Episode 744: Macho Man: Oh Yeah!!!
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at the colorful life of Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Randy was one of the all-time greats of wrestling. His character work and wrestling promos are among the most bizarre and hysterical of all time. He had a famous love affair with his manager (and actual wife) Miss Elizabeth, and helped to make WrestleMania, perhaps more than even Hulk Hogan did. Some say he was paranoid and intense, protecting Elizabeth from rivals he didn’t have, and he fell into a 9 year feud with Hogan and an even longer one with Vince McMahon. What turned him into a global pop culture phenomenon? What tore him and Vince apart? What famous wrestler was his brother? Why do they call him one of the best in the history of the business? Listen, laugh, learn.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.biography.com/athletes/macho-man-randy-savage
https://www.wwe.com/superstars/randysavage
https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Randy_Savage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Savage
https://nationaltoday.com/birthday/randy-savage/
https://play.aetv.com/shows/biography-wwe-legends/season-1/episode-3
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/513498/9-things-you-might-not-know-about-macho-man-randy-savage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnBUbRowRgM
Episode 744: Dan Aykroyd: From Ghosts to Spirits
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we dig into the biography of the one and only Dan Aykroyd. He earned his chops as one of the original cast members on Saturday Night Live, but this cultural legend has brought to life some of the most important characters in all of film. He blew the roof off the joint in 1984 with his film The Blues Brothers, and a few years later, he changed the world of comedy by writing and starring in Ghostbusters. And Ghostbusters was no accident for this man who is a spiritualist and firmly believes in ghosts, UFOs, and the paranormal. What UFO sightings has he had? Why did he create the spirit brad Crystal Skull Vodka? How much money is he worth for all his ghosts and spirits? Listen, laugh, learn.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/dan-aykroyd-3412.php
https://elevatesociety.com/dan-aykroyd/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Aykroyd
https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/culture/ghostbusters-dan-aykroyd-ufo-sighting-b2475454.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rvxPNHf-z4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Head_Vodka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya0DQwWCO3o
Episode 743: John Candy: The Everyman of Comedy
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the life of an understated comic genius, John Candy. For two decades Candy was in some of the best comedies that Hollywood had to offer. But it all started with the famous comedy troupe Second City and his involvement with Emmy winning comedy show, SCTV. In his early years, he befriended and worked with comedians like Dan Aykroyd and Rick Moranis, and eventually became close friends the film legend John Hughes. From Stripes to Uncle Buck and from Home Alone to Planes Trains and Automobiles, this everyman of comedy dominated the scene.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.biography.com/actors/john-candy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Candy
https://www.secondcity.com/people/other/john-candy/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/610983/john-candy-actor-facts
https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/25-fun-facts-about-john-candy-and-the-comedians-legendary-career
https://facts.net/celebrity/18-mind-blowing-facts-about-john-candy/
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/john-candy-net-worth/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtayB-vIyfY
Episode 742: Happy Science Cult: Neither Happy nor Scientific
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the largest cults in Japan—the Happy Science Cult. Yes, that’s really their name. They were founded by Ryuho Okawa who was the key rival to the Aum Shinriko cult (who tried to kill Okawa with poison gas in his car). The Happies believe that Okawa is the embodiment of the god El Cantare who was born on Venus millions of years ago. Their leader channels people like Jesus, Buddha, Socrates, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and even Michael Jackson to write books for him. They produce tons of horrible anime, try to influence elections, and of course take all the money they can. Why does Okawa’s son claim he is a fraud? How many books have they written? Why are they called Happy Science? Listen, laugh, learn.
Visit Our Sources:
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Happy_Science
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jmvan4/my-afternoon-with-a-failed-japanese-cult
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Science
https://theworld.org/stories/2022-11-30/japan-s-infamous-happy-cult-sets-sights-united-states
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230302-japan-happy-science-cult-leader-okawa-dies-media
https://gamerant.com/japanese-cult-happy-science-anime/
Episode 741: Papa Doc Duvalier: The Voodoo Tyrant
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we explore one of the worst regimes in the West: the dictatorship of Papa Doc Duvalier. François Duvalier came to be the sadistic president for life of the island of Haiti, running the island through a regime of terror, voodoo, and secret police for 14 years. He had a murder squad called the Tontons Macoutes, named after a Haitian boogey man who would eat children for breakfast. He killed tens of thousands of Haitians during his dark reign, claimed to have killed President Kennedy through voodoo, once had every black dog in the country killed, and kept the head of an enemy on ice in a special closet, so he could talk to it. If you like them bloody and crazy, it doesn’t get much better than Papa Doc.
Visit Our Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Duvalier
https://www.doctorsecrets.com/papa-doc-duvalier-haiti-s-voodoo-doctor
https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/papa-doc-the-voodoo-tyrant-of-haiti-654a41a68474
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_occupation_of_Haiti
Episode 740: Conan O’Brien: Born for Late Night
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the career of the one and only Conan O’Brien. Conan went from utterly unknown to become one of the all-time greats of late night television. He had a major feud with Jay Leno (who screwed him out of his dream job), but nothing could dampen his impact on American comedy. From amazing remotes to unbelievable characters (I’m looking at you, Masturbating Bear), his late night shows were among the best. We talk about his crazy pranks he pulled at Harvard, his podcast, and even his classic moments with Norm McDonald.
Visit Our Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_O%27Brien
https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/conan-obrien
https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/conan-obrien/bio/3030386650/
https://histlit.fas.harvard.edu/people/people/alumni/conan-obrien
https://www.universallifechurchministers.org/celebrities/conan-obrien
https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-conan-obrien/jacob-shelton
https://www.cracked.com/article_37683_60-conan-obrien-trivia-tidbits-on-his-60th-birthday.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpIEyn9G6_8&t=371s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmadR4Ye54&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-MJy7w69EU
Episode 739: Saturday Night Live: Fifty Years of Funny
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we say a hearty “Live from New York…It’s Saturday Night.” That’s right. We talk all things Saturday Night Live. This American television institution has been responsible for discovering some of the most important comic voices over the past five decades. It has been a bastion for counter culture, political satire, musical discovery, and dicks in boxes. It was created by Lorne Michaels who has succeeded in keeping the show somehow relevant, fresh, funny, and on the air all these years. Whether you like old school SNL like the Blues Brothers or dig Michael Che and Colin Jost, we’ve got you covered.
Visit Our Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/saturday-night-live-debuts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Michaels
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/69730/facts-about-saturday-night-live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEKul4088ug
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Saturday_Night_Live_cast_members
https://ew.com/music/sinead-oconnor-pope-photo-snl/
Episode 738: Mary Kay Letourneau: Convicted Cougar
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On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the ultimate case of forbidden love—the story of Mary Kay Letourneau. Letourneau was made (in)famous in the late 1990s when she had a love affair with a student of hers named Vili Fualaau. Why would this propel her to the heights of tabloid fame? Because she was 35, and he was only 13. She gave birth their first daughter while still awaiting trail for child rape, and she broke the rules of her parole and got pregnant by him again almost the instant she got out of prison. So, how long did she serve time? How long did they stay together? How did marijuana cause them to get a divorce? Listen, laugh, learn.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.biography.com/crime/mary-kay-letourneau
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Letourneau
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/obituaries/mary-kay-letourneau-dead.html
https://www.crimelibrary.org/criminal_mind/psychology/marykay_letourneau/1.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RezOEn0daNU
https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/mary-kay-letourneau-vili-fualaaus-interview-inspired-film/
https://facts.net/celebrity/39-facts-about-mary-kay-letourneau/
Episode 737: Derinkuyu: The Underground Empire
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at the amazing underground city of Derinkuyu. This tomb of a city is in modern day Turkey and dates back thousands of years. Nobody is sure when they started building it, but at its peak, it held a sustainable population of 20,000 people. It held its own food stores, animal farms, churches, wine makers, you name it. It had giant stone doors that no attacker could budge, and it was used over the centuries by multiple cultures and religious groups. In fact, it wasn’t fully abandoned until the early 1920s and rediscovered by accident in the 1960s. If you like the cities of the dwarves and underground catacombs, this one is for you.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220810-derinkuyu-turkeys-underground-city-of-20000-people
https://sometimes-interesting.com/derinkuyu-the-underground-cities-of-cappadocia/
https://tomorrow.city/a/elengubu-derinkuyu-underground-city-thousands-of-people
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/derinkuyu-turkey-underground-city-strange-maps
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derinkuyu_underground_city
Episode 736: Sacha Baron Cohen: The Delightful Doppelganger
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the many lives of Sacha Baron Cohen. He won awards as Ali G and took over the world as Borat, all through his unique style of comedy. Sacha Baron Cohen develops humor that plays off the prejudice, politeness, and ignorance of people. He takes shots at celebrities, politicians, racists, and an anti-Semites in the most scathing way possible. He even took down Rudy Giuliani in a now infamous scene with his fake daughter. If you don’t know his work, what the hell’s wrong with you?!? He’s a master of comedy, and we spit all his facts for you on this episode.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.biography.com/actors/sacha-baron-cohen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacha_Baron_Cohen
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/sacha-baron-cohen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Baron-Cohen
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/553524/facts-about-sacha-baron-cohen
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/richest-comedians/sacha-baron-cohen-net-worth/
Episode 735: Move Bombing: West Philadelphia Burned and Razed!
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we take a look an activist group called MOVE, and how they were eventually assaulted, murdered, and bombed by Philadelphia police via helicopter in the 80s. MOVE started out as a strange group that people considered one part Black Panthers and one part green-loving hippies. They fought for social justice and justice for all living beings, black, white, animal, you name it. But they were loud, and they swore through megaphones, and they had weapons. Some say they were an innocent activist group who was persecuted by the police. Others say they were a dangerous cult, and that the Philly police pulled a Waco on them. Give it a listen, learn the facts of the MOVE bombing, and judge for yourself!
Visit Our Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOVE_(Philadelphia_organization)
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/8/8/20747198/philadelphia-bombing-1985-move
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_MOVE_bombing
https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/stories/move-osage-avenue
https://www.newyorker.com/news/essay/saying-her-name
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1054&context=jmurj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03ErYGB4Kk
https://leavingmove2021.blogspot.com/
Episode 734: Mars: The Future of Humanity?
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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk the red planet, Mars. There is a lot to unpack here. I mean, yes, it is super cool that errors in interpreting early photos led us all to think Mars was covered in canals and highways. This lead to fiction such as The War of the Worlds. But more than that, Mars has always been an important symbol to humanity. For early humanity, it was a mystery—a star that was a red and had a funky orbit. For modern humanity, it is a curiosity, one which we spend billions of dollars on, sending probes and satellite cameras to help unlock its secrets. So, what is the atmosphere and surface of mars like? Can we make it livable? Why should we want to? What is Elon Musk’s big plan for red neighbor? Listen, laugh, learn!
Get yo’ ass to our sources:
https://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/mystique/history/early/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mars_observation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_canals
https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars
https://news.usc.edu/173755/mars-human-history-culture-usc-experts-2020-launch/
https://www.spacex.com/human-spaceflight/mars/
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-ready-mars-humanity-ready
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=921VbEMAwwY&t=1s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cydonia_(Mars)#%22Face_on_Mars%22