
#142 - Fact or Fiction: Disappearing Acts
From Bittersweet Infamy by Josie Mitchell + Taylor Basso
April 26, 2026 · 1h 46m · Episode 142
About this episode
In this April Fool's special, Josie shares three stories about people who vanished, challenging Taylor to guess which one is a lie.
April Fool's Fact or Fiction special! Josie tells Taylor three stories about people deciding to vanish: the masked wrestler who convinced his mother he died in the 1978 Jonestown massacre; the Japanese trend of jōhatsu (蒸発), or disappearing into thin air; and the literary legend who swapped limelight for... lightning? Two of these stories are true, and one is a lie. Guess along with Taylor and see if you can spot the sham!
People in this episode
Hosts: Josie Mitchell, Taylor Basso
Topics covered
- disappearance
- April Fool's
- storytelling
- truth vs fiction
- cultural trends
Keywords
- disappearing acts
- Jonestown
- jōhatsu
- masked wrestler
- literary legend
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: jōhatsu (蒸発)
Places: Japan
More episodes of Bittersweet Infamy
- #144 - Bald Girl Summer · June 8, 2026 · 1h 14m
- #143 - Blood on Rainbow Mountain · May 14, 2026 · 1h 34m
- #141 - Fact or Fiction: Kidding Around · April 12, 2026 · 1h 2m
- #140 - F for Flamin' Hot · March 26, 2026 · 1h 35m
- #139 - Invasion of the Iceworm · March 4, 2026 · 1h 42m
- #138 - Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 · February 21, 2026 · 1h 35m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Bittersweet Infamy podcast page.