1 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: Casey, could we get a little, a little inspiring music. 2 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: Here the new Colossus by Emma Lazarus, not like the 3 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: brazen giant of Greek fame, with conquering limbs, astride from 4 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: land to land. Here at our sea washed sunset gates 5 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame 6 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of exiles. 7 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: From her beacon hand glows worldwide. Welcome her mild eyes, 8 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: command the air bridged harbor that twin cities frame, Keep 9 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: at lands your story, pomp Christ, She with silent lips, 10 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning 11 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: to breathe, free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 12 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,559 Speaker 1: Send these, the homeless tempest tossed to me. I lifted 13 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: my lamp beside the golden door man. That was beautiful. 14 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 1: Did you write that? No? No, I wish. Emma Lazarus 15 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: is not my pen name, But that is the that 16 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: is the poem that adorns the Statue of Liberty. I 17 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: thought it sounded familiar. Ben uh nol. Have you visited 18 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: the Statue of Liberty? Um? You know? Actually, the last 19 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: time that I really saw the statue of Liberty relatively close. 20 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: I was with you. We were in New York and 21 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: we were doing a thing for like Liberty Mutual. We 22 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: had to Casey super producer, Casey Pegram was there as well. 23 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: We had to get to get the shot so that 24 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: it matched as close to those legit Liberty Mutual ads 25 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: that that you'd see on on t BE. That was 26 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: deeply absurd that, Yeah, it was the whole deal. It was. 27 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: Was that the same Was that the same trip where 28 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: we hunted down fake buildings? Yes, indeed it was the 29 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: same to very same. That's right. That was a whole 30 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: the whole whole thing. What an adventure. No, but I 31 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: actually did go up you know, you can go up 32 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: inside and even go up to the torch. I don't 33 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:20,959 Speaker 1: remember if I made at that far when I was 34 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: quite young, and I ended up with a little model 35 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: that you put together, you glue together, of Lady Liberty yourself. Yeah, yeah, 36 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: I I feel you, man. I loved going into the 37 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty. I'm a I'm a sucker for touristy 38 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. We live in Atlanta and I still 39 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: do touristy stuff here. I go to the world of 40 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: Coke just on a weekend. It's been a while. It's 41 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: been a while. I wonder if it's still has that magic, 42 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: propagandistic appeal. I'm pretty sure it does. And I'm pretty 43 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: sure it still has the tasting room where you can 44 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,399 Speaker 1: taste bad soda drinks across the world, the Italian app 45 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: d gif. Yeah, Deveritely, It's funny that you mentioned that 46 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: I was just in Chicago visiting and I was treated 47 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: to a quite disgusting liqueur that is very much a 48 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: Chicago thing. A right of passage is called Mallards and 49 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: it is a bitter, bitter, grapefruit LaCourse. So I love 50 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: the idea of, you know, gross things associating with the place. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 51 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: I can't wait to go somewhere in Scandinavian try serm strong, 52 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: you know. And the the reason that we're mentioning New 53 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: York is because today's episode concerns the origin story of 54 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: the Statue of Liberty. And while we were looking into 55 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: this off air, I was thinking about you guys. I 56 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: wanted to ask you Noel and you Casey and your listeners, 57 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: do you have an Ellis Island story and your family's past, 58 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: like in my family's admittedly murky history. Uh. The best 59 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: guess I can make is that we were here before 60 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: Ellis Island, before the Statue of Liberty became a thing. 61 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: But what about you guys. I think it's the same 62 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: with my family. It all comes back to England, and 63 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: so I think they probably made the trip over a 64 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: little bit before Ellis Island got going. I don't really 65 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: know anything about any kind of immigration um stories about 66 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,119 Speaker 1: my family, but I know when I did my ancestry 67 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: dot com report, I was like Scandinavian. Oh yeah, yeah, 68 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: it's surprising this thing, the Statue of Liberty. It's one 69 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: of the most famous monuments in the United States. People 70 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 1: from across the world may not know very much about 71 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: this country of ours, but they will likely recognize the 72 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty. It's um, it's on the level of 73 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: the Eiffel Tower, you know what I mean in terms 74 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: of it's iconicism. Yeah, and also in terms of its creation. 75 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: In fact, yes, yes, Alexander, Oh gosh, we're gonna needt 76 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: some casey on the case help with this one. Let 77 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: me give it a shot, though. Um. Alexander Gustav iPhone 78 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: Gusta he Fell, He designed the interior like the part 79 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: of the you the things that hold up the outside, 80 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,239 Speaker 1: the sculpture part, and the steps and all that stuff 81 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: that you can go up into. In the Statue of 82 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: liberty Um, the sculptor who designed the actual exterior, the 83 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: sculpture part is Frederic August. Yes, that's correct. So let's 84 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: travel back in time to the completion of the Suez Canal. 85 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: As it was getting closer and closer to being finished. 86 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,679 Speaker 1: In eighteen sixty nine, this French sculptor Bartoldi tries to 87 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: convince the Egyptian government to let him build a sculpture. 88 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: And he says, he walks into the room, he's you know, 89 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: it's a pitch meeting, right, those never change, and he says, you, guys, 90 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: I've got this idea for a statue. It's gonna be huge, 91 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: literally and metaphorically. We're gonna call it Egypt bringing Light 92 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: to Asia. Huge because it's inspired by another huge statue, 93 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,799 Speaker 1: huge even in the name itself, the Colossus of Rhodes, 94 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: a colossal statue um which was also the inspiration are 95 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: quite famous television sculpture, similarly the Titan of Bravos. And 96 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: that's true, that's absolutely right. It's this massive stone creation 97 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: that stands astride the waterways entering the city of Rhodes, 98 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: greeting visitors or scaring them away, depending on how you 99 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: look at it. But the French version of this was 100 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: meant to be much more of a welcoming experience, right right. 101 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: And when we say the Statue of Liberty as we 102 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: know it today was inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes, 103 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: we mean that the sculptor was also following some of 104 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: the specifications of the Colossus. The Colossus, one of the 105 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: Seven Wonders of the ancient world, was the tallest statue 106 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: of that time. It was about a hundred and eight 107 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 1: feet high, and that's around the height of the modern 108 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:56,239 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty today from feet to crown. But you see, 109 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: what you may not know about the Statue of Liberty 110 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: was that it was never a rich only meant to 111 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: be in the US. He pitched it to Egypt. First, 112 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: wait a minute, he say, we just got the scraps 113 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: Egypt scraps, sculptre sculpture scraps, we got the we got 114 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: the tweak, we got the reboots. So he says, I 115 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: want a ninety foot tall statue of a woman clothed 116 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: in Egyptian peasant robes, and she'll be holding a torch. 117 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: This torch will also serve as a lighthouse to help 118 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: guide ships into the canal, so a little function when 119 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: there with the form I mean, I'm on board. Unfortunately, 120 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: although everybody agrees this is a good idea, negotiations breakdown 121 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: over the price and the leadership involved. They say, this 122 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: is this is way too expensive, we can't do this. 123 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: So instead they just built a lighthouse, the ports Lighthouse, 124 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: and then any other large project gets delayed by the 125 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: Franco Prussian War because Bartolian, in addition to being a sculptor, 126 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: serves as a major of the militia. So was this 127 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: lighthouse bespoken anyway, ben or was it just a real 128 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: old run of the mill lighthouse. It's bespoke. Yeah, it's 129 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: one of the most important landmarks in the city of 130 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: port Side. A cool looking I mean beauty is in 131 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: the eye of the beholders, but it's certainly not a 132 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: beautiful robed woman extending a torch to the heavens right 133 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: with a crown representing all that is good and pure 134 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: in the world. Absolutely, they build that in eighteen sixty nine. 135 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: That lighthouse. And as the war, the Franco Prussian War continues, 136 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: Napoleon three is captured and deposed. Bartoli's home province of 137 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: Alsace is lost to the Prussian forces, and a liberal 138 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: Republic or more liberal republic is installed in France. And 139 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: for a while Bartoli has been planning a trip to 140 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: the United States, and he and his partner decide that 141 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: now the time is right, so they go across the pond, 142 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: and in June of eighteen seventy one, or told, he 143 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: crosses the Atlantic with some letters of bona fides, some 144 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: letters of introduction, and he starts looking for a place 145 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: to stick this statue. Yeah, and and here's the thing, um, 146 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: you know, immigration has been a hot button issue ever 147 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: since the founding of our country. It's like do we 148 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: do we take whoever wants to come and breathe free 149 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: and all that, or do we draw some lines and 150 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,719 Speaker 1: be a little more choosy. And obviously that's something that's 151 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: very much alive today, maybe even more so than it 152 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: has been quite some time. Um, But the argument for 153 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: having some sort of symbol of you know, receiving immigrants 154 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: with open arms was certainly one being made at the 155 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,559 Speaker 1: time and so it was kind of good timing that 156 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: this particular statue was proposed. Yeah, And he also, for 157 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: the record, tweaked his pitch a little bit. He wasn't 158 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: building exact lee the same statue. He was making these 159 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: different sketches. He was figuring out how he would pitch 160 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: this to the Americans, and he decided to what would 161 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: the corporate term be. He decided to pivot. He decided 162 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: to pivot from this depiction of an Egyptian woman that 163 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: he described as a freed Egyptian slave, and he changed 164 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: the concept to libertas a robed woman, the goddess of 165 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: free slaves in ancient Rome, a more universally understood symbol 166 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: of freedom, at least according to National Park Service ranger 167 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: Danielle Simonelli. And this happens right after the Civil War. 168 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: It could have torn the country apart, but it came 169 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: out of this traumatic event with more liberty than they 170 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: had had previously. So at this point everybody seems on 171 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: the same page. And he starts wondering where they would 172 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: construct this statue. He zeroes in on a place called 173 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: bed Lowe's Island now spoiler alert named Liberty Island, and 174 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 1: he does this because he has gobsmacked by the fact 175 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: that ships arriving in New York all have to sail 176 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: past this island. So any ship that's arriving is going 177 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: to see this statue. It seems like the best place 178 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: to put it. Who knows, maybe he was thinking Brooklyn 179 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: instead and changed his mind. There was another fantastic side 180 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: benefit to locating the statue on this island. It was 181 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: owned by Uncle Sam. It had been seated by the 182 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 1: New York State legislature in eighteen hundred for harbor defense. 183 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: This makes it land, in his opinion, common to all 184 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: the states. So he begins meeting a lot of New 185 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: York v I p s. You know, and he even 186 00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: meets the President Ulysses S Grant, and Ulysses S Grant says, hey, man, 187 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: good idea. It's not going to be tough for us 188 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: to get that site for the statue. And he begins 189 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: a tour pitching this idea and getting popular support from 190 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: people of note and people with the financial wherewithal to 191 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: donate to the cause. He actually crosses the US twice 192 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: on rail, and the entire time he's on this tour, 193 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: essentially this promo circuit, he is searching for people that 194 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: he thinks will be down with the project. Now at 195 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: this point in the story, some of us listening are saying, hey, guys, hey, 196 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: hang on, the Statue of Liberty. Wasn't that a gift? 197 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: Didn't France just give it to the United States? What's 198 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: all this about fundraising? Well, it's very Good's interesting because 199 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: the statue itself did become a gift from France to 200 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: celebrate the Franco American Union, and that was in large 201 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 1: part due to the efforts of Labollier right, Edward de 202 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: la Bolier Um. He was a French political thinker um 203 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: and a fan and an expert of the U s 204 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:14,839 Speaker 1: Constitution and also himself an abolitionist, and he ultimately proposed 205 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: that the monument be gifted to the United States from 206 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: France to commemorate um the preservation of freedom and democracy, 207 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: and um too memorialize the work of Abraham Lincoln and 208 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 1: his freeing of the slaves, which goes in line with 209 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: some of the original intent of the statue, and it 210 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: having been an Arab slave woman, right, which is which 211 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: is amazing. But they still had to raise money because 212 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: the statue itself is the gift, right but the statue 213 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 1: doesn't come with the pedestal. They have to build something 214 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: to base the statue upon. It's it's sort of like, um, 215 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: have you guys seeing those talk shows. This used to 216 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: happen a lot in the nineteen nineties talk shows where 217 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: everybody in the audience wins a big prize or someone wins. 218 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: Oprah is probably the most famous example. On one episode 219 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: of the Oprah Show, if I recall correctly, she gives 220 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: everyone in the audience a car, of course, but the 221 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: problem is when you get the car, you also have 222 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: to pay taxes on the car. My favorite of them 223 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: when she gives everyone in the audience killer bees as 224 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: I was thinking of that same gift. Yeah, good one. 225 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: And here's the thing. Laboulay was who was a huge 226 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: fan of the Constitution and the United States and the 227 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: efforts of Abraham Lincoln in freeing the slaves. Um, because 228 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: you know, the French are all about revolution as we know, 229 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: and liberty. That's the notion of individual freedom and uh 230 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: you know, self determination. So this guy who was a 231 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: political thinker um was already known to BERTHOLDI, or vice versa. Rather, 232 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: he knew BERTHOLDI because he had commissioned him to do 233 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: a sculpture or like a bust of him, or it 234 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: had he had been commissioned. So they kind of joined 235 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: forces and we're able to get the ball rolling on 236 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: the statue as a joint share between French and the 237 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: United States. Like you said, Ben, they already had the 238 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: side picked out. They had to raise some money to 239 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: build that platform, right, and then they were off to 240 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: the races. Yes, yes, let's talk a little bit about 241 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: the construction and the erection of the statue. So Bartoli 242 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: goes back to France in eighteen seventy seven and he's 243 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: concentrating on completing the head of the statue. He makes 244 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: of progress to exhibit it at the Paris World's Fair. 245 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: Models of the statue are put on sale to help 246 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: with fundraising in France, and they even sold tickets to 247 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: view the construction activity at the workshop where this was 248 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: being built. The French government even green lit a lottery. 249 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: Some of the prizes were things like a silver plate 250 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: or a terra cotta model of the statue, and by 251 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: the end of eighteen seventy nine they have raised about 252 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 1: two d and fifty thousand frocs. So, Noel, you had 253 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier that the same guy who built the Eiffel 254 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: Tower helped create Gustave I failed right, helped create this statue. 255 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: He decided to do some pretty innovative things. He opted 256 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: not to use a completely rigid structure because it would 257 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: force stresses to accumulate in the skin of the statue 258 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: and eventually lead to it cracking. He created one of 259 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: the earliest examples of what's called curtain wall construction. That's 260 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: where the exterior of a structure is not load bearing 261 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: and instead it's supported by this internal framework a skeletonists 262 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: which is also why it matters. You need a you 263 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: need an architect and a sculptor. This thing is literally 264 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: a inhabitable structure. I mean, you wouldn't live there, but 265 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: you can certainly has to sup its massive and it 266 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: has to have the same care taken that you would 267 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: in building a skyscraper for example. Right. Yet, and they 268 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: also changed their minds about the structural material They were 269 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: originally just going to rely on masonry. But when they 270 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: changed the construction materials to iron, this allowed the sculpture 271 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: to change his plans for the assembly of the statue. Originally, 272 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: he thought they would assemble this skin on site on 273 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: the island, but once the materials changed, he decided to 274 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: build the statue in France and then have it disassembled 275 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: and transported to the US to be reassembled on the island. 276 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,160 Speaker 1: So we're building a thing, we're taking it apart, we're 277 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: literally putting it in crates on ships, and then we're 278 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: sailing back across the Atlantic. We're unpacking everything and we're 279 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: going to start putting it back together. Yeah, this is complicated. 280 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: This is one way beyond IKEA for sure. And also, 281 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: I mean there's got to be something of a of 282 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: a language barrier that would have to be some interpreters involved. 283 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: This really is a joint effort. I'm wondering who who 284 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: were the builders, like, the actual folks doing the work. 285 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: It had to have been local people from New York, right, 286 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,719 Speaker 1: they weren't bringing people over from France to actually do 287 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: the work. Yeah, excellent, excellent questions. So in France they're 288 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: using artisans and craftsmen under Bartoldi's direction, and they're they're 289 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: building a piecemeal you know, the head, the shoulders, the 290 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: arm holding the torch. They don't just start at the 291 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: feet and work their way up to your questionable about 292 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: the people who were in New York helping construct and 293 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: reassemble the statue, we find a little bit of what 294 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: would you call it synchronicity big time. Yeah. They were 295 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: already uh, newly arrived immigrants because again New York was 296 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: known for that. It was this sports city, um, and 297 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 1: it was this kind of gateway to the United States 298 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: for people that were trying to come and start new lives. 299 00:18:56,400 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: And they already had this opportunity to get some gainful 300 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,360 Speaker 1: employment by building this massive thing that was a symbol 301 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: of what they represented in the first place, which I 302 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: think is really interesting. M m. There's another employee that 303 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: maybe doesn't get mentioned as often as they should in 304 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: the story of the Statue of Liberties construction. It's the 305 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: model for the statue. It was a real person. It's 306 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: a real person. Not only is it a real person, 307 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: but it is one of the best Mother's Day gifts ever. 308 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: Frederick Bartoldi uses his mother Charlotte, as the model for 309 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 1: the statue. What a good son, what a sweet boy. 310 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,919 Speaker 1: You know, that is an enduring image. You know that 311 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,640 Speaker 1: is going to be around for a long long time. 312 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: Uh man, his mother must have really loved him or 313 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: who knows. Maybe they had a really horrible, cantankerous relationship 314 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: and he was just trying to make nice. Well, either way, 315 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: she is now. She is now the inspiration for the 316 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 1: most recognized statue in the world. Yeah, immortalized perfect word. 317 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: And this was first discovered in eighteen seventy six. Bartoldi 318 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: invited a French senator named Jules Bozzarian to watch the 319 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 1: opera with him. He had a box at the opera house. 320 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: And when the senator pulls back the curtain to step 321 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: into the box, he's freaking out because it looks like 322 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: the statue of Liberty is a real life person sitting 323 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: in that box. It's Charlotte. Oh yeah, right, that's right, 324 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: that is wild Ben. But here's the thing, Um, this 325 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: is interesting. I didn't know this at all until we 326 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: started looking into this. Bertoldie held onto like the rights 327 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 1: to the image of the Statue of Liberty for quite 328 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: some time. Um. And then eventually that copyright that he 329 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: held ran out, like they tend to do, and there 330 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: opened the doors to duplicate statues of Liberty. Here we go. Yeah, 331 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: so yes, yes, this is a very important point. He 332 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,439 Speaker 1: obtained a patent on the statue of liberty and it 333 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: didn't run out for what fourteen years? The patent itself, 334 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 1: the description verges on the poetic when when we're describing 335 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: the statue, it's it's quote a statue representing liberty enlightening 336 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: the world, the same consisting essentially of the draped female 337 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: figure with one arm upbraidsed, bearing a torch while the 338 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: other holds an inscribed tablet, and having upon the head 339 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: a diadem, which I love the phrase, the word diadem. 340 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: We don't use that very often. Now what is It's 341 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: almost like a tr right, It's like a crown. H yeah. Um, 342 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: so that's right. It did. Uh, it did run out. 343 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: And now we have copycat statues of liberty all around 344 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: the world. We have them in Tokyo, Norway, Brazil, Vegas, baby, 345 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: you know yeah, um, and uh, of course replicas of 346 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: them that you can get and little models that you 347 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: can glue together. I have a cutout cardboard one that's 348 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: sort of like a secon. Assemble a little unch the 349 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,239 Speaker 1: holes and connect the pieces together. Um. So it's you know, 350 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: it's it's everywhere. Do you have a secret treasure trove 351 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: of statue of liberty memorabilia? The two though I know 352 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: maybe that could be maybe that could be a new hobby. 353 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: Oh you know what we should mention the Statue of 354 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: Liberty is not the official name. That's just the nickname. 355 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: That's the real name. Was at least Bartoldi's name for 356 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: it was Liberty Enlightening the World. But according to the 357 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia, this statue has a ton of nicknames. 358 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 1: We can go through a couple. One is Everybody's gal 359 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: which I had not heard. That would Everybody's Galgy, America's Freedom, 360 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: America's Great Lady, onto Liberty, Lady Liberty, Lady Liberty, Yeah, 361 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: grand damn green goddess, not to be confused with the 362 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: dressing giant goddess, the lady higher up, Lady on a pedestal, 363 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:01,880 Speaker 1: lady with a torch, Mother of exiles, which is again 364 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: very Game of Thrones. And the list of names goes 365 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: on St. Liberty Giant Goddess, which I think is a 366 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: little bit heavy handed, but you know, it is an 367 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: an enormous statue, so I guess they've earned that. So 368 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: let's fast forward to the afternoon of October six. President 369 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 1: Grover Cleveland, who was also the former governor of New 370 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: York presided over the dedication ceremony. The good old fashioned 371 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: New York take a tape parade, Yes, yes, the very same. 372 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 1: It's a huge parade. Estimates. Estimates tell us that anywhere 373 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: from several hundred thousand people to a million people showed 374 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: up to be a part of history on that day. 375 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: And President Cleveland's headed the procession and then he stood 376 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: in you know, the reviewing stand to watch bands and 377 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,719 Speaker 1: marchers from all across the country. The route begins at 378 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:02,639 Speaker 1: Madison Square where they once housed just the arm and 379 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: then it proceeds to the Battery at the southern tip 380 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: of Manhattan via Fifth Avenue and Broadway, with a slight 381 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: detour so the parade can pass in front of the 382 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: World Building on Park Row, and as people as as 383 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: the parade was passing, particularly the New York Stock Exchange 384 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 1: traders leaned out of the windows and started throwing ticker tape, 385 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: beginning the tradition of the ticker tape parade. This is 386 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: the first one. That's fantastic. Um, yeah, it's true. And 387 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 1: around seven years this is this is around seven years 388 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: after he had originally patented his invention. He has an 389 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: invention I love that idea. It's not a work of art, 390 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: it's like an in It's considered an invention because I 391 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: guess it's functional because it has the lighthouse qualities to it. Um. 392 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: That is when BERTOLDI stood aloft himself up on the 393 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:56,440 Speaker 1: statue's face and released this giant French flag um into 394 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: the cheering crowd of like a million New Yorkers who 395 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: we're looking on. And here's here's one of the weird 396 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: parts about this. So there are a bunch of speeches, right, 397 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: the first speech is on behalf of the French Committee. 398 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: The second speech is going to is supposed to be 399 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: by the chairman of the New York Committee, a guy 400 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:20,120 Speaker 1: named Senator William M. Evarts. And at this point he's 401 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: he's supposed to do the speech right, and then at 402 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: the end of the speech, they're supposed to let the 403 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: flag drop. But BARTOLDI, we can only imagine how nervous 404 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,479 Speaker 1: he is. This has been years in the making, right, 405 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: BARTOLDI has bad timing because Evarts has a pause in 406 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: his speech, and Bartoldi's like, oh, it's go time, and 407 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 1: so he lets the flag drop in the middle of 408 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 1: this guy's speech, and the crowd goes wild, and the Senator, 409 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,440 Speaker 1: we can only imagine, has to, like, you know, throw 410 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: up his hands and exit the scene because you can't 411 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 1: keep talking when people are seeing this statue unveiled for 412 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: the first time. So eventually President Cleveland comes up and 413 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: he says, quote the statue, stream of light shall pierce 414 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 1: the darkness of ignorance a man's oppression until liberty enlightens 415 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:11,120 Speaker 1: the world. They asked Bartoldie to speak, like, hey, speech, speech, speech, 416 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 1: and he says, no, my work speaks for itself. There 417 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: we go. That's a move. By the way, Yes, how 418 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: come people don't name their kids Grover anymore? There's someone 419 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: out there there may be a Grover listening with us today. Well, hey, 420 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: let us know, is your name Grover right in? Do 421 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: you know a Grover? Do you know a Grover? Have 422 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: you hugged a Grover today? And and let us know 423 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:36,919 Speaker 1: if you have Ellis Island in your family's past and 424 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 1: what their experience was like. There are so many different 425 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,239 Speaker 1: things that we could explore in the story of the 426 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty, but for purposes the day, I think 427 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: the thing that surprised both of us was that this 428 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: became pretty close to not being an American thing at all. 429 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: That's true. That was the hook of today's episode, which 430 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: we alway got rid of in the front. Yeah, that's 431 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: how we do. We gotta have a ridiculous hook. And 432 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: then this is an excuse to talk about some cool histories. 433 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: We go there, we go a reason, maybe exactly, always 434 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: always a reason. Um, but I enjoyed this very much. 435 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,680 Speaker 1: Do you wanna should we do a little listener mail 436 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: we haven't done in a minute. Yeah, it's been a while. 437 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: Let's give it a go. Cool as the return of 438 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: listener mail. Our first email today comes from kimberly M. 439 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: Kimberly M says, Hi, guys, I'm a big fan and 440 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: came across the topic recently that I'm dying to hear 441 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: you discuss get this little trial by or deal. You've 442 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 1: heard of this, right, Yeah, it's like feats of strength 443 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: during festivals, so uh so, kimberly says. This is the 444 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: practice of proving one's innocence of an accused crime by 445 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: participating in a dangerous or painful task and either avoiding 446 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: injury altogether via the intercession of a deity, or to 447 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: heal well from the injuries incurred. These trials occurred across 448 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: the world, ranging from burning to boil into drowning to poisoning. 449 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: The list goes on. It really boggles the mind that 450 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: one would have to submit to torture to keep one's 451 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 1: good name. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. 452 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: Here's hoping, Kimberly. M. That's a cool idea. I think 453 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: it's possible that we should just do one as an episode. 454 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,679 Speaker 1: Were just do a trial by word, Yeah, we just 455 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: expose ourselves to some sort of horrific task um individually 456 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: and see who comes out on top, Like put put 457 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:27,239 Speaker 1: our fist in boiling oil, or volunteer Casey to do 458 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: that on our behalf. He could be our champion, Casey. 459 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,199 Speaker 1: Are you cool with that? Absolutely not? No, Okay, that 460 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: sounded like a yes. Whatever. We have to rewind the 461 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: tape on that. Whatever it was, it was definitely Casey 462 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: on the case. He's a problem solver, he's solution oriented. 463 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for writing in with that fantastic idea, Kimberly. I. 464 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: I think we put it on the queue. We'll see 465 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: about actually doing a trial. That's fair. I have one 466 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 1: here from Sawyer G. She says Hey, guys, I love 467 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: your show, and I was listening to one from a 468 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: little bit ago about the casual cannibalism during the sixteen 469 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: and seventeenth century. During the episode, I was hashtag shook 470 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: when you started to describe the way old Arabian men 471 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: would allow themselves to be mommified alive basically by honey, 472 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: and then after a century that mixture was used as 473 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: a cure all type of medicine. The reason I was 474 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: hashtag shook wasn't because of the nature of that validly 475 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: weird ritual, but because of a song on one of 476 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: my favorite albums. The song is called Sweet Bod by 477 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: Lemon Demon, and the song is about taking a corpse, 478 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 1: leaving it in a tomb of honey, and then a 479 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: hundred years later using it as a product to sell 480 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: to housewives with headaches. I always loved the song because 481 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: it was such a strange and unique concept. I often 482 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: thought to myself, Huh, how did he make this up? 483 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: Then as I was sitting down listening to your episode 484 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: and the same process came up. Uh, my jaw hit 485 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: the floor. It's more of a coincidence for me, but 486 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: I thought you guys might want to check out the 487 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 1: song because it's incredible and up your collective alley. The 488 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: whole album is a concept album where ancient aliens and 489 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: any conspiracy of the like ends up being true. And 490 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: then she gives a Spotify lank and it turns out 491 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: the guy responsible for the Lemon Demon is Neil Syria Syriaga. 492 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: You see reggas when I say in my head, okay, 493 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: got it? Casey on the case. He has an amazing 494 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: uh series of albums that Casey turned us onto called 495 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: mouth Sounds that's sort of like a ridiculous, hilarious kind 496 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: of girl talk mash up thing. A lot of it 497 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: uses all Star by Shrek uh and mashes up different 498 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: kind of like nineties songs like Ants Marching by Dave 499 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: Matthews Band with like you know, all kinds of difference 500 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:35,240 Speaker 1: of it's hilarious and a lot of fun to listen to. 501 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: Lemon Demon is much more of like a weird eighties 502 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: tinged like lounge kind of record with a little bit 503 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: of horror theme, and it's very true. He does have 504 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: a song about this concept that you found Ben, that 505 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: we talked about in the Casual Cannibalism. The Melified Man 506 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: that's the ones. Yes, no proven case of one has 507 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:57,479 Speaker 1: been found yet, but is there somewhere in the world 508 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: in a dusty sepulchler a person who has been mollified. 509 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 1: I don't know if it would be a world changing 510 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: event to find one, but it would be so very, 511 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: very cool. And you have to ask yourself, without getting 512 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 1: too far into the ethics involved, you have to ask yourself, 513 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: would you take a nip of you know, corpse honey? Yeah, 514 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: sort of like tapping the admiral right, exactly exactly? Uh? 515 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: If so, let us know, or if you've actually run 516 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: into this in real life, if you've seen a mellified man, 517 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: I will get on the plane tomorrow. I really want 518 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: to see one in real life. You can write to 519 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: us at ridiculous at how stuff works dot com, or 520 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: you can check out our Facebook group Ridiculous Historians, where 521 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: all kinds of memory is afoot pretty much around the clock. Yes, 522 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: and you can also see our personal adventures and misadventures 523 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: on our own Instagram accounts. I'm at Ben Bolan, i 524 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: am at Embryonic Insider. As always massive thanks to our 525 00:31:54,920 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: superproducer Casey pegram Um, our research associate Gabe and Alex Williams, 526 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: who composed our theme, and hey, no, thanks to you 527 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: for coming by today because a lot of people I 528 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: don't want to put you on the spot. A lot 529 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: of people don't know it, but this guy woke up 530 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: at four thirty in the morning and flew in from 531 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: a different state to do this show boy or my 532 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: arms tired, but it's but it's great exercise. It's really 533 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: good for your core. It's true. And there's nowhere I'd 534 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: rather be than right here with all of you folks 535 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: who we will see next time. Talk to you soon.