I wrote an article investigating the infamous "Women-Only Wonder Woman" screenings in 2017. It was a fascinating hoax that exploited social media and social justice, reaping huge publicity and lawsuits--and an apology from the theater. The long-delayed,...
Skepticism
Squaring the Strange #138: – Insurrection Wednesday and an Antivax Primer
In the recent episode of Squaring the Strange we discuss the Capitol rioters, then debunk many vaccine fears including about Andrew Wakefield's bogus MMR-autism link study and myths about Covid vaccine harms. Check it out HERE!
My tribute to the Amazing Randi
I'm delighted to join Margaret Downey, Chip Taylor, Leonard Tramiel, Jim Underdown, Celestia Ward, Penn & Teller, Jamy Ian Swiss, Richard Saunders, Angie Mattke, Susan Gerbic, Geo Hrab, Brian Engler, and many others in offering our remembrances of our colleague,...
Squaring the Strange #139: 2020 Hindsight!
In the new episode of Squaring the Strange we look back at some of our favourite episodes of 2020. I know you probably want to forget last year... but check it out anyway, we had some great shows!
Squaring the Strange #164: Moral Panic Series Part 3: Film and TV Danger!
This penultimate episode in our moral panic series starts with a discussion of the TikTok worries that interrupted schools last week as authorities braced for possible gun violence. Then we talk cinema and television from old to new, and the themes in moral panicking...
Tim Burton, Albert Camus, Michel Foucault… and Me!
I'm quoted, along with Tim Burton, Albert Camus, and Michel Foucault, in a new journal article on media education. Good company, I suppose...
“Big–If True: Adventures in Oddity” Available in Paperback and Kindle!
Pleased to announce that my new book 'Big-- If True: Adventures in Oddity' is now available in paperback and Kindle. Please check it out if you feel so inclined! You can get it HERE!
Bloody Mary, Anyone?
One of the fun things about writing for Discovery News was that my editors were great and I could sometimes sneak in a touch of satire. I recently revisited an article I wrote on the Bloody Mary legend and was pleased to see that my disclaimer is still there.
‘Why Are You Asking?’ Reporting The Black Santa Story
In a previous blog I discussed my research into an ugly episode of racial hatred that tainted the 2016 holiday season. The Mall of America hired its first African-American Santa Claus, an Army veteran named Larry Jefferson. A local newspaper, the Minneapolis Star...
The True, Heartwarming Story Of The Mall Of America’s Black Santa
Back before the pandemic, amid the encroaching commercialization of Christmas, Black Friday sales, and annual social media grumblings about the manufactured controversy over whether “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” is appropriate, an ugly episode of racial hatred...