What do Dungeons & Dragons, TikTok, and 17th-century witch trials have in common?
They all played starring roles in full-blown moral panics—times when society lost its mind over exaggerated or imaginary threats.
In today’s episode, Alex explores how moral panics take hold, who profits from them, and why the real damage often lasts long after the headlines fade.
If you've ever wondered why outrage feels contagious—and suspiciously profitable—you'll want to give this one a listen.
Spoiler: the real danger isn’t the thing they tell you to fear. It’s what you’re being distracted from.
In This Episode:
The anatomy of a moral panic
How fear gets weaponized for profit and power
Greatest hits: from Salem to Satanic Panic to Super Predators
Why critical thinking—not panic—is our best defense
A personal reflection on the importance of holding fast during cultural storms
CONNECT:
- All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)
- Alex on Medium
- Alex's Author Website
- Mysterious Goings On website
- Contact Alex about advertising/sponsorship here.
- Buy a Book?
Announcer: Mary McKenna. PR After Hours Theme: https://filmmusic.io "Bossa Antigua" by Kevin MacLeod
Music Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at Greenhouse Consulting. Check out Jamie's interview on the show here.
This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2025, all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.
We are an Amazon Associates seller, and some of our links may earn us a commission.
Popular Podcasts
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.