Welcome to our Podcast

Hi there, and welcome to Lexicon's Unbound. I'm Melanie.

And I'm Molly and we are, well, two people who can't stop talking about folklore, apparently.
Exactly. This podcast is something we've been talking about and dreaming about for almost a year now, and we're so glad you found it. We wanted to kick things off with a little hello just to let you know who we are, what this podcast is about, and why we care so much about old stories showing up in modern places. So quick intro. I'm an assistant professor and researcher and my background is in communication with specializations in performance, pedagogy, which is teaching, and cultural studies. I enjoy studying the way people use storytelling to shape who they are and have for a while now. and I'm a writer, performer, and an adjunct assistant professor with a long history in theater, communication, storytelling, and what I like to call digital folklore translation. I've created shows in theme parks and on cruise lines and all sorts of strange little corners in the internet. I am truly a lifelong story-junkie.

We met through our university work and for the past couple of years, we've co-chaired a professional learning community focused on storytelling. We just click, same brain, different spice blends.

Yep. We kept having these conversations where we'd say, wait a minute, that's folklore about things like TikTok trends and meme cycles, urban legends, or even workplace rituals.

And we realized folklore is alive. It's happening in real time. We're remixing it, retelling it, reshaping it. Every time we repost or stitch a video or tell a friend, you won't believe what I heard.

So this podcast is our space to explore that. We want to ask, what are the old patterns hidden in the stories we're telling now? what do viral posts and fairy tales have in common? And why do some stories stick and others fade?

Each full episode, we'll dig into one of those big juicy questions. Our first one, for example, is about the viral Man vs. Bear debate and what it reveals about gender, folklore, and survival instincts.

And sometimes we'll have shorter mini-episodes, just quick folklore reflections or answer listener comments or questions or just talk about weird things that grabbed our attention that week.

You can expect a mix of academic insight, pop culture moments, and a lot of curiosity. It's not a lecture. It's a conversation, a little digital campfire.

Yeah, this show is for the curious. This show is for the curious. Look, if you've ever stayed up too late wandering down a rabbit hole on the internet, or you secretly love origin stories, or you're that friend who says, actually, did you know you are in the right place?

It's for lifelong learners, folklore nerds, meme scholars, educators, or just people who love a good weird story. You don't need a folklore degree to listen. You just need a spark of curiosity.

So welcome. We are so excited to have you here. We hope you'll subscribe, stick around, and maybe even tell your friends about that one podcast where those two crazy women sit around unpacking viral fairy tales.

You can find us on Facebook, Blue Sky, Pinterest, and at our website, www.podpage.com slash lexicons dash unbound, where we post transcripts, links, and weird little extras.

Really, we're so glad you're here.

and we cannot wait to explore these stories with you.