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That's History, Babe!

Jared Tetreau & Abe Merker

Julius Caesar. Joan of Arc. Liberace. These people are dead. But if they were alive, they’d be listening to this show. Hosts Jared Tetreau and Abe Merker take you deep into the bowels of the archive to explore the dank crevices and back alleys of the past, reclaiming history for the curious-minded girls, gays, and theys. This is THAT'S HISTORY, BABE!

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#24
Thursday · 1 hr 22 min
Lady Jane Grey vs. Princess Mary: TUDOR CAGE MATCH
DING DING DING. Choose your fighter!! Will it be: a fifteen year old noblewoman you’ve never heard of OR a thirty-five year old princess who loves Spain and the Pope! Nine Days. One crown. Who will win??? Come with us this week as we explore early modern England’s greatest royal SMACKDOWN, the battle for the throne duked out between Lady Jane Grey and Princess Mary Tudor. Learn how these two dauntless Tudor women faced each other in a fight for the throne, revealing the religious and social divisions that were waiting to tear England apart. Tangents Abe’s moving nightmare, the Massachusetts initiation ceremony, and the name of the thing that you put your head on before they chop it off. SOURCES Lady Jane Grey The Nine Day Queen Tudor Betrayal, BBC docuseries "The 'Nine Days Queen' is one of England's most controversial monarchs - here's why", HistoryExtra "The most important document in Tudor history? How a forgotten text triggered a royal crisis" | HistoryExtra "The Myth of the 'Tragic Victim': Reclaiming Queen Jane" | HistoryHit "Ruins of Nine Days' Queen's home to reopen" | BBC Dudley, J. (1759). Translation of a Letter written by Lady Jane Grey, to her Sister, the Evening, before she was beheaded in the Tower. Royal Magazine, 1, 24–25. Duran, J. (2023). Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor dissenter and her work. Feminist Theology, 31(2), 226–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/09667350221135058 THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#23
August 20 · 1 hr 16 min
The Great Molasses Flood of 1919
A tidal wave hits your house. You’re hurt. You’re scared. You’re covered in molasses. An unimaginable situation for most of us. But for the residents of Boston’s North End on January 15, 1919, it was all too real! This week, we get stuck in the sticky icky story of one of the most bizarre disasters in American urban history: the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. Come with us as we explore how corporate negligence and government corruption led to over two MILLION gallons of your grandma’s favorite sweetener spilling into the streets of an overcrowded immigrant neighborhood. Tangents include a trip to the DMV, sexploitation, proper care tips for knee scrapes, and eating Corn Pops like a cat! SOURCES Molasses: From the Slave Trade to the Great Flood - Wellesley COA Why some people say they can still smell Boston's Great Molasses Flood Three Centuries of Molasses in Massachusetts Physics behind Boston’s deadly 1919 Molasses Flood. (2016). New Scientist, 232(3102), 15. https://doi-org.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(16)32216-3 Puleo, S. (2001). Death by MOLASSES. American History, 35(6), 60. “MOLASSES TANK EXPLOSION INJURES 50 AND KILLS 11…” (1919, Jan 16). Boston Daily Globe THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#22
August 13 · 1 hr 30 min
Televangelists: Jesus Wants Your Credit Card!
This week, we’re exploring the seedy world of televangelism, a religious media phenomenon that swept onto the airwaves in 20th century America. Primped-up preachers begging their factory worker followers for money they don’t have, in exchange of course for eternal salvation, is just one of the milder outrages in this episode rife with scandal, political intrigue, and bizarre personalities. But how did televangelism come to be? Who were (and are) the most prominent televangelists, and what agenda did (and do) their ministries serve? Tangents include the exhausting ordeal of a Leo’s birthday, the holes in Jared’s underwear, and throwing up at King’s Dominion. SOURCES Fundie Fridays episode on Pat Robertson “Tammy and the Spiritual Stage” - Chicago Tribune, 1989 “The scandals that brought down the Bakkers, once among US's most famous televangelists” by Lauren Effron, Andrew Paparella, and Jeca Taudte, ABC News, 2019 “Prey TV: Televangelism and Interpellation” by Kevin Howley, Journal of Film and Video, 2001 “Cultivation Theory: Research Starter” by Shari Parsons Miller, EBSCO, 2019 “Of God and Greed: Bakker and Falwell trade charges in televangelism’s unholy row” by Richard N Ostling, TIME Magazine, 1987 “Televangelism and the Mediated Charismatic Relationship” by David A. Diekema, Social Science Journal, 1991 “Oral’s Progress”, TIME Magazine profile, 1972 THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#21
July 31 · 1 hr 19 min
How Gay Was Ancient Greece?
This week, we take it back a few millennia to the time of Ancient Greece, exploring the super gay myths and legends used to explain and sanctify the sexual behaviors of the Greeks themselves. But how did Greek myths define sexuality? How different were Greek ideas of sexual identity from our own? What do we get wrong when we project our contemporary labels onto people in antiquity? And can a couple of buddies get oiled up and wrestle naked and still be just friends?? Tangents include CATS: The Jellicle Ball, why Leos are obsessed with their birthdays, and the possibility of moving Busch Gardens Williamsburg to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. SOURCES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYZCpJmHAqI Clarke, W. M. (1978). Achilles and Patroclus in Love. Hermes, 106(3), 381–396. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4476069 “Friday essay: the myth of the ancient Greek ‘gay utopia’” by Alastair Blanshard, The Conversation, December 14, 2017 Halperin, D. M. (1986). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality [Review of Die Griechische Knabenliebe, by H. Patzer]. Diacritics, 16(2), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.2307/465069 A Problem in Greek Ethics” by John Addington Symonds Lovers’ Legends: Gay Greek Myths by Andrew Calimach THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#20
July 23 · 1 hr 14 min
When an Army of Peasants Nearly Overthrew England!
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381
#19
July 16 · 1 hr 31 min
The Treacherous Couple Who Sold Out America
Benedict & Peggy Arnold
#18
July 9 · 1 hr 20 min
Is Colonial Williamsburg a tourist trap?? w/ Madison Albertson
This week on the pod, the brilliant buxom scholaress Madison Albertson returns to teach us a thing or two about “living history”, the school of thought behind such storied American museums as Colonial Williamsburg, Plimoth Patuxet, and many others. What do these places teach us about history that books alone don’t? Where did the idea for them come from? How do they shape how we remember our past? And will they hire Jared to sit in a chair and sew? Tangents include Sheetz vs. Wawa, boob shelves, losing your Game Boy in a hospital waiting room, and the best ways to mourn a totaled 2010 Prius. SOURCES George Washington Birthplace National Monument Here, George Washington Was Born : Memory, Material Culture, and the Public History of a National Monument, University of Georgia Press, 2008 Creating Colonial Williamsburg: The Restoration of Virginia's Eighteenth Century Capital by Anders Greenspan “To Live Like a Slave” by Curtia James THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#17
July 2 · 1 hr 3 min
How Liza Minnelli Made Showbiz Herstory (Part Two)
In part two of our series on mother-daughter showbiz legends Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, we explore how Liza overcame grief and addiction, emerged from her mother's shadow as a fully formed artist, and defended the rights of the LGBTQ community through a career that has spanned seven decades! Tangents include whether we’d have sex with a clone of ourselves, a vaccine for lesbianism, and the wonders of the Cape Cod Melody Tent. SOURCES Liza Minnelli Tells All In Exclusive PEOPLE Interview: 'If I Can Laugh, I Can Get Through Anything' - People Magazine, Liz McNeil, February 2026 Be Kind Rewind - Best Actress 1973: Liza Minnelli wins for Cabaret Liza Minelli: ‘I’m Telling It All’ by Liz McNeil and Greg Gorman - People Magazine, March 2026 “Place, space, and queer iconicity: Liza Minnelli in Cabaret (1972)” by Marie Josephine Bennett (2025) Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2024), dir. Bruce David Klein “Liza’s New York” by Elisa Lipsky-Karasz, Harper’s Bazaar, March 2011 THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#16
June 25 · 1 hr 19 min
How Judy Garland Became the Ultimate Gay Icon (Part One)
We’re not saying they’re bigger than Jesus, but we’re not not saying that either. In our first ever two-part series, Abe and Jared examine the lives of a mother-daughter duo whose names are synonymous with “gay icon”: showbiz legends Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. In part one, Jared pulls us on a pepped up prance down the Yellow Brick Road to explore Judy’s impact on film and music as well as her personal struggles and comebacks, all with the goal of finally understanding why the queers (especially him) love her so much. Tangents include our first group of haters, The Greatest Showman being the worst movie ever, and Abe getting anxious at the Mermaid Parade. SOURCES Judy Garland on The Dick Cavett Show | The Dick Cavett Show Judy Garland Beyond The Rainbow | 1997 A&E Biography Special Premiere FULL with Original Commercials Judy Garland COMPLETE 1967 Interview Judy Garland - It's All For You - The Tonight Show - Johnny Carson Slayyyter & Judy Garland - CRANK GOES THE TROLLEY The Chaos Behind The Wizard of Oz (and why it turned out ok anyway) Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall: The Greatest Night in Entertainment History Decoder Ring podcast, "Friend of Dorothy: Why do gay people love Judy Garland so much?", Slate magazine, February 10, 2020 How Does a Pop Girl Earn "Gay Icon" Status? By Derek Deng, Byrdie, May 7, 2026 What Does It Take to Be a Gay Icon Today? by Steven Frank, September 25, 2007 Judy Garland: By Myself, American Masters PBS, 2004. THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#15
June 18 · 1 hr 19 min
The Club Kids: How a Group of Misfits Took Over NYC
Did a corrupted video file ruin an hour of footage from this episode? Yes. Would we ever let that stop us? No. In the 80s and 90s, a pack of queer party animals burst into NYC’s backrooms, bringing a haze of gritty glamour, fashion, drugs, and dance wherever they went. They were the Club Kids; RuPaul, Richie Rich, Amanda LePore, Waltpaper, just to name a few. Join us as we dive into the club kids’ scene, exploring who they were, why they were so sensational, what impacts they had on queer culture, and how their era came to a crushing, violent end. Tangents include making a baby gay cry, Mitchell Musso, pansexual king Wayne Brady, and being lifelong fans of the NBA champion New York Knicks. SOURCES Party Monster: The Shockumentary Michael Alig & NYC Club Kids on Geraldo 1994 "Beyond the Glitz & Glamour" Michael Alig NYC Club Kids on Geraldo 1992 New York Club Kids on Phil Donahue talkshow 1993 (complete TV show) Club Kids fashion show Joan Rivers RuPaul Welcome Back Party RuPaul Explains The Difficulties of Go-Go Dancing in 1988 The 5 Ninth Avenue Project “Walt Cassidy Walks Us Through the Wild Glamorama of New York City’s Club Kids”, Interview magazine, Christopher Bollen, September 3, 2019 Vivacious interview for Standard Hotels, January 25, 2019 “Michael Musto on the Prevailing Influence of Club Kid Fashion”, The Fader, Marissa G. Muller, May 2, 2014 "After Prison, No After-Hours", New York Times, Kevin Gray, May 14, 2014 Michael Alig interview in Interview magazine, Christopher Bollen, April 19, 2010 "Club Kids: An Aesthetic Emphasised by Outrageousness, Fabulousness, and Sex", February 15, 2022 "Club USA - Dazzling Photos From 1990s Glitziest NYC Club", Patch “What Michael Alig’s Club Kids Are Doing Now” by William Van Meter, New York magazine, May 20, 2014 THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#14
June 11 · 1 hr 16 min
The Mafia Pope and His Terrible Children: The Story of the Borgias
POV: you’re at the sickest rave of your life. Candles flickering. Incense burning. Gregorians chanting. The place: Vatican City. The year: 1492. The man behind it all: Pope Alexander VI aka Rodrigo Borgia. This week, we return to a place of pope as we tell the story of the most ruthless family in papal history. Hear about the depravity and delusion of the entire Borgia clan in an episode rife with sex and greed, two of Jared’s favorite things. And please PLEASE don’t ask why Abe is wearing sunglasses inside. It’s a private matter. Tangents include Kermit the Frog’s nephew Robin, the show Vikings, Pope Leo blind item, and “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. SOURCES The Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli Hillgarth, J. N. (1996). The Image of Alexander VI and Cesare Borgia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 59, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.2307/751400 “The Borgias” In Our Time podcast, BBC Radio 4 https://open.spotify.com/episode/10PVoxVIv1iTSt56TNSqpC?si=TI7DR1a-TNOaoNPMWJ6QSA Najemy, J. M. (2013). Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia: A Reconsideration of Chapter 7 of “The Prince.” The Review of Politics, 75(4), 539–556. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43670906 Lucrezia Borgia: Poison, Power, and Papal Scandal | Full Documentary | Biography Pope Alexander VI: The Infamous "Borgia Pope" THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#13
June 4 · 1 hr 7 min
How Bernie Madoff Stole 65 Billion Dollars
“Fake it 'til you make it”, right? Well Bernie Madoff faked it so hard he was sentenced to 150 years in prison! Come with us on a journey through the worst financial crime in US history (that we know of), the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, where one man with a crippling fear of failure scammed thousands of people out of a sickening amount of money (we’re talking tens of billions, girl.) Tangents include but are not limited to the concept of renting a home, crying over dog poop, Sam Levinson and his dad, and whether Abe will marry Claudia or Jared for a different passport. SOURCES A Case Study of a Con Man by Diana Henriques (2018) Bernie Madoff and the largest known Ponzi scheme in history | 60 Minutes The Madoff Affair (full documentary) | FRONTLINE PBS “Latest Batch Of Payouts To 25,000 Victims Of Madoff Ponzi Scheme Total Almost $160 Million” by James Farrell, Forbes 2023 The Wizard of Lies (2017) dir. Barry Levinson THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#12
May 28 · 1 hr 29 min
Unpacking The "Lost Cause" Myth w/ Madison Albertson
Ever wonder why your Republican uncle suddenly cares so much about monuments? In this episode, Jared, Abe, & special guest Madison Albertson (scholar, lesbian, and friend of the pod) explore the story of "the Lost Cause", a nationalist myth originating in the post civil-war South that paints the Confederate movement as moral, just, and TOTALLY NOT about slavery. Follow along as we dive into the myth's origins, its influence of American racial politics, and its lasting legacy in teenage vampire films across the decades. Tangents include the gayness of the Sherlock Holmes movie, the inner workings of lesbian intercourse, William Howard Taft, and the song "Memory" from Cats. SOURCES Mythhistory and Other Essays by William H McNeill Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by David W Blight Confederates in The Attic by Tony Horwitz Dixie’s Daughters: The United Daughters of The Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture by Karen L. Cox White Rage By Karen L Cox The Birth of a Nation (1915) Dir. D.W. Griffith Not Even Past: The Stories We Keep Telling about the Civil War by Cody Marrs “Curse of a Nation” | History Colorado "Unnameable Objects, Unspeakable Crimes" by James Baldwin, 1965 https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualties https://virginiahistory.org/learn/how-did-civilians-suffer https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reconstruction-rebuilding-south-after-war/ https://hqudc.org/about/diversity-in-defense-of-the-south/ https://fairfieldfoundation.org/witness-to-change-the-rise-and-fall-of-monument-avenues-confederate-statues/ https://youtu.be/dOkFXPblLpU?si=6N4UcqVkZpgAhodw THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#11
May 21 · 1 hr 21 min
Eugene O'Neill Channeled Sadness into Art (While Being a Bad Father)
It’s not enough to be a deadbeat dad if you want to be an artist. You also have to be obsessed with the sea. This week, we take center stage and explore the life of storied American playwright Eugene O’Neill. Digging into his methods, inspirations, artistry, horrible family life, and dismal performance as a husband and father, we discover the visionary voice of this brooding genius, and learn that sometimes it pays to be sad! Tangents include but are not limited to mpreg, the illustrious city of Toronto, Charlie Chaplin being gross, and Flight starring Denzel Washington. SOURCES Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part I Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part II The Hunted and the Haunted: Reflections on Eugene O'Neill with Dr. Gary Vena The Gelbs on O'Neill - Charlie Rose Tony Kushner on Eugene O'Neill - Library of America Christopher Plummer as James Tyrone - Long Day's Journey into Night Eugene O’Neill: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns, American Experience PBS O’Neill: Life With Monte Cristo by Barabra & Arthur Gelb THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#10
May 14 · 1 hr 29 min
Bad Popes!
Remember: just because you sit on the throne of Saint Peter doesn’t mean you can’t have a pet elephant or turn your palace into a brothel. This week, Jared and Abe plumb the depths of medieval history to explore the lurid, lascivious reigns of the un-holy men who led the Catholic Church. Yes, we’re talking about some BAD POPES. Tangents include but are not limited to Polish face, the snail-like Lombards, Julian Fellowes, and the ethical implications of sleeping with your friend’s older brother. SOURCES The Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin “On Pornocracy” by Stefan Mattessich “TV’s Young Pope Is Scandalous, But the Real Youngest Pope Has the 'Worst Reputation'” by Ashley Hoffman, TIME Magazine Pope Leo X: The Most Extravagant Pope in History The 1527 Sack of Rome THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#9
May 7 · 1 hr 23 min
Carrie A. Nation: A Grandma Who Liked Smashing Bars with a Hatchet!
Sometimes when there’s a big problem no one wants to deal with, you gotta take matters into your own hands. Case in point: Carrie A. Nation; a devout woman, angry about alcohol, who started smashing up bars with a hatchet! In this episode, Abe and Jared dive deep into the life of Carrie Nation, aka Hatchet Granny, the fierce Temperance crusader and suffragist who’d had just about enough of this “alcohol” foolishness. Join us as we tell the story of this weapon-wielding diva, a tale that will make you ask “How pissed off do you have to be to set a barrel of whiskey on fire in the street?” Tangents include but are not limited to Beauregard Mercer IV esq., Lee Strasberg the first Methodist, and the feeling of the wind blowing through your bob. SOURCES Prohibition: America on the Rocks (Lucasfilm, made by JAK Documentary, 2007) The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A Nation by Carrie A Nation (1909) Carry A. Nation: The Famous and Original Bar Room Smasher.” Kansas State Historical Society. http://www.kshs.org/exhibits/carry/carry1.htm https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/carrie-amelia-moore-nation-2514/ “Hatchet Nation” by Mark Lawrence Schrad for Slate (2021) Vessel of Wrath: The Life and Times of Carry Nation by Robert Lewis Taylor (1966) https://www.wctu.org/history She’s not a Christian! She’s tampering in dark-sided stuff! THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#8
April 23 · 1 hr 26 min
Animal Celebrities: The Story of How a Dog Can Make More Money than You
Some people say dogs are man’s best friend, but we say there are dogs worthy of winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards. In this week’s episode, Jared and Abe grab their flea combs and diva into the hairy history of animal celebrities. From memes to movies and from the 1920s to the 2020s, we explore famous animals and what they tell us about ourselves. Tangents include but are not limited to The International Canine Semen Bank, projecting our fear of rejection onto baby zoo animals, and the ethics of giving your pet chimp wine and Xanax. SOURCES Life & Times Transcript of an interview with Alan Young, October 2007 Info on Air Bud and the bizarre stuff with his owner Beethoven and the St Bernard Beethoven Koko the Gorilla Crystal the Monkey in NY Mag What happened with Travis the Chimpanzee More Travis Crystal PopSugar interview “RIN TIN TIN” in Silent Stars (2000) by Jeanine Basinger “What’s new pussycat? A genealogy of animal celebrity.” by John Blewitt (2013) The saga of Lassie by Vernon Scott - Saturday Evening Post,10/3/1964 Animal Celebrities by David C Giles (2013) THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#7
April 16 · 1 hr 16 min
The Petticoat Affair: When Slut-Shaming Took Down Andrew Jackson
Let’s face it: opinionated people can be polarizing. Jared knows it. Abe knows it. And Peggy Eaton – the 1820s political wife who brought the executive branch to a halt - definitely knew it too! In this episode, Jared and Abe take you back to the age of Andrew Jackson with the story of a scandal that paralyzed his presidency. Learn how snubs and sideways glances in the parlors of Washington, DC cost an entire cabinet their jobs and changed the course of American political history. Tangents include, but are not limited to, Charli XCX x Guy Fieri, the mail, and Mary from SLC marrying her grandpa. SOURCES Booknotes - C-SPAN | The Petticoat Affair by John Marszalek The Jackson Era: Democracy and the Mob | The Cynical Historian "One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals": Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair by Kristen E. Wood Andrew Jackson: The American Franchise By Daniel Feller The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House by John F. Marszalek THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#6
April 9 · 1 hr 1 min
How THE VIEW Became TV's Messiest Table
Nineties television; a hellscape of trashy talk shows. Maury. Jerry. Sally. Ricki. But only one show remains on the airwaves to this day, arguably stronger now than it’s ever been: THE VIEW. In this episode, Jared and Abe explore the origins of TV’s last highly-rated daytime talk show. What made THE VIEW different from its competitors? Who still watches it and why? How does THE VIEW keep booking all these political guests? And why is Meaghan McCain the way she is? Tangents include, but are not limited to, Sean Connery, the difference between a shark and a sunfish, and Jared’s coaching advice to the Boston Celtics. SOURCES https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/magazine/the-view-politics-tv.html https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062175139/the-view-is-cultural-and-political-canon https://ew.com/tv/view-hosts-why-they-left/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xht0HcPryWA Talking Trash: The Cultural Politics of Daytime TV Talk Shows by Julie Manga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d62JBdqsG94&t=8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDDKKjejbU Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/barbara-walters?chapter=4&clip=125185&full=true#full-interview THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#5
April 2 · 1 hr 7 min
Queen Christina: Did a Lesbian Rule Sweden in the 1600s?
Don’t you hate when your girlfriend has a husband and you can’t hang with your philosopher bestie due to a silly little war about whether the church should slay or not? Christina of Sweden definitely did. Take a trip with us to 17th century Sweden, from Christina’s strange childhood and mommy issues to her ascension to the throne and blossoming desire to kiss her lady in waiting. Tangents include, but are not limited to, circumcision, Bunny the cat, and whether Jared is trying to steal Abe’s partner Sam. SOURCES Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-89) by Anchi Hoh (2016) The Making of a Queen: The Education of Christina of Sweden by M.L. Clarke (1978) Queen Christina, Lesbian Icon? On Sweden’s Delightfully Nonconformist Monarch by Eleanor Medhurst (2024) The Afterlife of Christina of Sweden: Gender and Sexuality in Heritage and Fiction by Amy Saunders (2019) https://www-jstor-org.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/stable/1395418?searchText=queen+christina+sweden&seq=1 https://youtu.be/6JDKEUqcjKA?si=eseHdwmOpzk81XgV 'A Girton Girl on a Throne': Queen Christina and Versions of Lesbianism, 1906-1933' by Sarah Waters (1994) The Court of Christina of Sweden and the Later Adventures of the Queen in Exile by Francis Gribble (1913) Christina of Sweden by Marguerite Horan Gowen (1944) The Girl King, dir. Mika Kaurimaski (2015) Queen Christina, dir. Rouben Mamoulian (1933) THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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