1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Guess what, Mango, what's up. Well, so it's that time 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: of year again when everybody's sending out their holiday cards. 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: But if you think your hand is cramping from all 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: the cards you've had to address, just take a guess 5 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: how many handwritten envelopes are addressed each year for the 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: holiday card mailing from the White House. I have no 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: idea how many. Now this number is a few years old, 8 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: and I'm not sure how many of the Trump White 9 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: House is sending. But the number I saw was ten thousand, 10 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: all handwritten. Now, I know you're super into calligraphy, Mango, 11 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: always scribbling over there, but even you have to admit 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: that is a ton of handwriting. I mean, it makes 13 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: my hand heard just thinking about it. How do they 14 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: pull it off? Well, I was wondering the same thing. 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: But it turns out the White House employees three full 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: time calligraphers who create everything from invitations to menus to 17 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: place cards at state dinners, official documents. The list goes on, 18 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: and they're often written by hand, and not surprisingly, sometimes 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: with the help of a computer. But it's still a 20 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: ton of work. But even with three full timers like 21 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: that's a crazy amount of writing. It really is, but 22 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: it's one of those jobs that you often don't stop 23 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: to think about, but clearly it's a job that has 24 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: to get done, and that's what God is thinking. You know, 25 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: we obviously here constantly about the president and everyone working 26 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: on the political side, but how many non political employees 27 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: are working behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly 28 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: and what do they all do? So that's what we're 29 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: talking about today. Let's dive in. Hey there, podcast listeners, 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 31 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: always I'm joined by my good friend man guest Ticketer 32 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: and on the other side of the soundproof glass wearing 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: a very fancy top hat, that's our friended producer Tristan McNeil. 34 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: That's really really fancy, don't you think. Well, today we're 35 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: asking the question who works in the White House? And 36 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: of course we're not talking about the obvious of the 37 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: president and the other political employees of the government. We're 38 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: talking about the non political employees who really make the 39 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: White House run. Yeah. So this episode was super fun 40 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: to prepare for it because I've really had no idea 41 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: how many people are working behind the scenes, and of 42 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: course some are more visible than others. But I mean, 43 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,679 Speaker 1: when you've got three full time calligraphers, that's got to 44 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: be a pretty big staff. Yeah, so we're we're looking 45 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,519 Speaker 1: at somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred and fifty 46 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: people who keep their residents in operation. Now, around a 47 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: hundred of those are full time and others are part time. 48 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: So we're talking everything from ushers to painters, florists, to plumbers, 49 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: and plenty of other very interesting positions. And pretty much 50 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 1: all of these people are paid for by the thirteen 51 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: million dollars that's allocated by Congress each year to keep 52 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: the residents running smoothly. I mean, third million dollars is insane. 53 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: That's a lot of a lot of money. It's no kidding, 54 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: But we should definitely talk about who oversees that budget. 55 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: But why don't we say that for a little bit 56 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: later and first talk about the people in charge of 57 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: making sure the president's day goes smoothly? Did you just 58 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: did you just set up a teaser for later in 59 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: the show man? They're like, stay tuned, We're going to 60 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: tell you who oversees the White House residential budget. I mean, 61 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: you wish you could know now, but we're going to 62 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: keep you hanging nicely done there, thank you. I've been 63 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: studying up on how the best reality shows do it. 64 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: But but before the show, you were telling me about 65 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: the people responsible for the president's whereabouts each day, and 66 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: I really thought it was so fascinating And would you 67 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: mind if we started there? Yeah, that makes sense, and 68 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: you're right, I did find this fascinating too. Why don't 69 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: we start with the Director of Oval Office Operations. Now, 70 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: this is the person who makes sure the president always 71 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: has everything he needs while he's working in the White House, 72 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: and he's always keeping a very close eye on the 73 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: president's schedule. Yeah. I think you were mentioning an article 74 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: about Obama's director. What was his name again? That is 75 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: Brian Mastler. Yeah, there was an interesting article about him 76 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: from the Washington Post last year and it described him 77 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: as the quote anticipator in chief, and I thought that 78 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: was a pretty interesting title. And the article said, quote, 79 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: when Obama's in Washington, every move the president makes, every 80 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: person he meets, and every meeting he attends has been 81 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: carefully orchestrated by Mastler. He knows where Obama likes his 82 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: waterglass placed on the table at meetings, and whom he'd 83 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: want to sit beside. He knows how he prefers the 84 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: height of his lectern. He researches ahead of State's favorite 85 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: drinks so that the president can offer it. He read 86 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: He's Obama's remarks and sets them open to the first 87 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: page wherever the president will be speaking. He tells Obama 88 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: what a sock is bunched at his ankle, or his 89 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: shirt is wrinkled before an interview. I mean, it goes 90 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: on and on here. It's pretty crazy. I mean, I 91 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: do feel like we could use that position in the studio. 92 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: You know, sometimes I sit down in this chair to 93 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: record and it's just a little too high for my preference, 94 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: or sometimes a little too low, and I actually have 95 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: to adjust it myself. Oh my gosh, mango. And also 96 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: I went and got this couple of water for myself, 97 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: so I know the struggles we deal with. It's a 98 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: tough life here at how stuff works. But actually hearing 99 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: this story, it reminds me of the time I was 100 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: traveling to Detroit for some meetings. You know, this was 101 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: back in our mental floss days, And as a little joke, 102 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: the assistant in the Detroit office had one of those 103 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: fancy ice buckets, you know in the hotel rooms. It 104 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: was placed right at the entrance of my hotel room 105 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: with three Diet Mountain dues just chilling him and just 106 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: waiting on me. So I wouldn't argue with that kind 107 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: of thing happening everywhere I went. Yeah, but I mean 108 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: in the White House, that's a lot of job for 109 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: one person, and everything from like sock bunching to electron 110 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: heights is kind of crazy. It does seem like sock 111 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: bunching watching should be like that dedicated job. But you know, 112 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: you hear about mostel are getting to his desk about 113 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: an hour before the president would every morning, and then 114 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: he'd unlocked the door from the Rose Garden area and 115 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: that's where the president would enter every day, and then 116 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: he would stay until after Obama was done in the 117 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: Oval office for the day, he'd lock up, and then 118 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: he was the one who would actually turn off the lights. 119 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: How weird. It's so weird. It's like he's a shopkeeper 120 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: or something. Yeah, but you know, you're right, the hours 121 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: were crazy, and can you imagine how stressful it is 122 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: to make sure that every single minute of a president's 123 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 1: day is scheduled most efficiently. So I heard you mentioned 124 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: this job, and I think I've been confusing it with 125 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: the role that's called, like I think the body man. 126 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: But but that's not the same thing, right, No, I mean, 127 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: you know, the director of the Oval Office operations and 128 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 1: the body man would certainly be in close contact. But 129 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: the body man, or perhaps more appropriately called the personal 130 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 1: aid to the President, that's the person really at the 131 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: president's side all day, keeping him on schedule, providing anything 132 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: that the president needs. And the job often goes to 133 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: a friend or a family member because they really have 134 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: to be so close to the president. And is this 135 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: the presion you hear about having to actually keep the 136 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 1: president on schedule and also having to interrupt the president 137 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: to tell him to go to the next meeting or whatever. Yeah, 138 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: it's definitely a position that requires an ability to handle 139 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: these types of situations really delic Like you actually hear 140 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: how tough a job it was for Chris Ensco he 141 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 1: was the one that worked for President Clinton. Oh yeah, 142 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: I mean Clinton was known for running along with every 143 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: meeting and always being late and just like loving an 144 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: audience in front of him, right, I mean, I can't 145 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: imagine how stressful that job was for an aid, but 146 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: it was Ensco who would have to try and keep 147 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: him as close to on schedule as possible, and then 148 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: if things were off, he'd have to figure out how 149 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: to quickly handle to you know, transition to the next 150 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: meeting and figuring all of that out. But you know, 151 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: he's also responsible for things like making sure the president 152 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: has greeted everyone he needs to in a crowd, and 153 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: sometimes if you watch video of a president at a gathering, 154 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: you'll often see a body man pointing out people he 155 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: needs to make sure and greet. It seems like almost 156 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: every job in the White House has insane hours, but 157 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: this one especially definitely. And it's also another one where 158 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: they have to be at work ready to go before 159 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: the president arrives, and they aren't done until after the 160 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: President is done for the day, or at least done 161 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: with meetings and appearances. And you know, other than the 162 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: Secret Service and sometimes the first Lady, the body man 163 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: is often the only other person to join the president 164 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: on long trips. I remember reading about Obama's body man, 165 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: Reggie Love, and all the things he kept on him 166 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: at all times, from hand sanitizer to energy bars to 167 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: nicorette and that's got to be a fascinating job in 168 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: a fascinating bag he's carrying around, but also just a 169 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: totally exhausting gig. Right, Oh yeah, I can't I can't 170 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: even imagine. Actually, here here's a quick fact I wanted 171 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: to mention. Jocelyn noted this and some of her research 172 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: that Meriwether Lewis, you know of Lewis and Clark fame, 173 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: of course, actually served in this role for Thomas Jefferson 174 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: before heading out on his big adventure. And so it's 175 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: actually not uncommon for aids in this role to go 176 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: on to some pretty big things. That's crazy. I didn't 177 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: know that. So we probably talked about the two people 178 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: who pay most close attention to, like the president's whereabouts 179 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: each day. Well, we can't forget the president's valets, of course. Valets. Well, 180 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 1: you know, I said, the president's body man is by 181 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: his side, tending to his every need. But that doesn't 182 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: necessarily apply to every single need, you know, especially his 183 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 1: personal needs like packing for trips or getting a cup 184 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: of coffee or an extra shirt if he spills something. 185 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: I mean, these kinds of jobs fall on the presidents 186 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:12,559 Speaker 1: to valets. Interestingly, they're actually military personnel who work in 187 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: shifts and who are standing by at all times in 188 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 1: case the president needs anything. And when the president is 189 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,559 Speaker 1: traveling by motorcade, you'll often find a valet and one 190 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: of the other vehicles, you know, just ready with any 191 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: sort of supplies the president might need. That's so funny, 192 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: you know, you know what that is? Like I whenever 193 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: I hear the term valet, I think it deals with 194 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: cars and valet as like a butler, because that's how 195 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: the British pronounce it. But but I would say the 196 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: president is pretty well covered if he needs anything between 197 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: all these positions. Yeah, no kidding, But actually it turns 198 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: out not all presidents love being waited on constantly by valet's. Apparently, 199 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: George W. Bush wasn't a big fan of having them. 200 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: According to the book The Residents Inside the Private World 201 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: of the White House, Bush wasn't aware he would even 202 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: have valets when he first arrived at the White House. 203 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: And then he says to his dad, these two men 204 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: just introduced themselves and they said, they're my valets. I 205 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: don't need a valet. I don't want a valet. So 206 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: his dad just looked at him and replies you'll get 207 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: used to it. It sounds like a dad thing to say, 208 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: like get used to it. Yeah, exactly. But I mean 209 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: I can see that it's like overwhelming at some point 210 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: to be waited on constantly. But I mean, I'd be 211 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: willing to give it a tribe. And you know, one 212 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 1: thing we should talk about is that level of security 213 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: clearance that the people in these positions have to get. 214 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: I mean, it's got a specific name, right, Yeah, it's 215 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: a term I wasn't previously familiar with, but it's called 216 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: top secret presidential proximity and it sounds really important at least, 217 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: and and that's because it is. And the presidential proximity 218 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: part means that these are people who are allowed to 219 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: be very near the president and the first family without 220 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: the Secret Service around. Yeah. I mean I have to 221 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: imagine it's a small number of people who get this 222 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: level of clearance, oh for sure. And I don't know 223 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: the exact number, but it's definitely not everybody in the 224 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: White House. All right, Well, let's shift gears a little here. 225 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: I know, we should do a rundown of the different 226 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: types of jobs in the White House. But before we do, 227 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: there was something you mentioned as we were doing our research, 228 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: and I thought it was pretty interesting. And that's a 229 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: couple of big positions that Jacqueline Kennedy added to the 230 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: White House staff. Yeah. Sure, So why don't we start 231 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: with the position of executive chef with Jackie Kennedy created 232 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: back in nineteen one, And of course there had obviously 233 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: been cooks at the White House from the beginning, but 234 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: she definitely took that position to this whole other level 235 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: when she hired this French chef named Renee Verdon. And 236 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: including Verdon, they've actually only been seven people to hold 237 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: that position. So the current chef, who's Cristata Comerford, has 238 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: been in the position for over a decade now, and 239 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: she's not only the first woman to have served in 240 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: the position, but it is the first person of color 241 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: to be hired as the White House executive chef. But 242 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: I mean, she obviously is the only one cooking at 243 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: the White House, right, No, not even close. So the 244 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: White House Executive Chef manages a team of I think 245 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: it's like seven chefs, and and they of course cook 246 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: every day for the First Family, but they're also responsible 247 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: for the huge dinners and the special events that take 248 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: place of the White House. So we're talking more than 249 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: seventy thousand guests a year. Oh wow, that's a ton 250 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: of people. But you know, something else I found really 251 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 1: interesting is that the president's family pays for their own food, 252 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: and as a side note, they actually pay for their 253 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: own toiletries and other personal products as well. Really, I 254 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: had no idea. I just thought this was one of 255 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: the presidential perks. I mean, why why would you run 256 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: for president if you have to pay for your own toothpaste? 257 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: I know, and listen too, but it gets charged back 258 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: to the president each month. But of course, having a 259 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,839 Speaker 1: chef and a team turn like those products and foods 260 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: into delicious meals is pretty nice. Yeah, it's pretty wild. Well, 261 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: I do assume that each chef kind of brings their 262 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: own style to the kitchen, even though I'm sure they 263 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: get certain requests from each family that lives there. Definitely, 264 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: And in fact, there's a pretty funny story about chef 265 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: for dun and Lyndon Johnson. And this is after Lyndon 266 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: Johnson moved into the White House and sadly after Kennedy 267 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: was assassinated. But Johnson moves in and he's not a 268 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: big fan of French cuisine. You know, he's more of 269 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: a burgers and steak type of guy, and very Don 270 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: was not pleased with some of Johnson's requests. In fact, 271 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: there's a quote from Verdon that he told Johnson. He said, 272 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: you can eat at home what you want, but you 273 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: do not serve barbecued spar ribs and a banquet with 274 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: the ladies in white gloves. That's pretty great, And I 275 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: have to say it doesn't sound like they were best, 276 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: but yeah, not at all. And you know, Johnson didn't 277 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: love to be told what to do, and Verydon eventually 278 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: just resigned. Wow. Well, actually, on a slightly different food 279 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: related topic, I was wondering how they ensure the food 280 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: is always safe for the president eat, Like does he 281 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: have tasters or something to make sure that it's all safe. Yeah, 282 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: you know, I was curious about that too. The President 283 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: doesn't have a taster, you know, the way you think 284 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: of old royalty. But before the food ever reaches the 285 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: White House kitchen, it goes through this supply chain that's 286 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: been heavily vetted by the Secret Service and also the FBI, 287 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: and these suppliers are kept secret even from the guest 288 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: chefs who come in for special events like state dinners. Okay, 289 00:13:58,040 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 1: well that that makes sense. Well what about when the 290 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: president it's not at the White House, like if they're 291 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: traveling somewhere, Well, they do have security that screens his food. 292 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: And it's interesting because those responsible for feeding the President 293 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: his family very depending on where he is. So most 294 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: of the time when he's traveling, it falls on the Navy, 295 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: but on Air Force One, it's the Air Force that 296 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 1: figures out the food situation, and at Camp David it's 297 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: the Navy again. But back to the White House, screening 298 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: even applies to things like snacks. Like they're so secretive 299 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: about this that many times, when the President decides he 300 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: wants a certain kind of snack, the White House will 301 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 1: often arrange to have it delivered to one of the 302 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: homes of a resident staff member, just so no one 303 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: knows his head to the president. Isn't that crazy? And 304 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: you know, we were talking about security clearance earlier, and 305 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: there was a great quote from the former executive chef 306 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: Walter Shud in this interview with the site Munchie's and 307 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: he said, in terms of the few of us that 308 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: are in the kitchen who have that clearance, if you 309 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: think about it, We're not just around outside and next 310 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: to the president, We're physically inside of him in a way. 311 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: You may be one of the singularly most trusted people 312 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: in the whole country. Wow. I had honestly never thought 313 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: about that. But I assume this is another one of 314 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: those really long hour jobs as well. Definitely, so the 315 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: executive chef often puts in eighty five hours a week. Wow. Alright, 316 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: so the executive chef was one of the big jobs 317 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: outed by Jackie Kennedy. So what was the other one? Yeah, 318 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: I'll happily go into that, but why don't we take 319 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: a quick break first, you and your cliffhangers today, mango. Okay, 320 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: before the break, we were talking about Jackie Kennedy creating 321 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: the position of executive chef, and then you just left 322 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: us hanging on what the other position was. Yeah, and 323 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: I'm actually gonna keep you hanging for just a little 324 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: while longer while I said this. Okay, I think for 325 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: a minute about how many important people visit the White 326 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: House each year, and foreign dignitary specifically. So it's actually 327 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: kind of wild to read about how us thought goes 328 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: into the messages the White House wants to send whenever 329 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: a foreign leader arrives, So what do you mean, Well, 330 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: when the White House is planning a state dinner, for example, 331 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: there's always a balance of wanting to find a way 332 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: to project American values and that's everything from the food, 333 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: to the entertainment to the decor, while also finding a 334 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: way to honor and welcome the guests. So I'm wondering, like, 335 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: how do you think they can do that in a 336 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: very visible way other than by you know, offering the 337 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: food served, I don't know, through by what they're wearing. Yeah, 338 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: I mean, that's not a bad guess. And that's usually 339 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: when the president travels abroad and uh dresses in the 340 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: style of the country. But here, one way to do 341 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: that is through special flowers. So there's a great description 342 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: of this from Columns, which is a publication, and here's 343 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: how they described one big dinner. During a state dinner 344 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dowling chose a floral motif 345 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: rendered in molecular designs in honor of Merkel's academic achievements 346 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: and her doctorate in chemical physics. It featured her favorite 347 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: color yellow and acknowled us her passion for cooking and 348 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: baking with plum colored flower and fruit designs. The Chancellor 349 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: is apparently known for making a famous plumb cake. Wow, 350 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: that is so much thought going into that. So Jackie 351 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: Kennedy had something to do with us or what? Yeah, 352 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: and that name I mentioned in their Dowling that was 353 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: Laura Dowling, who served as the chief Floral Designer under 354 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: President Obama, and this was definitely a position that was 355 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 1: created by Kennedy. The chief floral Designer oversees the operations 356 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: of the White House flower Shop, and it's a ridiculously 357 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: demanding job. So just think about how many events the 358 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: White House hosts every single year. There are three full 359 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: time assistants, but they frequently bring in volunteers to help 360 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: with the big projects, and several of the events like 361 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 1: state dinners and such, does actually take months to plan, 362 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 1: and Dowling said, our schedule often involved hundred hour weeks. Wow. Well, 363 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: you know, there's definitely one thing I feel like I 364 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: have a better understanding of after doing our research for 365 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 1: this episode, and you know, that's the fact that pretty 366 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: much anyone who works in a full time capacity at 367 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,360 Speaker 1: the White House, they're working really long hours. And it's 368 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: kind of amazing that they last as long as many 369 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: of them do. I know, you almost see these positions 370 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: as more patriotic after you hear about them. But there 371 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: have only been five chief floral designers since Kennedy created 372 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: the position, and a couple of them were in that 373 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: position for decades. Well, I would imagine this is another 374 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: one where they get to know the president's taste pretty 375 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: well and maybe even factor that into the style of 376 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 1: what they're doing. Definitely so. During the Obama administration, for example, 377 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: you'd often see the private quarters with orange and blue flowers. 378 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: And I didn't realize this earlier, but it kind of 379 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: makes sense now. And that's because Obama loved the Chicago Bears. 380 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that does make sense again, something I could 381 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: get used to. All the flowers reflected my own taste. 382 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:43,479 Speaker 1: But all right, well, I think it's time for us 383 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: to get back to the larger teams that really make 384 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: the residents at the White House run. And it's also 385 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: time for you to finally reveal the answer to that 386 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: big teaser you set up earlier in the show. You 387 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 1: know that the answer to who controls that thirteen million 388 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: dollar budget for operating the residents there. Yeah, I think 389 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: it's time so are you ready? I think music please it. Uh, 390 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: that's the job of the chief Usher. So the title 391 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: really doesn't accurately reflect the size of the job. And 392 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: you can think of the chief usher as being like 393 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: the general manager of a big hotel. But the main 394 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: difference is there's just one family to please. Oh that's interesting, 395 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: all right. So the chief usher oversees what like the 396 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: whole residents staff. Yeah, that's everything from the team of ushers, 397 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: to the housekeeping staff, to the butlers but which we 398 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: should talk about as well, and the chefs, the florists 399 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: and anyone else involved in running the Residents. So all 400 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: thirteen million dollars worth the cost falls under the chief Usher. 401 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 1: And since I've been talking a lot about Jackie Kennedy 402 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: and her influence on the White House, I'm actually gonna 403 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: quote her. She described their chief usher, JB. West, as 404 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: the most powerful man in Washington next to the President. 405 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: I know, it's crazy, right, And so I know you 406 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: mentioned the book by Kay Anderson Brower. It's called The 407 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: Residents Inside the Private World of the White House. And 408 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: in the book she actually talks about West and all 409 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: the tasks he does is really stunning. So he did 410 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: everything from helping search the residents for Carolyn Kennedy's missing hamsters, 411 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: to like try and to fix the water pressure for 412 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: President Johnson because he was always complaining that the water 413 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 1: pressure wasn't strong enough. That's pretty crazy. So so what 414 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: about all the other ushers under the chief what what 415 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: do they do? Well, in addition to seeing after the 416 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: needs of the First Family, they also prepared the White 417 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: House for you know, the over seven thousand tourists that 418 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: come in every single week, and that's no small task. 419 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: But back to the First family side, and ushers always 420 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: on duty when the President's awakes, so until he goes 421 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: to sleep at night, there's one right there, which often 422 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: means being on duty late into the night. And each 423 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: night one of the ushers will actually deliver the President's 424 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: briefing book. This is the briefing put together by the 425 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: president's West wing staff that brings him up to speed 426 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:58,120 Speaker 1: for the next day. All right, Well, you should also 427 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: talk about the preparation that goes in to the presidential 428 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: transition and what the ushers do with that. Yeah, it's 429 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: actually wild how early the chief usher and their staff 430 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: begin preparing for the next First family. It starts well, 431 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,880 Speaker 1: before the election. They often begin pulling together information about 432 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: the top candidates during the primary season, just so that 433 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: you can be as prepared as they can, like before 434 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: someone's elected and eventually moves in. Wow, that's pretty fascinating, 435 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: you know. One of the things I was thinking about 436 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: is how many people are around the president and his 437 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: family and and other officials too, you know, like when 438 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: they're having these very private or confidential conversations, and I 439 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: guess they sometimes just have to kind of disappear into 440 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: the background when all that's going on. Yeah, and this 441 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: is the case with two other sets of employees, the 442 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: housekeeping staff, which is about twenty and the six full 443 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 1: time butlers. So Anderson and Brower has this really interesting 444 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: section on the housekeeping crew having to work around the 445 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: First family, and here's how she describes it after a 446 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: conversation with Christine Limerick, who managed the housekeeping staff for 447 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: about thirty years. Limerick describes a delicate dance the maids 448 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 1: must do as they try not to disturb the First family. 449 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: If they walk in the room, they look at you 450 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: and say you can finish. You don't have to leave. 451 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: If they tell you to stay, you do what you 452 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,479 Speaker 1: need to do, but you have an ability to let 453 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: what's going on around you just go over your head. 454 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: Even if the First family wanted time alone, the residents 455 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 1: workers would often leave one room and go to work 456 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: in an adjoining chamber. Limericks said, the maids followed the 457 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: same code as the butlers. They see, but they don't see. 458 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: They hear, but they don't hear. They don't speak to 459 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: members of the First family or the guests unless spoken to, 460 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: and they never approached them with personal requests. That's really interesting. 461 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 1: And then you mentioned the butler. So do they mainly 462 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: serve the meals and or is that what they do? Yeah? 463 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: So what what is the fancy state dinners or just 464 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 1: everyday meals for the First family? These are served by 465 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: the butlers. They also got snacks for the family and 466 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: prepare food in the off hours if the chef staff 467 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: isn't on duty. Though apparently Michelle Obama didn't want her 468 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: daughters to get too used to being waited on, so 469 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 1: she was pretty careful about how much she would allow 470 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: them to serve. Sasha Emiliyah. Yeah, I can definitely see 471 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: how that might be a concern with kids. All right, Well, 472 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: there's there's one of the group I think we should 473 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: talk about. But before we do that, let's take a 474 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: quick break. All right, Mango, it's quiz time, and I 475 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: know we've been talking about people that work at the 476 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 1: White House. So you've put together a really fun quiz 477 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: for us today, and we are joined by a couple 478 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: of our friends here who've actually been on the show 479 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: I think three or four times now if I'm not mistaken. 480 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: We've got Ben Bowling and Noel Brown, the co host 481 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: of Stuff they Don't Want You to Know, but also 482 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:35,719 Speaker 1: the host of a brand new show here and how 483 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: Stuff Works called Ridiculous History. Welcome guys, Thanks thanks for 484 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: having us. We're actually boned up on this quiz thing 485 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 1: because we just introduced a segment on Ridiculous History where 486 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: our nemesis Jonathan stricklinguister the Quister to torture and brate 487 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 1: us with ridiculous quizzes. So if you're into this kind 488 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: of quiz action, you should check out the show. Check 489 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:58,959 Speaker 1: us out. Well, we want to hear a little bit 490 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: more about it. Tell us how what what's Ridiculous History 491 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: all about? We love the show, but we want our 492 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: listeners to know about it. Oh gosh, thank you so much. Well, 493 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: so history is riddled with things that are beautiful, brutal, 494 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: and at times ridiculous. So in our show that comes 495 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: out twice a week, Nolan, I look at little known 496 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: episodes throughout the stories of human civilization, like, um, give 497 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: a little fun nuggets like did you know that there 498 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 1: were a class of Russian hipsters that bootleg music by 499 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: etching them into discarded X ray films? Or that, uh, 500 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: there is a reason British lawyers insisted upon wearing those 501 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: anachronistic wigs. I loved that episode, by the way, thank you, 502 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: thank you so much. We learned stuff every time we 503 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 1: do one of these, and part of the fun is 504 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,640 Speaker 1: that we're we're not experts, you know, We're we're we're 505 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: pretty we're pals and we get a kick out of 506 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: like reading up on this stuff and discussing it. But 507 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: we always learned something every time we do one, and 508 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: we kind of tend to like to surprise each other, 509 00:24:57,880 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 1: which makes it fun for us. We hope it makes 510 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: it one people listening. But do you I know you 511 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: guys are into music. Do you do you have any 512 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: of that bone music? Like any of those records we 513 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: found some Yeah, we did find some. You can you 514 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 1: can find some online. You can actually buy some of 515 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: the original recordings. We do have to say, however, that 516 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 1: they were made on these uh these discarded X ray 517 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: film and although they are functional, the quality does show. Yeah, 518 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: we had UM at the time. Superproducer Alex who, speaking 519 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: of music, did an amazing job at composing the interim music, 520 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: making a lot of email about UM. He found some 521 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,639 Speaker 1: examples and kind of strung a few together into kind 522 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: of like a bone music mixtape that happened in the 523 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: end of the episode. So you can a lot of 524 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,959 Speaker 1: stuff like weird like instrumental jazz, and then there's like Elvis, 525 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: anything that you can think of that would have been popular, 526 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: like and uh illegal in in opposition to what the 527 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: USSR saw as their ideological values. So you're listening to 528 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 1: very dangerous music looks because this stuff is creepy looking. 529 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,920 Speaker 1: It's like some kind of cigarette burn that makes the 530 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: hole where you put it on the turntable, and the 531 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: rest of it's just kind of cut out with scissors, 532 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: so it's got these real rough edges and typically it's 533 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: like a stern um. Yeah, really creepy, less super metal 534 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: like a nine inch nails T shirts. That's well. Speaking 535 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 1: of dangerous though, I think it's time to put you 536 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: guys to the test now again, listeners, I hope you 537 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: will check out Ridiculous History. It is an awesome new 538 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 1: show here from How Stuff Works. But we've got a 539 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: quiz to get to Mango. What is our quiz today? 540 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,680 Speaker 1: It's called that other white House Quiz. That Oh, that's 541 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 1: a good name, all right. So there are dozens of 542 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: knockoff white houses scattered around the world, so this quiz 543 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: obviously is to locate just a few of them. So 544 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: we're gonna give you a white house and a clue 545 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: and you just have to tell us where it is. 546 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: Now we're gonna have you guys face off. The fact 547 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: that we learned earlier is that Ben loves cows. So 548 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,119 Speaker 1: Ben is going to move when he's ready to answer. 549 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:04,679 Speaker 1: And no, I don't know if you love birds, but 550 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: you get Tom terrified him, Oh you're terrified. Put that 551 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: fear to use. That's right. This is gonna be a 552 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 1: way for you to kind of take ownership of your ornophobia. 553 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,600 Speaker 1: I think you were telling me it's called I'm diagnosed. Yes, well, 554 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: this is this is gonna be good for you, man, 555 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: I'm ready. You could call ben. Okay, here we go. 556 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: Question number one. The most famous upside down white house 557 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: in the world features an upside down briefing room an 558 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,920 Speaker 1: upside down oval office, both of which are manned by 559 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: animatronic robots. But if you want to go there, you'll 560 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,640 Speaker 1: have to go to the state known as America's dairy Land. 561 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: All right, nol, what state are we talking about? Wisconsin? 562 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,919 Speaker 1: Well done? All right, tell me more about this upside 563 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: down white house. It's actually one of at least three 564 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 1: upside down white houses. So the others are actually right 565 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: side up when you walk through the doors, and they 566 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: mostly have arcade inside a little bonus to one end. 567 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: I'm confused about this. It's like just like a bizarro 568 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: white house. It's called the Top Secret white House, and 569 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 1: it's a it's just in the tells of Wisconsin. Sounds 570 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: like there's so many different white houses, perhaps that you 571 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: have to find an angle. I think I think you 572 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 1: need an angle. Yeah, y, alright. Question number two. Not 573 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: far from the actual white House, a Vietnamese immigrant built 574 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 1: himself a replica white house that we put it up 575 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: for sale once he was feeling emptiness syndrome. What state 576 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: also known as the birthplace of presidents? Is this house 577 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: located in move I'm gonna get this one wrong with 578 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: Grace and of plum. Is it Maryland? It's not mary 579 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: He is going to get this one wrong. I'll take 580 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: a steel Nebraska, just completely complete shot in the dark, 581 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: not far from the actual White House? So are are 582 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: are host here struggling a little bit? It's actually in Virginia. 583 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: That's what that was his other guests. You guys did 584 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: not specify US presidents though. Oh that's a good that's 585 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 1: because you totally would have nailed it otherwise. But how 586 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 1: many of US presidents who were born in the state 587 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: of Virginia? Eight? Al Right, here we go, redemption, Here, 588 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: here we go. Number three White House replicas built mostly 589 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: out of tiny Danish bricks. Are house that this theme 590 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: park with locations in Florida and California. I mean the 591 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: birds scared him so badly that a boop came out Disney. No, 592 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 1: it is not alright, a boop. You want to take 593 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: another shot at this tiny Danish bricks, tiny Danish bricks. Oh, 594 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:54,959 Speaker 1: go for it again. He's not ready. I'm all I 595 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: was thrown by my my bird. Focus is it? Is it? Uh? 596 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: Is it Lego related? And can I say the Lego 597 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: Land in Atlanta entirely underwhelming mall? It's a good mall. 598 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 1: It's still not recovered from the boom that was terrific. Okay, guys, 599 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: it is one to one. Okay, I know we're laughing here, 600 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 1: but things are pretty tight. All right, there's two questions left, 601 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: one to one. Question number four, the replica white House 602 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: in this country is now being used as a school. 603 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: You might know the country better for having the third 604 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: busiest McDonald's in the world, or for its capital of Kiev. Alright, 605 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: let's hear it is Ukraine. Wow? Alright? Question number five, 606 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 1: I think we have to for Ben. Is that right? Okay? 607 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: Here we go. Last question. This is your chance. This 608 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: one's actually a two pointer nol so you have the 609 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: chance for the wind. Okay, I'm ready. A real estate 610 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: mogul and Iranian immigrant built himself a three fourth scale 611 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: model of the White House with shrubbery that reads God 612 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: Loves You in the front lawn. What city also home 613 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: to You're ready? The CNN Center, the Cocoa. Oh, what 614 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 1: do you think, mango? I think, I think I heard. 615 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: I think I heard a bird sound. Let's hear it? Atlanta? 616 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: It is Atlanta, Georgia. Wow. No, wait, why is it 617 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: a three fourth scale? You've you've built seventy five in 618 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: size of the White House. Why would you just not going? Yeah? 619 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: Maybe he used he used that extra uh to make 620 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: a one four size replica of something else? Could I 621 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: like that? I like that? God, I think you get 622 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 1: a bonus point for that one, which I think brings 623 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: these guys three to three. I do want to think again. 624 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 1: Ben and Noll, the host of the awesome Ridiculous History 625 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: for joining us today, I mean probably will have you back. Yeah, 626 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: at least Rochambau for it. Let's do it to you guys, 627 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: all right, one to shoot we got uh? He crushed me. 628 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,959 Speaker 1: I'm crushed. Well done, rock speak scissors should station can 629 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: stick it as a tie. Thank you so much for 630 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: having this song. Guys. We are huge fans of Part 631 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: Time Genius. Time. We want to do a little like 632 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: a crossover rochambo event with all four of us where 633 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: we'd like do a podcast shared topic. Let's do it 634 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History and part Time Genius. All right, get ready 635 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: for that, guys. But thank you guys for coming on. 636 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: Welcome back to part time genius. So before the break, 637 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:48,960 Speaker 1: will you were saying that there was one more group 638 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: of non political employees at the White House that you 639 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:53,160 Speaker 1: wanted to talk about. Yeah, and in fact, they might 640 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: actually be the biggest group, and that's the Uniform Division 641 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: of the Secret Service. Now, you know, we're all pretty 642 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 1: familiar with the Secret Service members who protect the President 643 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: and the first family, but when it comes to making 644 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: sure that the White House as a whole is secure, 645 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 1: that job falls on a division of the Secret Service 646 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: known as the Uniform Division. This is a police force 647 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:16,719 Speaker 1: of about thirteen hundred officers, so many more than I 648 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: thought would be there. Yeah. Yeah, Well they're the ones 649 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: that come face to face with the public. You know, 650 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,040 Speaker 1: they screen the visitors to the White House. Their task 651 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 1: with keeping bad people from getting anywhere near not only 652 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: the President, but even the special agents who are around 653 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: the president. And do they only protect the White House 654 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: that's a good question, but but no, they're also responsible 655 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: for protecting the Vice president's residents as well as the 656 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: Treasury Building and then all the foreign diplomatic missions and 657 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 1: embassies that are scattered throughout d C. And there are 658 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: several specialized units as well, from the Canine Unit to 659 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: the counter sniper Team, the Motorcade Support Unit, the Emergency 660 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: Response Team, and several others as well. Well. I mean, 661 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: this is clearly an incredibly important division, and now that 662 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: I know how many locations they keep secure, it does 663 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 1: make sense they're be you know, well over a thousand 664 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: of them. Speaking of keeping the White House secured, did 665 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: you wonder before researching for this episode, how difficult it 666 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: is to get hired by the White House? Oh? Definitely. 667 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 1: And it doesn't appear that you're going to find White 668 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: House jobs just posted on like monster dot com or anything, 669 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 1: because I checked. But in most cases people get hired 670 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: because they had a friend or a family member recommend them, 671 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 1: and some families have had several members work in the 672 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: White House. But yeah, for the most part, there's a 673 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,920 Speaker 1: much greater comfort when somebody already on the inside can 674 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,479 Speaker 1: vouch for a potential new hire, and then of course 675 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: after that they're heavily vetted from there. Sure that's pretty interesting. Well, 676 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 1: I feel like we've learned a ton about several of 677 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,399 Speaker 1: the key behind the scene jobs at the White House, 678 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: but I've saved a couple of them because you know 679 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: what time it is, it's fact off time. So I 680 00:34:57,760 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: think it's interesting to look back at jobs that might 681 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,800 Speaker 1: have been nest say in the past, but aren't really 682 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 1: needed anymore. And one of those jobs is theater projectionist. 683 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:07,919 Speaker 1: So FDR had a movie theater built in the White 684 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: House in the forties, and a projectionist was later hired 685 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: to be on call around the clock, you know, in 686 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:14,959 Speaker 1: case a member of the First Family wanted to watch 687 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 1: a movie at three AM. And one of the White 688 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,959 Speaker 1: House projectionists, Paul Fisher, worked there for over thirty years 689 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 1: until and he served seven presidents. He actually kept a 690 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: log of the over five thousand movies he showed in 691 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 1: that time. Oh wow, it would actually be really interesting 692 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 1: to see what movies were shown to which presidents. But alright, well, 693 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: one of the roles you don't hear about much now 694 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,719 Speaker 1: but must have been very interesting is that of a 695 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,560 Speaker 1: nanny for the First Family. And just to show how 696 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: close those nannies could be to the families, And this 697 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: one is heartbreaking, but maud Shaw, the Kennedy's British nanny. 698 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: She was apparently the one who told Caroline and John Jr. 699 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: About their father's assassination. That is heartbreaking. So I actually 700 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 1: had a fact about a White House nanny as well, 701 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: and we've referenced the story before where I think, but 702 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: it's really interesting. So a young African American woman named 703 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 1: Mary Prince became the Native Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy, while 704 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 1: also serving prison term for murder. And at the time, 705 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,000 Speaker 1: Carter was Governor of Georgia and Prince was assigned to 706 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: work at the governor's mansion. She became really close to 707 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: the family, and when he was elected President, Rosalind Carter 708 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: secured parole for Prince, who she believed was wrongly convicted, 709 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,400 Speaker 1: to come join them in the White House and continue 710 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: as Amy's nanny. President Carter actually served as her parole officer, 711 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: and Prince later received a full pardon from the state, 712 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:35,200 Speaker 1: not from Carter. Uh, well, you talked earlier about the 713 00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: executive chef, but we didn't talk about the White House 714 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,800 Speaker 1: Executive pastry chef. So this is a position that was 715 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: made permanent back in nineteen seventy nine. But they get 716 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: to work on some pretty big projects, like the four 717 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:52,279 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy five pound dark chocolate covered gingerbread house 718 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 1: that was a big part of the holiday decorations overseen 719 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: by Michelle Obama one year. I love that there's a 720 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,640 Speaker 1: four hundred seventy five ginger bright houses and that's a 721 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: big one. Yeah. So the White House is such an 722 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 1: old and big place that there's both a paint shop 723 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: with two full time painters who are just like constantly 724 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: touching up and repainting the walls, and a carpenter shop 725 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,920 Speaker 1: where the carpenters built furniture and work on other necessary projects. 726 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: I mean, it really just is amazing how many people 727 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:22,760 Speaker 1: are constantly working behind the scenes there. But speaking of carpenters, 728 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:23,960 Speaker 1: I don't know if he meant to do this, but 729 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,800 Speaker 1: I appreciate the set up here, Mango, because one White 730 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: House carpenter, his name is Charlie Brands. He actually transitioned 731 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 1: into a very different job in two thousand nine, and 732 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 1: this is when he brought in some bees from hives 733 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,279 Speaker 1: that he looked after at home. Now, to be clear, 734 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: he was asked to do this. He didn't just bring 735 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: in a bunch of bees to the White House. But 736 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:44,400 Speaker 1: you remember Michelle Obama installed her famous vegetable garden in 737 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: the south lawn that year, and and the White House 738 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: chef wanted a couple of bee hives, so Brands provided 739 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: the bees and ended up becoming the White House beekeeper, 740 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 1: the first of these, and he retired as a carpenter 741 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: but continued taking care of the bees. I mean, isn't 742 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 1: that you know a sweet story? Well it is. But 743 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 1: anyone bold enough to tell a good story and then 744 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,400 Speaker 1: follow it with a pun like that deserves a trophy. 745 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:09,719 Speaker 1: So I think you get the trophy for today's backed off. 746 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: Thank you very much and thanks for listening today. I 747 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: do want to thank Jocelyn Sears for the great research 748 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: for today's episode and also the terrific book by Kate 749 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,720 Speaker 1: Anderson Brower, The Residents. If you guys have any facts 750 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: about the White House or anything related to Presidents that 751 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: you feel like we should know, we love to hear 752 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:29,120 Speaker 1: from you. You can always email us part Time Genius 753 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 1: at how stuff Works dot com or call us on 754 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,120 Speaker 1: our seven fact hotline one eight four four pt Genius, 755 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:37,600 Speaker 1: or as always, you can hit us up on Facebook 756 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: or Twitter. But thanks for listening, Thanks again for listening. 757 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of How Stuff Works 758 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do 759 00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: the important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan 760 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 1: McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme 761 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:06,040 Speaker 1: song and does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland 762 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: does the exact producer thing. Gave Bluesier is our lead researcher, 763 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,400 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army, including Austin Thompson, Nolan 764 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the 765 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 766 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,839 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 767 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:20,839 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 768 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:23,880 Speaker 1: a good review for us. Do we forget Jason? Jason 769 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: who