The Ball Drops on the World's Biggest New Year's Scare

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

22:08

Host Francesca Amiker sits down with directors Joe and Anthony Russo, producer Angela Russo-Otstot, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, and more to uncover how family was the key to building the emotional core of The Electric State . From the Russos’ own experiences growing up in a large Italian family to the film’s central relationship between Michelle and her robot brother Kid Cosmo, family relationships both on and off of the set were the key to bringing The Electric State to life. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.…

about a year ago 2:34

MP3•Episode home

What Were They Thinking?

Dire consequences are predicted for the new year: Airplanes will fall from the sky. Our defensive missiles will be un-launchable. Broadcast communication will cease. The financial system will collapse. All due to a terrifying cyber event.

Millions of dollars and thousands of manhours are spent in preparation for what The Wall Street Journal later calls the “the hoax of the twentieth century.” What in the name of digital dunderheadedness happened? Listen and learn all about it in this episode.

More Blundering Brainstorms to Come

The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment.

For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.

45 episodes

The Ball Drops on the World's Biggest New Year's Scare

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

What Were They Thinking?

More Blundering Brainstorms to Come

The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment.

45 episodes

All episodes

1
It's Hard to Stomach The Restaurant Chain with a Racist Name 1:59

6 days ago1:59

1:59

What Were They Thinking? OK, so maybe they were naive. Or maybe they were out of touch? Or maybe Santa Barbara, California restaurateurs Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett were, well, secretly rascists. But when they mashed up their names to form the trademark of what would become a mega-national chain of diners, that's when the pancakes hit the fan. Outrage, condemnation and boycots followed. Hear the now-famous culinary cautionary tale in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
This Comedian's Transvestite-Hooker Pickup Was No Laughing Matter 2:32

13 days ago2:32

2:32

What Was He thinking? Tossing and turning one sleepless night, one of Hollywood's best-known, best-loved actor/comedians decides to drive his wife’s SUV to a nearby L.A. newsstand to browse the latest periodicals. Along the way, he encounters a diminutive damsel stumbling down a tough section of Santa Monica Boulevard at 4 am. In a moment of compassion (or abject stupidity), he offers to give her a lift. Two miles down the road, an unmarked L.A. County Sheriff’s vice squad car pulls over the pair. The suprising revallation that follows would send the jokester's career, marriage and reputation careening down the highway for years to come. Listen, laugh and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
The Weaponized Elephants That Climbed the Alps 1:59

20 days ago1:59

1:59

What Were They Thinking? A pack of elephants can't possibly climb the Alps in order to engage in a life-or-death battle in the valley below, right? Well, that's the logical conclusion ancient Roman generals have come to. Are they correct? Or would this band pugnacious pachyderms wreak stomping, earth-shaking terror on enemy foot soldiers in the Po Valley? Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Ban Baseball's Greatest Home Run Hitter from Playing in the Major Leagues 2:09

27 days ago2:09

2:09

What Were They Thinking? Some insist it’s the legendary Babe Ruth. Others say it's Hammering Hank Aaron -- or even that prickly chap named Barry Bonds. Yet the most prolific home run hitter of all time isn't any of them. Rather it's a man who never played in the major leagues—banned by the game’s small-minded stewards based on a hatefully-prejudiced idea. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Special Episode: "And the Oscar Goes to...None of Them." It's 12 of the Worst Movie Ideas in History 13:16

5 weeks ago13:16

13:16

What Were They Thinking? Here on Hollywood's biggest star-studded night, we honor the "dirty dozen" -- 12 of the worst movie ideas in film history. So get ready to cross dress, buddy cop with your mom, get eaten by a roll of shag carpeting and play the pinao with finger sausages as you listen, laugh and learn all about these cinematic stinkers. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Ignorance is Bliss: The Doctor Who Killed the President 2:02

6 weeks ago2:02

2:02

What Were They Thinking? History tells us that President James Garfield is shot and killed in a Washington railroad station by an irate diplomat-wannabe named Charles J. Guiteau. The part about Guiteau shooting Garfield is unquestionably true. But the part about him killing the President is dead wrong. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Bob's Wedding-Night High Jinks Leads to the Ford Motor Company Stealing Him Blind 2:26

7 weeks ago2:26

2:26

What Were They Thinking? It’s his wedding night. And in a blissful, celebratory moment, Robert Kearns pops a champagne cork—right into his left eye, leaving him partially blind. Fast-forward ten years. Driving home in a rainstorm, the sight-impaired automotive engineer and part-time inventor squints through his car’s rapidly oscillating windshield wipers—and comes up with a revolutionary idea -- one that the Ford Motor Company promptly steals. Listen and learn about the David-versus-Golliath legal battle that followed -- changing automotive history and the way you drive your car, forever. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
How Do You Stop a Pandemic? Try a Hot Cup of Influenza 2:17

8 weeks ago2:17

2:17

What Were They Thinking? Early in the last century, in the absence of licensing, almost anyone in America can claim to be a “doctor”—from folk healers to your goofy next-door neighbor Fred. So it should come as no surprise, in the face of the dreaded Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918, that the world is ill prepared to fight its symptoms or find a cure. Into this desperate breach comes an age-old practice that involves placing a small, heated object on the patient’s back, in order to draw out the sickness. What was this object and how effective was its far-fetched therapeutic value? Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Extended Episode: Unholy Preachers and the Profitable Nonprofits They Run 5:38

9 weeks ago5:38

5:38

What the Flock Were They Thinking? Which much-less-holier-than-thou preacher perpetrated “The Fake-Death Radio Shack Up”? How about the notorious man of the cloth who became known as “The Big Easy Sleazy”? And what of the antigay clergyman who invented “Rentboy's Long Stroke"? Listen and learn all about these and other inglorious evangelicals in this extended episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
No More "Mr. President." By Law, We Must Now Refer to Him as "His Elective Majesty" 1:58

10 weeks ago1:58

1:58

What Was He Thinking? A bulwark of the American Revolution and a clarion voice for the adoption of our Declaration of Independence from “the tyranny of the British monarchy,” this founding father curiously decides to champion a quintessentially un-American idea: He pushes for legislation requring the leader of the newly-formed United States to carry a title more regal than the functional, prosaic “President of the United States.” You won't believe the ludicrous series of soaring appelations he champions. Listen, laugh and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Multimillion-Dollar NFL Career Goes to the Dogs 2:34

11 weeks ago2:34

2:34

What Was He Thinking? Talk about fantasy football: You’re the number one pick in the 2001 NFL draft. You make, in 2006, an estimated $26 million. You’ve been selected to the elite Pro Bowl three times. And the corporate endorsement dollars are rolling in like a green tsunami. If you’re the average pigskin-lovin’ American male living this dream life, you might want to throw a mega-party. If you’re this misguided player, you’d rather throw an innocent dog up against a wall. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Who Turned Down the Choice Role of Indiana Jones? Let's Call Him "Raider of the Lost Part" 1:43

12 weeks ago1:43

1:43

What Was He thinking? Refusing to don the fedora and crack the bullwhip, this A-list Hollywood actor declines the choice role of Indiana Jones in George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's modern classic Raiders of the Lost Ark. Instead of assuming the mantle of the two-fisted, Nazi-fighting professor, he decides instead to star in the long-since-forgotten Heart Beat -- all with big thank you from Harrison Ford. Who is this judgment-challenged thespian? Listen and learn the answer in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
The Ball Drops on the World's Biggest New Year's Scare 2:34

13 weeks ago2:34

2:34

What Were They Thinking? Dire consequences are predicted for the new year: Airplanes will fall from the sky. Our defensive missiles will be un-launchable. Broadcast communication will cease. The financial system will collapse. All due to a terrifying cyber event. Millions of dollars and thousands of manhours are spent in preparation for what The Wall Street Journal later calls the “the hoax of the twentieth century.” What in the name of digital dunderheadedness happened? Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
Drunken Hessians Shocked by George Washington's Christmastime Sneak Attack 1:54

14 weeks ago1:54

1:54

What Were They Thinking? The Revolutionary War is on holiday break. On one side of the Delaware River, Hessian troops (in league with the British) are opening casks of rum and having a “Ho-ho-ho!” lot of fun celebrating Christmas Eve. On the other side, George Washington and his ragtag colonial troops sit quietly in the cold—eager to show the enemy who’s naughty or nice. What happens next comes as a shock to the Hessian troops -- and adds a feather to Washington's three-cornered hat. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

1
What's in Your Teeth Could Have You Feeling Down in the Mouth 2:13

15 weeks ago2:13

2:13

What Were They Thinking? Known to be more poisonous than arsenic, this substance would seem to be low on the list of elements you might want to pop into your mouth. Yet it's been a cornerstone of dentistry for over one hundred years. And it's likely in your teeth right now. Listen and learn all about it. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Henry Ford and the Uni-Hue Automobile 2:01

16 weeks ago2:01

2:01

What Was He Thinking? Long before ecru, maize, or topaz, automobiles come in your color choice of black, black, or (if you ask nicely and place your order early) black. Why the lack of options? Well, according to Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, the auto industry’s resident ubergod, black paint dries more quickly—allowing more efficient operation of his revolutionary assembly line. The American car buyers response? Well, that's a horseless carriage of a different color. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Octobomb: The Hissy, Clunky Rise and Fall of 8-Track Tape 2:20

17 weeks ago2:20

2:20

What Were They Thinking? In the frantic quest for a handy, durable, high-fidelity tape format suitable for playing recorded music in automobiles, a consortium of top automotive and electronics manufacturers advance a revolutionary new music delivery system: the eight-track cassette. And while that sounds good on paper, eight-track tape, it turns out, sounds really bad in cars... and boats... and home stereos. Listen, laugh and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Iron Mike: The Heavyweight Chomping-On of the World 2:18

18 weeks ago2:18

2:18

What Was He Thinking? Former boxing champion Mike Tyson wants to regain the heavyweight crown so badly he can taste it -- literally. On this night, agitated by what he perceives to be Holyfield’s continual, intentional head-butting, Tyson clinches with Holyfield center-ring—and proceeds to do something never before witnessed in professional boxing. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Rescheduling Thanksgiving: A Turkey of an Idea Gets Plucked 1:48

19 weeks ago1:48

1:48

What Was He Thinking? As the Great Depression lingers on, President Franklin Roosevelt and his advisors have a shiny new concept for boosting the lackluster U.S. economy: move Thanksgiving from late November to seven days earlier in the month. That way, they reason, Christmas shoppers will have one more week to buy presents, thereby invigorating moribund retail sales. Instead, an irate populace immediately places Roosevelt’s bird-brained concept on the chopping block. Listen, laugh and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
A Doctor's Killer Idea for Saving Lives 2:14

20 weeks ago2:14

2:14

What Was He Thinking? Disturbed by the internecine carnage of America’s deadliest conflict—the still-raging Civil War—an American physician sets out to create a gun that, by its very rapid-fire efficiency, will enable one soldier to do the work of an entire battalion. The need for large armies, he reasons, would be eliminated, thereby diminishing the aggregate death and destruction of this—or any—war. Problem: Altruistically conceived as a means to curb battle fatalities, his amazing weapon instead spawns burgeoning death tolls in dozens of conflicts worldwide. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
The Presidential Assassin's Gunshot That Backfires Bigtime 2:03

21 weeks ago2:03

2:03

What Was He Thinking? You might say that this hunky stage actor, critically acclaimed as “the handsomest man in America,” is the Brad Pitt of his day. Yet below his chiseled cheekbones, a dark rage lurks -- a post-war rage he focuses on the commander in chief of the United States. Yet while he succeeds by the barrel of a gun, he fails in his ultimate goal, instead becoming an American villian of historic proportions. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Monkey Business Sinks a Presidential Campaign 2:44

22 weeks ago2:44

2:44

What Was He Thinking? The sure-fire frontrunner in the 1988 U.S. Presidential election campaign, this senator, declared a flake and a womanizer by his adversaries while fighting back rumors that he’s embarked on an extramarital affair, dares the press corps to follow him around -- claiming they'll learn that his life is "pretty boring." Well, two reporters from the Miami Herald take him up on that challenge and uncover some surreptitious aquatic interloping that's just about the opposite of boring. Learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Richard Nixon: A Face Perfect for Radio 2:13

23 weeks ago2:13

2:13

What Was He thinking? With the U.S. presidential election just weeks away, Vice President Richard M. Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy are running neck and neck—or should we say “face and face”? Because on this night in 1960, their very different visages will be on display in the first presidential debate ever to be televised. And one of the candidates, lacking a firm grasp of the visual power of the relatively new medium, is about to make-up a fatefully dumb decision. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Uncool at any Speed: The Chevy Corvair 2:25

24 weeks ago2:25

2:25

What Were They Thinking? The marketers at Chevy take one look at the youthful popularity of the Volkswagen Beetle and decide to emulate key features of that novel little auto: its compact size, air-cooled rear engine, and scaled-down transaxle, among others—in designing the company’s first “American-sized compact”: the Corvair. With more than 250,000 units sold in its first year, Corvair sales continue to accelerate into the mid-1960s—until the power of the pen suddenly causes the car’s popularity to hit the skids and crash. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Politician Pays a Hooker by Check and Really Gets Screwed 2:11

25 weeks ago2:11

2:11

What Was He Thinking? A Northwestern University-educated lawyer and former aide to the late senator Robert F. Kennedy, this young, newly-elected Cincinnati city councilman is a rising political star. That is, until a raid on a local Kentucky massage parlor threatens to rub out his civic career. In the parlor's cash register police find a check written to this well-known front for prositituion emblazoned with the councilman's name. Political career over. Yet, amazingly, an entirely new career as a TV freak-show host soon begins. Listen, laugh and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
The Medical Treatment Only Dracula Could Love 2:30

26 weeks ago2:30

2:30

What Were They Thinking? You say you feel tired, run down, achy and breaky? Well, fortunately your barber (yes, the same guy who trims your coif) has just the cure: He hangs you upside down while slicing open an artery to let your blood drain out. And while there's very little evidence this kind of age-old medical remedy will make a sick person feel better, there's plenty of evidence that it can make a sick person feel dead. Listen, shake your head in disbelief and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
The President Gives America the Finger 2:01

27 weeks ago2:01

2:01

What Was He Thinking? From the time of his Presidential election victory, he's seen by his opponents as the self-indulgent, ego-driven, sex-crazed, junk-food-lusting embodiment of the Me Generation. Despite his unquestionable intelligence (a Rhodes Scholar) and political acumen (a governor by age thirty-two), this sitting President -- knowing full well his enemies are out to get him -- points his finger at the news-media's cameras and plays right into their scheming hands. Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
Edsel: The Luxurious New Ford Lemonsucker 2:09

28 weeks ago2:09

2:09

What Were They Thinking? With archrival General Motors taking the pole position in America’s big-car sales race, Ford management, despite warnings of an oncoming late 1950s economic recession, decides to invest the then-astonishing sum of $400 million to create “an entirely new kind of car.” But just as consumer anticipation shifts into high gear, the eagerly awaited unveiling of Ford's glittering new "dream vehicle" is met with a collective “Ugh!”— as in “ugly.” Why did one critic call its styling "an Oldsmobile sucking on a lemon?" Listen, laugh and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
The A-List Actor Who Refused to be James Bond 2:24

29 weeks ago2:24

2:24

What Was He thinking? In a mad scramble to secure a dashing actor “who can wear the tux, tote the pistol and woo the girl,” mega-producer Albert Broccoli has a famous actor squarely in his sights to play 007. Proclaiming “An American can’t play James Bond,” said actor instead opts to make such cinematic stinkers as Fuzz , White Lightning and The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing over the next two years -- plunging his career to the D-list as his popularity, finances and health hit bottom. Who in the name of box office bonanza would turn down the role of 007? Listen and learn all about it in this episode. More Blundering Brainstorms to Come The next episode of "100 of the Worst Ideas in History, the Podcast" is in production and on its way to you. Watch for it wherever you get your podcasts. And remember to subscribe, like and comment. For 99 other examples of historical, hysterical stinkin’ thinkin’ from the past, get your copy of popular book "100 of the Worst Ideas in History," available at Amazon.com and better retailers everywhere. Audiobook now available at Audible.com and other platforms.…

100 of the Worst Ideas in History

1
The XFL: Fourth Down and 70 Million to Go 2:06

30 weeks ago2:06