The Alarmist

The Alarmist

Who is to blame for history's greatest tragedies? The Plague. The sinking of The Titanic. The break-up of the Beatles. Writer/Comedian Rebecca Delgado-Smith, along with a special guest, scrutinizes history’s greatest disasters to figure out what went wrong, and most importantly, who’s to blame. This comedy podcast is the perfect remedy to our everyday anxiety! They say history repeats itself, not on The Alarmist's watch! Thrillist called The Alarmist one of the best new podcasts of 2019 saying, "It's hilarious, informative and addictive." Maria Claire named The Alarmist one of the best new podcasts of 2020. Sign up for our Patreon for ad-free listening, post-aftermath interview discussions & final verdict and exclusive bonus episodes Tell us who you think is to blame at http://thealarmistpodcast.com Email us at thealarmistpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @thealarmistpodcast Follow us on Twitter @alarmistThe Follow us on TikTok @thealarmistpodcast Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/alarmist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

July 29, 2025 60 mins

Who’s to blame for the murders in the 1985 cinema classic CLUE?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes fellow podcaster Nichole Hill, host of Our Ancestors Were Messy, to discuss the iconic movie based on a boardgame: CLUE. As the dead bodies pile up, and with multiple endings to choose from, who’s really to blame for this mess? Was it Miss Scarlett in the Library with a revolver? Was it Wadsworth playing his butle...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the voyage of the Endurance with maritime archeologist Mensun Bound. Having rediscovered the sunken Endurance and sailed the Antarctic himself, Mensun offers incredible insight into the lived experience and state of mind Shackleton must have endured. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can revisit the board with Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early to see if the...

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Who’s to blame for Voyage of The Endurance?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Sebastian Major, host of the Our Fake History podcast, to discuss the harrowing Antarctic voyage of The Endurance. Miraculously, everyone survived! But, should they have tempted this dangerous journey to begin with? Who was Ernest Shackleton and what drove him to be the first to cross the Antarctic? Did the allure of adventure blind ...

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New Guest Experts! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with the utterly charming couple Clare Campbell and Christy Campbell who co-authored Bonzo's War: Animals Under Fire 1939-45 and Dogs of Courage: When Britain's Pets Went to War 1939-45. Their invaluable insight on the British Pet Massacre will both warm and wrench your heart. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can revisit the board with Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer C...

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Who’s to blame for the British Pet Massacre?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Alex Steed, co-host of the You Are Good Podcast, to discuss the tragic yet seemingly avoidable British Pet Massacre. Did PTSD wartime efforts lead to sort of blind patriotism? Did a scarcity mindset overwhelm collective reason and lead to large scale misplaced anxiety? Or perhaps a NARPAC Pamphlet with reckless advertising had somet...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Professor Michael Doyle about the rise and fall of the Oneida Community. Author of The Minister’s War: John W. Mears, the Oneida Community and the Crusade for Public Morality, Mike shares some pertinent new information about one of the key figures in the Oneida community's downfall. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can listen to the post-interview breakdown with Fact Che...

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Who’s to blame for the Rise & Fall of the Onedia Community?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back writer Jane Borden, author of Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America, to discuss the rise and fall of the Oneida Community. It’s highly likely you’ve eaten a meal with a set of Oneida silverware. But, are you familiar with their cult origins and problematic sex practices like “Sticky Love” or “Co...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Professor Serena Zabin about the series of chaotic events leading up to what is now called The Boston Massacre. Professor Zabin reiterates that the narratives spun on either side after the event may have been worlds apart, but the lives of the colonists and the troops were perhaps more closely intertwined than we thought. Afterwards, Patreon subscribers can hear the po...

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Who’s to blame for The Boston Massacre?

On this week's REWIND, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back actor Bayne Gibby to discuss who’s ultimately to blame for the lives lost in The Boston Massacre. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Ever wonder where the phrase reading someone the “riot act” came from? Remember the importance that wigs once played in British society? And could a simp...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the 1980 New Mexico Prison Uprising with Dr. Robert Chase of Stony Brook University. Robert is a Professor of History and the author of We Are Not Slaves: State Violence, Coerced Labor, and Prisoners Rights in Postwar America and Caging Borders and Carceral States: Incarcerations, Migration Detention, and Resistance. His insight on the context and culture in which this up...

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Who’s to blame for the 1980 New Mexico Prison Riot?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Kate Downey, host of the CRAMPED podcast, to discuss the 1980 Prison Riot in New Mexico. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Did a Snitching System, designed for inmates to rat out fellow inmates for contraband, and abused by the guards lead to an even more hostile environment? Pair that wit...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with author and documentarian Idanna Pucci about the case against Maria Barbella and the efforts to overturn her death sentence by Electric Chair. Not only has Idanna written extensively about the case, her great-grandmother Cora Slocomb was the woman who led the campaign to overturn Maria’s death sentence! Afterward, Patreon subscribers can revisit the board with Rebecca a...

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Who’s to blame for the Case of Maria Barbella?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian Mo Fry Pasic, host of the podcast Worse Than You, to discuss the troubling case of Maria Barbella. She may have escaped the electric chair, but her story electrified the world. Did Maria’s status as a non-english speaking Italian immigrant and her unbiased, all male jury of “peers” create any difficulties for the initial ...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. William Hal Gorby about the 1907 Monongah Mining Disaster in West Virginia. Dr. Goby is a Professor of History at West Virginia University and received an Emmy nomination for his work on the PBS documentary The Mine Wars. His interview gives critical insight into the culture of mining at large and the predatory practices of the Fairmont Mining Company. Afterward, P...

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Who’s to blame for the Monongah Mining Disaster?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian Connor Ratliff about the 1907 Monongah Mining Disaster in West Virginia which claimed the lives of over 360 men and left over 1000 children without fathers. A very tragic origin story for what we know now as Father’s Day. Is this yet another story of Profit Over People? Did a pattern of exploitative hiring practices ...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the 1955 Le Mans Motor Race Disaster with journalist and non-fiction author Michael Cannell. Michael shares some incredible stories from his conversations with drivers involved in the race and helps us understand the problematic racing culture that dominated the sport during this time period. Afterwards, Patreon subscribers can revisit the board with Fact Checker Chris Sm...

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Who’s to blame for the 1955 Le Mans Motor Race Disaster? 

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes actor and comedian Curt Neill to discuss the fatal car crash at the Le Mans Motor Race which took the lives of 82 innocent bystanders and injured over 100 more. With WWII fresh on everyone’s mind, did Performative Patriotism lead to this tragic disaster? Could A Need for Speed be to blame? And why were they testing...

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On this week's Aftermath REWIND, Rebecca speaks with Dr. J Stephan Edwards about the death (and life!) of Lady Jane Grey. Dr. Edwards Ph.D. in early modern European history, with an emphasis on Tudor-Stuart England, has led to a great fascination with the infamous Nine Day Queen. And his extensive research highlights some of the ways in which the history books might not be telling the full story. With new information to consider, F...

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Who’s to blame for the death of Lady Jane Grey?

On this week's REWIND, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with Tod Perry and Alison Rosen, co-hosts of the podcast Upworthy Weekly, about who's to blame for the untimely death of Lady Jane Grey. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Did Lady Jane Grey’s intellect make her a target? Could a religious power struggle be to blame? Or was this the r...

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New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Italian Hall Disaster with architectural historian Alison K Hoagland. Professor Hoagland has written extensively about this tragic disaster and shares some fascinating new insights about what was known as Copper Country and the ethnic and economic landscape of Calumet. Afterwards, Patreon subscribers can revisit the board with Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Cla...

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