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PODCAST

Ridiculous History

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

history

All Episodes

45:31

Batman, or Bat-Man? A Ridiculously Comical Feud For...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/17

The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. The terror of all criminals and ne'er-do-wells in Gotham... that's right, folks: today's episode is all about Batman. As Ben and Noel discover in today's episode, this superhero's origin story is a surprising tale of beef, ego, conflict and controversy: for decades, two men claimed to have created Batman... and one of them may have been (mostly) lying.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

1:13

Introducing: American History Hotline

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/16

Hi, Ridiculous History listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, American History Hotline. American History Hotline: Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com. Listen to American History Hotline on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!See

en-US

47:01

Three Ridiculous Histories of "Bloody Mary"

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/16

A frightening children's game. An intensely divisive, boozy drink. A real-life Royal. As Ben and Noel discover in today's episode, "Bloody Mary" alludes to several ridiculous -- and, at times -- disturbing things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

35:31

CLASSIC: The Ridiculous Story of the World’s First...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/12

Locusta of Gaul, also known as Locusta The Poisoner, was one of the most infamous criminals of ancient times. Alternately sponsored and betrayed by the noble class, she committed crimes with impunity for years — even, at one point, opening an academy to teach her poisoning skills to others. Tune in to learn more about the rise and fall of what may well be the world’s first documented serial killer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

43:40

A Ridiculous History of "Fad Diets"

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/10

Everyone in the developed world knows someone who's tried a 'fad diet' -- these are the so-called miracle practices that promise to help people lose weight and keep it off, through any number of potentially dubious methods. But where did they come from? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and guest producer Dylan dive deep into the Victorian era of tapeworms, super-chewing, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

44:30

A Titanic Disaster: That Time An Entire Production...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/08

James Cameron's Titanic was, by all accounts, a blockbuster success. And, like so many other masterpieces, the story of its creation is a tale all its own. In today's episode, Ben and Noel dive deep into a little-known disaster that struck the already-tense production: someone laced the chowder with PCP, sending a small army of crew and cast alike on a terrifying journey into temporary madness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

36:21

CLASSIC: Back When the Rich Ate Corpses

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/03

Nowadays it's safe to say that cannibalism isn't a widely-accepted practice, but not so long ago it was considered the bleeding edge (get it?) in medicine throughout Western Europe. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the odd practice of consuming human body parts in hopes of curring all one's ills, through everything such as the King's drops to bandages soaked in human fat, along with related stories of the legendary Mellified Man and the current, tragic phenomenon of Tanzanian criminals hunting down

en-US

2:06

Introducing: United States of Kennedy

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/02

Hello, Ridiculous History Fans! We want to share a new show you might like, United States of Kennedy, About the show: United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story. Listenhere and subscribe to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

48:34

A Ridiculous History of Sex, with Ross Benes

Ridiculous History ·

2025/07/01

Heads-up, folks: this is a PG-13 episode. Ben and the legendary guest producer, also Ben, welcome author and journalist Ross Benes for a wide-ranging discussion on the ridiculous ways in which sex has altered the course of human civilization. We're talking about the origin story of the vibrator, the way the US military accidentally made San Francisco a 'gay mecca,' the fanatical drives of the Puritans, sex scandals and so much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

30:15

CLASSIC: The Mummies of Guanajuato

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/28

When the city of Guanajuato instituted a grave tax, they included some harsh penalties for those who couldn't pay -- if you went more than three years without paying the tax on your loved one's resting place, the body would be disinterred and taken from its grave. As gravediggers began removing corpses, they discovered something bizarre: Many of the bodies had somehow naturally mummified. Word of the Mummies of Guanajuato quickly spread, and the gravediggers starting charging locals to take a quick

en-US

56:06

A Ridiculous History of Brain Science, with Jorge Cham

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/26

Today, we all generally understand that the brain is responsible for what we call personality and thought -- yet this wasn't always the case. Once humans figured out the brain was more than a weird lump in the skull, it took centuries of trial and error, along with quack science, to really understand how it works. In today's episode, the guys welcome back special guest Jorge Cham, the creator of ScienceStuff, to lear more about the ridiculous history of brain science.See omnystudio.com/listener for

en-US

53:01

Jorge Cham Teaches Us The Universe: Big Bangs and...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/24

What is the universe? Where did it come from, and what happens to it in the future? Humanity has wrestled with these questions since the dawn of civilization -- and though we've made a lot of progress, there's still much more to learn. In today's episode, the guys join special guest Jorge Cham, the polymath, engineer, author, cartoonist, and creator of the hit new show ScienceStuff as he explains the vast (and often ridiculous) history of humans attempting to understand the universe.See

en-US

47:03

CLASSIC: The Curious Rise of SPAM

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/21

Nowadays the iconic 'SPAM' logo is recognized around the world -- whether you're traveling in the US state of Minnesota or Busan, Korea, you'll more often than not run into a couple of Spam cans in the local grocery store. But what made this particular processed meat so popular? Join Ben, Noel and special guest, Savor cohost Anney Reese as they explore the strange circumstances that paved the way for the rise of Spam in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

38:58

The Ridiclulous Hsitory of Typos

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/20

Ah, the bane of authors, students and copywriters the world round: the infamous typo! Something as small as a single misplaced letter can call the entire credibility of a book, text, or essay into question. Usually readers can still "get the gist," but every so often an innocent typo sows chaos, hilarity, scandal and disaster. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of history's weirdest, funniest -- and most expensive -- typos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

47:13

Come For the Palooka, Stay For the Farts!

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/17

What on Earth is a "palooka"? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max embark on a bizarre journey -- inspired by a single, fascinating word, they discover one of the weirdest, life-long beefs between two cartoonist legends of yesteryear. We don't want to spoil it, so please tune in! Also, the guys once again crack on James Joyce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

42:44

CLASSIC: The Origins Of, and Backlash Against,...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/14

With another Father's Day in the books, Ben, Noel and Max hit the new studio for the first time, exploring the history of this paternal partner to the slightly-more famous Mother's Day. Featuring a cameo from the one and only Matt in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

36:08

Father's Day, Around the World

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/12

In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover stunning commonalities between Father's Day celebrations across culture, community, and time. We wrote that first sentence knowing our Dads will not read the rest, and we genuinely believe we have some good jokes with this one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

42:11

The History of Morning Routines, Part Two: All Hail...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/10

For most of us -- hopefully! -- dental care is a fundamental piece of the morning routine. There are few things quite as refreshing as starting the day with a fresh, minty smile. Then, of course, deodorant (please)! In the second part of the History of Morning Routines, Ben, Noel and Max give massive thanks to the many inventors of yesteryear who worked tirelessly to create toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant. Along the way, the guys discover some immensely devious marketing, and invent a new

en-US

31:21

CLASSIC: The Smooth-talking Takeover of Tabor Bridge:...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/07

In 1805, two French Marshals found themselves in quite a pickle -- Jean Lannes and Joachim Murat needed to cross the Danube at the Tabor bridge (a series of three bridges, actually) to reach Vienna. However, Austrian forces held the bridges and were prepared to destroy them before allowing the French to cross. With a brilliant talent for improvisation and more than a healthy dose of confidence, the Marshalls proceeded to con their way across the bridge without firing a shot. Listen in to learn more

en-US

54:51

CLASSIC: History's Coolest (Non-Human) Political...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/05

It's no secret that politics can be a minefield of quirky events, and strange things happen in the lead up to elections. But just how strange can it get? Join the guys and returning guest Christopher Hassiotis as they explore bizarre tales of non-human politicians in this special Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

1,004 results

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