4 chapters across the catalog
The hosts examine the 1962 laughter epidemic in Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania), where schoolgirls suffered from uncontrollable laughter for weeks, leading to the closure of 14 schools. The discussion links this historical case of mass hysteria to modern instances, such as reported neurological side effects among high school students following the deployment of the Gardasil HPV vaccine in upstate New York.
A 1939 case in a Louisiana school involved female students developing uncontrollable muscle twitches, starting with a single girl at a dance. The "disease" spread through the student body until investigators concluded the symptoms were a result of mass hysteria and attention-seeking behavior. The hosts use this to illustrate how non-viral symptoms can be transmitted through social observation.
The Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg, France, saw 400 people dance uncontrollably for a month, with many dying from strokes and exhaustion. While some theories suggest spider bites or ergot poisoning, it is widely cited as a primary example of mass hysteria. The hosts argue that modern mass communication acts as a force multiplier for these types of collective delusions, allowing "symptoms" to spread faster than in the 16th century.
Media coverage is criticized for prioritizing political "gotchas" over life-saving information, leading to public desperation such as people wearing trash bags for protection. Clips from Dr. Drew Pinsky and Dr. Oz emphasize that while the virus is serious for the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, mass hysteria is causing a counterproductive run on medical masks. Dr. Drew highlights that the panic is interrupting supply lines for essential medications.
