Episode 266 – Jon Michael Visits, Plus Corporate Lore and Legends!

November 7, 2025

Episode Summary:

Celestia is fresh from the Very Vegas SkeptiCamp, and a week earlier Jon Michael presented at the West Virginia SkeptiCamp, so he visits to compare notes and then chat about will o’ the wisps, RFK’s “walkback” on Tylenol, J.D. Vance speculating on UFOs being supernatural, and the resurgence of the Welfare Queen boogeyman. For our main segment, Ben and Celestia take a tour of legends involving brands, corporations and products. Anyone in marketing will appreciate the merging of folklore, commercial design and crisis communication all these stories bring to light. From Tootsie Pop contests to the allegedly Satanic imagery in the Proctor & Gamble logo, there’s a lot to dig into. Did a Coke “magic can” kill someone? Did Pepsi have to give some teenager a military jet? Are secret symbols stamped into Oreo cookies, turning these delicious dunkers into a devilish communion wafer? And what was the real origin story behind Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer?

Click each image to enlarge.

StS Episode 190: Vile Vans and Sinister Sedans: Vehicular Vernacular in Folklore-A

StS Episode 190: Vile Vans and Sinister Sedans: Vehicular Vernacular in Folklore-E

StS Episode 190: Vile Vans and Sinister Sedans: Vehicular Vernacular in Folklore-D

StS Episode 190: Vile Vans and Sinister Sedans: Vehicular Vernacular in Folklore-C

StS Episode 190: Vile Vans and Sinister Sedans: Vehicular Vernacular in Folklore-B

autism, brands, Coke, contests, corporate, folklore, Jon Michael, legends, logos, lore, Magic cans, Oreos, Pepsi, Proctor & Gamble, Reindeer, RFK, RFK Jr., Rudolph, satanic, Skepticamp, symbols, Tootsie Pop, Tylenol, UAPs, UFO, UFOs, urban legends, Vance, Very Vegas Skepticamp, Welfare Queen, Will o' the wisp

Episode 267 – Billionaire Boogeymen with Brian Dunning

Episode 265 – The Alleged Ghosts of the Territorial House, with Cody Polston

Standard disclaimer: All show transcripts—yes, including this one—was AI-generated and skimmed by at least two busy and fallible humans. They offer an overview of the show but you’ll find occasional typos and glitches and therefore should not be assumed to be accurate or verbatim. Readers who wish to quote anything here for any reason are encouraged to check it against the original audio at the time stamps provided. Thanks.