Due in part to social media and the ever-present specter of internet clout that comes with it, Salem, Massachusetts has become something of a hotspot. Well, a hotspot for tourists, but a complete nightmare for the residents of this small New England town. It turns out, Salem – despite what you might think of it and its connection to the history of witchcraft in the United States – is not a Halloween Disney World, and while there are always people making the trek out there to get a dose of history and take a few pictures, this year has been…
Author: Steve DiMatteo
Steve DiMatteo
Steve is the editor of America Is Weird and finds just about everything in the United States to be extremely strange. He's written for the Associated Press, MLB.com, Sports on Earth (RIP), and many other publications over the course of his career.
The concept of a religious parent being concerned about unleashing hell on their children through media is certainly nothing new. But it is always fun when a new story like this rears its head. We probably should have figured it would pop up as Hocus Pocus 2 was released on Disney+, and sure enough, a Texas woman named Jamie Gooch came through in the clutch. In a Facebook post that went viral and quickly went private for obvious reasons, Gooch explained that exposing our children to Hocus Pocus 2 had the potential unintended consequence of making families “fall victim to…
Candy corn certainly seems to be the most divisive Halloween candy of all – you either love it, eating it by the handful every October, or you hate it more than anything on the planet. There is no in-between on this one. Candy corn lovers are staunch defenders of the candy, steadfast in their undying support for this colorful but maligned candy, so much so that I don’t even think learning the ingredients will change one’s mind. But let’s see – if you knew candy corn was made of animal bones and bug secretions, would that change anything for you?…
Bobbleheads are a staple of American collecting culture. Baseball teams give them out to fans each and every season, we get bobbleheads of presidential candidates, and you can even get yourself custom made into bobblehead form. We’ve got a Bobblehead Hall of Fame, too, which really only makes sense at this point. So it’s a big thing to get some world-record-breaking news when it comes to our beloved bobbleheads. The New Home of the Biggest Bobblehead in the World Now, if you’re a fan of bargain hunting, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, a chain of…
Home run balls are all the rage again, what with St. Louis’ Albert Pujols hitting his 700th home run and Aaron Judge crossing the 60-homer mark with the Yankees. This of course also resurfaces the age-old debate over what someone should do with such a memorable home run ball should they catch it. In most cases, fans hold out for at least some autographed memorabilia from the team and/or player who hit the milestone homer. In Judge’s case, the fan got some signed baseballs and an autographed bat in exchange for the ball. The person who caught Pujols’ ball left…
What kind of country are we becoming when we can’t even take a raccoon into a bar with us? In addition to all of the other things going on in the world today, now you’ll have to worry about where you can take your raccoon, as a situation in Maddock, North Dakota – a town of about 500 people just 85 miles from the Canadian border – has made national headlines. Health officials issued a warning about probable rabies exposure to anybody who had contact after a lady entered a bar in North Dakota carrying a raccoon. Even after she…
Pigs are considered the fifth-most intelligent animal on the planet, ahead of dogs and even three-year-old children. They are gentle, sensitive creatures, and in the state of Iowa, they are on the cusp of a veritable pigtopia, so long as these wonderful animals don’t mind getting a little payback by spilling some human blood. Right now, pigs in Iowa outnumber humans in the state by a shocking ratio of more than seven to one. As recently as June of 2022, there were 23 million hogs and pigs on Iowa farms, and while that number will always fluctuate to some degree,…
The United States is no stranger to bizarre laws, and West Virginia is right there in the mix. Did you know that it’s illegal to flirt with a fireman in the state? Or, in Nicholas County, for a clergy member to tell a joke during a service? And don’t you dare think about making fun of someone for turning down your proposal to duel. The list goes on, but one that really stands out for its absurdity is this: It is illegal to whistle underwater in the state of West Virginia. Which begs the question… why? There is no shortage…
RoboCop Statue Update: It looks like the RoboCop statue could soon find its permanent home. Towards the end of 2022, it was reported that a deal was being reached that would make Detroit’s Eastern Market the final destination for this cultural landmark. The Eastern Market is run by a nonprofit that manages the market, but the area itself has been home to a wide variety of vendors, restaurants, businesses, art and culture for more than 150 years. It sounds like the perfect home for the RoboCop statue. — RoboCop is a Detroit hero and an American icon, and it’s a…
According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American eats about four gallons of ice cream per year. And with July being National Ice Cream Month, the IDFA implores Americans everywhere to double that annual consumption during the month, no matter the cost to both your health and wallet. Okay, so the IDFA didn’t really say that, but I imagine the organization would want to if it could. And yes, there really is a National Ice Cream Month, along with a National Ice Cream Day to boot. The History of National Ice Cream Month The month-long holiday dates back…