*WARNING: The audio quality is not the best on this one. The ghosts got to us. We’ll banish them next week. Sorry about your ears.* Emma is taking us back in the time machine this week to tell us about the weird life and mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe. Was it extreme sadness that killed him? Rabies? Voter fraud? Your guess is as good as ours. There will be some accidental scares, some bones under beds, and hopefully some heart farts from our listeners! Visit our website ! Sources: The Mothe...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 72
*Content warning: Emotional abuse and disordered eating are talked about on this episode* We’re back in 2009 this week as Shannon tells Emma about the mysterious death of Brittany Murphy. There are a lot of “big yikes” in this story, but overall the treatment of women in the entertainment industry is the crux of it all. We suggest you watch Uptown Girls and Clueless to celebrate this actress’ life after we discuss her mysterious (and potentially murderous?) passing. Visit our website ! Sources: ...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 71
The walls are starting to talk to us and Shannon might be evil? Are we nuts? Most likely. This week, Emma takes us on the adventure that is Gef the Talking Mongoose, who really didn’t like to be perceived. He lived in the walls of a farmhouse, and Emma conveniently forgot that there is currently something in Shannon’s walls (sorry again!). Our rock throwing friend, Harry Price, makes an appearance and the dog has a name this time, so all seems well, right? Come join us this week for, as we the k...
Feb 25, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Want some more historically bad vibes? How does the most haunted house in England sound? Shannon attempts to scare Emma this week with the tale of the Borley Rectory. It’s got ringing bells, researchers throwing pebbles, and some very productive rector’s wives. Does Emma think the ghosts are cute and sad? Maybe. Do we attempt our best Essex accents and potentially fail at them? Yup. Do we have yet another mailbag moment for you at the end? Of course! Visit our website ! Sources: The Mother Sourc...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Wanna relive some claustrophobic nightmares? No? Sorry, because Emma takes us to the depths of Vortex Spring as she tells Shannon about the disappearance of Ben McDaniel. Is Ben stuck in a deep underwater cave? Or is he off in Canada with a hot mountie? Or did something a bit more sinister fall upon him? Was it Florida Man? Come join us this week and don’t forget to bring your adventure buddy! Visit our website ! Sources: The Mother Source Historic Mysteries Disappeared Blog Reddit thread on the...
Feb 11, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Are you ready for some historically bad vibes? This week, Shannon steals one of Emma’s topics to talk about the Bennington Triangle. It’s always triangles that seem to have disappearances, spooky (potentially alien) encounters, and inexplicable dead bodies. So is it a curse? Or something a bit more on the “time travel” side? All we know is we are never wearing red in the woods #indoorcatsfurever. Special appearances from The Pennington Monster, another theme song (thanks Liam!), and a scary stor...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Oh my gourd, you guys! Emma might have stolen another one of Shannon’s topics this week when she discusses the Circleville Letter Writer. Whoever this was terrorized an entire town to the point that someone ended up dead. Try to buckle in and if you can’t then just clench everything and grip the seat for this week’s episode of nonsense and mystery! Come visit our website ! Sources: Unsolved Mysteries Unsolved Mysteries Fandom Wiki Mental Floss Thought Catalog Historicmysteries.com CBS News Film ...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Wanna hear the wackiest story of a great explorer who…well, never explored much of anything? Come listen to Shannon tell Emma about George M. Boynton, the man who walked a lot, talked a big game, and got Teddy Roosevelt to love him. It seriously is crazy the amount this man got away with in life. Grannies, Chad, and Everest make appearances this week, so come get your fill of some nonsense. And enjoy our BRAND NEW INTRO MUSIC courtesy of our lovely friend, Tom (not the Cryptking)! Visit our webs...
Jan 21, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 65
So Emma may have stolen one of Shannon’s episodes this week as we talk about the mystery of the Mary Celeste . NOT the Mary Rosa. We discuss cruise ship ghosts, holding an American Idol-style panel for Shannon’s next prospective date, and obviously get derailed talking about both Santa and books. Join us for this ramble about the mysterious disappearance of the crew of the Mary Celeste . Visit our website at thispodcastdoesntexist.com ! Sources: The Sauce Smithsonian The Mother Source All That’s...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 64
HISTORY WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE that today’s episode was just another one of those silly topics that no one has heard of. But we bet you’ve heard this one before! Come listen to our guest hosts Chad and Brad chat about the moon landing. Was it real? Was it filmed on a Hollywood set? Or were they just “russian” it? We’re here to blow Chad and Brad’s minds, and we think we were successful. Come listen and judge for yourself! Our website ! Sources: The Mother Source on Apollo 11 and the conspiracy t...
Jan 07, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 63
We have another short one for you to start off the new year, and we “Kraken” right into it. This week, Emma (somehow) scares Shannon with the legend of the Kraken and what it may actually be in the modern world, as the ocean is a very deep and scary place and researchers keep trying to see all of it. Turns out, neither of these hosts would like to see the bottom of the ocean. Emma also would like your poetry dissection papers to grade, please and thank you. Sources: The Mother Source on the Krak...
Dec 31, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Merry Christmas, Witches! We’ve got a short one this week to get you in the holiday mood; Shannon tells Emma the terrifying tale of Grýla, the Christmas Witch of Iceland, and her crazy sons, the Yule Lads. Is there anything better than traumatizing your kids into behaving? Probably, but telling them there are thirteen trolls coming to lick all of their belongings might keep them in line while you prepare for the holidays. So take a quick break with us and snuggle in for some creepy holiday cheer...
Dec 24, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Would you want to live forever? If so, guarding the Holy Grail may be the job for you! This week Emma tells Shannon about the Knights Templar, their legendary banking prowess, and the possibility that they are still hoarding treasure to this day. They also had rules pretty akin to what we know of fraternities today: “A bro shall not lay his hand on another bro.” This is probably as close to a National Treasure fan podcast as we could get, so come join and get those bingo cards ready! Emma might ...
Dec 17, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Dear Diary, this year for Christmas I would like all the old books in the world, and I think I may know where to find them. This week Shannon dives deep into the tunnels beneath the Kremlin for the legend of the Lost Library of the Czars. Emma nerds out, the tangents are unending, and we may have figured out our drag king names. Also, is your name Ivan? If so, you may be eligible to be a groom proxy! Come visit us at thispodcastdoesntexist.com Sources: Book Riot Vlogbrothers on YouTube Russia Be...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 59
A treasure in the Blue Ridge? Almost a billion dollars? Uncrackable ciphers and a story that’s a bit too good? This week, Emma gifts Shannon with a very Shannon-y episode about The Beale Ciphers, a set of codes printed in the 1880s that continue to draw people in. If you find the treasure the codes lead you to, you could get your own McNugget of gold! Join us and find out if we can really dig up this treasure! Or if it's just another movie Shannon wrote on the fly (she's getting really good at i...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 58
A slew of underwater ghost towns beneath the depths of a lake that has been cursed since its creation? We’re in! This week, Shannon takes us to Georgia’s Lake Lanier, with mysterious deaths, a handless ghost, and some very very very bad soup. You won’t catch us swimming it, but you might see us on the beach with our eyes closed, meditating on Shannon's intro for this episode. Want a couple tangential stories? Stick around to the end for Emma’s own lake tale! Sources: CNN Oxford American Southern...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 57
“And the sloth shall cometh and slash thrice upon the man.” There are so many tangents this week, ya’ll, as Shannon tries to avoid the story of The Sallie House at all costs. Emma went spooky, and nothing is spookier than a haunted house that might be haunted by something a bit darker than a ghost. We’ve got some spicy questions for the group chat, we accidentally write a horror film, and we determine that Robert the Doll is the King of Consent. Come listen and get spooked! Sources: WBUR: Is Atc...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Do you have a nickname? Is it better than "Jazz"? The answer is no, we're telling you now. Tune in this week for a much more lighthearted listen as Shannon tells Emma all about the Great Brink's Robbery, one of the most notorious crimes in American history, or so we've been told. Not only was it one of the biggest cash heists in history, it also was chock full of perfect names. We've got Fats, Gus, Trigger, Specs, and a few more we picked up along the way in this Ocean's 11 -esque heist of the c...
Nov 12, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Did you like our new intro for this episode? We loved it, and it helped lighten the mood for Emma’s downer of a story: this week, she tells Shannon the sad tale of the disappearance of Walter Collins, the inspiration for the movie The Changeling . We learn not only that Emma apparently loves to tell stories of sad, missing children, but the real meaning of “petty cash,” our next album name, and how we each decided to run away from home as kids. So come on by and tell us your potential circles of...
Nov 05, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 54
Ever been curb-stomped in a foreign country? We hope the answer is no, but that wasn't so for Lars Mittank, whose disappearance Shannon scares Emma with this week. We go through all the theories, realize that trains are also an option, what it means to "wear a beard," and what it would look like if Emma ever podcasted on her own (ya know, as an old lady). We wish you a delightfully spooky season, and buddy system up this year, friends, so you don't go missing and we have to put a Google Alert on...
Oct 29, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 53
IT’S OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, YOU GUYS! This week Emma was given express permission to SPOOK Shannon out, but did she deliver? Come found out on this episode about The Amityville Horror, from the murders to the movie. There’s also some great gift wrap ASMR, reminders to drink your water, reminiscing about reading scary books far too early, and Barbie Bachelor. Some questions to ponder: Would you eat evil Jell-o? Would you try to come at Dana at the Pizza Pad? Listen to our answers on this creep...
Oct 22, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Shannon brings us back in time this week with the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke and if the settlers really did disappear, or if they just moved. Or aliens?! They are always an option. Emma is impressed by the deep dive into history (I mean it’s a Shannon episode, are we surprised?), we learn that Sir Walter Raleigh liked sassafras and pipes, and Shannon has an aversion to new gravity. We’d also like to know how you say potato, but really, Emma will still say it wrong. Sources: The First Co...
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 51
It's spooky season, and what's spookier than the real life horror that was the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693! Listen to our 50TH EPISODE (what?!) as Emma lets Shannon know that she is both a witch and a wife. Come play "put a finger down, witch edition," and learn that the past was super uncomfy for a variety of reasons, not just dry skin ones. We have rendered ourselves obnoxious as we explore a potential case of extreme pettiness. AND BIG NEWS! We have our own WEBSITE ! Come visit! You c...
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Shannon has done it again with a spooky Scottish episode! This week it's about the three lighthouse keepers who mysteriously vanished off a little Scottish isle, but Emma may have figured it out (ghosts, duh). Therapy is had, stories are swapped, and Emma's undergraduate thesis is discussed in depth because of course it is. Also, does anyone know the tune that we always sing our Mother Source's name to? We certainly don't. Come celebrate the beginning of spooky season with us! Sources: Wikipedia...
Oct 01, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 49
What could have happened to two young boys under their uncle's care? Surely it was all fun and rainbows and shooting arrows? This week we discuss the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, Edward and Richard, and the possibility that Richard III, King of England, killed them for the crown. We learn that the TV show The Tudors is our main source of info on English royalty of the time, learn Shannon's drag name, and make some royal detours along the way. Hop on for the ride into 1455! Sources: The M...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Shannon freaks Emma out with this sad and creepy episode on the Dutch hikers Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers, who disappeared in the Panamanian jungle. We also confirm to each other that we are not murderers, learn Shannon’s hell loop, and Emma stops breathing at one point. Wanna be too scared to ever go hiking again? Then come listen! Sources: From Imperfect Plan: The full story , an analysis of photo 505 , a super in-depth analysis of Kremers’s bleached bones , and the Google Earth map Forensic...
Sep 17, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 47
We're your therapists now. Join us as Emma tells Shannon the sad story of the disappearance of the Beaumont siblings in 1966. As always, however, we must find the levity in the depravity so there is discussion of murderers with mohawks, angry muppets, and our very particular podcast niches. Emma also decides to fight the void, so buy your tickets to that fight now. Open call for engineers/chemists/scientists of all kinds to make some heavy duty evidence boxes with fingerprint passkeys please and...
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Have you seen a horse before? Are you sure it wasn’t a kelpie?! Join us this week for Shannon’s Cryptid Corner on these mysterious demon water horses of Scotland. Shannon starts her scatting career, we get very invested in our Winnie the Pooh zodiac signs, and make a mental note to stay at least 50 feet from any Scottish ponies loitering by themselves. We think you should, too. Sources: Wikipedia Icy Sedgwick BlogSpot Historic UK Thought Catalog YouTube...
Sep 03, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 45
An island filled with dolls? Cursed, blessed, or just plain awful? Feel like crying along with Shannon? Then join us this week for a short episode about the extremely spooky Island of the Dolls in Mexico. It’s so creepy even Emma cries! Don't forget to send us your ghost resumes! Sources: The Mother Source All That’s Interesting Atlas Obscura Discovery Channel Buzzfeed Unsolved...
Aug 27, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Could a beautiful, 45.52 carat diamond be the source of suffering for generations of its owners? Shannon is here this week to report on the Hope Diamond, currently in stasis at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Is it really cursed, killing off anyone who touches it? Or was it a well constructed story told in order to sell it to the highest bidder? Join us this week to find out! Sources: The Curse of the Hope Diamond The Smithsonian The Great Courses Daily Mental Floss...
Aug 20, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 43
