Well, I Laughed

Welcome to Well, I Laughed: People of Agency Edition. For today's holiday break episode, Grant and Maia introduce Aileen and this People of Agency episode. What if the most revolutionary force in American history wasn't a politician or an army, but mail carriers bringing letters to farmhouse doors? At the turn of the 20th century, rural Americans lived in profound isolation, cut off from news, mar...

Welcome to week one of the Well, I Laughed Holiday Break. Today, based on audience votes, we're revisiting Episode 40, originally published 2-14-24. Grant tells Maia about the rarest fish in the world, found in the strangest of places. An episode about the Devil’s Hole Pupfish and Devils Hole, located in Death Valley National Park. With wild conservation showdowns, unexpected legal dramas, and a t...

We’re so glad these listeners shot their shot because now we get to read their stories! Our friends from around the Well, I Laughed listener-verse had some fantastic tales. Sarah resorts to hiding in a bush. Clara’s dad redefines “family” multiple times. Savannah survives her artistic era and gets her happy ending. And Anna needs a shot on Christmas Eve after an eventful encounter. They shot, and...

Shoot your shot, take the leap, jump over a bunch of obstacles. This time, literally. Evel Knievel was a man that would only let one thing hold him down: gravity. But when a rebellious streak led to a wife and kids, Evel hopped on his bike and took off with the goal of supporting his family. His famous stunts and infamous wipeouts made him a household name. And his story is as interesting as his a...

What are the forces that make us who we are? Many people with hard childhoods grow up into adults with fulfilling lives and careers. Others... get kicked out of a sex cult. Charles Guiteau is the latter. A man destined for greatness if he was not so consistently bad at everything. And a liar. And crazed. But in America, even a loser can hit it big. This week on Well, I Laughed the incredible forge...

These listeners were caught Red-Handed... with some fantastic stories for this week's episode! Reality Winner confronts a mug thief, Laura has a traumatic time in a gas station bathroom, Linden accidentally runs a sting operation, Annie study abroad friends have an eventful hookup in Thailand, and Luna doesn't find what she is looking for (thank god). All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughe...

For more than two decades you had a better chance of winning the lottery than the McDonalds Monopoly Millions. Unless... you knew the right guy, who knew a guy, a shadowy figure named "Uncle Jerry." What started as one of McDonalds most successful promotional campaigns in it's history also managed to fund organize crime, exotic vacations, and at least one strip club/church in South Carol...

Would you commit a crime if you thought you would never get caught? If you thought everyone was doing it? If there were no victims, just some light corruption? Maybe not, but what if the government compelled you to do it? This week, Maia dives into the anti-corruption operation the Federal government ran known as ABSCAM with the help of known con artist Melvin Weinberg. Dozens of politicians get s...

Stories funny enough to make you sick (with laughter)! Rachel updates us on a dodge threesome and Ashley reports back from the scene of the infamous peeing-your-pants-while-donating blood story. Polly gushes over Winter Formal while Casey finds herself - but not god - in Uganda. Brittney instills a “well” of fear into Grant. And Kate ruins field trips for her school forever. All that and more, thi...

If you’ve ever been driven to the edge of fury trying to open up a bottle of pills (making your headache worse in the process) this story is for you! Between the sprawling backdrop of the Chicago suburbs Maia takes on a journey that involves more than one unsolved murder and raises serious questions about the safety of America’s pharmaceutical system. The case is infamous, the Tylenol Murders, the...

How responsible are we for the consequences of our actions? This week, Grant and Maia dive into the story of a woman who has come to be known as a reckless, disease spreading cook. Mary Mallon, also known as “Typhoid Mary.” Mary spread typhoid to dozens, maybe even hundreds of people. Several of whom would die from the disease before she was finally caught and quarantined. But behind the sensation...

These stories will have you in a trance! It's stories from the Well, I Laughed universe! Emily survives a strange hook up, only to be haunted by it years later. Yael's tio takes a trip no one wants to go on. Malana's brother falls in love with an illegal turtle. Lily avoids being radicalized. And Addi visits a liminal (haunted) space. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed! 00:00:00 Catch...

Can one person’s legend be another person's vicious rumor? This week, we try to separate fact from fiction as we look at the Mystic Monk himself - Rasputin. From humble beginnings and fervent religious belief Rasputin grows from peasant to powerful advisor in a stunningly short period of time. He was powerful, but was he evil? What was his relationship with the Queen? And how did he die? Man, myth...

As someone once told Grant "See how men lie?" This week Maia entrances Grant with the life of a man as interesting as it was false. Ronald Dante. AKA Ronald Pellar, Dr. Dante, Phil Harris, Joseph Reuben, Mr. Fabian, and so, so many more aliases. But what can we learn from a liar? Turns out quite a bit, as long as you're able to believe. Today we find out we're all living in Ron's world....

These stories hit close to home because they are Far From Home but near to our hearts (that's something, right?) AJ does not handle meeting a pope well. Kelsi gains and looses in Venezuela. Cedar rehomes some ducks. And Halie finds new friends in her new home. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!   00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:21:09 Catch-Up pt.2 00:33:49 Maia steals a car? 00:37:44 AJ in the...

Would you trust love one more time... if you had to do it on a boat? Literally? This week we follow one man, Santiago Genovés, as he seeks to answer a few too many questions the easiest way he knows how. Forcing a dozen strangers to spend three months on a raft at sea. What happens when people drift far from home and into the arms of someone else? This week, The Acali "Sex Raft", on Well...

When our hero is stolen from his home, what will it take to get back? This week, we retrace the steps of Paquipquineo. The Native American and Algonquin speaker who was kidnapped by the Spanish from his home in modern Virginia. His journey took him throughout the Spanish empire and taught him a valuable lesson - be cautious of these Europeans. Paquipquineo's journey is at times heartbreaking and h...

Word of Mouth is... that these stories came from listeners like you! This week, Nicole sees the dark underbelly of high school security. Hazel's brother defends her honor. Terra manages somehow to survive (you'll see), and Tony teaches empathy through bullying. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!   00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:30:48 Nicole the SRO 00:48:25 Hazel's Hijab Gossip 01:05:43 Terra'...

An episode that will leave you hungry for more! America's best food always comes from somewhere else, from people we actively discriminated against. Chinese immigrants are no exception. So how did this relatively small group of immigrants build a cuisine that is ubiquitous across America and uniquely are own? This week, we break out the cooking wear and Wok it Out as we learn the surprising histor...

The Greek Gods were deadly serious and wildly ridiculous. In this week's episode, Maia attempts to straighten out the wonky family tree of some of the most famous gods from ancient Greece. Vengeful, spirited, unpredictable, murderous, and more than a little flirtatious. The Pantheon of Greek Gods is an unlimited source of wild stories. But if you are looking for a truly wild time, one god reigns s...

This week on Well, I Laughed - stories from around the listener universe! Maggie sees a beautiful woman on a wild night out. Madeleine’s roommate gets suspicious of her and her gummies. Stinson is saved by the powerful, blockbuster movie Chicken Little. Sarah catches the eye of a man on the bus (maybe). And McKenna gets trapped by a neighbor who is blind to her frustration. All that and more, this...

Love looks different for everyone, and for some men and women it can be a bit hairy. This week, Maia shares the fascinating history of "bearded ladies". Women born with an unusually large amount of facial and body hair - specifically Annie Jones (the inspiration for The Greatest Showman's Lettie Lutz) and Percilla Bejano. They captivated audiences while touring the country in traveling c...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously spoke of his dream for a future America. A dream that was more progressive and radical than many people remember, but that included a future of racial equality. On the night of his assassination one teacher felt moved to continue to work towards his dream. Enter Jane Elliott. Educator, speaker, disrupter. A woman who will look you in your eye and deliver some ha...

Stories from across the Well, I Laughed universe written in by listeners! Enrique finds out what all the teachers were gossiping about. Tommy meets a Prince and maybe a ghost. Katy questions the obvious in a quest for love. Emily learns a terrible lesson about trusting strangers. And Rachel fields heartbreak and an unusual offer all in the same phone call. That and more, this week on Well, I Laugh...

Few sex scandals are as infamous as President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Overnight, a private young woman in her early twenties was almost as famous as the most powerful man in the world. But why was she so publicly humiliated while Clinton continued to enjoy public support? This week, we retrace the path to her public humiliation, find out what Monica Lewinsky has been up to sinc...