giant metal spikes through the air and called it wholesome fun. What could possibly go wrong? In this episode of Cursed...ish, Daniel and Angela trace the astonishing history of lawn darts, better known by the popular brand name Jarts. Beginning with a 1957 patent for a projectile that combined an indoor dart with a javelin, lawn darts were marketed as cheerful outdoor entertainment for the entire family. Millions of sets were sold, even as the supposedly harmless backyard game caused devastating head injuries, permanent disabilities, and the deaths of children. Along the way, they examine the classic Saturday Night Live “Bag O’ Glass” sketch, the cheerful vintage advertising that described Jarts as a “missile game,” early attempts by the FDA to regulate them, and the manufacturers who insisted that consumers simply needed to play more carefully. Then they tell the heartbreaking story of seven-year-old and her father whose tireless campaign finally pushed the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Congress to ban sharp-pointed lawn darts decades after they first landed on the market and began their reign of terror.. Were lawn darts a cursed object, or simply the inevitable result of reckless design, corporate self-interest, weak regulation, and an American marketplace willing to sell almost anything? Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Definitely a terrible idea. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    Cursed Commerce: Lawn Darts - Ep. 17

  8. Jun 10

    The Curse of Pompeii - Ep. 16

    In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii and Herculaneum beneath ash, pumice, and deadly pyroclastic flows, preserving the final moments of two ancient Roman cities in horrifying detail. But was that the end of Pompeii’s misfortune, or did something cursed remain beneath the ruins? Fresh from visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum, Angela takes Daniel through the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the remarkably preserved streets and homes of Pompeii, and the eyewitness account of Pliny the Younger. Along the way, they examine exploding skulls, plaster casts, ancient brothels, good-luck penises, and the surprisingly ordinary details of Roman life frozen in time. Then they uncover the modern Curse of Pompeii, an urban legend claiming that tourists who steal rocks, tiles, mosaics, and other artifacts from the archaeological site are rewarded with illness, financial ruin, and relentless bad luck. More than 100 visitors have reportedly returned stolen souvenirs, often accompanied by letters begging Pompeii, and perhaps its dead, for forgiveness. Is Pompeii truly cursed, or is the legend simply doing the useful work of frightening tourists into keeping their hands to themselves? Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Definitely cursed...ish. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

    The Curse of Pompeii - Ep. 16
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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Cursed...ish is a podcast about misfortune, mystery, and the stories we tell when bad luck stops feeling random. Have you ever thought, “I don’t believe in curses… but I feel cursed”? A project that keeps going wrong. A string of strange coincidences. A disaster that, in retrospect, feels almost inevitable. That’s when people start reaching for a bigger explanation. It’s not just bad luck, but something more sinister. Hosted by Daniel Stevens and Angela Mattes, Cursed...ish explores stories in which misfortune is framed as more than mere happenstance: as something malevolent, approaching the macabre with curiosity, skepticism, and the occasional dark joke. From King Tut and the Dybbuk Box to the Avada Kedavra, and even your favorite four-letter word, each episode pulls apart the history, folklore, and media hysteria surrounding the human impulse to explain chaos. Sometimes a curse is a supernatural claim. Sometimes it’s a metaphor. And sometimes it’s just what people tell themselves when the universe keeps kicking them in the teeth. Welcome to Cursed...ish.

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Stevens and Angela Mattes
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cursedish
  • Show Website
    Cursed...ish