This week I interviewed: @tsfuthepodcast:

1. Tell me a little about yourself. 

● AR: I’m Ashley Richards, the creator and host of That’s So F*cked Up. I grew up in the great states of Hawaii and California but live an hour outside of Denver, Colorado now. The first thing that got me fascinated with f*cked up things was a documentary called Jesus Camp that I saw when she was 12, about an evangelical summer camp that looks like an absolute nightmare for the kids in attendance. My love of the macabre grew from there and my gateway podcast was the first season of Serial! I’ve had my fair share of struggles with addiction and mental health and am passionate about being open about these things on the show to spread awareness around how common these issues are and to help reduce stigma. In addition to podcasting, and weird, morbid things, I love singing loudly, ice cream, tv and general shenanigans. 

● MM: And I’m Michelle Mosher, the co-host of That’s So F*cked Up. I grew up in a small town in Michigan, but moved to Denver, Colorado five years ago and I still live there now. I got into true crime when a friend of mine told me about another true crime podcast, My Favorite Murder, and I was immediately obsessed. My podcast listening has been filled with true crime ever since. In addition to consuming true crime, I’ve also been a part of three cults/culty organizations! Outside of my love of true crime, I’m also a big fan of live music, especially early 2000s emo and pop punk, and outdoor activities like hiking and snowboarding! 

2. How did you come up with your podcast name? Can you tell us a little about the podcast? 

● AR: I cuss like a sailor and would constantly find myself saying “that’s so f*cked up” when I’d be watching, listening to or reading things about crime and other jaw dropping atrocities. Cults, shark attacks, hazing, aliens, murder, festivals gone wrong, natural disasters, Ye… I wanted us to be able to talk about whatever we felt like, so “that’s so f*cked up” seemed fitting. Our goal is always to be as respectful to victims and their stories as possible, while using humor as a way to help us cope with all of the horror, and allow us to tell these important stories. 

3. What are your top 3 favorite topics you have done on the podcast and why? ● AR: Wow, that’s a hard one! I guess Michelle and I will each pick two. One of my favorite episodes ever is “episode 48- Mystery Island: Metal Dentures, Mayhem and Murder”. A Nietzsche obsessed, metal denture sharing, German couple, move to a barren island in the Galapagos to get away from society but are followed by a German family of four, and a gunslinging, self-proclaimed Austrian Baroness, accompanied by her two adoring lovers/servants who, at her behest, battled daily for her affection. Everyone hated each other and madness ensued. The story is stranger than fiction, like you could not make that shit up, which is why it makes it one of my favorite stories of all time! I’d have to say second on the list is from our new Patreon exclusive series Ash and Michelle Do the Bible, which I’m crazy excited about! Recently Michelle told me about the Garden of Eden and I have to say that having no knowledge of the Bible whatsoever, it’s insanely fun hearing it come from Michelle. That first episode is available on our regular feed as a sneak peek!

● MM: I fell in love with mountaineering stories a couple years ago! So episodes 115 and 116 “Catastrophe: The 1996 Mount Everest Disaster” are very dear to my heart. The way people will push their limits to achieve new things is so fascinating, and seeing how Mother Nature can just take control is crazy! At the end of the day, we can try to control everything and still run into unforeseen circumstances. This story is such a crazy tale of people doing what they think was the right thing, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it goes horribly wrong. Next would definitely be “episode 104- Brotherhood: The Dark Side of Greek Life and the Death of Collin Wiant”. After being in a sorority and not realizing how f*cked up the Greek experience is, I got the chance to really examine it and why it’s so problematic from the core. I had an overall positive experience, but it’s such a slippery slope, and seeing the f*cked up side of it was so eye opening to something I was so buried in! 

4. Can you talk a little about your merch? Who comes up with the logos and catchphrases on them? 

● AR: We definitely sport our merch the most and would love for that to change because we have some really dope designs, if I don’t say so myself! I’ve designed all of the merch, but we definitely have more ideas and catch phrases that we’d love to get on some new stuff in the near future. 

● MM: And listeners are great because they’ll often remind us about funny little quotes or catch phrases that we could use for the future! 

5. Do you have any upcoming news or events that you would like to share? ● AR: Well That’s So F*cked Up Presents and ‘Binge or Bust?’ have been my little project babies for the last six months and I’m super stoked to be seeing those go so well! In That’s So F*cked Up Presents each season I work with one or multiple new co-hosts, and with Michelle sometimes too, and we focus on a particular topic, place or single story over the course of a month. So far we’ve done Colorado Carnage, New York Noir, Gruesome Gals and Feisty Festivals, and it’s been so much fun! With ‘Binge or Bust?’ I get the pleasure of writing down what I’m seeing in a doc, so Michelle and others who aren’t big on documentaries don’t have to watch them, but can find out what happened, and honestly that’s just a dream for me. We’re also looking at going to some conventions in the new year and are coming out with a true crime expansion pack from Hexaquest The Strategic Trivia Game. I’ll also be in a documentary on Tubi later in the year, so we’re really excited for what 2023 has to hold! 

● MM: We’re also just getting into our Ash and Michelle Do the Bible series, and I’ve had a blast working on that with one of our research assistants, so I’m stoked to continue with that, and like Ash said, just for what this year has in store! 

if you would like more information. The following contact information is below:

Website: https://tsfuthepodcast.com/

Instagram: @tsfuthepodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tsfuthepodcast/

Email: tsfuthepodcast@gmail.com

Patreon: patreon.com/tsfu