Dark History

Women. We really get the short end of the stick don’t we. And it’s nothing new. In fact there are women all throughout history who could tell all kinds of tales of when the odds were stacked against them. Or when history completely ignored them. Or when society made them out to be the villain. Or, when nobody believed them. Well kitty cats, today we’re going to talk exactly about those kinds of st...

Did you know that researchers have found that 98% of all diets are complete failures? Did you also know that the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and that whatever body a diet promotes has shifted drastically over the course of human history? Why do you think that is? Spoiler alert: it’s MONEY… and making women feel awful. Buckle in, and get ready for the dark history of Diet Cultu...

The internet isn’t really that old. But that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t already started to gather its own dark history. I mean we’re talking about a whole branch of the internet literally called “Dark Web.” And there was one site in particular that basically made the dark web the mainstream place for drugs, fake ids, and murder for hire. Today we’re going to talk about the Silk Road. The website...

Weed is a gateway drug. How many of us were warned about this in middle school health class? Well did you know it’s not true?  And has been disproven multiple times? I mean if you think about it, how much do we really know about cannabis.  Today we’re going to fix that.  We are going alllll the way back to the very start of cannabis’s history. Not only are we going to talk about all the ways Canna...

Like pretty much everything we talk about, Student Loans started out as a great idea.  A way to ensure education for all. A way to advance America in the Space Race. And a way to promise citizens a brighter future. But as we’ve seen time and time again, with money on the table, student loans got dark, and FAST. Today we talk about how student loans came to be, how the evolved, and how they came to...

Come one come all, gather around for the spectacle of the darkest show on earth.  The circus is definitely not the happy wholesome family adventure it sells itself to be. It’s a dark place filled with kidnapping, fires, murder, bribes, train wrecks, animal cruelty, labor abuse, and LIES. Oh the lies. Today we get the truth behind all the lies and learn alllll about the dark history of the circus....

Most people have heard of Prohibition, the time when America decided drinking was bad. But how much do we really know? Because it wasn’t just the speakeasies that were hidden. We’re talking about Mafia turf wars and government poisoning alcohol for years. And that’s just the start. Because today we are getting into the deep, dark, and a little drunk, history of Prohibition. ________ FOLLOW ME AROU...

Bananas. That yummy yellow fruit. We love it. But let me tell you, this simple fruit has a COMPLICATED past. We’re talking labor strikes, insurrections, murder, environmental destruction,  insider trading, and even potential nuclear war. No, seriously. Today we get into the very dark history of Bananas. And girl, it is wild. ________ FOLLOW ME AROUND Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/3e3jL9v Instagram: http...

PERIODS. MENSTRUATION. VAGINA. All no-no words according to society. But also all words we’re gonna be using today, A LOT.  That’s because today we are talking about the Dark History of Menstruation.  When did it get a bad rap? How did women back in the day deal with cramps? How is it celebrated in other cultures? When did the tampon come along? We answer all those questions and more when we dive...

At this very moment, there are a bunch of business owners and investors in the United States who profit off people being arrested and imprisoned. It doesn’t seem right and definitely doesn’t feel legal, yet here we are. Welcome to the shocking history of Private Prisons. Today, we talk about the all-American story about how capitalism kept slavery alive long after it was abolished. Plus we discuss...

America, she’s always been stealing land. Grabbing what she wants. And stealing land has never stopped in America, except now it’s done “legally” thanks to a little thing called eminent domain.  Today we will dive into just three of the MANY stories of communities being erased in the name of building landmarks like Central Park, Lake Lanier, and Dodger Stadium. And all of it was done legally becau...

Just how accessible are accessible parking spots, bathrooms, tables etc. And what had to happen in order to even get to this point? Would you believe if I said something called Ugly Laws? Forced Sterilization? Supreme Court Battles? Well babe, that is just a start.  Today we talk about the road to the American with Disabilities Act and the dark history of treatment of people with disabilities. ___...

Would you believe me if I told you Hawaii was stolen? Well yeah of course, hi this is Dark History. But would you also believe me if I told you, the US fully fessed up to taking the islands illegally and the International community has acknowledged Hawaii is its own country? Because that’s all true. But why is it still the 50th state? Well today we dive into the mind blowing history of Hawaii, how...

Do you know who Sister Rosetta Tharpe is? Would you believe me if I told you she’s responsible for Elvis Presley, Chuck Barry, Little Richard, The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jimmi Hendrix and basically Rock and Roll itself? Today we’re going to dive into Rosetta’s story and learn about how she is the unknown mother of Rock & Roll. ________ FOLLOW ME AROUND Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/3e...

Journalists are supposed to follow the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity and public accountability. But that wasn’t always the case for Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Today we’re going to talk about how their desire to beat each other led to the era of Yellow Journalism and reshaped Journalism as we know it. ________ FOLLOW ME AROUND Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/3e3jL9v In...

How did Nestle go from feeding babies to poisoning puppies? Well let me tell you it is a bumpy ride.  As Nestle continued to grow, their scandals got bigger and bigger. Today we dive into just a few of the shady, shady things Nestle has done over the years. ________ FOLLOW ME AROUND Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/3e3jL9v Instagram: http://bit.ly/2nbO4PR Facebook: http://bit.ly/2mdZtK6 Twitter: http://bit...

Hollywood, the place where dreams come true. But in reality, Hollywood, and especially during the “Golden Age” was a place of nightmares.  Horrible treatment of actors and actresses, drug addiction, cover ups, forced abortions, eating disorders, death. You name it, and it was happening behind the scenes.  Today we dive into the dark side of the glitz and glam of the movie industry and talk about i...

When Radium popped on to the scene in the early 1900s, it was called “liquid sunshine” and a “mythological superbeing.” Why? Because it was incredibly powerful and literally glowed. But then a few companies had the bright idea to start making watches with it. Today, Bailey tells the tale of the Radium Girls who were exposed to the radioactive chemical, in horrible working conditions, and lost thei...

Hi Friends! There's no Dark History episode this week, but here's a bonus episode of a story I did for Murder, Mystery & Makeup (which is now a podcast!!) about Cordelia Botkin. Hope you enjoy it and if you're interested in true crime, make sure to subscribe to Murder, Mystery & Makeup anywhere you listen to podcasts and on YouTube! ________ FOLLOW ME AROUND Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/3e3jL9v...

Pour some hot coco, slide on those comfy socks and gather ‘round the fire because it’s chilly willy out there. Week after week, we talk about the most horribly dark stuff on this show. So, we’re switching it up a bit. Today, Bailey gives you her first ever ANTHOLOGY episode with four SHOCKING holiday stories you’ve never heard. Don’t worry - they’re still SUPER dark, but there’s a bit of hope in e...

In the late 1800s, something really cool was happening down in New Orleans. A melting pot of cultures was blending to form a new style of music. These incredible sounds inspired a music revolution that swept the nation almost overnight. People LOVED Jazz. But there were some people who decided jazz was the devil’s music. Today, Bailey tells the shocking story of how the Federal Government tied Jaz...

121 years before COVID showed up, the U.S. nearly descended into chaos when the Bubonic Plague arrived in San Fran. The Black Death. When it began spreading in the city, politicians went to war with public health officials, claiming everything was blown out of proportion, even calling it a “Plague Fake.” Oy. Today, Bailey gives you yet another dose of how dark history tends to repeat itself. _____...

In 1891, 11 Italian people were murdered in the streets of New Orleans, becoming one of the largest mass lynchings in American history. Because of this, there were rumors of war between the United States and Italy. So, to calm the tension, the American government… created a holiday? Wait. What? Today, Bailey tells the bloody story of the Sicilian Lynchings, where 20,000 people lost their damn mind...

In 1993, the quiet Texas town of Waco was turned into a bloody battlefield when an extremist religious group and their leader went to war with the American Government. We’re talking assault weapons, helicopters, tanks, explosions and huge fires. Dozens were killed. Today, Bailey tells the wild story of how this stand off even happened, why the word cult was being thrown around and how the Feds may...

In June of 2021, a bombshell investigation uncovered the bodies of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves on a Canadian school’s property. Wait. WHAT?! Yeah, they were students at something called a Residential School. And there were MANY of these in both Canada and the United States. Today, Bailey tells you about a horrifying program that resulted in thousands of deaths and even more missing...