Well, I Laughed

Well I Laughed Podcast

A weekly podcast where unexpected topics turn into laugh out loud conversations. From infamous historical figures to stories we thought we understood, hosts Maia (an engineer) and Grant (a public school teacher) talk through the facts and find the laughs. Well, I Laughed… and we think you will too. New episodes every Wednesday.

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169 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes169

Newest first

Wednesday · 1 hr 35 min
165: Listener Episode [Checkmate pt.3]
It's stories from the Well, I Laughed listener-verse! This week's stories feature lawlessness, heartbreak, and some pretty wild women. Our first story comes from Lily’s whose wild adventures in her youth lead to love and so much more. Squinn is shocked to find out their favorite game was also deeply educational. An anonymous listener who finds out it is always the quiet ones you have to watch out for (to break the law). And Elena finds her groove in online piracy… for a cause! When it comes to o
July 22 · 2 hr 10 min
164: Heard and Heeded [Checkmate pt.2]
A lot has been said by Helen Keller. Revered by many, misunderstood by some. Helen's life was so extraordinary that some assume her life's accomplishments must be embellished. How did a woman with no sight, no hearing, living decades before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act manage to do it all? But what often gets lost in the well-deserved praise of her accomplishments is the radical idealist behind those acts. Helen Keller was inspiring, but she was also controversial. A woman
July 15 · 2 hr 22 min
163: Win, Lose, or Draw [Checkmate pt.1: Judit Polgár]
Some are born for greatness, others are made. For Judit Polgár and her sisters, their father was not leaving it up to chance. Raised from birth to be chess prodigies, the Polgár sisters overcame communism, misogyny, and her own self doubt to become the youngest chess grandmaster in history and the first woman to ever break into the top ten chess players in the world. Win, lose, or draw, there is no questioning her legacy. This week, on Well, I Laughed. 00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:30:36 Win, Lose, or
July 8 · 1 hr 27 min
162: Listener Episode [Wild Women pt.3]
It's our listener episode and we have some WILD stories to end our Wild Women theme. Nicole shares that in her family nothing is what it seems... because it could be full of money. Jenny is haunted be a spooky force that won't leave her alone. Emily learns to be careful what you wish for, especially if you are not close to a bathroom. And Axel get's closer to "be gay, do crime!" than almost any other listener story we've had so far. All those wild stories and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!
July 1 · 1 hr 59 min
161: Gone Shopping [Wild Women pt.2: Forty Elephants, Mary Carr, Alice Diamond, Maggie Hughes]
Be a girl, do crime! This week Maia takes us to the streets of London and snitches on a girl gang with sticky fingers. The Forty Elephants gang was notorious for the crimes they pulled off. Using their wits, charm, and a eye for the most valuable merchandise in the store this all-girl group had no problem slipping out whatever they liked most. We also take a closer look at a few of the leading Queens like Mary Carr (subject of A Thousand Blows on Disney/Hulu), Alice Diamond, Maggie Hughes, and S
June 24 · 2 hr 3 min
160: Tit for Tat [Wild Women pt.1: Boudica the Warrior Queen]
We love powerful women on this show, and this week's subject is no different! Boudica is known as a powerful leader against Roman control. She is a popular figure in British history. And her likeness is used as a symbol for a host of causes. But what is the actual story behind Boudica's popularity? What is her story? And who can we trust when it comes to document it and share it truthfully. This week we dive in the Tit for Tat history of Boudica. This week on Well, I Laughed. 00:00:00 Catch-U
June 17 · 1 hr 25 min
159: Listener Episode [Kiss the Ring pt.3]
It's a week of listener stories! Of people finding and losing themselves. Jaime's aunt finds herself and a lifelong friend, a plant, Malana breaks into the wrong bus, Allison runs a tight ship, and Nokhaze craves a ring and to terrify her mother. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed! 00:00:00 Pattie Gonia v. Patagonia 00:20:53 Catch-Up 00:29:59 Jaime's aunt finds herself 00:45:25 Malana breaks into a bus 00:56:23 Allison the chore manager puts a man in his place 01:13:19 Nokhaze cr
June 10 · 2 hr 4 min
158: Who Are You?! [Kiss the Ring pt.2: Martin Guerre]
If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be? For one French peasant that question wasn't theoretical. When Martin Guerre left his village, wife, and child behind he was not missed. When he returned he was a changed man and suddenly beloved. But how much can one man change? Turns out, a whole lot. We ask the question that befuddled the village: who are you? This week on Well, I Laughed. 00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:31:50 Who are You? 00:36:42 Marriage? It's Good. 00:52:04 He Leaves, Cannon L
June 3 · 1 hr 52 min
157: An Offer You Can't Refuse [Kiss the Ring pt.1: Operation Sting]
To catch a criminal, sometimes you have to pretend to be a criminal. That was the thought process behind "Operation Sting" the very first organized sting operation in the United States lead by Lt Detective Bob Arscott of the DC Metro Police. The operation was "successful" at capturing criminals, less successful at coming up with their fake names. But in the aftermath of the operation some sticky questions remain. Did the operation catch criminals, or create them? This week's episode is An Offer
May 27 · 1 hr 50 min
156: Listener Episode [Lawful Good pt.3]
These stories are good... lawfully good even (maybe?). And they come from you! Sandi writes in with her own story about the work of Judy Heumann and how it has shaped her own life. Next, Blair and her fellow teenage, rural Canadians brave the big city and become crime fighters. Shannon learns a few lessons by going the wrong way. And Rosie & Natasha shines bright on a night out with friends. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed! 00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:24:45 Sandi's Judy Heumann exper
May 20 · 2 hr 49 min
155: Neighborly Love [Lawful Good pt.2: Officer François Clemmons, Mister Fred Rogers]
Do you know your neighbors? Do you want to? François Clemmons is one of America's iconic examples of neighborly love. Through the combination of the love of his neighbors and his own love of music, we meet history's best neighbor: Mister Fred Rogers. A powerful advocate for educational television, Mister Rogers taught American children it was okay to feel and how to process big emotions. But his legacy extends to his friends and coworkers too. By turning his program into an example of integratio
May 13 · 1 hr 56 min
154: Lone Ranger [Lawful Good pt.1: US Marshal Bass Reeves]
Bass Reeves' adult life started with a crime: he ran away from the white man enslaving him. In his quest for freedom he made his way to the state of Oklahoma, learned several languages, and became the toughest man west of the Mississippi. All traits he would need when he became the first Black US Marshal in the west. A life that began with a crime would be defined by it’s lawfulness. Meet your favorite Lone Ranger, this week on Well, I Laughed! 00:00:00 Catch-Up 0:34:34 Lone Ranger 00:41:37 Ea
May 6 · 1 hr 26 min
153: Listener Episode [Righteous Resistance pt.3]
Most of these stories are righteous, one might be a crime, but they all came from you! Lauren talks resistance movements in daycare. Liv survives and thrives in off-air reality television. Laura is fully prepared for all but one thing on her way to an interview. Hazel bounds over how crappy her brother is. And Michelle "bears" a lesson learned while canoeing. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed! 00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:28:03 "Lauren's very first protest 00:31:36 "Liv" stars in an upco
April 29 · 1 hr 56 min
152: Fully Heumann [Righteous Resistance pt.2: Judy Heumann and the ADA]
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 elevators to curb cuts - of the advocacy these former campers and long time friends committed their live
April 22 · 2 hr 29 min
151: Ladies of Liberty [Righteous Resistance pt.1: Hannie Schaft, Truus and Freddie Oversteegen]
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 their beauty to lure NAZI soldiers to their deaths, but that hardly scratches the surface of these co
April 15 · 1 hr 34 min
150: Listener Episode [In the Dark pt.3]
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" discovers church and state don't have to be separate if someone is breaking the law. All these stories have
April 8 · 1 hr 51 min
149: Bear Buffet [In the Dark pt.2: Henrietta "Hank" the Tank]
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. This week on Well, I Laughed learn about the hilarious misadventures of Hank the Tank. The beloved men
April 1 · 2 hr 3 min
148: Wait For Me [In The Dark pt.1: The Carpethia]
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 the Carpethia steamed towards Titanic in the hopes of a grand rescue all souls on board were united in
March 25 · 1 hr 55 min
147: Listener Episode [Prime Time Crime pt.3]
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 has been up to is for the FBI to tell you. Those crimes and more, this week on Well, I Laughed! 00:0
March 18 · 2 hr 1 min
146: Princip of Peace [Prime Crime Time pt.1: Gavrilo Princip and Archduke Franz Ferdinand]
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. A world that was intentionally undemocratic and maintained it’s power through violence. Gavrilo Pri