The Pokemon Seizure Panic of ‘97 | Photosensitive Epilepsy
Jul 30, 2025•50 min•Ep. 513
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Episode description
Turns out, the most dangerous thing on TV in the ‘90s wasn’t violence—it was Pikachu. In December, 1997, nearly 700 kids in Japan were rushed to the hospital after watching a single episode of Pokémon. No, this isn’t an urban legend—it actually happened, and it was electrifying (lol). This week, Jer walks the fellas headfirst into the wild, true story of the Pokémon seizure panic, how Pikachu literally short-circuited a nation, and why poor ol’ Porygon got wrongfully canceled before being canceled was cool.
We break down the science of photosensitive epilepsy, uncover how a cartoon nearly led to a nationwide media meltdown. Justice for Porygon. Blame Pikachu.
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