Softcore History

Rob Fox, Dan Regester, and Jake Goldman discuss the Land of Punt, the ultra wealthy ancient African kingdom that Egyptian Pharaohs traded with for gold, super inadvisable pet baboons, perfume, and dwarves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gordon Parks went from playing the piano at a Minnesota brothel to becoming the first black director in Hollywood. Dan, Jake, and Rob go through the insanely jam-packed life of the man behind the creation of Blaxploitation and some of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rob, Dan, and Jake break down what it’s like to live through a historic event — the Texas freeze. We break down what happened to us and the people we know this past week in Austin, how awful Texans are at handling weather, how much we want to punch all of our politicians (left and right) in their stupid faces, and if we think Texas learned ANY lessons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Jake, Dan, and Rob break down the antics of 70s Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher, Dock Ellis. Between advocating for numerous causes to throwing a no-hitter whacked out on LSD, Dock lived a wild life and led an even more redeeming story in his later years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enron went from blue chip stock to pennies on the dollar overnight. From cooking the books to shifting their business model several times the rise and fall of this Houston based energy company was an absolute nightmare for its 29,000 employees in 2001. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Joe Biden becoming the second Catholic president ever Rob, Dan, and Jake break down the hilariously absurd bigotry that was freely lobbed at Al Smith and JFK, the first two Catholics who ran for president — basically the KKK and Protestant leaders tried to convince America that Catholics were slaves to a wizard king (the Pope) and would betray America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

From shipping a ton of cocaine to spiking the office coffee with LSD, get your tinfoil hats ready as we discuss the wild and (mostly) true cases of the CIA and their antics involving narcotics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Burning government buildings, a president leaving his wife to go down in flames, and a hurricane tornado that saved the day from our country's oldest foe. Dan, Rob, and Jake cover the capture and arson of Washington D.C. in 1814 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rob, Dan, and Jake break down the history of Saint Olga of Kiev, the first queen of Russia and the woman who introduced Christianity to the country — specifically her year long rampage in which she kept (really easily) tricking the people of the country that assassinated her husband into getting brutally murdered. She isn’t the patron saint of revenge but she should be. Learn more about your ad ch...

Much like the Russian man of mystery himself, this episode gets off the rails quick and refuses to die. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We go deep into the short but jam-packed life of American gangster and minor league shortstop John Dillinger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tis the season to celebrate fighting off mass extermination. Jake leads Dan and Rob through the ancient Jewish holiday of Purim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Held in mid-December, Saturnalia is an ancient Roman pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn. It's the source of many traditions we now associate with Christmas but with orgies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ragnar Lothbrok. What's true? What's myth? We break down the demigod of Viking past and his invasion of Paris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We cover the rad and insane life of John Smith before his years with Pocahontas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pompeii's perfectly preserved and absurdly raunchy graffiti is proof that the ancient world had social media and that people have always thought and are funny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From farting songs for the laughter of kings to taunting dying enemies on medieval battlefields, we break down the long, bizarre history of jesters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boosh fills in for Rob to talk about the only US election where one of the two presidential candidates died in the middle of voting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Madame Delphine LaLaurie, the most evil resident in the history of New Orleans, was run out of the city for torturing and mutilating her slaves. She was also a gold digging cougar and a real buzzkill on ghost tours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Noted witch expert and ex-TSM show runner Veronica Ruckh joins Softcore History to read Dan’s fortune with Tarot cards and discuss La Voisin, a purveyor of black masses and one of the most infamous witches in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The boys breakdown the Dyatlov Pass Incident where 9 Russian hikers died in the Northern Ural Mountains in extremely mysterious ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Buscemi joins the boys to talk about the first known serial killer in American history, H.H. Holmes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gettysburg was won by two unlikely heroes and a decision to completely defy orders. We dive into one of the most important days in American history and the rogue officer who stumped the Confederacy with his dopey pivot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1518 hundreds of people literally danced to death in what's now France. What caused an estimated 400 people to footloose into an early grave? Jake, Rob, and Dan investigate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boston Corbett went from small town hat maker to the national hero who gunned down John Wilkes Booth. His life was more insane than his mercury soaked brain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices