This week we get into the international television ministry of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, famous pentecostal ministers from the 70s. They revolutionized religious television, starting from the humble beginnings of a kids puppet show and eventually becoming a very successful satelitte network on hundreds of stations. 

Jim and Tammy Faye met as bible college students and went on to build an empire together, one that would be brought down by adultery and fraud, as so many are! 

Today we will get into their beginnings, how they built their tv studio, and Jim's giant goals of building the best darn Christian waterpark there ever was. 

PTL The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire by John Wigger

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Ok this episode we are going to be focusing on  the Volkswagen Emissions scandal. Apparently called Dieselgate or Emissions Gate.Volkswagen had big dreams to become the largest car manufacturer in the world. And it didn't mind cutting some really big corners to do it.

We are going to talk about The epa and the huge loopholes that used to be built into the system. Then we will talk about the development of the E189 engine and the Defeat software used to deceive regulators.

Eventually the fraud falls apart after a ragtag team of West Virginia University scientists tests the cars out on the open road. Volkswagen attempts to stall but the company is met with nearly 33 billion dollars worth of consequences. So Let's get into it!

Sources:

“Faster, Higher, Farther: The Volkswagen Scandal” by Jack Ewing(2017)

“1990 Clean Air Act Amendment Summary: Title II” EPA Website https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/1990-clean-air-act-amendment-summary-title-ii#:~:text=The%20Clean%20Air%20Act%20of,beginning%20in%20model%20year%201994.

“Meet the tinker whose invention Upended VW Emissions Scheme” by Ariel Wittenburg(Politico 2015) https://www.eenews.net/articles/meet-the-tinkerer-whose-invention-upended-vw-emissions-scheme/

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Volkswagen was having a rebirth in the United States in the mid to late 2000’s. They had become synonymous with the idea of clean diesel and technological advancement. 

Diesel Sales in the United States were at an all time high and with their higher fuel efficiency and the promises of clean planet friendly protection systems, they were the obvious choice for the environmentally minded american. 

But it turns out VW had a dark secret hidden in the computers of their cars. They could trick the testors, producing almost no emissions in the lab. But when these cars made it out on the actual road they began producing harmful gasses at off the chart rates. 

This engine was put in millions eventually leading to one of the largest environmental scandals in history of the automobile industry. 

This episode we will get into the history of VW. The company somehow goes from Nazi Prestige project, to free love and a symbol of the counterculture. Then we will get into the circumstances leading up to the not so miracle engine. 

Sources:

“Faster, Higher, Farther: The Volkswagen Scandal” by Jack Ewing(2017)

“1990 Clean Air Act Amendment Summary: Title II” EPA Website https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/1990-clean-air-act-amendment-summary-title-ii#:~:text=The%20Clean%20Air%20Act%20of,beginning%20in%20model%20year%201994.

“How American Icon Henry Ford Fostered Anti-Semitism” By Becky Little (2023) History.com   https://www.history.com/news/henry-ford-antisemitism-worker-treatment

“How the Volkswagen Bus Became a Symbol of Counterculture” by David Kindy 2020 for Smithsonian Magizine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-volkswagen-bus-became-symbol-counterculture-180974354/#:~:text=Its%20boxy%20appearance%E2%80%94so%20unlike,the%20nickname%20%E2%80%9Chippie%20bus.%E2%80%9D

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Today we wrap up the story of King Leopold II! He sells the Congo the Belgian government, finally dies, and Belgium continues to completely desecrate the Congo for another 50 years. 

We get into Morel and Casements continuing activism and the small victories they gained, as well as how well the stories and history have, or more accurately have not, been preserved. 

This was a tough subject, but let us know if you have any suggestions for future topics! 

Sources: King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 

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This week we're back to talking King Leopold II of Brussels, the king of Brussels who thought he deserved the Congo by any means necessary, and tried to convince the world he was taking over for altruistic reasons and now absolute greed. 

This week we discuss how the rubber trade escalated the brutality and Danny tries to keep it light with interspersed fun facts! And we start talking about some of the Europeans who finally try to stop the cruelty. 

Sources: King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 

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So This week we are going  to talk about the Downfall of the once beloved and largest seafood chain in US History: RED LOBSTER!!! Many people will tell you that  the  restaurants  failure was caused by the disastrous ENDLESS Shrimp Campaign. 

Which Don’t get me wrong was huge mistake they lost 11 million dollars  in three months. People were doing  tik tok challenges to try and eat as many shrimp as  possible. Hiding  Ziplock bags in there purse sneakily smuggling shrimp  out of  the restaurant. 

But when I looked into it the story got A Lot more complicated. The true culprit is  of course  Private Equity. After 2014, the restaurant was passed from owner to owner, with each Bleeding as much money as possible  before dumping it. Including a shady seafood supplier with a Crazy Shrimp scheme. Trying to make money while  they rode the restaurant into the ground. 

Redlobster officially filed  for bankruptcy in 2024. But Don't  worry they are not going out of business just yet. They closed over 100 stores and have been bought up once more. This time with a young and energetic new  CEO who is  invested in the Greatest comeback in Restaurant history! But will he be Redlobsters savior  or just another in a line of vultures? I have hope but  Only Time will Tell!

Im excited about this one its gonna be silly And as a speciall treat I somehow was able to keep this to ONE EPISODE!!! Enjoy!

Sources for this week:

“The Raiding of Redlobster” By Luke Goldstien- the American Prospect (2022)  https://prospect.org/economy/2024-05-22-raiding-red-lobster/

“Greed,Gluttony, and the Crackup of Red Lobster” by David Segal- The New York Times(2024)https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/09/business/red-lobster-seafood-downfall.html

“Red Lobsters mistakes go beyond endless shrimp”by Denise Guerra+David Pierce -Vox (2024) Https://www.vox.com/today-explained-podcast/351642/red-lobsters-mistakes-go-beyond-endless-shrimp

“Red Lobster’s Bankrupt-sea” -Today Explained With Sean Rameswaram: Vox (2024)https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/red-lobsters-bankrupt-sea/id1346207297?i=1000656549580

“After Sinking to the bottom, Red Lobster Snapped Up” by Mark Faithfull(2024) https://www.forbes.com/sites/markfaithfull/2024/09/17/after-sinking-to-the-bottom-red-lobster-snapped-up-from-chapter-11/

“Red Lobsters Sale Approved By Judge: What does it mean for the remaining Restaurants” By Michael Bartiromo and Ashleigh Jackson (2024) https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4865848-red-lobster-sale-approved-by-judge-what-does-it-mean-for-the-remaining-restaurants/

“The Biography of Red Lobster Founder Bill Darden” By Don Daszkowski (2019) https://www.liveabout.com/bill-darden-biography-1350946

“The Story of RED Lobster” Current Red Lobster Official Website https://www.redlobster.com/our-story/our-history/

“The Forgotten Racial History of Red Lobster” By Nathaniel Meyersohn(

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This week we're continuing the story of King Leopold II of Brussels, the monarch who thought he deserved to claim the Congo of Africa just because he wanted it. 

This week we'll get into the establishing of military posts, railroads, and the conquering of many African regions. We'll talk about Leopold's continuing campaign to gather funds and masquerade as a humanitarian, and the realities the Africans were facing. 

Sources: King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 

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This week we're taking a bit of a more serious turn, discussing the history of King Leopold II of Belgium. He was a monarch in the late 1880s who seized an enormous amount of the Congo in Africa all while knowingly deceiving the public and claiming to be a humanitarian and philanthropist. 

This week we'll discuss the first European trips to the Congo and King Leopold II taking the throne and focusing immediately on claiming colonies any way he could.  

Sources: King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 

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We are back for More Lularoe! Last ep we talked about how this small MLM turned into a massive problem and almost definitely a pyramid scheme.

Mostly women and often stay at home moms were turning to Lularoe to make some extra money but instead were going into debt just to break even. The only people truely benefiting were Founders Mark and Deanne Stidhan and those lucky few that got in early and were getting massive bonuses for recruiting.

The quality of the clothing was getting worse and the quality of the design was plummeting. But they went from 5,000 retailers to 80,000 in less than three years. So the scam outgrew their ability to control it and, the cracks are starting to show. 

This week we are going to fully get into them!We will talk about the logistical failings, the companies use of cult tactics to control and manipulate their retailers, and then the MANY MANY lawsuits!

Enjoy!

Sources for this week:

“Lula Rich” -Amazon Prime Documentary  (2021)

“The Rise and Fall of Lularoe”-Documentary on Max (2021)

“The Rise and fall of Lularoe” -6 part Podcast series hosted by Stephanie  Mcneal

https://www.stephaniemcneal.com/lularoe-documentary-Buzz Feed Reporter Stephanie Mcneal. Compalition of 11 articles written from 2017 to 2020:

“Why MLMs Like Lularoe Are Disturbingly Similar to Cults”- By Drew Schwartz Newsletter on Vice.com(2021) https://www.vice.com/en/article/is-lularoe-cult-mlm-lularich-documentary/

“Life After MLM Podcast” by Roberta Blevins Episode (2021)

"Sam Schultz, LuLaRoe's Former Event ManagerContinues to Sart  new Businesses" -Katherine J Igoe- Bustle(Sept 2021) https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/lularoe-nephew-sam-schultz-weed-farm-businesses

“Lularoe Faces Verdict in Fraud and Contract Case” -By Zach Barretto for Expertinstute.com
https://www.expertinstitute.com/resources/insights/lularoe-fraud-contract-case/

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This week we are talking about LuLaRoe and it is  a  fun one!

LuLaRoe is a clothing company known for their “Buttery Soft Leggings” and bold patterns. With Promises of full time  pay for part time  work, The Lularoe life appealed to many people in America struggling to make ends meet. Especially women and often stay at home moms who may have just left their job to begin their family.

Established in 2013 it reached its height in 2016-2017 with nearly $2 billion in sales and 80000 independent “Fashion Consultants” selling lularoe clothing. Consultants would spend tens of thousands of dollars buying leggings and  dresses in bulk and do their best to make their “investment back”.

Luckily for these struggling retailers there was a second way to make money at Lularoe: Recruitment. The more people you recruited the more money you would get. As the company got  bigger and bigger it began to look less and less like a Legging company and more and  more like a Pyramid. Less like a way for struggling  families to make some extra cash and more like a predatory machine funneling money up to the very top of the food  chain.

Enjoy!

Sources for this week:

“Lula Rich” -Amazon Prime Documentary  (2021)

“The Rise and Fall of Lularoe”-Documentary on Max (2021)

“The Rise and fall of Lularoe” -6 part Podcast series hosted by Stephanie  Mcneal

https://www.stephaniemcneal.com/lularoe-documentary-Buzz Feed Reporter Stephanie Mcneal. Compalition of 11 articles written from 2017 to 2020:

Millennial Women Made LuLaRoe Billions. Then They Paid The Price. February 2020. 

LuLaRoe Is Paying More Than $4 Million To Settle A Lawsuit That Claimed It Was Running A Pyramid Scheme February 2021

LuLaRoe Is Firing All 167 Employees At Its Warehouse After Years Of Legal Drama October 2019

An Ex-LuLaRoe Employee Says In Lawsuit He Was Tormented By His Coworkers With Racist Jokes And Slurs February 2018

Women Say They're Stuck With $20,000 Of Worthless Clothing In A LuLaRoe "Pyramid Scheme" October 2017

Women Are Furious Because They Say Their LuLaRoe Leggings Rip Like "Wet Toilet Paper" April 2017

Follow the podcast @yeettherichpod
Follow Emily @thefunnywalsh
Follow Danny @dmoss315

Send us a text! Let us know what topics you want us to cover!

Send us a text! Let us know what topics you want us to cover!