#142 - Fact or Fiction: Disappearing Acts

#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

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