Summary of "Go inside the tangled web of the Satanic Panic from Jaws to Patrick Swayze"
Podcast: Front Burner (CBC)
Feature: The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall
Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Jayme Poisson
Special Guest Host: Sarah Marshall
Episode Overview
This episode of “Front Burner” features the premiere of Sarah Marshall's new podcast, “The Devil You Know.” Marshall, acclaimed for “You’re Wrong About,” unpacks the legacy of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s. This first episode follows the story of photographer “Diane” in rural Kentucky, examining how small-town rumors and widespread media-fueled fears about Satanic cults spiraled into personal chaos and mass hysteria. It skillfully weaves personal testimony, clips from news reports, expert analysis, and pop culture references to show how collective anxieties found scapegoats in everyday people and events, with sometimes life-altering consequences.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Introduction to the Satanic Panic
- Widespread Hysteria: The Satanic Panic—a period when rumors of Satanic cults and rituals embedded within communities sparked national panic—is introduced as both a broad cultural phenomenon and an intensely personal experience.
- Sarah Marshall’s Mission: Marshall emphasizes the importance of examining individual stories to understand the true human impact behind the headlines.
"The grand sweep of the narrative turns it into something that happened to a country or a culture. But that also means it happened to individuals, and each of them saw something a little different."
—Sarah Marshall [04:18]
Diane’s Story: The Microcosm of Hysteria
Arrival and Community Reception
- Diane, an artist and photographer, arrives in rural Kentucky as part of an arts grant, teaching photography to local kids and quickly embraced by the community.
- Her workshops are popular and lead to warm interactions, evidence of initial community openness.
Sudden Shunning and Threat
- After a seemingly normal planning meeting, Diane is abruptly warned by a local art teacher and later by a friend to leave town immediately, with alarming implications of physical danger.
- Unbeknownst to Diane, a sheriff is searching for her, fueled by escalating rumors.
"I couldn't drive fast enough. I just couldn't put the miles between me and that place fast enough. I didn't know if I'd end up in a jail or if I would end up, you know, thrown in a cave."
—Diane [03:13]
Rumor Escalation
- Diane learns she is suspected of photographing children for Satanic ritual purposes, as the town succumbs to rumors involving virgin sacrifice and grave robbing.
- Media outlets, including People magazine, begin calling her for comment on the bizarre accusations.
Reflection and Aftermath
- Diane feels the panic’s aftermath for years, struggling with the anxiety and disbelief that such events could unfold so rapidly.
"I was still trying to process what happened and why, but yeah, that's when I found out what I was being accused of..."
—Diane [25:24]
The National Context: How Panic Took Hold
Media Amplification
- Audio from news clips and talk shows (e.g., “People Are Talking,” Oprah, “20/20”) reveals how mainstream media cultivated and legitimized the notion of Satanic threats lurking everywhere [06:54–07:48].
- Popular films like “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) and “The Exorcist” (1973) are cited as points of cultural reference and catalysts for imagination run wild.
Pop Culture’s Role
"But it's hard to know if Satan would have become quite the American obsession he was if he hadn't also been such big business."
—Sarah Marshall [08:53]
Social Upheaval and Moral Anxiety
- Interview with sociologist Mary DeYoung highlights how the Panic arose from anxieties about the changing family structure, economic uncertainty, and a desire to enforce “old moral lines.”
"We also were dealing with the consequences of a recession. We had more and more women going to work... You had a lot of social commentators... about so called latchkey children."
—Mary DeYoung [10:49]
- The Panic is shown as a largely white, middle-class concern, yet victims of the accusations are often marginalized or lack resources to defend themselves.
"The weight of false accusations fell most heavily, as always, on those without the money or the power to crawl out from under them."
—Sarah Marshall [12:15]
Institutional Spread
- "Experts" on cults and ritual abuse proliferated, training legions of social workers, police, and therapists to recognize “occult” activity, reinforcing and professionalizing suspicion [13:47].
- In Kentucky, hundreds of police officers attended special training seminars on Satanic ritual abuse [15:40].
Manifestations in Kentucky
- Absurd rumors (e.g., that Satanists planned to target blonde, blue-eyed children) led to mass absences from schools (450 children kept home in one community) [14:36].
- Law enforcement frequently investigated and debunked these stories, but suspicion endured [18:09].
The Case of the Black Dresses and Patrick Swayze
Hollywood Collides with Hysteria
- The filming of “Next of Kin” (starring Patrick Swayze, filmed in Hazard, KY) becomes entangled in the Panic.
- Locals buy twenty black dresses for a funeral scene, which residents interpret as evidence of Satanic ritual preparation [34:11].
- An Associated Press article documents how movie production needs were mistaken for occult practices.
"Authorities later learned the dresses were sewn together for use in movie lighting during the filming of Next of Kin... A dispatcher said people believed Satan worshippers were looking for virgin girls and blonde blue eyed children to sacrifice to the devil."
—Producer Mary quoting newspaper [34:37]
- Patrick Balch, a local boy cast as an extra, describes the rumor mill in Hazard and denies any such activities:
"That's Hazard for you. ... If you came in and bought black eyeliner and a black dress, they'd say he's a Satan worshiper, you know... No, there wasn't no Satanist around. Patrick Swayze definitely was the Satanist and Lynn Neeson wasn't a Satanist. And I seen no evidence of any Satan worship or anything like that."
—Patrick Balch [35:55]
Broader Themes and Analysis
- The episode draws parallels to modern conspiracy thinking (e.g., QAnon), noting the persistence and adaptability of moral panics.
- Sarah Marshall locates the roots of these phenomena in community anxieties, desire for simple explanations, and the danger of misunderstanding the unfamiliar.
- The narrative underscores the damage caused when communities are “primed” to look for threats in every deviation from the norm.
"This is a scary story because it hasn't gone away. ... There's no panic without the people panicking."
—Sarah Marshall [37:40]
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
- “I arrived in the town hopeful and optimistic, ready to, like, work hard and do good work. … When I left, I couldn’t drive fast enough.” —Diane [03:13]
- “Rumors of devil worship have spread like wildfire … Satan worshippers are looking for blonde blue eyed children to kill in a sacrifice to the devil.” —News Reporter [17:25]
- “When the devil is hard to find, you can always just blame Patrick Swayze.” —Sarah Marshall [36:51]
- “I'm interested in the voices of the individuals … Some of them are like Diane, they never thought it could happen to them.” —Sarah Marshall [39:00]
Timeline & Timestamps
- 00:37: Introduction by Jayme Poisson, set-up for “The Devil You Know.”
- 01:25–04:18: Diane’s initial Kentucky experience, growing friendliness.
- 04:18–05:35: Diane’s abrupt warning and the sudden threat.
- 06:41–09:21: News and film clips contextualize the national panic.
- 10:09–15:40: Sociologist Mary DeYoung explains societal roots and spread.
- 17:25–18:25: News reports cover Kentucky rumors and school absences.
- 22:11–25:05: Diane’s story climax—her expulsion and how rumors took hold.
- 29:23: Marshall draws modern parallels; Diane questions why she was targeted.
- 30:43–36:51: Patrick Balch, “Next of Kin” filming, rumors about black dresses.
- 37:40–End: Sarah Marshall reflects on the cyclical nature of moral panics, closing thoughts.
Tone and Language
Sarah Marshall’s tone is empathetic, thoughtful, laced with wry humor and cultural references. The episode’s guests and interviewees share in a mix of bewilderment, nostalgia, and a sober awareness of the dangers of groupthink and rumor. The language stays conversational but grounded in journalistic rigor and a clear-eyed look at the consequences of unchecked suspicion.
Conclusion
This episode uses Diane’s story to make the abstract threat of the Satanic Panic tangible. By weaving expert commentary, personal narratives, news audio, and even pop culture trivia, Sarah Marshall demonstrates that mass panics are lived—often devastatingly—by real people, and warns that the same mechanisms of fear and rumor-mongering remain all too familiar today.
Recommended For: Listeners interested in true crime, social psychology, cultural history, and the dangers of collective hysteria.