Based, Biased, or BS

If you saw a lost dog, what would you do? If it seemed friendly would you check its collar? What about a cat in a tree? Would you be willing to climb it to help a terrified little creature? Well, what if that creature wasn't so little? Would you care? Would you help? What do you do when you're the only thing standing between its survival and its awful doom?

Grab your parkas because this week, Madi is taking us all the way up to Northern Alaska where we learn about the Inupiat people and the whales that migrate through.

Don't forget, you can find pics from today's episode here!

Sources:

"Big Miracle: The real story" by Richard Mauer - Anchorage Daily News

"The BIG Story of Three Whales" - NPR

"Big Miracle: The Real Rescue in Images" by Andrea Thompson - Live Science

"The Gray Whale Migration ..." - Oceanic Society

"Roy Ahmaogak Interview" with Terry Gross on Fresh Air

"Whale of a Story has Local Connection" by Aaron Brand - Texarkana Gazette

"The only thing we have to look forward to is hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. [...] So if there is a message I have to give, it's the fact that if a gay person can be elected, it's a green light. There's hope that the system can work for all minorities. And you and you and you, you have to give them hope." - Harvey Milk, 1978

After some technical difficulties, we are back better than ever! And this week, Zach tells us all about the life and legacy of Harvey Milk.

Don't forget, all pictures for today's episode can be found here!

Sources:

Learn more about and support the ACLU Drag Defense Fund

"The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)" - directed by Rob Epstein

"Harvey Milk" - Wikipedia

"The Official Harvey Milk Biography" - The Harvey Milk Foundation

"Dan White & The Twinkie Defense" - Wikipedia

"Harvey Milk's Gay Freedom Day Speech" by Liz Tracey - JSTOR Daily

Have you thought about breathing lately? I bet you are now, but usually you don't have to think about breathing because it's something you just ... do. In Butcher Holler, singing is like breathing. It's something they just ... do. What does that mean for a little girl from the mountains? Get ready to find out!

Madi tells us all about "The First Lady of Country Music" Loretta Lynn, from her humble beginnings to her legendary music career.

Don't forget, you can find pics from today's episode here!

Sources:

"Life and Times of Loretta Lynn"

"Loretta Lynn" - Country Music Hall of Fame

"This Day in History" - History.com

"Inside Loretta Lynn's ..." by Rachel DeSantis for People Mag

"Remembering Loretta Lynn" Fresh Air Podcast with Terry Gross

"Loretta Lynn" - Biography

"Loretta Lynn" - Wikipedia

During the late 1970s, tension was building within the country of Iran. Not only was it building, it was boiling and nearing its breaking point. The citizens were done with the political and physical oppression from the ruling dynasty. Groups began to form. Groups that were hungry to take back reign of their country again, by any means necessary. Lights, Camera, Revolution.

This week, Zach tells all about the Canadian Caper, the Islamic Revolution, and its portrayal in the film Argo.

Sources:

"Argo: What Really Happened in Tehran?" by Marcus Resenbaum - NPR

"How Historically Accurate is Argo?" by Mita Kataria - Looper

"Canadian Caper" by Richard Foot & Norman Hillmer - Britannica

"Iran Hostage Crisis" - Britannica

"Canadian Caper" - Wikipedia

"Ken Taylor and the Canadian Caper" - Government of Canada

Do you smell that? It's the smell of New York, baby. That's right, the smell of gas, garbage, and dreams. You've lived here all your life; you know this city like a book ... or maybe like a letter. A letter you've studied over and over again and traced word for word until finally, the jig is up.

Madi tells us all about Lee Israel and her iconic letters on this week's episode!

Pictures of Melissa McCarthy as Lee in the movie, can be found here!

Sources:

"Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Memoir by Lee Israel

New York Public Library

"The True Story of Lee Israel" by Caroline Redmond - All That's Interesting

Dorothy Kilgallen - Wikipedia

Tallulah Bankhead - Turner Classic Films Biography

Lee Israel - Wikipedia

If your friend told you to jump off a cliff would you do it? It's kind of a ridiculous saying, but there's truth behind the macabre phrase. How far would you go out of your comfort zone to make your friend happy? Now what would you do if their life depended on it? If your friend told you to stab someone for them ... would you do it?

We are back again this week to tell the story of the Mark & John Catfish Stabbing. And don't forget, pictures from the movie can be found here!

Sources:

Gruesome: Horrific True Crime Podcast by Coni and Meg

"Bizarre Tale of Boy who used Internet ..." by Helen Carter - The Guardian

"How a British 14-Year-Old was Charged ..." by Hannah Marland - Medium

Imagine you are the very best at what you do. You've been practicing since you were 3 and you plan on dedicating your entire life to it. You can't be paid to do it because then you wouldn't be an amature and you wouldn't be able to compete on the biggest scale possible: The Olympics. You've trained all your life. You've got the jumps no one else has. It's your destiny to win the gold ... or is it?

We're certainly going for the gold this week because Madi tells all about Tonya Harding, her life, and her record-breaking ice skating career.

Sources:

Olympics Biography

You're Wrong About Podcast by Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes

"Making an Ice Queen" by Sarah Marshall

Biography - Famous Athletes

"Inside the Figure Skating Scandal ... " by Ale Russian

"Why We Still Root for Tonya Harding" by Cody Corrall

"Not Your Average Ice Queen" - Sports Illustrated Vault

"Where is She Now ... " - ABC7

"Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan ..." - Biography

Like a heartbeat, there's an ever-present noise humming under this town. Below the streets and behind the walls of the city, you can hear the music. Jazz running through the alleys. Bootleg gin bubbling out of the city cracks. Behind the closed doors and locked windows, cash is handed off and clothes are taken off. It's 1924, welcome to Chicago.

Zach tells us all about Beulah Annan, Belva Gaertner, and Marianne Dallas Watkins this week!

Don't forget, all pics from todays episode can be found ⁠⁠here⁠⁠!

Sources:

⁠⁠Chicagology⁠⁠

⁠⁠Wikipedia - Belva⁠⁠

⁠⁠Wikipedia - Beulah⁠⁠

⁠⁠Chicago Tribune⁠⁠ - Heidi Stevens

⁠⁠Women You Should Know⁠⁠

⁠⁠Wikipedia - Maureen

You were recently contacted by an entertainment lawyer because you're late husband wasn't the man you thought he was, he's actually a world famous singer. As his wife you should be getting some of the money from the royalties of his hit songs. That is ... if you really are his one and ONLY wife.

Doo-wop is NOT dead! Madi tells us all about Frankie Lymon, his rise and fall with international fame, and the women he called wives.

Don't forget, all pictures from today's ep can be found here!

Sources:

Smithsonian Magazine - Jeff MacGregor

Gold - Mayer Nissim

Washington Post - Paula Span

Wikipedia

Ebony Magazine

New York Times

Ned Hardy - Nick Lee

What makes the best, most compelling story? Something that viewers wouldn't be able to look away from even if they tried. A story so tragic that it crushes their hearts but gripping enough to force them to see what happens next. We can create any story we want: truth ... or fiction.

Today Zach tells us all about Elizabeth Finch and the series of stories that she told in the Grey's Anatomy writer's room.

Don't forget, all pictures from today's episode can be found here!

Sources:

"The True Lies of Elizabeth Finch" by Evgenia Peretz

⁠"The Grey's Anatomy Liar Confesses it All"⁠ by Peter Kiefer

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 - Wikipedia

Elizabeth R Finch - Wikipedia