PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Rejoice Carnation Nation! Our favorite host with the most, Terry Carnation, returns to his beloved paranormal podcast, Dark Air with Terry Carnation, the late-night talk radio show that has quickly become a fan favorite. I caught up with Terry last week to discuss his comeback and we chatted about why he loves the paranormal, what he has to say to the naysayers, and of course, horror movies.
Terry Carnation: Hi Tiffany!
PopHorror: Hi Terry! How are you?
Terry Carnation: Tiffany, I’ve never been better. That’s not true. As a matter of fact, I have been better. I remember as a child, when it was an 18 wheeler accident right in front of my house, which was in Dubuque, Iowa. What do you think that 18 wheeler was hauling? Puppies. Nothing but puppies and they were all fine, by the way. None of them were injured, and they ran scampering all over our yard. I got to play with about a thousand puppies. I was just thrilled, I was thrilled. So I have been better, but I did, however, find out that those puppies had just come from the puppy mill, and that did make me very sad. But for that brief moment, Tiffany, that brief moment, I was in ecstasy. Next to playing with a thousand puppies, I would say right now, speaking to you, is number two with a bullet!
PopHorror: Yes!
Terry Carnation: I don’t mean that in any kind of violent context. I know that gun control is a hot-button issue, and I don’t mean to make any kind of political commentary. I say number two with a bullet in the same way that Casey Kasem, may God rest his soul, would also say with a bullet meaning climbing with great rapidity. Sorry, were you going to ask me another question?
PopHorror: Yes! Puppies are always a good thing.
Terry Carnation: Yes, they are. They are indeed.
PopHorror: So it’s good to see you back on your show. You took a hiatus from your radio show after the mysterious death of your wife, and you’ve decided to return, although against your doctor’s wishes. So let’s get to the bottom of why are you really back?
Terry Carnation: Well, you mentioned my doctor, my therapist Dr. Norman Kesden. His name is Norman but I call him Idiot. I call him know-nothing overcharging fraud. Dr. Kesden was very specific with me. He said, “Terry, under no circumstances should you return to the radio waves. You’re still imbalanced. You’re not ready. Your screws are too loose.” So to speak. He didn’t use that terminology. He said, “Under no circumstances should you go back to dealing with people on a regular basis.” I turned to him and from what I’ve learned in therapy over the years, I turned to him and looked him straight in the eye, and I was like, “Nanananana. Nananana. Nananana.” Because Tiffany, in all seriousness, this is who I am. How do you separate Terry Carnation from his audience? How do you say, “Oh this is you, Terry? You’re over here. And your audience, your fan base, the millions of people who adore you are over there.” I don’t see any difference between us. We’re all connected. We’re like a hive mind. We’re like the Borg from Star Trek. I don’t know if you get that reference.
PopHorror: I don’t.
Terry Carnation: Well, that’s terrible.
PopHorror: I’m sorry! So what do you have to say to those who are not 100% behind your return?
Terry Carnation I have to say, get on board the Terry train folks. The Terry train is leaving the station. Whoop Whoop. Climb on board. Destination? The top of the world. And I’m not referring to the Himalias. I’m referring to an emotional top of the world where Terry Carnation is connecting with his audience about all things paranormal, spectral, supernatural. And we are having dialogue like fireworks exploring the unexplorable. Explaining the unexplainable. Dialoguing the… You understand what I’m saying.
PopHorror: I do! Basically, hop on board because I’m leaving without you regardless.
Terry Carnation: Exactly! Thank you. And by the way, there’s an amazing cafe car on this train with all the snacks you could want to eat. Do you like cheese popcorn? Go for it. Pretzels? Be my guest.
PopHorror: All the good stuff.
Terry Carnation: Hot coffee? Get on board the Terry train. Excellent vistas too. Plus, good for the environment.
PopHorror: And quite a view, too. What is it that started your fascination with the paranormal?
Terry Carnation: Well, my mother was a ghost. I was raised by a specter. So that influenced me greatly, having an undead mother around the house. It was very difficult for her, for instance, to make oatmeal. Some basic stuff, because her hands would just disappear through the bowl and she’d be like, “Goddammit! I can’t get this bowl in the microwave! But I love you so much!” And I’d be like, “It’s okay Mom. I’ll make it myself.” She would give me excellent advice and help me with my homework. She couldn’t actually pick up a pencil. She could be over my shoulder. I didn’t really see her, but I felt her presence there. People would say, “Terry, when you grew up, you didn’t have a mother. You were raised by a single father who had to work all the time.” But I knew that she was there with me, and a very important integral part of my life and I still miss her to this day, although she’s with me right now. Say hi, Mom.
PopHorror: Hi Mom!
Terry Carnation: Okay, it’s my interview, please. Mom, please. Just keep it down for a minute. Mom. Okay, okay I’m sure they’ll answer your questions later. Let me finish, please. Go over there. Okay, sorry. I’m back.
PopHorror: On your show, you take calls from listeners. What’s been your favorite story that you’ve heard so far?
Terry Carnation: Oh, there are so many stories that I’ve heard. Oh, what can I say? Goshiola. I think that there was a gentleman that called in, I believe his name was Daryl. He had been involved with aliens. Not an abduction, per se. There certainly was probing. But it wasn’t what you normally hear about with alien probes. It was sexually involved with a species of alien that were able to morph their bodies, and their protuberances, their… Well, I don’t know how else to say it… Their inturberances into various shapes and sizes. They had, essentially, an intergalactic orgy. I don’t know if that’s possible for me to say on your website. I’m not sure if this is a website for children, but you’re asking me about my most memorable calls. The longing in his voice… Because they’d left. They hadn’t come back. He was unable to function. He was unable to have relationships. He was bereft, because once he’d had a taste of all of those alien protuberances, well, you can’t go back to regular human protuberances.
PopHorror: Right? That’s a great story. I like that. What do you have planned for your return, and the future of your show?
Terry Carnation: Well, Dark Air with Terry Carnation is back on the airwaves starting April 1. That’s when I’m trumpeting from the hilltops, and you will follow my adventures and misadventures and hijinks in my life as I seek to rebuild my life. I’ll let you into therapy sessions with Dr. Norman Kesden. I’ll be going on dates. I’ll be researching the paranormal, and you will be listening to actual callers into the show, on Dark Air. And that’s also a very important part of what Dark Air is all about. We plan world domination. We plan to reach even more listeners than we did in the past, to bring people on board the Terry train, once again. Whoop Whoop. Come on board that Terry train, folks. You don’t even need to dress like an engineer or wear one of those funny caps. Come as you are. Come as you are.
PopHorror: I am very excited about the premiere. And I think that Carnation Nation is very excited about your return, as well.
Terry Carnation: They are. They are, indeed. Yes. What is this Carnation Nation? Oh, I don’t know. Humanity?
PopHorror: Exactly!
Terry Carnation: It’s bigger than just the United States and even Canada. It’s even bigger than Guam. It’s all of us. It’s all of us connected by conversations having to do with the mysterious, the unexplained, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Not be confused with paraNorman. That’s the name of my therapist, Dr. Norman Kesden. Can you imagine a pair-a-Normans? A pair-a-Norman Kesdens like if he had a clone? Oh. Actually, I would like that because then I could kill one of them. Without impunity. There would still be a Norman Kesden and I could… Well… Let my aggressions out. Anyways, I digress.
PopHorror: Just one last question for you, Terry. What is your-
Terry Carnation: Sagittarius.
PopHorror: That too! What is your favorite scary movie?
Terry Carnation: Oohh, favorite scary movie. So many. I think my favorite scary movie is The Fly. I loved the original with Vincent Price and the remake with the tall fellow from Annie Hall.
PopHorror: Jeff Goldblum.
Terry Carnation: I believe that’s his name. I would like to see a version of The Fly told from the fly’s point of view. I mean, think about that as a horror movie. Here I am flying around, oh I’m looking for some poop, looking for a banana peel. Buzz buzz buzz. I smell something over in the corner. Oh, what’s in here? What’s in this little chamber here? Oh! Who’s this stinky fellow? Or perhaps I can get some oily sucrose from his skin and then buzz buzz buzz. What happened? Oh, no! Part humanoid! Help me, help me! I mean, horrific if you think about it.
Thank you so much to Terry for taking the time to speak with us. Dark Air with Terry Carnation premieres on Audioboom on April 1, 2021.
