Podcasts · Kids & Family

Unspookable

Soundsington Media

109 episodes

Unspookable is an award winning, family-friendly look at the histories and mysteries behind your favorite scary stories, myths and urban legends. Each week host Elise Parisian digs into the history, brain science, and power dynamics behind such topics as Bloody Mary, Charlie Charlie, and Ouija Boards to find the stories behind the scares. (Recommended for ages 8+)

More about the show

Unspookable is an official "Common Sense Media Selection," one of Apple Podcasts' "Essentials," has been called one of the "Best Podcasts for Kids of All Ages" by Time Out New York, one of the “7 Podcasts Big Kids Will Love” by The New York Times, one of the "20 Best Podcasts for Kids that will Make Them Forget About Screen Time" by the TODAY Show.

The show has appeared multiple times across Canada on CBC Radio's Podcast Playlist, on NPR station WHYY's Kid's Listening Hour, has been featured by Vox, Vulture, Romper, The AV Club, Fast Company, The Week Jr., and more.

Episodes page 1 of 3

  1. Episode 84: Kelpies

    · 21 min

    Horses can be majestic animals. Just look at their mythic cousins, the unicorn and the Pegasus. But did you ever wonder what it would look like if a horse were, instead of magical, mischievous? Or even murderous? I’m…

  2. Episode 83: Black Cats

    · 18 min

    Have you ever had a black cat cross your path? Did you worry that it might bring you bad luck? And why have these furry felines been associated with witches, magic, and the supernatural for centuries? We'll be…

  3. Episode 82: Sleep Paralysis and the Hat Man

    · 22 min

    In honor of spooky season, we’re keeping things extra creepy with the waking nightmare phenomenon called Sleep Paralysis. What is sleep paralysis? Are the creatures people see, like the Man in the Hat, real? Or just a…

  4. Episode 81: Changelings and Neurodivergence

    · 20 min

    Have you ever heard of Changelings? Are they real? Where do they come from? And why is it so scary to think someone we know is not actually someone we know? We’ll be pondering all that and more on this episode of…

  5. We're BaAaAack! New Episodes of Unspookable start September 29th

    · 0:46

    Spooky season is almost here and with it comes an all new season of Unspookable beginning on Tuesday, September 29th. We’ve been following your amazing requests and our team has been working on episodes you're going…

  6. Episode 80: The Yeti or Abominable Snowman

    · 15 min

    It’s getting to be that time of year again. A lot of you might feel a chill in the air. Trees have lost their leaves, snowflakes are starting to fall, and you’re keeping an eye out for any 8-foot-tall bear-ape…

  7. Krampus [ENCORE]

    · 8:18

    For those of us who have been good all year the holidays are a time for celebration and gifts... but, for for those of us who have been naughty, we may have a half goat, half demon visitor waiting to steal us away.…

  8. Episode 79: Slime

    · 22 min

    Have you ever made slime? Do you remember how you made it? What it felt like oozing between your fingers? Why do you think so many of us are obsessed with slime? And why do slimy things creep so many people out? We'll…

  9. Episode 43: Five Nights at Freddy's [ENCORE]

    · 20 min

    Have you ever thought about getting your first job? Where would you work? What would you have to do? Well, what if your first job was working the overnight shift at a pizzeria making sure the animatronic puppets don't…

  10. Episode 78: The Lost Colony of Roanoke

    · 23 min

    If you’re listening to Unspookable, chances are you like a good mystery. A mystery like, say, over 100 people vanishing without a trace? We’re going to cover a mystery that’s centuries old and ask whether a mystery so…

  11. Episode 77: Stonehenge

    · 26 min

    We're sure you've heard of Stonehenge, an ancient stone monument that has mystified people for centuries, but what is it? Was it a temple, a portal, or maybe an alien landing pad? Who built it and why? And even more…

  12. Kooky Spooky Countdown: Elise Parisian (Unspookable) interviews Adam Gidwitz (Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest)

    · 34 min

    If you've been following the Kooky Spooky Countdown, it has all been leading up to this: Elise Parisian, the host of Unspookable, sits down with Adam Gidwitz, the creator and host of Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest and New…

  13. Episode 76: The Brown Mountain Lights

    · 23 min

    Sometimes strange glowing orbs appear around Brown Mountain in North Carolina. Locals call them the Brown Mountain Lights, and no one really knows what they are. Some say they’re spirits or ghosts, some aliens, and…

  14. Introducing: Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings

    · 22 min

    We are excited to share a recent episode of the Kids Listen podcast Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings featuring Unspookable and our friends at At Your Level and Koala Shine and hosted by the amazing…

  15. The Past and The Curious Halloween Special: Twain's Ouija Novel (w Nate DuFort from Unspookable)

    · 22 min

    When a podcast asks Unspookable to collaborate, especially if it is one of our all time favorite podcasts with one of the coolest hosts in the business, we will jump at the opportunity. We are thrilled to present this…

  16. Episode 75: La Llorona

    · 22 min

    Have you ever heard of the Weeping Woman? Maybe you'd know her by her other name - La Llorona - a young mother so haunted by her own grief that she’s taken to haunting everyone in her path. Who was she, and what does…

  17. Episode 74: Wendigo

    · 23 min

    One of our most requested topics ever, the Wendigo is a mythological beast from the folklore of the Algonquian-speaking First Nations of Canada and the Great Lakes region of the United States. Said to embody greed,…

  18. Episode 73: Medusa

    · 27 min

    Many of us may think we know everything there is to know about Medusa, but what if what we thought about her origins and intentions were all wrong? We're looking at the the complex and contradicting stories that may…

  19. Episode 72: Godzilla

    · 27 min

    You have no doubt heard the name Godzilla, the 200 foot tall kaiju bent on destroying everything in it's path, but do you know why this monster was created and what it might symbolize? We'll be talking about all that…

  20. A Special Announcement from Unspookable

    · 0:55

    Spooky season is almost here and with it comes an all new season of Unspookable beginning on Tuesday, September 9th. We’ve been following your amazing requests and our team has been working on episodes you're going to…

  21. Holiday Episode featuring The Yule Cat, Kallikantzari, Christmas Spiders, & more [ENCORE]

    · 15 min

    The month of December brings a whole host of traditions for people all across the world. For us on Unspookable, this time of year brings some of the strangest creepy creatures we get to see. After all – it wouldn’t be…

  22. Introducing: Twenty Thousand Hertz - Minecraft

    · 28 min

    This week we are excited to introduce you to one of our favorite podcasts being made today, Twenty Thousand Hertz, a family-friendly podcast that tells the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting…

  23. Episode 71: Skinwalkers & Cultural Appropriation with Christopher Allen Brewer

    · 20 min

    Over the last few years, more listeners have requested this topic than any other, but it's a story that isn't ours to tell. And perhaps shouldn't be told at all. Native American Paranormal Adviser, Christopher Allen…

  24. Episode 70: The Bell Witch presented by Unspookable and Southern Gothic

    · 29 min

    What comes to mind when you hear the term "ghost story"? For many Americans, if you don't think of the haunting of the Bell family of Tennessee, you're surely thinking of one of the dozens of stories inspired by this…

  25. Episode 69: Minecraft and Herobrine

    · 20 min

    We likely don't have to tell you that Minecraft is a global phenomenon, but that doesn't mean that it's all fun and games. Many listeners of the show have written in to see if we could comment on the spookier side of…

  26. Episode 68: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with David Kreizman of Gen-Z Media

    · 19 min

    Washington Irving's 1820 tale of a headless horseman who terrorizes the village of Sleepy Hollow is widely considered to be one of the first American ghost stories and, we'd argue, still one of the scariest. Why has…

  27. Episode 67: The White Lady

    · 23 min

    Many of us have heard of the Lady in White or the White Lady, a ghostly woman in misty white, feeling despair, or anger. Why is this imagery so common, not just in North America, but around the world? Is she someone to…

  28. Episode 66: Atlantis

    · 20 min

    What if we told you that 10,000 years ago there was a sophisticated society ruled by the children of the sea god Poseidon, with stunning architecture and quality of life similar to our own? What if this society…

  29. Episode 65: Titanic

    · 28 min

    More than 100 years after the disaster that sank it, why is our fascination with the RMS Titanic as strong as ever? Who or what was to blame for this tragedy? Was it bad luck, hubris, or simply an iceberg? We'll…

  30. Episode 64: Ravens and Crows

    · 22 min

    Crows and Ravens are considered to be some of the smartest animals in the world, with intelligence comparable to chimpanzees. But for many, their presence evokes a fear that is hard to put into words. We're on a…

  31. Episode 63: JAWS with Ira Marcks

    · 30 min

    We're back this week with even more sharks as we discuss all things JAWS with one of our favorite middle-grade authors, Ira Marcks! Is the story from the movie true? Why is this particular shark so scary? Why are we…

  32. Episode 62: Sharks

    · 27 min

    What's the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the word shark? Is it a sea predator with rows and rows of sharp teeth? Maybe it's a simple alternating E and F or F and F sharp played on a solo tuba? Or…

  33. Episode 61: Baba Yaga

    · 19 min

    Have you ever heard the name Baba Yaga? If so, what images come to mind? If you grew up with Slavic folklore, maybe you've heard tales of a child eating witch. Or perhaps you've heard stories of a kind-hearted…

  34. Episode 60: The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

    · 18 min

    When it comes to unsolved mysteries, almost none are bigger or more widely debated than the disappearance of aviation innovator Amelia Earhart. What happened on that fateful journey? What became of Earhart and…

  35. Episode 59: Yokai and Japanese Folklore with Thersa Matsuura

    · 30 min

    What do you know of the legendary spirits, creatures, and figures of Japanese folklore? And how have these figures found their way into every corner of our popular culture? Unspookable producer Nate DuFort sits down…

  36. Episode 27: Illuminati, Conspiracies, & Media Literacy [ENCORE]

    · 27 min

    A lot of us have heard the word Illuminati, but what does it mean? Is there really a secret group of people controlling society from the shadows? There are conspiracy theories in the world today about these very…

  37. Episode 58: Skibidi Toilet

    · 15 min

    Last fall it felt like every other email, review, or topic recommendation we received mentioned a YouTube series that had captured the imaginations of our listeners and literally BILLIONS of young people around the…

  38. Episode 57: Poppy Playtime and Horror Video Games

    · 18 min

    We get a lot of amazing suggestions from our listeners of topics to cover on the show, but there's one topic that topples the competition: Video Games. Whether it's Five Nights at Freddy's, Doors, Hello Neighbor,…

  39. Episode 56: The Last Kids on Earth with Max Brallier

    · 32 min

    What would you do if you woke up one day and giant portals in the sky brought about a monster apocalypse that left your hometown without any rules, grownups, or homework? Well if you’re Jack Sullivan, you’d move into…

  40. Episode 42: The Backrooms [ENCORE]

    · 24 min

    Have you ever heard of The Backrooms? Maybe you've come across this strange never-ending series of liminal spaces on TikTok or on YouTube or maybe some games that you've played. The Backrooms are one of our most…

  41. Krampus [ENCORE]

    · 7:38

    For those of us who have been good all year the holidays are a time for celebration and gifts... but, for for those of us who have been naughty, we may have a half goat, half demon visitor waiting to steal us away.…

  42. Episode 55: The SCP Foundation with Pacific S. Obadiah

    · 25 min

    SCP may be one of our most requested topics ever due to its presence on ROBLOX, but many of us don't know much about this strange foundation and their mission to Serve, Contain, and Protect. We were thrilled to talk to…

  43. Introducing: Ghost Tour

    · 26 min

    Today, we are excited to present a new project from some friends of the show. In this pilot episode of Ghost Tour, meet 15-year-olds Vern and Lee as they lead a ghost tour in Jepson, North Carolina, and meet their…

  44. Episode 26: Spiders and Arachnophobia [ENCORE]

    · 32 min

    On this special encore presentation of Unspookable we are looking back at one of our favorite episodes: Whether you find them cute or creepy, it's hard not to have a strong feeling about this week's topic...Spiders.…

  45. Episode 54: Scarewaves, Siren Head, and more with Trevor Henderson

    · 25 min

    Where do our fears come from? For some of us, it’s past experiences… others, maybe a fear of the unknown… but if you're anything like the team at Unspookable, there is one man responsible for many of the characters,…

  46. Episode 53: Halloween

    · 18 min

    Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are some of your annual traditions? Maybe you dress up in costumes, carve a Jack-o'-lantern, go trick-or-treating? But have you ever wondered why we do these things? Or that they…

  47. Episode 52: Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board with Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) Tucker

    · 20 min

    Join us as we delve into the enigmatic sleepover ritual "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board" with the brilliant Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) Tucker, Distinguished Service Professor of English, Binghamton University. We'll…

  48. Episode 51: Chilling with Ghosts with Insha Fitzpatrick

    · 22 min

    Today is another special episode of the show as we learn even more about ghosts, rituals, and beyond with the author of the new book Chilling with Ghosts: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural , the amazing…

  49. Episode 50: Ghosts

    · 21 min

    Do you believe in ghosts? That's a question most of us have asked or have been asked before. How do you respond? Is it something you may have seen? Something you may have felt? Or has the presence of ghosts in popular…

  50. Episode 10: Friday the 13th [ENCORE]

    · 22 min

    On this special encore presentation of Unspookable we are looking back at one of our favorite episodes: Friday the 13th. Do you believe in luck? Do you think you're lucky or unlucky? Do you believe that there are…

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