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Podcasts for Aggies - AGCJ366
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The Believable and the BS – Pilot: El Cucuy

21Nov

https://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/agcj366/wp-content/uploads/sites/118/2019/11/TheBB-ElCucuy.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome to the Believable and the Bull$#!%. Together, Justin and Ben research local urban legends and see if they can stand up to the scrutiny of two less than qualified podcasters.

In our pilot episode we tell the tale of a monster that preys on children in Latin culture.

The urban legend originated in Portugal and Galicia with its name deriving from the Portuguese word côco, which means “coconut.” The term is used as a colloquialism to refer to a human head or skull. In the legend, parents call upon the Cucuy/Coco/Cuco to discourage their children from misbehaving. The legend is usually told as a bedtime story or a lullaby to scare children into obeying their parents. The legend doesn’t focus on how the Cucuy looks, but instead on what it does to the children. In most versions of the story it is a child eater and kidnapper. It devours the child, leaving no trace, or it spirits the child away to an unknown realm from which they cannot return. The monster is constantly on the lookout for disobedient children, often perching itself on top of roofs. It is often portrayed as the opposite of a guardian angel in most versions.

In this episode, we take a look at the many mysteries surrounding this tale, while also mentioning the many legends that share similarities with this story. The episode also features interviews from those who grew up hearing the story, and we see how this effected their behavior as children.

Check out our other episode!

The Believable and the BS – The Lady of White Rock Lake

21Nov

https://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/agcj366/wp-content/uploads/sites/118/2019/11/TheBB2-LadyofWhiteRock.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome to the Believable and the Bull$#!%. Together, Justin and Ben research local urban legends and see if they can stand up to the scrutiny of two less than qualified podcasters.

In our second episode, we dive into an urban legend that comes from the depths of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.

The legend first surfaced back in 1943 in Anne Clark’s “The Ghost of White Rock Lake.” In this account, a young couple is parked on the shore of the lake when a woman dressed in white knocks on their car door. She appears to be soaking wet and tells them that her boat was overturned and that she needs to get home immediately. The couple agrees to take her home, and she give them an address in Oak Cliff. After a few minutes of driving, the couple turned around to ask for directions, only to find the girl in their back seat gone. The only thing left was a small puddle of water in the seat. When they arrived at the address, they met an old man to whom they told their story to. After they we finished, he told the couple that the lady they had picked up was his daughter who drowned in the lake three weeks ago. He also told them that they were the third couple to come to his house and tell him that exact story.

Many versions of this story have surfaced over the year with different details and characters, but the plot of the story remains the same. In this episode, we take a look at the similarities of the multiple versions of the story and analyze if the story still holds up today. We also take a look at similar incidents at White Rock Lake that could correlate with the urban legend.

Check out our other episode!

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