POV: you’re at the sickest rave of your life. Candles flickering. Incense burning. Gregorians chanting. The place: Vatican City. The year: 1492. The man behind it all: Pope Alexander VI aka Rodrigo Borgia.

This week, we return to a place of pope as we tell the story of the most ruthless family in papal history. Hear about the depravity and delusion of the entire Borgia clan in an episode rife with sex and greed, two of Jared’s favorite things. And please PLEASE don’t ask why Abe is wearing sunglasses inside. It’s a private matter. Tangents include Kermit the Frog’s nephew Robin, the show Vikings, Pope Leo blind item, and “Lose Yourself” by Eminem.

SOURCES:

• The Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin
• The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
• Hillgarth, J. N. (1996). The Image of Alexander VI and Cesare Borgia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 59, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.2307/751400
• “The Borgias” In Our Time podcast, BBC Radio 4 https://open.spotify.com/episode/10PVoxVIv1iTSt56TNSqpC?si=TI7DR1a-TNOaoNPMWJ6QSA
• Najemy, J. M. (2013). Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia: A Reconsideration of Chapter 7 of “The Prince.” The Review of Politics, 75(4), 539–556. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43670906
• Lucrezia Borgia: Poison, Power, and Papal Scandal | Full Documentary | Biography
• Pope Alexander VI: The Infamous "Borgia Pope"

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Fake it 'til you make it”, right? Well Bernie Madoff faked it so hard he was sentenced to 150 years in prison! Come with us on a journey through the worst financial crime in US history (that we know of), the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, where one man with a crippling fear of failure scammed thousands of people out of a sickening amount of money (we’re talking tens of billions, girl.) Tangents include but are not limited to the concept of renting a home, crying over dog poop, Sam Levinson and his dad, and whether Abe will marry Claudia or Jared for a different passport.

SOURCES

• A Case Study of a Con Man by Diana Henriques (2018)
• Bernie Madoff and the largest known Ponzi scheme in history | 60 Minutes
• The Madoff Affair (full documentary) | FRONTLINE PBS
• “Latest Batch Of Payouts To 25,000 Victims Of Madoff Ponzi Scheme Total Almost $160 Million” by James Farrell, Forbes 2023
• The Wizard of Lies (2017) dir. Barry Levinson

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder why your Republican uncle suddenly cares so much about monuments?

In this episode, Jared, Abe, & special guest Madison Albertson (scholar, lesbian, and friend of the pod) explore the story of "the Lost Cause", a nationalist myth originating in the post civil-war South that paints the Confederate movement as moral, just, and TOTALLY NOT about slavery. Follow along as we dive into the myth's origins, its influence of American racial politics, and its lasting legacy in teenage vampire films across the decades. Tangents include the gayness of the Sherlock Holmes movie, the inner workings of lesbian intercourse, William Howard Taft, and the song "Memory" from Cats.

SOURCES:

• Mythhistory and Other Essays by William H McNeill
• Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by David W Blight
• Confederates in The Attic by Tony Horwitz
• Dixie’s Daughters: The United Daughters of The Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture by Karen L. Cox
• White Rage By Karen L Cox
• The Birth of a Nation (1915) Dir. D.W. Griffith
• Not Even Past: The Stories We Keep Telling about the Civil War by Cody Marrs
• “Curse of a Nation” | History Colorado
• "Unnameable Objects, Unspeakable Crimes" by James Baldwin, 1965
• https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualties
• https://virginiahistory.org/learn/how-did-civilians-suffer
• https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reconstruction-rebuilding-south-after-war/
• https://hqudc.org/about/diversity-in-defense-of-the-south/
• https://fairfieldfoundation.org/witness-to-change-the-rise-and-fall-of-monument-avenues-confederate-statues/
• https://youtu.be/dOkFXPblLpU?si=6N4UcqVkZpgAhodw

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s not enough to be a deadbeat dad if you want to be an artist. You also have to be obsessed with the sea. This week, we take center stage and explore the life of storied American playwright Eugene O’Neill. Digging into his methods, inspirations, artistry, horrible family life, and dismal performance as a husband and father, we discover the visionary voice of this brooding genius, and learn that sometimes it pays to be sad! Tangents include but are not limited to mpreg, the illustrious city of Toronto, Charlie Chaplin being gross, and Flight starring Denzel Washington.

SOURCES:

Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part I

Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part II

The Hunted and the Haunted: Reflections on Eugene O'Neill with Dr. Gary Vena

The Gelbs on O'Neill - Charlie Rose

Tony Kushner on Eugene O'Neill - Library of America

Christopher Plummer as James Tyrone - Long Day's Journey into Night

Eugene O’Neill: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns, American Experience PBS

O’Neill: Life With Monte Cristo by Barabra & Arthur Gelb

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remember: just because you sit on the throne of Saint Peter doesn’t mean you can’t have a pet elephant or turn your palace into a brothel. This week, Jared and Abe plumb the depths of medieval history to explore the lurid, lascivious reigns of the un-holy men who led the Catholic Church. Yes, we’re talking about some BAD POPES. Tangents include but are not limited to Polish face, the snail-like Lombards, Julian Fellowes, and the ethical implications of sleeping with your friend’s older brother.

SOURCES

The Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin

“On Pornocracy” by Stefan Mattessich

“TV’s Young Pope Is Scandalous, But the Real Youngest Pope Has the 'Worst Reputation'” by Ashley Hoffman, TIME Magazine

Pope Leo X: The Most Extravagant Pope in History

The 1527 Sack of Rome

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes when there’s a big problem no one wants to deal with, you gotta take matters into your own hands. Case in point: Carrie A. Nation; a devout woman, angry about alcohol, who started smashing up bars with a hatchet! In this episode, Abe and Jared dive deep into the life of Carrie Nation, aka Hatchet Granny, the fierce Temperance crusader and suffragist who’d had just about enough of this “alcohol” foolishness. Join us as we tell the story of this weapon-wielding diva, a tale that will make you ask “How pissed off do you have to be to set a barrel of whiskey on fire in the street?” Tangents include but are not limited to Beauregard Mercer IV esq., Lee Strasberg the first Methodist, and the feeling of the wind blowing through your bob.

Sources:

Prohibition: America on the Rocks (Lucasfilm, made by JAK Documentary, 2007)

The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A Nation by Carrie A Nation (1909)

Carry A. Nation: The Famous and Original Bar Room Smasher.” Kansas State Historical Society. http://www.kshs.org/exhibits/carry/carry1.htm

https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/carrie-amelia-moore-nation-2514/

“Hatchet Nation” by Mark Lawrence Schrad for Slate (2021)

Vessel of Wrath: The Life and Times of Carry Nation by Robert Lewis Taylor (1966)

https://www.wctu.org/history

She’s not a Christian! She’s tampering in dark-sided stuff!

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some people say dogs are man’s best friend, but we say there are dogs worthy of winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards. In this week’s episode, Jared and Abe grab their flea combs and diva into the hairy history of animal celebrities. From memes to movies and from the 1920s to the 2020s, we explore famous animals and what they tell us about ourselves. Tangents include but are not limited to The International Canine Semen Bank, projecting our fear of rejection onto baby zoo animals, and the ethics of giving your pet chimp wine and Xanax.

SOURCES

Life & Times Transcript of an interview with Alan Young, October 2007

Info on Air Bud and the bizarre stuff with his owner

Beethoven and the St Bernard

Beethoven

Koko the Gorilla

Crystal the Monkey in NY Mag

What happened with Travis the Chimpanzee

More Travis

Crystal PopSugar interview

“RIN TIN TIN” in Silent Stars (2000) by Jeanine Basinger

“What’s new pussycat? A genealogy of animal celebrity.” by John Blewitt (2013)

The saga of Lassie by Vernon Scott - Saturday Evening Post,10/3/1964

Animal Celebrities by David C Giles (2013)

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s face it: opinionated people can be polarizing. Jared knows it. Abe knows it. And Peggy Eaton – the 1820s political wife who brought the executive branch to a halt - definitely knew it too! In this episode, Jared and Abe take you back to the age of Andrew Jackson with the story of a scandal that paralyzed his presidency. Learn how snubs and sideways glances in the parlors of Washington, DC cost an entire cabinet their jobs and changed the course of American political history. Tangents include, but are not limited to, Charli XCX x Guy Fieri, the mail, and Mary from SLC marrying her grandpa.

SOURCES

Booknotes - C-SPAN | The Petticoat Affair by John Marszalek

The Jackson Era: Democracy and the Mob | The Cynical Historian

"One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals": Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair by Kristen E. Wood

Andrew Jackson: The American Franchise By Daniel Feller

The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House by John F. Marszalek

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nineties television; a hellscape of trashy talk shows. Maury. Jerry. Sally. Ricki. But only one show remains on the airwaves to this day, arguably stronger now than it’s ever been: THE VIEW. In this episode, Jared and Abe explore the origins of TV’s last highly-rated daytime talk show. What made THE VIEW different from its competitors? Who still watches it and why? How does THE VIEW keep booking all these political guests? And why is Meaghan McCain the way she is? Tangents include, but are not limited to, Sean Connery, the difference between a shark and a sunfish, and Jared’s coaching advice to the Boston Celtics. 

SOURCES

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/magazine/the-view-politics-tv.html 
• https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062175139/the-view-is-cultural-and-political-canon 
• https://ew.com/tv/view-hosts-why-they-left/ 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xht0HcPryWA 
• Talking Trash: The Cultural Politics of Daytime TV Talk Shows by Julie Manga 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d62JBdqsG94&t=8s 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDDKKjejbU 
• Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV 
• https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/barbara-walters?chapter=4&clip=125185&full=true#full-interview 

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t you hate when your girlfriend has a husband and you can’t hang with your philosopher bestie due to a silly little war about whether the church should slay or not? Christina of Sweden definitely did. Take a trip with us to 17th century Sweden, from Christina’s strange childhood and mommy issues to her ascension to the throne and blossoming desire to kiss her lady in waiting. Tangents include, but are not limited to, circumcision, Bunny the cat, and whether Jared is trying to steal Abe’s partner Sam. 

SOURCES

Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-89) by Anchi Hoh (2016)

The Making of a Queen: The Education of Christina of Sweden by M.L. Clarke (1978)

Queen Christina, Lesbian Icon? On Sweden’s Delightfully Nonconformist Monarch by Eleanor Medhurst (2024)

The Afterlife of Christina of Sweden: Gender and Sexuality in Heritage and Fiction by Amy Saunders (2019)

https://www-jstor-org.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/stable/1395418?searchText=queen+christina+sweden&seq=1 

https://youtu.be/6JDKEUqcjKA?si=eseHdwmOpzk81XgV 

'A Girton Girl on a Throne': Queen Christina and Versions of Lesbianism, 1906-1933' by Sarah Waters (1994)

The Court of Christina of Sweden and the Later Adventures of the Queen in Exile by Francis Gribble (1913)

Christina of Sweden by Marguerite Horan Gowen (1944)

The Girl King, dir. Mika Kaurimaski (2015)

Queen Christina, dir. Rouben Mamoulian (1933)

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.