1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: Guess what will What's that Mango? 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: So you know that painting of dogs playing poker, like 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: the ones where dogs are drinking and playing cards. 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 2: You know, it's funny. I was at a thrift store 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 2: the other day with my son William, and I actually 8 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: think I saw a puzzle of that painting right there 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 2: in the store, so I should have bought it for. 10 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: This that's amazing. So I don't know if I told 11 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: you this, but like when I was in high school, 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: my dad saw that painting for the first time, and 13 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: he was so delighted by it, and he couldn't stop 14 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: talking about it. He was like, can you believe that 15 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: a bulldog is cheating? It's so ridiculous, it's crazy. He 16 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: just kept talking about it for a few weeks. And 17 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: then one day I came home and I looked above 18 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: my dog Lupinese dogbed, and he had framed a print 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: of it and put it above her cage because he 20 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: won make sure she had some art in the house too. 21 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 2: Just so ludicrous. Yeah, it's so sweet though, too. I mean, 22 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 2: your family's always been pretty dog obsessed. 23 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: Though, right, Yeah, I mean, we always used to joke 24 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: that I would have to put a jacket on when 25 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: I entered the house because my dog was super fluffy, 26 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: and my parents kept the house super cold so that 27 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: she was comfortable. Like it didn't matter if my sister 28 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: and I were comfortable, but as long as my dog 29 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: was comfortable, everything was okay. But thinking about that artwork 30 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: over my dog's cage and the fact that apparently it 31 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: sold at auction in twenty fifteen for seven hundred thousand 32 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: dollars or close to seven hundred thousand dollars like learning, 33 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: that made me want to look into the origins of 34 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: the painting war and learn more about the artists. So 35 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: that's what we're doing this week, talking about dogs playing poker. 36 00:01:48,320 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 2: Let's dive in. Hey their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part 37 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and is always I'm joined 38 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 2: by my good friend Mangesh hot Ticketter and sitting behind 39 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 2: that studio booth, I was looking forward to this one 40 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: that day. I couldn't wait to see what Dylan would 41 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 2: be doing. And he is not disappointing. He is dancing 42 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 2: like I have never seen him dance before, and he's 43 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: blasting the song poker Face. I have to admit I 44 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 2: sort of called this. He is a huge Lady Gaga fan. 45 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 2: But that's our palain producer, Dylan Fagan. 46 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: I think he said he wanted to play that song 47 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: on repeat to inspire us, But I'm pretty sure the 48 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 1: disco ball and the strobe light are more for him 49 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: than for us. 50 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 2: There is no question about that, all right, mego, So, 51 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 2: I know we're both dog lovers, and we both like art, 52 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 2: and so I guess this episode is sort of the 53 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: Venn diagram of those interests. So let's talk dogs playing 54 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: poker absolutely. 55 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: So. The first thing I wanted to bring up is 56 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: that when you hear that phrase dogs playing poker, we 57 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: probably pictured the same thing, right, like that picture of 58 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: a bunch of dogs at a poker table, this bulldog 59 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: cheating by handing an ace under the table to his pal, 60 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: another bulldog. But dogs playing Poker isn't actually one painting. 61 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: It's kind of the shorthand that's applied to a group 62 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: of eighteen paintings, all by a New York artist named 63 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: Cassius Marcellus Coolidge or Cash Coolidge, and the painting that 64 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: we're most familiar with, though one with that cheating dog 65 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: is called a Friend in Need, but the one that 66 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: kicked off the whole series is actually called Poker Game. 67 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: It depicts four large, brown and white dogs sitting around 68 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: a poker table and one is smoking a cigar, one 69 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: has a pipe, one has a cigarette, and they've all 70 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: got a bottle of whiskey between them. 71 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: Which that last part that's why you know it's ridiculous 72 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 2: because most dogs, I'm pretty sure jen drinkers. 73 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, Poker Game was really well received at the time. 74 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: Some cigar companies reproduced it to decorate their cigar boxes, 75 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: but this led to even more dog paintings being commissioned. 76 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: So in nineteen oh three, the publishing company Brown and 77 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: Bigelow from Minnesota actually paid Coolidge to paint sixteen more 78 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: dog paintings. 79 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 2: So, like, why did they need so many paintings of dogs? 80 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good question, But basically they wanted to 81 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: slap them on like calendars or ads or posters that 82 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: sort of thing. And Coolidge's dogs, it turns out, were 83 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: pretty versatile. Like they weren't just hanging out drinking whiskey 84 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: and playing cards. Sometimes they were playing baseball, or football 85 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: or fixing a car. One painting is even of a 86 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: bunch of dogs in the courtroom pleading a case. 87 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: So I guess my next question is what drove Cash 88 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 2: Coolidge to paint all those dogs doing human stuff? 89 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously, in the case of the sixteen paintings, 90 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: it was the money and the commissioning. But ah, the 91 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: first one, Poker Game, he just painted that on his own, 92 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: and I didn't realize how long ago he started this series. 93 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: Poker Game was created in eighteen ninety four. While it's 94 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: unknown where he got the idea, it's not just like 95 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: thrown together haphazardly. The image is a composition that's inspired 96 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: by Caravaggio, George de Latour, and Paul Saisan, all who 97 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: have their own depictions of card game scenes, albeit with 98 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: you know, humans of their subjects rather than dogs. But 99 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: some have compared Coolidge's A Friend in Need with this 100 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: English artist Sir Edwin Lancier's painting. He did one called 101 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: Laying Down the Law in eighteen forty, and both works 102 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: feature dogs gathered around pensively, kind of acting like people, 103 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: card players in Coolidge's one, and lawyers and lanciers. However, 104 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: if you look at Coolidge's painting. It's kind of lighter 105 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: in tone, slightly more comical. And actually, I'm just going 106 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: to send you these images so you can see the difference. 107 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I mean, I see what you're saying 108 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 2: that Coolidges is slightly more comical. But I mean they're 109 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 2: both kind of silly paintings of dogs doing human stuff. 110 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that it's true for sure, But now, 111 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: I mean that's what's happening. Yeah. You know, while Coolidge 112 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: wasn't the first to do this type of work, he's 113 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: definitely the most prolific, and he kind of took the 114 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: idea and ran with it in a way that no 115 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: one else had. 116 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 2: I feel like we need to back up, though, because 117 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 2: you know, there must be something interesting about the upbringing 118 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 2: of someone who eventually spends a lifetime painting dogs. So 119 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 2: let's look into his background. 120 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: That sounds great. So Cash Coolidge was born September eighteenth, 121 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: eighteen forty four to a prosperous Quaker family in Antwerp, 122 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: New York. The family had a lot of land, they 123 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: were into farming, and so he grows up really well educated. 124 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: But he's not just a painter. Before he painted dogs, 125 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: he'd already done all these other things. In eighteen seventy one, 126 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: he founded the first bank in Antwerp. He opened and 127 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: then sold several pharmacies in upstate New York. He also 128 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: founded his hometown's first newspaper, the Antwerp News. So he's 129 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: really got a lot on his resume. 130 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 2: I mean, the guy is prettyccomplished. I didn't see the 131 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 2: bank thing coming, like, that's just such an interesting background. 132 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, finance is really where the dog inspiration comes from. 133 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: But in eighteen seventy three, Coolidge went to Europe and 134 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: that's kind of what kicked off his career as a 135 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: travel writer but also as an artist. He had a 136 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: travel column at the time for the Watertown Times called 137 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: Cash's Column two k's weirdly in the alliteration there. But 138 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: to supplement his income, he also worked as a cartoonist 139 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: for local newspapers, and he also gave penmanship lessons. But 140 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: he had this growing side hustle as a lightning sketcher. 141 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: And this is the thing they used to do where 142 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: people paid up to fifty cents for the privilege of 143 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: watching an artist do these super speed sketches of a 144 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: series of people sitting for portraits. 145 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 2: I mean it sounds a little bit like those quick 146 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 2: caricatures you can see and get when you're on a 147 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 2: boardwalk or something like that, where they give you a 148 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 2: huge head and you're on a skateboard for some reason. 149 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's always a skateboard. But one Rochester news paper 150 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: from the time actually wrote about this incredible event that 151 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: took place at a local Masonic lodge. 152 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: Did you say Masonic lodge? 153 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, So we're going to get into that later. But 154 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: the paper said, the celebrated artist CM Coolidge, known to 155 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: the public under the nom de plume Cash, will give 156 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: an entertainment in offhand caricaturing, in which branch of art 157 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: he has no superior. We have had the personal pleasure 158 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: of witnessing mister Coolidge as skilled in this line, and 159 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: can most heartily recommend him to the public. 160 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 2: I mean, it sounds like he was pretty successful. He's 161 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: probably the best big head on a skateboard artist around. 162 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, and this is even before his dog paintings. So 163 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: Coolidge had a pretty good career as an artist, doing 164 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: illustrations for newspapers and magazines. He was also doing things 165 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: like ads for shoe companies. He was making good money, 166 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: but none of his other work really sticks in the 167 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: American psyche the way those dogs sitting around smoking and 168 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: drinking and playing cards do. 169 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, there's something very funny about the paintings, 170 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 2: but there's also something a little bit dark about them, 171 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 2: Like it looks like the are getting away with something 172 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: each time, like they snuck out of their little dog 173 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: houses in the middle of the night to blow off 174 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 2: some steam without the supervision of their owners. Like you 175 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 2: get what I'm saying here, I do. 176 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: And the fact that the dogs are gambling is very illicit, 177 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: especially for dogs. 178 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, that's definitely controversial for dogs and for humans too. 179 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 2: But you know, at the time, gambling was actually illegal 180 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 2: or technically illegal, And according to Lucy Sante's Low Life, 181 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 2: an amazing book about New York's Lower East Side, in 182 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 2: the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, tammany hallback 183 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 2: syndicates quote handled protection for gambling establishments, so that meant 184 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: the highest ranked city officials in New York City were 185 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 2: facilitating these illegal gambling halls. This included Mayor Robert Van Wick, 186 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 2: and that was obviously controversial because at the same time, 187 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: people like the city's DA that was a man named 188 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 2: William Travers. Jerome had made it his personal mission to 189 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 2: end gambling the city. 190 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: Which sounds like a huge conflict. So does that play 191 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: out publicly at all? 192 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 2: It definitely does. So you've got Jerome. He starts staging 193 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 2: raids on these gambling houses and making sure that he 194 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 2: gets as much publicity as possible by inviting reporters to 195 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 2: come along. Also, to make the whole thing extra dramatic, 196 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 2: he personally wields a hatchet to break down doors. So 197 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 2: pretty dramatic. That sounds ridiculous, Yeah, but it was all 198 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 2: over the papers and really in the zeitgeist at the time. 199 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 2: Like this guy named al Adams. He was a widely 200 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:36,599 Speaker 2: disliked policy king. He owned two breweries, one hundred saloons, 201 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 2: and two million dollars in real estate, and allegedly had 202 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 2: a steak in every gambling house between Battery and one 203 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,679 Speaker 2: hundred and tenth Street. So he was eventually arrested. He 204 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 2: was sentenced to eighteen months in sing sing. But if 205 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 2: you're an adult in New York at the time, you're 206 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 2: probably reading about these gambling raids every day in the newspaper. 207 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 2: It's kind of like the backdrop of everybody's life at 208 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 2: the time. But also, if you're a man, you're probably 209 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 2: even attending some of these underground card games, and so 210 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: Coolidge's works are kind of this wink to the viewer 211 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 2: because the card scenes are both depicting something illegal but 212 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 2: also playful and absurd, like the games are going to 213 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 2: take place whether you like it or not, and whether 214 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 2: dog owners know about it or not. 215 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: I mean that's interesting. It's like Colige is saying chill 216 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: Out is just a card game right. 217 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 2: Well, and by using dogs as a stand in for humans, 218 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 2: it all seems pretty non threatening. I mean, who's going 219 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 2: to raid a late night dog party? Like, let the 220 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 2: dogs be dogs, you know, we always say that. 221 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: We always say that. I like how we're acting like 222 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: dogs drinking whiskey and betting with poker chips as dogs 223 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: being dogged. 224 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, dog, let them be dogs. You know. 225 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: It's also worth men saying that the Dog's Playing Poker 226 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: series is very much a boys club, Like there's one 227 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: painting in the series where a bunch of angry female 228 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: dogs storm in to break up their husband's card game 229 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: like a marital police raid. And also coolidge state of 230 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: bachelor until his sixties. So as much as this might 231 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: have been like a light political statement, he was very much, 232 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: as our researcher Mary points out, a dude making art 233 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,720 Speaker 1: for his fellow dudes, speaking of which we should talk 234 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: about the Masons. But before we do that, why don't 235 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 1: we take a quick break. 236 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 2: Welcome back to part time Genius, where we're talking about dogs, 237 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 2: playing poker and doing other human stuff too. Of course, so, mege, 238 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 2: I think you were going to tell us about the 239 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 2: artist Cash Coolidge's connection to Mason's or Masonic lodges. I 240 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 2: know you'd mentioned earlier that he used to do speed 241 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 2: drawing events at them. 242 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, so the Masonic stuff mostly goes back to one 243 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: of the paintings Coolidge produced as part of his commission 244 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: from Brown and Bigelow. It's called Riding the Goat, and 245 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: it depicts a blindfolded dog riding a goat in front 246 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: of this proving audience of other dogs. 247 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 2: That's a little. 248 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: Weird, Yeah, just the normal stuff you'd see at a 249 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: dog park. But unlike the poker game paintings, which are 250 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: more obviously relatable, the details Coolidge included in this painting 251 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: are pretty odd, Like some dogs are wearing special circular hats. 252 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: They're sitting at high desks, they're recording everything. One dog 253 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 1: is wearing a pointy hat, a masquerade mask, and a cape. 254 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: And there's a blindfolded dog riding the goat. He actually 255 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: has a rope around his neck which is being held 256 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: by a cocker spaniel. 257 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 2: It's starting to sound a little eyes wide shut to 258 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 2: be honest with you. 259 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, it wouldn't be out of place in that movie 260 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: except for all the dogs. But the part of the 261 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: reason this is depicted this way is that cast Coolidge 262 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 1: was definitely in the Freemason so that part's not a secret, 263 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: but it's possible he included some mason imagery kind of 264 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,839 Speaker 1: as a joke for his friends. There's a site called 265 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 1: dogs Playing Poker dot org, which is actually an amazing resource. 266 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: It's made by a computer programmer named Joe, and he 267 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 1: spoke to an anonymous mason who actually broke down the 268 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: painting symbolism for the audience, and so this is what 269 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: the mason said. Quote Riding the Goat depicts one of 270 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: the first three principal degrees of free masonry. The blindfold 271 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: is an important part of the first three degrees and 272 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: has a specific and symbolic meaning in each degree. The 273 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: rope around his neck is called a cable toe. Another 274 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: important Masonic symbol. The three dogs sitting to the left 275 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: at the desk indicate the three principal officers of any 276 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: Masonic lodge. The dog to the right is wearing a 277 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: red cap. In Scottish right Masonry, this cap is the 278 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: emblem of a kcch Mason. I'm not sure exactly what 279 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: that is, but clearly something of importance. And some dogs 280 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: are wearing blue caps, a symbol that represents a fifty 281 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: year Mason, meaning dogs or people I guess who've been 282 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: initiated fifty or more years ago. 283 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: I mean, it definitely feels very insidery. 284 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, but Kolitch also might have put in all that 285 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: imagery kind of as a joke for his fellow Masons. Basically, 286 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: there were old rumors that Mason's rode goats as a 287 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: form of initiation, and by Coolidge's time, Mason's had turned 288 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: that accusation into an inside joke. 289 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 2: So I guess he just used this thing he was 290 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 2: getting paid to make as an opportunity to joke around 291 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 2: with his boys. 292 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: Basically, but Coolidge was a real creative force, and he 293 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: did more than just paint dogs, doing things like he 294 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: really enjoyed making all kinds of art. And you know 295 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: those like plywood cutouts that you stick your face through. 296 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 2: Like like the ones you'd see at a carnival or 297 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 2: an amusement park something like that. 298 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and boardwalks too, right, cash Coolidge patented those. He 299 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: called them comic foregrounds, and he created all these different 300 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: drawings to be used as the fake foregrounds. He actually 301 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: only patented a very specific version of these cutouts, ones 302 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: that had an image of a person with their normal 303 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: head but the sketch of a very tiny body. So 304 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: there were no strong man or bikini body ones, which 305 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: is ridiculous. But it's amazing to me that he's behind 306 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: those and also illustrated tons of books. He wrote a play, 307 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: he wrote a comic opera. 308 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 2: I mean, this guy's all over the place, like from 309 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 2: starting a bank to writing an opera, Like if this 310 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 2: guy's done everything. 311 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: I mean it's also weird stuff like the opera was 312 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: called King gall Nipper and it was about the marital 313 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: and the morris adventures of human tourists in the realm 314 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: of the King of the Mosquitoes. 315 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 2: No, but It is kind of crazy that Coolidge was 316 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 2: so prolific and has done so many interesting things, but 317 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 2: the only thing he's really remembered for is his dog art. 318 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 2: And actually nobody remembers him. We just remember the dogs. 319 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, people do love dogs. But you know, 320 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century was sort of a golden age of 321 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: dog art, and so this is the generation before Coolidge. 322 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: There's an artist named maud Earl and when Lancer who 323 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: we mentioned before, Arthur Wardle and John Sargent Noble, and 324 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: they were all artists commissioned by Queen Victoria to make 325 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: dog art. Apparently she liked many of us, was really 326 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: into dogs and particularly Pomeranians. But Lancer painted dozens of 327 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: Queen Victoria's pets and was rewarded with the Knighthood for 328 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: the work, so, you know, pretty fancy. Also, this thing 329 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: trickles down because the Queen's into it and royals are 330 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: into it, Suddenly the middle classes into it as well, 331 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: and by the end of the Victorian era, English homes 332 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: were full of reproductions of his dog paintings. 333 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 2: I feel like this was just the golden age of 334 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 2: dog art. I mean, what a time to be alive. Mango. 335 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean the DVC review of this twenty twenty 336 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: three exhibition of dog art actually shed some light on 337 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 1: why dogs in particular are fascinators so much. This is 338 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: how the review puts it. Dogs are borderline creatures on 339 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 1: the threshold of two worlds, the human and the animal. 340 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: We see human qualities like faithfulness, empathy, and intelligence mirrored 341 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: in canine behavior, but we also admired dog's sensory superpowers, 342 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: and they're more instinctive connection with the wild. We've always 343 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: been infatuated with dogs because we consider them in betweeners, 344 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: half mirrors of our own behavior and half windows into 345 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: the mysteries of nature. 346 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 2: I mean, I do like Coolidge's ability to sort of 347 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,679 Speaker 2: tap into this existing human fascination but then put his 348 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:14,719 Speaker 2: own spin on it. 349 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: I mean, his generation of work is kind of more 350 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 1: pop culture in a way. It's made for everyone, and 351 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: Mason's too. But the funny thing is that his wife 352 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: and daughter were never really into dogs. They were more 353 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: cat people. 354 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 2: That's pretty ridiculous. I mean, it's funny though. Coolidge's work 355 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 2: have this light hearted element, but he's not painting for 356 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: the Queen, and I think a lot of people would 357 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 2: describe Coolidge's Dogs Playing Poker series as kitchy. 358 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: Can you explain that a little more? 359 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 2: Well, I actually have this in my notes. When you 360 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: go to the Wikipedia article for kitch, the first image 361 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 2: at the top of the page is of a friend 362 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:52,959 Speaker 2: in need and the caption says a common example of 363 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 2: modern kitch. 364 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: Oh, that's interesting, So how are we defining kitch exactly? 365 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,119 Speaker 2: So? Merriam Webster defines kitch as something that appeals to 366 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 2: popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality, 367 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,959 Speaker 2: attacky or lowbrow quality or condition. And like, you're insulting 368 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,439 Speaker 2: my dog's artwork here, But yeah, I know, it's just 369 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 2: it's terrible. But it's also used ironically or with enough 370 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 2: self awareness that it can boomerang back around to actually 371 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 2: being a compliment. 372 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: How can it be a compliment? 373 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,679 Speaker 2: Well, apparently the word emerged in the art markets of Munich, 374 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 2: and this was in the eighteen sixties and eighteen seventies, 375 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 2: describing cheap and popular pictures and sketches. And it might 376 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: derive from the German word kitchen, which means to smear, 377 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 2: or from the German verb vert kitchen, which means to cheapen. 378 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,479 Speaker 2: But you know, the most interesting theory is that it 379 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 2: could be an inversion of the French word chic, which 380 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 2: basically means fashionable. 381 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: Oh, that's funny that kitch is like cheek backwards. 382 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 2: And when it's used in certain context, kitsch is definitely 383 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: an insult and it can definitely feel cheap. And some 384 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 2: examples of classic kitsch are Santa Claus in the supermarket 385 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 2: pictures of poodles with ribbons in their hair, souvenir snow glow. 386 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 2: But then artists kind of inverted the idea and embraced it. 387 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 2: So think about people like Andy Warhol with his Marilyn 388 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 2: Monroe or Chairman Mau Prince, or Jeff Coons with his 389 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 2: balloon dog sculptures, those sorts of things. 390 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: So what do we think dogs playing poker is like? 391 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: Is it Jeff Coons or snow globe? 392 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 2: You know, it's kind of tough to say. In nineteen 393 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 2: thirty nine, the art critic Clement Greenberg wrote a famous 394 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,360 Speaker 2: essay titled Avant Garde and Kitsch. It was done more 395 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 2: to influence American ideas about kitch than anything else. So 396 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 2: he basically says that urbanization and modern capitalism robs people 397 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 2: of the time and space they need to engage with 398 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 2: authentic art, and that kitsch or commercial art arose as 399 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 2: a cheap replacement. And this was to occupy people's minds 400 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 2: and the little freedom that they do have. And he 401 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 2: also says, quote, kitsch is mechanical and operates by formulas. 402 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: I guess you could argue that like dogs playing poker 403 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: does just that. Like Coolidge hit a nerve with his 404 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: first painting poker game and then he basically plugged in 405 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: a formula scenes of dogs doing very human things, which 406 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 1: turned into commerce. 407 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that's totally it. But Greenberg also says this 408 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 2: about kitch. He says, now and then it produces something 409 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 2: of merit, something that has an authentic folk flavor. 410 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, these days, Coolidge's dog painting sell for hundreds of 411 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars, so it's kind of safe to say 412 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 1: he's transcended the average flea market level of kitch. 413 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. 414 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,360 Speaker 1: Plus, I feel like dogs playing Poker has worked its 415 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: way deep into our consciousness. There are multiple dogs playing 416 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: Poker references on the Simpsons. There was a two thousand 417 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:55,199 Speaker 1: crime thriller starring Tim Curry called Four Dogs Playing Poker. 418 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: And you know that old SNL sketch where the Wild 419 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: and Crazy guys of course, in their very first appearance 420 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: on the show, there's a frame print of a Friend 421 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: in Need that's hanging on their apartment wall. 422 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 2: God, that's amazing. It's so funny to imagine those guys 423 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 2: whose only interest was quote getting chicks, buying art for 424 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 2: their apartment, and settling on dogs playing poker to attract chicks. 425 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel like women see dogs playing poker and 426 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: just swoon. 427 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, does it every time? You know? I actually 428 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 2: love this little anecdote about Gary Larson. Of course, you 429 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 2: know the cartoonists behind the Far Side comics, So he 430 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 2: drew a Far Side cartoon where he imagined the dogs 431 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 2: playing poker. Artist earlier in his career painting giraffes, chickens 432 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 2: and other animals playing poker, but he didn't think the 433 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 2: artist's name was well known, so he randomly named him 434 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 2: Gus Nickerson. And then years later he read an article 435 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 2: about cash Coolidge and he learned more about them, and 436 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 2: he said, quote, if you think about it, a Friend 437 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,920 Speaker 2: in Need is arguably as famous in this country as 438 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 2: the Mona Lisa by what's his name? I just didn't 439 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 2: give Koolie his proper due so good. 440 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,199 Speaker 1: That's such a huge endorsement. And I love Gary Larson 441 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: so much. I love that, you know, he's this incredible 442 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: illustrator and cultural commentator giving big ups to another artist. 443 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: But you know, one thing I keep thinking about. It 444 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: must be hard to shuffle cards with no thumbs. 445 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 2: You know, That's the one detail I've enough to be 446 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 2: able to swallow like it's just not realistic, Mango. 447 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: I know we'll never get over that, But how about 448 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: we end on a little fact off. 449 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 2: All right, let's do it? All right? So we mentioned 450 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 2: earlier that Coolidge's most famous painting often gets mistitled as 451 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 2: dogs playing poker, but you could just as easily call 452 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 2: it dogs cheating at poker, because if you look closely, 453 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 2: only two of the seven dogs at the table seem 454 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 2: to be playing fair. The rest are either shiftily glancing 455 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 2: at each other's hands or straight up passing cards under 456 00:23:58,359 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 2: the table. 457 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: One thing I learned this week is that dogs really 458 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: do cheat at poker, or at least they can with 459 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: the proper training. And this is thanks to a technique 460 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: called hand targeting. A dog can be trained to use 461 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: his mouth to select a single playing card from someone's 462 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 1: hand and then give that card to another player. So, 463 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: in theory, someone could cheat at poker by using dogs 464 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: to pass cards under the table, just like in Coolidge's paintings. 465 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 2: All right, well here's a quick one. In the early 466 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 2: two thousands, Value Soft Inc. Released a PC poker game 467 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 2: pattern off of Coolidge's paintings, and it was called, of course, 468 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 2: Dogs Playing Poker. The high stakes poker simulator featured a 469 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 2: cast of eighteen canine opponents for the player to face 470 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 2: off against, including a dalmatian, a mechanical dog, an ancient 471 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:49,159 Speaker 2: dinosaur dog, and what appears to be a cat wearing 472 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 2: a sign that says a dog, which I think is 473 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 2: pretty fun. The game didn't hang around on shelves for long, 474 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 2: but intrepid poker hounds should still be able to sniff 475 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 2: it out online without too much trouble. 476 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,400 Speaker 1: So when I think of Richard Nixon, I think about 477 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: the first president to ban soup from the White House dinners, 478 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: and also someone who used to call up Christian Latner 479 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 1: when he was a college basketball player to give him 480 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: advice at halftime. And of course I guess this watergate too. 481 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 1: But did you know that Richard Nixon was an excellent 482 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: poker player. Apparently he was so good that most of 483 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: his first political campaign was funded by winnings from his 484 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: time in the navy. 485 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 2: Ah, that's a good one. Actually, speaking of presidents playing poker, 486 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 2: this is a funny one. According to the Lewis and 487 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 2: Sun Paper, President Harding once bet the entire set of 488 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 2: White House China in a poker game to General MacArthur's 489 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 2: wife Louise and lost it to her. 490 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: That's incredible. Did you know that at the Angola Prison 491 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: rodeo there's an event called convict Poker, which is more 492 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: like bulls playing poker, but apparently four inmates sit at 493 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: a table playing cards in the ring and then a 494 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: bull is released and the last man to leave the 495 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: table wins, which sounds terrifying. 496 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's interesting. I didn't know about that all right. 497 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 2: So getting back a little closer to dogs playing poker, 498 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 2: here's the fact I've found about cats playing poker. So 499 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 2: it turns out that by the time Coolidge began his 500 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,160 Speaker 2: series on dogs playing poker, British illustrator Lewis Wayne had 501 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,719 Speaker 2: already spent several years anthropomorphizing cats for the London crowd 502 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 2: and his fansful style depicted cats walking on their hind legs, 503 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 2: wearing clothes, partaking in all sorts of social activities normally 504 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 2: reserved for humans, like golfing and celebrating Christmas, drinking cocktails, 505 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,400 Speaker 2: and yes, even playing cards. So it's worth noting though, 506 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 2: that Wayne's cats didn't restrict themselves to just poker. They 507 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 2: were also avid bridge players too, which feels very cat. 508 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:50,880 Speaker 1: Like and very classy. 509 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. 510 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: So here's the thing that I learned, which is just 511 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: insane to be Do you know that there's a real 512 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: dog ashiba you knew named peanut Butter, the first dog 513 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 1: to speed run a video game at a twenty twenty 514 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: four Games Done Quick charity event. Peanut Butter used a 515 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: custom made controller. The dog was able to input commands 516 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: from his owner and successfully clear all twenty five levels 517 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: of the nineteen eighty five nes game gyro Mighte. It 518 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: took peanut Butter twenty six minutes and twenty four seconds 519 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,680 Speaker 1: to beat the game, which was just over two minutes 520 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: slower than the fastest human time on record, and in 521 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: the month since the event, both peanut Butter and a 522 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: husky named Coda have now surpassed that record, finishing the 523 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: game in right around twenty three minutes. 524 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 2: That is wild and unfortunately I don't think I can 525 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 2: beat a fact about video game playing dog. So yeah, 526 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 2: I think you win this one, Mango, I fold. 527 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 1: I love it. Well. That's it for today as part 528 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: Time Genius, and next week we're going to be trying 529 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: something new. We're going to be putting out a few 530 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: episodes a week, but we do need feedback, so writers 531 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,479 Speaker 1: at peat Genius, moms at gmail dot com and let 532 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: us know what you'd like, what you want to hear, 533 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: anything else that's on your mind. And you can also 534 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: find us on Instagram at part Time Genius. Again, we 535 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: reopened that account and are taking messages there. So from Mary, Gabe, Dylan, 536 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:30,120 Speaker 1: Will and myself, thank you so much for listening. Part 537 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This 538 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: show is hosted by Will Pearson and me Mongaishatikler and 539 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 1: research by our good pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode 540 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: was engineered and produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan with 541 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: support from Tyler Klang. The show is executive produced for 542 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: iHeart by Katrina Norvell and Ali Perry, with social media 543 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: support from Sasha Gay, Trustee Dara Potts, and Vinny Shorey. 544 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, 545 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.