Grim & Mild Presents

In the world of healing, there have always been folks willing to make money off of the suffering of others. And it was often seen that the more shameful the secret, the more profitable these problems would be for cunning charlatans. 

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The human body has long been a battleground for morality. And one of the places that these ideas have shown up might be surprising to you: the dinner table.  

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For centuries, cutting into the human body was strictly forbidden. In fact, for a long time, medical schools taught aspiring physcians not to touch their patients. You can imagine how helpful this was. But then, a turn in the story: along came a class of people whose dirty, rough, and practical work changed the way we practice medicine: the surgeons. 

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In the not-too distant past, many European communities had their own local executioner. It was a paid government trade just like any other, but it came with a damning social stigma. But this role was a crucial one: though they brought imminent death, many people believed they also played a significant role in holistic healthcare. 

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Staying alive is a tough task, and medicine’s function is to help us do just that. Often, we turn to pharmaceuticals. But we can trace a moment, very early in our construction of the healing arts, that the first chemists – the alchemists – sought something else: not just to extend life, but to make it eternal. 

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Our language is ripe with turns of phrase that invoke the idea of blood. These idioms seem to illustrate some of our most intense human experiences – it’s the thing that we can’t live with, after all. So tell me this: what happens when the blood spills?  

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For much of human history, the interal geography of our bodies has been a mystery. We’ve walked a long, dark road as we’ve sought its secrets – taking many wrong turns, and leaving a trail of casualties in our wake.

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From the blood in our veins to the search for eternal life, and everything in between, this is your chance to learn just how miraculous it is that we understand so much about the human body—and why many of those discoveries almost never happened.

Beginning January 6th 2023, Grim & Mild Presents: Bedside Manners will unpack the dark and twisted history of healing medicine.

Subscribe today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Learn more at GrimAndMild.com/presents.

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Hollywood adores the loveable rogue. Pirates are often depicted as wisecracking, kind-hearted individuals who set out for treasure but inevitably do the right thing. In the end, he usually gets the girl and the treasure. 

Pirates. The word itself hints at a story. And in our final episode, we have a couple more tales to tell.

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Cutthroat. According to dictionary entries, it’s someone so ruthless they cut the throat of another. A murderer is a person of vicious and Machiavellian nature. And in the world of piracy, there were cutthroats so cruel that they went over the line, even for their own crew.

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Pirates created their own republic and formed a democracy. They made allegiances with each other and governments. The Golden Age of Piracy even sounds somewhat...romantic. But all good things come to an end. 

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Pirates. The lone wolves of the sea. Yet, not only did they know each other, but they also created a community referred to as the Pirate Republic. It’s not really surprising then that some joined forces. After all, most wolves hunt in packs. 

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We often envision pirates as ruthless rogues who turned their back on family and love for treasures and a life at sea. In this episode of Pirates, we have stories of romance and friendship deeper and stronger than the briny deep.

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Insurrections, rebellions, and mutiny! Oh, my! Though we think of pirates as lawless, they were anything but. In this episode, we explore the systems and codes that kept civility among pirate crews. No guidelines about it. 

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From protection from the Spanish to bringing in much-needed funds and provisions, early colonies in the Caribbean often turned to pirates and buccaneers for a little assistance. In this episode of Pirates, we’re on an adventure with a couple of the most famous cutlass-wielding and cutthroat buccaneers in the Caribbean. 

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Every year on September 19, people worldwide join together to talk like pirates. Parents, children, co-workers. If you’ve ever wondered how International Talk Like A Pirate Day started or how to speak like a swashbuckler, then this episode is for you. 

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Pirates appear to be the ultimate rebel. Their legendary greed for treasure and cutthroat nature made them non-conformist mavericks of the sea. And yet, not all is what we’ve been told. Pirates played an important part in politics and the matters of kingdoms and governments. Batten down the hatches for this episode of Pirates!

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Many pirates viewed women aboard ships as bad luck. One woman proved they were only bad luck for the ships they targeted. Meet Ching Shih, who went from flower boat girl to the leader of the Red Fleet, one of the largest and most powerful pirate fleets in history. 

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Ah! Pirates! We envision them in the Caribbean, raiding sea-faring merchant vessels, flying black flags, and burying treasure on a remote sandy beach. However, as we are about to learn, some of the most fascinating characters took to the lakes and rivers instead. 

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In the Golden Age of Piracy, pirate crews often came from different countries and walks of life. They shared equal pay and voting rights aboard the ship. Captains often chose their crew based on fierce loyalty rather than nationality or race. 

Some proved more fierce than others.

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Yo-ho-ho, matey. In this episode of Pirates, we’re talking about rum. Just how did alcohol, especially rum, become many a pirate’s choice of drink? And what does grog have to do with the British Navy and…fabric? Join us for another round of Grim & Mild Presents, Pirate edition. Drink up, ye hearties!

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From sailing the high seas and buried treasure to swilling rum, pirates represent a lot about the human spirit. Through the centuries, we’ve fallen in love with adventure, danger, and exploration. In season 2 of Grim & Mild Presents, we take a swashbuckling, narrative journey into the lives and legends of the rogues of the sea. Join us. Here, there be pirates, matey!

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This summer, Grim & Mild Presents continues its journey into the strange, the unusual, and the fascinating. For our newest season, we’ll be taking to the high seas to explore one of history’s most notorious types of criminal: pirates.

From naval battles and buried treasure, to deadly sword fights and stolen rum. Prepare to raise anchor! Grim & Mild Presents: Pirates sets sail on Friday, July 8th.

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Centuries of history have led us to this point. The show continues to go on.

But even though the sideshow looks a bit different these days… we still see its signature everywhere. We haven’t looked away. 

Want to hear more even though our time is up? The sideshow curious should be sure to check out the following: 

• Freaks by Tod Browning 

• The digital Lost Museum Project, curated by the City University of New York 
• The P.T. Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut 
• The International Independent Showmen’s Museum in Gibsonton, Florida
• Showman’s Rest Cemetery in La Grange, Illinois 
• Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit by Dr. Robert Bogdan 

Louder Than a Riot by guest Kim Kelly, who writes about labor and the sideshow

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Behind the glitz and glamour of the stage, darkness lurked. And sometimes, that darkness was inescapable – and lived right in our own homes. 

If you or someone you know is in danger, there’s help available. Please reach out to the Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE for support.

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Families are curious entities. Blood, they tell us, is thicker than water. But what happens if there’s something stronger than blood that keeps you together… for better or for worse? 

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When he was born, they called Frank Lentini a monster… but what did that even mean? We’ll follow his story as we learn folklore, magic, medicine, and one man’s quest for the American Dream. 

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From the Bronx to the silver screen, Schlitzie charmed all who knew him. And for those who loved him, they’d stop at nothing to keep him safe. 

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Humans are animals. But at some point throughout the course of evolution, our species got the upperhand.

Today, a short history of our co-existence with the animal kingdom… and what happened when we decided that these animals would join us on stage.

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Circus trains: they were cities on wheels, integral to the sideshow circuit and home to all performers. Today, they’re a relic of a bygone time…but there’s one train that has solidified its place in the history books due to unthinkable tragedy. 

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As humans, we are drawn to beauty. We decorate ourselves. We primp, we preen, and sometimes...we poke. 

Join us as we dive into the colorful world of tattooing—and the mark it left on the sideshow.

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Among the bearded ladies of the Sideshow, Julia Pastrana’s story is the longest: it spans her short life and long death, revealing the lengths some will go to make a buck.

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Lavinia Warren was able to travel the world and charm audiences wherever she went. But what set Lavinia apart from many of her peers were the choices she was able to make along the way. 

Be sure to check out the Bridgeport Public Library’s Barnum collection, if you’re in the neighborhood – if not, take a look at the incredible digitization holdings here.

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Joice Heth never wanted to be in show business. It wasn’t the world that she came from. But when she met P.T. Barnum, the course of her life took a turn she never saw coming.

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The story of Saartjie Baartman is not an easy one to hear, but it certainly gives us an intimate look into how the early traveling sideshow once operated, and how some human bodies were treated in the process.

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Every story has a beginning, and the tale of the American sideshow—in many ways—begins in the aftermath of one man’s personal tragedy. Learn how it all began, and what the early days were like, on the inaugural episode of Grim & Mild Presents: Sideshow.

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Welcome to Grim & Mild Presents. Each 13-episode season (published every other week, ongoing, for a non-stop, ongoing experience) will dive into the strange, the unusual, and the fascinating. History has never been this intriguing.

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