Well, I Laughed

In the 1970s the campers at Camp Jened in upstate New York all shared two things in common. First, that they were all living with some kind of disability. And second, they would help launch a movement that would change the world. The United States looked very different 50 years ago for individuals with disabilities - it was closed to them. Our modern world is filled with physical proof - from elev...

Women are expected to be quiet and complacent. Where such an expectation would limit most women, a few have managed to use it for the greater good. When the NAZIs occupied the Netherlands during the second World War, resistance took many forms. For these ladies of liberty, it took on a violent and righteous resistance. Hannie Schaft, Freddie and Truus Oversteegen were known to on occasion to use t...

This week it's YOUR episode! It's the listener episode! Some of these stories maybe should have stayed In the Dark because we have several Prime Time Crimes on deck for you as well! First, Jaime's friend helps an old woman wrestle a trout in the dark. Jamal breaks the law and some skin all in the quest to impress a girl. Danica spills the beans on jury duty (Maia is jealous). And "Ashley&quot...

Some crimes are crimes of passion. And sometimes those crimes can leave us In the Dark as to what to do. When one intruder can't get enough of the treasures locked inside the homes of local residents, law enforcement is left with an impossible question: how do you get a bear to stop craving Doritos? In bucolic Lake Tahoe the bears are making a mess of things, if only the clean up was so simple. Th...

On the night of April 15th, 1912 a ship sank in the waters of the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage. Titanic's tragedy made her infamous. But a second ship was involved that fateful evening, lurking in the dark. The efforts of her crew, her passengers, and one intrepid young wireless operator would ensure that this deeply unremarkable ship would also sail into the history books that night. As th...

These listeners are very cool, and not just because they are connected to some Prime Time Crime's! Kate is a little too cool in high school and suffers the consequences of her actions. Alicia's sister poses a threat to national security. Kassidee builds the setting for the perfect crime only to be saved by a sick dog. And Suzannah learns that sometimes the only way to find out what your sibling ha...

When is political violence justified? Is it ever? In a period of rapid industrialization, social strife, and weak democratic institutions one man will choose to take political change into his own hand and in the course of one afternoon change the course of history forever. Gavrilo Princip’s decision to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdiand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire turned the world upside down....

The case is infamous, but the details and the controversy surrounding the OJ Simpson trial are less well known. This week, Maia unpacks the horrific murder of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. We build a timeline of both the crime and the subsequent investigation and trial. There will be blood, a hero dog, a surprisingly slow car chase, and, of course, gloves. Unpacking how a case that seemed so clear...

These people are famous, because they've made it to the pod! This theme's listener episode includes a story from Kara, who commits a group robbery and does not regret it. Cass who has to send her roommate more than a few hints. Ashley survives an awful date with an awful man that makes a story funny than he was. Finally, Grant's friend Ryan writes in about what a good liar he was in high school an...

Have you ever looked someone up online to get a better sense of who they are? What data did you use? Americans have thousands of data points about themselves floating online, and some companies are more than happy to collect that data and use it however they see fit. Cambridge Analytica used it to try to influence elections all over the world. The scandal shocked the world when it came to light, b...

The company's name has become synonymous with lies and fraud, but what happened to Enron is a beautiful web of malice and mischief. The Enron scandal came to reshape expectations around corporate behavior and oversight. The lies were big, the money was bigger, and after climbing the mountain there is only one way to go - bankruptcy. Listener beware! This week we are "Entering Enron".   0...

Stories from the Well, I Laughed listener-verse! This week Jenni shares her brief stint living a life of crime. Amanda gets understandably nervous about passing a drug test. Bella tries to become an actor and it's a tragedy. Madison cares for nature which does not care for her. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!   00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:25:27 Jenni's Five Finger Discount 00:37:52 Amand...

If man's best friend is a dog, his second best friend might just be a beer. But there was a time in our history when the government tried to cut the bond... prohibition! And while most have heard of prohibition, few truly appreciation it's unique place in American history. The only amendment in US history to ever be taken back, how we banned it and what it did to us is still misunderstood. Grab a...

Call him Smoky the bandit because he is going to steal your heart. When Bill Wynne was fighting for the US in the Pacific during World War 2 he was prepared for whatever the enemy might throw at him, he did not expect a tiny Yorkshire Terrier named Smoky. Bill and Smoky were inseparable and (obviously) popular. What started as an unlikely meeting in the least hospitable of places quickly turned in...

Welcome to week three of our Holiday Break where we're revisiting your favorite old episodes! This week: Harry Houdini! Get ready for an enchanting episode as Maia and Grant sit down to talk about the fascinating story of the iconic Harry Houdini, dive into the complex world of dating loaded with relationship humor, and discuss modern childhood experiences especially those related to Grant's intri...

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...