{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplestuff.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fdan-and-michael-get-spooked-3jdxhBcj","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Dan and Michael Get Spooked: The Anthropology of Fear and Other Modern Hauntings","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/887a42bc-152e-4154-bfd4-f4262527b1a3/860ce116-6e3d-4e63-8ded-6b60279394f3/people-20stuff-20jpg.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael sink their teeth into the strange and the spooky — from vampire lifestyles and Nazi fanboys to the mysterious Jersey Devil lurking in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.\n\nThey start with a “What Fresh Hell” segment exploring the surprising backlash against empathy, before diving into three listener questions that veer from the undead to the unhinged:\n\nHigh Stakes: A listener obsessed with vampires wonders — is it normal to want to become one? Dan and Michael dissect the anthropology of the night, from bloodlust to cultural obsession.\n\nI Did Not See That Coming: A young soldier asks why people are still drawn to Nazis. The hosts unpack fascism’s dark appeal, drawing on anthropology and history to explain why extremist movements persist.\n\nDevil Got My Tongue: A park ranger in the Pine Barrens asks about the persistence of monsters like the Jersey Devil. Dan and Michael debate whether monsters serve as scapegoats or companions to human loneliness.\n\nAlong the way, the duo “fix” America’s public lands, roast Peter Thiel (again), and end with an ad from this week’s totally legitimate sponsor: Fairy Circles™ — for parties that last forever."}