Now It's Ruined

In honor of the midterms in the U.S., Kate ruins voting. But to be clear YOU SHOULD VOTE! This episode just runs over much of the problematic history of voting, particularly in the United States. You’ll also (hopefully) learn how the electoral college works, and why voting still matters even in times of unprecedented gerrymandering.  CONTENT WARNING: Gun Violence, Racially Motivated Violence...

Larkin runs over the history of Halloween, including some fun (and not so fun) LGBTQ+ traditions, the appropriation of the holiday by the Church, and the surprisingly sexy origin story of Jack ‘O’ Lanterns. Sprinkled with a little human sacrifice and capped off with a discussion of racism and sexism, this episode contains all the miserable Now It’s Ruined hits that will have you going, “Oh my god,...

We’re opening spooky month with a brand new episode about a man who loved to ruin people’s spooky fun! Harry Houdini was not only a talented magician and escape artist, he was also a crusader against fake mediums and spiritualists. He spent huge amounts of time, effort, and money debunking frauds and educating the public on their tricks.  Though we do discuss some of his shortcomings, this ep...

Our last upcycle before we come back in October is all about The Christmas Rebellion, aka the Baptist War, which started in Jamaica on Christmas Day in 1831. Led by enslaved Baptist deacon Samuel Sharpe, The Christmas Rebellion was one of the largest slave rebellions in history, with 60,000 of the island’s 300,000 enslaved people taking part. It contributed heavily to England’s abolition of slaver...

Our September upcycle kicks off with the tale of a dramatic ongoing battle to prevent the resurgence of a particularly nasty pest in the U.S. If you’d really like to challenge yourself, we recommend putting this on while you cook. If you’re still able to eat after listening to Larkin describe festering wounds, flesh-eating maggots, and blood mixed with rotting meat and eggs, congratulations! You’r...

On October 22, 1989, a stranger snatched Jacob Wetterling off the street near his home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. For nearly 27 years, nobody knew what happened to him.  The story takes one infuriating turn after another as police missteps kept Jacob from being found for over two decades. Eventually, the full, tragic story was revealed. Kate grew up less than an hour from St. Joseph and has been ha...

We know we said we were going to upcycle, but instead let’s re cycle! Kate and Larkin are joined by comedian and former marine biologist Forrest Shaw (CONAN, Netflix Is a Joke), who enlightens them about plastic and recycling. Plastic has gone from a miracle substance that was meant to save the elephants to the bane of the planet’s existence. But this isn’t all doom and gloom! Forrest wants us all...

Do Cornflakes and graham crackers make you want to touch yourself? No? Good, that’s part of the goal. Kate takes Larkin on a journey through the history of sexual repression and how it led to a health food movement focused on avoiding the “sin of self-pleasure.” Proponents of this movement included Sylvester Graham and John Harvey Kellogg, who we have to thank for graham crackers and Cornflakes (t...

Larkin blindsides Kate with a truly upsetting ruin regarding one of the world’s favorite treats. Learn how chocolate went from ritualistic beverage to corporate juggernaut, built on the backs of people who will never have the luxury of tasting it.  Content Warning: Violence, torture, child abuse It’s practically impossible to find ethically sourced cocoa products, but here’s the list Larkin mentio...

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Kate ruins one of the most consistently idealized figures in American history: George Washington. Content Warning: Violence, gore, slavery, genocide, and rape Support Kate’s Series: https://www.dogoodpoints.com/fund/meat-cute-series Ken Burns documentary, The American Revolution: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolution/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid...

Online privacy isn’t just about your cookie settings. Corporations like Facebook have filed some truly creepy patents that reveal their ability to track everything from dust on your camera lens to who you talked to the most at a party. Target may even know you’re pregnant before you do… Kate and Larkin are joined by Ben Silver, who made them stutter, hide, and nearly walk away as he reveals all th...

Happy Pride! In the spirit of the season, Kate tells the story of Alan Turing. During World War II, Turing designed a machine that could decrypt tens of thousands of Nazi communications per month, likely shortening the war by several years and saving millions of lives.  He was lauded as a hero… until it was revealed he was gay. His conviction for “gross indecency” led to the tragic end of a brilli...

Kate acts as the Scully to Larkin’s Mulder as Larkin walks her through the evidence (of varying credibility) for Nessie’s existence. And like Scully, Kate winds up being less skeptical than when she started.  We weren't intending to upcycle this week, but we had a guest drop last-minute and didn't have time to put something else together in a thoughtful way. We'll be back all new on the next one w...

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most useful, healthy substances on earth. Eating just two tablespoons a day can help prevent heart problems, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s.  But that’s assuming you have real EVOO, which… you probably don’t. And you might have paid the mafia for the knockoff sitting on your shelf. Kate, now an olive oil obsessive, enlightens Larkin on the incredible history and...

Happy 4/20! In honor of the informal holiday, we’re giving you this episode two entire days early! If you celebrate, grab your favorite means of ingestion and listen as Larkin talks all things sticky and icky, breaking down the history of how cannabis was used as an excuse for racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, eventually leading to its criminalization. The movement against this hearty “herb” ha...

Kate and Larkin welcome fashion enthusiast and content creator KP Deluxe, who tells us about the predictably racist, patriarchal origins of sizing in fashion. KP outlines our journey from bespoke, customizable pieces to the fast fashion nightmare of today, and how the realities of women’s bodies were repeatedly ignored in favor of mass production.  Follow KP/Styled Over Substance on TikTok , Insta...

We’re upcycling this week to give Kate a break as she prepares for a panel at Wonder-Con (March 27, 2026 at 6 pm in room 207!). Thankfully we have a timely one for you: The story of the boycott, a great example of community advocacy that’s quite relevant today. Plus, it’s about the Irish, so the fact that it was recently St. Patrick’s day lined up nicely as well!  Get ready to learn about the man...

It’s our 1-year anniversary!!! To thank you for making our first year so fantastic, we finally did the full-length episode on hammocks that we’ve been promising since we started with the mini-sode a year ago.  Kate dives more into the history and culture of the Taino people, including their invention of the hammock, as well as the deeply horrific details of their encounters with the Spanish, insti...

Dodger Stadium is an icon of Los Angeles. The massive structure comes complete with a parking lot that can accommodate 16,000 cars. And that parking lot was built on the remains of a community that was literally dragged from their homes so they could be leveled for new construction.  Join us as Larkin sorts through the tale of displacement and discrimination behind one of the largest ballparks in...

Happy Olympics! Get ready to learn a TON of ruinous stuff about the games, from the unpleasant inventor of the torch relay to how the 1984 games changed the way Los Angeles was policed.  Washington Whistles Network: https://linktr.ee/wa.whistles Support legal aid in Minnesota: https://legalrightscenter.org/ Support the Peoples’ Bail Fund of Minnesota: https://pbfmn.org/ Support the ACLU: https://a...

This week, Kate and Larkin are thrilled to chat with professional cosplayer Alia Pyatt, aka Magical Black Girl Alia, who discusses her experiences as a Black female cosplayer. While her time in cosplay has been overwhelmingly positive, she’s also seen her fair share of racism, sexism, and ableism in the community. Tune in to learn about the rampant gatekeeping that has driven many cosplayers out o...

Gynecological exams and procedures are notoriously unpleasant, and the field is frustratingly under-researched. It seems like it’s already ruined, so why do an episode on it? Well, Larkin has an abundance of unpleasant history to add to the mix, including a long line of men known as the “fathers” of the practice, who committed horrific acts while barely advancing their understanding. From murderin...

New Year’s Resolutions are a common way to set goals for the upcoming year. But they can also cause self-doubt and unnecessary pressure. Anti-burnout coach Rhia Batchelder teaches Kate and Larkin about the puritanical origins of the tradition and gives tips on how to make resolutions that will actually motivate you, without driving you into a shame spiral. Book a free assessment with Rhia on her w...

It’s a Now It’s Ruined holiday special!  Kate breaks the usual format to bring you three shorter Christmas-related ruins. She discusses a cannibalistic scarecrow, the murder-riddled true story behind Good King Wenceslas, and how the Vikings permanently deforested Iceland.  Happy holidays! Special thanks to Elisa Hanssen, aka Elisa in Iceland, for helping us pronounce Icelandic words! Follow her on...

Kate dives into the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping, exploring the crime, evidence, and theories about who was involved. She and Larkin discuss whether they think the man convicted of the crime acted alone, if the kidnapping was an inside job, and whether Charles Lindbergh’s interest in eugenics motivated him to get rid of his sickly child.  CW: Violence against children References The Baby Alice Thumb...