Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?

About Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?

The attacks on 9/11, the invasion in Ukraine, the rise of the Islamic State, the genocides in Srebrenica, Rwanda, Cambodia and Nazi Germany are all incredible acts of human cruelty. They make us wonder: who are the perpetrators of these crimes and what drives them? These questions will be discussed with professor Alette Smeulers and other well known scholars within the field.

Publisher

Nicola Quaedvlieg and Alette Smeulers

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Sept 2023

Latest episode

1 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Jul 2026

   Snitches in Communist Prague

   In this episode of Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal, we speak with Barbora Hola, Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She conducted research on informers in communist Prague. How many were there? How important were they to the regime? Why did people become informers? And how should they have been treated after the fall of the regime? No only an interesting, but also a deeply personal conversation, as Barbora's own father was also an informer.

2. 

   6 May 2026

   Undercover in Extremist Networks

   In this episode of Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal, we speak with Julia Ebner - an expert in online radicalization, conspiracy theories, and the threats they pose to democracy. As part of her research, she went undercover in extremist online communities and even attended real-world meetings. She witnessed how movements like QAnon grew from small online forums into the mainstream. She’s the author of three bestselling books: Rage, Going Dark, and Going Mainstream.

3. 

   15 Apr 2026

   Speaking Out: A Former Diplomat vs. Dutch Policy on Israel

   In this episode of Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal, we speak with Berber van de Woude. She is a former diplomat who worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. She was stationed, among other places, in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. During her time there, she witnessed numerous violations of international law, but the Dutch government did not intervene. In her view, the system is rigged, and she no longer wanted to be a part of it. She resigned and now chairs The Rights Forum, an advocacy organization that focuses on Israel and Palestine and advocates for the enforcement of international law, including human rights.

Who has been a guest on Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Mama Lambert
• Denise
• Anne-Marie de Brouwer

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

29 ratings

Contact Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.