The art of showing one’s rear end has a surprisingly long and hilarious history—and it might just date back to ancient Rome. In 66 CE, tensions flared between Romans and Jews, but Emperor Caligula had bigger problems: spending money faster than the empire could make it. From building a two-mile-long floating bridge just to ride his horse across it to throwing extravagant parties, Caligula’s reign was absurd, cruel, and occasionally scandalous.

Comedians Robert Bacon and Mike Kauffman explore the roots of mooning as a political and social statement, from rebellious Roman citizens to later historical examples. Along the way, they reveal how defiance, satire, and sheer absurdity have made mooning a timeless human gesture—sometimes hilarious, sometimes deadly, and always memorable.It’s history, humor, and human cheekiness rolled into one episode of Mistakes Were Made.

Keywords:
history of mooning podcast, Caligula Roman Empire, ancient Rome funny history, Mistakes Were Made podcast, comedy history podcast, historical rebellion stories, funny ancient history, political satire history, weird history stories, history of insults, human absurdity in history.