Curse(d) Words - Ep. 13

Curse(d) Words - Ep. 13

A warning for delicate ears: this episode contains explicit language. We hope you’ll pardon us; when the topic is cursed words, some of those words do insist on showing up and being heard. On the 13th episode of Cursed…ish, Daniel and Angela investigate curses of a more etymological persuasion: curse words. Why do certain sounds become dangerous, filthy, or forbidden? Why did ancient speakers stop saying the original word for the beast they feared the most out of a suspicion that uttering its name might summon one forth? How did damn go from a terrifying sentence of eternal condemnation to one of our mildest swear words? And where did the word fuck actually come from, and why has it become the undisputed king of English profanity? Along the way, we unpack the strange history of taboo language, from Bronze Age euphemisms and divine damnation to medieval court records featuring the curious case of Roger Fuck-By-The-Navel. Because curse words are more than just dirty language. They reveal what people fear, what they revere, what they repress, and why sometimes only a well-placed “fuck” will do. https://www.medievalists.net/2023/08/earliest-use-f-word/ [https://www.medievalists.net/2023/08/earliest-use-f-word/] https://sslh.org.uk/2023/06/07/i-dont-know-where-he-gets-his-fucking-language-from/ [https://sslh.org.uk/2023/06/07/i-dont-know-where-he-gets-his-fucking-language-from/] Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

The Curse of Macbeth - Ep. 12

Why do theater people refuse to say Macbeth inside a theater? This week on Cursed...ish, we step into the blood-soaked, witchy world of Shakespeare’s most allegedly-cursed play: Macbeth, also known by the superstitious as “The Scottish Play.” Angela takes Daniel through the strange history behind the curse of Macbeth, from one king's weird, misplaced obsession with witchcraft and Shakespeare’s suspiciously well-researched trio of iconic witches, to the chilling discovery that real incantations may have been written into the very play itself. Did Shakespeare accidentally, or maybe not so accidentally, put actual magic onstage? Then we follow the supposed victims of the Macbeth curse across centuries of theatrical disaster: an actor allegedly dying before opening night, the Great Storm of 1703, the deadly Astor Place Riot of 1849, falling stage weights, accidentally-sharp prop swords, mysterious production deaths, stage injuries, kerosene-soaked costumes, and one extremely unfortunate bike accident. But is Macbeth truly cursed? Or is one of the most-performed plays in the English language simply old enough, popular enough, and chaotic enough to collect a long list of theatrical disasters? This episode has witches, Shakespearean ass-kissing, toxic theater fandom, dead sheep carcasses, cursed stage traditions, and the eternal question: is it cursed, or just cursed...ish? Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

Cursed Cinema: Poltergeist - Ep. 11

Is the Poltergeist curse real, or is it just one of Hollywood’s darkest tabloid legends? In this episode of Cursed...ish, we dig into the alleged Poltergeist movie curse, from Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper’s creation of the 1982 horror classic to the tragic deaths of Dominique Dunne and Heather O’Rourke, the eerie stories surrounding Poltergeist 2 and Poltergeist 3, and the infamous rumor that real human skeletons were used on set. Along the way, we trace how the “curse” narrative spread through tabloids, media frenzy, and horror lore, and ask the question at the heart of every Cursed...ish episode: is there really something supernatural going on here, or are people forcing a pattern onto tragedy? If you’ve ever wondered about the truth behind the Poltergeist curse, this is the story behind one of horror’s most infamous legends.  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-21-ca-993-story.html [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-21-ca-993-story.html] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/poltergeist-movie-curse-documentary-explore-830368/ [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/poltergeist-movie-curse-documentary-explore-830368/] https://www.avclub.com/a-new-documentary-about-the-poltergeist-curse-knows-w-1798285147 [https://www.avclub.com/a-new-documentary-about-the-poltergeist-curse-knows-w-1798285147] https://bloodygoodhorror.com/bgh/interviews/bgh-investigates-the-poltergeist-curse-with-craig-reardon https://web.archive.org/web/20121105201058/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-03/news/mn-27226_1_poltergeist-iii [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105201058/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-03/news/mn-27226_1_poltergeist-iii] https://allthatsinteresting.com/dominique-dunne [https://allthatsinteresting.com/dominique-dunne] https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3555052/poltergeist-getting-remade-captain-america-avengers-directors/ [https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3555052/poltergeist-getting-remade-captain-america-avengers-directors/] Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

Cursed Mythology: Cassandra - Ep. 10

In this episode of Cursed...ish, Angela and Daniel dig into the Curse of Cassandra, the Greek myth of a woman who could literally predict disaster and still got treated like she was being dramatic. From Apollo’s extremely petty curse of a punishment to the Trojan Horse, the fall of Troy, and the brutal aftermath of war, they trace how Cassandra became mythology’s patron saint of I told you so. Along the way, they unpack the tragedy, misogyny, and cultural staying power of her story, plus why the Cassandra archetype still shows up everywhere from horror movies to modern pop culture, including Taylor Swift’s “Cassandra.” Because sometimes the real curse is not just bad luck, it’s being right while everybody around you insists on acting like an idiot. Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

The Curse of King Tutankhamun: Part II - Ep. 9

In Part II of Cursed...ish’s King Tutankhamun coverage, Daniel and Angela pick up where the tomb story turns ancient history to archaeology and legend. From Napoleon’s role in fueling Europe’s obsession with ancient Egypt to the Rosetta Stone, Howard Carter’s excavation, Lord Carnarvon’s mysterious death, and the media frenzy that helped create the so-called Pharaoh’s Curse, they trace how a buried king became one of history’s most famous supernatural stories. Along the way, they dig into protective funerary rituals, tabloid embellishments, supposed curse victims, mold and poison theories, and the uncomfortable question at the heart of the whole legend: was there ever really a curse at all, or was Tutankhamun the one who was truly wronged?  https://time.com/archive/6862937/science-a-curse-on-a-curse/ [https://time.com/archive/6862937/science-a-curse-on-a-curse/] https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/ancient/were-getting-ancient-egypt-all-wrong-and-its-because-of-european-nationalism/ [https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/ancient/were-getting-ancient-egypt-all-wrong-and-its-because-of-european-nationalism/] https://www.auntminnieeurope.com/clinical-news/article/15654128/the-radiologist-and-the-curse-of-the-mummy [https://www.auntminnieeurope.com/clinical-news/article/15654128/the-radiologist-and-the-curse-of-the-mummy] https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/23321/victims-king-tuts-curse [https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/23321/victims-king-tuts-curse] https://allthatsinteresting.com/king-tut-curse [https://allthatsinteresting.com/king-tut-curse] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-30-mn-3981-story.html [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-30-mn-3981-story.html] https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/tutankhamun-egypt-howard-carter-times-letter-m53zhbbps?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/tutankhamun-egypt-howard-carter-times-letter-m53zhbbps?utm_source=chatgpt.com] https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/aug/13/howard-carter-stole-tutankhamuns-treasure-new-evidence-suggests [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/aug/13/howard-carter-stole-tutankhamuns-treasure-new-evidence-suggests] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-30-mn-3981-story.html [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-30-mn-3981-story.html] https://time.com/3594676/king-tut/ [https://time.com/3594676/king-tut/] https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/were-six-bizarre-deaths-linked-to-curse-of-king-tut-actually-the-work-of-this-notorious-satanist-6365783.html [https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/were-six-bizarre-deaths-linked-to-curse-of-king-tut-actually-the-work-of-this-notorious-satanist-6365783.html] Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com. The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes. *Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.