Actually... Forgotten Stories for Curious Minds

Cortex Creative Media
  • 5.0 (3)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

Actually... is a deep-dive podcast that digs up the stories history left behind - the ones that got buried, dismissed, or quietly erased. Each episode pulls apart a piece of pop culture, true crime, or hidden history to find the version nobody tells you: the hoaxes, the cover-ups, the myths that calcified into "fact."  Join us each week for the stories that are stranger, messier, and far more interesting than the official version.

  1. 3d ago

    Episode 15: The Greenbriar Ghost: The Dead Woman Who Named Her Killer

    In 1897, a young West Virginia woman died suddenly, was buried quickly, and might have been forgotten. The doctor called it natural causes. Her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, wasn’t convinced. Then she made an extraordinary claim: her daughter had returned from the dead – and named her killer. On this episode of Actually, we explore the tale of the Greenbrier Ghost – a haunting story of a suspicious death, a determined mother, a murder case that took an unexpected turn in court, and a story that refused to stay buried. It’s remembered as the case a ghost helped solve. But what happened when that supernatural story met the very earthly business of proving a crime? Tune in to find out this and more...

    Episode 15: The Greenbriar Ghost: The Dead Woman Who Named Her Killer

  2. 5d ago

    Episode 14: The Room Where Death Used to Live: Coffin Doors, Parlors, and a Very Persistent Myth

    Was your living room once a “death room”? And did old American houses in the Northeast really have special doors for carrying out coffins? They’re the kind of stories that make a haunted walking tour memorable. But behind those wonderfully creepy explanations lies a stranger – and surprisingly human – history. Actually kicks off spooky season with “The Room Where Death Used to Live,” exploring home funerals, Victorian mourning customs, and how America’s relationship with death changed the spaces we call home. Along the way: a mysterious side door, a magazine editor with strong opinions, and a very persistent story about how the living room got its name. Before you give your couch a suspicious look, give it a listen. And stay tuned for the second episode of the week which is dropping THIS THURSDAY!

    Episode 14: The Room Where Death Used to Live: Coffin Doors, Parlors, and a Very Persistent Myth

  3. Sep 29

    Episode 13: The Unluckiest Number in History...?

    Why does the number thirteen make so many people uneasy...and when did Friday the 13th become a miniature horror holiday? In this week's episode, we untangle centuries of superstition, folklore and extremely effective marketing to uncover how thirteen acquired its sinister reputation. From the Last Supper and a suspiciously tidy Norse legend to an anti-superstition club serving coffin-shaped lobster salad (no, seriously...), the real history is far stranger - and far less ancient - than most of us have been told.

    Episode 13: The Unluckiest Number in History...?

  4. Sep 22

    Episode 12: Pure Imagination: The Real Story of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

    You probably think you know this movie. You've seen it. You can quote it. You maybe watched it more times than you can count as a kid. But the funny part about Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is that, when it was originally released...it was supposed to be marketing for a candy bar that never took off. The movie itself, too, was a flop - and the author that created the story it's based on hated it. All of this led to it almost getting lost to the dustbin of history - until an unlikely savior came along and turned it into one of the most beloved and important films in American cultural history (So much so that even the Library of Congress agrees). And now...it's about to get a new spin - or at least Gene Wilder's version of Mr. Wonka is - with a new Netflix series that is using Wilder's voice to narrate it. Yes, even though Mr. Wilder died about 10 years ago. Say what? What's THAT about?? And...exactly how does something go from a movie that was a failure every step of the way initially get this kind of glow up - and the lead actor's performance becomes so iconic that the performer himself becomes secondary to it? In this episode, we trace the full story. Tune in and check it out - and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any episode!

    Episode 12: Pure Imagination: The Real Story of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

  5. Sep 15

    Episode 11: The Case the Jury Never Heard: How Lizzie Borden Walked Free

    Everyone knows the rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. But nearly every part of it is wrong. In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered inside their Fall River home, and Andrew’s daughter Lizzie quickly became the prime suspect. The case against her included contradictory testimony, an attempted poison purchase, a mysteriously burned dress, and a possible murder weapon found in the basement. But when Lizzie went on trial, the jury never heard some of the prosecution’s most damaging evidence. In this episode of Actually, we look beyond the infamous rhyme to examine what really happened inside the Borden house, why the strongest evidence was excluded, and how Victorian ideas about women may have helped Lizzie walk free.   Show Notes: The Actually Facebook Page for Photos of the Borden House: https://www.facebook.com/actuallypodcast   The Actually Instagram Page for Photos of the Borden House: https://www.instagram.com/actuallynerdy

    Episode 11: The Case the Jury Never Heard: How Lizzie Borden Walked Free

  6. Sep 8

    Episode 10: The Ground Zero Imposter: Inside Tania Head’s Lie About Surviving 9/11

    For years, Tania Head was regarded as one of the most remarkable survivors of September 11. She claimed she had escaped from the 78th floor of the South Tower, been rescued by the heroic “Man in the Red Bandana,” and lost her fiancé in the North Tower. Her story made her a leader of the World Trade Center survivor community and a trusted guide at Ground Zero. But Tania Head had never been inside the towers. In fact, she wasn’t even in the United States on September 11, 2001. In this episode of Actually, we uncover how Tania Head aka Alicia Esteve Head constructed an extraordinary identity from the experiences of real victims and survivors - and how her deception went unquestioned for years. It’s a story about stolen trauma, borrowed heroism, and the unsettling power of a lie built from pieces of the truth.   Show Notes:   The Woman Who Wasn't There by Angelo Guglielmo and Robin Fisher https://amzn.to/4iWczeG   The Woman Who Wasn't There Documentary (Prime Video)  https://amzn.to/4qZHtVL   Book written by Susan Rescorla, Rick Rescorla's widow, as a tribute to her husband who was Morgan Stanley's head of security on 9/11 https://amzn.to/4ymDwN4

    Episode 10: The Ground Zero Imposter: Inside Tania Head’s Lie About Surviving 9/11

  7. Sep 1

    Episode 9B: 600 Feet from Home: The Jennifer Odom Kidnapping Case

    In February 1993, twelve-year-old Jennifer Odom disappeared during the 600-foot walk from her school bus stop to her home in rural Pasco County, Florida. Her body was discovered days later, but the search for her killer would continue for more than three decades. In this episode, we examine Jennifer’s case, the haunting clues investigators refused to abandon, and the advances in forensic science that eventually led them to Jeffrey Norman Crum Sr. It is a story of a family’s unimaginable loss, a community that never forgot, and justice that took thirty-three years to arrive.

    Episode 9B: 600 Feet from Home: The Jennifer Odom Kidnapping Case

  8. Sep 1

    Episode 9A - The Hole Story - What Ever Happened to the Ozone Layer?

    Remember when the hole in the ozone layer seemed like an impending global catastrophe...and then everyone simply stopped talking about it? In this episode, we look at how humans damaged the planet’s protective UV shield, the remarkable international agreement that helped repair it, and where the ozone layer stands today. Along the way, we’ll uncover McDonald’s surprising role in the story, revisit the gloriously excessive McDLT, and learn why solving one environmental problem accidentally created another. So, did we actually fix the ozone layer? You'll have to listen in to find out! :)    Show Notes:  View the McDLT and it's packaging at these handy links:  https://mcdonalds.fandom.com/wiki/McD.L.T.   https://www.seriouseats.com/blast-from-the-past-the-mcdlt-mcdonalds-1980s-jason-alexander

    Episode 9A - The Hole Story - What Ever Happened to the Ozone Layer?
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Actually... is a deep-dive podcast that digs up the stories history left behind - the ones that got buried, dismissed, or quietly erased. Each episode pulls apart a piece of pop culture, true crime, or hidden history to find the version nobody tells you: the hoaxes, the cover-ups, the myths that calcified into "fact."  Join us each week for the stories that are stranger, messier, and far more interesting than the official version.

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