Radio Rental – Episode 91 (October 10, 2025)

Overview

This chilling episode of Radio Rental dives deep into two unsettling true stories: a zoology professor’s terrifying encounter at a university’s haunted science building, and a group of friends’ confrontation with something otherworldly in a “fixer-upper” rental home. Hosted by the quirky, astrologically-inclined Ricky Lee (Jeff Foxworthy), the episode balances its horror with humor and 80s nostalgia, all set within the fictional, cult-favorite Radio Rental video store.

Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Ricky Lee Returns to Radio Rental (01:25–04:16)

• Tone Setting: Ricky Lee, the new, debt-ridden store proprietor, humorously laments the state of the Radio Rental shop and his “divine” astrological gifts.
• Notable Quote:
  “Kind of cheapens what is ultimately a divine gift from the starry heavens.” (Ricky Lee, 01:54)
• Setting the Stage: He introduces two VHS “videos” (stories) for the spooky season, teasing their mind-bending and frightening nature.

2. Story 1: The Woman in Red – Haunted Science Building (04:16–15:54)

The Setup

• Narrator: A zoology professor describes her new role at a small university and her fascination with its impressive collection of wet and taxidermied specimens.
• Atmosphere:
  The aging science building is described in chilling, Cold War-era tones—dark hallways, stone floors, minimal maintenance, echoing and shabby, especially unsettling after dark.

The Encounter

• Late-Night Work: The storyteller often stays late, alone, working next to a secure wet lab full of specimen jars and ethanol.
• The Sighting:
  One night, just before midnight, she swings the steel lab door open and nearly collides with a woman in a vivid red sweater—solid, corporeal, seen head-on.
  “I saw this woman, like she was corporeal… She was my height, average build, middle age.” (Storyteller, 08:59)
• Vanished:
  Turning to apologize, she finds the hallway empty. “I was stunned. I thought that I was starting to hallucinate people.” (09:36)

Chilling Revelations

• Colleague’s Reaction: The following morning, a fellow professor isn’t surprised.
  • “Oh, that doesn’t surprise me. Your wet lab is right across the hallway from the old cadaver lab.” (Colleague, 10:33)
• History of the Hallway: The old cadaver lab was across from the wet lab; all cadavers for study were wheeled directly past her door.
• Paranormal Activity:
  Over the next months, she hears phantom shuffling in hallways, faucets turning on with no one inside, and encounters the old, now unused morgue cabinets:
  “Seeing those cabinets actually did unsettle me. I never went back in that space after that.” (Storyteller, 13:35)

Reflection on Science and Mystery

• The storyteller, a scientist, acknowledges the difference between empirical evidence and the mounting anecdotal stories she’s heard.
• “The fact that this cannot be falsified doesn’t mean that it’s not real… Anecdotal evidence piles up. It’s hard to discount.” (Storyteller, 15:29)

Ricky Lee’s Reaction (15:54):
“That one made the hair on my hair stand up. Labs are creepy as hell, y’all.”

3. Ricky Lee Segment – Astrological Interlude (17:48–19:31)

• Comic Relief: Ricky Lee gives a roasting “forecast” to Pisces, urging them to stop pining after celebrities and get out into the real world.
• Notable Quote:
  “Pick yourself up and get out into the real world and meet some real dang people. There, I said it. You’re embarrassing everybody. Most of all, yourself.” (Ricky Lee, 18:20)

4. Story 2: The Fixer-Upper – Rental House of Distortion (19:32–31:34)

The Setup

• Narrator:
  Right out of high school, the storyteller’s friend (Tim) gets a house through his parents, serving as chill HQ for their group. The only catch: Tim’s grandmother lives across the street.
• Strange Vibes:
  From the first visit, the back bedroom feels unnaturally heavy. The house is unfurnished except for some patio furniture and a mattress; it has the “trap house” look.

The Haunting

• Unexplained Phenomena:
  Loud bangs, flickering lights, footsteps, furniture moving by itself—especially reported by Tim, who is described as grounded and trustworthy.
• Tactile Encounters:
  A friend is tugged by an unseen force:
  “All the color out of his face is completely gone. He was like, man, something just tugged my shirt.” (Storyteller, 22:58)
• The house rapidly gains a spooky reputation among their friend group.

Distorted Visitation

• The Climax:
  One night, after some partying, Tim’s sister and the storyteller stay up watching Madagascar at 3:30 AM.
  They hear footsteps, expecting Tim, but:
  “It was unnatural. It was nothing of this world. This thing was not an apparition. It wasn’t a figure. It was almost distortion of space. It looked like pixels or just a distorted space of like an area. It was very noticeable and it was just hovering.” (Storyteller, 26:54)
• Temperature Drop:
  Passing the distortion brings a wave of cold and raises every hair on their body. Tim’s sister is left “rocking back and forth in a fetal position.”
• Validation:
  In shock, they rouse Tim, who investigates—his arms break out in goosebumps.

The Origin Story

• Later Revelation:
  Years later, Tim’s father reveals the backstory:
  The house was purchased after Tim’s grandmother discovered water running from the house and found the previous resident—a woman—alone in a flooded room, “rocking back and forth in like a blank state.” She was hospitalized, the house was foreclosed and then bought cheaply.
• Reflection:
  “It kind of provided some validation to the story of, like, there is something not right with that house.” (Storyteller, 31:30)

Ricky Lee’s Reaction (31:34):
“I know that’s code for haunted by demons. That’s what fixer upper means in Latin. Haunted by demons.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I saw this woman, like she was corporeal. She was solid. She was a human.”
  — Storyteller, Science Building Story (08:59)
• “Labs are creepy as hell, y’all. I refuse to go into a lab. Heck, I won’t even get my blood tested. My blood stays right there in my arm where it’s supposed to be.”
  — Ricky Lee (16:05)
• “This thing was not an apparition... It looked like pixels or just a distorted space of like an area.”
  — Storyteller, Rental House (26:54)
• “That place might look fine and dandy on the Zillow. But you got to listen carefully to that gut feeling when you go inside there.”
  — Ricky Lee (31:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:25 – Ricky Lee returns; intro & astrological musing
• 04:16 – Story 1: Haunted science building (woman in red)
• 09:35 – Apparition details and aftermath
• 13:35 – Old cadaver lab discovery
• 15:54 – Ricky Lee’s reaction
• 17:48 – Astrological interlude (“Pisces: stop simping on celebrities”)
• 19:32 – Story 2: Rental house of distortion
• 26:54 – Pixelated distortion “entity”; group terrified
• 30:30 – The true backstory of the haunted house
• 31:34 – Ricky Lee warns against “fixer-uppers” (i.e., haunted houses)

Conclusion & Episode Tone

The episode expertly weaves relatable, atmospheric horror with wit and narrative flair, masterfully using true stories narrated in the first person and Ricky Lee’s comedic commentary to keep listeners engaged and unsettled. Listeners are left with a shiver and maybe a laugh as they consider what mysteries might live in old buildings—or “fixer-uppers”—they casually encounter.