Midnight Facts for Insomniacs

From Nixon's infamous Smoking Gun audiotape to the OJ Simpson "lost confession,” cases of missing and recovered media have commanded public attention and left a lasting impact on the cultural zeitgeist. In this week's muckraking episode of MFFI, Shane and Duncan unearth the most fascinating and bizarre cases of lost-and-found media in history. ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by sup...

How is Santa Claus connected to cannibalism? Which Christmastide holiday commemorates the slaughter of children? How should you decode the cryptic numerology message 20+C+M+B+22? And what's with all of those airborne reindeer? Welcome to Ghosts of Christmases Past, in which Shane and Duncan explore how tree-worship and animal sacrifice evolved into the bizarre, festive, highly commercialized holid...

Which countries have abolished the death penalty, and which countries execute the largest number of convicts? What are the most popular methods of dispensing capital punishment? Who was the last person executed publicly in Europe, and America? Has anyone survived a public execution? Find out the answers to all of these disturbing questions and more in this week's punitive, vengeful, and relentless...

Few characters from pop culture are as divisive as clowns. Simultaneously endearing and terrifying, the archetype of the clown has persevered throughout the ages despite being reviled by a significant portion of the world’s population. There’s even a word for the fear of clowns: coulrophobia. So how did ancient jesters and tricksters evolve into the unsettling, white-faced, crazy-haired clowns of...

Super strength, super hearing, the ability to fly; many of the standard superpowers from comic books are commonplace in the animal kingdom. But those abilities barely scratch the surface when it comes to the awesome potential of evolutionary adaptation. In this latest episode, Shane schools Duncan on the most unique and powerful critters in the animal kingdom. ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midni...

Every society faces an inevitable dilemma: what to do with dead bodies? Join Shane and Duncan as they travel across the globe and throughout history to explore Sky Burial, plastination, "Dancing with the Dead," and the most famous death ritual of all: mummification.  ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the com...

Which famous foursome is considered the first punk band? What did CBGB stand for? In what city did punk originate? What was the wild television moment that made The Sex Pistols a household name?  From the first on-stage snarls to punk's final wheezing gasps, follow along with Shane and Duncan as they trace the rise and fall of punk music. ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporti...

Join two lifelong skeptics as they attempt to set aside their cynicism and immerse themselves in the mystical universe of Astrology and the Zodiac. (“Attempt” being the operative word. If you're a huge fan of Astrology, please take note: there will be some respectful debunking.) Whether you're a fixed feminine water sign or a masculine cardinal air sign, whether your 8th house is in Pluto or Mars,...

Did gladiators always battle to the death? Who was the most famous gladiator of all time, and why did he never step foot in the Colosseum? Were any gladiators women? What would a day at the Colosseum look and sound like? (Spoiler alert: music accompanied the fights.) Were all gladiators slaves, or could free citizens compete in the arena?  Join Shane and Duncan as they explore the history and lega...

What are the most consistently misused words and phrases in the English language? Find out in this week's nitpicking, pedantic, gloriously sesquipedalian episode of MFFI.  ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Dun...

What’s the world’s most dangerous plant? Which notorious stinging nettle is capable of an aerial attack? And what the heck is a hemicryptophyte?  Join Shane and Duncan as they explore the wild world of toxic foliage in this week’s lush, leafy, and lethal episode of MFFI.  ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join th...

To make up for the lost episode due to Shane’s bout with COVID, MFFI is releasing another full, brand new After Midnight this week! Enjoy your favorite segments like “How Stupid Are We?” and “This Week’s Random Fact,” plus the greatest movie sequels of all time. ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the communit...

Little-known fact: the mad doctor from Mary Shelly's Frankenstein was based on a real-life scientist named Giovanni Aldini. And even Aldini's corpse-reanimating experiments were mild compared to some of the bizarre and horrifying travesties that have been committed in the name of scientific progress. Join the boys as they explore two-headed dogs, telekinetic pong-playing monkeys, and the history o...

Leroy Robert Ripley would transcend humble origins to become an unlikely superstar, rebranding from an awkward teenage cartoonist to the sophisticated leader of a profitable multimedia empire. In the process he would expand minds, introduce Americans to the wonders of the larger world...and also contribute to misinformation, promote stereotypes, and work hard to conceal the true secret behind his...

In the late 17th century, a satanic panic swept through the Puritan colony of Salem, Massachusetts. Neighbors turned on neighbors, families were torn apart, and when all was said and done 19 innocent men and women were dead. And the scariest part? It could happen again.   Join Shane and Duncan for a thorough exploration of one of the most shameful episodes in American history: the Salem Witch Tria...

Everything you think you know about H.H. Holmes is probably a lie. Which is appropriate, because "Dr. Henry Howard Holmes" was more of a serial liar than a serial killer. But while the popular version of his story is more myth than reality, the truth behind the legend is equally fascinating. Join the boys as they unearth the disturbing history of Herman Webster Mudgett, aka H.H. Holmes.  ~ Become...

From the largest animal to ever inhabit the earth to the heaviest predator of all time, from Spinosaurus to Dire Wolves (they were real!), Shane and Duncan explore the biggest of the big.  ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ S...

Welcome to another exciting episode of "Is it a cult?" (Spoiler: yep!) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is one of the world's youngest and fastest-growing religions. It's also completely bonkers. In this week's supersized episode, Shane and Duncan marvel at the sheer awesome silliness of Mormonism and recount the unlikely story of the church's enigmatic con-artist founder, Joseph Sm...

What was the sinister secret behind "Camp Century"? Did the American government really import and employ high-ranking Nazi scientists after WWII? Is there a non-pervy interpretation of the term "Rods of God"? Find out the answers to all of these questions and more in this week's classified, undercover, top-secret edition of MFFI.  ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the s...

Gather your supplies and settle in for a wall-crushing, bunker-busting, fire-raining episode of MFFI as the boys explore the most brutal sieges in history. ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at...

What do touchscreens, electrical outlets, color televisions, and fax machines have in common? They were all revolutionary technological breakthroughs that debuted at World’s Fairs. Also from World’s Fairs: powdered root beer, portable bathtubs, and Elektro the Smoking Robot. Hey, they can’t all be winners. This week, join the guys for a grand tour of the most sensational hits and misses from the s...

It's a god#%m mothe$#@king s*#tshow on this week's episode as the guys explore the history, purpose, and benefits of profanity. Keep it classy, Insomniacs.    ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message...

What do celebrities, sex magic, and the antichrist have in common? Find out in this week's all-clear, billion year, intergalactically cult-ilicious episode of MFFI.  ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a...

In this first episode of the Epic Rivalries series, the boys opt for a (mostly) lighthearted introduction to the world of legendary grudge-matches. Enjoy! ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at...

It’s the MFFI 100th episode extravaganza!! Announcements, podcast Q&As, plus a supersized topic: the History of Asylums. Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at  PATREON ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow...