Can you use the word in a sentence? For this episode, Spelling Correspondent Gabe Henry takes Sarah through the surprisingly rampageous (r-a-m-p-a-g-e-o-u-s) history of the Spelling Bee, a uniquely American phenomenon. From the earliest examples of late night “spelling matches,” to the rough-and-tumble contests of the early frontier, to the controversy of the first National spelling bee, it turns out that these mild-mannered academic flexes were once both raucous and revolutionary. Gabe also brings his own spelling bee to test the gifted child that still buzzes within Sarah Marshall. Digressions include Ben Franklin’s morning routine, why we need more statues of kids, and the Wolf Blitzer Hologram.

More Gabe Henry:

gabehenry.com

Gabe's book Enough is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell 

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

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Bonus Episodes on Patreon
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What do men really get up to at the pub? For this April Fools' Day episode, Sarah tells urban legend correspondent Chelsey Weber-Smith of American Hysteria the history and the mystery behind crop circles, those sophisticated patterns left imprinted in corn and wheat fields said to be made by alien beings. For years, no one could find a rational reason for their mysterious existence as they spread across various countries; that is, until a pair of surprising culprits finally came forward to reveal their master prank. Digressions include Ramona Quimby’s dad’s alma mater, sexy adaptations of costume drama novels, and the unrivaled power of shaky cam footage.

More Chelsey Weber-Smith:

Listen to American Hysteria

Follow American Hysteria on instagram

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

"Every Corn is a Glamorous Woman" is a semi-original song by Magpie Cinema Club (it's just "Rockabye")

More You're Wrong About:

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
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Free yourself. What does it take to get someone to leave a cult? What happens if the cult is all around us? In this episode, Ben Brock Johnson & Amory Sivertson of NPR’s Endless Thread podcast join Sarah for a discussion about the cultier aspects of our culture, politics, and history, from the surprising origin of the anti-vax movement to the online communities that conspiracy theories can provide to lonely seekers. Together they try to figure out if it is indeed possible to “deprogram” those who wander too far into conspiracies. Digressions include the TikTok Button Girl, chicken pox playtime, and the grave sin of sleep shaming.

More Endless Thread:
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/568542542/endless-thread

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler:
linktr.ee/mirandatheswampmonster

More You're Wrong About:
linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
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YWA on Instagram

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From the bonus vault!

What actually makes a movie “bad”? In this bonus episode, Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson of the film podcast Unspooled tell Sarah the story of what many consider to be the worst film of all time: the 1987 adventure comedy Ishtar. From the movie’s chaotic production to its perplexing public ridicule, together they analyze whether Ishtar is as bad as people say or if our culture just loves to jump on a snarky bandwagon. Digressions include James Cameron schadenfreude, $19 AMC pretzels, and The Hangover for the AARP crowd.

More Unspooled:
https://www.unspooledpodcast.com/

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler:
linktr.ee/mirandatheswampmonster

More You're Wrong About:
linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
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Do we ever finish surviving? Sarah tells Survival Correspondent Blair Braverman the incredible story of 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault, who was lost at sea for several days on a flimsy cork dinghy. She also explains the sinister truth behind the “accident” that set her adrift, her harrowing time on the open ocean, and what her life was like after she became a survivor. Along the way, Sarah and Blair discuss the tragedy of having your story silenced, the big things that help us pull through the impossible, and how, in Terry Jo’s case and in our own, survival is never really over. Digressions include: the iconic waterski teams of Green Bay, the usefulness of sled dog armpits, and whether or not we can trust handsome men.

Note: This episode is about surviving not just nature, but violent crime. This episode also involves suicide. Please listen with care.

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

More Blair Braverman:

Blair's new picture book, "The Day Leap Soared"

Blair on Instagram

More of Blair's work

More You're Wrong About:

http://linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
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Would you ride on the back of a random orca at the beach? For the final part of this series on Free Willy star Keiko, deep sea correspondent Brianna Bowman tells Sarah about his rewilding and return to the open ocean -- something that up until that point had never been done before. Digressions include introducing adult cats to each other, Fyre Fest, and the 27 club.

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

More Magpie Cinema Club

More Brianna Bowman:

Brianna's Website

Support Brianna's new podcast Rewilding Keiko on Patreon 

Submit a voicemail with your memories of Keiko at [email protected] (Brianna's Note: yes, Outlook! I’m a weirdo)

Linkedin (Brianna's Note: yes I am a double weirdo)

@rewildingkeiko on Instagram

Buy her a coffee!

Watch Kampen Om Keiko

More You're Wrong About:

linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
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The movies freed Willy, but what about Keiko? For the second part of our trilogy on the biggest aquatic star of the 90s, deep sea correspondent Brianna Bowman takes Sarah through Keiko’s journey to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for rehabilitation and the developing plan to return him to the open ocean. But first, both marine scientists and rich benefactors have to try to teach a killer whale to be wild again. Digressions include the books of Jean Craighead George, the tragedy of the puns we missed, regurgitated meat influencers, and Star Trek IV. 

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

More Brianna Bowman:

Brianna's Website

Support Brianna's new podcast Rewilding Keiko on Patreon 

Submit a voicemail with your memories of Keiko at [email protected] (Brianna's Note: yes, Outlook! I’m a weirdo)

Linkedin (Brianna's Note: yes I am a double weirdo)

@rewildingkeiko on Instagram

Buy her a coffee!

More You're Wrong About:

linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
Buy cute merch
YWA on Instagram

Support the show

Can a killer whale really jump that high? For kids of the 90s, the adventure movie Free Willy introduced us to magic of the orca through its charismatic megafauna star, Keiko. In part one of our series, deep sea correspondent Brianna Bowman tells Sarah about his journey from free marine mammal to imprisoned entertainer to Hollywood royalty. Together they discuss what Keiko meant to them as kids, 1990s whale-related activism, and the follies of anthropomorphic projection. Digressions include the power of horse memoirs, the importance of cartoon eyebrows, and the uncommon honesty of the flea circus. 

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

More Brianna Bowman:

Brianna's Website

Support Brianna's new podcast Rewilding Keiko on Patreon 

Submit a voicemail with your memories of Keiko at [email protected] (Brianna's Note: yes, Outlook! I’m a weirdo)

Linkedin (Brianna's Note: yes I am a double weirdo)

@rewildingkeiko on Instagram

Buy her a coffee!

More You're Wrong About:

linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
Buy cute merch
YWA on Instagram

Support the show

“We’ve always been inventing and reinventing new worlds for taking care of each other. We just have to notice.”

We asked our subscribers to send us audio postcards to encapsulate where they live, what makes it special, and what people get wrong about the place that they call home. For this holiday season, we've woven together an aural tapestry from their answers to remind one another that no matter how far apart we are, no matter what people say about the places we come from, we still share small moments of beauty, connection, and hope.

Join us on Patreon or Apple+

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

With music by Magpie Cinema Club

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What happens when Santa trades his sleigh for a rocket ship? Christmas correspondent Sarah Archer tells Sarah about how the Cold War era affected the image of old Kris Kringle through the rampant consumerism and shiny new technology of a post-war economy. Digressions include Reagan’s girlypop diet, the Freudian aspects of the Nutcracker, and the thrilling history of aluminum. 

Visit the YWA Instagram for visual references

More Sarah Archer:

https://www.sarah-archer.com/

Sarah on Instagram

Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler

More You're Wrong About:

linktr.ee/ywapod

Bonus Episodes on Patreon
Buy cute merch
YWA on Instagram

Support the show