Grim & Mild Presents

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An ongoing exploration of history’s most unusual and the macabre themes. Each 13-episode season unpacks a new topic in fresh format and style. Presented and executive produced by Aaron Mahnke. Season 1: "Sideshow", is all about the history behind one of America's most bizarre institutions, the traveling sideshow.

Grim & Mild and iHeartPodcasts


    • Jan 31, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 23m AVG DURATION
    • 62 EPISODES

    Ivy Insights

    The Grim & Mild Presents podcast, hosted by Aaron Mahnke, is an absolute gem for fans of storytelling and deep dives into fascinating topics. With his captivating AM voice and impeccable narration style, Mahnke keeps listeners hooked from start to finish. The depth of topics covered in this podcast range from historical figures like PT Barnum to eerie tales that will leave you wanting more. Personally, I find myself eagerly awaiting each new episode as the show consistently delivers high-quality content that is both educational and entertaining.

    One of the best aspects of The Grim & Mild Presents podcast is Aaron Mahnke's ability to teach and entertain simultaneously. He has a unique talent for taking seemingly mundane topics and transforming them into gripping narratives. Even when I'm unsure if a particular subject will captivate my interest, Mahnke's storytelling prowess never fails to surprise me. Before I know it, I've listened to multiple episodes on a single topic and find myself delving even further into the subject matter through additional research. This podcast truly has the power to ignite curiosity and spark a thirst for knowledge.

    The worst aspect of The Grim & Mild Presents podcast, if any, is the occasional inconsistency in release dates. As an avid listener, it can be disappointing when there are longer gaps between episodes or unexpected hiatuses. However, it is important to note that quality content takes time to produce, so this minor inconvenience can be forgiven considering the overall excellence of the show.

    In conclusion, The Grim & Mild Presents podcast is a must-listen for anyone who appreciates well-researched storytelling delivered with an engaging narration style. Aaron Mahnke's commitment to teaching and entertaining shines through in every episode, leaving listeners eager for more. Despite minor setbacks regarding release dates, this podcast consistently delivers thought-provoking content that will leave you enthralled from start to finish. If you haven't already given it a listen, I highly recommend adding The Grim & Mild Presents to your podcast library.



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    Latest episodes from Grim & Mild Presents

    Introducing: Consumed from Grim & Mild

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 2:48 Transcription Available


    Hi, Grim & Mild Presents fans! iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild are excited to tell you about Consumed - a brand new fiction thriller that we think will... consume you! Don't believe us? Check out this trailer to see for yourself. When you're done, head on over to Consumed starting 1/31 for weekly episodes. Show Info: When struggling journalist Sarah Simmons finds herself stranded in an idyllic New Hampshire town, her unexpected visit turns into a nightmare. Steeped in history and filled with legends, the residents of Danville soon learn that the past is not always meant to be forgotten. Their lives will be forever changed, while the hope of a future without terror rests on the shoulders of a stranger who may hold the keys to the past. This is Consumed, a brand new story set in the same universe as the award-winning hit fiction podcast, Bridgewater. Listen to Consumed on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 13: Hollywood

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 32:50 Transcription Available


    We didn't become fascinated with the Wild West until Hollywood gave us gunfights at high noon and heroic outlaws.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 12: Outlaws

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 24:23 Transcription Available


     When we think of the Wild West, we conjure up certain characters in our imaginations. But none are more iconic than the outlaw. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 11: Gender in the West

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2023 25:37 Transcription Available


    Hollywood portrays the Wild West as a tough man's world. Yet, there were some who refused to be labeled.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 10: Women's Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 24:31 Transcription Available


    The post office has a saying about mail delivery in all kinds of weather. Meet Mary, a mail carrier in the West whose story is nothing short of a Western novel.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 9: Doomtowns

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 25:38 Transcription Available


    Gold. New lives. Second chances. The West provided many opportunities. But conquering the land often came at a high cost. Here's the story of one of the most well-known families on the frontier: the Ingalls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Introducing: Season 4 of 13 Days of Halloween

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2023 1:40 Transcription Available


    Hi, Grim & Mild superfans! We're excited for the season 4 return of 13 Days of Halloween. Subtitled "Penance," this brand-new story unfolds over the span of 13 days and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. "Penance" stars Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation, Dead to Me), and we think you'll want to join in on the spooky fun. Check out this trailer to get excited and start listening on 10/19 until the story concludes on Halloween day. Season Description: Season Four: Penance. Without warning, Sayuri has been locked up in the Pendleton Rehabilitation Center, and no one is willing or able to tell her why. Actually, getting any information from her fellow inmates or the labyrinthine bureaucracy that runs the facility seems impossible. But is the Pendleton really a prison, or something else? Starring Natalie Morales. New episodes air daily from October 19th through Halloween. Listen to 13 Days of Halloween on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 8: Transit

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 25:13 Transcription Available


     Getting from East to West was difficult, especially for those who chose the Oregon Trail. Survival meant timing their passage and path just right. Those who didn't served as a dire warning to others.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 7: Transit

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2023 26:24 Transcription Available


    Getting from East to West was difficult, especially for those who chose the Oregon Trail. Survival meant timing their passage and path just right. Those who didn't served as a dire warning to others.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 6: Tales of the West

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2023 23:28 Transcription Available


    From Stetson hats to barbed wire, this episode sheds some light on little-known Wild West icons and how they came to be.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 5: Mountain Meadows Massacre

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2023 27:25 Transcription Available


    The French, Spanish, and the Americans believed that heading west was a divine calling. This is the story of when beliefs cross the line into territory more dangerous than the land itself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 4: East Meets West

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2023 24:46 Transcription Available


    The Gold Rush became a beacon of hope for many. They headed West to seek their fortunes. But Americans weren't the only ones looking for a better life.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 3: Trail of Tears

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2023 30:12 Transcription Available


     One of the most horrific times in history came when treaties and deals with Native Americans were broken. In 1836, US troops rounded up Cherokee tribes with acts of extreme violence and forced them across the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 2: Go West

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 27:48 Transcription Available


    From the Spanish to the French, to the British — everyone had their eye on the vast expanse of America's western frontier. Then, in the early 1800s, Thomas Jefferson saw an opportunity and made a deal no one expected.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Wild West 1: Legends

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 26:54


    When it comes to tales of the Wild West, there's one tale that surfaces again and again — and for good reason. Join us for the story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Grim & Mild Presents: Season 4 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 1:51


    From the early explorers and the indigenous peoples they encountered, to the gunslingers of legend, and everything in between, this is your chance to learn just how complicated our move into western North America really was—and why so many of the assumptions we have about it are dead wrong.Beginning July 7th 2023, Grim & Mild Presents: A trek into the unknown, the misunderstood, and the forgotten tales of America's westward expansion. Subscribe today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Learn more at GrimAndMild.com/presents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 13: The End?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023 30:37


    The one guarantee in life is that it will end—we can anticipate that, and we have tried to cope with that truth forever. But when the suffering overextends itself, we've always tried to find ways to adapt.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 12: The Beginning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2023 24:26


    Humans have been mothering and midwifing since the beginning of humanity. Why, then, did something so natural become so fiercely under fire?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 11: Back to Health

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 25:04


    Florence Nightingale set out to change the course of nursing as the world knew it… and ended up getting more than she ever bargained for.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 10: Dark Matter

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 21:45


    Everyone poops. And for thousands of years, as civilizations have risen and fallen, humans have been trying to figure out exactly what to do with it all. The story of waste is one of ingenuity and class, of innovation and epidemic – and it is one that is deeply human.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 9: Mind Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 26:14


    A doctor might dismiss your concerns by saying that something is all in your head…as if the brain doesn't play host to many kinds of illness. Some  of our oldest corpses bear physical evidence that directly cutting into the brain is one way to attempt healing the mind. But what happens when our modern attempts at this become a bit more…misguided? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 8: Heartwrench

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 27:20


    Poets have been writing about the madness of love for thousands of years. We love to be in it; we hate to be without it. But what if this wasn't just hyperbole, and there is something indeed bigger happening to a brain in love? Where does love and madness meet? And, perhaps, where does one end, and another begin?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 7: The Making of a Man

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 29:10


    In the world of healing, there have always been folks willing to make money off of the suffering of others. And it was often seen that the more shameful the secret, the more profitable these problems would be for cunning charlatans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 6: Hungry for a Cure

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 28:07


    The human body has long been a battleground for morality. And one of the places that these ideas have shown up might be surprising to you: the dinner table.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Introducing: Strange Arrivals Season Three

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2023 2:09


    Hi, Grim & Mild Presents fans! We're excited to announce season three of Strange Arrivals. Since you love our content, we think you'll also enjoy this fellow Grim & Mild show. Check out this trailer for a sneak peek into what you can expect this season! About Strange Arrivals: This season on Strange Arrivals, we look at UFO researchers who developed theories to explain the phenomenon and the consequences those theories had for people who believed they had experienced the paranormal. Listen to Strange Arrivals on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 5: Slice ‘n Dice

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2023 25:41


    For centuries, cutting into the human body was strictly forbidden. In fact, for a long time, medical schools taught aspiring physcians not to touch their patients. You can imagine how helpful this was. But then, a turn in the story: along came a class of people whose dirty, rough, and practical work changed the way we practice medicine: the surgeons.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    manners bedside slice n dice
    Bedside Manners 4: Give and Take

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2023 30:18


    In the not-too distant past, many European communities had their own local executioner. It was a paid government trade just like any other, but it came with a damning social stigma. But this role was a crucial one: though they brought imminent death, many people believed they also played a significant role in holistic healthcare.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 3: A Chemical Romance

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2023 27:03


    Staying alive is a tough task, and medicine's function is to help us do just that. Often, we turn to pharmaceuticals. But we can trace a moment, very early in our construction of the healing arts, that the first chemists – the alchemists – sought something else: not just to extend life, but to make it eternal.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 2: Bleed ‘em Dry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2023 26:14


    Our language is ripe with turns of phrase that invoke the idea of blood. These idioms seem to illustrate some of our most intense human experiences – it's the thing that we can't live with, after all. So tell me this: what happens when the blood spills?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Bedside Manners 1: Body of Knowledge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2023 27:09


    For much of human history, the interal geography of our bodies has been a mystery. We've walked a long, dark road as we've sought its secrets – taking many wrong turns, and leaving a trail of casualties in our wake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Grim & Mild Presents: Season 3 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2022 1:33


    From the blood in our veins to the search for eternal life, and everything in between, this is your chance to learn just how miraculous it is that we understand so much about the human body—and why many of those discoveries almost never happened.Beginning January 6th 2023, Grim & Mild Presents: Bedside Manners will unpack the dark and twisted history of healing medicine.Subscribe today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Learn more at GrimAndMild.com/presents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 13: Dead Men's Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2022 27:35


    Hollywood adores the loveable rogue. Pirates are often depicted as wisecracking, kind-hearted individuals who set out for treasure but inevitably do the right thing. In the end, he usually gets the girl and the treasure.  Pirates. The word itself hints at a story. And in our final episode, we have a couple more tales to tell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Introducing: 12 Ghosts from Grim & Mild

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2022 1:50


    Hi, Grim & Mild Presents fans! The holidays just got a little spooky. Since you love Mahnke's Grim & Mild content, we think you'll want to experience 12 Ghosts. New episodes air 12/14 - 12/25, but here's a snippet to get you excited for 12 Ghosts! About 12 Ghosts: Eleven travelers find themselves at an inn deep in the forest on Christmas Eve. As they tell their stories to one another, they come to realize that they've got something very startling in common… and that the strange innkeeper has a plan for them all. Listen to 12 Ghosts on the free iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 12: Cutlasses & Cutthroats

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 27:19


    Cutthroat. According to dictionary entries, it's someone so ruthless they cut the throat of another. A murderer is a person of vicious and Machiavellian nature. And in the world of piracy, there were cutthroats so cruel that they went over the line, even for their own crew.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 11: Still Waters

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2022 27:10


    Pirates created their own republic and formed a democracy. They made allegiances with each other and governments. The Golden Age of Piracy even sounds somewhat...romantic. But all good things come to an end.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 10: Brethren

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 24:57


    Pirates. The lone wolves of the sea. Yet, not only did they know each other, but they also created a community referred to as the Pirate Republic. It's not really surprising then that some joined forces. After all, most wolves hunt in packs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 9: Blood Family

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 24:44


    We often envision pirates as ruthless rogues who turned their back on family and love for treasures and a life at sea. In this episode of Pirates, we have stories of romance and friendship deeper and stronger than the briny deep. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Introducing: 13 Days of Halloween Season 3, Devil's Night

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 2:12


    Hi, Aaron Mahnke fans! Things are getting spooky. Since you love Mahnke's Grim & Mild content, we think you'll want to experience season three of 13 Days of Halloween. New episodes air 10/19 - 10/31, so here's a snippet to get you excited for Devil's Night! About this season: Season Three: Devil's Night. When a 12-year-old boy and his dog are stranded far from home, they must find a way back through the chaos and mayhem of the most dangerous night of the year. Headphones recommended. Listener discretion advised. A co-production of iHeart3DAudio, Blumhouse Television, and Grim&Mild from Aaron Mahnke.  Listen to 13 Days of Halloween on the free iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 8: Rules of the Rogues

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 26:13


    Insurrections, rebellions, and mutiny! Oh, my! Though we think of pirates as lawless, they were anything but. In this episode, we explore the systems and codes that kept civility among pirate crews. No guidelines about it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 7: Pirates For Hire

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2022 26:18


    From protection from the Spanish to bringing in much-needed funds and provisions, early colonies in the Caribbean often turned to pirates and buccaneers for a little assistance. In this episode of Pirates, we're on an adventure with a couple of the most famous cutlass-wielding and cutthroat buccaneers in the Caribbean.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates Bonus: Talk Like A Pirate Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 14:07


    Every year on September 19, people worldwide join together to talk like pirates. Parents, children, co-workers. If you've ever wondered how International Talk Like A Pirate Day started or how to speak like a swashbuckler, then this episode is for you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    parents pirates pirate day talk like a pirate international talk like a pirate day
    Pirates 6: Rebels With A Cause

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2022 26:59


    Pirates appear to be the ultimate rebel. Their legendary greed for treasure and cutthroat nature made them non-conformist mavericks of the sea. And yet, not all is what we've been told. Pirates played an important part in politics and the matters of kingdoms and governments. Batten down the hatches for this episode of Pirates! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates: 5: The Red Fleet

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 25:32


    Many pirates viewed women aboard ships as bad luck. One woman proved they were only bad luck for the ships they targeted. Meet Ching Shih, who went from flower boat girl to the leader of the Red Fleet, one of the largest and most powerful pirate fleets in history.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 04: River Pirates

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2022 26:07


    Ah! Pirates! We envision them in the Caribbean, raiding sea-faring merchant vessels, flying black flags, and burying treasure on a remote sandy beach. However, as we are about to learn, some of the most fascinating characters took to the lakes and rivers instead.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 3: Black Caesar

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2022 26:46


    In the Golden Age of Piracy, pirate crews often came from different countries and walks of life. They shared equal pay and voting rights aboard the ship. Captains often chose their crew based on fierce loyalty rather than nationality or race.  Some proved more fierce than others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 2: Cheers, Mate!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2022 28:16


    Yo-ho-ho, matey. In this episode of Pirates, we're talking about rum. Just how did alcohol, especially rum, become many a pirate's choice of drink? And what does grog have to do with the British Navy and…fabric? Join us for another round of Grim & Mild Presents, Pirate edition. Drink up, ye hearties! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Pirates 1: A Pirate's Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2022 29:09


    From sailing the high seas and buried treasure to swilling rum, pirates represent a lot about the human spirit. Through the centuries, we've fallen in love with adventure, danger, and exploration. In season 2 of Grim & Mild Presents, we take a swashbuckling, narrative journey into the lives and legends of the rogues of the sea. Join us. Here, there be pirates, matey! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Grim & Mild Presents: Season 2 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2022 1:41


    This summer, Grim & Mild Presents continues its journey into the strange, the unusual, and the fascinating. For our newest season, we'll be taking to the high seas to explore one of history's most notorious types of criminal: pirates. From naval battles and buried treasure, to deadly sword fights and stolen rum. Prepare to raise anchor! Grim & Mild Presents: Pirates sets sail on Friday, July 8th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Sideshow 13: The Legacy of Looking

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2022 28:50


    Centuries of history have led us to this point. The show continues to go on. But even though the sideshow looks a bit different these days… we still see its signature everywhere. We haven't looked away.  Want to hear more even though our time is up? The sideshow curious should be sure to check out the following:  Freaks by Tod Browning  The digital Lost Museum Project, curated by the City University of New York  The P.T. Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut  The International Independent Showmen's Museum in Gibsonton, Florida Showman's Rest Cemetery in La Grange, Illinois  Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit by Dr. Robert Bogdan  Louder Than a Riot by guest Kim Kelly, who writes about labor and the sideshow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Sideshow 12: Murder in Gibtown

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 30:10


    Behind the glitz and glamour of the stage, darkness lurked. And sometimes, that darkness was inescapable – and lived right in our own homes.    If you or someone you know is in danger, there's help available. Please reach out to the Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE for support. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Sideshow 11: Inseparable

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2022 29:45


    Families are curious entities. Blood, they tell us, is thicker than water. But what happens if there's something stronger than blood that keeps you together… for better or for worse?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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