1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: back to the show Ridiculous Historians. As always, thank you 3 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: for tuning in. You can hear a little bit of 4 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: a laugh in my voice because this uh when we're 5 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: recording this intro after we did a saga on fudge 6 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: and realized it had to be a two parter. I'm 7 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: ben uh, and please listen to Fudge Part one if 8 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 1: you don't want to be confused by Fudge Part two. 9 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: It's true. You really need that chronology there. We got 10 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: to set the groundwork for this fudge exploration. I'm Noel. 11 00:00:53,159 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: By the way, here we go. Uh. The were considered 12 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: illicit fudge parties. Yeah. They would sneak into each other's 13 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: rooms and sneak food into their rooms as well. Were 14 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: to like fudge wasn't the only thing there. It's just 15 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: the one most closely associated with Vasser because of the 16 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: invention of fudge. But they would fry oysters like a 17 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: single oyster over a hat pin, over the little you know, 18 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: the little lamp that you would use to illuminate your 19 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: room or to heat things in chemistry class. And then 20 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: they would hide from the teachers who are supervising them, 21 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: and they would stay up past their strict ten pm curfew. 22 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: We have to remember at this time the students at 23 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: Vasser and many other institutions were suffering from the very 24 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: strict sort of Victorian ideals, which were so hypocritical. The 25 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: Victorian morals, we've all heard of them. So they had 26 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: to eat land food, they had to go to bed 27 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,559 Speaker 1: at ten. But these are college kids, so they're saying 28 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: forget that. And strange because we know that this stuff 29 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: became more and more and more popular, first and Vassar 30 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: and then across the US, going back to Heartridge, the 31 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: recipe that she mentioned became the standard for what we 32 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: call American style fudge today. It got so popular that 33 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: the Chicago Tribute name checked Vassar and fudge in I'm 34 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 1: not going to do a voice, but I am going 35 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: to emphasize the parts of the quote that are italicized 36 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: so you can really get the message home. They say, quote, 37 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: Vassar girls not only indulged freely in suite of any 38 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: known variety, but they get up new recipes whenever they're sated. 39 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: Pallets demanded change. Fudge may be eaten hot or cold, 40 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: but it's never so truly delicious as when at the 41 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: witching hour of midnight it's first removed from the gas 42 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: jet or alcohol lamp and served on bits of cardboard 43 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: or portions of the manicure set, bubbling hot to a 44 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: group of maidens in night attire. That sounds scandalous, What 45 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: a scene, What a bacchanalian scene, bubbling hot on a 46 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: manicure set. That that is tittle lady. Uh yeah, but 47 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: I mean that's the thing though. It really did start 48 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: in the women's college circuit, and it started to spread, um, 49 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 1: Other female college students would start making their own fudge 50 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: and just really pumping the stuff out and creating different 51 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: spins on it, and it began to become this kind 52 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: of inside secret, you know, among the student body at 53 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: various of you know, women's universities and colleges. So the 54 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: early recipes of it were considered to be a college dish. 55 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,119 Speaker 1: It would be. I don't know what that means exactly. 56 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: I guess it means what it sounds like. Um. In 57 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: eight seven, the New York Tribune started to take notice 58 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: and in a very similar quote to the scene that 59 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: you rick out had been in that other one, Uh, 60 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: they said that the confection was best enjoyed. Quote when 61 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: a doesn't know more. Girls are congregated in a room, 62 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: sitting on the sofa, cushions spread out on the floor 63 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: in a mystic circle around an alcohol stove, from which 64 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: the odor of fudge rises like incense. It's like an opium. 65 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: Dan Man. Yeah, like, oh yeah, I've got a pitch. 66 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: I've got a pitch. And you know, Casey, I want 67 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: you to weigh in on this with two So what 68 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: if what if we make a film that's like the Craft? 69 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: You know, wait, you know what, forget it. It's a 70 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: gritty reboot of the Craft, but it's it's it's kind 71 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: of about occult, but it's mainly about students at Vassar 72 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: illicitly making fudge. We can use all our fudge puns. 73 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: We could say fudge drunk, you know, fudge enthusiasts, but 74 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: we can still call it the Craft because it's the 75 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: craft of fudge. I'm writing this down. Hang, well, can't 76 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: we just call it the fudge? Yeah? But I like 77 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: the idea of craft. It's definitely a craft for sure. 78 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: Like we said, I mean to take some nohow and 79 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: some uh and some really some kind of innovation here. 80 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: They were really taking what they had to available to 81 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: them and making this stuff with these gas lamps and 82 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: putting themselves in harm's way for the sweet, sweet taste 83 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: of fudge. There is even a poem that came from 84 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: the literary magazine for vass Or the vass Arian, which 85 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 1: I love. What purchased us upon a chair to stir 86 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: a saucepan held in air, which tipping pores upon our hair. Fudges, right, fudges. 87 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: It's interesting because it's used in a plural sense. On 88 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: fudge was its own plural, you know, like one fun 89 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: piece of fudge, a batch of fudge. Well maybe they 90 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: fudge different recipes, you know, maybe different dorms had their 91 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: own like maybe some of them were making chocolate fudge, 92 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: some of them were making maple fudge, etcetera. I want 93 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: to go back to Casey. What do you think about it? 94 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: Fudge based grainy reboot of the Craft. I'm just thinking 95 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: about like how we how we bring the original cast back, 96 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: because you know, you've got to have the new generation 97 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: and like the lead roles. But maybe like Nev Campbell 98 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: is like a professor or something like that. I don't know. 99 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 1: There we go, all right, there we go. So fudge 100 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: has been outlawed, kind of like dancing and foot loose, 101 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: you know, And and it's like a secret that only 102 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: the old guard a k a. For Usa Balk and 103 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: her coven no, and they have to secretly pass it 104 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 1: down to the new generation. And they gather sort of 105 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: you through whispers and stuff in in these like labs 106 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: after hours where they teach them how to make fudge 107 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: and potentially do light it as a feather stiff as 108 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: a plate of fudge. Yeah, and they also you know, 109 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: they chance, but it's like the recipe for fudge as 110 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: they're making it. And then there's like a course, there's 111 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: an old book that has the secrets, you know, the 112 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: different recipes, and then they get discovered. Right, we could 113 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: throw in and then they have to take on the 114 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: patriarchy because it's clearly them who are trying to shut 115 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: down this fudge making. Yeah, they want to can roll it. 116 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: They're like kidnapping students and forcing them to make fudge 117 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: for do a little bit of a dune tie. And 118 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: we he who controls the fudge controls the world. The 119 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: fudge must flow, yes, okay, because those crystals are too. 120 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: Damn big. I'm smelling a franchise here. I think this 121 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: is bigger than one movie. Okay, UM, you're welcome, producers, 122 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: but I'm just gonna pretend there's a law that because 123 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: we came up with us on air, we have the 124 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: rights to it. Anyhow, Frusa, please call us. Boy, do 125 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: we have news for you? Uh? And you know, speaking 126 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: of fantastic segues, boy, do we have news for you? 127 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: Is something that a lot of other colleges felt when 128 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: they when they heard about Vassar's fudge fat. It's a 129 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: fudge fat, and it became a college wide fad. Vassar 130 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: students were making. They typically had um one recipe they 131 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: kind of styled off of chocolate, butter and sugar, so 132 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: technically a chocolate fudge. But other colleges were making versions 133 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: of fudge that at Marshmallows and students at Smith College 134 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: made fudge that used molasses. And as other newspapers were 135 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: describing this fudge fat, which is weird to say, um, 136 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: as they were describing this fudge fat, they were also 137 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: reporting the other colleges that we're getting into this. Remember 138 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: we we also talked about this reminds me of a 139 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 1: much more well adjusted version of the goldfish swallowing fat 140 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: that swept all those colleges. Remember that I do that 141 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 1: was a weird one. I would say this one is 142 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: much more wholesome and less nihilistic and uh cruel, let's say, agreed. 143 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: So as they were reporting this stuff, a triumvirate of 144 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: colleges came to be acknowledged as like the fundamental fudge makers. 145 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: And in a book in nineteen o nine called Chocolate 146 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: and Cocoa Recipes, Uh, there are three different fudge recipes. 147 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: They're all named after those three colleges. But we we 148 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,559 Speaker 1: made a promise in the beginning of today's episode that 149 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: we were going to explore fudge as an act of resistance. 150 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: What what do we mean when we said that, Well, 151 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: we've kind of got into it a little bit already, 152 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: just in that there was this very puritanical attitude towards 153 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: food and the idea that that women should not snack 154 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: or should you know, it was pretty sexist when you 155 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:34,959 Speaker 1: look at it now, though maybe coming from a place 156 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: of goodness by this this woman who is the president 157 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: of the university at the time, but yeah, it's like, no, man, 158 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: we like our bond bonds, and we like our sweet 159 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: and savory delights. Hence the roasting of the oysters over 160 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: the hat pins after that ten pm curfew, which was 161 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: also a little bit intense, you know, like no one 162 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: shall be out of their dormitories past ten pm. Uh. 163 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: Another dish that was very popular is something that I 164 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: hadn't heard about until recently in the movie Phantom Thread 165 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: Welsh rare bits. Oh yeah, rabbit. But it's like it's 166 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: almost like a what is it, ben, It's sort of 167 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: like a like a pudding, like a savory. It's like 168 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: cheese toast times ten. It's like cheese toast times ten. 169 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: And it has this great sauce go with it. I've 170 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: made some. Once we're out of this quarantine situation, once 171 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: we're done with what has essentially been one long bottle 172 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: episode of our sitcom, then I would love to make 173 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: you guys some Welsh rare bit of it. We're family show, 174 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,560 Speaker 1: so I'll say I have a kick butt recipe and Casey, yes, 175 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: I know, I still owe you that bulgogi. I'm just 176 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: I'm trying to. I have to cook it for you 177 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 1: when you're there. You know what I want to get 178 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: in on that, all right, Yeah, let's do it good 179 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: bull goo, But no, it's true the Welsh. I'm sorry, 180 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: I just I'm fascinated by this. I'm looking at pictures 181 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: of it now, and it does look like you said, 182 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: like cheese toast X because it's more of a fond 183 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: type cheese that you pour over top of it, mixed 184 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: with that savory sauce um and it's it's just looks 185 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: like a delight. And yeah, the rare bit, it is 186 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: it's hard to kind of trace the etymology. I mean, 187 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: I know that it is sort of a corruption and 188 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: that sounds really intense of the word rabbit rare bit, 189 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: just like a way it would have been pronounced in Welsh, 190 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: and so it's spelled that way like a rare bit, 191 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: but it definitely is meant to be interpreted as rabbit. 192 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: And there's other kinds like Dutch rare bit, buck rare bit. 193 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,199 Speaker 1: And then you did a little research on this yourself, 194 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: and while I don't think we've been able to quite 195 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: chase down why it's called that exactly, you have some theories. 196 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: I have some completely unfounded theories, uh a k A 197 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: think that I think are hilarious and I I say, 198 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: we go ahead and uh present to you this unfounded speculation. Okay, 199 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: So the term we know was Welsh rabbit in like 200 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: the mid seventeen hundreds. So what if what if it 201 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: was a term made by British people who were somehow 202 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: trying to nag on or dis the Welsh. You know, 203 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: what if they were like, well, I don't know, are 204 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: they implying like Welsh people can't catch rabbits or can't 205 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: afford them, so that's why it's Welsh rabbit, or like 206 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: so dumb that they think rabbits are cheese or something 207 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: like that. Right, Yeah, I see where you're going with that, Ben. 208 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: I think we should have a segment on the show 209 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: called wildly Unfounded speculation or something like that. That's that's 210 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: that's good now, I'm with you there, Ben. But it's 211 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: interesting because Casey was even looking it up while we 212 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: were talking, and there really is no known etymology for 213 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: why that is used. So I think wild speculation is 214 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: about the best we've got right now, and that is 215 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: still better than absolute pseudo science, which is what was 216 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: used to attempt to combat the love of fudge at Vassar. 217 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: It's strange because you know, it was a form of 218 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: mild rebellion, and these kids were being strictly controlled and 219 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: cracked down on. And there was kind of a double 220 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: standard for them because male students at colleges were getting 221 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: into way more trouble. But health wise, you know, as 222 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: I think most of us know, the century in the 223 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: US especially was just riddled with terrible ideas about what 224 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: you should do for your health, like yogurt enemas um. 225 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: Apologies Sydney teachers playing this in a classroom. Just check 226 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: out the Kellogg story as well as the idea that 227 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: you need to have bland diets. There was even a 228 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: food writer, right st Roarer, who is today known as 229 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: America's first dietitian. He toured these colleges int five and 230 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: he said, the scholastic standing of the students is held 231 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: like it's more important than the practical side of their education, 232 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: which this guy, by the way, considered learning how to 233 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: be a wife and mother. So imagine this writer is 234 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: going to this place and saying, you know, my problem 235 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: with this college is that they're teaching kids college courses basically. 236 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: And then and this is a female writer too, This 237 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: is a woman st Roher. She also says that these 238 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: girls like fudge too much. And by the way, there 239 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: was this kind of confederation, I guess or consortium of 240 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: all of these East Coast Liberal arts women's colleges, and 241 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: they were referred to collectively as the Seven sister as 242 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: Vassar was one of them. You also had Mount Holyoake, Smith, Wesley, Uh, Brent, Maher, Barnard, 243 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: and Radcliffe. Just to step back ever so quickly, um, 244 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: but yeah, she had some really intense hot takes on 245 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: what was going on there. She said the scholastic standing 246 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: of the students was held in far greater importance and 247 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: the more practical side of their education, that is, learning 248 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: how to be a wife and mother. Um. And she 249 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: referred to uh, the degradation of the health of female 250 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: students and attributed a bit directly to fudge. She says, 251 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: in a little while, she referring to a female student 252 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: who was in poor health and a little while she 253 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: is in the infirmary suffering from a bilious attack. Because 254 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: that was another one of those kind of like quackery 255 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: kind of things, the idea of too much bile built 256 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: up and the humors which I almost think it was 257 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: like that's almost like dark ages type type of medicine. Right, 258 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: so a bilious attack, and she attributed this to dinners 259 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: of fudge had overworked her liver in proper eating. With 260 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: the addition of fudge, had the capacity, according to Roarer, 261 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: to quote kill the week and ruin the middling. Oh man, 262 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: So there's our there's maybe our villain, one of our 263 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: antagonists in our our gritty reboot of the Craft, which 264 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: is of course expanding to a multi universe franchise. It's 265 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: weird because people on the other side of the spectrum 266 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: also didn't like fudge. So this right rst. Roarer is saying, 267 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: fudges preventing these kids from learning how to be wives 268 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: and mothers and you know, stick in the cookie cutter roles. 269 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: Society had a sign for them, but other people were 270 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: worried that fudge fuddled minds might hinder the academic progress 271 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: of their students. So administrators were saying, hey, these kids 272 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: are not focusing on their studies. We're out making future astronomers, 273 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: future chemist, future activists, and now they're all just turning 274 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: into um fudgie duddies or whatever they would say. They're 275 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: fudge fuddled. And one great thing about this is that 276 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: the opinions of people like Roarer did not seem to 277 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: really matter. The students of Vassar and the alumni thought 278 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: it was hilarious. They made so much fun of people 279 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: who were anti fudge, and they did it through satire. 280 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: Is why we all love college publications. Right, Like, they 281 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: had something where it would be like, can it be 282 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: that the Vassar girl has fallen so low? In my day? 283 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: We ate our good, wholesome Hutton stew without thought of 284 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 1: such proceedings destructive alike to physical and moral welfare. So there, 285 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: you know, I think they're rightly mocking them, the way 286 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,360 Speaker 1: that a lot of radio stations or um college students 287 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 1: used to mock the concerns kind of conservative parts of 288 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: the US that we're convinced listening to bands like Vanilla 289 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: Fudge would be a one way ticket to Satan worship, 290 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,439 Speaker 1: and let's not forget too that. I mean, you know, 291 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: there certainly was like a temperance movement for women. They 292 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,959 Speaker 1: were not expected, they were not allowed, or they were 293 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: expected not to imbibe alcoholic beverages, but their male counterparts 294 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 1: absolutely did. And that was sort of like, you know, 295 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: there was this sense of man all we want is 296 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: our tasty fudge treats. I mean, all the dudes are 297 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: out there swilling whiskey and spirits and going hog wild 298 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: in the reads, and we just want to, you know, 299 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: roast an oyster over an open flame, you know, without 300 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: fear of retribution from the brass um. So, you know, 301 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: I think it's a pretty reasonable request. And it was 302 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: very much, you know, like something that led to this 303 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: kind of rebellious attitude. There's a quote from an account 304 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: from one of these college students, female college students, who said, 305 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: we did not at college like some of the young 306 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: men drink whiskey or steel gates or shoot pistols at 307 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: policeman or club baseball umpires. Uh. And this was from 308 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: a student that attended Vassar at and that that was 309 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,360 Speaker 1: their thing. They had their midnight kind of fudge parties 310 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 1: and and why should they be deprived of that? Uh. 311 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: There's a book called College Girls, Blue Stockings, Sex Kittens 312 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 1: and co Eds Then and Now by Lynn Peril, and 313 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: she sums it up like this, that breaking those dormitory 314 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: lights out rules by meeting at midnight at an extra 315 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: philip of excitement and provided away for well bred college 316 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: girls to flout authority. Oh, that's one of my favorite 317 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: uses of philip. Okay, so they're using it to mean 318 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: something that is a stimulus or a booster to an activity, 319 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: But really it comes from this. Look it's it's yo. Right, 320 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 1: we're an audio podcast. People can't see it. That's a philip. 321 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: When you flick your finger like that. Oh seriously, Like 322 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 1: so a dollar filip dollarp little extra dash. Yeah, it's 323 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: it's little. If you do that to someone in their direction, 324 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure most people think it's kind of offensive. Right, 325 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: It's not a serious offense. It's not the middle finger, 326 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: but it's something anyway. One of the questions here that 327 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: we all have on our minds is what happens? Why 328 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: is there no longer a fudge craze? Well, like so 329 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: many college fads, the fudge fad reached a threshold of 330 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: I guess you would call it an inndation. The thing 331 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: that was cool became so accepted it was no longer cool. 332 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:07,199 Speaker 1: And now college students are saying, well, people are just 333 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: associating the school I want to go to with fudge. 334 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: One student in nineteen o six said, I once asked 335 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: a man what he thought of particularly in connection with 336 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: the girls College. The answer, of course was fudge and 337 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: that you know, struck her the wrong way. The writer 338 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: Lynn Peril you mentioned earlier, Noel talks about how fudge 339 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: sort of expanded beyond the dorm room. Right. Yeah, it's 340 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 1: that thing we talked about sort of how we associate fudge. Uh. 341 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: We didn't know any of these sides of it, but 342 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: definitely are aware of the idea of these storefronts lining 343 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: various boardwalks, beachfront properties or even places like Niagara Falls, 344 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 1: Atlantic City. You know, you've got I love this. Uh. 345 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: This quote from a piece that kind of sets the scene. 346 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: From sidewalks outside candy shops, tourists would peer through plate 347 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: glass windows in awe as a mustachioed fudgeteers. There's the word, 348 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: by the way, confidently combined that's of sugar, butter and milk, 349 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: then guided the mixture into oversized machines that noisily churned 350 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: out delicious slabs of sticky goodness. Uh. And this is 351 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: from a National Geographic article actually by Robert Reid. Yeah, 352 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: and there you have it. So the next time you 353 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: see fudge, whether or not it's for you, it is 354 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: a very rich food. A very dense form of sustenance. 355 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: Give it some appreciation. It has an origin story that's 356 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: pretty epic, actually, and I think fairly inspiring. And I 357 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: want to note that for a long time, I think 358 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: we've all had those discussions with our friends, like, what 359 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: are some words people just don't like? Fudge is actually 360 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: one of those words. It's still not as unpopular as moist, 361 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: which remains. Yeah, it's super weird to a lot of people. 362 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: But I don't know. I was thinking, like fudge, sludge, drudge, grudge. 363 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: Fudge itself has succeeded despite its weird etymology and it's 364 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,160 Speaker 1: weird origin story. So I I'm not a fudge natic, 365 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 1: a fudge fanatic myself, but after this, I really appreciate 366 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: the story of it. I appreciate it too, And I've 367 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: got to say, I I we we found a recipe 368 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: in the research materials for this that I would very 369 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: much like to try. It sounds like a step up 370 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: fudge recipe that would really do it for me. Mamie Eisenhower, 371 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: good Old Ike's wife, was a massive fudge fan, and 372 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 1: she made her own recipe called Mamie's Million Dollar Fudge, 373 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: which I liked and it included chopped nuts and marshmallow cream. 374 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 1: So um, no marshmallow Guy, marshmallow Guy, no more marshmallows 375 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: for you, man. Okay, I will eat all of Mamie's 376 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: million dollar fudge and then get sick and uh, potentially 377 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 1: never want to eat fudge again. So it'll be like 378 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: a fudge Hey, I got I got a new one 379 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: for you, Ben, a fudge Purge. You'll be Yeah, there 380 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: we go. Let's put the A in the in the franchise. Also, yeah, 381 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: we'll watch out. Don't let your liver get overworked by fudge. 382 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:11,479 Speaker 1: Don't get billious. This was a good episode. This was 383 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,400 Speaker 1: so full of some cool words. Um, Casey, has any 384 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: of this changed your opinion on fudge or you did 385 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: you have an opinion on fudge? He was he was 386 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: pro fudge your profile, Yeah, I was profudge. I'm still 387 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:24,959 Speaker 1: pro fudge, but I know more about it now than 388 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: I did before, So there's that. Oh god, I probably 389 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: should say this on air. But once I met a 390 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: dude who called himself Fudge, and it was one of 391 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 1: those things where we were in our early twenties and 392 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm probably not going to see this 393 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: guy again. All right, that's fine. He wants to be 394 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: called Fudge. And three years later I ran into him 395 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: and he was like, my name is Richard, So Fudge, 396 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: if you're out there, why did you give up the dream? Oh? 397 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: So sorry? And if you are out there, Fudge, let 398 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: us know, um, what happened? Why did you give up 399 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: that ball? Or nick name? We want to know. We 400 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: want to hear from you, Fudge, nickname or otherwise. You 401 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 1: can reach out to us on all the usual social 402 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: media spots, Ridiculous History on Instagram, uh and Twitter and Facebook. 403 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: We also have our Facebook group, the Ridiculous Historians, UM 404 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: going strong. Uh. You can join that and get in 405 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: on the conversation the memory. That's a good, clean fun 406 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: You just have to like name me or Banner or 407 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 1: Casey or just say something that lets us know that 408 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: you're not a Russian bot. And and we'd love to 409 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: have you in the group. Yeah, and we always appreciate 410 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: hearing from you. I gotta say, the Facebook pages is 411 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: on fire with some pretty good jokes recently, and we 412 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: we sure appreciate it. Uh. Let's see, we always need 413 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: to thank Christopher Rociotis. We always need to thank Eave's 414 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: Jeff Coo. I mean talk about a dream team right. 415 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: It's true thanks to Alex Williams, who composed our theme, 416 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 1: our research associate extraordinary Gabe Louisier. I said it that 417 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: way today because it made it rhyme with extraordinaire um. 418 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,639 Speaker 1: What else we got? That's it? Yeah. May the fudge 419 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: be with you? Yes? Uh, Calue Clay, what a fudge 420 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: this day? I love it. We'll see you next time, folks. 421 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I 422 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 423 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: your favorite shows,