The Alarmist

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Who’s to blame for the Italian Hall Disaster?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian, gamer and late-night writer Mike Drucker about the Italian Hall Disaster in Calumet, MI on Christmas Eve 1913. Was this horrible accident, which took the lives of 73 people (mostly children), merely an accident or was there something more sinister at play? Did a mining company's monopoly over the town lead to dangerous...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca is back in the recording studio with national bestselling author William Hazelgrove discussing Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast. Williams 2024 book Dead Air: The Night that Orson Welles Terrified America illustrates the level of pandemonium that ensued and he shares a few more interesting tidbits that really alter our understanding of this moment in American history....

Who’s to blame for the Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds Broadcast Panic?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) is celebrating 300 EPISODES with a LIVE taping at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles! Together with special guests Amanda Lund, Jamila Webb and Dusty Warren they find out who’s to blame for the Orson Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast of the War of the Worlds and the pandemonium which ensued. Fact Checker Chris Smith and...

A new favorite Guest Expert Returns! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with returning expert Dr. Michelle Martinez (Gremlins!) about the 90’s classic I Know What You Did Last Summer and the various tropes and devices used throughout the film. We knew about Urban Legends, but do you know what a “Yuppie Horror” or a “Final Girl” is? You will after this one. Afterward, Patreon Subscribers can hear the post-interview breakdown w...

I Know What You Did Last Summer: Who’s to blame?

On this week’s episode, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes tv writer Jackie Penn to review the 1997 horror classic I Know What You Did Last Summer and determine who or what is the newest member of the Alarmist Jail. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Was this unfortunate foursome of toxic friends simply in the wrong place at the wrong tim...

On this week’s Aftermath REWIND, Rebecca speaks with 2 experts! First, Rebecca Rieder, organic farmer and author of Dreaming the Biosphere: The Theater of All Possibilities. And John Adams, the Deputy Director of the current Biosphere 2. Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early stop by to help absorb it all. Will there be a Biosphere 2 field trip in our future?!

LIVE SHOW on May 2nd at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. ...

Who’s to blame for Biosphere 2?

On this week's REWIND, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) decides who’s to blame for the epic experiment and epic fail, Biosphere 2. She’s joined by comedian/musician/podcaster Ethan Edenberg, Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Could Experimental Theater take the fall for this one?!

LIVE SHOW on May 2nd at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Don’t miss the fun. Grab your tix...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Jeremy Thorpe and Norman Scott affair/very British scandal with Professor Lucy Robinson. Lucy is a Professor in Collaborative History at the University of Sussex and very eloquently details the troubling and very relevant dynamics playing out between the establishment, politics and working class British citizens at the time. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can join Fac...

Who’s to blame for the Thorpe Affair Scandal?

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian Kiki Andersen to discuss British political icon Jeremy Thorpe, his taboo love affair (at the time) and the very salacious political scandal that ensued. Was the idea of political “perfection” the problem here? Did a societal fixation on the traditional family structure have something to do with it? Or maybe good old fashio...