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History
Softcore History
A podcast for the casual fan of history. The Wikipedia reader. The kids who grew up with a dad who watched the same 10 hours of World War II specials on The History Channel. Join Dan Regester, Rob Fox, and a weekly guest as they tastefully insert themselves into the past. The only thing we don’t show is our research.
Make America Drunk Again
The guys discuss the events that led up to Prohibition and the 18th Amendment, specifically the outrageous amounts of alcohol Americans consumed throughout the country's history prior to its brief outlawing.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.
01:29:4023/01/2023
The Korea Axe Murder Incident And Operation Paul Bunyan
The 1976 murders of U.S. Army officers Captain Arthur Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark Barrett by North Korean soldiers, which stemmed from a tree-trimming disagreement at the DMZ, provoked a forceful response from the United States in the form of Operation Paul Bunyan. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.
01:00:3016/01/2023
The Sex Cult Reject Who Assassinated A President
Charles Guiteau was a failed clergyman, lawyer, bill collector, and cult member who falsely believed he played a massive role in the election of James Garfield. Feeling snubbed of a reward from the Republican Party after the inauguration of the president, this lunatic decided the only logical thing to do was to assassinate the leader of the free world. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.
01:35:4109/01/2023
Stop Hiking in Russia
Another Russian mountain mass-death mystery is brought to the table and the guys have to figure out what went down. Perhaps a camping trip to Siberia might be ill-advised. Join Fitbod today and build a routine that lasts all year. Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/SOFTCORE
01:30:4104/01/2023
A Short History of Shrinkage
The 1967 Koro Panic in Singapore saw hundreds of healthy men and boys rush to the hospital convinced their penises were disappearing. This and other shrinkage panics across history — such as medieval witches stealing dongs and keeping them as living, slithering, worm-like pets — highlight a male, cross-cultural fear that supernatural forces are out to steal their pieces. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore.
01:43:5728/12/2022
They’ve Found Santa’s Tomb
The secret location of the tomb of St. Nicholas — aka Santa Claus — has been potentially discovered in southern Turkey. But are Santa’s bones inside? Learn about the long history of Catholics pillaging Santa’s corpse and the miracles St. Nicholas performed that you definitely have NOT heard about. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.
01:12:3719/12/2022
The Warlord Who Bullied Gods
Zhang Zongchang was a Chinese general whom Time Magazine dubbed "The Basest Warlord". He was addicted to gambling and sex and relished trolling his enemies, friends, and the gods themselves. He pulled himself out of poverty and eventually became the military governor of his hometown Shandong, where he was a major player in the opium trade and one of the funnier leaders in the Fengtian Clique. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. Right now, you can get Harry’s Starter Set for just $3. Plus, you’ll get a free travel-size body wash. The set includes a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel cover. A $16 value for just $3. Just visit harrys.com/SOFTCORE
01:01:5012/12/2022
The Grocery Store That Won The Cold War
Boris Yeltsin was the first democratically elected leader of the Russian Federation, and also quite possibly the drunkest. Learn of his escapades across the world and how a Houston grocery store led to the fall of the Soviet Union. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Get Honey for FREE at Join Honey.com/SOFTCORE
01:39:4305/12/2022
The Most Sl*t-Shamed Woman In History
Messalina, the Empress of Rome from 41 AD to 48 AD, had rumors about her so messed up that even the meanest girl from your high school would think her enemies went too far. The weirdest part about the rumors, though? They weren’t even necessary. The actual stuff Messalina did was bad enough. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Right now, you can get Harry’s Starter Set for just $3. Plus, you’ll get a free travel-size body wash. The set includes a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel cover. A $16 value for just $3. Just visit harrys.com/SOFTCORE
01:52:2928/11/2022
Dogfights, A War Hero Pigeon, And An Australian Berserker
This week we cover four unique but equally bizarre tales from World War I including pilots being shot down in no man's land, a tough and durable bird that saved a battalion, and one of the most Australian stories imaginable. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.
01:19:0721/11/2022
Dolphins, Acid, And Handies
This week we explore the NASA-funded experiments that involved giving LSD to dolphins, discuss animal consent, and the ethics of living "intimately" with a dolphin for six months. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.
01:29:4714/11/2022
The Yelp Reviews of 18th Century London Prostitutes
If you were in search of a prostitute in 1700s London you needed to look no further than Harris’s List of Covent-Garden Ladies, a pocketbook with reviews (and addresses) of over 150 of London’s ladies of the night. We read real hooker reviews from the 1788 edition of the pocketbook. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Right now, you can get Harry’s Starter Set for just $3. Plus, you’ll get a free travel-size body wash. The set includes a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel cover. A $16 value for just $3. Just visit harrys.com/SOFTCORE Get Honey for FREE at Join Honey.com/SOFTCORE
01:37:5708/11/2022
The Failed Farmer Who Blew Up An Elementary School
In Bath Township, Michigan on May 18th, 1927 Andrew Kehoe killed 38 elementary schoolchildren, and six adults, and injured nearly 60 others. It was the first recorded school bombing in U.S. History and the world’s earliest known suicide car bombing. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Right now GhostBed is offering 40% off GhostBed Bundles where you get a Mattress & Adjustable Base -- Or 30% off everything if you use the code – DRINKINBROS AT GhostBed.com/drinkinbros
01:09:5731/10/2022
Whiskey, Aliens, and A Two-Faced Man
Jake takes us through three spooky tales: one real, one a hoax, and one that is disputed. Find out which real-life horror is fact in this week’s episode. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio and video content.
01:15:3625/10/2022
The Woman Who Apologized Herself To Death With Jessie Wiseman
The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 are arguably the most famous witch trials in English history, and they all began because one girl, who definitely did not have magical powers, turned herself in to authorities for the crime of having magical powers. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio and video content. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.
02:14:4617/10/2022
Halloween Pranks Use To Just Be Terrorism
From causing city trolleys to crash to almost burning down Detroit, Halloween was once a holiday of mayhem so destructive that it was almost banned in our country during the Great Depression.
56:3210/10/2022
The Real Curses Of Classic Horror Films
The guys continue spooky month and dive into famous curses surrounding classic horror movies including Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, and Poltergeist.
01:23:4103/10/2022
Catholic Witches And Their Shadow Demon Sex Cult
One of the most famous witch trials in history involved a Jesuit priest, sex with the dark realm, drinking a baby’s blood, and a witness who didn’t expect to be cross-examined.
01:28:4128/09/2022
The Money Problems Of The Founding Fathers
From Alexander Hamilton's wife having to go around with a collection basket to pay for his funeral to George Washington's vice for the sweet stuff, our Founding Fathers were reckless with their wealth.
01:09:5820/09/2022
The Oldest Man On Death Row
Ray and Faye Copeland, a farming couple who stole cattle, forged checks, and murdered drifters on their Missouri farm were the oldest people ever put on death row.
01:09:0513/09/2022
We Never Really Wanted Actual News
How did Pulitzer, Hearst, et al. sell papers? It wasn’t with the high-brow stuff. They sent reporters to hospitals to write about the gruesome murders and horrible (or embarrassing, alcohol-fueled) injuries a city’s residents had suffered that day. We break down a paper full of those stories -- the August 23rd, 1897 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
01:22:4709/09/2022
The Worst Crusade Ever
Sometimes you have to crack a few of your fellow Christians' eggs to make a Holy Land omelet. The 4th Crusade was one Pope's call to action gone horribly wrong, featuring a few idiotic side missions that ultimately submarined the main quest, and one of the Catholic Church's biggest blunders in its storied history of mistakes.Brought to you by Withernot Rugby Shirts. Get 20% off your order at withernot.com with the code POD20
01:09:3529/08/2022
How Florida Made America
We dive into the history of The Republic of West Florida. Learn how Florida is basically responsible for everything America is today, for better and for worse.
01:26:4823/08/2022
The Hardcore Jewish Kingdom You Never Heard Of
The Kingdom of Himyar in modern-day Yemen may have converted to Judaism for political reasons in 380 A.D. but eventually they went harder than anybody to rep their beliefs. And by that we mean they slaughtered a bunch of Christians.
01:05:0915/08/2022
The Titanic Was On Fire With Jessie Wiseman
Jessie Wiseman joins the boys to talk about the lesser known details about the sinking of the Titanic.
01:24:5808/08/2022
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles All Hate This Guy
Frano Selak is the luckiest unlucky person in history. Learn how he survived 7 brushes with horrible, violent death, and what he’s up to today.
01:16:5501/08/2022
Hitler And The Pope
Newly released Vatican records detail how Hitler used the Catholic Church's abuse to blackmail Pope Pius XII into not being too mean to the Third Reich.Check out our Patreon for even more episodes -- Patreon.com/softcorehistory
01:34:3625/07/2022
Out For The Duel
Two high-society Austrian noblewomen clashed over flowers and it ended in a topless sword fight.
01:13:1018/07/2022
Visit Antarctica! Eat Dogs And Die
Douglas Mawson ventured to Antarctica, TWICE, but it almost cost him his life. Find out how he almost died getting his literal rocks off in a frozen wasteland.
01:14:2011/07/2022
Do You Want To Build A Snowman?
In 1511 the people of Brussels, while suffering through a brutal winter known as "The Winter of Death", took to the streets and expressed their displeasure with the ruling classes and life in general by... sculpting snowmen and making them do wildly inappropriate things with each other.
01:02:2504/07/2022
Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em
We discuss the most important women's movement of the last century: the march to smoke cigarettes.
53:3927/06/2022
The Inventor Of Mommy Issues
The guys talk about the coed killer’s disdain for his mother, his adventures in cat killing, and his unintentional contribution to the field of criminal profiling.
01:13:0621/06/2022
Ghost Party
In the late 19th Century, one Chicago family found itself living in a house that turned out to be aggressively haunted. But these weren't normal ghosts. These were cool ghosts who loved to party.
01:15:3014/06/2022
Don’t Fall In Love In The Wild West
A psycho trust fund kid, an aging but talented performer, and Wyatt Earp. Dodge City, Kansas was not a great place to "love" and "be loved"... or just to live in general. There's a reason the saying goes, "Get the hell outta Dodge."
01:13:5507/06/2022
Thank You Sirhan May I Have Another?
This week we talk about RFK and Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin so nice they named him twice. We dive deep into the Robert Kennedy assassination and some of its mysterious circumstances. We’re just asking questions!If you’re interested in a better way to use nicotine, visit https://www.Lucy.co, and be sure to use that promo code SOFTCORE
01:39:5030/05/2022
The Lost City of Wieners
The recently discovered ancient city of Karahan Tepe has changed everything -- seriously, everything — we know about human history, and it’s covered in dongs.
01:18:0024/05/2022
New York Clowns vs. Canadian Firefighters
A group of liquored up traveling clowns and volunteer firefighters go into a Toronto brothel in 1855. Mayhem ensues.
01:01:5116/05/2022
The US Navy’s Dumbest Boat
This week we cover the USS William D Porter. A Naval destroyer that, for better or worse, was so good at destroying that it almost killed FDR… twice.
01:11:4710/05/2022
Rosie The Riveter Could Never
Massachusetts Puritan colonist Hannah Duston was the first woman to ever have a statue erected in her honor in the United States. But was what she did worthy of a monument?
01:15:4003/05/2022
Wastin’ Away Again In Slave-a-ritaville
The American Confederacy in Brazil? This week we talk about the southern rebels who took the L in the Civil War and picked up shop to continue their Dixieland Delight in South America.
01:03:2925/04/2022
Easter Is Stolen IP
This week Jake tries to dunk on Jesus and fails, Rob thinks Six Flags is the same as Disney, and we all learn about the pagan traditions that live on in modern Easter celebrations.
01:22:2618/04/2022
The Worst Way Any Japanese Soldier Died During WW2
Human beings might be at the top of the planet's food chain but we've taken some L's to animals over the years, none worse than what happened to the Japanese soldiers who, near the end of World War II, retreated into the swamps of Burma's Ramree Island and found ancient, bloodthirsty predators waiting for them.
01:20:0812/04/2022
Thank God Native Americans Killed Everything That Used To Live Here
This is the story of the FIRST colonization of the Americas, some 13,000ish years ago. Humans arrived here for what turned out to actually be the second time and, like people are wont to do, they killed the other people living here and, more importantly, the giant nightmare monsters that called the Americas home.
01:22:2405/04/2022
Classic Hollywood’s ”Unsolved” Murders
The guys talk about the golden age of Hollywood's most unusual deaths, including a sketchy accidental fatality on William Randolph Hearst's yacht, a teenaged starlet's older lover's suspicious death, and a famous actress's suicide that was super obviously NOT a suicide.
01:09:5129/03/2022
The Cancelled Goat Ball Doctor
This week we learn about J.R. Brinkley, a shady doctor with even shadier practices that had an election stolen from him, his radio platform stolen, and probably stole some goat balls himself.https://www.patreon.com/softcorehistory
01:28:0622/03/2022
Russia: The Bridesmaid of Europe
Breaking down how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is just the latest in a long history of Russia trying to prove that it's way more powerful and important than it really is, from the nation declaring Moscow the "Third Rome" after the fall of Constantinople to its epic fails in the Crimean War and the Russo-Japanese War.
01:45:4314/03/2022
China’s Hooker Pirate Queen
Ching Shih was a prostitute who pulled herself up by the stilettos and became one of the most successful pirates in world history.
01:08:4208/03/2022
The Pope Blessed Murder In Florence
This week we cover the Pazzi Conspiracy, a plot to assassinate the Medici banking family, and how the Pope kind of OK’d the whole thing.
01:18:0401/03/2022
Ancient Egypt Was #AntiWork
Ancient Egypt seems like a long time ago, but this recovered sick leave document from 1250 BC proves that Egyptians were just like us: drunks who hated work and had a rough time when the women in their house were menstruating.
01:17:4422/02/2022
The Helen Keller 9/11 Connection With Jessie Wiseman
Jessie Wiseman joins the boys as we burn on Helen Keller.Head to PolicyGenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.
01:15:4915/02/2022