While it's a taboo subject in the modern day, it turns out people have been improvising ways to pleasure themselves since, well, the dawn of history. In this week's two-part takeover episode, Ben and Noel join Eli and Diana Banks, real-life spouses and creators of the hit podcast Ridiculous Romance, to discuss the strange, ridiculous (and at-times disturbing ... Show More
Oct 17
CLASSIC: Did the US Mafia actually start in New Orleans?
When we think of the mob today, most Americans think of New York City -- and why not? After all, films, books and TV shows often depict New York as the heart of mob country. Yet, as the guys discover in today's episode, the story of the Italian-American mafia has a surprisingly d ... Show More
28m 2s
Oct 15
The Weird Afterlife of The Zombies
In 1969, the Zombies had a song hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts. There was just one problem: the band had broken up two years earlier, and most people in the US had no idea. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max explore how a deeply sketchy promo company created multiple fake ... Show More
41m 30s
Oct 13
The Fascinating History of Fountain Pens
Nowadays, most people take pens for granted. They're always around if a business needs you to sign something, and people accidentally steal or lose them constantly. Yet the humble pen has a backstory thousands of years in the making. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max trace e ... Show More
36m 33s
Jul 2023
95: Sizzling Secrets of Sex Toys | Dark History with Bailey Sarian
Welcome to the Dark History podcast! Sex! It's been around since the beginning of our existence. But something else has been around for thousands of years too- sex TOYS. Yes, you heard it right, we have evidence of dildos dating as far back as 30,000 BCE. Get ready to find out th ... Show More
44m 42s
Mar 2023
The Rock Hard History of the Dildo
Grab this episode with both hands and hear how the dildo has been used and revered around the world for almost as long as humans have existed. This now-common bedroom accessory has its roots in ancient cultures, religion, spirituality and sexuality across all of history,... and i ... Show More
38m 33s
Dec 2024
Did Ancient People Have Sex Toys?
Dating back some 30,000 years, sex toys have a long (no pun intended) and fascinating history.What were the earliest sex toys like? How did technology change them? And did Victorian doctors really prescribing them for back pain?In today's episode, we're revisiting an episode wher ... Show More
42m 10s
Jul 2023
Episode 207: The History of Kinky Sex
<p>It turns out that for as long as humans have been having sex, they’ve been having pretty kinky sex! So let’s talk about our kinky history. In today’s episode, we’re going to explore the history of BDSM, the origins of the dildo and vibrator (and how they came to be ... Show More
34m 28s