Ep. 15-The Sugar Flats Beast of Lebanon, TN: Cryptid or Carnival Attraction?

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The folklore surrounding roadside attractions has always captivated the American imagination, particularly when those attractions blur the line between reality and fantasy. Our deep dive into the Sugar Flats Beast of Lebanon, Tennessee takes you through the bizarre tale of what happens when a couple driving down Lover's Lane strikes something neither fully human nor animal.
Between nostalgic detours through 80s movies and hilarious tales of our time working at Blockbuster Music, we unpack the mysterious story of a five-foot-tall, fur-covered creature whose taxidermied head became the centerpiece of a small-town antique store. With its unsettling human-like features—teeth without lips, glass eyes in human sockets, and skin showing through patches of fur—the Sugar Flats Beast challenges our understanding of what might lurk in the shadows of rural America.
What makes this story particularly fascinating is the head's pattern of disappearance and reappearance over the years. Was it simply an elaborate hoax designed to drive tourism to a small Tennessee town? Or could there be something to the legend that defies conventional explanation? We explore both possibilities while examining America's long tradition of roadside attractions and our cultural fascination with cryptids.
Whether you're a dedicated cryptid hunter or simply enjoy a good mystery, this episode offers both laughs and legitimate questions about what we choose to believe. Share your own cryptid stories with us by emailing [email protected] or clicking the "send us a text" link in our episode description on your favorite podcast platform!

Source Material:

Crusader1307, 2013, The Sugar Flat Lane Beast, www.stronghold-nation.com/history/myth/the-sugar-flat-lane-beast

Craig Shoup, Kirsten Fiscus, Andy Humbles, Katie Nixon and Nicole Young, 2023, Bigfoot, Bell Witch, Mothman and Spirits: what to know about Tennessee's monsters, legends www.tennessean.com/story/news/2023/10/19/beast-bigfoot-bell-witch-learn-about-tennessees-monsters-legends/70985489007/

Photo Credit: Denny Simmons/The Tennessean

Chapters

1. Introduction to the Sugar Flats Beast (00:00:00)

2. 80s Movies Nostalgia (00:03:29)

3. Blockbuster Music Store Adventures (00:09:09)

4. The Sugar Flats Beast Origins (00:15:44)

5. The Mystery of the Head (00:26:55)

6. Real Cryptid or Sideshow Attraction? (00:36:35)

7. Growing Up in the 80s (00:45:09)

8. Closing and Social Media Updates (00:51:51)