1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio, Hello and Happy Friday. I'm Tracy B. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: Wilson and I'm Holly Fry. This week we talked about 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: the platypus because when I was at my mom and 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: dad's house but Thanksgiving, there was this Jeopardy rerun on. 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: There was the final Jeopardy question that was about the platypus, 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: and I emailed myself an email message from my parents 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: couch that just said platypus in the subject line, so 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: I would remember when I got back to work that 10 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: I wanted to do a podcast about that. And then 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: I was like, you know, I don't know if that's 12 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: gonna be enough for a whole episode by itself, and 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: I set myself a second email that just said also 14 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: Cela canth in the subject line. Um. But it did 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: turn out to be enough for a whole episode by itself. 16 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: So we did not talk about Cela camp No, but 17 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: maybe later, maybe share. At some point there will probably 18 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: be some Celia discussion. One never knows. Um. I had 19 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: promised to mention my first exposure to a platypus, which 20 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: evidence is the tiny skeptic. I was even at the 21 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 1: age of six, which is that it came up for 22 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: the first time in first grade. And I said to 23 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: my first grade teacher, Mrs Hill, you are trying to 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: trick us, Like I thought this was one of those 25 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: like gotcha moments of education where they were like, sure, 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: going to send us down a path and go ha ha. 27 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: None of you thought to ask is this real? Because 28 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: sometimes stuff like that. It's like when they give you 29 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: the worksheet that the last thing at the bottom of 30 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: the worksheet says, turn this paper over and write your 31 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: name on the back. The instruction was to read the 32 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: whole thing first, right. I thought it was a big 33 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: fat trick and I was, yeah, um do in the 34 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: squinty eyes of suspe mission. And when I went home 35 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: that night, I looked it up in the encyclopedia and 36 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: then I saw it. But you know, I understand how 37 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: people buy into conspiracy theories because part of me was like, again, six, um, 38 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: maybe she somehow planted this evidence, like I was ready 39 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: to I and I love a hole. I love that teacher. 40 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: I had no reason to be so very um loaded 41 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 1: with doubt about it, but I was. It took a 42 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: little while. Yeah, I don't remember what finally convinced me. Yeah, 43 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: I don't remember my reaction to seeing a picture of 44 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: a platypus for the first time, But when I was 45 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: a kid, I was really really into dinosaurs, and there 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: are so many dinosaurs that have like weird head crests 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: and duck bills and strange frills around their bodies that 48 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: I might have just rolled with it, like I probably 49 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:10,119 Speaker 1: thought it was some kind of dinosaur that's valid. Um. Yeah, 50 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: I love a platypus because they now are to me, 51 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: a symbol of the absurdity of all things. Sure, yeah, 52 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: just you know, let's stick some pieces together and see 53 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: what happens. Cool when they've they've become kind of a 54 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: national symbol for Australia. We didn't really talk about that 55 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: in the in the episode. I have no idea what 56 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: their temperament is, Like I was really just looking at 57 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: their physiology, but like, I kind of want to cuddle one. 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: I know they have claws on their feet. They probably 59 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: if they didn't appreciate being cuddled, they'd let you know that, 60 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: But uh, I don't know. I just kinda maybe it's 61 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: because it's just I want to pick up all and 62 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: they're very cute. They're very cute. I understand the urge. Um, yeah, yeah, 63 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: in my head, I want them to be much bigger, 64 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: like I want them to be, Um, you know, the 65 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: size of a small to medium dog. I want like 66 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: a really big platypus to walk. I remember being disappointed 67 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: when I discovered they were fairly petite. Yeah, they're They're 68 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,799 Speaker 1: pretty small animals. So anyway, this was definitely a fun 69 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: episode in the same way that the pilt Down Man 70 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: episode had been, although that one was also infuriating because 71 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: the you know, somebody had made up this hoax with 72 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: the Piltdown Man, and it had wasted a whole bunch 73 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: of scientific time. And this was more. It was a 74 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: long process before the European scientific community agreed on what 75 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 1: was up with the platypus. So while there was a 76 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: lot of writing that was kind of weird and on 77 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: the wrong track, it was moving toward an understanding rather 78 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: than going down the wrong track for extended period of time. 79 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: So it did not have the angering layer of a 80 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: lot of the reading for the pilt Down Manhattan. Um, 81 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: and I forgot that I had talked in that episode 82 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: about how much I had enjoyed doing the research on 83 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: it until I just re listened to it, uh, while 84 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: making sure that we didn't make any gigantic mistakes in 85 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: it before making it a Saturday classic. We talked about 86 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 1: this week we did. I didn't pronounce it that way 87 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: at although I didn't in the episode because it's Sira 88 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: no um. It's like I said at the beginning of that, 89 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 1: when I get real spitty if I say it that way. Yeah, uh, who, 90 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: as you had said, you did not even realize for 91 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: quite a while, it was a real personal and I 92 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: really do think that I read something that he wrote 93 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: in college, but my brain just didn't retain the information. 94 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: What you don't memorize every single piece of information you 95 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: come in contact with twenty years ago. Um and so like, because, 96 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: like we talked about in the in the episode, there 97 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: are so many fictionalized depictions of him. I really just 98 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: in my head he had settled into a fictional character 99 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: from probably novels that were then made into movies. That's 100 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 1: sort of how my brain constructed who Serrano de Bergerec was. Uh, 101 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: And most of them involved character having a very big 102 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: nose and being in love with somebody named Roxanne. Um. 103 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: And that's my brain. My brain just sort of boiled 104 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: that down. Um, I mean, no one can blame you. 105 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: I think probably most people feel that way. I mean, 106 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: the thing is right, like the Serranos story, this idea 107 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: of loving someone and of which I mean the play, 108 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: not his relations idea of loving someone thinking they will 109 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: reject you because of how you look, and you know, 110 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: this secondary love interest, who is beautiful using your words 111 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: to woo someone. It's so common in our world. Obviously 112 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: there have been, you know, many many instances of it. 113 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,119 Speaker 1: But like to me, where I notice it's so common 114 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: is that, like it is a plot line that shows 115 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: up in sitcoms. It was a Bomb's Burgers episode, I mean, 116 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: which Linda calls a syrano to Burger act, which is 117 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: one of the most brilliant turns of phrase on the 118 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: planet in my world. Um, right, Like, it's that idea 119 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: of like being enamored of someone and being afraid they 120 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: will reject you is so common to everybody. I think 121 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: that's why, like that play has endured for so long. Um, 122 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: and it is it's like our modern mythology, right, That's 123 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: why you could easily go no, that's not a real person. 124 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: That's a story that Yeah, Well, we've talked about other 125 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: other real people who seem like fictional characters, and people 126 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: even remember as like one of the first episodes that 127 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: I ever wrote for the show, many many years ago, 128 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: it was on Johnny Appleseed, real person, but a lot 129 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: of people are like, that's a real person. The other 130 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: thing that surprised me somehow, uh, in addition to having 131 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: either never really remembered or forgotten that he was a 132 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: real person, was that this was in the seventeenth century. 133 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: Somehow that never that I was like, oh really, but 134 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: I probably because the play was from the nineteenth century. Yeah, 135 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 1: and it's very Victorian, and it's it's um themes and 136 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: it's you know, the way it's written. Um. Yeah, it's 137 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: very much the Victorian ideal of a man who is 138 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: both full of bravado and very sensitive. So that's like 139 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: one of the you know, key figures of of that 140 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,959 Speaker 1: sort of character. That is again why people kind of 141 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: gravitate to him and identify with the Syrano of that story. 142 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: I suspect the real Syrano may have been a little 143 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: more difficult to identify with in real life. Um, he 144 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: seemed very fascinating and kind of like a lot but 145 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: but also you know, and pretty pretty Um there's a 146 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: whole side party that we didn't get into because it's 147 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: really not germane to the Syran no story, But there 148 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: was like a whole side drama with that head of 149 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: the college that he satirized, uh Granger, And like we 150 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: mentioned that there had been scandals around him, but one 151 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: of the scandals around him was so fascinating to me 152 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: because it was that he had, apparently for quite some 153 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: time how had an affair with a woman who like 154 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: worked in the school in some sort of like menial role, 155 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: like as a cleaning woman or something, and everyone knew 156 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:10,959 Speaker 1: it and it was not an issue. But then he 157 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: married her, which also was not an issue. But where 158 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: people got mad and it became a scandal was that 159 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: he tried to introduce her to society as his wife 160 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 1: in a way that would be like equal to him 161 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: in social standing, and people lost their minds, which is 162 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: evidence has so many problems. But I was just like 163 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,439 Speaker 1: fascinated by that, and that whole drama could be its 164 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: own new version of Syrano de Bergerac that we romanticize 165 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: and write a play about. Um, there are a million 166 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: The other thing I wanted to mention that we did 167 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: not I did not bring up here. You will sometimes 168 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: see Syran now as also having the first name of 169 00:10:52,200 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: the Q. Maybe maybe I didn't didn't bother to include it, 170 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: because we would have buzzed right past it, because it's 171 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: not one that's stuck m hm. In his constant mode 172 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: of of reinvention. I did read a thing, and I 173 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: it's not a thing you can really fact check. But 174 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: I read one assertion that like his friends, his close 175 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: friends would have called him by his name seven year, 176 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: which he was born with, but that he would have 177 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: always introduced himself, not with that name, but with Syrra 178 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: no deficial crack, which is a just a fascinating little tidbit. 179 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: If you time travel and meet him, you could call 180 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: him that and he'll think you're a friend. Should we 181 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: briefly mention that there's a new movie, just so folks 182 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: know that we now there's a new movie. There might 183 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: be more information about it coming we'll see on this 184 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: very program. Uh yeah, keep your ears peeled so all 185 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: I'll say there, Um, yes, Serra, no Serranos story. Do 186 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: you have a favorite version of the Serranos story? In 187 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: in fillmore television, other than Bob's Burgers, which I love 188 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: maybe the most. I think the one that I probably 189 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: have the most familiarity with is the movie Roxanne. Of course, 190 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: I don't remember what year that came out, but that's 191 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: a movie that I saw in theaters. Um let's look, 192 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,959 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, my brain wants to say ninety three, 193 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: but I don't know that I trust that. Um So, 194 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: we're talking about a period in my life. I would 195 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: be twelve, so at an age to be having crushes 196 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: on people and very self conscious about my appearance. Um so, uh, 197 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: that's probably why there was also just a few years 198 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: after that, in is the Charade d Pardieu. Yeah, would 199 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: I remember being I was working in college in the 200 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: summers in a costume shop, and I remember all of 201 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: the women that I was working with getting the vapors 202 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: discussing Scharande Pardiu in that role. And I have such 203 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: a strong memory of that discussion and how delightful and 204 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: funny it was that it will stick with me forever. 205 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 1: But really, until you've seen Tina Belcher do it, you 206 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 1: haven't seen story which is not true. All of that 207 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: is a very good one. Um uh, yeah, that's the 208 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: good thing, right, If you are into the story, there's 209 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: plenty to to watch. Keep you busy, Yeah, catalog them all. 210 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: We hope that you have enjoyed this week with us, 211 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: and that as you head into your weekend that it 212 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: is filled with some rest and relaxation, or at least 213 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: very smooth sailing if you don't have downtime to yourself. 214 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: In any case, we will be right back here tomorrow 215 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: with a classic, and then we'll see you again on 216 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: Monday with brand new stuff. Stuff you missed in History 217 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: Class is a production of I heart Radio. For more 218 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 219 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.