Rainy Day Rabbit Holes: History Unhinged

🧠 Ever Wondered What Happens When the FBI Investigates Bigfoot?

Spoiler alert: it does not end in a dramatic Sasquatch reveal.

In this Five Minute Friday episode, we dig into the FBI’s real-life Bigfoot files—yes, those exist—and unpack one of the strangest (and funniest) government investigations you’ve probably never heard of.

From mysterious hair samples to very polite scientific disappointment, this is the story of how Bigfoot almost became official… and then immediately didn’t.

🕵️ The FBI vs Bigfoot (A Very Polite Letdown)

Back in the 1970s, a cryptozoology group sent the FBI a batch of mysterious hair samples they couldn’t identify. Naturally, they believed this might finally be proof of Sasquatch.

And the logic was simple:

If we can’t identify it… it must be Bigfoot.

The FBI, in a rare moment of curiosity (or maybe boredom), agreed to analyze the samples—despite normally only handling criminal investigations.

After careful examination using the technology available at the time, they came back with their official conclusion:

It was deer.

That’s it. That’s the story.

Dreams crushed. Case closed. Hair returned.

🌲 The Atlas That Sparked Sasquatch Fever

This whole situation started when a 1975 government atlas casually included references to Sasquatch sightings in the Pacific Northwest—complete with maps.

Yes. A real government document basically said:

• Here’s the plants
• Here’s the animals
• Also… Bigfoot might be out there

That single detail sparked public curiosity, media attention, and a wave of people demanding answers from the FBI.

Because nothing fuels belief faster than:

• Vague government statements
• “Unknown” scientific results
• And a creature that refuses to be photographed clearly

🧬 Facts vs Folklore vs Speculation

FACT:

The FBI tested alleged Bigfoot hair and determined it came from deer.

FOLKLORE:

Sasquatch has been a staple of Pacific Northwest legends for decades, with countless sightings and stories.

SPECULATION:

Before modern DNA testing, “unknown” samples created space for imagination—and Bigfoot filled that gap perfectly.

🚨 The Part We Tried to Forget (But Won’t Let You)

At one point in this episode, we briefly revisit something we wish we could unlearn:

Bigfoot erotica.

Yes. It exists.

No. You should not Google it.

If you’re curious (or dangerously brave), we covered it in a past episode that lives safely behind our Patreon paywall—where it can hopefully do less harm.

Support the show and unlock that deeply questionable content here:

👉 rainydayrabbitholes.com/support

You’ve been warned.

🐾 Final Thought

The FBI says Bigfoot isn’t real.

But also…

They tested the hair.

So.

Draw your own conclusions.

🔗 Related Episodes

This episode pairs perfectly with our deeper dive into Sasquatch legends and sightings. If you want more Bigfoot chaos, mythology, and history, check out:

https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/6-this-is-not-a-bigfoot-podcast-sasquatch-and-ape-canyon

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Welcome to the Intergalactic House of Pancakes

👽 Pancakes from a UFO?

When you think of UFO encounters, you probably imagine abductions, bright lights, and terrifying alien experiments. But what if one of the strangest alien mysteries ever recorded involved… pancakes?

In this episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, host Shea Drury is joined by Amanda and Trevin from the Live, Laugh, Larceny podcast to explore one of the most bizarre, weird, and outrageous UFO encounters in history. Check out their show here:

👉 https://www.livelaughlarceny.com/

🛸 The 1961 Wisconsin UFO Encounter

Facts

In April 1961, Joe Simonton, an ordinary man living in Eagle River, Wisconsin, reported seeing a silver, disc shaped UFO land in his driveway.

Inside were three human-like men who communicated using gestures. After requesting water, one of them was seen cooking pancakes on a strange, flameless grill inside the craft.

Simonton claimed he received several pancakes before the UFO flew away, leaving no physical evidence behind except the food itself.

Adding to the mystery, a second witness nearby reported seeing a disc shaped object in the sky at roughly the same time.

🧪 Government Investigation and Testing

Facts

This strange UFO encounter was investigated by the United States Air Force under Project Blue Book during the Cold War.

The pancakes were tested in a lab and the results were completely ordinary:

Wheat and buckwheat ingredients

No radiation

No unknown materials

In other words, the so-called alien pancakes were just pancakes.

🤔 Folklore, Speculation, and Theories

This case stands out in UFO lore because of how oddly normal it feels.

Folklore: This has become one of the weirdest alien stories because it involves a calm interaction instead of abduction or fear

Speculation: Some theories suggest a misunderstanding involving humans, experimental aircraft, or even time travel

Skeptical view: No physical evidence of a landing was ever found

Believer view: Simonton never changed his story and was considered credible

It is a mystery that sits right between the ordinary and the impossible.

🔗 Related Episodes

Want to explore more UFOs, aliens, and mysteries? Check out these related episodes:

🌀 Explore early UFO sightings and Men in Black origins in the Pacific Northwest

👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/33-summer-of-saucers-ufos-and-the-men-in-black-in-the-pnw

🇯🇵 Dive into historical UFO folklore in Japan’s oldest recorded encounter

👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/japans-oldest-ufo-mystery

🛸 One of the most famous alien abduction stories in America

👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/travis-walton-the-most-famous-ufo-abduction-in-america

🐇 Final Thought

No abduction. No missing time. No terrifying encounter.

Just a quiet morning… and a handful of pancakes from something that should not exist.

And somehow, that makes this one of the most bizarre UFO mysteries ever told.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. The Joe Simonton UFO encounter is one of the strangest alien stories involving pancakes instead of abduction
2. A Wisconsin man reported a flying saucer landing in his driveway in 1961
3. The UFO occupants appeared human-like and communicated using gestures
4. The visitors requested water and gave pancakes in exchange
5. The pancakes were analyzed and found to contain normal Earth ingredients
6. Project Blue Book investigated the case during the Cold War
7. A second witness reported seeing a disc-shaped object nearby
8. Simonton maintained his story and was considered credible
9. The case blends UFO folklore with unusually mundane details
10. The incident remains unexplained despite scientific testing

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What if you turned on a trusted news broadcast… and it told you spaghetti grew on trees?

Sounds ridiculous today—but in 1957, millions of people believed it.

In this hilarious Five Minute Friday episode, Shea walks Jody through one of the most legendary April Fools’ Day pranks ever aired: the BBC’s infamous “spaghetti tree” hoax. And honestly? It reveals more about human psychology than you might expect.

Fact: On April 1, 1957, the BBC aired a segment showing a Swiss family harvesting spaghetti from trees.

The report looked completely legitimate:

• Filmed like a documentary
• Narrated by a trusted broadcaster
• Included details about “spaghetti weevils” and cultivation

And people believed it.

Fact: Millions tuned in, and hundreds called the BBC asking how to grow their own spaghetti trees.

The BBC’s response? 👉 “Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

That’s peak British humor.

🤯 Why This Prank Worked (REAL INSIGHT)

Fact: In 1950s Britain, spaghetti wasn’t common—many people had only seen canned versions.

So when a trusted program presented it as agriculture… it didn’t sound totally impossible.

This episode dives into something deeper:

• Trust in authority figures
• Presentation vs. reality
• How easily belief can form when something “sounds right”

Insight: As Shea points out, belief isn’t always about ignorance—it’s about comfort and trust.

😂 From Hoax to Life Lesson (MODERN CONNECTION)

The conversation quickly turns into something relatable (and hilarious):

• Would you believe this if a trusted voice told you?
• Could you trick your kids or grandkids the same way?
• Is this really that different from modern misinformation?

Speculation: The hosts jokingly suggest recreating the prank with kids as a fun experiment—planting pasta in soil to see what happens.

Folklore-esque takeaway: Not everything on TV—or the internet—is what it seems.

🎧 Why You’ll Love This Episode

• A legendary prank that still holds up
• Classic dry British humor
• A playful but thought-provoking look at human belief
• Laugh-out-loud tangents (because of course)

🔗 Related Episodes

If you loved this mix of absurd history and humor:

• “Hold My Sake: Japan Made Alcohol Out of Moth Poop”
• https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/hold-my-sake-japan-made-alcohol-out-of-moth-poop-5-minute-friday
• 
  
• “When Pigs Fly”
• https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/5-minute-friday-when-pigs-fly
• 
  
• “Rectum? Damn Near Evacuated ‘Em”
• https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/5-minute-friday-rectum-damn-near-evacuated-em
• 
  

Takeaways

• The 1957 BBC spaghetti tree hoax convinced millions it was real.
• A trusted news format made an absurd prank believable.
• Many viewers didn’t question the idea due to limited food familiarity.
• Hundreds contacted the BBC asking how to grow spaghetti trees.
• Authority and presentation can override common sense.
• The prank highlights how easily misinformation spreads.
• British humor played a major role in the joke’s success.
• Belief is often rooted in trust, not ignorance.
• The hoax still serves as a cautionary tale about media literacy.
• It mirrors modern issues with internet misinformation and trust.

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In 1803, Japanese fishermen spotted something strange bobbing in the Pacific Ocean—a round, sealed vessel unlike any boat they’d ever seen. Inside was a woman with red hair, pale skin, unfamiliar clothing, and a mysterious box she refused to let go.

This episode dives into the legend of the Utsuro-bune, often called Japan’s earliest “UFO” story. Recorded decades after the alleged event in Edo‑period collections of strange tales, the story has been cited by everyone from folklorists to modern UFO enthusiasts. But what really happened on that beach in Hitachi Province?

Was it an alien encounter? A castaway from a distant land? Or a piece of folklore shaped by fear, curiosity, and isolation during Japan’s sakoku era?

Join Shea and Jason as they explore:

• The original Edo‑period sources that describe the Utsuro-bune
• Why the vessel looks suspiciously like a flying saucer
• How Japan’s isolation policy shaped stories about outsiders
• Why historians and folklorists are deeply skeptical of the alien explanation
• And why sometimes the most human response to the unknown… is paperwork avoidance

History is messy, weird, and full of rabbit holes. This one just happens to float.

Find sources, images, and more episode notes at

👉 https://rainydayrabbitholes.com

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Join us Wednesday, June 3rd at the McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma (Spanish Ballroom) for a live Rainy Day Rabbit Holes event exploring Tacoma’s own overlooked UFO story—the Maury Island Incident. Weeks before Roswell made headlines in 1947, Tacoma was already grappling with reports of flying saucers, mysterious Men in Black, and a federal investigation that raised more questions than answers. This special History Pub presentation features storytelling from Shea Drury and Jody Shaw, historical context from Chris Staudinger of Pretty Gritty Tours, and an in-depth look at the case from filmmaker Steve Edmiston, creator of The Maury Island Incident and founder of the Men in Black Birthday Bash. Join us for a meet and greet from 4:30–6pm before doors open at 6pm, with the show starting at 7. Patreon supporters—or anyone who signs up before the event—can stop by for a free thank-you gift (including some very adorable dog bandanas), and we’ll also have tote bags and t-shirts available. Find the show link at https://rainydayrabbitholes.com, and get your Men in Black Birthday Bash tickets at https://mibbbfest.squarespace.com.

Now onto the show!

Secret Spring & Questionable Choices

For more than 2,500 years, sake brewing in Japan has been treated as a near-sacred craft—steeped in patience, restraint, and tradition. And then… moth poop entered the chat.

In this Five Minute Friday episode, Shea and Jason tumble headfirst into one of Japan’s most eyebrow‑raising modern sake experiments: a sake brewed using tea made from moth larvae droppings. Yes, actual insect poop. Developed using a tea created from moths that consumed cherry blossom leaves, this sake comes from a craft brewery in Fukushima, Japan, and somehow—against all odds—people say it tastes good.

Along the way, the conversation veers into civet coffee, fermented minnows, shrimp digestive tracts, natto trauma, and the philosophical question of how far curiosity should be allowed to roam without adult supervision.

Is this innovation? Is it madness? Or is it just Japan doing what Japan does best—calmly perfecting something no one asked for?

Japan’s Moth Poop Sake: The Strangest Alcohol Experiment You’ve Never Heard Of

A Fukushima brewery in Japan created sake using tea made from moth larvae droppings. Yes, really. Here’s how it happened—and why.

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Join us Wednesday, June 3rd at the McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma Washington (Spanish Ballroom) for a live Rainy Day Rabbit Holes event exploring Tacoma’s own overlooked UFO story—the Maury Island Incident. Weeks before Roswell made headlines in 1947, Tacoma was already grappling with reports of flying saucers, mysterious Men in Black, and a federal investigation that raised more questions than answers.

This special History Pub presentation features storytelling from Shea Drury and Jody Shaw, historical context from Chris Staudinger of Pretty Gritty Tours, and an in-depth look at the case from filmmaker Steve Edmiston, creator of The Maury Island Incident and founder of the Men in Black Birthday Bash.

Join us for a meet and greet from 4:30–6pm before doors open at 6pm, with the show starting at 7.

Patreon supporters—or anyone who signs up before the event—can stop by for a free thank-you gift (including some very adorable dog bandanas), and we’ll also have tote bags and t-shirts available.

Find the show link at https://rainydayrabbitholes.com, and get your Men in Black Birthday Bash tickets at https://mibbbfest.squarespace.com.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes/exclusive-content

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At the dawn of the 20th century, radium was not feared. It was celebrated. Marketed as a miracle of modern science, this newly discovered element promised vitality, beauty, and better health. Companies sold radioactive clocks, cosmetics, medical devices, and even drinking water, all proudly glowing with progress.

In this episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Shea sits down with the creator behind Radiant Radium, a collector and historian who specializes in household and beauty products from the radium craze of the 1910s through the 1930s. Drawing from his extensive personal collection, Radiant Radium walks us through a period when radiation was a selling point and the long term dangers were barely understood.

We discuss how these objects escaped the laboratory and ended up in kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms across America. From glow in the dark clocks and uranium glass to radium water crocks, radioactive cones, cosmetics, medical quackery, and infamous patent medicines like Radithor, this episode traces the rise and fall of one of the strangest health fads in American history.

Along the way, we explore the Radium Girls, the tragic death of Eben Byers, the collapse of public trust in radium, and why belief in the health benefits of radiation still persists today. We also talk about the legality and safety of collecting radioactive antiques, how to identify them, and what to do if you find one in an antique store or a relative’s home.

History, curiosity, and caution collide in this deep dive into a time when the future looked bright, and sometimes literally glowed.

Find Radiant Radium

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@radiantradium
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiantradium/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radiant.radium

Visit Us

• Rainy Day Rabbit Holes: www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

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“Here are the first toilet preparations to embody actual radium, an astonishing new force for betterment, applied as an aid to beauty.”

The early 20th century was a strange and optimistic time. In the years following Marie and Pierre Curie’s discovery of radium, the world became obsessed with this mysterious, glowing element—and before long, that obsession made its way into everyday life.

During the height of the Radium Craze, companies sold beauty products that claimed to contain real radium, promising smoother skin, renewed vitality, and a healthy glow—sometimes quite literally. Creams, powders, and cosmetics were marketed as cutting‑edge science, long before the dangers of radiation were understood.

This 5‑Minute Friday episode offers a quick glimpse into that bizarre moment in history and serves as a teaser for next week’s full‑length episode. Shea will be joined by the creator behind the Radiant Radium social media channels, a collector and historian who specializes in household and beauty products from the radium era.

Next week, we’ll go far beyond cosmetics—into glowing clocks, radioactive water, dangerous health fads, and the long shadow these products left behind.

Subscribe now so you don’t miss it.

Find Radiant Radium online:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radiant.radium
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@radiantradium
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiantradium/

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What happens when a city decides kindness is better than cruelty?

In this special crossover episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, we’re joined by the incredible gals from PNW Haunts & Homicides to explore one of the strangest—and most unexpectedly heartwarming—stories in American history: Joshua Abraham Norton, the self‑declared Emperor of the United States.

Born into loss, fortune, ruin, and obscurity, Norton reemerged in 1859 with a bold declaration that could have ended very badly… except San Francisco leaned in. What followed was a twenty‑year “reign” filled with proclamations, public appearances, political commentary, and a city that collectively decided to play along.

Along the way, we explore:

• A Gold Rush city bursting with chaos, ambition, and opportunity
• A man who issued decrees abolishing Congress and the Supreme Court
• A public arrest that backfired spectacularly
• An Emperor who defended immigrants, challenged racist violence, and promoted civil rights long before it was fashionable
• A city that fed him, clothed him, saluted him… and mourned him

Was Emperor Norton mad? Satirical? Visionary? Or something else entirely?

And why did San Francisco—of all places—embrace him instead of locking him away?

You’ll have to fall down the rabbit hole with us to find out.

👻 Crossover Love

Huge thanks to PNW Haunts & Homicides, where ghosts, murder, and Pacific Northwest weirdness all hang out together.

👉 Follow and listen at: https://www.pnwhauntsandhomicides.com/

🌧️ More Rabbit Holes

Find sources, photos, episode notes, and more at our website:

👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/

🎟️ LIVE EVENT ALERT

Love strange history in person?

Join us June 3rd in Tacoma, WA for a live event at McMenamins Spanish Ballroom at the Elks Temple:

History Pub: Tacoma’s UFO Story — The Maury Island Incident

Presented by Steve Edmiston, Shea Drury, and Chris Staudinger

🎫 Tickets here:

👉 https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/41193663/history-pubtacomas-ufo-story-the-maury-island-incident-presented-by-steve-edmistonshea-druryand-chris-staudinger-tacoma-mcmenamins-spanish-ballroom-elks-temple

Sometimes the strangest stories are the most human.

Stay curious—and we’ll see you down the rabbit hole.

🐇👑

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Today’s episode is a special feature from Dark History: Where the Darkness Sees the Light, a podcast that’s part of our Umbrella Podcast Collective.

Hosted by Rob Bradley, Dark History explores the uncomfortable, often unsettling stories we like to believe are safely buried in the past—and then shows how they still shape the world we live in.

In this episode, Rob takes a deep dive into the history of snake oil: the miracle cures, the confident sales pitches, and the long tradition of selling certainty to people who are scared, sick, or searching for answers. What begins in the 19th century quickly becomes something much more familiar, as the same patterns of deception reappear in modern forms—polished, optimized, and online.

This is one of our favorite episodes Rob has done. Not just because of the history, but because of how clearly it reveals a hard truth: the scams didn’t disappear. They adapted.

Listen closely. The bottles may be gone, but the promises remain.

🔗 Listen to Dark History

🎙️ Dark History: Where the Darkness Sees the Light

👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s5-e4-snake-oil-never-died-it-just-went-online/id1603599807?i=1000751583276

☔ Rainy Day Rabbit Holes

🌧️ Explore more episodes and rabbit holes at:

👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

☔ Umbrella Podcast Collective

Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is proud to be part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective, a group of independent podcasts exploring strange history, dark stories, and the things that refuse to stay buried.

🌐 Learn more about the collective:

👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/umbrella-collective

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