Let's wrap up season 2 with a bang. Our longest episode to date is fitting for these intense topics. This week, join our heroes as they discuss the invasion of the body snatchers. Imagine coming home to your partner, but it isn't quite them?! Is it all in your head? Or, are you onto something? Everything is not what it seems. Next, join Allison as …

Shrink your problems, or shrink your head(?), but whatever you do, don’t shrink away from this episode! Why are therapists called shrinks? Let’s go down the shrunken rabbit hole and explain all the possible reasons beginning in the Amazon and ending with an Austrian. Then Allison expands our minds to consider how a pulp science fiction writer turne…

Teamsters, welcome to another semi-regular cult episode! While we forego intersections between our topics, there are plenty of intersections between this episode and previous ones. For example, Allie takes us back to Asia as she covers another “religious movement,” this one out of South Korea. Similar to past cults, JMS has a self-proclaimed messia…

What is the difference between multilevel marketing schemes and the Roman Colosseum? They're both cut-throat and folks are always trying to rise to glory. Join our gals this week as CA covers the psychology behind MLMs and Allie takes a trip back in time to the brutality of the gladiators. Who will come out on top? And, who is just here for the fre…

What was the worst year ever? Maybe it depends on who you ask. If you ask your fearless leaders, we would probably say 2020. If you ask the people of Tanganyika, they'd probably tell you that it was 1961. Which, ironically, was no laughing matter. Carey Ann takes on the topic of Mass Hysteria through the lens of a mission-run boarding school where …

Build me up Buttercup, don't break me down! Whether a buttercup, sunflower, or poppy, the outcome is the same. This week, we're talking about the importance of supporting women, especially in the workplace. Maybe the moral of the story is to just let people be great. However, greatness can come at a price. Allie takes us into the life and mind of o…

Hey Teamsters! This week, join us as we talk through all of the once-upon-an-intersections; as we're on our way to where the air is sweet, we're on our way to Sesame Street. CA takes the most ADHD approach through the values displayed in television shows over the past 70 years and how TV as a whole, positively or negatively impacts our psyche. P.S.…

This week, Allie covers a cult that makes her stomach turn. The hate group and terrorist organization, Westboro Baptist Church is one for the books. On the other hand, CA talks about the American Dream and the 1986 film, Little Shop of Horrors. Together, they discuss aliens, tacky signage, and puppetry. Join us each Thursday to learn something new!…

You are getting sleepy... When I snap my fingers, you'll want to listen to the newest PWAA episode. *Snap!* CA continues to try to get to the bottom of hypnotism and we can't do that without talking about the Mesmerizing Franz Mesmer. This story has everything! Vital fluid, animal magnetism, bathtubs, Ben Franklin, the Queen of England, and scandal…

Teamsters, you know what sounds great? A sleep temple. The Ancient Egyptians may have been onto something. Journey with us back to the time of Imhotep, the first genius in recorded history. Architecture, psychology, engineering, medicine, and serving the Sun God. This guy did it all. By contrast, Allison's topic is about a woman who is just doing t…

Have you ever looked at someone and wondered "What goes on inside their head?" Human behavior is baffling, isn't it? The first official theory of the "why" comes from our guy, Freud. CA unpacks the iceberg of the mind where what we can see is only the beginning of the story. It's a good thing these topics are paired because Allison's story takes a …

Gaslighting, mind games, emotional manipulation, power plays… oh my! Folks have long been interested dark psychology whether as a way to manipulate, deceive, and take advantage of other people, or to better understand the people who do. Whatever drew you into this topic, we’re glad you’re here and we hope you hate it as much as we do. Then, your fe…

Monkey see, monkey do. After this week's episode, that's more obvious than ever. Join our heroes as they discuss the Harlow Monkey Experiment and MORE Conspiracy Theories (It wouldn't be a PWAA season without it). Learn all about what an experiment with monkeys from the 1950s teaches us about the world today. And, catch up with the weirdness of con…

A cult episode that is also the second part of a history topic?! How does Allie do it? In an epic crossover, our queer political trailblazer may have almost joined a cult. Unfortunately, the end result was the same: murder. Then, a lavender trailblazer filled with three Queens and a transwoman takes Australia by storm in a funny, whimsical, and yet…

Happy PRIDE Teamsters!! We're still here, still queer, and still recording in a closet. What could be gayer than a two-parter? Join us with a little GINeralized Anxiety before we dive into our Pride topics. This week, CA explores the pink, white, and light blue spectrum of the flag. So much to unpack, and so little time. Allison begins the story of…

Teamsters, sometimes things get real. When that happens, have a Larry Flint Filthy Martini, a charcuterie board with pringles, and a milk bath for your face. Let's call it "self-care". This week, CA covers burnout; where it comes from, what to do about it, and how to prevent it. Do what you gotta do is the moral of this story. When things get real …

This week our heroes dabble in two topics straight out of your nightmares. First, CA covers a true crime topic by way of Munchausen by Proxy through the case of Gypsy Rose. Allison takes us back in time to teach us about London's oldest mental health hospital, Bedlam. These topics are bound to chill you, thrill you, and fulfill you.…

Teamsters, today we start with a mouse funeral, but it is all uphill from there. Quiz: what do all of our topics from season 1 have in common? They're weird... in a weird way, but also the W.E.I.R.D. way. Carey Ann loves to unpack a good acronym and all its implications. Allison likes to get nerdy in other weird ways. Explore the horrors of Alcatra…

Y'all, your cohosts are back in the closet. Is that a good lead-in to this episode? We hope not! "When I see how sad you are it sort of makes me ... happy! It's Schadenfreude!" There is never a bad time to quote Avenue Q. We are basically a Broadway easter egg podcast at this point, right? CA uncovers the humorous underbelly of the joy experienced …

This week, we celebrate our 50th episode, and we totally remembered that!! Instead, celebrity crushes took priority in the topics discussed at the start of this monumental episode. Maybe for the 100th episode, we will remember the champagne! ⁠ ⁠ Speaking of podcasts, we have one where we just keep "wormholing." ... CA completes a two-parter with a …

What religion would your pets practice? Maybe listen to this episode before you decide...Less of a "how to" guide and more of a "how come" analysis, lets dig into the religious trenches of exorcisms. Much like clergy are trying to rid demons from their laypeople, the people of Egypt and Syria also wanted to rid themselves of unwanted souls on their…

This week, CA and Allie's topics deserve a TLC special. Join us as we discuss the complex nature of hoarding. Is collecting healthy? At what point is it considered hoarding? And Allie dives into a mysterious topic that will leave you wanting more. It's a little bit scary, a little bit science fiction, and a little bit Allie.…

This is a podcast of things you didn't know you needed to know... or, at least, that's how your fearless leaders do their pod notes. CA loves having the distinct advantage of knowing that this was a three-parter, so we can all wormhole together. This week, she covers a true armchair psychology topic: the "Psychology of Dictators". What traits, econ…

It's okay to like what you like; especially, if one of those things is PWAA! This week Allie and CA let it get super weird with the things they like. Which, unsurprisingly includes cults and cult classics. Allie gets to go first and covers the Waco Siege, which if you don't know, is centered around a religious doomsday cult called the Branch Davidi…

Don't call it a comeback! Episode 2 of Season 2, and it feels good. CA has almost no impulse control and healthy escapism tactics which lead to our first PWAA book club! Let's get nerdy as we compare and contrast the dystopian novel 1984 with what we think we know of North Korea. Knowing Allison's topic really comes in handy for pod planning. Mass …

We're back, Teamsters! Tune in and catch up on the past year with us... at least for the first five minutes, then it is back to business as usual. In this episode, the Ravenclaw tells the Hufflepuff the history of lunacy, madness, and the moon. Then things get even darker as our fearless cohost kicks off season two with a three-part-er! Starting of…

Hey Teamsters! It has been a while. Carey Ann and Allison start off this episode with updates. While there is no defined plan for the upcoming year, your fearless leaders are recouping their spoons and taking some time to make sure that the pod is sustainable. While you wait, please enjoy this episode of Chick Shit's podcast episode "Strip Clubs." …

It has been a busy holiday season, Teamsters! We are mixing it up a little with this episode and we have answered some of your questions as well as asked and answered a few of our own. Join us for a look into our weird labyrinth mind things.By Carey Ann Watkins, Allison Easley

Tis the season, Teamsters! Time for another holiday mash up. Unlike Halloween, CA definitely got the memo for this special episode. First, Allison gives us a history of the jolly man himself. Carey Ann then shares a new Christmas classic. Is it a cult classic? Who's to say. Happy Holidays! Hope this season brings you joy and rest.…

Hello Teamsters! Hard to believe the year is coming to a close! Having a podcast kind of feels like Truman Show Syndrome. There is an audience, we just are aware of being recorded. Nonetheless, podcasts are part of a cultural moment, and well... just stay tuned to figure out why that is relevant. Then, learn about the assembly line, cars, and for b…

Happy Thursday, Teamsters! Do any of you remember watching a documentary in middle school that said that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s? Carey Ann sure does! What is this weird phenomenon of false memories that is the Mandela Effect? Speaking of false memories, many people have claimed over the years to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. A…

Happy Thursday, Teamsters! We're all mad here, so we might as well go down the rabbit hole... Ready to forever change the way that you think about movies? Carey Ann's topic this week looks at a simple test used to gauge media and unravel the idea that women exist only in their relationships to men. Then, follow AllisonWonderland as she leads us dow…

Happy Post-Thanksgiving-Warm-Gerbil-Cult-Release day, Teamsters! Welcome back to this weird labyrinth mind thing that we call a cult episode. This week, Allison takes us down a dark and twisted hole with more content warnings than we can begin to name. While "The Ant Hill Kids" sounds cute, be warned this is not a warm and fuzzy cult. Carey Ann jux…

Happy Thanksgiving Teamsters!! The Pod without an Aud family wishes you delicious food and time with friends and loved ones. This week's episode is a Patreon pick for CA. Borderline Personality Disorder is widely misunderstood and over stigmatized. Join us as we learn more and unpack some of the misconceptions. Then, meet Typhoid Mary who just want…

Why was Pavlov's hair so soft? All the conditioning... Get it? Hey Teamsters! Where else can we talk about sexually arousing objects, like sexual imprinting and penny jars? This week, Carey Ann covers fetishized objects and body parts and the multitude of theories surrounding fetishes. Allison then covers the strange and unusual world of records th…

Happy Thursday Teamsters! Two quotes to spark our topics today: "Shelby was right, it does look like a brown football helmet." and "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free." Do you know where these quotes are from before listening to the episode? Hint: Carey Ann's topic this week is grief and loss, which spans b…

In this week's shrimp-basket-combo, your fearless leaders combining a regular episode with a cult episode to bring you this version of Frankenstein's Monster. Carey Ann first covers a psychological/sociological look at Edward Scissorhands then Allison introduces us to yet another cult, this one centered around weight loss. Unlike most cult episodes…

Happy Halloween Teamsters! Not every episode is bound to have intersections, but when you consider that your fearless leaders both said words that contain letters that are also in "Halloween," it seems pretty clear that they understood the assignment. In true CA and Allie fashion, Carey Ann over-did the costuming for the recording sesh and Allison …

Intersections by design for this cult episode because who doesn't want to hear about the world's largest alien cult then watch one of the greatest alien cult classics of all time? "It's just a jump to the left" as Carey Ann tries her hand at covering this scientific-athiestic-futuristic cult that started in France in the 1970s and is still around t…

Hey Teamsters! There are two types of people in this world when you hear the word 'lobotomy', those who think of Sucker Punch and those who think of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Fortunately, your fearless leaders are one of each! This week, Carey Ann explores the dark history of lobotomies. Content warning: this does get graphic. Then, Allison …

"This is who I'm meant to be, this is me." In honor of National Coming Out Day, CA covers the history and dangers of conversion therapy. Allison then shares with us the true story of "The Greatest Show."By Carey Ann Watkins, Allison Easley

Hi Teamsters! Welcome to our weird labyrinth brain thing(TM). Carey Ann once again takes us back to ancient Greece then a voyage through time with a brief stop in Austria before making our way to your ears. Narcissistic Personality Disorder goes way beyond vanity and selfies and Carey Ann discusses the nuances, root causes, and treatment options. A…

Let's shake things up a little this week. Carey Ann covers a history-heavy topic with a fun psychology/sociology spin, as we learn about the CIA's mind-control experiments that may or may not have lead to the counter-culture drug craze of the 1960s. Then, who is this guy "Mormon" and why does he have so many books? Allison begins her first two-part…

Before they get started, it is time for a little walk down memory lane for all the Millenials... Now, back to business. Carey Ann once again does a deep dive into a Freudian theory, this time with greek roots. Allison asks the hard questions [to paraphrase]: "How does he come up with this shit?" For better or worse, Oedipus, Electra, and Little Han…

Some things are hard: growing up, our foster care system, and knowing who to trust with your money... This episode covers a broad spectrum of emotions and lived experiences. Carey Ann explores a mysterious name written at the top of a piece of paper in a child's file. The story of Willie Monteith had a lasting impact not only on those who knew him …

Happy Bonus Episode Day!! As usual, Allison picks a cult and Carey Ann picked a cult classic and we don't find intersections. The Unification Church - another audacious cult leader with some strange beliefs and even stranger s*x practices. Seems like there could be a link-up to the cult movie of the week which is a rock musical about a person with …

Time for a light and fun episode, at least in the first half. Carey Ann explores a strange phenomenon where some people taste words, feel sounds, or like Allison, can see time in space. Allison then takes the charge and tells us the more graphic details of where babies come from. Moral of this story: "The world would be a better place if we could e…

Carey Ann winds up her first three-part series with an analysis of 'freeze' and 'fawn' using the ever-popular [and super traumatizing] TV show, Grey's Anatomy. Allison then jumps in with an equally traumatizing true story of the Challenger Explosion, complete with a surprise ending that wasn't taught in schools. In addition to intersections, and wi…

In part two of CA's trauma and fear response series, she ironically uses the movie Frozen to talk about the flight response. Stick with us here, it fits surprisingly well. Then, let's come together for Allison's coverage of John Lennon and his unfortunate demise. The moral of this story, we get by with a little help from our friends. What intersect…

Join our heroes this week as they talk about other heroes. In part 1 of a trauma response series, Carey Ann lays some groundwork about brains and trauma then we get nerdy with The Hulk. What superhero doesn't have some childhood trauma? Bruce Banner has it in spades, as evidenced by occasionally turning green and smashing things. Then, Allison shar…