During the first presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace mischaracterized Kamala Harris's concerns about vaccinations under Trump. I wrote about it recently: "Harris did not promote any conspiracy theory; she chose her words carefully: '*If* the past is prologue,...
News
Squaring the Strange #129: Faked Abductions
New episode of Squaring the Strange is out! I've researched faked abductions for almost two decades now, and on the new show discuss patterns, motivations, and examples of people pretending they've been kidnapped. From the runaway bride to the McDonald's worker who...
When Anti-Vaccination Fears Come From Inside The House
My new article is on why some progressives have recently joined conservatives and conspiracy mongers in promoting vaccination fears: "The chorus of those raising fears about vaccine safety (for whatever reason ranging from genuine fears to belief in conspiracies to...
Guest Appearance on Dos Spookqueños!
I was recently interviewed on the Dos Spookqueños show, talking about ghost investigations, New Mexico mysteries, and other weirdness. Check it out HERE! You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben Radford")...
Upcoming Talk, September 5: Phantom Clown Panics
Hey everyone! On September 5 I'll be giving a live presentation on Phantom Clown Panics for Mark Norman and his delightful Folklore Podcast. It's at 8 PM--if you're in London, otherwise it's early afternoon in the States. Cost is a reasonable £5, which supports the...
Wrinkles the Clown!
So this is very cool: Many of you may remember that I was featured in a documentary last year, "Wrinkles the Clown," about a mysterious creepy clown in Florida who threatened (and was threatened by) kids (sometimes at their parents' request). The director sent me a...
Squaring the Strange: Rumor Roundup!
New, bonus episode of Squaring the Strange is now out! We present to you a rumor roundup, talking about all sorts of weird--and sometimes harmful--nonsense that's swirling around social media these days. A veritable cornucopia of rumor and myth, ranging from Wayfair...
Squaring the Strange # 124: Antifa As an Emerging Panic
In a recent episode of Squaring the Strange, we take a look at Antifa this week, or rather--we take a look at HOW people are LOOKING at Antifa. Are we witnessing the birth of a modern social panic? How is Antifa used for political and social purposes? What are the...
‘This Is America’ And The Ambiguity Of Memes
Misleading memes are a dime a dozen, to use a phrase originating in the 1800s (though today they’re not only free but available by the tens of thousands). People who spend time on social media interact with them constantly, usually in the context of reading,...
Texas Hospital Finds ‘Covid Party’ – Or Legend
As if on cue! Following my recent CFI article “The Truth About Covid Parties” and Squaring the Strange podcast episode on ‘covid parties,’ titled “Tonight We’re Gonna Party Like It’s Covid 1999” there’s a news article suggesting they’ve been confirmed!...