1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: to the show, Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always for 3 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: tuning in. Quick housekeeping note today, this is not just 4 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: our first Snowman episode. This is also our first n 5 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: s f W or not Safe for work Snowman episode. 6 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: So it gets a little blue here. It might not 7 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: be for everybody I've been Yeah, I'm know, and s 8 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: f W depending on where you work. Um, but maybe 9 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: not one for to co listen, perhaps with the kiddos, 10 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: because we're gonna get into some pretty raunchy Snowman related 11 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: discussions here, um, because it turns out that the history 12 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: of the Snowman is much less innocuous and childlike than 13 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: one might think. Yes, that's right, that's right. So I 14 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: think we're we're both filled with mirth here as we 15 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: record this because we did not see this one coming. 16 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: So well done to our researcher Gabe who hipped us 17 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: to this. Uh, super producer Casey Pegram, do you do 18 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: you know what we're talking about? Do you know what 19 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: we're alluding to? Or you on this ride with our audience. 20 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm I'm guessing it's gonna have to do 21 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: something with snowman anatomy. But that's that's about all I've got. 22 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: I mean, you know that it's a pretty obvious place 23 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: to go there. Yes, yes, so here we go, folks, 24 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: snow men. You know what we're talking about. Did you 25 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: guys know, Casey, did you guys build snowman when you 26 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: were wee laddies. Well, I didn't really grow I mean, okay, 27 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: so I've I've I've mentioned. I've mentioned that I was 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: once a small German boy up until the age of six. 29 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: I did live in Germany, and you know, it snows 30 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: pretty regularly in Germany, so I do have snowy childhood memories, 31 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: but it gets a little hazy in that period between 32 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: birth to six. So I definitely made a snowman and 33 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: snow angel or two back in the day, but I 34 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: don't have like distinct snowman memories. How about you, Casey. Oh? Yeah, 35 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: when when we would get snow here in Georgia, we 36 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: would definitely go out and build snowman if there was 37 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: enough on the ground actually do that, which didn't happen 38 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: all the time, but once in a while we would 39 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: get enough snow to do that. Yeah, yeah, I have 40 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 1: I've always loved the sculpture aspect of it, just going 41 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: out and building stuff. So any time that I've been 42 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 1: in a place that that has enough snow to work with, 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: and I'll do it. But to your point, Casey, there 44 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: have been a couple of times here in Georgia where 45 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: there was light dusting of snow and I thought, no, 46 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: I'm not going to try to force this. I don't 47 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: want to make a desiccated snowman. But as long as 48 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: there have been people around in snowy climbs, there have 49 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: probably been snowmen. In all That's Interesting dot Com, there's 50 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: a great article pointing this out. We're we like to 51 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 1: make things in our own image. That's a very human thing. 52 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: So we'll build human shaped art pieces basically whenever we can, 53 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 1: out of whatever inspires us. And so when we try 54 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 1: to think about, like who built the first snowman, who 55 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: had the idea first, it's impossible to figure it out. 56 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: We will we will probably never know because it's ephemeral too, 57 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: like an ice sculpture. It literally is an ice sculpture, 58 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: So we can't ever find the answer to that. It's 59 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: true and and that all That's interesting. Dot Com article 60 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: compares it to the idea of tracking down the first 61 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: person to ever sneeze. Um, it's it's it's really is 62 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: something that's like lost the time. Um as as are 63 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: a lot of historical firsts if you think about it. 64 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: But what we do know is that snowmen have existed 65 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: throughout history. Um and initially we're kind of something that 66 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: was very highly regarded. Yeah, that's the weirdest thing. Spoiler 67 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: folks at the end of the episode, Uh, we're gonna 68 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: ask for your opinion about this, but I'm I am 69 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: of the mind. Now know that the typical snowman of 70 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: these years, this era is probably a little simple in 71 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,239 Speaker 1: comparison to some of the elaborate snowman that we're about 72 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: to learn about, or should I say snowfolk, because they're 73 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: not all snow dudes. We know. The first photograph of 74 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: a snowman was snowman Gee, John Snowman attorney it love, Yes, 75 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: there we go, John Snowman. Uh. This first photograph was 76 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: taken in by a photographer named Mary Dilwyn. This was 77 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: not too long after the camera was invented and propagated, 78 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: so oddly enough, just to give you a sense of 79 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: their place in human history. The first photo of a 80 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: snowman is also one of the first photos of anything ever, 81 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: which is, you know, it's a little known fact that 82 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: you can use to bore people at your next holiday gathering. 83 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: Around the turn of the twentieth century, they're really popular 84 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: as an image on postcards, greeting cards, magazine covers, because 85 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: you know what clearer signal is there that the holiday 86 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: season in winter has begun right absolutely, and it is 87 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: something that then kind of infiltrates um advertising. You know, obviously, 88 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: you know, we know, Coca Cola is largely credited with 89 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: kind of popularizing that image of the modern kind of 90 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: Santa clause that we think of today, and all of 91 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: that was in the service of selling you know, sugary drinks. Um. Also, 92 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: you know, the whole Cocacola polar Bear thing. While snowmen 93 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: were used or actually was referred to as snow lushes, 94 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: were used in ads for alcoholic beverages like Miller, Jack Daniels, 95 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: and Schlitz. And it turns out that the first snowman 96 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: ever to be drawn was considered a Jewish snowman. Bob 97 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: Eckstein wrote a book called the History of the Snowman 98 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: and traced back the earliest depiction of the snowman to 99 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: a manuscript of the Book of Hours from thirteen eighty 100 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: and it's not in a positive light. It's actually almost, 101 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: uh like a propagandistic kind of anti Semitic drawing that 102 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: shows a Jewish snowman melting near a fire um and 103 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: the accompanying text describes the crucifixion of Christ. How weird 104 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: is that the Book of Hours is this devotional book 105 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: that was pretty for Christians. It was very popular in 106 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: the Middle Ages. It's it's the most common surviving medieval 107 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: illuminated manuscript. But yeah, that's a far cry from frosty, 108 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: is it? Not? Like I was thinking about this is 109 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: thinking a lot about snowman architecture, because before the pandemic hit, 110 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: I was going to be in a very snowy place 111 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: towards the end of the year. But now you know, 112 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: of course, like many people, I'm staying home. I thought 113 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: a lot about what kind of snowman I would build. 114 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: And I think we all have, at least people in 115 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: our generation in this part of the world, we all 116 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: have this sort of archetypal vision of what comprises a snowman. Right, 117 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: three balls of snow and probably in slightly decreasing sizes, right, 118 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: some lumps of coal, although who has cold nowadays, A 119 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: couple of sticks for arms, and then a carrot for 120 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: a nose. If you think about it from an artistic standpoint, 121 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: it's got a lot of outsider art or fulk art 122 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: about it. It's minimalist, it's abstract. But back in the day, 123 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: centuries ago, the snowman sculptors of yesteryear weren't just plopping 124 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: three big snowballs one the top the other. They were 125 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: making straight up sculptures, and a lot of them were 126 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,679 Speaker 1: actually working artists who just put their energy into snowmen 127 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: every so often. Yeah, and that's again when I at 128 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: the top of the show, I was talking about kind 129 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: of the prestigious early um days of snowman, at least 130 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: in terms of the historical record, because like you said, bad, 131 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: I mean, as long as there's been snow and people, 132 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, seeing people, there probably have been instances of folks, 133 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: you know, bawling it up and making it into like 134 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: an anthropomorphic kind of human resembling thing, you know, much 135 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: like cave drawings, etcetera. So when we really start, like 136 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: you said, you mentioned that early photograph, one of the 137 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: earliest photographs showing the snowman and then the young boy. 138 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: But before that, we have historical records of these really 139 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: absurdly elaborate, like you said, almost like ice sculpture esque 140 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: works of art that were done at the behest of royalty. 141 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: For example, Uh, Prince Albert had a twelve foot snowman 142 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: built for his wife, Queen Victoria, and even Michelangelo Um, 143 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: the famous painter and sculptor UM made one for the Medicis, 144 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: who are the famous Italian uh family that you know, 145 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: benefactor family. And in four four Piero de Lorenzo de Medici, 146 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: who was sort of this the heir to the Medici 147 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: family UM, was known as Piero the Unfortunate UH. And 148 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: it's largely I think that nickname came because he was 149 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: considered weak. His father, Lorenzo, the head of the Medici family, 150 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: was considered strong and um benevolent, where the lesser Medici 151 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: was considered kind of a bit of a spoiled, selfish, 152 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: greedy brat. UM. So yeah, he kind of had a 153 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: chip on his shoulder, didn't he ben wanted to, you know, 154 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: kind of rise to the reputation of his father. I 155 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: was having a hard time doing that. Yeah, he had 156 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: what I call junior syndrome, which is measuring oneself against 157 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: one's forebearers. Uh. He he did try to be a 158 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 1: patron of the arts like other Medici's before him, and 159 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: he commissioned the famous artist Michael Angelo. He commissioned the 160 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: famous artist Michael Angelo for exactly one thing, which was 161 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 1: the build a snowman in the courtyard. And Michael Agelo 162 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: made this amazing sculpture from snow, and this snowman lived 163 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: on in other people's minds. Artists that were envious of 164 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 1: Michelangelo's success tried to out snowman him by building like 165 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: a larger snowman based on famous Romans sculptures. But it 166 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: felt kind of try hard. You know. There's one thing 167 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: I want to say though, that's interesting because we're talking 168 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: about very wealthy people, we should also understand that this 169 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: was a boon for people who are not at the 170 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: top of the social status quo. Because these are free 171 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 1: art supplies dropping from the sky. You don't need anything 172 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: but creativity and time to make a snowman. Now instead 173 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: of you know, like, how are you going to buy 174 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: a block of marble. If you're an artist who happens 175 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: before so as soon as snow arrives in the Middle Ages, 176 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: towns filled with snowmen, and not just snowmen, but snow sculptures, 177 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:33,959 Speaker 1: snow animals and stuff. And before these things melt, they're 178 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: often you know, comparable in quality two legit sculptures. Well, 179 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: they are legitimate sculptures, but you know what I mean, 180 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: sculptures and stuff like stone or metal. Well, and I 181 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: think our our buddy Alex Williams would appreciate the ephemeral 182 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: nature of these in the same way that I think, 183 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: um is it uh Tibetan monks that do those like 184 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: sand mandolas, um, these super elaborate sand paintings that like 185 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: just fuss over like for for days, um, and then 186 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: they wipe them all away, And there's something kind of 187 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: beautiful about that. But it's true. It was a great 188 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: way to like hone your skills. If you didn't have 189 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: access because art supplies would have you would have had 190 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: to have a patron like the Manic Cheese to even 191 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: have access to to the stuff to to to like 192 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: even get into how do you get into bronze, you know, 193 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: or or or um or marble without having someone to help, 194 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: you know, buy you that stuff or like quarry it 195 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 1: for you literally, So this would have been a good 196 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: way for like a startup artist to attempt to get 197 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: good at you know, making the classical kind of new 198 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: sculptures or whatever. Right, Yeah, yeah, that's a really good point, man, 199 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: because I think about that too. Like I remember one 200 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: of the first orchestras I went to we Tyke, I 201 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: saw someone playing harp for the first time. It was 202 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: maybe five years old, and my first thought as a 203 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: kid was like, how do you get into the harp? 204 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: Who just totally who just has a heart laying around? 205 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: And that's that's kind of a question. That's I think 206 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: that's similar in theme to the question about how someone 207 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: gets into sculpting. I mean, my grandfather, one of my 208 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: grandfather's was a fairly well known sculptor, and I still 209 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 1: am baffled as to how he pulled it off, Like, 210 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: how do you just convince someone to give you tons 211 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: of marble? It's weird, it's a weird gig. This leads 212 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: us to something called the Miracle of fifteen eleven. All Right, folks, 213 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: here's where it's about. Things are about to get a 214 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: little um the raunchy side. Yes, so join with us. 215 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: Shout out to everybody making a snowman at home. We 216 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,239 Speaker 1: are not responsible for how the following story may impact 217 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: your sculpture. Casey's interested. I could tell Casey's wondering where 218 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: we're going with this. So back in the Middle Ages, 219 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: things were made with snow to make a statement. You 220 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: just didn't have a cute little frosty, right you. You 221 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: might be remarking on the zeitgeist of the time. So, 222 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: of course it was tradition amongst the artistic class to 223 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: populate cities with snowmen whenever there was a lot of snow. 224 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: And this is Europe, so there's gonna be a lot 225 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: of snow in many places at some point in the year. 226 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: Winter was also a really tough tough time. Famine, plague, sickness, 227 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: none of these things. War, of course, none of these 228 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: things were uncommon, and so when snow came it was 229 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: like a party. You know, there were festivals, there were 230 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: morale boosters. I know, Nold you have probably been too, 231 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: and I know Casey you've probably as well. Been to 232 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: Christmas markets in Europe. I've been to a couple of those, 233 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: and it's it's a very old tradition. It's meant to 234 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: give people a little bit of a dose of feel good, 235 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, a little serotonin in these 236 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: challenging times, and the idea, the political ideas that the 237 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: public can blow off steam for a few weeks and 238 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: they can be kind of supervised. In fifteen eleven in 239 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: Brussels there was a really nasty winter. It is called 240 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: the Winter of Death, and for six straight weeks, starting 241 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: on New Year's Day, temperatures never rose above freezing. So 242 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: the ruling class said, we're going to have a festival. 243 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: What better time? And this was seen as kind of 244 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 1: an event for the class strife, for the misery of 245 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: the people in Brussels at the time, But it didn't 246 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: work out quite the way the ruling class wanted. No. 247 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: From our previous episode, what was the name? We found 248 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: the name for that thing at the top of the chimney, right, 249 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: the cap. The thing at the top of the chimney 250 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: is the cap, the little hat that goes on top 251 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: of the kind of uh so, the smoke is and 252 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: just pouring out and one fell swoop it sort of 253 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: like breaks the smoke stream a little bit, but Yeah, 254 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: the cap that's correct, say, like a chimney cap on 255 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: the social strife. Maybe I don't know. Look all not 256 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: all these comparisons are gonna work. But what happened, nol, 257 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: What happened when this festival began in fifteen eleven, when 258 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: people started building snowman. Yeah, and we don't have like 259 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: a ton of of historical record about this, but we 260 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: do have a handful of accounts, and and you could 261 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: describe them as does Atlas Obscura, as colorful accounts. Um. 262 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: The town poet was one of of these sources, these 263 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,239 Speaker 1: primary sources, and they were a handful of other diaries. 264 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: These were definitely not the types of three, you know, 265 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: mounds of snow stacked on top of each other in 266 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: descending order snowmen that we think of today. In Brussels, 267 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: every single corner of the downtown area was overflowing with 268 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: these figures, pantomiming like topical things, you know, something either 269 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: from like folklore or something actually from the news of 270 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: the day. You had biblical figures like Jesus Is, you 271 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: had unicorns, You had these kind of like bearded mountain 272 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:23,439 Speaker 1: dwelling wild men, mermaids, you know, like village idiots all 273 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: of this stuff. Um, and they were almost like this 274 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: kind of I don't know, you think of like a 275 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 1: Nativity scene, you know, are these different figures stock characters, 276 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 1: not stock characters, but like characters that are interacting together 277 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: to kind of tell a story, um tableaus, if you will. 278 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: And so that was a big, you know thing with these. 279 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: They were using these, uh, these snow creations to tell stories, 280 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,439 Speaker 1: some of which were pretty gnarly. Oh yeah, man, some 281 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: of these were Some of these were stories from pre 282 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 1: Christian mythologies. Some of them were more day to day 283 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: Monday things and not particularly pleasant, like a tooth puller 284 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 1: equivalent of a dentist. But the thing is these ran 285 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: the gamut. There were some very high brow snowfolk and 286 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: there was some very lubro snowfolk. We see this weird 287 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: kind of class divide. A lot of the snow sculptures 288 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: reflect the public fears, their frustrations, their desires. Things were 289 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: politically charged, and they were also incredibly sexually explicit tableau. 290 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: There visual satire, social commentary. There was a urinating fountain Boy, 291 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: which I know, Casey, you and I have talked about 292 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: a little bit. And also Chris Christopher Hasiotis from of 293 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: the show. Brussels is famous for these like peen statues, 294 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: which is weird to me, but you know, I'm an outsider, 295 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: so it's common though people are like, oh, yeah, you know, 296 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 1: it's part of our culture, these little peating guys. But 297 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 1: they're somebody made one of those. Uh there was a 298 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 1: cow that is defecating. Uh. There. If you look at 299 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: the historical sources that you just mentioned earlier, NOL, more 300 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: than fifty percent of the scenes depicted by these snow 301 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: sculptures are either sexual or scattological. It is all sex 302 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: and poop for like more than half of these totally. Yeah, 303 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: and I'm We're talking like pretty graphic depictions of these things. 304 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: Some of these are fully anatomically correct. Um. We have 305 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 1: accounts of couples, you know, basically fornicating for lack of 306 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: a I don't know, it just seems like I'm a priest. 307 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: When you call snow banging love it um a snow couple. 308 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: Um kind of getting it on in front of the 309 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: town fountain, complete with like a full direction from the mail. Um. 310 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,679 Speaker 1: And there's in the red light district of town. You 311 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: had sculptures of sex workers standing on these corners. Um. 312 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 1: In another scene, there was actually kind of a naughty 313 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: nun um in the act of seducing a man. Um. 314 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: It was really a complete like carte blanche, you know, 315 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: way for people to express these very kind of salacious 316 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: and um sort of hidden you know, meanings in religious texts, 317 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 1: or a way to to really um turn it on 318 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: its head, sort of the conservative nature of religion. Yeah, 319 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: there was a there was a stand of frozen politicians 320 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: that functioned kind of as the op ed page. The 321 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: population of Brussels was exploring and addressing things that were 322 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: taboo that would otherwise be dangerous for some people to 323 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: uh to have dialogue about. So one of the big 324 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,719 Speaker 1: big issues the context in which the miracle of fifteen 325 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: eleven occurs was classism, Right, the social classes created their 326 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: own brand of snow men, and they were caricatures of 327 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: their opponents. They also reflected their ambitions, their obsessions. So 328 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: when you're expressing yourself and your concerns and your position 329 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: in society through the snowmen, other people might not agree 330 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: with you. So people who were offended by the sculpture 331 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: of one snow person or another wouldn't take it out 332 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 1: on the person who made it, they would take it 333 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: out on the snowman. They would try to vandalize it 334 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: and destroy it, and yeah, which makes sense. And thus 335 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: the Brussels authorities said, we're going to take action, and 336 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 1: they printed out these flyers and they made these flyers 337 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: that threatened to punish anyone caught damaging a snowman, which 338 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 1: I think is a really cool Christmas e law. That 339 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: is so cool. And it's also interesting that like, even 340 00:21:55,720 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: though these were you know, challenging works and and oftentimes 341 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,439 Speaker 1: not particularly flattering to the people in power, Uh, it 342 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: was protected speech. I think that's really progressive, wouldn't you say? Yeah, absolutely, 343 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: It's it's nuts that we have the exact quote that 344 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 1: says the noblemen from the city of Brussels proclaimed that 345 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: nobody during day or night could break any personage into pieces. 346 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 1: So the magistrates got involved and they said, hey, stop 347 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: messing with these snowmen. The public did not always enjoy 348 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: this freedom. In fact, in subsequent years, derogatory snowmen were 349 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: became such a problem that the government went back and 350 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: placed restrictions on making these snow sculptures because they were 351 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: such a powerful statement. We do want to say also, 352 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: by the way, just like an insult comic, Brussels became 353 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: kind of its own group mind insult comic. Everybody got something. 354 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 1: Everybody was thrown under the bus, the working class, the nobles, 355 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:10,919 Speaker 1: the clergy. At some point everybody got dunked on. And 356 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: it's wild because history has kind of forgotten the Miracle 357 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: of fifteen eleven. Uh you know knowl you mentioned the 358 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: town poet earlier, Jan Smkins, classic classic name Jan Smeckins. 359 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: Um he wrote a poem about the miracle of fifteen eleven. 360 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: It was actually a ballad that that kind of describes 361 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: this period in pretty good detail. Um, it's got a 362 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: pretty long name. It's von der von claren uh issa 363 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: on Snee, which I think means snow. I can tell 364 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: you that much. Um, I'm very Lauren and Krueger vondendict, 365 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: which translates to the miracle of real or imaginary ice 366 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: and snow. A lost and then found poem and it 367 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: does exactly what it purports to do and kind of 368 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: describing this period. There was a reprint of the poem 369 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: in nineteen but a lot of literary historians I don't 370 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: think it was particularly you know, high brow in fact, 371 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: it's often written off as being vulgar and rhetorical as 372 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: opposed to, you know, the kind of high standards of 373 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: classical poetry of Latin or French, and just to make 374 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: sure that we come through on that blueness warning and 375 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 1: make it worthy a while. Yeah, the poem as He's 376 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: a null is vulgar. Also some of these statues, one 377 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: of these sculptures they're being referred to. There's one with 378 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: like one of those fountain boys pissing in someone's mouth. 379 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: There was another one where there was a couple having 380 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 1: sexual congress, and there was this is creepy. There was 381 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 1: a third snowman that was part of the tableau, who's 382 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: like off in the distance sporting a you know, a 383 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: snow woody. And this is a powerful political statement. This 384 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,120 Speaker 1: is speaking truth to power through art. But the miracle 385 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: of fifteen eleven is maybe a miracle because of that 386 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: vast social upheaval, the way Brussels held a wintry mirror 387 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: up to itself. But it's not a miracle because just 388 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: because there were snow sculptures. This wasn't the first festival 389 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: of its kind. Uh, this wasn't the first time people 390 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: have made raunchy snowmen. There were other cities hosting similar 391 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: events and smaller events before and after this, but this one, 392 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: really actual facts changed the society of Brussels and it 393 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: it inspired this shift in the balance of power. Snowman 394 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: not just as raunchy satire, but also as political figures. 395 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: These folks were rock stars. Like imagine if one day, UH, 396 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: somewhere in the US, where some part of the U 397 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: s where it snows pretty often, people did a protest 398 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,400 Speaker 1: by building snowmen. It's a pretty genius idea, I think, 399 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: and I hope it comes back more political activism in 400 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: your snowmen, please. I completely agree. Um. By the way, 401 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: I did attempt to enter the full text of that 402 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 1: Middle Dutch poem that we talked about uh and and 403 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 1: the translation results are spotty at best. But there's one 404 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 1: line that pops out that I think is fantastic. Uh. 405 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: A large pair grim from the flying hen those crayon 406 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: picked in his own butt. A hunt has its tongue out. 407 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: Our lord is standing here, want to know ten and 408 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: the women of Samarian so we sagin So. Yeah, kind 409 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: of spotty results there, but I love the idea. I'm 410 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm intrigued those crayon picked in his own Buttom, I mean, 411 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:04,200 Speaker 1: you know, things happen, right, So yeah, things definitely happened. Um, 412 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: and thank god we have Jan Schmecken to help kind 413 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: of like paint the picture, even if it's in sort 414 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: of spottily translated Middle Dutch. I love I love chicken 415 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: is a name. It sounds like a cool, unusual flavor 416 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 1: of a jelly or jam, probably because of the similarity 417 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: to smuckers. But I would I would check out like 418 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: Jon Schmick and Lincoln berry jam. That's funny you said 419 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: I've been in German. Schmecken means it's yummy, means something 420 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 1: is is tasty. Oh, I wonder if there was a 421 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: real name or a stage name. Oh Man the huts 422 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: bud to say, I've got to be the town poet 423 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: called me Mr Yummy. So we hope you enjoyed today's episode. 424 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: And we're not you know, we're not at all DENNI 425 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 1: grading modern snow folk. We'd love to see your snow 426 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: sculptures or your family snow sculptures, especially if you are 427 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: one of the people is lucky enough to live in 428 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: an area where it snows every year, because I can 429 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 1: tell you the three of us would be out there 430 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: every single year building weird snow stuff if if we 431 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: had those materials readily available. But yes, send us your 432 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,959 Speaker 1: snow sculptures. Where do I send them? You might be asking, Well, 433 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: you can find us all over the internet. Uh, post 434 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: them in Ridiculous Historians. That's our Facebook page. Let us 435 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: know on Twitter or tag us on Instagram, not just 436 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: as a show blood as individuals. Yes, you can find 437 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 1: me on Instagram exclusively where I am at how Now 438 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: Noel Brown, Ben Where can folks find you ridiculous Historians? 439 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 1: You can find me on Twitter where I am at 440 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: Ben Bully hs W. Let me know what awards you 441 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: will win for the quarries. Uh, and you can find 442 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: me on Instagram where I am at Ben Bowling. Thanks 443 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: as always to our super producer and snow sculptor extraordinaire 444 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: Casey Pegram. Huge thanks to Alex Williams who composed our theme. 445 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: Christopher Haciota is here in spirit. Uh E's Jeff Coach 446 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: check out her new show j dot Ill with the fantastic, 447 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: wonderfully talented Jill scott Um. It's a fabulous show that 448 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: has been working on for quite some time, and I'm 449 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: really happy to see that in the world. So give 450 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: that a listen and leave a review for them, and 451 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: leave a review for us while you're at it. It 452 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: really helps people discover the show and helps pop us 453 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: up a little further in the rankings over there on 454 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts. That's right, every time you leave a review, 455 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: our boss personally sends conciguliary to our house and says 456 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: you have one more day. Yep, and since tis the 457 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 1: season an angel may or may not get its wings. 458 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: We'll see you next time. Folks. For more podcasts for 459 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 460 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.