Horror Humor Hunger

Is anybody else creeped out by old technology? Even if you’re not, join us for a discussion of all things electronic. We also touch on the moviegoing experience, audiophiles, and what makes visual media scary.

Links you might enjoy:

• More information about William Castle and the 4-D moviegoing experience: https://collider.com/william-castle-horror-showman/
• Scary movie study: https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/these-are-the-scariest-movies-according-to-science/

Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay

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Have you ever thought very hard about laughter? Laughter can express everything from delight to fear, and it can have physiological implications, as well. It’s also often contagious--which helps explain the canned laugh tracks we all know and (maybe) love.

In this episode, Dr. Camille Holiner and I break down the meaning of laughter, the role of groupthink in how films, TV, and books are received, and how untreated trauma can affect our lives.



Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
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- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
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When you really think about it, any industry can be creepy! Join me and my special guest Katherine as we dissect the true story behind “The Laff Box” (it was a real thing!), why something mysterious can also feel sinister, how nonverbal communication like emojis has evolved over time, and several other industries with concealed histories (spoiler alert: glitter is so much more interesting than you might have expected!).

Background on Charley Douglass: https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/13/5207136/Charley-Douglass-laff-box-laugh-track

Decoder Ring episode about The Laff Box: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoder-ring/id1376577202?i=1000410255027

NYT article about glitter (sorry, it’s behind a paywall!): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/style/glitter-factory.html

Babyland General Hospital: https://cabbagepatchkids.com/pages/babyland-general-hospital

Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
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We’re kicking things off with my short story “The Laff Box,” which you can also read here: https://vmp22.medium.com/the-laff-box-7bafde9f9008?sk=0598af7d7231964db1d80ad0e8b4fa04

This story is a (hopefully obviously) fictionalized retelling of the real-life Charley Douglass and his Laff Box. Enjoy!

Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
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This season is inspired by my short story “The Laff Box”, which offers a fictionalized history of the famous ‘Laff Box’, the real-life machine behind all those canned sitcom laughs of the late 20th century. In subsequent episodes, we’ll discuss everything from the nature of laughter to the engineering of spooky electronics.

Plus, I’m very lucky this season to be joined by several new and very special guests who all have different and fascinating perspectives on the paranormal--from an award-winning horror author to a filmmaker to a ‘Sex Witch’. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this season--so mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 6!

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
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- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
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We’ve made it to the end of another season, which means it’s time to feed you! I hope you’re hungry for one of my mom, Becky Parr’s, newest creations inspired by “Grandma Ruth’s U.P. Truck Stop.” These Diner Pancake Sandwiches are easy, beautiful, and, of course, delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Recipe: Diner Stuffed Pancake Sandwiches

Ingredients
2 cups pancake mix (Bisquick is what I used , and you can use the GF version)
2 cups whole milk

4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 oz softened cream cheese
Jam
Powdered sugar
Pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Butter a cookie sheet.
3. Mix up the batter, including the mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla, and pour into the buttered cookie sheet. Cook for 13-15 minutes or until pancakes are golden brown and pulling away from the edges of the pan.
4. Add 3-6 Tbsp of jam to the cream cheese and stir until combined. If using different jams, divide the cream cheese into equal portions and add the jam. I used 3 jam flavors, so I divide the block of cream cheese into 3 equal portions and added 1-2 Tbsp of each jam.
5. When pancakes are cooled, cut into 3x3” squares. Place one on a platter, top with cream cheese jam, and place a second pancake square on top.
6. Top with powdered sugar and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
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Northern Michigan, as the short story suggests, is a beautiful place, but it’s also very unique--some might even say weird. In this episode, we’ll talk to two very special guests and native Michiganders who can tell us firsthand what small town Northern Michigan is really like--the wild, the wonderful, and the weird.

You can find the book Ryan mentions about the Mio Pig Murders here: https://www.amazon.com/Darker-than-Night-Homicide-18-Year/dp/0312936761

You can find some more cool, weird places in Michigan here: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/michigan/weirdest-places-mi/

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
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Dealing with grief and trauma is never easy, and people have developed so many different coping mechanisms. In this episode, Dr. Camille Holiner and I break down the grief process, how to heal after a traumatic event, the psychological nature of humanity, and more.

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
- Viggy's Instagram: @viggyparrhampton
- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
- Sign up for Viggy's monthly newsletter at www.viggyhampton.com

I know we just talked about the possibilities of artificial intelligence, but hey--things move so fast in the tech world that a part two to this conversation is necessary. My lovely husband Ryan, a computer engineer, is back to discuss some of the new things he’s learned about AI--and trust me, it definitely brings the horror!

The two articles we reference most heavily for our conversation are linked here:

• https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html
• https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-2.html

You can read about an author’s journey using AI to write a novel here:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/24/23732252/sudowrite-story-engine-ai-generated-cyberpunk-novella
The AI-assisted book is here:
https://robotlit.com/post/717956168948023296/the-electric-sea-an-ai-generated-experiment

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
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- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
- Sign up for Viggy's monthly newsletter at www.viggyhampton.com

Grandma Ruth’s robots sound terrifying--but are they actually possible? In this episode, my lovely husband Ryan, a computer engineer, talks us through artificial intelligence and the possibility that these robots could--or could not--actually exist, and what that could mean for humanity at large.

This is part one of our two-part series on AI and robots!

If you want to read more about the Vanderbilt ChatGPT scandal, click here: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/22/tech/vanderbilt-chatgpt-shooting-email/index.html

Keep up with Horror Humor Hunger:
- Instagram: @horrorhumorhungerpodcast
- Viggy's Instagram: @viggyparrhampton
- Twitter: @HHHPodwithViggy
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