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Keep It Weird

Keep It Weird is a podcast about all things strange, unusual, paranormal, supernatural, scary, spooky, gross, sticky, and all around weird! Going beyond ghosts, aliens, and true crime, Lauren & Ashley research the strange side of artificial intelligence, nature, human anatomy, religion, relationships & much more. (Music: Intro Tunes: Aurora Borealis by Jon Wright Outro Tunes: Mystical Music Box by Erick McNerney Artwork: Stephanie Weitekamp)
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Now displaying: 2020
Dec 25, 2020

Am I in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?

We would answer you but traditionally this spirit is the strong, silent type.

You've made it to your final ghost-- the scariest ghost of all.  BUT.. the good news, as I'm sure you know, is that all is not lost.  You decide what to do with your future and who better to help guide you than our favorite medium AMY GOLDENBERG!! 

In this episode Ashley, Lauren and Amy chat about life. What to think about this crazy year and is there a big change on the horizon?  Or has it already happened?  How do I connect with my ancestors?  Do the dead really care about what happens to their body? Are TV mediums full of bologna?

This spirit teaches us that in order to change the world you have to start by changing yourself.

And with that our Christmas, and our season, comes to a close.  We hope we made you laugh, made you cry, and maybe even scared you a bit this year.  We will be back in a couple months to bring you more strangeness but until then...

Merry Christmas!  And God bless us, everyone!

 

Dec 25, 2020

Come in and know me better, man! 

One ghost down and two to go, Ashley and Lauren now get to hang out with the ghost(s) of Christmas Present-- and boy is it a present, indeed.

This episode we are joined by STEVE LACHIOMA (Hometown Haunts: New York, CollegeHumor) and MARIA LACHIOMA (Glitch in the Maria, The Young and the Restless) and they are bringing us some of their all time favorite topics.

Steve, as you may remember, LOVES cryptids.  So he's bringing us a monster straight out of the Sierra Nevada mountains - The Lone Pine Mountain Devil!   Is it a bird?  Is it a dinosaur?  Is it a tall tale to keep people out of the pass?  Or is it just a drunk orgy hallucination? 

 

And Maria is fascinated by demons so she brought us a different type of demon that we haven't talked about on the show yet - DYBBUKS! We learn about the first recorded "dybbuk box" - how it came to be, who created it, and who has it today! 


Only one ghost to go and it's the scariest one of all, but you won't be going it alone - we'll be there with you! 

 

(((This episode was recorded over ZOOM so the audio quality is a little different.  This episode will ALSO be featured on our YouTube channel as a video exclusive so if that interests you head over to www.youtube.com/keepitweirdpodcast)))

Dec 25, 2020

Weirdos... Tonight you will be visited by three ghosts

No it isn't an undigested bit of beef that brought you here. Today your hosts Marley and Marley... ope.. I mean Ashley and Lauren... are going to teach you the true meaning of Christmas!

This episode, the Ghost of Christmas Past - you can call her BLAIR GORMAN (Yaaachts, Queen - Robot Chicken) is going to be bringing us three unsolved mysteries!

Blair is going to be teaching us about the case of the Monster with 21 Faces (EXCUSE ME!?) from Japan in the 1980s, a BRAND NEW unsolved mystery straight out of Peoria Illinois that involves the Cookie Monster and Russia?? And we're going to ask the question-- who drugged the entire cast and crew of Titanic with LSD?

One ghost down but you've still got two to go... will you learn your lesson?  Or continue to be a scrooge?

 

Dec 18, 2020

Good Riddance, weirdos!! 

At last this year is coming to an end.  We all vacillated between "Will 2020 ever be over?" and "DECEMBER?!?!?!" for at least 9 months and now it's time to remind ourselves that it wasn't all bad and that even the bad things were full of learning opportunities.  So lets spend the rest of this month focusing on the positives.

We begin this episode with a rapid-fire recap of all the events that took place this year - from fires to floods, pandemics to presidential elections, and even from MURDER HORNETS to monoliths - we've got it all.

Then we get to talk about our favorite 2020 addition: TIK TOK-- Lauren and I are going to share with you all of our FAVORITE things we learned on the app this year.

And we finish out the episode with a conspiracy and a doomsday prophecy - as a treat.

We wish we could express how grateful we are for how you've all inspired and motivated us this past year.  Next week we have a very special finale for you, and then we say goodbye- but only for a while.

Have a very Merry Christmas, a lovely Hanukkah, the warmest holidays, and a Happy New (thank God) Year.  

Dec 11, 2020

Batter Up! Hear that Call!  The time has come! For one and all!  To play ball!

Gosh A League of their Own is just... It's just the best movie.  Hi Weirdos, welcome to another HERSTORY lesson!  This is week two of women throughout history that you should know!  But probably don't... womp womp.

This week our main focus is Betty Pack the WWII MI6 spy who foiled the Nazis, ensured that the Allied forces made safe passage into Hitler's territories, and even helped crack the enigma machine and she did it all with her BODY!  That's right, Pack was a SNACK and she did what we see men do in film and television all the time-- but are we taught about her in history class?  No.  Because what she didn't isn't "lady-like."  But she is a queen, she's my hero, and I can't wait for you to meet her!

We're also going to sing our praises for Princess Diana, Sybil Ludington, Barbara Lee, Josephine Butler, Mary Edwards Walker, and NATURALLY Geena Davis and the entire cast and crew of A League of Their Own.

This episode is FULL of women we adore... and one woman we just hate.  Stay tuned to the very end to find out who that is.

 

Warning: This episode contains foul language, descriptions of sexual acts, and brief mentions of HIV/AIDS, abusive relationships, and Nazis

Dec 4, 2020

WHO RUN THE WORLD

Hi Weirdos, welcome to one of my favorite episodes of all time.  One: It's so much fun.  Two: It's all about the LADIES!! 

This is definitely going to be a new thing for the show- talking about PEOPLE throughout history that did incredible, amazing, badass things and yet... you've probably never heard of them. 

This week Lauren is starting us off with Fe Del Mundo; the cutest filipino woman of all time who is the founder of the very first pediatric hospital in the Philippines.  A pioneer of medicine and the first female president of the Philippine Pediatric society-- Fe... freaking... rules.

And SURPRISE GUEST and cheerleader for strong women everywhere Amy Hanselmann is teaching us about Claudette Colvin.  Now a retired nurses aide; once a 15 year old girl who was arrested because she refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus.... 9 months before Rosa Parks protested in the exact same way.  So why don't you know her name?  

Warning: This episode contains foul language, depictions of racism, and mention of rape.

There is also some discussion that could be considered "political" in nature regarding gender and race.

Nov 27, 2020

Hi Ho Weirdos!! 

Welcome to part two of our latest HELTER SKELTER episode!! Helter Skelters freakin' RULE because we get to talk about whatever the ding dang dong heck we want.

This week Ashley is starting us off with some musings on the effects technology has on our psyche.  There are many different ways our bodies have not evolved to handle the world that we live in and there are many things we can do to help ourselves adapt to the technology we surround ourselves with! Lets talk about em'!

And then Lauren comes in with a doozy as she tells us about a brand new true crime story that involves... eating... man... parts oh GOD.  It's rough but hey, we made it through so I think you can, too!

 

WARNING: This episode contains foul language, discussions about mental health, murder and cannibalism

Nov 20, 2020

You may be a lover but you ain't no weirdo!

We're back!! Welcome to another HELTER SKELTER episode! Helter Skelters are some of our all time favorites- these are the episodes that are made up of stories that got cut for time, topics that don't fit into any of our themed episodes, or interesting subjects that we bring up randomly and promise to talk about in the future! 

This week Lauren is going to be covering the Jade Helm 15 conspiracy theory that took place towards the end of Barack Obama's presidency back in 2015 and we'll try to determine whether or not it was a military training exercise or if the US government was trying to overthrow Texas.

Ashley is teaching us about transgenerational (or intergenerational) trauma.  Studies have been done and are currently taking place to find out if trauma can be imprinted on our DNA and then passed down to our children (and maybe even our grandchildren!)  Why is it that the children and grandchildren of holocaust survivors and POW veterans are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and sometimes are even more likely to die of stress related diseases?

 

Warning: This episode contains foul language,references to traumatic life experiences, animal testing, and a conspiracy that includes politics.

 

 

Oct 31, 2020

Happy Halloween, Weirdos!

Are you ready for a spooky tale?  This week Ashley has a special one for you.

Can a house be so haunted that just writing about it can spread evil throughout the world?  Or is it just that reading about the paranormal can open up the possibility of experiencing it?

In 2009 Ashley bought a book called "The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House."  When she read that book, strange things started happening in her home.  Objects were moved, there were strange sights & sounds and all around creepiness.  Not that big of a deal right?  Well, then she gave that book to someone else... and they began experiencing things as well.  

In total six individuals; some friends, some family, even a stranger had terrifying experiences surrounding this book.  These are their stories.

 

Opening Music : "Evil Behind the Mask" by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

Music & Ambience: VIVEK ABHISHEK

Oct 30, 2020

Happy Devil's Night, boils and ghouls!

And what a very special Devil's Night it is because Ashley and Lauren are here to bring you some LISTENER GHOST STORIES!! 

Five horror stories ranging from funny to sad and strange to downright terrifying.  Each story submitted by our listeners and various friends across the internet.  Each story incredibly special to us- because YOU shared them.

Lauren is bringing us a story about a haunted apartment, a guardian angel, and the terrifying story we now refer to as "the Big Kahuna." 

Ashley is bringing you a very funny paranormal story, a confusing supernatural experience, and a past life theory that we just can't stop thinking about.

Rarely does this happen but ALL of the music this week was scored by the same person- their name is Vivek Abhishek and you can find their work on YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaeW48X42EwKHsp1n0U-WQQ

We hope you have the happiest of Halloweens.  Please try and put the world's struggles and worries aside this weekend.  They will still be here on Monday.  We love you.

Oct 23, 2020

Hello Kiddies! 

Are you ready for your DEADTIME STORY?  This is a very special edition of Keep It Weird with a very special guest.  Joining me today is one of your favorite good-looking men!  Back from the grave it's Handsome Joe! 

This week we're doing something brand new!  I scoured the internet looking for some fantastic HORROR FICTION stories and boy did I find some great ones.  And I figured what better way to share them with you than to have my own little audience.  So we turned off the lights and settled in for some strange, unusual, creepy, sticky, gross stories from some very talented story tellers.

 

Guardians by /r/DarkAlliGator

Music Credits:

Author: Kevin MacLeod

Website - http://incompetech.com/

Royalty Free Link - http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Genre Link - http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Song - "Aftermath" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

 

There is no Off Switch by /r/sunemma (@sunny_emmala)

Music Credits:

Alan Walker - Fade | Free Download @ http://bit.ly/ALANWALKERfade

Music by youtube.com/hullomynameisalex OR soundcloud.com/alxdmusic

Annoying Neighbor by Gabriel Valdez Oro

Link to Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Flesh-Fiction-Lasting-super-short-stories-ebook/dp/B07XJTNBNM

 

Star Children by B.T. Joy

Music Credits:

Composer: Nicholas Capsimalis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Y2EkhE-kc&list=PLyNjz38eJtj5IAaTD9vCNQJZosTsBTbYs&index=11

Oct 16, 2020

Are you afraid of the dark, weirdos?

Continuing our very spooky Halloween episodes this week we are bringing you an episode about all the things that lurk in the dark corners of the world... or do they?

Lauren is going to be teaching us about the fear of the dark (Nyctophobia) and even the fear of doors (Entamaphobia) Is this a leftover anxiety from our evolution?  Or is there something really there?

Ashley is going to talk about the thing that could be there... hush, hush, hush... here comes the bogeyman.  A creature that's been haunting us since the beginning of time.  How does he evolve every century?  How does he look different depending on who is looking at him?  And what will he look like when you see him?

Grab your nightlight, tuck yourself in and get ready for a submission for the Midnight Society

 

Oct 9, 2020

Hi Weirdos!  What an excellent day for an exorcism.

Welcome to Week two of our horror movie series!  Last week we talked about matters of the flesh--- slicing dicing (and even biting) with slashers and zombies.

This week Ashley is starting us off with a discussion on movie MONSTERS.  Monster movies are filled with allegories and metaphors; so from Cujo to the Babadook- we're going to be discussing the movies AND the creatures and how they mirrored our deepest darkest fears.

Lauren takes us home with one of her favorite genres- DEMONS! The world often has an intense (and sometimes even severe) reaction to movies about demonic possession and that you may know.  What you might not is that a lot of these movies represent real horrors happening in our world that do not have to do with heaven and hell.

So grab your crucifix and get ready to RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!! 

Oct 2, 2020

Lights, Camera, Action Weirdos!! 

Welcome to your first OCTOBER 2020 EPISODE!! It's our favorite month of the year and we're starting out with a bang.  This week Lauren and Ashley are taking a deeper look at horror movies.

On the surface it may seem like it's just a bunch of flesh and blood; but when you look a little closer there might be a whole new movie waiting for you.

Lauren is going to start us off with SLASHERS.  From Halloween to Scream; Slashers have been cautionary tales, they've empowered women, pissed off Christians, and they're totally freaking fun.

Ashley is bringing us into the world of George Romero and talking about ZOMBIES.  From Night of the Living Dead to 28 Days Later; Zombies have been allegories for society, they've mirrored our own fear of death and disease, and serve as a warning for the future if we don't see the error of our ways.

This episode references several horror movies but doesn't give away major spoilers (That aren't well known)  Psycho, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Candyman, Scream, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, The Walking Dead

 

Tune in Next week for MONSTERS and DEMONS

Sep 18, 2020

You better WORK, Weirdos!

This week we're diving into the world of FASHION!  A topic that we know n o t h i n g about.  So this was a fun experience for us! 

The fashion world, just like everything else in our lives, is full of WEIRDOS and high strangeness!  As Coco Chanel once said "In order to be irreplaceable we must always be different."

This week Ashley and Lauren are joined by a VERY special return guest; our good friend and one of your favorites TYLER SCHUELKE!

Ashley is going to be bringing you some fashion history including deadly garments and some of the craziest trends of all time.

Lauren is doing what she does best and bringing in some true crime stories that are almost too ridiculous to believe.

And Tyler is looking into the correlation between high fashion designers and suicides.  (TW: We discuss individual suicides as well as suicidal thoughts.  As usual if you or anyone you know is struggling, the National Suicide Hotline is 800-273-8255)

After you've listened to the episode, if you want to hear us embarrass ourselves, head over to our YOUTUBE channel and watch our latest video "Bad Fashion."

Sep 11, 2020

Prepare to be amazed, Weirdos! 

We're heading back to the Big Top this week with another CIRCUS episode! 

This week we're covering the darker side of the carnival and taking a closer look at some of our favorite side show performers throughout history.

Ashley is being a real bummer and teaching us about the Hartford Circus fire, the Flying Wallenda family deaths, and the tragic stories of Tyke the Elephant and Massarti the lion tamer.  

Lauren is introducing us to several wonderful sideshow performers.

Simon Metz aka Schlitzie the pinhead.

Change and Eng the conjoined twins who founded the (not so PC) nickname "Siamese Twins"

Francesco Lentini who had three legs (and TWO of you know what)

Johnny Eck who was an amazing and talented man that just so happened to only have a torso! 

Mary Anne Bevans, the unfairly titled "Ugliest Woman"

& Lauren's true love Joseph "John" Merrick who is famously known as The Elephant Man.

We'll also be trying to teach each other how to whistle and covering some CIRCUS SUPERSTITIONS and LINGO to break up some of the morbid stories.

 

WARNING: This Episode contains discussions of animal abuse and differently abled persons.

 

Closing Music by composer Erik Margolin who you can check out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYODOfLu7bE&t=9s

Sep 4, 2020

Come one, come all!  Step right up, Weirdos!

We're going to the CIRCUS!! Yay!  But also YIKES because the circus is crazy effed up.

This will be a two part episode and part one is focusing on the history of the circus and the sideshow (also known as the freakshow.)

Today we'll be answering questions like: Where did this all start? Why are they in tents?  Who was the greatest showman on earth, I mean really? How far will our fascination for the human body reach? Who were the freaks and should we really call them that? 

This episode is fairly light but next week we will be getting into the darker side of the circus and sideshow as we explore the performers, tragedies, and abuse within this famous past-time.

Aug 28, 2020

Ouch, Weirdos!

Welcome to week two of our Body Modification discussion!! Last week we took you through the history of tattoos, piercings, and plastic surgery and touched on some other, dare I say WEIRDER forms of body modification.

This week we're going a little bit deeper.  This week we are discussing the psychology behind body modification.  What is an unhealthy relationship with plastic surgery?  Why are we so unhappy with our bodies and is that a new thing?  How important is therapy when seeking major body modification?  Are tattoos *actually* addictive?  Can body piercings be used to deal with past trauma and abuse?  We answer all of these questions and more!  

Warning: We do get personal in this episode in discussing body image, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.  

Please remember to love yourselves and each other! 

Aug 21, 2020

Nip/Tuck Weirdos!

Ashley and Lauren here with another incredibly weird episode!  This week is a squirmy worm, let me tell you!  We really wanted to do a deep dive into body modification: the different forms and methods as well as where it all started.  

Today Ashley is covering the history of tattoos and piercings - everything from the oldest mummy we have on record to the first Playboy Playmate with a visible tattoo!  We're going to cover all types of body modification including tongue splitting, suspension piercings, subdermal implants, eyeball tattoos, and even the future of body modification in the form of biohacking.

Lauren is going to teach us the history of plastic surgery.  From the ancient Romans to the Real Housewives we'll learn all about skin grafts, breast implants, botox, facelifts, liposuction, and more! 

WARNING: Obviously we're going to talk about some things that might make your toes curl-- but please know that we have definitely toned down the grossness so that everyone can learn and enjoy!  Even the squeamish.

Aug 14, 2020

(Looks over both shoulders & whispers) Hey weirdos,

(still whispering) this week we've got another batch of conspiracy theories to talk about and we're going to tinseltown to do so!

Celebrities are no stranger to rumors and gossip, and some of them have the pleasure of being involved in a full-fledged conspiracy!  This week Lauren is going to be telling us about how Britney Spears DEFINITELY DIDN'T work as an operative for the Bush administration (wink wink) and Ashley is focusing on Beyoncé and getting deep into the Illuminati and discussing where this conspiracy came from, how the internet poured some gas on it, and why celebrities are the perfect targets.  

So cover your computers camera lens, keep your ear to the ground, and join us for another dose of paranoia.

Jul 31, 2020

Surprise Weirdos! 

It's been 1 year and 9 months since we last dove into one of your FAVORITE topics and we figured... it was time.

This week we are discussing CONSPIRACY THEORIES!! Ashley is joined by Handsome Joe as they discuss multiple facets of modern conspiracies and showing you that, in fact, they've been around longer than you think.

Ashley is going to be focusing on the Anti-Vaccine movement and the history of Vaccine Hesitancy while sharing facts and debunking the most famous myths.

Joe is not only bringing a psychological profile of the type of person who gets sucked into conspiracy theories but he's also going to be teaching us WHY conspiracies seem to be running rampant in the world today.  

As usual with these bad boys: WARNING: This episode contains discussions involving politics and can be stress inducing.

Jul 24, 2020

Good Morning Weirdos.  I’m Ashley Strange and this is my cohost Lauren Derp and we’re here to bring you the news!

This week we are bringing our YouTube segment THIS WEEK IN WEIRD to the big stage!  This Week in Weird is where we share with you all the weirdest news stories from around the world that are happening RIGHT NOW!

This week we’ve got missing persons (with a twist) voodoo, true crime stories, scientific discoveries, kooky towns, sea monsters, the GROSSEST STORY EVER TOLD, screaming skies and one wacky case of old DNA!

Join our Facebook Group to access links to all the stories we shared on today’s episode!

Jul 17, 2020

Hey y'all!

Welcome to PART TWO of our Hometown Haunts ILLINOIS episode!! Couldn't you just?

Last week we shared stories about aliens and ghosts and it was REAL SPOOKY.  This week gets a TAD darker with Lauren covering some very disturbing and some very confusing true crime stories.  But don't worry!  All that terror will be broken up by Ashley's kooky tales of crazy characters, the impressiveness of Native American civilizations, and a very strange story about a young girl who's body was taken over by a stranger.

For cryin' out loud, lets get to the show!

 

This week's topics:

Robert Pershing Wadlow (The tallest man in recorded history)

Deaf Bill Lee (An Alton IL legend)

The 1987 murder of the Dardeen Family of Ina Illinois

Cahokia Mounds

The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

The Watseka Wonder (A possession story)

The 1984 murder of the Hendricks Family in Bloomington Illinois

Jul 10, 2020

Ope!  You betcha, weirdos it's time to drink some pop and eat some puppy chow because we're headed to the midwest, y'all!

This week Ashley and Lauren are going to their home state of ILLINOIS for a very special two part HOMETOWN HAUNTS episode! 

The close encounters, murders, spooky old buildings, possessions, Native American landmarks, poltergeists, the most haunted small town in America, the tallest man in recorded history, and so much more!! 

 

This Week's topics include:

The Bartonville State Hospital aka the Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane

UFO encounters - Centralia/Mt Vernon/Fairfield & The St Clair Triangle/Southern Illinois Incident

The Macomb Firestarter

John Otto & his transmission from space

The many hauntings of Rockford University

Jane Addams, Hull House, and the Devil Baby

& The Enfield Horror

Jul 3, 2020

Hi Weirdos!

In the last 3-1/2 years of our show Ashley & Lauren have covered a TON of weird objects.  Robert the doll, Annabelle from The Conjuring fame, the antikythera mechanism, even the Betz Sphere when we teamed up with Florida Men on Florida Man.

This week we decided to throw together some of the CRAZIEST objects in the world.  We've got haunted paintings, cursed cars, possessed clothing, ancient mysteries, and even a murderous toy.

Tune in to learn about

The Crying Boy: A painting by Giovanni Bragolin

James Dean's car "Little Bastard"

Anne Baker's Wedding dress

The Ubaid Statues of Iraq

& an Elmo plushie that's out for revenge.

 

 

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