30 Morbid Minutes
Journey into the morbid, macabre, gruesome and unexplained, with comedians and friends Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami. Covering topics like: untimely deaths on cruise ships, sleep paralysis demons, celebrity death hoaxes, obituary bandits, pesky cursed objects, spontaneous human combustion, zombie apocalypses, the Victorian obsession with death, screaming mummies, the Dark Forest alien paradox, medical malpractice, good old-fashioned cannibalism, and so much more.Episodes on Mondays.***Featured in Apple Podcast's New & Noteworthy 2022.***
Episodes
America's Most Isolated Family: The Whittakers
Who are the Whittakers, and why has the world become so fascinated with them and their isolated West Virginia way of life? We take a look at their insular family tree, and the genetic fallout that can occur with inbreeding. Leave us a rev…
The Unspoken Rules of Appalachia
Is the rich history of Appalachian folklore meant to be taken literally? Do cryptids, spirits and supernatural dangers exist in those rugged hills? If you hear a voice say your name in the woods, should you respond? (Spoiler: no.) In this …
"Have You Ever Seen a Ghost?" Q&A with a Cemetery Groundskeeper
In this episode, we pull the most interesting questions and responses from Reddit user odd_fisch's cemetery groundskeeper AMA! They live at and maintain a historic and still active cemetery. https://www.reddit.com/r/CemeteryPorn/comments/1l…
Cemeteries vs. Graveyards: What's REALLY the Difference?
Cemeteries and graveyards aren’t actually the same thing. An important distinction that probably doesn’t matter much… if you’re dead. In this episode, we examine the historical and practical differences that set these two bone yards apart. …
Corpse Cleaning: Crime Scenes, Hoarders, and Detective Work
Ever wonder what happens after a crime scene gets cleared? When the cops leave, the body’s been removed, and the yellow tape comes down? What happens to all the... mess? The blood, the broken glass, the smell? Well, someone has to clean it …
From the Crypt: Tombstones, Epitaphs & Symbols Explained (New Intro)
This is a rerelease of an episode that originally aired July 19, 2022 with a new intro from Elyse & Jessica. Exploring the origins of the modern tombstone and what the future of memorial monuments might hold. Plus, we break down the anato…
From the Crypt: Funeral Home Secrets (New Intro)
This is a rerelease of an episode that originally aired September 13, 2022 with a new intro from Elyse & Jessica. The modern funeral industry capitalizes on stigmas about death, creating a deliberate air of mystery and secrecy around how …
30 Morbid Minutes Presents Petty Crimes: Airbnb Boat featuring Ego Nwodim
Check out this episode of the podcast Petty Crimes! The rental listing said “please don’t unsnap.” Spoiler alert…she snapped. Follow Ego Nwodim on Instagram and listen to her podcast, Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim. ... And look for new episod…
The First Televised Royal Funeral and a Death Headline Fit for a King
Both George V and George VI succumbed to declining health and respiratory ailments. The latter, was the first royal to have his funeral televised, whereas the former's death was seemingly expedited to meet the morning headlines -- a secret …
Ranking the Most Morbid Facts
It's an apples to oranges of morbidity as Jessica and Elyse take ten random yet gruesome facts and, using their macabre expertise, rank them from least to most disturbing. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :) Follow Us 30MorbidMi…
The Final Moments of Pompeii
Buried in an instant. Preserved for eternity. What really happened in the final moments of Pompeii? Plus, Jessica reminisces about her phallic-filled tour. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)Follow Us 30MorbidMinutesElyse WillemsJess…
Fireworks Made with Human Ashes: The Explosive New Post-mortem Trend
If you’re considering cremation as an alternative to traditional burial, we might be able to help you take things up a notch with fireworks displays containing actual human cremated remains. Did you know that there are pyrotechnic companies…
Death on Airplanes: How Do Flight Crews Handle a Death Onboard?
In-flight medical emergencies occur about once every 604 flights, with a mortality rate of 0.3% of those incidents. While extremely rare, if someone dies, specification actions must be taken. So what happens when a plane passenger dies duri…
From the Crypt: Death on Cruise Ships (New Intro)
Revisiting one of our fan favorite classic episodes with a newly recorded introduction!An estimated 200 people die every year while taking a cruise. As a result, ships and their crews have developed intricate systems, code words, and protoc…
The Deranged Doctor Who Stole the Corpse of the Woman He Obsessed Over
Karl Tanzler, also known as Count Carl von Cosel, was a radiologist in Key West, Florida who developed an unhealthy obsession for his young patients, Elena Milagro Hoyos. His obsession continued, even after Elena died from tuberculosis in 1…
Battling Vampires (and Tuberculosis) in the 19th Century
Did a deadly disease spark the legend of vampires? Or were bloodthirsty creatures really lurking in the shadows? We learn how the rampant spread of the "wasting disease" (tuberculosis) contributed to mass panic and vampire hysteria in the n…
If you like 30 Morbid Minutes, checkout Slaycation: True Crimes, Murders, and Twisted Vacations
Slaycation brings a darkly comic, unique vantage point to chilling, thrilling and WTF? stories of vacations gone horribly wrong. Listen to this excerpt from "Ep 40 How NOT to Scuba in Aruba" and checkout the full episode available on all ma…
How to Legally Marry Someone Who is Dead...
Necrogamy, or posthumous marriage, involves a living person marrying someone who is dead, or two dead people being married to each other, and is legally recognized in certain parts of the world. We look into what it takes to marry a decease…
Death by Laughter isn't Funny... OK?
The concept of "laughing oneself to death" has been around for centuries in folklore, myth, and media, but it CAN happen in real life, too. Laugh along with us as we cover real stories and dig into the underlying causes. Leave us a review …
The Flying Dutchman and Other Famous Ghost Ships
A ghost ship is a lot like a Wild West ghost town. The kind with abandoned buildings and a tumbleweed rolling through. Except in this case, the town is the water, and the ship is the tumbleweed. In this episode we share some of history's ee…
Can a Severed Foot Found on Mount Everest Solve a 100 Year-old Mystery?
Remember our 'Dead Bodies of Mount Everest' episode? Well, it's time for an update! We're back with news about Jost Kobusch, the solo climber who's trying to crest Everest in its most dangerous season. Plus, a startling discovery might shed…
Pro Wrestlers' Untimely Deaths - Part 2 with James Willems
We investigate the culture and behaviors that have led to so many tragic deaths in professional wrestling, in and out of the ring. Joined by special guest and wrestling enthusiast, James Willems. Get 20% off + free shipping with the code MO…
Why Do So Many Professional Wrestlers Die Young? - Part 1 with James Willems
From Eddie Guerrero to Curt Hennig (Mr. Perfect) to Owen Hart, an unusual number of professional wrestlers have died suddenly, in their prime, statistically outpacing any other sport. We search for answers in the myriad of factors behind th…
How Does the Haunted House Industry Work?
Ever wonder what it takes to operate a haunted hayride every Halloween season? Or how Disney's The Haunted Mansion singlehandedly grew an entire subset of spooky theme park entertainment? Well, we've got answers, as 30MM explores the histor…
Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost that Haunts America's Victorian Seaside Hotel
As the filming location of Some Like It Hot, the favorite vacation destination of author L. Frank Baum, and one of the last Victorian era hotels in the world, Hotel Del Coronado is famous for many reasons. It's also reportedly haunted, name…
Don't Summon the Midnight Man if You Believe in Creepypastas
Ritualistic party games and Creepypastas are the subject of today's episode, as we cover The Midnight Game, a modern Internet ghost story. Plus, we analyze the psychology behind mirror illusions, and the ways our brains like to play tricks …
Did the Curse of the Ninth KILL History's Greatest Composers?
Like the "27 Club," the Curse of the Ninth is one of music's most infamous superstitions. Supposedly, completing a ninth symphony is essentially a death sentence. Composers go from composing to decomposing. In the ground. Dead. But how true…
Baseball's Deadliest Pitch and How it Changed the Sport Forever
Tragedy struck on August 16, 1920, when during a visiting game at the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Yankees, Cleveland shortstop and all-around affable guy Ray Chapman was beaned in the head by a "spitball" thrown by submarine pitcher …
The Dating Game Killer Was TV's Creepiest Game Show Contestant
Back in the 1970s, a serial killer named Rodney Alcala managed to charm his way onto the hit show "The Dating Game" and even WON, but his creepy behavior off-camera raised a ton of red flags. Perhaps surprisingly, Alcala's not the only seri…
We're Back from the Dead!
It's with giddy, macabre glee, that we announce we are BACK for a limited run of episodes, just in time for the spooky season! Next week we kick things off with one of our usual episodes, but in this, our soft return episode, we're having a…
Badbye (For Now)
The end comes for us all. Go to http://meundies.com/30mm for 20% off your first order, plus free shipping.This show is sponsored by BetterHelp - go to http://betterhelp.com/30MM to get 10% off your first month.Follow us on Social:https://tw…
Island of the Dead Dolls
Legend has it that La Isla des las Muñecas, a dark tourism hot spot, is where a young girl was tragically found drowned to death. The dolls that decorate the island serve as both a tribute and a warning. Go to http://dietsmoke.com/shrooms …
Spooky and Morbid Stories from YOU
Have you ever had something creepy happen to you or a family member that you can’t quite explain? If you’ve got a spooky story to tell, or like hearing other people’s, then this is the episode for you. Go to http://meundies.com/30mm to get …
Incorruptibility: Sainthood's Freshest Corpses
How would you react if you saw a dead body that, after a year, still looked like the person had died just yesterday? What about after five years? A hundred? This type of preservation, called incorruptibility, can happen. And while some cons…
Coffins Vs. Caskets: What's the Difference?
Ever wondered what exactly differentiates a coffin from a casket? So did we! We get to the bottom of things. Six feet under, to be exact. Go to http://shadyrays.com and use code 30MM for 35% off polarized sunglasses and snow goggles.This sh…
Creepy Clown Panic of 2016
A rash of creepy clown sightings reported across the U.S. sparked nationwide mass hysteria, resulting in police patrols, curfews, and locals seeing red (noses). Looking back, was this actually real terror, or case of misguided moral panic?G…
Send Us Your Morbid & Spooky (Real) Stories!
Got a creepy or scary story to share? Maybe you work as an embalmer in a funeral home, or took a trip to a haunted locale? Perhaps you saw a ghostly figure late one night outside your window and can't quite explain it, or the town you're fr…
Talking to Ghosts with Sapphire Sandalo
Occultist and paranormal researcher Sapphire Sandalo joins us to talk about her experience with Magick, communing with the spirit world, Filipino folklore, and what it's like to investigate hauntings for a living. This show is sponsored by…
The Lost Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World hold an air of mystery and continue to capture our imaginations today. Marvels of antiquity, most were destroyed, and with them, chapters of our history and being. Leave us a voicemail with your morbi…
Morbid Facts from YOU!
We asked and you delivered on morbid and disturbing facts; from baby shark cannibalism, to a Latin hymn for the dead, to Canada's regulations around self-euthanasia, and more. Leave us a voicemail with your morbid facts, or a creepy story t…