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Ridiculous History

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Ridiculous History
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1061 episodes

  • Ridiculous History

    CLASSIC: The Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I Tried To Make An Army of Super Tall Soldiers

    09/08/2026 | 34 mins.
    Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm was fascinated by all things military, but the crown jewel of his army was a group known as the Potsdam Giants -- men recruited on the basis of their height alone. If these tall boys, teens and men didn't want to sign up for the Giants, the King had no problem kidnapping them. Listen in to learn more about the strange story of the Potsdam Giants.
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  • Ridiculous History

    CLASSIC: Playboy, Progressive Politics and Stand-up: The Dick Gregory Story, with Wayne Federman

    09/05/2026 | 50 mins.
    In this episode, Wayne Federman joins the guys to explore the rise of legendary comedian Dick Gregory, who began life as a boundary-breaking stand-up comic. Tune in as the gang explore's Gregory's evolution, his association with Hugh Hefner, and his later calling as a full-time civil rights activist.
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  • Ridiculous History

    The Ridiculous Racist Origin of Tipping, Part Two: The Great Debate and Anti-tipping Crusades

    09/03/2026 | 42 mins.
    While tipping is widely accepted (and expected) in the United States today, this wasn't always the case. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max learn how scheming corporations used tipping as a way to exploit newly-freed employees... and how the anti-tipping movement became prevalent enough to end up as part of Presidential campaigns.
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  • Ridiculous History

    The Ridiculous Racist Origin of Tipping, Part One: A Gratuitous History of Gratuity

    09/01/2026 | 36 mins.
    What's the best meal you've ever had at a restaurant? If it was in the United States, odds are you paid your tab -- and then added an extra fee on top of that. While tipping didn't originate in the USA, the States have the world's most prevalent (and infamous) tipping culture. And ever since the Civil War, it's been a hot-button issue: Should you tip? If so, whom, and how much? In the first part of this severely biased two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max dive into the debate... and learn the disturbing origin of American tipping along the way.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Ridiculous History

    CLASSIC: I Modi: The Scandalous Erotic Blockbuster Banned By The Vatican

    08/29/2026 | 34 mins.
    Nowadays it's no secret that some Papal administrations from centuries past were a bit more scandalous than others, but when master engraver Marcantonio Raimondi created prints of explicit art located within the papal palace, the church was scandalized. Learn more about the bizarre tale of "The Sixteen Pleasures".
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About Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
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