Softcore History

Charles II of England was quite possibly the horniest king alive. From staging orgies to anointing royal mistresses, learn about his exploits and the absurdity of his reign in this week’s episode. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeffrey Hudson, “Court Dwarf” for Queen Henrietta Maria of England, was the most famous jester in Europe during the early 17th Century. But like all great comedians, he started to take himself WAY too seriously. It went badly. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The guys discuss the events that led up to Prohibition and the 18th Amendment, specifically the outrageous amounts of alcohol Americans consumed throughout the country's history prior to its brief outlawing. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 1976 murders of U.S. Army officers Captain Arthur Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark Barrett by North Korean soldiers, which stemmed from a tree-trimming disagreement at the DMZ, provoked a forceful response from the United States in the form of Operation Paul Bunyan. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

Charles Guiteau was a failed clergyman, lawyer, bill collector, and cult member who falsely believed he played a massive role in the election of James Garfield. Feeling snubbed of a reward from the Republican Party after the inauguration of the president, this lunatic decided the only logical thing to do was to assassinate the leader of the free world. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio,...

Another Russian mountain mass-death mystery is brought to the table and the guys have to figure out what went down. Perhaps a camping trip to Siberia might be ill-advised. Join Fitbod today and build a routine that lasts all year. Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/SOFTCORE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 1967 Koro Panic in Singapore saw hundreds of healthy men and boys rush to the hospital convinced their penises were disappearing. This and other shrinkage panics across history — such as medieval witches stealing dongs and keeping them as living, slithering, worm-like pets — highlight a male, cross-cultural fear that supernatural forces are out to steal their pieces. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon f...

The secret location of the tomb of St. Nicholas — aka Santa Claus — has been potentially discovered in southern Turkey. But are Santa’s bones inside? Learn about the long history of Catholics pillaging Santa’s corpse and the miracles St. Nicholas performed that you definitely have NOT heard about. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Learn more about your ad ch...

Zhang Zongchang was a Chinese general whom Time Magazine dubbed "The Basest Warlord". He was addicted to gambling and sex and relished trolling his enemies, friends, and the gods themselves. He pulled himself out of poverty and eventually became the military governor of his hometown Shandong, where he was a major player in the opium trade and one of the funnier leaders in the Fengtian Clique. SUBS...

Boris Yeltsin was the first democratically elected leader of the Russian Federation, and also quite possibly the drunkest. Learn of his escapades across the world and how a Houston grocery store led to the fall of the Soviet Union. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go...

Messalina, the Empress of Rome from 41 AD to 48 AD, had rumors about her so messed up that even the meanest girl from your high school would think her enemies went too far. The weirdest part about the rumors, though? They weren’t even necessary. The actual stuff Messalina did was bad enough. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Right now, you can get Harry’s St...

This week we cover four unique but equally bizarre tales from World War I including pilots being shot down in no man's land, a tough and durable bird that saved a battalion, and one of the most Australian stories imaginable. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we explore the NASA-funded experiments that involved giving LSD to dolphins, discuss animal consent, and the ethics of living "intimately" with a dolphin for six months. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Head to Policygenius.com...

If you were in search of a prostitute in 1700s London you needed to look no further than Harris’s List of Covent-Garden Ladies, a pocketbook with reviews (and addresses) of over 150 of London’s ladies of the night. We read real hooker reviews from the 1788 edition of the pocketbook. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security...

In Bath Township, Michigan on May 18th, 1927 Andrew Kehoe killed 38 elementary schoolchildren, and six adults, and injured nearly 60 others. It was the first recorded school bombing in U.S. History and the world’s earliest known suicide car bombing. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interacti...

Jake takes us through three spooky tales: one real, one a hoax, and one that is disputed. Find out which real-life horror is fact in this week’s episode. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio and video content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 are arguably the most famous witch trials in English history, and they all began because one girl, who definitely did not have magical powers, turned herself in to authorities for the crime of having magical powers. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio and video content. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you cou...

From causing city trolleys to crash to almost burning down Detroit, Halloween was once a holiday of mayhem so destructive that it was almost banned in our country during the Great Depression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The guys continue spooky month and dive into famous curses surrounding classic horror movies including Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, and Poltergeist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most famous witch trials in history involved a Jesuit priest, sex with the dark realm, drinking a baby’s blood, and a witness who didn’t expect to be cross-examined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Alexander Hamilton's wife having to go around with a collection basket to pay for his funeral to George Washington's vice for the sweet stuff, our Founding Fathers were reckless with their wealth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ray and Faye Copeland, a farming couple who stole cattle, forged checks, and murdered drifters on their Missouri farm were the oldest people ever put on death row. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did Pulitzer, Hearst, et al. sell papers? It wasn’t with the high-brow stuff. They sent reporters to hospitals to write about the gruesome murders and horrible (or embarrassing, alcohol-fueled) injuries a city’s residents had suffered that day. We break down a paper full of those stories -- the August 23rd, 1897 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

Sometimes you have to crack a few of your fellow Christians' eggs to make a Holy Land omelet. The 4th Crusade was one Pope's call to action gone horribly wrong, featuring a few idiotic side missions that ultimately submarined the main quest, and one of the Catholic Church's biggest blunders in its storied history of mistakes. Brought to you by Withernot Rugby Shirts. Get 20% off your order at with...

We dive into the history of The Republic of West Florida. Learn how Florida is basically responsible for everything America is today, for better and for worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices