That's History, Babe!

“Fake it 'til you make it”, right? Well Bernie Madoff faked it so hard he was sentenced to 150 years in prison! Come with us on a journey through the worst financial crime in US history (that we know of), the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, where one man with a crippling fear of failure scammed thousands of people out of a sickening amount of money (we’re talking tens of billions, girl.) Tangents include but are not limited to the concept of renting a home, crying over dog poop, Sam Levinson and his dad, and whether Abe will marry Claudia or Jared for a different passport.SOURCESA Case Study of a Con Man by Diana Henriques (2018) Bernie Madoff and the largest known Ponzi scheme in history | 60 Minutes The Madoff Affair (full documentary) | FRONTLINE PBS “Latest Batch Of Payouts To 25,000 Victims Of Madoff Ponzi Scheme Total Almost $160 Million” by James Farrell, Forbes 2023The Wizard of Lies (2017) dir. Barry Levinson

Ever wonder why your Republican uncle suddenly cares so much about monuments?In this episode, Jared, Abe, & special guest Madison Albertson (scholar, lesbian, and friend of the pod) explore the story of "the Lost Cause", a nationalist myth originating in the post civil-war South that paints the Confederate movement as moral, just, and TOTALLY NOT about slavery. Follow along as we dive into the myth's origins, its influence of American racial politics, and its lasting legacy in teenage vampire films across the decades. Tangents include the gayness of the Sherlock Holmes movie, the inner workings of lesbian intercourse, William Howard Taft, and the song "Memory" from Cats.SOURCES:Mythhistory and Other Essays by William H McNeillRace and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by David W BlightConfederates in The Attic by Tony HorwitzDixie’s Daughters: The United Daughters of The Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture by Karen L. CoxWhite Rage By Karen L CoxThe Birth of a Nation (1915) Dir. D.W. GriffithNot Even Past: The Stories We Keep Telling about the Civil War by Cody Marrs“Curse of a Nation” | History Colorado "Unnameable Objects, Unspeakable Crimes" by James Baldwin, 1965 https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualtieshttps://virginiahistory.org/learn/how-did-civilians-sufferhttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reconstruction-rebuilding-south-after-war/https://hqudc.org/about/diversity-in-defense-of-the-south/https://fairfieldfoundation.org/witness-to-change-the-rise-and-fall-of-monument-avenues-confederate-statues/https://youtu.be/dOkFXPblLpU?si=6N4UcqVkZpgAhodw

It’s not enough to be a deadbeat dad if you want to be an artist. You also have to be obsessed with the sea. This week, we take center stage and explore the life of storied American playwright Eugene O’Neill. Digging into his methods, inspirations, artistry, horrible family life, and dismal performance as a husband and father, we discover the visionary voice of this brooding genius, and learn that sometimes it pays to be sad! Tangents include but are not limited to mpreg, the illustrious city of Toronto, Charlie Chaplin being gross, and Flight starring Denzel Washington.SOURCES:Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part IEugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part IIThe Hunted and the Haunted: Reflections on Eugene O'Neill with Dr. Gary VenaThe Gelbs on O'Neill - Charlie RoseTony Kushner on Eugene O'Neill - Library of AmericaChristopher Plummer as James Tyrone - Long Day's Journey into NightEugene O’Neill: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns, American Experience PBSO’Neill: Life With Monte Cristo by Barabra & Arthur Gelb

Remember: just because you sit on the throne of Saint Peter doesn’t mean you can’t have a pet elephant or turn your palace into a brothel. This week, Jared and Abe plumb the depths of medieval history to explore the lurid, lascivious reigns of the un-holy men who led the Catholic Church. Yes, we’re talking about some BAD POPES. Tangents include but are not limited to Polish face, the snail-like Lombards, Julian Fellowes, and the ethical implications of sleeping with your friend’s older brother.SOURCESThe Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin“On Pornocracy” by Stefan Mattessich“TV’s Young Pope Is Scandalous, But the Real Youngest Pope Has the 'Worst Reputation'” by Ashley Hoffman, TIME MagazinePope Leo X: The Most Extravagant Pope in HistoryThe 1527 Sack of Rome

Sometimes when there’s a big problem no one wants to deal with, you gotta take matters into your own hands. Case in point: Carrie A. Nation; a devout woman, angry about alcohol, who started smashing up bars with a hatchet! In this episode, Abe and Jared dive deep into the life of Carrie Nation, aka Hatchet Granny, the fierce Temperance crusader and suffragist who’d had just about enough of this “alcohol” foolishness. Join us as we tell the story of this weapon-wielding diva, a tale that will make you ask “How pissed off do you have to be to set a barrel of whiskey on fire in the street?” Tangents include but are not limited to Beauregard Mercer IV esq., Lee Strasberg the first Methodist, and the feeling of the wind blowing through your bob.Sources:Prohibition: America on the Rocks (Lucasfilm, made by JAK Documentary, 2007)The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A Nation by Carrie A Nation (1909)Carry A. Nation: The Famous and Original Bar Room Smasher.” Kansas State Historical Society. http://www.kshs.org/exhibits/carry/carry1.htmhttps://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/carrie-amelia-moore-nation-2514/“Hatchet Nation” by Mark Lawrence Schrad for Slate (2021)Vessel of Wrath: The Life and Times of Carry Nation by Robert Lewis Taylor (1966)https://www.wctu.org/historyShe’s not a Christian! She’s tampering in dark-sided stuff!

Some people say dogs are man’s best friend, but we say there are dogs worthy of winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards. In this week’s episode, Jared and Abe grab their flea combs and diva into the hairy history of animal celebrities. From memes to movies and from the 1920s to the 2020s, we explore famous animals and what they tell us about ourselves. Tangents include but are not limited to The International Canine Semen Bank, projecting our fear of rejection onto baby zoo animals, and the ethics of giving your pet chimp wine and Xanax.SOURCESLife & Times Transcript of an interview with Alan Young, October 2007 Info on Air Bud and the bizarre stuff with his owner Beethoven and the St Bernard BeethovenKoko the Gorilla Crystal the Monkey in NY Mag What happened with Travis the Chimpanzee More Travis Crystal PopSugar interview“RIN TIN TIN” in Silent Stars (2000) by Jeanine Basinger“What’s new pussycat? A genealogy of animal celebrity.” by John Blewitt (2013)The saga of Lassie by Vernon Scott - Saturday Evening Post,10/3/1964Animal Celebrities by David C Giles (2013)

Let’s face it: opinionated people can be polarizing. Jared knows it. Abe knows it. And Peggy Eaton – the 1820s political wife who brought the executive branch to a halt - definitely knew it too! In this episode, Jared and Abe take you back to the age of Andrew Jackson with the story of a scandal that paralyzed his presidency. Learn how snubs and sideways glances in the parlors of Washington, DC cost an entire cabinet their jobs and changed the course of American political history. Tangents include, but are not limited to, Charli XCX x Guy Fieri, the mail, and Mary from SLC marrying her grandpa.SOURCESBooknotes - C-SPAN | The Petticoat Affair by John MarszalekThe Jackson Era: Democracy and the Mob | The Cynical Historian"One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals": Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair by Kristen E. WoodAndrew Jackson: The American Franchise By Daniel FellerThe Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House by John F. Marszalek

Nineties television; a hellscape of trashy talk shows. Maury. Jerry. Sally. Ricki. But only one show remains on the airwaves to this day, arguably stronger now than it’s ever been: THE VIEW. In this episode, Jared and Abe explore the origins of TV’s last highly-rated daytime talk show. What made THE VIEW different from its competitors? Who still watches it and why? How does THE VIEW keep booking all these political guests? And why is Meaghan McCain the way she is? Tangents include, but are not limited to, Sean Connery, the difference between a shark and a sunfish, and Jared’s coaching advice to the Boston Celtics. SOURCEShttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/magazine/the-view-politics-tv.html https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062175139/the-view-is-cultural-and-political-canon https://ew.com/tv/view-hosts-why-they-left/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xht0HcPryWA Talking Trash: The Cultural Politics of Daytime TV Talk Shows by Julie Manga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d62JBdqsG94&t=8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDDKKjejbU Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/barbara-walters?chapter=4&clip=125185&full=true#full-interview 

Don’t you hate when your girlfriend has a husband and you can’t hang with your philosopher bestie due to a silly little war about whether the church should slay or not? Christina of Sweden definitely did. Take a trip with us to 17th century Sweden, from Christina’s strange childhood and mommy issues to her ascension to the throne and blossoming desire to kiss her lady in waiting. Tangents include, but are not limited to, circumcision, Bunny the cat, and whether Jared is trying to steal Abe’s partner Sam. SOURCESQueen Christina of Sweden (1626-89) by Anchi Hoh (2016)The Making of a Queen: The Education of Christina of Sweden by M.L. Clarke (1978)Queen Christina, Lesbian Icon? On Sweden’s Delightfully Nonconformist Monarch by Eleanor Medhurst (2024)The Afterlife of Christina of Sweden: Gender and Sexuality in Heritage and Fiction by Amy Saunders (2019)https://www-jstor-org.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/stable/1395418?searchText=queen+christina+sweden&seq=1 https://youtu.be/6JDKEUqcjKA?si=eseHdwmOpzk81XgV 'A Girton Girl on a Throne': Queen Christina and Versions of Lesbianism, 1906-1933' by Sarah Waters (1994)The Court of Christina of Sweden and the Later Adventures of the Queen in Exile by Francis Gribble (1913)Christina of Sweden by Marguerite Horan Gowen (1944)The Girl King, dir. Mika Kaurimaski (2015)Queen Christina, dir. Rouben Mamoulian (1933)