1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you as always for 3 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: tuning in. It's some of your favorite Quentin Quarantino's back 4 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: at it again. I'm Ben Boland. I'm joined today with 5 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: my co host Noel Brown and our returning guest host 6 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: Miles Gray and Jack O'Brien. That's right of the Daily 7 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: Zeitgeist Fame. This is part two of our episode on 8 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: weird Historical Flexes. Please do check in with Historical Flexes 9 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: Part one if, by some tragic miscarriage of justice, you 10 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: have yet to hear the earlier part of this very 11 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: special two part series. Most importantly, where would we be 12 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: without our super producer, Casey Pegram Casey I, I gotta 13 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: toss it to you. You know you and I ended 14 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: part one of this episode with you giving sort of 15 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: a lay of the land of the flexus so far. 16 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: How are you feeling now that we go into the 17 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: second half. You know, it's it's a close game. We've 18 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: been reviewing some of the tape over the break and 19 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: uh and just you know, just going back and look 20 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: at some of those close calls with his flexes and uh, 21 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: We're just gonna see what happens here in the second half, 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: if if they can pull it out or what so, 23 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: without further ado, Historical Flexes, Part three, Part two, I 24 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: got one. Uh. This is an oldie, but a goodie. 25 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: It's a favorite of mine. H Henry Ford, you know, 26 00:01:53,560 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: m uh probably yeah. Well you talking about old Hank 27 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: for up and of the Detroit for it yeah. Uh yeah, 28 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: a lot of them. Uh. A lot of his work, 29 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: uh that remains a legacy today is associated with the 30 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: automobile and anti semitism. Uh. He was super big into 31 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: both of those things. Uh. Those were sort of the 32 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: primary loves of his life. He made the Model T, 33 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: he modernized the assembly line. Uh he was. He was 34 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: very racist, dude, And and that this has his racism 35 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: and his expertise in the automobile have very little to 36 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: do actually with what I think is one of his 37 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: weirdest flexes, which is that he founded a town in Brazil. 38 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: You guys may have heard about this. Uh, and in 39 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: a what I can only describe as a burst of humility, 40 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: he named it Fordlandia. I'd like to tell you guys 41 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: a little bit about how this auto magnate and uh, 42 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: tycoon Uh decided to start a started town in Brazil. 43 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: So he was trying to master vertical integration, meaning that 44 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: he said, you know, it's not enough for me to 45 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: buy stuff from other people and pay them for this 46 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: stuff and then use that to make a car. I 47 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: want to own the minds where the metal comes from. 48 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: I want to own the you know, the cattle that 49 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: we take the leather from or whatever. And his big 50 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: thing that he hated was making a car is is 51 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: and remains a complicated process. He hated not controlling rubber supply. 52 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: He wanted to like get his hands, get his clutches, 53 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: if we're if we're going to supervillain, get his mits 54 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: on these uh, these rubber producers. And he had to 55 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: play ball with people who had gotten in the game beforehand. 56 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: And he couldn't create a rubber plantation in the United 57 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: States because even back then and we had laws in 58 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: this country that would prevent the kind of backbreaking labor 59 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: that was common for rubber suppliers. So he says, I'm 60 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: gonna go to a place where you can grow rubber, 61 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: someplace with that with the appropriate climate, right and someplace 62 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: with laws that I can exploit. And so uh nine. 63 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: In the nineteen twenties. The stuff tails nicely with Flagpole 64 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: City right right like eight years into the Flagpole Craze, 65 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: Henry Ford says, I'm inspired by all these people uh 66 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: sitting on poles. I'm gonna start my own business in Brazil. 67 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna build a town. I'm not gonna mess with 68 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: Sri Lankan rubber anymore, and I'm gonna make a cheap 69 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: source of latex. But along the way, I'm going to 70 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: teach these people that will live in my town about civilization. 71 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 1: And this is way before Norman Rockwell. But proselytize what 72 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: he sees as American culture a k A. Cough cough 73 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: European American white cough cough hack hack uh culture onto 74 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: these people. And Uh, first off, you know it's two 75 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: big loves are are hating Jewish people and building cars. 76 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: A distant third is that he thinks, uh, no one 77 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: should engage in activities that he finds sinful. So the 78 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: residents of this town have toy They work there, and 79 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: they get paid pretty well, especially for the time and place, 80 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: but they have to learn to play baseball. Uh. The 81 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: houses are built in his idealized version of America. Uh, 82 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: no one can drink or engage in any kind of 83 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: like local uh intoxicant or recreation or gambling that that 84 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: he would see as sinful. Uh. He's also you know, like, 85 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,239 Speaker 1: by the way, I think it's good for you guys 86 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: to learn about Christian ideology. And so they got to 87 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: do that too. And he builds a city that has 88 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: an infrastructure and as modern hospitals, as schools, as generators. 89 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: It has a sawmill. But the entire thing is this 90 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: even for him, it's this exercise in hypocrisy. He could 91 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: have paid just a little bit more to the existing 92 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: rubber suppliers in Sri Lanka, but instead he threw the 93 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: equivalent of millions of dollars into this weird vanity project. 94 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: It's like, imagine the most successful financial terms, the most 95 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: successful musician who says, you know what, I am like 96 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 1: aristocracy of music, but I feel like it's wrong that 97 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: I have to buy guitars. I should not only uh 98 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: be in charge of making guitars, but I should make 99 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: all of the guitars. And I'll get rid of Fender 100 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: one day. That was his vote of Asia. Did he 101 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: have a did he have a clever self? Aggrandizing name 102 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: for the town that I missed that, ben, because surely 103 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: that would be just the cherry on top of you. Yeah, 104 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: I said at the top is Fordlandia? Yeah, yeah, that 105 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: I had to go pee real quick. Guys, I'm sorry 106 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: the full disclosure Fordlandia. That's fantastic. What a dick. Here's 107 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: the thing, Uh, there was one problem with fort Landia 108 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: in Henry Ford's mind, in the minds of the people 109 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: who lived there, there were many problems, as you might imagine. 110 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: The big problem was that it didn't work. Fordlandia did 111 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: not produce a new source of rubber. They kept trying 112 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: to clear the jungle, knocked down the natural world, and 113 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: an institute a rubber plantation, but they just couldn't get 114 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: the rubber to grow. Yeah, that was his problem. That's 115 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: what ended up, uh, leading to him canceling it. He 116 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: brought in botanist and uh, he was like the botanist 117 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: is this guy named James are weird? And James are Weird? 118 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: Was like, okay, you know, I am a botanist, and uh, 119 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: your plan is cartoonish. First off, it's crazy. Uh. If 120 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: you want this to happen, Mr Ford, you're gonna have 121 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: to do a lot of stuff. And then Ford said 122 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: how much will it cost? And then we are said, uh, 123 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: it's extravagant. It's gonna cost this much. And then Ford said, 124 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: no way, that's crazy. My whole thing is not to 125 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: pay money for this, Like why is my evil plan 126 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: so complicated? Just because it's so complicated. So eventually we're 127 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 1: talking him into like building a second plant, a second 128 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:45,439 Speaker 1: rubber plant in Ford's territory, right, and and like Disney 129 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: when they built the Reedy Creek Improvement District in Florida, 130 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: Ford is breaking a lot of local laws. So we're 131 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: eventually leaves the project. He's like, hey, wow, everybody told 132 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: me you were crazy, and turns out you are so. 133 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: Uh Now he's stuck with Ford, Landia, Belterra. He continues 134 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: to support these towns and pour money into this failed 135 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: rubber front for almost ten years. I know, I'm sure 136 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: he did. He just to keep from having to admit failure, 137 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: Like literally, just to keep from having to admit that 138 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: he was wrong and made a stupid decision. I mean, 139 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, guys. I'm not an expert 140 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: on everything, but I think generally when people name stuff 141 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: like that after themselves. It's a flag right. Yeah. By 142 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,199 Speaker 1: the way, just a quick aside, My my last weird 143 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: flex for from the first episode was that Darwin ate 144 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 1: every uh every animal he ever cataloged and Henry Ford. 145 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: Actually I knew that from an old Cracked article that 146 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: I edited back in the day. And Henry Ford was 147 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: on that same list because he wouldn't go to grocery stores. 148 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: He thought that everything in his yard was edible and 149 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: would would only eat the weeds out of his garden. Uh. 150 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: And he often ate sandwiches filled with weeds. That was 151 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: like his primary form of sustenance. Uh. So like this 152 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: guy who people look at us like this pioneer was 153 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: eating weeds sandwiches. Yeah, it's similar to the fordlandia and 154 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: that he was just like, I don't want to have 155 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: to pay my money to other people. Well, I've got 156 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: perfectly good weeds in my backyard. Um, oh my goodness, Henry. 157 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: Isn't it also just like a megalomaniacle like captain of 158 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: industry to think that oh, if I like build it, 159 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: they will come, the rubber will magically grow. I'm gonna 160 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: put my money into the ostentatious like self aggrandizing kind 161 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: of golden calf that is Fordlandia and not even think 162 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: about the reality of what it takes to grow the 163 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: thing he needs. We've all had bosses were like, just 164 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: make the thing. Just just do it. It's easy. It'll 165 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: take you five minutes. What is that a podcast? Just 166 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: put some mics on and then cut it together and 167 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: it'll be out tomorrow, right right? You know what I like? 168 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: I like radio, and I think podcast might be the 169 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: new radio. Do you to think about that? I just 170 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: like also like the idea of like Henry Ford, like 171 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: back at his house, like after you know, like his 172 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: ninth year of pumping money into this failed thing, and 173 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: he's just talking to his buddy at his house, just 174 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: a mouthful of weed. You won't believe it upside down 175 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,479 Speaker 1: on this thing, right, You're not gonna be is hemorrhaging 176 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: muddy about Yeah. Yeah, I think about that too. Like Okay, 177 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: so it's the late nineteen twenties. Shipwreck walks into Henry 178 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: Ford's house and he's like, Shipwreck, thank you for coming man, 179 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: help you to uh weed sandwich the uh the fescuees 180 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: particularly appetizing today. Let's walk past this picture of Stalin. 181 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: There used to be more people in it. Tell me 182 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: what do you think of rubber? You know, like, just 183 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: don't eat the poison oak. I learned that the hard way. 184 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: So wait, wait, wait, So there's a reason I brought 185 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: up that that Stalin portrait. Yes, it's to bring us 186 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 1: full circle because Jack, you had said that you had 187 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: in fact a two part flex on Joseph Stalin himself. 188 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: The I guess, the brutal sort of proto father of 189 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: photo shop, which is really gonna ugged me for a while. Also, 190 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: I mean, what a hotty in his younger days. Though, 191 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,959 Speaker 1: let's please give it up to young hot Stalnack by 192 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: the way, really quickly, the Jack before you launched into 193 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: a very close ties between Stalin and Ford. Both were 194 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: really into seizing the means of production. Right. So another 195 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: thing that they had in common is they liked to 196 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: control the people around them. They liked to be in 197 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: control of the situation. Uh and Stalin. UH basically hang 198 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: out with Stalin. Being employed by Stalin talking about bad bosses. 199 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: Being employed by Stalin was not great. He would have 200 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: you killed, first of all, which uh is well known. 201 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,119 Speaker 1: But also he would he would have these dinner parties 202 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: where he would basically do toasts and make people drink 203 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 1: up to thirty shots of vodka. She's and he pretended 204 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: that he was drinking vodka, but he was actually drinking 205 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: uh like wine that was like watered down. But he 206 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: would have these drinking contests between the people who were 207 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: like directly under him and would just humiliate them just 208 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: for fun. Like people you see all these different places 209 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: where people are trying to add like strategy on top 210 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: of it, but it's really just like he enjoyed humiliating people. 211 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: He would put over ripe tomatoes on people's seats and 212 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: like they would sit on it and he would, yeah, 213 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: the old tomato whoopy cushion. He would empty out his 214 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: pipe on Kris Jev's head. And as the movie The 215 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: Death of Stalin kind of suggests, so U Kristjef ends 216 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: up being taking over for Stalin after he dies. Uh 217 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: And was the leader during uh you know, some big 218 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: years in the Cold War, but he kind of remained 219 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: there because and And wasn't a position to take over 220 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: power because he was just sort of Stalin's whipping boy. 221 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: He just was able to take humiliation after humiliation. Um. 222 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: But these all night drinking sessions. Would they would go 223 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: until dawn. People would stagger away from the dinner table, 224 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: go throw up in a potted plant, and then come 225 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: back to the table because he wouldn't let anybody um 226 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: And then you would have to go to work and 227 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: he would he wouldn't allow for anybody to like have 228 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: any slippage in their performance. What Yeah, yeah, he was 229 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: just you just went right to it. Um. People soiled 230 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: their pants. It was just it was basically like Stalin's Russia, 231 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: and like Stalin's pull up Bureau was essentially like being 232 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: in a really bad fraternity. Uh. And yeah, it's it's 233 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: just it's just weird that that's what he chose to 234 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: do with with his power was make himself look hansom 235 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: and pictures and humiliate people well and and force people 236 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: to binge drink like to what end? Like you're not 237 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,479 Speaker 1: gonna get your best work out of your your employees 238 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: if you're literally forcing them to match you drink for 239 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: a drink all night and then not even let them 240 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: take like a hangover day. You know, I mean, I can't. 241 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: I bet horrible mistakes were made, you think, well, yeah, yeah, 242 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: for sure. I just also love I hope he was, 243 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, I'm not that I hope, but I 244 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: for me to make it funny of my mind. Stalin's 245 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: loving that stupid ripe tomato bit and he does it 246 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: like way too much and he's like, oh my god, 247 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: andre Jadanov, I can't believe you sat on it again, 248 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: and what's wrong with you? And they'll have to like 249 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: pretend to love it and he's like, yeah, Joseph, I 250 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: you got me again. Oh no, I love the idea 251 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: too of it like being you know, maybe there's some 252 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: like secret deathbed confession where he's like, I'm not perfect, dude, 253 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 1: the world about my tomato bit. But yeah, he would 254 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: giggle and say, you're like little children. Because the guys 255 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: would ultimately like fight and they would go out in 256 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: the garden and like they would have fights and push 257 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: each other into ponds and basically it was like live 258 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: action three stooges for Stalin's entertainment. How they must have 259 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 1: hated him, you know, yeah, maybe they loved it. Well. 260 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: Everything was also like there's also like stories like when 261 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: you got kicked out of the Politburo, like you knew 262 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,359 Speaker 1: because you would be like, oh, why don't you go 263 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: to that DOCA that like vacation home. It's like Stan 264 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: sending you there like take a break real quick, and 265 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: then you just knew you're like, um, I'm done. Yeah, 266 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 1: I'm done, but in the form of a vacation like 267 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: the dreaded Oh. All of that was dealt with beautifully 268 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: in the Death of Stalin. If listeners, if you haven't 269 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 1: seen that, Um, it does such a great job of like, 270 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: really it's a satire. It is a deep, dark satire, 271 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: but it's very funny and it has a lot of 272 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,959 Speaker 1: those three Stooges elements that you're talking about, Jack, Like, 273 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: it really is a wonderful kind of piece of physical comedy. 274 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: But it's also like it gets really historically accurate and 275 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: really like intense and dark, but it always kind of 276 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: pulls it back and to go full circle, Jack to 277 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 1: your first one. I believe the end credits of Death 278 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 1: of Stalin is all like doctored photographs. People are like 279 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: cut out and like faces are blacked out or erased 280 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: or whatever. That's the first thing I thought of when 281 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: when you when you brought that one up. But man, 282 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: good ones from our boy Stalin. Yeah, I remember, I 283 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: think I was I kind of did like an early 284 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 1: Stalin thing. I remember those uh wait wait wait wait 285 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: early Stalin photoshop. I was saying, like, you remember, like 286 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: all the are like the year books we would get 287 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 1: in school back in the nineties, like that were just 288 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 1: that black and white. You know, monit's like monochromatic print. 289 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: You know. You could take like a pencil eraser and 290 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: just full on erase the ink off of it. Yeah, 291 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: and so like you could fully erase just with a 292 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: racer take people out of the yearbook. I remember we 293 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: would do that to be like, oh really, sir, watch 294 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: this from the yearbook. Wow, Wow, it's done so he 295 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: who controls the past? No, I did it exactly. It's 296 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: on optics game. It is that book, by the way, 297 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: that mentioned at the top. One book is called The 298 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: Commissar Vanishes the Falsification of Photographs and Art installin because 299 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: apparently art was also not sacro sainct at this time. Yeah. 300 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:48,919 Speaker 1: I mean another like kind of small weird flex he 301 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: had was there. There was a recent museum exhibit where 302 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: it was like all these famous male nudes from the 303 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: nineteenth century and then they just had Stalin's like graffiti 304 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: underneath it where he would like write dirty jokes under 305 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 1: these male nudes that they had, like, you need to 306 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: work and not wank. Uh, you idiot, you have forgotten 307 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: what to do in one where it's a man and 308 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: a woman and don't sit with a bear. Uh A 309 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: word on stones, give the boys some pants. So he 310 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: was just like, it's just amusing himself. He was just 311 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: a real punchy character. Wasn't the last Riley? He really 312 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,160 Speaker 1: liked to yuck it up. I can appreciate that, but yeah, 313 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: what a what a piece of work. I gotta say, 314 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: blow over blow though. If it's if it's Stalin versus 315 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 1: Olga of Kiev, I guess Olga all day on on 316 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: a one to one Yeah for sure. Yeah. I mean 317 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 1: if Olga doesn't have time for overriping tomatoes, she's actually 318 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: playing four D chess. She's like, Okay, what happened? They 319 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: killed my husband? Okay, hold on, Okay, I got it. 320 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 1: I got it. Yeah, yeah, haven't come through. I'm gonna 321 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,440 Speaker 1: burn their city to the ground with pigeons with their 322 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: own pigeons, right. I gotta ask Casey Pegram a little 323 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: Casey on the case way in here, which do you 324 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: think of the ones we discussed on today's weird historical 325 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,360 Speaker 1: flexes or actually this is the second part. Now, what 326 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: do you think wins out? Is the weirdest historical flex 327 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: and and you can you know, you can grade it 328 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: on weirdness, ferocity, uh, idiocy, whatever you want. What was 329 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: your favorite or whatever you think? I would say my 330 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: the weirdest one for me was the flagpole Sitting because 331 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: I don't know why I've heard that song for years 332 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: and years. I never really thought of it as something 333 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: that actually happened in the real world that would have 334 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,920 Speaker 1: some explanation like that. So that's, uh, that's probably the 335 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 1: weirdest one to me. My favorite is definitely just the 336 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:57,679 Speaker 1: the wanton flexcessive you know, violence that that occurred in Burning, 337 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: Burning Everybody to death. Casey has spoken dark Man dark 338 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 1: Casey on the case. So that's, uh, that's your favorite. 339 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: I know you guys colluded, by the way to vote 340 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: on Flagpole Sitter. Yeah, I see that. I see the 341 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: game absolutely all right, we hold on, you got some 342 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 1: time to whip some votes over here. If you want 343 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: to taking for next time, we should look into uh 344 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: phone booth stuffing, which oh yeah, yeah, that's a that's 345 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: another one that was I think that was the fifties, 346 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: the more sophisticated. Uh yeah, has time. I agree, guys, 347 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,679 Speaker 1: this has been a pleasure peat behind the curtain though, Folks, 348 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,959 Speaker 1: we all came to today's episode with a couple of 349 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: different historical flexes. So I'll go ahead and ask you 350 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: guys on the air, would you be willing to return 351 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: in the future to uh flex a bit more? Wow, 352 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,440 Speaker 1: way to put me on the spot there, I mean, 353 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: will there be weed sandwiches? I honestly I want to 354 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: eat a garden we said, just to know what is 355 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: going through someone's mind as they're like, yep, this is food, 356 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: this is but yeah, you know what. Of course we're 357 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 1: always we always want to come back, and I think 358 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: we will pose it to you. Will you come upon 359 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 1: the Daily Zeitgeist to be a guest as well? We do? 360 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: I think it would be I don't know if you 361 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: guys ever have a have a double guest, but I 362 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: would love to be on with Ben sometimes. Yeah, we'd 363 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: love to do that. I mean I think the Internet 364 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: can handle that. In terms of the technology. Yeah. In 365 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: terms of the social rama, oh no way, oh boy, 366 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,640 Speaker 1: you think at e MP just went across the northern Hemisphere. Hey, 367 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 1: you guys just mentioned show that our listeners should have 368 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 1: already been like to and subscribe to, etcetera, etcetera at all. 369 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: Uh did I hear you right? The Daily Zeitgeist? Yeah, yeah, 370 00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: the Daily Zeitgeist. That's our daily show, twice daily, twice daily. 371 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: We'll give you something in the morning, and then we 372 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,159 Speaker 1: also cover what's trending on the internet, like in that moment, 373 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: so you get a quick snapshot of what people are 374 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,360 Speaker 1: talking about online and on the news. Uh, stop on by, 375 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: you know it's you know, we're here. We're here every 376 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: day and night and we kens yes. Uh so again, 377 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: thank you so much, Jack O'Brien, Miles Gray for returning 378 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: with some historical flexes. We want to know what you 379 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: all think about that stalin photoshop. That's stalin brush. I 380 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: say in my notes, I wrote on the back of 381 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: this electric bill, does it look like a mustache? It 382 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: looks like the stalin brush and photoshop should be just 383 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:44,239 Speaker 1: like a giant mustache, right beautiful? Uh and also, uh 384 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: shout out to Olga Kiev for doing the most Uh 385 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: shout out to Shipwreck Flagpole sitter for the nickels and 386 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: the giggles Uh, and of course shout out to the 387 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: people who live in fort Landia. I forgot to mention 388 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: that part. Uh, there are people who still live in 389 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: the town now with the faint hope that one day 390 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: the Forward company will return and revitalize it. Tout tout, 391 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:09,919 Speaker 1: But hey, do you have thoughts on any of these topics? 392 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: Do you want to suggest some weird flexes of your own? 393 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: You can absolutely do that by writing to us at 394 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: Ridiculous at iHeart radio dot com. You can also find 395 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: us on the usual suspects of social media Instagram, uh, Facebook, Twitter, 396 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: I think we have a Twitter. Um, we definitely don't 397 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 1: have a Pinterest still, but we're working on it. It's 398 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 1: been years in the making. You guys aren't gonna believe 399 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: this vision board when it finally drops. But we're still 400 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: putting the finishing touches, adding a few little more kind 401 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: of Lisa Frank little dolphins jumping through rainbow hoops kind 402 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:42,360 Speaker 1: of situation. But it's it's it's coming. Yeah, everybody's following 403 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: the court battle we're currently having with Pinterest. Uh, they're 404 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: just restricting our vision, you know what I mean. And 405 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,439 Speaker 1: it's very like, uh, it's a one day at a 406 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,120 Speaker 1: time kind of thing. But but we'll get there. If 407 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: you have an historical flex of your own, please, as 408 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: Noel said, share it, Share it with us, Share it 409 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:04,360 Speaker 1: with the daily zeitgeist. Guys. That's right, dudes, You're part 410 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: of it now, so get ready for some weird stuff. 411 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: And to that end, if you would like to find 412 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: Ben and I as individual human people on the Internet, 413 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: you can do so. I am on Instagram exclusively at 414 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: how Now, Noel Brown and Ben Bullin h s W 415 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: on Twitter. I'm Ben Bullin on Instagram. Miles Jack, where 416 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: are you guys at on these wide webs of ours? 417 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: You can find me on Twitter at Jack Underscore O'Brien, 418 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 1: I'm on Twitter and Instagram at Miles of Great g 419 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: r A. Y oh, you got matching handles for both, Hey, 420 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,360 Speaker 1: you know you gotta keep them consistent. You know, as 421 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: a marketing guru they tell you about that you gotta 422 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,679 Speaker 1: keep it consistent. So obviously, massive thanks to Miles and 423 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: Jack for joining us today. Huge thanks to super producer 424 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 1: Casey Pegram. Christopher Haciota is here in spirit Jonathan Strickland 425 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,680 Speaker 1: and his alter ego, the Quister. I think we're due 426 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: for him. To pop in one of these days into 427 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: our quarantine bunkers. UH fingers crossed that it won't be 428 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: at anytime soon, but I have I fear that it 429 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: will or this episode that guy might zoom bombas he's 430 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: the type I don't appreciate that, and of course, uh 431 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: no i'd also I never thought i'd say this, but 432 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: thanks to uh Olga Kiev. Thanks to uh Joseph Stalin, 433 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: I guess for this story. Uh, thanks to flagpoles and 434 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: those who sit upon them, and in a weird way, 435 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: thanks to Henry Ford and Noel Casey. As always, thanks 436 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: to you, guys, and thanks to even We'll see you 437 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: next time, folks. For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, 438 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 439 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows