Show notes
Choose wisely: trick or treat? Starting in the late 1800s, the spooky and goofy version of Halloween we know today became a time of ruckus and sometimes dangerous pranks by kids and teenagers that caused widespread property damage and bodily harm. For this episode, Halloween correspondent Chelsey Weber-Smith joins Sarah to take a look at old newspaper articles detailing these pranks, and the reactions they elicited until the adults of the mid-20th century finally took control back from the youth, trying their best to soften the annual Purge-esque mayhem. Digressions include how to eat a cactus (and why), the killer clown panic, and the horror of midnight margaritas.More Chelsey Weber-Smith:Listen to American HysteriaFollow on InstagramOriginal music in this episode brought to you by Magpie Cinema ClubProduced + edited by Miranda ZicklerMore You're Wrong About:Bonus Episodes on PatreonBuy cute merchYWA on InstagramLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices