Queers for Fears
Two queer best friends since toddlerhood talk about the scarier parts of life, death, and everything in between. They take their research seriously, but each other...not so much.
Episodes
106 episodes
Episode 78: Roop Kund and Mad Stones
Oh my, Listeners. It's been a hot minute. Between some audio equipment failings, Ellie's Big Move and the school year hitting full speed we're, well, a bit behind to say the least. On this week's episode, Ellie discusses the c...
Episode 77: Radioactive Quackery and an Amphibious Infant
On this episode, Ellie takes us to her Chemistry class to learn about isotopes and radioactive "cures" for illness throughout the years. Then, Abby talks about an...interesting experiment on a poor innocent baby by some mad man who (incorrectly...
Episode 76: Man-Eating Tsavo Lions and The Darker History of Watermelon
On this episode, Ellie discusses the pair of Tsavo Lions who ate "very few humans" (very few is in the eye of the beholder, we suppose!) as well as their post mortem fate. Once again, the real fear is colonialism here on QFF. We kno...
Episode 75: Wood Island Lighthouse and Plane Accidents
**there were some tech issues in this episode, so please bear with us regarding the sound quality/echo!**In this episode, we celebrate our annual Besties Trip! We're going to Maine, everybody! In preparation for the trip, Abby...
Episode 74: The Mad Gasser of Mattoon and The Hat Man
In this episode, Abby talks about the Mas Gasser of Mattoon. In 1944 a string of strange attacks hit Mattoon Illinois. The town was full of panic. Then, Ellie tells us about The Hat Man. Cw: abby: assault, breaking and entering, ga...
Episode 73: The Story of Sarah Gonzalez McLinn and OMG, They Were Roommates...in Antarctica?!
In this episode, Abby talks about Sarah Gonzalez McLinn, a 20-year-old woman who murdered her roommate and boss, Harold Sasko, who was then some 30 years her senior. It seemed like it was all about money, but Sarah's story, which wasn't a...
Episode 72: Inventors Killed by Their Inventions (feat. a drinking game) and James Sligo Jameson's Journey to Africa
In this episode, Ellie chats about inventors that were killed by their own inventions. She also invented a cocktail AND a drinking game for this episode, folks! What can we say? We’re real Renaissance Women on this podcast. It’s a g...
Episode 71: Barney Bashing and Bothersome Balloons
In this episode, Abby discusses some rage directed toward the beloved PBS dinosaur, Barney as well as a tragedy that struck the creator's family. Ellie discusses the Cleveland Balloonfest Catastrophe. Tangents include but are not li...
Episode 70: It's Not Easy Being Green: Phrogging and the Green Children of Woolpit
In this episode, Ellie takes us back to the 13th century and discusses the Green Children of Woolpit! We put on our detective hats and try to sort it all out for you. Spoiler Alert: it doesn't go very well. Then, Abby talks a...
Episode 69: Bug Years Don't Come in A Jar: Cicadas of 2024 and Locusts of 1874
In this episode, Ellie discusses 2024: The Year of the Cicada?! and Abby talks about 1874: The Year of the Locust. Tangents include, but are not limited to: how much you’d need to pay us to eat bugs, being alive in the 1870s, disgusting B...
Episode 68: A Dangerous Crush
In this episode, Abby talks about Freda and Alice, two teenagers from Memphis, Tennessee living in the 19th century who fell in love and planned to marry. Unfortunately, it all went wrong and tragedy struck.
Episode 67: An (Attempted) Snake Murder Part II
The exciting conclusion to part one. This episode dives in to the crime itself, the trial and a whole lot of wacky tangents along the way.
Episode 66: An Attempted Snake Murder (Part I)
In Part One, Abby lays the foundation for another (attempted) snake murder in Alabama. She touches upon serpent handling and Pentecostal churches-a large part of this mystery. queersforfears.comPatreon: /queersforfea...
Episode 65: A Nice Day for a...Weed Wedding
You didn't think Abby would let Ellie get married and NOT talk about a wild wedding, did you!? This week, Abby talks about a wedding with 200 POUNDS of weed, the kind of wedding guests you DON'T want to show up and Michigan.
Episode 64: A Perfect(?) Midwestern Kidnapping
Abby discusses a record setting 1972 kidnapping in Minnesota of a wealthy socialite
Episode 63: The Death of Mary Busch
Abby discusses the murder of Mary Busch in this case and what a man named Rattlesnake James had to do with it. Sources: An article from the Fargo Forum, March 22, 1939Brenner, Anita La Cañada's F...
Episode 62: A 12 Million Dollar Book Heist
In 2008 four teens at a Kentucky university decided to rob the library. Find out how that works out for them in this episode of QFF.
Episode 61: Rudolph Valentino and His Cursed Ring
Abby discusses Rudolph Valentino, a man who experienced toxic masculinity, homophobia even though it's likely he wasn't homosexual and a cursed ring. To what fate does The "Latin Lover" (the 20s were wild, man) succumb? Find...
Episode 60: Elmer McCurdy, the World's Worst Train Robber
Elmer McCurdy had a sad life. He struggled with addiction and tried to make a living off crime but was never very successful. Unfortunately for Elmer, his death and thereafter was much more interesting. Find out what happened ...
Episode 59: Fraudulent Fruitcake Fiasco
Join Abby and a special guest in discussion Corsicana, Texas and their world famous bakery for the ever indulgent holiday dessert: fruitcake. In the 2000s, the bakery started to lose money even though their fruitcakes were flying off the ...
Episode 58: Plant Cryptids
Merry Cryptmas everyone! Abby discusses some light-hearted plant cryptids who are anything BUT vegetarian and Ellie, being Ellie, tries her ebst to get her off topic. There's a lot of tangents in this episode, folks, but maybe they,...
Episode 57: The 57 Bus
CW: Trans/homophobia, misgendering and use of incorrect pronouns, hate crime and assaultOne November afternoon in 2013, Sasha Fleischman boarded the 57 bus home from school in Oakland California. Sasha, a high school senior at the...
From the Patreon Vault: Deer Cryptids
Abby and Ellie talk about some famous and infamous deer cryptids--be warned, Abby was a bit tipsy this episode... Music credit: System of a DownSupport us: www.queersforfear...
Episode 56: The American Plan and Chapter 205
Unsurprisingly, the US Government's legislature to control women's bodies is not new. In the 20th century, The American Plan allowed law enforcement to stop and examine women for STIs based on their profession, appearance, or social...
Movisode 22: The Exorcist (1973) and The Exorcism of Roland Doe
Last week we talked about Ellie's favorite movie, this week, we discuss Abby's favorite horror classic: The Exorcist. What makes this movie so likeable and what was the inspiration for the film? Find out on this episode of Queers fo...