Ridiculous History

In this week's Classic episode: Have you ever dreamed about shedding your old identity, casting aside your obligations and becoming an entirely different person? Susanna Caroline Matilda, narrowly escaping death after stealing from the Queen, did just that upon arriving at the American colonies. Join Ben, Casey and returning guest Christopher Hassiotis as they unravel the strange story of the Colonial Grifter Princess.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One thing about the United States -- we'll throw a party for anything. As a result, it's no surprise that back in 1994, a group of well-meaning pranksters in San Francisco decided to don Santa Claus costumes in a whimsical protest against capitalism. Although it was originally meant to be a one-off event, SantaCon was a hit! Over the next few years it expanded into multiple celebrations across the country, and then across the globe. But with this expansion came a change... and it wasn't long before residents of various towns (especially New York City) saw SantaCon as less lighthearted fun, and more as a booze-fueled free-for-all of soused, wild Santas terrifying the streets. Tune in as Ben, Noel and Max discover the wholesome origins of SantaCon -- and why so many people seem to hate it today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know anyone who decided to show off in a weird way? While the phrase 'weird flex' may be relatively recent, it turns out that this phenomenon is as old as human civilization. Join the guys with special guests Miles and Jack from The Daily Zeitgeist as they explore some of the strangest (and most petty) flexes in human history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Classic episode: It's no secret that hospitals can be intimidating, scary places -- but the medical operations of the modern day can't hold a candle to the grisly procedures of the 1800s. Back then, even some of the best surgeons still had about a one in ten chance of their patients dying during or shortly after a procedure. And Robert Liston was no exception. Listen in to learn how this otherwise top-notch surgeon managed to kill not only his patient, but also his assistant and some guy just standing nearby all in the course of one procedure gone horribly wrong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays bicycles are a common sight across the world -- they're efficient, convenient, and a great way to get in some exercise. Yet in the late 1800s they were ground zero for a culture war over women's rights. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover how the humble 'safety bike' rocked the status quo, giving female riders newfound freedom... and throwing the patriarchy into a panic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever assaulted your hamburger guy? How do you handle your problematic pet chimpanzee? For a lot of us in the crowd, these questions sound ridiculous -- but for Elvis Presley, these conundrums were part of his everyday life. In the second episode of this special two-part series, returning guest Jordan Runtagh, co-creator of the hit podcast Too Much Information, takes the guys behind the scenes of Presley's pop stardom to explore his increasingly strange misadventures as his musical star rose... and his private life spun out into chaos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Classic episode: when the schoolteacher who would come to be called Hong Xiuquan first heard of the Christian religion, he wasn't particularly bowled over. However, when he had a nervous breakdown after failing his scholarly exams, he experienced a series of visions that he later believed revealed his true destiny: He was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and he was meant to lead his followers to earthly and spiritual freedom. Tune in to learn how Hong Xiuquan's visions sparked one of the bloodiest rebellions in Chinese history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.