Monster Talk (Podcast)
Talking about the science show that talks about monsters.
Bigfoot…the Loch Ness Monster…Ghosts…and a skeptical - and fun - look at other things that (maybe) go bump in the night.
We love movies. We also dig cool podcasts like Monster Talk.
So what’s the story with this show?
Monster Talk is a long running program, originally under the umbrella of the Skeptics Society (they broke off in 2019), that looks at cryptids, folklore, mythology, and movie monsters. Sea serpents and lake monsters, Mothman, the Chupacabra, werewolves, dinosaurs, Cthulhu, and even ninjas have been the target of the program.
The normal flow of the show is for the hosts - currently Blake Smith (Blake is also on another fav of ours, In Research Of) and Karen Stollznow - to join a guest (usually the author of a new book) in dissecting an issue related to a monster of the week…or whenever they get around to releasing a new episode.
Team Monster then tosses out a question: Is there enough food in a place like Loch Ness to feed a population of lake creatures? How did movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind shape the way people imagine aliens? Is there any basis to urban legends about things from Ouija boards to…well, you get the idea.
How do they do?
The podcast came out in 2009. We first tuned in back in 2010 and have been with the show ever since.
What makes it good?
First, who doesn’t like monsters…and science? If you had fun listening to Art Bell and Coast to Coast in the 90s or watching the X-Files, there will definitely be something for you here. But…despite the subject matter…Monster Talk is all Scully and no Mulder, so be warned: if you are looking for people to tell you that you have a chance of acting on your Bigfoot crush, this isn’t the place for you.
The program is unapologetically skeptical and while they do not engage in hand wave debunking, odds are you will hear a lot more about why certain ideas are physically impossible than “but what if???” The show also often uses the term “monster” loosely so they have cover to talk about things they are really interested in - often broader topics in science, medicine, history, and culture. That’s not a complaint - that’s what the Concession Stand is all about - but it does mean that the show is not all fangs and phantoms.
We will offer one warning about the show (beyond the risk of deflating your dreams about riding into the sunset on Nessie’s back): they are usually pretty good at managing it, but the (non and sometimes anti-religious) skeptical perspective of people on the program can come off as a little snarky. Now, if you are a skeptic or just enjoy some snark, that will probably add a star to your rating…but for some, it may take some getting used to.
So what’s the verdict?
We really dig this show and look forward to tuning in to their next episode on Frog Men and Flappers at the Earth’s Core.
You can catch their latest episodes and a ton of past ones HERE.
Four out of Five Snarky Screaming Skulls.
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Want a taste? You can catch the Monster Talk episode on the Loveland Frog here:
Dig Monster Talk? You may want to explore on of these.
