The VoxPopcast

Happy Halloween! As has been our tradition, we wanted to make sure we marked the season with a special episode or two highlighting the concepts of horror. On today’s episode, Mav, Wayne and Monica are joined by friend of the show and Director of University of California at Santa Cruz’s Center for Monster Studies, Michael Chemers to talk all about the spooky and unsettling narrative and cultural possibilities of creepy dolls. From Chucky to Annabelle to M3gan, as well as real life examples we discuss why focusing on why these childhood toys can be so terrifying. We explore various elements such as Freud’s psychological concept of ‘The Uncanny,’ the cultural significance of toys in childhood, and their role in horror storytelling examining their psychological impact and cultural implications. The episode also touches on broader themes of human centrality, autonomy, and body horror, highlighting how dolls and toys serve as symbols in both therapeutic settings and horror narratives. It’s a packed show this week, so listen and let us know what you think in the comments.

Citations and Links:

* Order Michael’s new book, The Figure of the Monster in Global Theater

* Listen to his podcast, The Show Where They Talk About Monsters

* Thank you to Maximilian’s thoughtForm Music for our theme

* Follow Mav on Twitter: @chrismaverick

* Follow Monica on Instagram: @monicamarvelous

* Follow Wayne on Instagram: @tetroc2017

* Follow us on Twitter: @voxpopcast

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