logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
35m 45s

27: The first lady with 3,000 pairs of s...

KATY BELLOTTE
About this episode

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Well, that is the embodiment of Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philippines, and Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the French Revolution. You probably know these women’s stories, so you may not see it at first, but these women share a common narrative of luxury, influence, and eventual downfall. While they lived in different times and countries, their lives existed in a strangely coincidental parallel. Today on Found Objects, we will look at the lives and legacies of these powerful women in history and examine just how much their stories overlap. 


FOLLOW US ON IG:

Instagram.com/foundobjectspodcast


SOURCES:

Bicker, Laura. “Philippines Martial Law: The Fight to Remember a Decade of Arrests and Torture.” BBC News, BBC, 28 Sept. 2022, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63056898.

de Guzman, Chad. “How Imelda Became the Philippines’ Most Enduring Marcos.” Time, Time, 27 July 2023, time.com/6298212/here-lies-love-imelda-marcos-legacy/.

“Five Things to Know about Martial Law in the Philippines.” Amnesty International, 21 Sept. 2022, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/five-things-to-know-about-martial-law-in-the-philippines/.

History.com Editors. “Marie‑Antoinette ‑ Children, Death & Husband.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 21 Aug. 2018, www.history.com/topics/european-history/marie-antoinette.

Malach, Hannah. “The Infamous Life of Imelda Marcos: The Bulletproof Bra, 1,000 Pairs of Shoes and Biographical Broadway Musical of the Philippines’ Former First Lady.” WWD, WWD, 21 July 2023, wwd.com/pop-culture/culture-news/who-is-imelda-marcos-1235749455/.

Ray, Michael. “Imelda Marcos.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 22 Aug. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Imelda-Marcos.

“Research Guides: France: Women in the Revolution: Marie Antoinette.” Marie Antoinette - France: Women in the Revolution - Research Guides at Library of Congress, 2024, guides.loc.gov/women-in-the-french-revolution/marie-antoinette.

Swartz, Mimi. “The Autocratic Allure of Imelda Marcos.” The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 1998, www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/04/20/imelda-marcos-tears-profile-philippines.

“‘Facts’ About Marie Antoinette That Weren’t True.” Weird History, YouTube, 10 Jan. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJYCy4ypK7c. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024. 



Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Up next
Sep 2024
26: Were the moon landings fake? - history of the Apollo Moon landings
To this day, 5% of Americans believe that the Apollo Moon landings were faked - that’s more than 16 million people. How did this theory start? And why, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, do some still believe it? This & the Flat Earth conspiracy theory will be discussed t ... Show More
38m 20s
Sep 2024
25: The smartest man who ever lived - history of William James Sidis
Meet William James Sydis, the “smartest man who lived.” Sydis’ IQ score is estimated by some, to be somewhere between 50 and 100 points greater than that of Albert Einstein. By the time he was just 18 months old, Sydis was able to read The New York Times. At age 2, he taught hims ... Show More
42m 32s
Sep 2024
24: The first self-made female millionaire in America: history of C.J. Walker & A'Lelia Walker
One of the loudest voices in the early years of the Harlem Renaissance (1918-1930’s) was Madam C.J. Walker, a woman who defied the odds and became America's first female self-made millionaire with her Black haircare brand. Her journey is one of resilience, innovation, and emp ... Show More
38m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
545. The French Revolution: The First Feminist (Part 2)
In the summer and Autumn of 1792 - with the Prussians bearing down on Paris, the streets thronged with the stirring swell of the Marseillaise, but also the rotting bodies of those brutally killed during the September Massacres - the French Revolution bore a new symbol of optimism ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2024
475. The French Revolution: Marie Antoinette (Part 1)
The French Revolution is one of the great seismic events of global history. A devouring conflagration of bloodshed, violence and utopianism, it changed France and then latterly the whole of Europe forever. Yet, amidst the panoply of colossal, colourful names that defined this cat ... Show More
57m 51s
Dec 2024
Marie Antoinette
In 1770, 14-year-old Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria arrived in France to marry Louis XVI. As Marie Antoinette, she became the ultimate diva of her time; rebelling against the the rigid protocols of court and crafting a unique visual identity; wearing men's clothing and spor ... Show More
40m 46s
Dec 2024
The ‘Three Marias’
In May 1974, people gathered in Lisbon, Portugal, to see whether three women would be sent to jail for writing a book. Maria Teresa Horta, Maria Velho da Costa and Maria Isabel Barreno’s ‘Novas Cartas Portuguesas’ was banned after it was published and they were put on trial. The ... Show More
9m 58s
Dec 2024
Castro's Cuban revolution attempt
In 1953, Fidel Castro attacked military barracks in the east of Cuba in a bid to revolutionise the country. He failed, but it marked the beginning of his career as a guerrilla fighter. Michael Voss spoke to one of his comrades, Agustin Diaz Cartaya, in 2010.Eye-witness accounts b ... Show More
10m 4s
Mar 2025
Real Wives of Dictators | Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao's Wife
For better or (mostly) worse, Jiang Qing left her mark on the 20th century. Even before she was married to Chairman Mao, Jiang was a charismatic actor, and her passion for culture helped her spearhead the Cultural Revolution as part of the Communist Party in China, later in life. ... Show More
43 m
Sep 2021
Marie Antoinette
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of Marie Antoinette.----more---- Marie Antoinette was an Austrian Princess. She grew up in Austria in a palace. She met the famous composer Mozart when they were both children. She learned to play the piano, the flute and the Harp. ... Show More
9m 46s
Nov 2024
10 First Women World Leaders
Who were the first 10 non-royal women elected or appointed to be Head of State (President) or Head of Government (Prime Minister)?1. Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, Chair of the Presidium of Little Khural of the Tuvan People’s Republic 19402. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylo ... Show More
32m 4s
Aug 2024
Clara Nunes: Queen of Samba
Singer Clara Nunes is an icon of African Brazilian culture and known as the Queen of Samba.Her first samba song Ê Baiana was released in 1973.In 1974, the release of the song Conto de Areia secured her a place in history. Clara sold more records than any other Brazilian woman had ... Show More
9m 7s
May 27
Royal sisters: the tragic lives of Queen Victoria's granddaughters
Victoria, Ella, Irene and Alix of Hesse were four young European princesses and granddaughters of Queen Victoria, whose marriages would change the face of early 20th-century Europe. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Frances Welch introduces the four sisters. She explores their relationsh ... Show More
38m 47s