Shows
Paranormal Pajama PartyMermaids, Part 2: From Killers to Disney PrincessesSend me a text message!For thousands of years, mermaids were apex predators whose voices could kill. Then somewhere between Homer's bone-littered shores and Disney's underwater utopia, something fundamental changed. How did creatures who used their voices as weapons become princesses who'd sacrifice that voice for a boyfriend?In this second part of our mermaid deep-dive (pardon the pun), we trace the evolution from ancient sirens to modern Disney princesses, exploring how Christianity sexualised these water spirits, how the Romantic movement made them tragic, and how capitalism turned them into merchandise. Using ecofeminist theory, we'll...
2025-08-3130 minParanormal Pajama PartyMermaids, Part 1: The Indifferent DeepSend me a text message!A Scottish lord hears a woman drowning in his loch. Every instinct tells him to dive in and save her. But his servant grabs his arm: "My lord, that's no woman."This is the mermaid most of human history has feared – not Disney's lovestruck princess, but something far more alien and dangerous. What's truly wild is how universal these stories are. From Brazil's Iara to Japan's Ningyo, from Scotland's selkies to Africa's Mami Wata, cultures worldwide independently created tales of deadly female water spirits.But why? Why do hu...
2025-08-1723 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Women of “Dracula”, Part 2: Patriarchy BitesSend me a text message!This isn't just a vampire story; it's a chilling exposé of Victorian anxieties. In part two of our series on the women of “Dracula”, the Paranormal Pajama Party podcast plunges deeper into Bram Stoker's classic, exploring how it grapples with female power, intellectual authority, and the fragile state of masculinity.We spend the night with the ravenous Brides of Dracula to learn what their unbridled desire suggests about society's fears of female sexuality. Then, we unpack the fascinating intellectual clash between Mina Murray and Van Helsing, and how Mina’s brillia...
2025-06-1539 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Women of “Dracula”, Part 1: Lucy Westenra and Victorian fear of female desireSend me a text message!Think you know “Dracula”? Think again. In this first part of our two-part deep dive into the world's most famous vampire novel, we're sinking our teeth into the real monsters of the story – and spoiler alert, it's not the Count.Join Steph as she explores how “Dracula” reflects Victorian society's collective panic over the “New Woman” movement and female sexual autonomy. We'll unpack the tragic arc of Lucy Westenra, the novel's golden girl whose fatal flaw isn't her beauty or kindness – it's her desire for sexual agency in a world that would rathe...
2025-06-0132 minParanormal Pajama PartyHagsploitation: “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” | 33Send me a text message!In this spine-tingling episode, we watch the 1962 psychological thriller "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and dive deep into the hagsploitation film subgenre it spawned. When Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford found themselves discarded by studios as they aged, they turned to horror – creating a film that both exploited and empowered ageing women in cinema.We explore how society's fear of ageing women transforms them into monstrous figures on screen. From Baby Jane's disturbing childlike makeup on an elderly face to the twisted sister dynamic, this film confronts ou...
2025-04-2737 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe White Witch of Rose Hall: Annie Palmer and Madame LaLaurieSend me a text message!What do the White Witch of Jamaica’s Rose Hall and New Orleans tour staple Madame LaLaurie have in common? They're both infamous female figures in ghost lore, accused of monstrous violence during the era of slavery. But dig a little deeper, and a more disturbing truth emerges. Annie Palmer – the so-called White Witch – never existed, and Delphine LaLaurie’s real crimes were reshaped into gothic horror for public consumption. In this episode, we unpack how gendered narratives helped white societies displace guilt over slavery onto individual women.Using the monstrous...
2025-04-1337 minParanormal Pajama PartyBotan Dōrō: Love, Death, and SamuraiSend me a text message!Join me to examine one of Japan's most influential ghost stories – Botan Dōrō (The Peony Lantern). This tale of love beyond death helped establish the archetype of the long-haired vengeful female ghost in Japanese horror. When handsome samurai Shinzaburō falls for the beautiful Otsuyu, their love seems destined for tragedy. Unluckily for him, even death won't keep them apart.We'll explore how this story evolved from a Chinese Buddhist morality tale into a cornerstone of Japanese horror, spawning countless adaptations from kabuki theatre to erotica. Learn how changing attitudes towar...
2025-02-2330 minParanormal Pajama PartyWise Wives and Witch Hunts: The Women Scotland BurnedSend me a text message!This episode of "Paranormal Pajama Party" is spine-chilling – but not because of the paranormal parts.We're headed back to Scotland to discuss the North Berwick Witch Trials – a dark chapter of history that inspired Shakespeare's most infamous witches and exposed the terrifying mechanisms of patriarchal violence. Meet Agnes Sampson, Gilleis Duncan, and Euphame MacCalzean – three women caught in a deadly web of royal paranoia, religious persecution, and systemic misogyny.Set against the backdrop of King James VI's tumultuous reign, this episode exposes the brutal methods of torture, the gendered violence of wit...
2024-12-0838 minParanormal Pajama PartyMonsters and Morals: Vengeance, Virtue, and Emotional LabourSend me a text message!What do a trickster forest goblin, a horse-faced seductress, a desert phantom, and a deer-footed avenger have in common? They’re not just the stuff of nightmares – they’re symbols of women as society’s moral guardians.In this episode of “Paranormal Pajama Party”, you’ll meet the Shishiga, the Siguanaba, Umm al-Duwais, and the Deer Woman – female monsters tasked with warning, protecting, and punishing men who transgress societal moral codes. These ladies, while terrifying, are also a lens we can use to explore how women have been historically cast as moral guardia...
2024-11-2426 minParanormal Pajama PartyHistorical Horror: Chloe, Cleo, and the Myrtles PlantationSend me a text message!Welcome to America's Most Haunted House... or is it? Tonight, we’re partying at the Myrtles Plantation, where the famous ghost of an enslaved girl named Chloe is said to roam the halls.But as we unpack this classic Southern ghost story, we'll discover something far more unsettling than any supernatural presence – the way America uses ghost tourism to process (or avoid processing) its history of slavery.From gift shop dolls of murdered enslaved people to invented haunted histories, we'll explore how plantation tourism often makes real historical trau...
2024-11-1029 minParanormal Pajama PartyHillary Clinton and the Lizard PeopleSend me a text message!Hillary Clinton and the Lizard People | 27 Put on your tinfoil hat and grab your favourite pantsuit – “Paranormal Pajama Party” is back! In the Season 3 premiere, Steph connects the dots between confused Victorian lemur scientists and modern-day conspiracy theories about lizard people running the world. (It makes more sense than you'd think.)Join us for a wild ride through the peculiar world of reptilian conspiracies, where we discover how theories about shape-shifting aliens somehow wound up tangled with gender politics and presidential pantsuits. Steph digs into why powerfu...
2024-10-2744 minParanormal Pajama PartyLadies, Listen to This Before You Build Your Crow ArmySend me a text message!I get it. It’s hard to be a woman. Almost as hard as it is to be a monster.Get ready for a spine-tingling third season of Paranormal Pajama Party!This fortnightly podcast explores folklore and the horror genre with a feminist twist. Each episode uncovers chilling tales of female phantoms, femme fatales, and supernatural beings, shedding light on the societal fears that often shape these spooky stories.From haunted houses to vengeful spirits, Paranormal Pajama Party shoves a flashlight into the dark corners of fo...
2024-10-2001 minParanormal Pajama Party“Aliens”: Game Over, Men – Game OverSend me a text message!In this thrilling conclusion to our two-part series on the “Alien” franchise, Paranormal Pajama Party dissects the 1986 classic sequel, "Aliens."We’re talking about Ellen Ripley’s groundbreaking portrayal of a female action hero and feminist icon, considering the ethics of care in Ripley's decision-making, and contrasting it with traditional male action heroes like Arnold.But Ripley’s not alone in the “Alien” universe, which is the best part. We’ll examine the other diverse female characters, including tough-as-nails Private Vasquez and little Newt, discussing how they challenge gender norms in...
2024-09-0155 minParanormal Pajama Party“Alien”: In Space, No One Can Hear Dudes ScreamSend me a text message!*MASSIVE CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS ONE:* This episode contains well as explicit descriptions of fictional sexual violence that is 100% a metaphor for real-world sexual violence, plus discussion of pregnancy, extremely traumatic births, death in childbirth, and abortion. Please listen with care.On this episode of Paranormal Pajama Party, we’re unpacking Ridley Scott's 1979 classic, "Alien," and its groundbreaking feminist themes. This episode explores how the film cleverly subverts genre expectations, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about gender roles and societal power dynamics.We'll dissect the Xenomorph's lifecycle as...
2024-08-1829 minParanormal Pajama PartyGreen Ladies and Glaistigs: Skeletons in the WallsSend me a text message!This week on Paranormal Pajama Party, we're heading to Scotland to meet its green ladies and glaistigs.Discover the tragic tale of Dame Lilias Drummond, whose ghostly presence still haunts Fyvie Castle centuries after her untimely death. Learn about the protective yet mischievous nature of glaistigs, the goat-legged women who guard cattle and castles alike. Uncover the dark histories behind other famous green lady hauntings, including those at Crathes Castle and Longleat House.This episode examines the complex symbolism of the colour green in various cultures, particularly its...
2024-08-0435 minParanormal Pajama PartyRangda: Queen of the DemonsSend me a text message!This episode explores the complex figure of Rangda, a fearsome demon queen in Balinese mythology.Tourists may be familiar with Rangda’s frightening face, as a version of a ritual dance based on the Balinese myth of the widow-witch Calon Arang is popular at Bali’s many resorts.But Rangda is a much more complex figure than these simplified and shortened performances may lead you to believe. She’s an important player in the key Balinese concept of “rwa bhineda” – unity in duality – and a reminder that binary thinking often...
2024-07-2833 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Cult of True Womanhood: “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Part 2Send me a text message!This episode is the long-promised part two of our exploration of “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was doing his thing In 19th-century America, at a time middle- and upper-class white women were being encouraged to join the "Cult of True Womanhood", which idealised women as pious, pure, submissive, and domestic, confining them to the private sphere while men dominated public life. It’s all very tradwife.Tonight on the podcast, we’ll examine how this cultural ideal influenced Poe's portrayal of women in...
2024-07-2129 minParanormal Pajama Party"What Happens Next?": Are Reproductive Rights Human Rights?Send me a text message!Paranormal Pajama Party is pro-self-care. I mean, come on. Pajamas are right there in the name.To be kind to myself this week, I'm not releasing a new episode. Instead, I'm sharing an episode I wrote and produced for the other podcast I make – the one people actually pay me for.This is Monash University's What Happens Next?, episode 79: "Are Reproductive Rights Human Rights?". You'll never guess what the answer is. (You will, they are, please vote this November if you're a U.S. citizen, thank you.)
2024-07-0741 minParanormal Pajama PartyBeautiful Dead Women: “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Part 1Send me a text message!When you think horror, you think of Edgar Allan Poe. His stories go hard on the eerie atmosphere, intricate plots, and unhinged characters.But it’s important to note that most of those characters are men. And among Poe’s female characters, two recurring traits stand out prominently: they’re usually beautiful, and they’re usually dead.This episode explores Poe's fixation with beautiful dead women, tracing it back to his tumultuous life and personal losses, including those of his mother, Eliza Poe, and his wife, Virginia Clemm.We’...
2024-06-3056 minParanormal Pajama PartyMalleus Maleficarum: Incels and Modern Witch HuntsSend me a text message!The dark history of witch hunts has some unsettling parallels with modern misogynistic violence. Tonight’s episode continues our discussion on Heinrich Kramer’s witch-hunting manual, the “Malleus Maleficarum”, with a critical look at its legacy, especially as it relates to incel culture and the manosphere.We’ll examine the parallels between Kramer's misogynistic beliefs and the 2014 Isla Vista killings by Elliot Rodger, exploring the roots of violent ideologies in both cases. We’ll use the “path to intended violence” theory to compare the steps leading to mass violence in the 15th century...
2024-06-2326 minParanormal Pajama PartyMalleus Maleficarum: Hammer of WitchesSend me a text message!Tonight we’re burning books! Well. Just one book. And it started it.We’re opening the pages of the “Malleus Maleficarum”, or Hammer of Witches, a 15th-century treatise on identifying, trying, and punishing witches. We get into the origins of the book and its misogynistic zealot of an author, Heinrich Kramer.I’m not saying Kramer's obsession with women's sexuality and his book's endorsement of torture and execution led directly to the deaths of tens of thousands of women… but it definitely found an enthusiastic audience among the people w...
2024-06-1629 minParanormal Pajama PartyMonster Girls of Video GamesSend me a text message!Last week on Paranormal Pajama Party, we met the monster girls of Greek mythology. This week, in part two of our monster girls series, we’re considering the representation of monstrous women in horror video games.Monster girls are female-coded creatures that blend human and monstrous elements, often portrayed as both alluring and terrifying. This duality reflects male anxieties about female sexuality and autonomy.We’ll explore the origins of monster girls in various mythologies and their roles in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, emphasising how these characters ofte...
2024-06-0931 minParanormal Pajama PartyMonster Girls of Greek MythologySend me a text message!This week on “Paranormal Pajama Party”, we’re kicking off a two-part series on the fascinating and often unsettling “monster girl” trope. These characters are more than just staples of horror media and anime; they are complex symbols that reveal deep-seated societal fears and fantasies about women.Monster girls have long embodied dual roles as both objects of desire and figures of dread, reflecting and reinforcing patriarchal views about femininity and power.In today’s episode, we’ll examine the origins of this trope, tracing it all the way back to an...
2024-06-0228 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Ciguapa: Danger in the Dominican RepublicSend me a text message!Tonight’s special guest is the ciguapa, a legendary creature from Dominican Republic folklore.At first glance, the ciguapa may seem like just another fantastical being, with her backward-facing feet, golden or blue skin, and mesmerising black eyes. But a closer examination reveals layers of meaning deeply intertwined with the history of the Dominican Republic and its diverse people.This episode of Paranormal Pajama Party traces the backwards footsteps of the ciguapa through the historical context of colonialism and nationalism that’s shaped her narrative.Key...
2024-05-2628 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Island of the Dolls: Mexico City's Haunted HoardSend me a text message!Get ready to uncover the chilling mysteries surrounding the infamous Island of the Dolls.In this episode, we delve into the eerie tale of Don Julián Santana Barrera and his encounter with the spirit of a drowned young girl in the canals of Mexico City’s Xochimilco district.But why are dolls so inherently creepy? It's more than their lifelike appearance; it's the uncanny feeling they evoke, that unsettling mix of familiar and unfamiliar. And beneath the surface, there's a deeper exploration of gender dynamics. Dol...
2024-05-1923 minParanormal Pajama PartySarah Whitehead: The Bank NunSend me a text message!Welcome back to Season 2 of “Paranormal Pajama Party”! I hope you’re as excited to dive back into these stories as I am.Set against the backdrop of Regency-era England (think “Bridgerton” and Jane Austen), this episode unravels the tragic story of Sarah Whitehead, a woman consumed by grief and desperation after the execution of her brother for forgery.We’ll explore the complexities of life for working-class and middle-class women during the Regency period – it’s not as glamorous as romance novels led us to believe – exploring the societal const...
2024-05-1229 minParanormal Pajama PartyGhouls Just Wanna Have Fun – Paranormal Pajama Party Returns for Season Two!Send me a text message!Paranormal Pajama Party Season 2 trailerHey, boo. (Get it? Because ghosts?)It's me, Steph, and I'm delighted to announce that Paranormal Pajama Party is back for a second season, launching next week! Pull on your favourite pyjamas, grab a midnight snack or a warm drink, and join me for another round of spine-tingling stories and spirited discussions.Throughout this season, we'll explore topics and tales featuring female phantoms, villains and monsters from around the world.Among other adventures, we'll be there for "...
2024-05-0501 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Tower of London, Part 2: The Ghost of Anne BoleynSend me a text message!The Tower of London, Part 2: Ghost of Anne Boleyn | 13Welcome back, as we continue our ghost tour of the Tower of London, focusing on the notorious female phantoms and femme fatales who have left an indelible mark on its history.In our previous episode, we met the Countess of Salisbury Margaret Pole, Lady Arbella Stuart, and England's nine-day queen, Lady Jane Grey. But tonight, we turn our attention to one of history's most enigmatic figures and one of the most famous ghosts in the world: Anne...
2024-04-1428 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Tower of London, Part 1: The Countess of Salisbury, Lady Arbella Stuart, and Lady Jane GreySend me a text message!Tonight, we’re throwing our pajama party in the iconic Tower of London, a historic fortress that has long captured the public imagination. Renowned for its rich and often dark history, the Tower of London symbolises power, intrigue, and mystery. It’s also supposed to be one of the most haunted sites in the world – and its most famous ghosts are female.In this episode, you’ll meet some of the ghostly apparitions said to roam its ancient corridors – Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury; Arbella Stuart, cousin to a king; and Lady J...
2024-04-0734 minParanormal Pajama PartyBeatrice Cenci: Innocent MurderessSend me a text message!Beatrice Cenci | 11The life of Beatrice Cenci, born into the noble Cenci family in 1577, is a tragic tale of abuse, desperation, and defiance. Subjected to unspeakable violence and cruelty at the hands of her father, Count Francesco Cenci, Beatrice orchestrated his murder alongside her family as a means of escape. Their plot, though successful, led to their arrest, torture, and eventual public execution in Rome.Beatrice's story has been immortalised in art and literature over the centuries, symbolising the struggle against oppression and the quest for justice. From...
2024-03-3124 minParanormal Pajama Party"Coraline", Part 2: Scary Gender Expressions and Scarier MothersSend me a text message!“Coraline” (Part 2) | 10Welcome back to part two of our discussion on the children's horror movie "Coraline". Tonight, we’re drawing on the works of Judith Butler, Barbara Creed, and Sigmund Freud to explore its themes of gender, power, and the uncanny. In this episode, we’ll talk about how the introduction of a male character in "Coraline". raises questions about the need for a male presence in female-driven stories.We’ll also take a look at the way gender is portrayed (and performed) in the Other...
2024-03-2422 minParanormal Pajama Party"Coraline", Part 1: The Uncanny and the Monstrous-FeminineSend me a text message!Tonight on the podcast, we’re unravelling the chilling tale of Coraline Jones and her mother. No, not her mother. Her Other Mother. The one with the button eyes.Coraline – both the children’s movie and the novella – is the story of a girl battling for independence and identity. This battle is symbolic, sure, but it’s also literal – Coraline has to destroy the Other Mother from the mirror world hidden behind a tiny door.Tonight, we’re talking about Freudian psychology and all the uncomfortable things that entails: the u...
2024-03-1741 minParanormal Pajama PartyFelines, Females, and Fear: Witches and Their FamiliarsSend me a text message!Felines, Females, and Fear | 8The relationship between women, cats, and darkness is as ancient as human civilisation itself – and that’s not just the toxoplasmosis parasites in my brain talking. Tonight, we’re diving deep into the connections between cats, women, and evil… or at least, male fear.The episode begins with a whirlwind meet-and-greet of cat goddesses of the ancient world, from Lilith to Bastet to Hecate, then shifts to early Christianity, where cats were associated with pagan practices and seen as suspicious minions of Satan.
2024-03-1033 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Pontianak: The Malay Peninsula's Fiercest GhostSend me a text message!The Pontianak | 7The Pontianak is the Malay Peninsula’s fiercest – and most fearsome – phantom. She’s a vampire ghost known for her terrifying appearance and insatiable hunger for revenge.This powerful entity represents a fascinating tension between traditional mystical beliefs, contemporary Islamic culture, and Western scientific viewpoints in the region.Of course, her story also reflects the patriarchal societies she haunts. The legend of the Pontianak highlights the fear of women's power and agency, as she embodies uncontrolled passion and a defiant attitude towards societal...
2024-03-0323 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Headless Mule: Brazil's Cautionary TaleSend me a text message!26.2.24Paranormal Pajama PartyThe Headless Mule | 6Tonight’s episode tells the story of Brazil’s headless mule, or mula sem cabeça, Argentina’s almamula, and their older sister, the muladona of Catalan mythology. Hold on – we’re in for a wild ride with this one.Imagine being cursed for eternity because you dared to defy societal norms. These aren't your run-of-the-mill monster stories – they're cautionary tales straight out of the patriarchy's playbook.Cautionary tales are carefully crafted to serve a purpose, usually to ke...
2024-02-2526 minParanormal Pajama Party“The Boarded Window”: 'The Oregon Trail' Lied to UsSend me a text message!19.2.24Paranormal Pajama Party“The Boarded Window” | 5⚠️ This episode contains spoilers ahead for “The Boarded Window”, which I read at the beginning. You can read it here (for free!) first if you’d prefer. ⚠️In Ambrose Bierce’s popular short story, “The Boarded Window”, the mysterious former pioneer Murlock lives out his solitary existence in a one-room cabin, the standout feature of which is a single boarded-up window.But tonight’s episode isn’t about Murlock. It’s not even about the shocking...
2024-02-1832 minParanormal Pajama PartySweet Dreams: The Night Hag, the Mare, and the SuccubusSend me a text message!Chances are good, I'm sorry to say, you've already had a run-in with the old hag, also known as the Night Hag. She's haunted the dreams of many across cultures for thousands of years.She's strongly connected to the mare, a spirit known for riding sleepers, horses, and even trees. To understand the cultural origins of the mare, we also have to understand the outlook of some rural farming communities, where misfortune was attributed to external forces, often targeting vulnerable individuals like older, unmarried women.There's one more famous lady...
2024-02-1131 minParanormal Pajama PartyBloody Mary: A Slumber Party ClassicSend me a text message!5.2.24Paranormal Pajama PartyBloody Mary | 3If you've been a preteen at a slumber party, chances are you've heard the chilling tale of Bloody Mary. Today, we'll dissect the origins of Bloody Mary and the various interpretations surrounding her name.Bloody Mary, the spectral figure said to appear in mirrors when her name is called 3-13 times (it's unclear and not a risk I'm willing to take), has been a staple of sleepovers and late-night dares. While some might dismiss it as a simple game...
2024-02-0419 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Rusalka: No Mere MermaidSend me a text message!29.1.24Paranormal Pajama PartyThe Rusalka | 2Get ready for a spooky episode as Steph delves into the Slavic legend of the rusalka. Although often associated with water, these spirits are far from the mermaids we might imagine. Instead, they're more like zombies... permanently trapped in puberty. It doesn't sound fun.At tonight's pajama party, we'll explore the origins of the rusalki and their connection to both fertility and death. We'll also discuss the in-between state these spirits inhabit, caught between girlhood and womanhood, river and...
2024-01-2823 minParanormal Pajama PartyThe Vanishing Hitchhiker: Sibyls, the Oracle of Delphi and an Urban LegendSend me a text message!22.1.24The Vanishing Hitchhiker | 1Welcome to the Paranormal Pajama Party! I'm so glad you could join. Get cozy, because we’re kicking off our first-ever party with a campfire standard — the vanishing hitchhiker.In this classic urban legend, a male driver picks up a seemingly innocent passenger, but the journey upends life — and death — as he knows it.This episode examines the surprising connection between this modern legend and historical or mythological female figures of old. Where did the story of the vanishing hitchhiker come fro...
2024-01-2120 minParanormal Pajama PartyYou're invited to a Paranormal Pajama Party!Send me a text message!From women in white to witches, have you ever noticed how often the horrors in our favourite scary stories tend to look a lot like, uh… ladies?Paranormal Pajama Party is a podcast that brings you classic ghost stories and legends featuring female phantoms and femme fatales.Join me, Steph, a horror fan and feminist, as we dig up the social and cultural contexts behind each ghoulish gal, and then challenge the often one-dimensional portrayal of women in horror. Turns out there’s nothing scarier than the patriarchy....
2024-01-1503 min