Whitney LeMond, Lisa Friedrich, and Carina Magyar get together, get tipsy, and tell each other the craziest stories they can find. Artwork by Grace Svoboda. Theme music by Arielle LaGuette.
It's a crossover episode from our new podcast, Pop Soup, your piping hot serving of pop culture trivia! Subscribe and save y'all: Apple, Spotify, and everywhere else
This episode is brought to you by Pop Soup, our brand-new pop culture trivia podcast, so go listen to it right now!Lisa recounts one of Texas' almost forgotten tragedies, the New London School Explosion of 1937.Whitney hops back to the Gilded Age to visit the weird Wendel family - one of NYC's original rich families that decided to fully commit to never keeping up with the times. Hayly becomes a thieving menace with Barbara Erni, the Liechtensteinian red-haired legend AKA Golden Boos.
This episode is brought to you by color analysis.Hayly gets spooked by doppelgangers and bad omens.Whitney travels back 900,000 years to find our ancestors on the brink of extinction. Lisa picks a fight with WCCW wrestler Gino Hernandez.
This episode is brought to you by buff children.Whitney sinks with the Venetians at Pink Floyd's show in 1989.Lisa lifts weights for Jesus with her Muscular Christian friends.Hayly heads to the Isle of Man to befriend a ghost mongoose named Gef.
This episode is brought to you by red currants. Whitney dances to the strange Italian beats and gibberish lyrics of Adriano Celentano's "Prisencolinensinainciusol."Lisa revisits the Trinity Test Site in Los Alamos and uncovers the atrocious conditions the native population endured before, during, and after the Manhattan Project.Hayly joins Australia's Tromp Family on what is sure to be one of the most mysterious disappearances of the century.
This episode is brought to you the pitter-patter of tiny dog feet. Lisa invites us to attend the first drag balls with their inventor and queer pioneer William Dorsey Swann.Hayly journeys across France with the cross-dressing, bisexual, swordswoman, opera singer, Julie d'Aubigny.Whitney boards Aloha Airlines Flight 243 - the terrifying flight and miracle landing that could have been much, much worse.
This episode is brought to you by rabies. Lisa shows us the importance of functioning egresses at the infamous 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire. Whitney loses her voice trying to perfect her own version of every film buff's favorite inside joke, the Wilhelm Scream.Hayly joins a house of ill-repute with a surprisingly reputable madam, Pearl de Vere, the "soiled dove of Cripple Creek."
This episode is brought to you by Hard Front Wigs.Whitney packs up her stuff and moves to a new apartment every year in NYC on everyone's favorite holiday, Moving Day!Lisa races down America's rivers in a steamboat only to end in the worst maritime disaster in the USA, the wreck of the Sultana.Hayly is put on trial with Isobel Gowdie for being the witch of the century.
This episode is brought to you by cargo shirts.Hayly lives the 1930s socialite dream with Lester Gaba and his enigmatic creation, Cynthia the Gaba girl.Lisa goes down under to explore the storied life of Black Douglass the Bushranger.Whitney has a close encounter of the third kind at the Ariel School UFO incident.
This episode is brought to you by FootFoot.Whitney joins the fan club for The Shaggs, the band that released the worst album ever recorded. Lisa tells us just why Dairy Queen is what we like about Texas. Hayly lives a hundred lives with the immortal party vampire, Jacques St. Germain.
This episode is brought to you by snake meat.Lisa jumps down the throat of the world's most voracious and disgustingly hungry man, Tarrare. Hayly heads to Ohio to read all about their dangerous gossip girl, the Circleville Letter Writer. Whitney gets conned by the newest addition to the "Anna Delvey Female Fraudster Club," Vietnam's Tina Duong.
This episode brought to you by Silver Status Bonvoy MembersWhitney finds the most appropriate holiday tradition in Spain's Caga Tió.Lisa details the disappearance of British estate agent Suzy Lamplugh.Hayly joins the team behind one of the most "successful" bank heists of all time at Brazil's Banco Central Fortaleza.
This episode brought to you by the Hot Tips Hotline.Whitney visits the little micronation that could, Molossia. Hayly joins Johann Georg Schröpfer's Masonic temple and learns how to raise the dead while making money off people. Lisa details the gruesome murders of Australia's number one piece of shit rapist, Christopher Wilder.
This episode brought to you by spinach.Hayly heads west to rob the rich and keep it all with Lord Gordon Gordon. Lisa hides out with "missing" Sherri Papini until she decides she's over it.Whitney stays grounded while Jan Davis and others explore the dangerous world of BASE jumping.
This episode brought to you by Dodge-em Cars.Whitney goes down under to join the fight in The Emu Wars.Hayly sinks to a new low with five Titanic conspiracy theories.Lisa takes us on a lustful excursion to the world's most aroused theme parks, aka pleasure gardens.
This episode brought to you by Jackie O's Chewin' Metal.Lisa joins the Silicon Valley incubator fraternity Launch House and is quickly expelled. Whitney gets revenge on the human race with a few cliquey Orcas, an angry elephant, and a few more vengeful animals. Hayly exposes one of the longest-running mail scams of all time with "psychic" Maria Duval.
This episode brought to you by MorningStar sausage patties.Hayly gets brainwashed into Chuck Dederich's Synanon cult, but is rescued by the snakebitten lawyer Paul Morantz. Whitney empathizes with Cleopatra and her troubles with her little sister, Arsinoe.Lisa travels to ancient England to find out if King Arthur was a real person.
This episode brought to you by poopcicles.Hayly survives the tundra with adventurer Peter Freuchen. Lisa explores a budding cult created by the currently incarcerated Rashad Jamal. Whitney slips back into the teenage dirtbag days of 1984 and the deadly friendship of Ricky Kasso and Gary Lauwers.
This episode brought to you by eight cats.Lisa lassos Misty of Chincoteague as we tour tiny horse island.Whitney drifts across the plains with the invasive tumbleweed.Hayly has a high time with Aimo Koivunen, the Finnish soldier who survived a Russian attack in WWII thanks to a near-deadly dose of government-grade methamphetamines.
This episode brought to you by semi-expensive restaurants.Whitney visits the bookstore with Mariko Ayoki and instantly drops a deuce. Lisa follows a Trump loving idiot named Larry Rudolph & his wife Bianca to Africa for a hunt of a different kind. Hayly gets behind the wheel of a Pinto and prays for an effective bumper.
This episode brought to you by Evelyn's Creek Water.Whitney's up a creek with a couple Californians searching for sunken treasure along the Texas Gulf Coast.Lisa raises the dead with the corpse coronation of Ines de Castro.Hayly discovers the new record for the world's biggest piece of shit, Richard Schmidt, who attempted to murder his ex-girlfriend, Janice Trahan.(Note: this was recorded on May 28, 2022 & it took me forever to edit. SORRY. Also, that's why there's a few references to "current" events that now seem less than current.)
This episode brought to you by Procoptodons.Carina is back with the story of Malcolm MacDonald, who lost his "manhood" but found a new one on his arm.Whitney gets lost in the desert in Kenny Veach's mysterious M Cave.Lisa takes us around the world in 200 million years to Novopangea.
This episode brought to you by a Pisces moon.Special guest Rebe Cohen introduces us to astronomer and noseless legend, Tycho Brahe.Whitney shares the story of one of the worst boyfriends of all time, Nelson Roth.Lisa rents a home in jolly old 18th century England.
This episode brought to you by Hot Diet Coke ~ The Official Drink of Weird BrunchWhitney gets a glimpse of the elusive Los Angeles billboard icon, Angelyne.Hayly uncovers the Mormon roots of Go Ask Alice, the 1970s "true diary" account of a good girl succumbing to hippie drug culture.Lisa prowls the globe for the origins of Catwoman and her less hot sister, cat lady.
This episode brought to you by fruity garlic odors.Lisa travels the world with Michael Mikulec and his book of signatures.Whitney details the mysterious disappearance of David Lewis.Hayly recounts the infectious tale of Gloria Ramirez, the "Toxic Lady."
This episode brought to you by brown teeth. Hayly befriends the original 1800s rich-people-swindler, Cassie Chadwick.Whitney defines job catfishing: what Ali Ayad did when he founded the 2020 fake digital design agency MadBird, and robbed hundreds of people of their services for 6 months. Lisa gives us the science behind bad vibes, and the now-proven reason behind getting the willies.
This episode brought to you by Sheila's Weekly.Whitney investigates the conflicting life and death of Cindy James.Hayly exposes the lies and delusions of influencer Belle Gibson.Lisa takes us on a Gilded Age tour of New York real estate.
This episode brought to you by russet potatoes.Whitney launches into Starfish Prime and the race to nuclear bombs in space.Lisa tracks the infamous Kandahar Giant that was purportedly taken down by U.S. special forces in Afghanistan in 2002.Hayly encounters Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish conman who defrauded hundreds while creating 1822's own Fyre Fest, aka Poyais.
This episode brought to you by tyranny.Hayly gets acquainted with Billy Cottrell, the original "Florida Man" mayor of Cedar Key who reigned as a tyrant until U.S. forces intervened.Whitney details the history of Martha's Vineyard Sign Language. Lisa discusses the abduction and disappearance of six-year-old Timmothy Pitzen.
This episode brought to you by probiotic thoughts.Lisa skips confession and opts for the age-old tradition of sin-eating. Whitney details the mysterious disappearance and unexpected reappearance of Steven Kubacki.Hayly joins a gang of buffoons who plot to steal the body of President Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom.
This episode brought to you by the Ikea family.Whitney fails upward with three of the worst startups of all time.Hayly remembers the life and mysterious death of Ronni Chasen, publicist to the stars. Lisa is allured by the sordid and audacious history of Princess Caraboo.
This episode brought to you by the color brown.Lisa hikes into the outback to find Australia's newly sighted Yowies.Carina cashes in her fake money in the sandy ex-town of Singapore, Michigan.Whitney makes a bet with the Comte de Rochambeau.
This episode brought to you by sweet old ladies.Rebecca Cohen uncovers the real life horror inspiration for A Nightmare on Elm Street, Asian Death Syndrome.Lisa encounters Dorthea Puente, a sweet elderly woman in appearance, but a killer and swindler by nature.Whitney discusses the origins of Santa Claus, and hops down the chimney with the original Saint Nicholas.
This episode brought to you by the future of plastics.Whitney runs down the list of the world's most dangerous toys, including your own at home radioactive energy lab.Hayly details the mediocrity of Amy Bishop, a female mass murderer and delusional intellectual.Lisa recounts the heroic journey of Joe Medicine Crow, a Native American writer, historian and war chief of the Crow Nation.
This episode brought to you by flirtatious bible verses.Lisa sashays into the American National Ballet that was founded and mismanaged by two skilled liars, Ashely & Doug Benefield, with political ties that go all the way to the top of the GOP.Whitney goes nuclear with America's most deadly energy drink, Radithor. Hayly accidentally researched a story we've done in the past year (see S2 EP 47: Focusing on the Peen Shredding for Celestial Seasonings & the Urantia cult), so she's just here for color commentating!
This episode brought to you by bag ladies.Hayly unravels the mysterious and unsolved case of the Sodder family.Whitney wrestles with wild tales of the Redneck Rave.Lisa details the tragic Keddie camping murders.
This episode brought to you by the Crypt Keeper. Rebecca Cohen finds the deadly and lonely tale of Joyce Carol Vincent.Lisa recounts a 5 limbed monster in Enfield, the haunted Hotel del Salto in Colombia, and the story behind the term "saved by the bell."Whitney scales the walls of Fort Monroe, Virginia. A base so haunted that the U.S. Army acknowledges its existence.
This episode brought to you by schlamassels.Carina sinks into two of America's most poorly designed skyscrapers, The Millennium Building in San Francisco and 432 Park Avenue in New York City.Lisa explores the tragic death of Brittany Murphy and her creepy husband Simon Monjack.Whitney time travels to the Roman empire where an ambitious poisoner known as Locusta of Gaul learns how to make a killing in her field.
This episode brought to you by the spirit of Johnny Weir.Whitney jumps into a variety of haunted lakes. Lisa takes a stab at the history of Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen.Hayly details the lives of Ron & Joy Holiday and Chuck Lizza, who danced a little too close to their performance tigers and didn't end up quite as lucky as Siegfried & Roy.
This episode brought to you by toeology.Lisa details the war crimes and "salvation" of General Butt Naked in the First Liberian Civil War.Hayly raps with the Fox sisters, and has some fun with Spiritualism. Whitney joins the Barker/Karpis Gang and their crime loving matriarch, Ma Barker.
This episode brought to you by Angela Lansbury.Lisa details the life of Christine Keeler and the Profumo Affair.Hayly spills the beans on the McDonald's Hot Coffee Case and scorched grandma, Stella Lieback.Whitney recounts the near-execution experience of Siti Aisyah, the oblivious assassin.
This episode brought to you by too much Chicago talk.Lisa sifts through the dramatic mob story of Bumpy Johnson.Carina gives the first-person account of the dog lady prison escape.Whitney recounts Samuel Bronfman's kooky kidnapping.
This episode brought to you by Jason Isbell's tweets.Carina looks at the (almost) rise and (bloody) fall of Lee Miglin.Whitney excoriates Thomas Midgley for his bad, bad chemistry.Lisa revisits the scandal and mystery of Vince Foster's death.
This episode brought to you by hating Justin Timberlake.Whitney looks into the Bermuda, wait, no, the Lake Michigan Triangle.Hayly tells us about "Dr." D. Gary Young's miseducated misadventure to total oiliness.Lisa dives into the softer side of Yakuza life and its surprising history.
This episode brought to you by 2001's banned songs.Carina digs into the murderous history of Ireland tennis star Vere St. Legere Goold.Whitney figures out just how big bootlegger Mahalia Collins Mullens really was.Lisa details the life-saving freak show for premature babies that really did help?
This episode brought to you by Jesse Ventura's security clearances.Carina recounts the many predictions of the Lady of Lawers.Whitney dives into all the strangest Olympic sports.Lisa tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac, an actual whistleblower.
This episode brought to you by mavericks.Lisa looks at the life of Norma Lee Nelson, the reluctant spokesperson for AND against abortion.Carina finds America's first known intersex resident, Thomas/ine Hall, who got an unusual legal punishment.Whitney follows the ill-fated voyage of The Mignonette, a cannibalistic feast followed by a trial.
This episode brought to you by huge-ass decks.Whitney digs into the hidden history and present state of government cheese.Lisa uncovers the grisly details about Charles Rogers and his piecemeal parents.Carina follows the exploits of CL Blood, a con man, a blackmailer, and a killer?
This episode brought to you by dog tags jingling.Lisa discovers the very literal origin of the garden gnome.Whitney tracks the downfall of RainFurrest in 2015.Carina tries to keep up with everything Helen Dettweiler did her life.
This episode brought to you by witch therapy.Carina investigates the Mother God cult of Crestone, Colorado.Whitney figures out why some people in rural Kentucky are literally blue.Lisa digs into the deep history of the Viper Room in Los Angeles.
This episode brought to you by loose tigers.Whitney goes to Norway to investigate the mysterious Isdal Woman murder.Carina digs into the disappearance of Lloyd Gaines, who paved the way for school integration.Lisa recounts how Vincent Chin's murder led to the collaborative push for AAPI rights in America.