Hysterical (podcast)
Hysterical is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Wondery and Pineapple Street Media.[1] The podcast is composed of seven episodes.[2] The podcast discusses a mysterious ailment that affected multiple students in Le Roy, New York in 2011.[3]
Synopsis
Over a dozen girls experienced symptoms similar to Tourette syndrome without any clear causes.[4] The show discusses the 1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment as a potential cause.[5] The town also has a large former Jell-o factory that has polluted a nearby river.[6] The show explores the misogynistic history of hysteria.[7][8] Throughout the show Taberski interviews most of the people involved with the incident.[9][10]
Reception
James Marriott wrote in The Times that "There is much to enjoy here but, as with so many shows nowadays, there is way too much padding."[11]
Awards
| Award | Date | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts Award | 2024 | Show of the Year | Won | [12] |
| Signal Awards | Limited Series Documentary | Gold | [13] | |
| Ambies | 2025 | Podcast of the Year | Won | [14] |
| Best Reporting | Won | [14] | ||
| Best Society and Culture Podcast | Nominated | [14] | ||
| iHeartRadio Podcast Awards | Podcast of the Year | Nominated | [15] | |
| Best Overall Host | Nominated | [15] | ||
| Best Emerging | Nominated | [15] | ||
| Pulitzer Prize | Audio Reporting | Nominated | [16] | |
| Webby Awards | Podcasts: Documentary (Limited-Series & Specials) | Won | [17] | |
| Podcasts: Best Writing 2025 | Won | [17] |
References
- ^ Shanahan, Mark (July 22, 2024). "Could mass hysteria explain these mysterious outbreaks, from Havana syndrome to hiccups?". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ McCann, Fiona (August 12, 2024). "Hysterical review: What made more than a dozen teenage girls come down with the same strange illness?". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Leszkiewicz, Anna (August 21, 2024). "The mass psychogenic illness that started with the cheerleaders". New Statesman. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Quah, Nicholas (July 25, 2024). "Hysterical Stares Into the Abyss". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Craig, Gary (July 29, 2024). "Podcast revisits 'mass hysteria' outbreak of tics and spasms among Le Roy teenagers". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Sawyer, Miranda (July 13, 2024). "The week in audio: Hysterical; The Third Information Crisis by Naomi Alderman; Jon Holmes Says the C-Word". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Sturges, Fiona (July 29, 2024). "Hysterical podcast review — search for an explanation behind a wave of teenage mental illness". Financial Times. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Watson, Tara (August 7, 2024). "A cheerleader woke up with uncontrollable tics. This was just the beginning of a small-town mystery". Mamamia. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Walker, Chloe (August 27, 2024). "Hysterical Confronts Our Fear of the Mind". Podcast Review. Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Paskin, Willa (August 14, 2024). "Mass Hysteria Is Here to Stay". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024. Transcripts available at slate.com/transcripts. Archived September 28, 2024, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Marriott, James (July 17, 2024). "Hysterical review — this mass hysteria study reaches an inevitable conclusion". The Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Apple Podcasts names Hysterical the 2024 Show of the Year". Apple Newsroom. 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
- ^ "Signal Awards Reveal 2024 Winners, Recognizing The Podcasts That Define Culture". Signal Awards. October 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c "2025 WINNERS & NOMINEES". The Ambies. 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c "2025 iHeartPodcast Awards: See The Full List Of Winners". iHeart. 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
- ^ "The 2025 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Audio Reporting". The Pulitzer Prizes. 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "Webby Winner". Webby Awards. 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.