The Weirdest Thing

Scotty Milder and Amelia Ampuero

Writer/filmmaker Scotty Milder and actor/theatre director Amelia Ampuero are weird. They like weird things. And they like to talk about them. From volcanos inspiring classic works of literature, to serial killers and UFOs, to “accidental foods” … nothing is too spooky, quirky, or downright strange for these two. Theme song ©2020 by Kane Distler

  1. JAN 16

    "Martha was right!"

    What happens if you discover something so diabolical, so terrifying, and so frankly preposterous that it cannot possibly be true? What if nobody--not your friends, not your family, not the press, not even the entire nation--believes you? Are you simply crazy? Do you need professional help? Maybe even involuntary commitment? What happens when you're proven to be right? This is what happened to Martha Mitchell. She was the wife of John Mitchell, former attorney general under Richard Nixon. This week Scotty tells Amelia about "the Martha Mitchell effect," i.e. what happens when a person's seemingly outlandish "delusions" are revealed to be true. Aside from Martha's tale, they look at fictional examples--particularly the works of writer Ira Levin ("Rosemary's Baby," "The Stepford Wives")--and the harrowing true story of a would-be police whistleblower in New York City. Sometimes they really are out to get you. WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for both "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Stepford Wives." Check out the "Slow Burn" podcast on Spotify for more about the Watergate coverup: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ON0PNRRNs9zWEAy2YPeAc?si=7b41733260ca4044 Watch the trailer for "The Martha Mitchell Effect" documentary on Netflix: https://youtu.be/0SYWxQ62AUM?si=mPnlW9feiwNMjHAh Watch the trailer for the series "Gaslit" on Starz: https://youtu.be/5SxnbpGngtI?si=nsZeJdKBeWRlrmZi Listen to the "This American Life" episode "Right to Remain Silent," about Adrian Schoolcraft: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/414/right-to-remain-silent Check out Ira Levin's books on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8050.Ira_Levin/

    1h 9m
5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Writer/filmmaker Scotty Milder and actor/theatre director Amelia Ampuero are weird. They like weird things. And they like to talk about them. From volcanos inspiring classic works of literature, to serial killers and UFOs, to “accidental foods” … nothing is too spooky, quirky, or downright strange for these two. Theme song ©2020 by Kane Distler