That Would Be Rad

S5 E24: Is Garth Brooks A Serial Killer?


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The story of Garth Brooks should be one of pure country music legend: a small-town Oklahoma kid who rose to become one of the best-selling artists of all time, breaking records and redefining stadium shows forever.
But lurking in the darker corners of the internet is a bizarre and unsettling theory: what if Garth Brooks isn’t just a country superstar… what if he’s secretly a serial killer?

From comedian Tom Segura’s offhand joke about Garth’s “serial killer smile” to internet sleuths mapping his tour dates against missing persons reports, the conspiracy has grown from a meme into a full-blown internet legend.
And with Garth himself never publicly addressing the rumors, fans are left to wonder: is the silence suspicious — or just smart PR?

This week, we dive headfirst into the strangest (and most fringe) celebrity conspiracy out there. You’ll hear about:

  • The infamous “tour date overlaps” with missing person cases.

  • The bizarre rise and fall of Garth’s moody alter ego, Chris Gaines.

  • The offhand 1989 quote that conspiracy theorists cling to as “proof.”

  • Why his giant, toothy grin has been branded as unsettling.

  • The eerie internet silence that fans read as guilt.

  • And how a simple comedy bit snowballed into one of the weirdest cultural rumors of the last decade.

We’ll explore:

  • Why our brains are wired to find patterns — even when none exist.

  • How memes and modern internet culture give conspiracies new life.

  • The psychology of why we want to believe outlandish stories about celebrities.

  • And what this whole saga says about the way folklore, humor, and paranoia intersect in the digital age.

Join us as we unpack the Garth Brooks conspiracy — part internet joke, part urban legend, and part cautionary tale about how the weirdest ideas catch fire.
Stay strange. Be Rad.
Got a theory or story of your own? We’d love to hear it — send us your experience (anonymous is fine).

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠✉️ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠


SHOW INFO:

Hosts & Producers: Woody Brown & Tyler Bence

Recorded At: Midnight Radio Studios

Sound Wizardry: Woody Brown (Sound Design, Editing, & Music) & Tyler Bence (Mixing, Mastering, & Art Design)

Outro Jam: “Ghost Story” by The Modern Society


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That Would Be RadBy Woody Brown and Tyler Bence

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