We look at the back-story behind the movie Lawrence of Arabia, from the Islamic Golden Age through its legacy on the Middle East conflicts going on today. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

The "How Art Got Ugly" series continues. After spending several episodes tracking the evolution of art from Michelangelo to Picasso, we take some time to survey the creative landscape in the aftermath of WW1. We examine Monet's Water Lilies, the legacy of the Futurists, the Museum of Modern Art, and a theory that culture is still, to this day, stuck in 1925. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Episode five of our hosts' deep dive into how modern art got so ugly. This time, we look at the early 20th century, as avant garde movements pop up across Europe, from the Cubists and Fauvists in Paris, to the German Expressionists in Berlin and Munich, to the Futurists in Milan, to the Dada movement in Zurich. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look continue their investigation of how modern art got so ugly, and this episode takes us to Montmartre during the fin de siècle. What we now call "modern art" starts to emerge in Paris's answer to 2000s Williamsburg. We also look at Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

We look at the history of professional wrestling, from its obscure origins in the British Isles through the billion-dollar business that it is today. Whether you care to admit it or not, pro wrestling looms large in our 21st century culture. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

This is the second half of the conversation in the previous episode. Our investigation of modern art goes to 19th century France, when avant garde art begins to look a little less realistic, and a little more "modern", whatever that even means. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look continue their investigation of how modern art got so ugly, starting with a look at some of the entries in the 2024 Whitney Biennial. We then look at how the concept of art came about in the 18th and 19th centuries. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look (with some exasperation) at the finals of the 2024 Turner Prize, and ask how modern art got so ugly. More importantly, what is art and why does it cover so many of these ugly works? The story behind that question goes all the way back to the Renaissance. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

Our hosts look at the life and times of Fred Phelps, the founder and face of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

In a break from the usual format, this is Radio Free History's first interview episode, where we talk to a local (and well-respected) martial arts instructor about the history of Kung Fu and martial arts generally in the West, up to the current day with MMA. He dispels some common myths about martial arts that persist, often due to dramatic depictions in movies and media. At the end, we spend some time discussing how his training is relevant to his work with an international disaster relief charity. If you would like to donate or volunteer, please go to https://globalmedic.ca/. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory