1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: I guess what will What's that man Go? So? Have 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: you seen this trailer for the movie Tag. It's about 3 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: these brothers who play an epic game at Tag. I 4 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: I think John Ham's in it, and maybe Ed Helms. Yeah, 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: I was gonna say I saw Ed Helms was in it. 6 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: I saw a couple of articles about it. It looks 7 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: pretty funny, and actually saw it's based on a real story, right. Yeah, 8 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: So when I heard that, I was actually a little 9 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: confused because I've heard this other great story about brothers 10 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: playing Tag and this from a while back. So this guy, 11 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: Richard Mellon was actually like a captain of industry. I 12 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: wanted to say. He came from Pittsburgh and he and 13 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: his younger brother Andrew had this game of Tag that 14 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: they'd play, and apparently the game lasted for seven decades. 15 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: It's not nuts. But here's the craziest part, right, So 16 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: when Richard was on his deathbed, he summoned his brother 17 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: Andrew over to him, and he pulled him close and 18 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: then he just whispered into his ear last Tag and 19 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: then he died. Oh I love that. It's such like 20 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: a just kind of like a big brother thing to do. 21 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: But were those actually his last words? Yeah, and apparently 22 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 1: Andrew had to stay it for four more years, is 23 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: until he passed away. But that that story made me 24 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: think we should do today's nine Things about epic last words. 25 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: Let's dive in. Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part 26 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,199 Speaker 1: Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm joined 27 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: by my good friend man guest shot Ticketer and behind 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: the soundproof glass just chugging this big jug of V 29 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: eight as he works from my I I feel like 30 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: he thinks, if he drinks enough VA, he's just never 31 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: gonna have to think about his last words. Well, you 32 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: just never know. I mean, he's a really smart guy. 33 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: But that's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. All right, mango. 34 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: So I know last words are a little bit of 35 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: a morbid topic, but I still find them pretty fascinating. 36 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: I just can't help it. And I know John Green 37 00:01:58,320 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: when he used to work at Mental Flaws, he was 38 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: completely obsessed with these. Yeah, I remember showing those like 39 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: pages of this and uh, a lot of that found 40 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: its way into Looking for Alaska. But uh, one of 41 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: the things I remember was like that was the first 42 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: time I heard that Dylan Thomas quote about eighteen straight 43 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: Whiskey's I think that's the record, which were his last words, 44 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: horrible last words, and also Henry Ward Beecher's one about 45 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: now Comes the Mystery, which is way more poetic. You know, 46 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: I think the part of what's so great about last 47 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: words is when somebody you already consider a genius says 48 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: something funny or just meaningful, or even exactly as the 49 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: character you want them to be. There's something so satisfying 50 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: about that. No, I definitely agree. So I kicked this 51 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: off with the tag story, but I'm curious, what's your 52 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: first last word going to be? All right, well, I 53 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: think I'm going to kick this off with a smart 54 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: alec who didn't disappoint, and that's Bold Tair. Now, I 55 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: know you and I have plenty of great facts about 56 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: bull Tair. I know that's yeah. I got so many 57 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: Voltaire facts up in here, but any why you know, 58 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: there was the one that he was pen pals with 59 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: Catherine the Great and then he supposedly drank forty cups 60 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: of coffee a day. They may have been tiny cups, 61 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: but still it's pretty impressive, I know. And and supposedly 62 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: he was such a fiend for coffee that he actually 63 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: imported these luxury beans because he couldn't just drink plain coffee. Really, 64 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: I actually didn't know that about the luxury beans. Well, 65 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: my favorite story about Voltaire is what he told his 66 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: priest on his deathbed. And as the story goes, the 67 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: priest new Voltaire was close to death, so he was 68 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: encouraging him to use his last words to secure his 69 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: place in heaven, just kind of pressing him on it 70 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: over and over to renounce Satan. And you know, of 71 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: course Voltaire, being a legendary smart Alec just says to him, now, 72 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: my good man, this is no time for making enemies, 73 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: and then he passed away. That's pretty great. So here's 74 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: a weird one. I'd heard that I just thought was 75 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: an urban legend. But did you know that the Nike 76 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: slogan just Do It is based on a phrase from 77 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: death Row. No, seriously, Yeah, it's so grim. But apparently, 78 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: you know Dan Widen, he's like from that legendary ad 79 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: firm Widening Kennedy. He was he was trying to come 80 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: up with some sort of slogan to tie all of 81 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: Nike's advertisements together. And this is a totally separate and 82 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: weird thing. I actually read that um Phil Knight, the 83 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: CEO of Nike, thought TV advertising was like a mistake 84 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: for the brand and just a big waste of time. 85 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: And widen't actually had to really convince him to do it, 86 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: and you need to convince him to trust them and whatever. 87 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: But anyway, he was trying to figure a way to 88 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: tie all these ads together, and he remembered the last 89 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: words of this murderer from Portland, this guy named Gary Gilmore, 90 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: who in the late seventies was put in front of 91 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: a firing squad and before they shot, he just shouted, 92 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 1: let's do it. And I guess Widen edited out the 93 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 1: phrase let's and insort of justin That's how just do 94 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: it came to be. That's so strange. It's also so 95 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: strange to imagine in the seventies firing squad. I know, 96 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: a bizarre thing, but I don't know. What's weirder is 97 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: that I had actually written down the story of Nike 98 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: as a last word, and so I think I'm gonna 99 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: use that one next. So the reason we run marathons, 100 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 1: or that people run marathons, is to honor a messenger 101 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: from four and im DBC and we've heard this story before, 102 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: but it's still pretty fascinating. But according to the myth, 103 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: he raised from the city of Marathon to Athens after 104 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: the Athenian army had won a battle, and supposedly it 105 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: was incredibly hot that day and he raised the twenty 106 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: six miles between the cities, and when he got there 107 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: he uttered that one glorious word for victory, Nike, and 108 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: then he passed out. Yeah, and now the goddess has 109 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: a shoe company name for which is great, so all 110 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: worth it. So one thing I love about last words, 111 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: and I feel like I couldn't find enough of this 112 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: was people using their deathbed as a soapbox to really 113 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: complain about someone they detested, kind of like festivals, you know, 114 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: the airing of grievances exactly. So these are like words 115 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: that are worthy of Frank Constanzas and uh and so 116 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: this one is actually one that Chris Higgins, our friend, 117 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: found on Mental Floss and I just love it. So 118 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: apparently there was this pickpocket named Thomas B. Moran who 119 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 1: was nicknamed Butterfingers. I've never heard this story before, but uh, 120 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: you know, you think of Butterfingers as someone who drops 121 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: balls in the outfield and not someone who's like a 122 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: silky smooth pickpocket. But by all accounts, Moran was, and 123 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: he had stolen over fifty thousand wallets over the course 124 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: of his career. Right, that's amazing. But these are his 125 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,799 Speaker 1: last words quote I've never forgiven that smart alecky reporter 126 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: who named me butterfingers to me, it's not funny. And 127 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: then he died he'd really been wrong and feels so 128 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: sorry for the guy. But I know it was probably 129 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: a relief that he finally got to admit that. But 130 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: all right, well here's what I really liked, because it 131 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: kind of shows someone's true spirit. So Marie Antoinette obviously 132 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: got a bad rap for the whole let them have 133 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: cake comment, which of course she didn't even say. But 134 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: you know that public perception of her was clearly as 135 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: this out of touch royal who didn't really care for others. 136 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: But you know, when you look at her last words, 137 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: it kind of paints a different picture. So as she 138 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: was walking to the guillotine, she accidentally steps on the 139 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: executioner's foot, so her last words supposedly were pardon me, sir, 140 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: I meant not to do it. Huh, So that actually 141 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: makes me like her a lot more like when you're 142 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: on your way to be executed, you normally have like 143 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: tons of things on your mind. But I like that 144 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: she decided to use her manners and was considered of others. Yeah, anyway, 145 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: so we've got a couple more of these before we 146 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: settle on a winner. But let's do those after a 147 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: quick break. Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're 148 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: talking about famous last words, and we've got a couple 149 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: more stories to tell, Mango, So you know what's funny. 150 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: And I realized this is a little off topic, but 151 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: every time I hear the phrase famous last words, I 152 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: think about my study abroad trip in college. So before 153 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: I went, like the group had sent out this packing 154 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: list of supplies you should have, and part of our 155 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: trip was at the foothills of Everest essentially, so it 156 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: was through Nepal and Tibet, but there were these places 157 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: and elevations that were really really cold. So my mom 158 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: took me to this Army Navy surplus store to get 159 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: like a really good sleeping bag and some of the 160 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: other things, and the shop was totally empty, like everything 161 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: was dusty, and they had a lot of these goods 162 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: just stacked up, and it seemed like people hadn't really 163 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: gone there in a while. And the shop keep he 164 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: just seemed like this grizzled old veteran. But I think 165 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: he spotted my mom and realized there was a sale 166 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: to be made here. So like every time my mom 167 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: took out this list and she'd look at it and 168 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 1: she'd say things like it says two pairs of extra 169 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: thick socks, he just looked at her and he'd say 170 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: famous last words, just like grumble it to her, and 171 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: then she'd be like, three pairs, the three pairs, write 172 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: four pairs. We'll take six pairs. Like I feel like 173 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: by the end of this trip we had this station 174 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: wagon full of things we didn't need. It was crazy. 175 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: I can so picture that. But that's pretty great. Well, 176 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: speaking of famous last words, what are you going to 177 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: use is your last last words of the day? So 178 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: initially I was thinking I'd aim for something funny, right, 179 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: because there are tons of those. There's a Groucho Marx 180 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: who said this is no way to live, or Richard Feynman, 181 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: who you know is that physicist who said this dying 182 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: is boring, but I'm actually gonna go with something a 183 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: little bit sweeter. And this is Arthur Conan Doyle, who 184 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: you know, we know from Sherlock Holmes stories. And he 185 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: was in his garden, which I imagine is this beautiful 186 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: English garden, and just before he died, he clutched his chest, 187 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: turned to his wife and said, you are wonderful, and 188 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: then he passed away. Oh wow, that's sweet and romantic. 189 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: But actually, Mango, I feel like I may have one 190 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: even better for you. And he's come from Harriet Tubman. 191 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: Oh no, the Harriet Tubman card. So I feel like 192 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 1: we've done lots of stories about Harriet Tubman over the years, 193 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: but I actually know nothing about her death. Yeah. So 194 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: sadly she died of pneumonia, and there are a few 195 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: accounts of how she left. There's there's one that said, 196 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: you know, she told some clergyman, give my love to 197 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,719 Speaker 1: all the churches, and then she quoted a biblical passage 198 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: and that passage was I go away to prepare a 199 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: place for you. But I think the version I like 200 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: more is that after she made her statement, her family, 201 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: you know, kind of sensing that the end was near, 202 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: they gathered around her and sang together, so the last 203 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: words of hers were actually swing low, sweet chariot, that's 204 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: really lovely. I think you've got to take this round. 205 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: That's it for today's nine Things. We're gonna be back 206 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: tomorrow with a full length episode, but thank you so 207 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: much for listening.