The Atlas Obscura Podcast Was It All A Hoax?
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Apr 1, 2026 Two classic April Fools' hoaxes take center stage: a hairy, red-eyed creature that terrorized a small Arkansas town and the story of a ruby-eyed sea serpent built as a mechanical tourism stunt in New York. Short, spooky tales show how sightings spread and how communities turned tall tales into local legend and celebration.
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This Episode Explores Hoaxes As Cultural Stories
- Atlas Obscura frames these stories as explorations of hoaxes that blur folklore, commerce, and belief rather than definitive proof.
- Hosts India Rice and Morgan Johnson invite listeners to decide what they believe about these monsters.
The Ford Family Encounter With The Falk Monster
- The Ford family in Falk, Arkansas reported being stalked by a large hairy creature that left three-toed prints and claw marks.
- Elizabeth Ford described red, coal-like eyes and a heavy, furred body that woke her in the front room in May 1971.
How Falk Turned Fear Into Tourist Commerce
- Falk embraced the monster story by turning it into local attractions like a Monster Mart and a museum to capitalize on tourism.
- The community's fear coexists with commercialization decades after sightings, keeping the legend alive.