It's an image famous -- and controversial -- all the world round: in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the US government wrought four gigantic sculptures of past US Presidents on the face of the Six Grandfathers. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Dylan explore the truth behind one of America's weirdest conspiracies: Is Mount Rushmore just a big carving? Or is there a secret, hidden for centuries, there within the stone?
Happy Rutabaga Day. In this week's listener mail segment, Ben, Matt and Dylan learn about the plans to finally take the sun down a notch. Insight on Savannah, Georgia. All this and more as the gang hurtles toward the end of the year.
The "snuff film" is a profoundly disturbing urban legend: the idea that a shadowy group (or groups) manufacture real-life acts of torture, defilement and murder for the express purpose of commercial gain. For decades, fact checkers and researchers argued that snuff films didn't actually exist. Yet, as Ben, Matt and Noel discover in tonight's episode... that may no longer be the case.
For centuries the U.S. government conspired to persecute, attack and marginalize the native population. When open warfare became too expensive, some factions of the government proposed a different approach -- what if, they wondered, we erase native culture? This inspired a massive industry of forced assimilation. Thousands of children were forced into boarding schools where they were taught to act more 'European' while being abused, exploited and placed into forced labor. Tune in to learn more about the conspiracy of forced assimilation, and how its long-reaching consequences affect the country in the modern day.
As world leaders convene for the United Nations General Assembly, the US Secret Service uncovers a massive telecom conspiracy -- and has no idea who created it. People are out here peeing in theatres, it's Fat Beer Week as we record, and the Pentagon declares journalists must tow the party line. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.
In theory, democracy empowers the people -- a citizen's vote is the primary campaign contribution. However, theory and practice are often two very different things. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel peel back the layers on a global conspiracy: a worldwide, well-funded network with deep ties to the US government; a meta-think tank created to make more think tanks. They touch everything from tobacco to climate change, from crafting laws to (allegedly) aiding in government overthrow. For those in the know, the group is simply called "Atlas."
Hi, Stuff They Don't Want You To Know listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, Incels!
Incels: Hidden deep in online forums, a growing subculture thrives on anger, isolation, and blame: incels, or “involuntary celibates.” Mostly young, white, heterosexual men, incels see themselves as rejected by women and overshadowed by so-called “Chads”—the confident, attractive men they believe they can never be. Their frustration often mutates into open hostility, harassment, and, in the most extreme cases, acts of violence.
Incels takes listeners inside this unsettling world—not to sensationalize it, but to understand it. Through expert analysis, first-hand accounts, and the voices of former incels, we break down how these communities operate, why they’re growing, and the psychological traps that keep men locked in cycles of resentment. With chilling stories and deep insight, Incels reveals the human cost of a culture built on
hate—and the path forward for those ready to leave it behind.
Listen to Incels on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!
Killdeer Fake-out inspires Ben, Matt and Noel to create an episode on the radioactive scandal of Coldwater Creek. Chef Ben asks whether he crossed paths with a knife cult. Sydney prompts an anthropological exploration of the Nacirema. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.
Like so many other countries, Japan has a complex mix of political parties and activist movements -- some are gigantic, and some are small. Some are legit, and some are crazy. In the recent election, one fringe, far-right party named SanseitÅ skyrocketed in the polls, gaining unprecedented prominence on a 'Japan First' platform peddling conspiracy theories, anti-foreigner legislation, and revisionist history about World War II. Is that really what the Japanese voters want? Journalists, critics and the public have serious questions, and are asking whether this group is, itself, funded by foreign powers seeking to destroy Japan from within.
On June 22nd, 1983, 15-year-old Vatican City resident Emanuela Orlandi disappeared after attending a music lesson. Over the decades, numerous people claimed to have seen Orlandi, or reached out with leads on her fate. Yet even now, the case remains unsolved. Join the guys as they explore that facts of the case, the wide-ranging possibilities, the allegations of conspiracy, crime and cover-ups, ultimately asking: What happened to Emanuela Orlandi?
