Sea Monkeys

American Hysteria

W!ZARD Studios

Society & Culture

4.4 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2023

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The novelty pets known as Sea Monkeys have delighted and disappointed millions of American children since they were first marketed in the early 1960s, with the nostalgia-fueled craze returning decade after decade, even after the creator was linked to Neo-Nazi activities. Described in the highly exaggerated ad copy as the most lovable pets in America, these tiny, allegedly monkey-like aquatic creatures are actually nothing more than microscopic brine shrimp, usually used as fish food in pet stores. In this episode, we will look closely at the history of Sea Monkeys and their ingenious but controversial creator, and take you through the comic book ad copy that marketed junky novelty items directly to children using language both deeply misleading and hilariously hyperbolic. Get our Folk Devils United merch here Become a Patron or subscribe on Apple Podcasts to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Call our Urban Legends Hotline and share a teenage tale you heard growing up This episode was written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Sound design by Clear Commo Studios Research Assistant: Riley Swedelius-Smith Producer and Editor: Miranda Zickler Voice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Dung dung dung
0:02.0	dung as we've long covered on American hysteria
0:06.0	a folk devil is a person or a group of people
0:09.0	unfairly blamed for society's problems
0:12.0	the focus of those pesky moral panics.
0:16.7	It's safe to say that most of you, dear listeners, know what it's like to be deemed a cartoonish, salacious, and satanic villain for no reason at all.
0:27.3	So we've created our merch series, Folk Devils United,
0:31.9	with the motto, Skate scapegoats against scapegoating.
0:36.3	The image shows three radical doubles from different periods of American history,
0:42.1	joining hands the way our show hopes we all can, united in rag tag solidarity.
0:49.0	We got t-shirts, baseball teas, tote bags, all available now at American hysteria.com slash
0:55.8	merch, shipping out in early January. We have limited stocks so make sure you head
1:01.2	to American hysteria.com slash merge today.
1:07.0	On this podcast we explore fantastical thinking, moral panics, urban legends, conspiracy theories,
1:17.6	hoaxes, and crazes, examine the forces that shape our culture and tell the stories that create the realities
1:26.4	we share and sometimes the realities we don't. I'm your host, Chelsea Weber Smith, and this is American hysteria.
1:38.0	See monkeys, the amazing instant pets for the whole family.
1:42.0	In just 24 hours you can actually hatch your own sea-scamp circus.
1:48.0	They're alive. They're off on the amazing live sea monkey ski trials.
1:52.0	Hey, these are brine shrimp.
1:53.0	I used to feed them to my fish.
1:55.0	I got ripped off! While making this episode I asked my mom if I had ever had sea monkeys as a kid,
	...

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