Ambivalent Offenders: Re-Examining History’s Most Questionable Figures
Just like much of the past can’t be seen in black & white, neither can many of the people who lived there. So who are these people in the grey?
They've been called many things-- villains, notorious, infamous, questionable moral character, offenders of many crimes or horrific incidents. But like most people, the truth lies in the grey--and our podcast sheds light on the historical facts and stories behind each person in a conversational, approachable style and then finally lets us (& you) decide...Where do we think they fall in history’s judgment? Have they been fairly or unfairly vilified in the historical discourse?
Let us just boil it down to judging the hell out of some pretty interesting dead people.
Episodes
42 episodes
Mary Todd Lincoln: Part 1
Mary Todd Lincoln has the distinction of being one of the least popular First Ladies of the United States, even as her husband tops the lists of greatest Presidents. Their marriage has been the topic of entire books and careers. Mary has been c...
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2:41:28
President Lincoln's Assassination and Aftermath
We are marking the 160th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, 1865. As we prepare to release our upcoming series on Mary Todd Lincoln, we are going to go forward in her story and talk about the assassination and its after...
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57:11
Tonya Harding
Grab your ice skates—we are going back to the ‘90s to talk all about Tonya Harding! Harding survived her bad childhood to become a rising (and controversial) star in the figure skating world...until the scandal broke that put her in the pantheo...
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1:32:07
Andrew Carnegie and the Robber Barons
The original oligarchs of America are on trial this week. Grab your monocle and best suit as we head back to the Gilded Age to meet Andrew Carnegie and his gang of fellow robber barons…and spend not an insignificant time discussing HBO’s “The G...
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1:32:56
Mark Antony: Part 3
We have arrived at the end of Mark Antony's story...and his life. Join Erin and guest co-host, Matt, as we discuss his relationship with Cleopatra, the final showdown with Octavian, and how it went so horribly, inescapably wrong.
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1:51:38
Mark Antony: Part 2
Join Erin and guest co-host, Matt, as we continue on in the life of Mark Antony, as he navigates life as Julius Caesar's faithful deputy, the horrific aftermath of the Ides of March, and feuding with a teen.
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1:38:47
Mark Antony: Part 1
Mark Antony--Shakespearean hero, Roman bad boy, lieutenant to Julius Caesar, and a man whose death often overshadows his life. With guest co-host, Matt, we begin our series with discussions of the very egalitarian Roman Senate (just kidding!), ...
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1:27:19
Dueling Villains Judgement Episode
We conclude our first Dueling Villains series with the judgement on John Brown and Aaron Burr. Matt fills in for Jamie and helps us break down the flaws and the greatness of two of history's most enigmatic (and frustrating!) figures. Brown or B...
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40:16
Alice Perrers (20 minute Preview from Patreon Episode!)
NOTE: We always have a 7 day free trial for our Patreon memberships so this could be the perfect time to check that out! Hello listeners! We've been dealing with illness, job changes, issues with our editing program, and the usual...
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24:33
Aaron Burr: Dueling Villains (Part 2)
Follow the rest of Aaron Burr's story, as he vies for the presidency in the Election of 1800, enters that infamous duel with longtime rival/future musical star Alexander Hamilton, and finds himself dabbling in some *light* treason. Emperor Aaro...
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1:32:21
Aaron Burr: Dueling Villains (Part 1)
We are covering Aaron Burr (SIR!) as the second half of our "Dueling Villains" series. In this episode, we cover Burr's early life, the American Revolution and his role in it, as well as his political life up until the election of 1800. There's...
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1:18:18
BONUS: Bleeding Kansas (with Erin & Matt!)
We spoke about Bleeding Kansas briefly in the previous episode on John Brown, but we have invited back Husband of the Pod, Erin's husband, Matt, to explain more of what was happening in Kansas during the lead up to the Civil War. St. Louis base...
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47:56
John Brown: Dueling Villains
Listen to our first installment of our new Dueling Villains series! We will be covering John Brown, an American enigma. Terrorist, martyr, mad man--or a little bit of each? We will talk about Brown's early life, his move to Bleeding Kansas, and...
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1:10:29
Wolf Hall Episode 1 Discussion
With the new season of Wolf Hall airing in the U.K. now and coming to the United States in March, we have begun our own rewatch series of the first season. Follow along with us as we continue through the first season and sharing o...
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1:07:02
Female Villains v.s. Male Villains
FYI I (Jamie) had to re-record a few lines so apologies if they stand out too much! Before we jump into our dueling offenders series, we wanted to do something a little different and discuss how questionable female historical figure...
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1:02:20
Caterina Sforza: Part 3
In our final episode on the Tigress of Forli, Caterina Sforza, we will conclude the rest of Caterina's exciting life--more assassinations, more himbos, the first appearance of syphilis, and plenty of female rage follows! Oh, and Cesare Borgia m...
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1:23:05
Caterina Sforza: Part 2
We pick up Caterina Sforza's story as she finally launches into action, taking castles and fortresses, outwitting cardinals and bishops, and earning that nickname of the Tigress of Forli. Expect assasinations, daring deeds, more pregnancies tha...
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1:06:06
Caterina Sforza: Part 1
Caterina Sforza is often overshadowed by the men who she came into contact with as they comprised some of the Italy's most infamous dynasties: the Medicis and the Borgias. While there is much to commend her on being a real warrior female leader...
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1:01:53
John Lennon
Another week and another ambivalent offender...this time Jamie tackles another one from the music world (thanks to our Patreon fans & their votes!) and from one of the most recognizable bands of all time--John Lennon. From his traumatic chi...
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1:38:17
Emperor Claudius
The Roman Emperor Claudius was as unlikely an emperor as they come (from inside the imperial family that is). Learn about his unexpected rise, his...complicated...marital history, and if we can truly call him one of the "good" Emperors....
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1:30:01
Patreon Only: Casting Attractive Men as Questionable/Bad People & Consuming True Crime Media
Erin and I have a little more informal discussion about the recent trend of casting attractive men (looking at you Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron) to play questionable figures, as well as the worst of the worst, serial killers. We also touch upon t...
Subscriber Episode
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41:49
P.T. Barnum
Come one, come all, to learn about the man who has been nicknamed the Greatest Showman and created the Greatest Show on Earth. In this one-parter, you'll learn about P.T. Barnum's dark start (understatement) in show business and his journey fro...
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1:02:18
Wernher Von Braun: Part 2
Listen to the conclusion of Wernher Von Braun's story as he arrives in America, works for NASA, launches the first manned mission to the moon, and does something with Spice Flight (you will need to listen to get the reference there!). Hear our ...
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1:51:06