Ep 22 Satanic Panic of 90s! Book Bans, Ouija Boards, and Mansons OH MY!

07/30/24 • 90 min

Today is the day Ashley and Liz take the deep dive. You know us, we’re usually Sparknotes gals... but in order to paint the entire Satanic Panic picture we have to take you back to where it all began...so we did the research!

What exactly started our parent’s obsession with the occult, ultimately resulting in them banning us from reading Harry Potter? Was it Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and the Zodiac Killer? Or could it have been razor blades in Halloween candy, ouija boards and the Tylenol murders?

What we discovered is that it was all of the above with a twist of Satanic Rituals, modern day witch trials, and fundamentalist Christian churches pushing their agendas. The extra fun part? We found out we were living in the EPICENTER of satanic panic in the 80’s: Kern County, California!!

We even get into the most banned books of the 90’s and early 2000’s, and why they were requested to be banned. But don’t worry, it’s not all fire and brimstone. We’ve got a faves and fails involving a bright red Dodge Charger and the new Twisters movie! And a smash or pass with a charismatic villain and some Targaryens.

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Ashley

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Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: “The Right Way Isn’t The Only Way” Fourth Wing Sweater from @TheBeanWorkshop (use our affiliate code “BOOKBESTIES10”) | * https://www.thebeanworkshop.store/BOOKBESTIES10

Liz is wearing: The “Expensive ” tee from @darkanddisturbedshop (use our affiliate code “VEGAN10”) | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/expensive-tee?_pos=2&_sid=a2829adfd&_ss=r

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References:

https://www.vox.com/culture/22358153/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-conspiracy-theories-explained

https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2009

https://bannedbooks.library.cmu.edu/j-k-rowling-the-harry-potter-series/

https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy

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Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!!

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms

@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Liz

Instagram | TikTok

@TheRealLifeVeganWife

Ashley

Instagram | TikTok

@AshleyEllix

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!

https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: “The Right Way Isn’t The Only Way” Fourth Wing Sweater from @TheBeanWorkshop (use our affiliate code “BOOKBESTIES10”) | * https://www.thebeanworkshop.store/BOOKBESTIES10

Liz is wearing: The “Expensive ” tee from @darkanddisturbedshop (use our affiliate code “VEGAN10”) | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/expensive-tee?_pos=2&_sid=a2829adfd&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

References:

https://www.vox.com/culture/22358153/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-conspiracy-theories-explained

https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2009

https://bannedbooks.library.cmu.edu/j-k-rowling-the-harry-potter-series/

https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy

Previous Episode

Ep 21 Should YOU Read "A Touch of Gold and Madness"? | BOOK TROPE UPDATE

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Believe it or not, we’re on our FOURTH installment in our Book Trope Series! Today is all about the book Ashley picked for Liz based on her top five favorite book tropes, and book boyfriend qualities: A Touch of Gold & Madness by K. L. Devore.

Did this book cover all of Liz’s bases? Like a morally grey MMC, mutually healing trauma, and enemies to lovers? Or did we uncover “icks” that Liz didn’t even know she had... that involve dancing and musical instruments?

Listen on to find out why both of us are giving this book 4 stars, and as usual, you can look forward to a faves and fails “adulting” edition, some deep questions about crows, and a smash or pass with two beloved flying characters.

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!!

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@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Liz

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Ashley

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@AshleyEllix

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!

https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: “Max’s Garden T-Shirt” from @thebeanworkshop Use code: BOOKBESTIES10 to save! https://thebeanworkshop.store/products/maxs-garden-t-shirt?_pos=3&_psq=max&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Liz is wearing: “This Barbie Reads Smut” tee from @shopsecondbreakfast. https://secondbreakfast.shop/products/this-barbie-reads-smut?_pos=1&_sid=df0ecebce&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

Next Episode

Ep 23 Reacting to YOUR Unpopular Book Opinions!

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This episode is exactly what it sounds like! After our last “unpopular opinions” episode, you all sent us your most unpopular bookish opinions so Ashley and Liz can react to them. And we sure had a blast!

We start off with some easy ones like: do you dog ear your pages or satisfyingly crack those book spines? Then we move into some more polarizing unpopular opinions about House of Flame & Shadow, H.D. Carlton, and a new popular book about serial killers!

Do you like miscommunication? Why is hockey romance a thing? Should fantasy books have technology? And how about this: should spoilers be allowed? Period.

We cover faves and fails with a fun concert surprise and Liz’s husband eating... in general. And then wrsp things up with a smash or pass involving a hot dad and a candlestick. (... but not like that... get your minds out of the gutter...)
Our Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Unpopular opinions | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgPOs2Iq6HE&t=400s
House of Flame and Shadow Deep Dive | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI1Gsgv4HXc
Book Tropes that give us the ICK | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ErquzpEcc
Indie Author ShoutOut @Kara Reynolds and her book Priestess! | https://www.instagram.com/karaneedstoread?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!!

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms

@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Liz

Instagram | TikTok

@TheRealLifeVeganWife

Ashley

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@AshleyEllix

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!

https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: “Crescent City Athalars Gym” Tank from @LionHeartThreads | Use Code LIZ15 to save! https://www.etsy.com/shop/lionheartthreads/?etsrc=sdt&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabKk8KN8gHlhs_Q7nJHr0v64XQCMGOlAriCVJr3QuKhS7gxcRyxAs4YIG8_aem_zULoML4IPxqB3EhcfKYyCA

Liz is wearing: “I like my fictional men tall, dark, and stabby” crewneck from @readbyerin_ | https://shopreadbyerin.com/password

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!