Ridiculous History

By any measure, Margaretha Zelle led a fascinating life. As a Dutch dancer, socialite and courtesan called Mata Hari, her globe-trotting lifestyle caught the attention of both German and French intelligence agencies. And she happily took money from both sides. Yet, as Ben, Noel, and Max discover in today's episode, historians are still divided on the facts: Was Mata Hari really a master double agent... or a glamorous government scapegoat? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays, pretty much everyone knows that nuclear weapons are incredibly dangerous -- but, not too long ago, military leaders saw these things as shiny new toys. Sure, they spent a lot of time trying to make bombs bigger. But they also spent a lot of time trying to make bombs smaller. They wanted something small enough for troops to physically carry into the battlefield, evading enemy lines and creating targeted explosions. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max dive into the ridiculous history of 'backpack bombs' and learn how, along with their obvious drawbacks, these devices also had a terrifying habit of going missing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's be honest: Bugs aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they're fascinating, crucial parts of the ecosystem. They're also, according to a few eggheads, the perfect weapons of war. Join the guys as they explore the bizarre experiments governments conducted in the field of entomological warfare. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japanese Daimyo Oda Nobunaga was fascinated by the mysterious, towering slave of a visiting Jesuit missionary, and soon this man, Yasuke, joined Nobunaga's court, eventually becoming a full-on samurai. Join the guys as they explore the strange life of the African-born samurai, Yasuke. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm was fascinated by all things military, but the crown jewel of his army was a group known as the Potsdam Giants -- men recruited on the basis of their height alone. If these tall boys, teens and men didn't want to sign up for the Giants, the King had no problem kidnapping them. Listen in to learn more about the strange story of the Potsdam Giants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Wayne Federman joins the guys to explore the rise of legendary comedian Dick Gregory, who began life as a boundary-breaking stand-up comic. Tune in as the gang explore's Gregory's evolution, his association with Hugh Hefner, and his later calling as a full-time civil rights activist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While tipping is widely accepted (and expected) in the United States today, this wasn't always the case. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max learn how scheming corporations used tipping as a way to exploit newly-freed employees... and how the anti-tipping movement became prevalent enough to end up as part of Presidential campaigns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the best meal you've ever had at a restaurant? If it was in the United States, odds are you paid your tab -- and then added an extra fee on top of that. While tipping didn't originate in the USA, the States have the world's most prevalent (and infamous) tipping culture. And ever since the Civil War, it's been a hot-button issue: Should you tip? If so, whom, and how much? In the first part of this severely biased two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max dive into the debate... and learn the disturbing origin of American tipping along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays it's no secret that some Papal administrations from centuries past were a bit more scandalous than others, but when master engraver Marcantonio Raimondi created prints of explicit art located within the papal palace, the church was scandalized. Learn more about the bizarre tale of "The Sixteen Pleasures". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even if you're not an architecture enthusiast, odds are you've heard of Frank Lloyd Wright. This massively famous architect fundamentally changed the discipline of architecture as we know it. Yet as Ben, Noel and Max learn in the second part of this special two-part series, Frank made a lot of enemies on his way to success. Tune in to learn how one of his employees committed mass murder -- and why J. Edgar Hoover's FBI spent years trying to prove he was a spy or a cult leader. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the world's most well-known, storied (ha) architects. Several of his works are official UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and he has undeniably influenced countless architects in the modern day. However, as Ben, Noel, and Max learn in the first part of this special two-part series, Frank's massive professional success came with a dark side: accusations of cult activity, scandalous affairs, and even mass murder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has anyone ever told you you resemble a celebrity? Have you ever thought of making this resemblance your job? In today’s Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Casey explore real-life stories of body doubles, from World War II to surprisingly recent events. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in seventeenth century England, William Lilly was a big deal. As the preeminent astrologer of his day, pretty much everyone followed his research, predictions, and writing. Yet as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, Lilly was also an occasional detective -- and when he learned a precious shipment of fish and Portugese onions had been stolen, he used the wisdom of the heavens to nail the culprit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love it or hate it, every American recognizes the Star-Spangled Banner. The lyrics come from a poem written by a lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, based on his experience watching an attack of Baltimore's Fort McHenry. The story itself is pretty inspiring -- but as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode... Francis Scott Key was actually kind of a jerk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the War of 1812, the US decided to shore up security at Lake Champlain by constructing a fort on Island Point. However, due to a surveying error, the US ended up building this fort in Canada, rather than the states. Listen in to learn more about the ridiculous story of Fort Montgomery, and why some people prefer to call it Fort Blunder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Jefferson wasn't just obsessed with mastodons for no reason. Instead, he was in an intense dispute with a French naturalist named Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. Leclerc argued that the American continent was 'degenerate', and all animals and life forms in the joint were weaker, smaller, and less-developed than those in Europe. In the second part of this special two-part series, returning guest Lauren Vogelbaum regales the gang with the final chapter of Jefferson's strange beef with Leclerc... and how this conflict eventually led to the concept of biological extinction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you grew up in the United States, you've doubtlessly learned all sorts of stuff about Thomas Jefferson -- but did you know about his bizarre fascination with mastodons? It's a winding tale of nationalism, naturalism, and good old American rivalry with the French. And the guys aren't diving into this one alone: they're joined by returning guest and veteran podcaster, the legendary Lauren Vogelbaum, to learn more about the story in part one of this special two-part series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Compared to most people, the UK's Prince Phillip has a pretty swell life -- he's literally royalty, has never gone hungry, and has traveled the world meeting some of Earth's most important people. And, to some residents of Vanuatu, he's also a god. Join the guys as they explore the evolution of the religious movements collectively known as 'cargo cults'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max want to begin by shouting out all new parents in the crowd (we hope you get some sleep)! These days, every expecting or new parent is endlessly inundated with advertisments for products, services, and treatments. And as the crew discovers in today's episode -- the past wasn't that different. In fact, a ton of this baby gear of yesteryear was patently ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays, ice cream is a pretty popular treat across the planet. In this episode -- at the height of a blistering Atlanta summer -- Ben, Noel and Max learn more ice cream's kissing cousin: the 'soft serve'. Where did it come from? What makes it such a hit? Also... why doesn't it count as actual ice cream? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.