Best Softcore History Podcasts (2024)

1
Drowning In Alcohol 59:08

1h ago59:08

59:08

In celebration of reaching 1,000 reviews on Apple Podcasts, and perhaps in a bit of method podcast hosting, Dan Regester attempts to tell the story of The London Beer Flood of 1814 while flooding his own body with a mixture of Guinness and whiskey. Like the flood itself, Dan's evening ends in disaster. (Maybe come back to this one if this is your f…

1
Never Meet Your (Communist) Heroes 1:37:19

4d ago1:37:19

1:37:19

Malcolm Caldwell was a professor at the University of London who loved two things: Communism, and publicly cheerleading Pol Pot's regime in Cambodia. The latter, he insisted, was a beacon of hope for humanity and definitely not killing people by the millions. In 1978, Caldwell was granted an audience with his political and humanitarian hero, but af…

1
The Man Who Made Baby Boomers Insufferable 1:03:10

11d ago1:03:10

1:03:10

Thomas Midgley Jr. revolutionized the U.S. auto industry in the early 1900s. But, he may have also been responsible for a violent mid-century American crime wave and lowered IQs across the world. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs,…

1
The Worst Man To Ever Live 1:14:49

18d ago1:14:49

1:14:49

Hong Xiuquan was the leader of the Taiping Rebellion that killed over 30 million people, the self-proclaimed celestial brother of Jesus Christ, and an inspirational figure to future chairman of the Chinese Communist Party Mao Zedong. He (initally) had the backing of Karl Marx and was a massive thorn in the side of the Qing Dynasty for 14 years afte…

1
Modern History's First Great Sex Cult 1:20:27

27d ago1:20:27

1:20:27

The Agapemonites were a Victorian religious cult that checked all the boxes. A leader who thought he was God and also immortal and needed multiple wives? Check, check, and check. A way to separate idiots from their money and possessions? Check. A creepy compound with high walls? Check. But even for a relatively early modern cult Henry Prince and hi…

1
The Most Haunted Beach In America 1:16:45

1M ago1:16:45

1:16:45

In 1565 both the French and Spanish were competing to establish a colonial presence on Florida's east coast. That competition came to a quick and violent head (you'll see what we did there) and now the site of their confrontation might be the most haunted beach in America. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra his…

1
Turning Criminals Into A Hit Squad? What Could Go Wrong! 1:06:23

1M ago1:06:23

1:06:23

Unit 684 was a secret group created by the South Korean Air Force in 1968 tasked with assasinating North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. After three brutal years training on a remote island and suffering multiple executions at the hands of their own trainers, the surviving members and former convicts threw a mutiny and hijacked a bus back to Seoul. Subs…

1
A Brief History of Butt Medicine 1:37:14

2M ago1:37:14

1:37:14

From ancient drug enemas to World War 1 era, steampunk-esque prostate vibrators, the history of doctors trying to treat what ails a man through his butt is as long as it is weird and gross and, quite often, extremely unfortunate. (Just ask a couple of our former presidents.) Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra h…

1
The Fall Of Rome Is Why You Have A "Landlord" 1:05:32

2M ago1:05:32

1:05:32

Hate landlords? You can thank Rome for them. (Just kidding, you'd be paying someone to live on their property either way you bastards, but you just might not call them "landlord.") Either way, the fall of the Western Roman Empire paved the way for Feudalism and traditional monarchy in the Middle Ages. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for h…

1
The Donner Party's Descent Into Cannibalism 58:28

2M ago58:28

58:28

The Donner-Reed Party was a group of American pioneers who migrated west to California in a wagon train and slowly tumbled into madness after months of mishaps, moronic moves, and murder. After a "shortcut" added weeks to their journey, the group ran out of food, supplies, transportation and turned to cannibalism to survive a brutal winter in the S…

1
The Mother of Mexicans 1:15:04

2M ago1:15:04

1:15:04

Though Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with conquering the Aztec Empire the conquest might actually be thanks to his native female interpreter and first baby mama, La Malinche. The Indian noblewoman, who was sold into slavery as a child before being gifted to Cortés after a battle with Mayans and rising to become his interpreter and …

1
How Humans Became Wheat Puppets 1:02:11

3M ago1:02:11

1:02:11

Did human beings domesticate wheat? Or did wheat domesticate humans? We dive into the long history of humanity's relationship with the plant and how we ultimately went from eating wild wheat to baking bread and conquering the planet. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history …

1
The Nepo Baby Who Possibly Stole An Election 1:15:48

3M ago1:15:48

1:15:48

John Quincy Adams was the 6th president of the United States who won his election in controversial fashion over Andrew Jackson in 1824. He spent his youth gallivating around Europe on his daddy's dime, helped author the Monroe Doctirine as Secretary of State, brought Florida into the union, was an incredibly outspoken abolitionist, and kept a pet a…

1
Making Animals Answer For Their Crimes 1:06:06

3M ago1:06:06

1:06:06

Justice is blind. So blind, apparently, that it doesn't mind if pigs, rats, statues, and other non-human entities are brought to trial. This is the history of the trials of animals and inanimate objects held over the centuries. The charges against them range from murder to vandalism and, as it turns out, these trials were often conducted for surpri…

1
The History of Pirate Mardi Gras 1:12:35

3M ago1:12:35

1:12:35

Tampa Bay’s Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a huge city holiday and boasts the third-largest annual parade in the United States. It’s also a drunken, pirate-themed, rage fest based on a lie. Learn about its history as a holiday, Jake and Dan’s Gasparilla experiences, and all you ever wanted to learn about turn-of-the-century tourism. Subscribe to the…

1
Harry Houdini's War With The Afterlife 1:07:58

4M ago1:07:58

1:07:58

Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, actor, and aviator who beefed with spirit mediums and psychics throughout the early 20th century. He went from poor immigrant slumming it with his family in Wisconsin to an international superstar traveling the globe and mystifiying audiences with his wife Bess all throughout Europe…

1
This Pope Hated The Second Amendment 58:45

4M ago58:45

58:45

At the Second Council of the Lateran in 1139, Pope Innocent II banned Christians from using ranged weapons against other Christians under threat of excommunication. Was this to disarm the peasantry whose primary combat weapon was bows and arrows? Or were the reasons much... dumber and more selfish? Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hund…

1
The Demon Bear Who Terrorized Japan 1:28:17

4M ago1:28:17

1:28:17

During a snow storm in December of 1915, an incredibly intelligent Enzo brown bear launched a series of attacks on dozens of residents in a small Japanese town. The Sankebetsu incident is regarded as the worst animal attack in Japanese history. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listen…

1
Who Is The Better Father? 1:07:07

4M ago1:07:07

1:07:07

Jake and Dan compete in a historical parenting advice quiz to determine who would be the better father. Enjoy this FREE Softcore History Patreon preview and Merry Christmas to all our Softies out there. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-…

1
Christmas Is For Settling Scores 59:57

4M ago59:57

59:57

Takanakuy is an annual Christmas tradition where residents of Santo Tomás, Peru call out neighbors they believe have wronged them throughout the year to physical combat. With no court houses in this community tucked away high up in the Andes Mountains, this centuries old tradition is used to settle legal disputes or clean the slate on petty disagre…

1
The Worst Botched Executions In History 1:32:21

5M ago1:32:21

1:32:21

Being executed for your crimes is never fun but throughout history, some executions have been much, MUCH worse than others. Specifically, the executions that did NOT go as planned. From beheadings that needed way too many swings of the ax and backup executioners who had no idea what they were doing to the first-ever use of the electric chair in 189…

1
Kissinger Kept You Safe (And Put Everyone Else In Danger) 1:28:12

5M ago1:28:12

1:28:12

Henry Kissinger was a pragmatic statesman above all else. Unfortunately, he was also German and, as such, his pragmatism took a lot of dark, destructive turns. His Cold War policy eschewed ideology (and any morsel of morality that might have previously existed) in favor of outcomes. The ends always justified the means to Kissinger when it came to t…

1
Diary Of A 16th Century Executioner 1:04:58

5M ago1:04:58

1:04:58

Franz Schmidt was a seasoned civil servant killer who hung, decapitated, drowned, burned alive, and crippled criminals' spirits and bodies on the breaking wheel as the head hangman in Nuremberg for 45 years during the Renaissance. He kept a diary detailing all 361 public executions he performed. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundred…

1
Did Osama bin Laden Have A Point? (No.) 1:34:06

5M ago1:34:06

1:34:06

Osama bin Laden’s 2002 “Letter to the American People” recently went viral on TikTok because random Gen Z’ers thought the terrorist architect of 9/11 made some… pretty good points? The actual contents of the letter, however, range from insane to literally fake quotes about Jews attributed to Benjamin Franklin. We break down all the historical inacc…

1
The Drug-Fueled Cults Christianity Stole From 1:24:33

6M ago1:24:33

1:24:33

Learn about the mystery cults that dominated the religious landscape right before Christianity took off in the Greco-Roman world. From fraternity-style initiations to hallucinatory beverages that made you see gods and think you were dead, these cults sounded... pretty fun? Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra his…

1
The Order Of Assassins 1:02:42

6M ago1:02:42

1:02:42

For 200 years a radical group of stone cold killers high on opium and hash living in an eagle's nest fortress in Persia terrorized Muslim and Crusade leaders alike. Hasan-i Sabbah, the "Old Man in the Mountain" led an often outnumbered group of Nizari Ismalis to mulitple victories over massive armies and organized hundreds of political hits through…

1
The Real Witches Shakespeare Ripped Off 1:04:20

6M ago1:04:20

1:04:20

There's nothing like the thrill of the hunt, and for King James of Scotland and England, his favorite prey was witches. This is the story of the North Berwick Witch Trials in late 16th-century Scotland, which were inspired almost entirely by how awesome contemporary witch trials in Denmark and Germany seemed to King James. Hundreds of innocent peop…

1
You Won't Believe This 10-Year-Old Girl's Body Count 1:03:03

6M ago1:03:03

1:03:03

Mary Bell was a child murderer, in that she was a literal 10-year-old child when she began murdering, and because her victims were children even younger than her. Learn about one of England's most horrifying murder cases as our hosts squirm in their seats. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content incl…

1
The Villisca Axe Murders 1:14:13

7M ago1:14:13

1:14:13

A small Iowa town was shook to its core in the summer of 1912 after six members of a local affluent family and two of their guests were brutally murdered with an axe inside the comfort of their own home. A lengthy investigation resulted in several oddball suspects but ultimately zero convictions. The case remains unsolved. Subscribe to the Softcore…

1
Gaza Has Never Belonged To Anyone Who Lives There 1:07:48

7M ago1:07:48

1:07:48

Who does Gaza really belong to? Or Israel/Palestine in general? It's sort of hard to say since the people native to that area have basically NEVER been in charge of it. From the Bronze Age to the end of World War 2 the area we know today as Israel and/or Palestine has been ruled by everyone from the Egyptians and Alexander the Great to the Romans a…

1
The Witch Who Deserved Her Trial 1:13:35

7M ago1:13:35

1:13:35

Throughout history, women accused of witchcraft have been wrongly executed. Mary Bateman, known as the Yorkshire Witch, was not one of those women. She absolutely earned her date with the hangman. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs…

1
How To Train Your Demon 1:13:49

7M ago1:13:49

1:13:49

Halloween Horror Month kicks off with a detailed look at how the ancient ruler of Israel King Solomon learned to summon demons, the time he got sent to horny jail by God, and the corporate hierarchy of hell. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie w…

1
The Violent Life And Dejected Death Of Geronimo 59:23

7M ago59:23

59:23

Geronimo was seen as both the last great defender of the Native American way of life and a stubborn, savage holdout who put Apache lives in danger in the name of revenge. His life was a rollercoast ride of peaks and valleys -- constantly at odds with both the Mexican and US Governments. From North America's most wanted fugitive terrorizing Southwes…

1
How Hollywood Killed Your Dad’s Favorite Comedian 1:17:59

7M ago1:17:59

1:17:59

Long before the first SAG strike, Hollywood’s working conditions and lack of fair pay weren't just questionable, they were INSANE. So bad, in fact, that it helped lead to the early death of Curly Howard of The Three Stooges, who was forced to film despite suffering multiple strokes and other severe health issues. The Stooges were also robbed of mil…

1
The Emo Christians Who Thought God Was A Poser 1:13:04

8M ago1:13:04

1:13:04

This week, learn about the ancient belief system of Gnosticism, its insane creation myth, and the lion serpent that keeps us all entrapped in a material hell. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes. Head to F…

1
The Brutally Metal Deaths Of Catholic Saints 1:03:29

8M ago1:03:29

1:03:29

From having their skin flayed off with knives to arena bears and school children ripping limbs clean off their body, sainthood typically meant dying in the most horrific and torturous ways possible. You probably didn't hear about these stories in Catholic School. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history conte…

1
No One Will Remember You 1:25:17

8M ago1:25:17

1:25:17

The Zanj Rebellion — an African slave uprising in modern Iraq from 869 AD TO 883 AD during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphate — was a massively consequential event for arguably the world’s most powerful empire at the time and certainly for those involved in the revolt. Ever heard of it? Probably not. Nothing matters. No one will remember you. Subsc…

1
Venetians Loved Touching Tips 1:03:48

8M ago1:03:48

1:03:48

Armed with nothing more than sharpened sticks, thousands of Venetian tradesman would battle each other on bridges for glory and the entertainment of their fellow citizens. Learn about this violent pastime that lasted hundreds of years, and how the sport "evolved" over time. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra hi…

1
The California Water Wars 1:21:11

9M ago1:21:11

1:21:11

As Los Angeles expanded during the late 19th century, it began outgrowing its water supply. So, city officials decided to build a pipeline north and slurp up all the precious snow melt from the Sierra Nevadas bleeding Owens Valley dry. The resident farmers in the area didn't take kindly to this threat against their livelihood and conflict soon popp…

1
Too Rich To Be Gay 1:20:16

9M ago1:20:16

1:20:16

Despite it being socially acceptable (and encouraged) for men to sleep with other men, the sexual environment in Ancient Rome was absolutely NOT liberated or healthy, especially if you were poor, or a woman, or liked oral. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, …

1
The Great American Bar Tab 1:21:07

9M ago1:21:07

1:21:07

After signing the U.S. Constitution in 1787 the Founding Fathers hit the bars and left a tab for the ages. By our count, America's founders averaged about 20 drinks per man. Plus we break down some other notable party tabs throughout history, including how many pregnant leopards one Chinese emperor was forced to kill in order to serve his favorite …

1
Rome's Greatest Enemy 1:07:21

9M ago1:07:21

1:07:21

Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War against Rome and considered one of the greatest military minds of his time. He took an army of 90,000 soldiers and 40 war elephants and marched across the Pyrenees and Alps to bring the fight to the Romans and terrorized the legions for years before ultimately failing to reach th…

1
The Unluckiest D-Day Paratroopers With Saving Private Ryan Star Max Martini 1:21:02

10M ago1:21:02

1:21:02

Saving Private Ryan star Max Martini joins the show to talk about his experience filming one of the greatest historical movies of all time and we tell the stories of the unluckiest paratroopers who dropped into France the night before D-Day. WATCH The Channel now! It's in theaters in select cities (LA, New York, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta) or BUY…

1
The Serial Killer Who Thought He Was A Cowboy 1:40:03

10M ago1:40:03

1:40:03

John Wesley Hardin was a 19th-century serial killer who cosplayed as an Old West outlaw. He was a degenerate gambler with an impulsive trigger finger for anyone who disrespected him, the Republic of Texas, or the sanctity of sleep. He had plenty of run-ins with the law -- including multiple encounters with "Wild Bill" Hickok -- and had a body count…

1
Two Dumb Reasons The American Revolution Happened 1:15:05

10M ago1:15:05

1:15:05

A number of noble ideas and beliefs inspired the American Revolution. But history is layered. And full of morons. In this episode, we focus on two such morons: a banker/gambling addict whose financial ethics (and judiciousness) almost single-handedly precipitated a global banking crisis that led directly to the Boston Tea Party, and a very famous, …

1
Oppenheimer Was A Real Weird Dude 1:18:11

10M ago1:18:11

1:18:11

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, smoked four packs a day, enjoyed drinking cocktails made with pure ethanol, was hazed mercilessly at summer camp, and grew up loving rocks. In short, he was kind of a huge weirdo. Learn all this and more about Oppenheimer, the man who ushered in our nuclear age. Subscribe to the Softcore History…

1
The Real Indiana Jones Was Good Will Hunting Meets Jurassic Park 1:05:14

11M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

Roy Chapman Andrews, the real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones, led a series of expeditions to the Gobi Desert in China and famously first discovered fossilized dinosaur eggs. Andrews also died almost a dozen times while fighting off bandits, a horde of poisonous snakes, and a boat-hating whale. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundr…

1
The Time Love Lost 1:18:51

11M ago1:18:51

1:18:51

Can love really conquer all? The stunningly beautiful, 19th Century French socialite and heiress Blanche Monnier, whose mother locked her in an attic for 25 years so that she wouldn’t marry a poor man, would probably say no. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions…

1
The Pennsylvania Tsunami That Was Armed And On Fire 1:18:50

11M ago1:18:50

1:18:50

What happened when Andrew Carnegie and his robber baron friends made a few cosmetic adjustments to an important dam to upgrade the aesthetics of their fishing club? Just the Johnstown Flood, the most violent flood in American history. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history…

1
The Other Book of Mormon 1:13:20

11M ago1:13:20

1:13:20

Is Brigham Young REALLY the heir to Joseph Smith? After Smith was killed in 1844 there was not one but TWO claimants to lead the Mormon Church. The other would-be Polygamy Pope was James Strang, a lawyer and self-described "cool philosopher" who claimed to have been named Smith's heir by the Latter Day Saints founder himself. And Strang (convenient…

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