Why Would You Ask That?

Chag sameach! This upcoming weekend on the 18th is the first night of Chanukah, so we thought we'd talk about the holiday a bit. Unfortunately, a lot of people either don't know many/any Jewish people and/or aren't taught much about Jewish culture and history. The point of this podcast is to learn always, so if all you know about Chanukah is 8 days and presents, we hope this episode gives a starting point to go seek out Jewish creators to get an even deeper look at this holiday (and the others too). We're going to talk about where Chanukah all began back in the 2nd century BCE, touch on how U.S. consumerism and the pressures of immigration influenced how the holiday is celebrated here versus elsewhere, and we'll talk about Judith.   Check our resource page for a list of suggested Jewish creators to go learn from as well, as we really want to amplify their voices since this is their holiday.  CW: war, death, Antisemitism Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

Glitter! It's everywhere, and you can't get rid of it, but if you're on certain sides of social media, you might have heard in the last month or so that we're running out of glitter! And apparently, the glitter companies are so secretive that they won't even let people into their factories. There's two main glitter companies, and they say "you'd never know our biggest client's products even had glitter on them and we can't tell you what it is." Well, WE'LL tell you. And we'll take a diversion to talk about the sand mafia too. Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

Hey, folks! This week, we're not doing a true episode due to some Thanksgiving travel by a few of us, so Remy is going to talk about the true history behind the first Thanksgiving. The myth of the first Thanksgiving is largely filled with inaccuracies, half-truths, or flat out lies, and we never get to hear things from the Indiginous perspective. Well, Remy, having quite a bit of Indiginous ancestry, wanted to give you all some historical truth and events from the Native side as well as some resources if you're looking to learn more.  Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

Stingy Jack. Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack and Jill. Jack o Lanterns... who the fuck is Jack? You're in luck this episode. Jack has been burning in our minds, too, and we decided to get to the bottom of this mystery. Remy has painstakingly mapped out the origin of the Jacks... and found a relation that is responsible for Jack. Listeners, this weekend is leading into Thanksgiving, so enjoy this shorter, very easy going episode. We have several side conversations, but I promise they are all mostly relevant to the topic in some way. And there's a cute story about one of my kids.  Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

"Even if you can't cook, you can make a Jell-O dessert!" Ads promoting Jell-O in the early 1900s gladly declared the gelatin treat to be easy and quick, a delight! But things got weird in the 1950s when the jiggly food started to be introduced with a more savory profile... Join us this episode to talk about the history of gelatin desserts, the flavors, the inclusions, and the all-important Weird Food Culture that surrounded Jell-O! CW: War, Poverty Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

Some artists put a lot of themselves into their work, and some artists put way too much. We're not talking about the ones who pour their heart and soul into their work. We're talking about the ones who pour their various fluids into it. That's right, folks! We're heading back to our roots from episode one and talking body fluids, but this time, we're getting artsy. If you want to look at the art as we talk about it, head over to our resource page! CW: We're talking about all the fluids that come out of all the orifices.  Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

Halloween is here once a year, but the dolls are here to stay. Dolls have captured the imagination when it comes to flights of fancy, and it's no different in the horror genre. Might be because some dolls are fucking freaky. Might be because they're possessed and freaky. Might be because whoever made them was absolutely out of their mind and decided that having a facsimile of a human being in utter stillness blink was a good idea. (It wasn't.) Join us as we walk down the path of both the most famous and lesser known real dolls in recent history.   And as a treat for Halloween, we're bringing a longer episode to you this week. We hope you laugh as hard as M does while you listen. Definitely go to the resource page of our website and look at the pictures of these dolls for the full experience.  CW: Child Death, Various Religions, Remy talks about his work with real dead bodies briefly, Dolls (of course) Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

There's nothing so iconic around Halloween as the Jack o' Lantern. Big toothy pumpkin grins grace store windows and front porches all the same, and carving them is a fun family activity. So where did the jack o' lantern come from? Who the heck is Jack? And why do we carve out pumpkins? And how does racism fit into all of this? CW: Racism, Death Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

The mystery that Virginians adore: CROATOA. A mysterious message. A disappeared colony. Lots of artifacts and evidence saying that perhaps, just maybe, the dying settlement was less dying so much as... adapted. Depending on your definition of adapted, though... it could be anything. After all, denial is a powerful drug. CW: Cannibalism, Murder Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

"As you can see, Mr. President: I have nothing to hide." On this spooky feature, join us as presidents haunt the halls of their former residence. The White House, historic and old as balls, is ripe for the spirits of the dead to infest, and the deceased certainly seem to agree. If ghosts aren't enough to get you going, of course, consider that there may be a larger-than-life demon cat coming your way... This week, listeners, we're having a very laid back, fun episode where we let you listen to all the silly tangents the topic gets us off on. Just a light bit of laughter after some heavier episodes the last few weeks.  CW: Ghosts, Death/Child Death (briefly), Alcohol, The Deep Ocean (briefly) Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.