U.S. History

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Strange Country Ep. 70: Poison Squad

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How much formaldehyde would you allow in your glass of milk? What about your meat? Is an ounce of floor shavings too much for your container of nutmeg? Well in the late 19th century, Americans had little choice what maggots or arsenic were tossed into their bags of flour---they just had to take it and likely die. Enter Harvey Washington Wiley, chief chemist of the US Agriculture Department. He didn't think Americans should blindly eat plaster of paris or copper sulfate. He railed against food manufacturers to make their products safer for all. In ep. 70, Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly salute his efforts and wish they could be best friends with Deborah Blum the author of the amazing book Poison Squad.

Cite what you read:

Blum, Deborah. The Poison Squad: One Chemists Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Penguin Press, 2018.

Broderick, Evelyn. “What Happens If Borax Is Ingested?” Healthfully, 22 Oct. 2018, healthfully.com/what-happens-if-borax-is-ingested-12540047.html.

“Calorie Counts on Chain Restaurant Menus Become Mandatory on Monday, Result of 15-Year-Long Campaign.” Trans Fat | Center for Science in the Public Interest, cspinet.org/news/calorie-counts-chain-restaurant-menus-become-mandatory-monday-result-15-year-long-campaign.

Castrodale, Jelisa. “Pizza Chains Fight Calorie Labeling, Citing Endless Combinations of Toppings.” Munchies, VICE, 11 Apr. 2017, munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/jpzez3/pizza-chains-fight-calorie-labeling-citing-endless-combinations-of-toppings.

"Copper Sulfate General Fact Sheet." National Pesticide Information Center, NPIC, Nov. 2012, npic.orst.edu/factsheets/cuso4gen.html.

James, Susan Donaldson. “Kraft Agrees to Take Yellow Dye Out of Mac and Cheese.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 31 Oct. 2013, abcnews.go.com/Health/kraft-agrees-yellow-dye-mac-cheese/story?id=20745315.

"Potassium Nitrate." Wikipedia, Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate.

“Salicylic Acid Topical : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-18-866/salicylic-acid-topical/salicylic-acid-keratolytic-topical/details.

Schlosser, Eric. “The Man Who Pioneered Food Safety.” The New York Times, 16 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/books/review/poison-squad-deborah-blum.html.

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Strange Country Ep. 68: Donora Smog

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For five days in late October 1948, a toxic smog encased the town of Donora Pa, sickening nearly half the population and killing around 20 people. The industrial mill complex that, for years, belched toxic smoke into the air, claimed it was an act of God. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly examine the worst air pollution crisis to hit the United States and recognize the current assault on clear air today.

Cite your sources:

Baranauskas, Liam. “The Historically Hazy Story of Donora's Deadly Smog.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 29 Nov. 2017, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/donora-smog-1948.

Boissoneault, Lorraine. “The Deadly Donora Smog of 1948 Spurred Environmental Protection-But Have We Forgotten the Lesson?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 26 Oct. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deadly-donora-smog-1948-spurred-environmental-protection-have-we-forgotten-lesson-180970533/.

Brown, Matthew. “Trump Rolls Back Pollution Rules for Drilling on U.S. Lands.” Billings Gazette, 18 Sept. 2018, billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/trump-rolls-back-pollution-rules-for-drilling-on-u-s/article_e2137294-a8ab-564e-a103-edb761904145.html.

Charlton, Brian. “Donora 1948 Air Quality Crisis.” American History TV. The Donora Smog Disaster, 3 Nov. 2018, Pittsburgh, www.c-span.org/video/?321395-1/discussion-1948-donora-air-quality-crisis.

Davis, Devra Lee. When Smoke Ran like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and the Battle against Pollution. Basic Books, 2004.

“Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum.” Google Sites, www.sites.google.com/site/donorahistoricalsociety/.

“EDITORIAL: Affordable Clean Energy Rule Isn't Clean at All.” Observer-Reporter, 26 Aug. 2018, observer-reporter.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-affordable-clean-energy-rule-isn-t-clean-at-all/article_8e5d0660-a555-11e8-8249-eb5c4d0ddb7f.html.

Friedman, Lisa. “Cost of New E.P.A. Coal Rules: Up to 1,400 More Deaths a Year.” The New York Times, 21 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/climate/epa-coal-pollution-deaths.html.

Hamill, Sean. “Unveiling a Museum, a Pennsylvania Town Remembers a Smog That Killed 20.” The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/us/02smog.html.

Roueche, Barton. “The Fog.” The New Yorker, 30 Sept. 1950, p. 33, www.newyorker.com/magazine/1950/09/30/the-fog.

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Strange Country Ep. 67: Viola Drath and Albrecht Muth

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Viola Drath and Albrecht Muth's union was labeled "The Worst Marriage in Georgetown" in a NYT magazine article, written a a year after Drath's lifeless body was found by Muth on their bathroom floor. At first Drath's death wasn't considered suspicious. She was 91 after all, soon the house of cards Muth so carefully constructed came crashing down. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly explore this unlikely couple and muse abut the nature of identity.

Cite your sources:

Alexander, Keith L. “Albrecht Muth, 49, Convicted of Murder in Death of Socialite Wife Viola Drath, 91.” The Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2014, 2014/01/16/5a942d9e-7ecd-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html?utm_term=.47bbb1f5750c.

Alexander, Keith L. “Albrecht Muth Hospitalized, in Critical Condition, Following Hunger Strike.” The Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2013, www.washingtonpost.com/local/albrecht-muth-hospitalized-in-critical-condition-following-hunger-strike/2013/02/01/02e06610-6cbf-11e2-ada0-5ca5fa7ebe79_story.html?utm_term=.0a5280d91e5e.

Alexander, Keith L. “Albrecht Muth Ordered Held in Wife’s Death after Bombing Allegations Surface.” The Washington Post, 9 Sept. 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/local/albrecht-muth-ordered-held-in-wifes-death-after-bombing-allegations-surface/2011/09/09/gIQAfdR3FK_story.html?utm_term=.23362d1c1520.

Alexander, Keith L. “Albrecht Muth Resumes Eating, Returned to Jail.” The Washington Post, 7 May 2013, www.washingtonpost.com/local/albrecht-muth-resumes-eating-returned-to-jail/2013/05/07/29f02e64-b749-11e2-b94c-b684dda07add_story.html?utm_term=.fad3b425e185.

Alexander, Keith L. “Albrecht Muth Sentenced to 50 Years in 2011 Slaying of His Socialite Wife, Viola Drath.” The Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2014, www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/albrecht-muth-sentence-to-50-years-in-2011-slaying-of-georgetown-wife-viola-drath/2014/04/30/2c358b1e-d06c-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html?utm_term=.225ce54f0902.

Alexander, Keith L. “Albrecht Muth, Weak from Hunger Strike, Is Ruled Competent for Murder Trial.” The Washington Post, 5 Sept. 2012, www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/albrecht-muth-weak-from-hunger-strike-is-ruled-competent-for-murder-trial/2012/09/05/8c8af5a8-f774-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_story.html?utm_term=.0dd0d15df421.

Alexander, Keith L. “Trial of Albrecht Muth, Accused of Killing Georgetown Socialite Wife Drath, Set to Start.” The Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2014, www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/trial-of-albrecht-muth-accused-of-killing-georgetown-socialite-wife-drath-set-to-start/2014/01/05/88e0ed40-7496-11e3-8b3f-b1666705ca3b_story.html?utm_term=.0dd3ce348f91.

Amico, Laura. “Albrecht Muth Charging Documents.” DocumentCloud, www.documentcloud.org/documents/232961-muth.html.

Basaraba, Sharon, and Richard N. Fogoros. “Reasons Why Elderly People May Fall.” Verywell Health, 21 Aug. 2018, www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-older-people-fall-2224159.

D.C., Homicide Watch. “At Trial, Drath's Daughter Says Muth Pressured Mother for Money.” Homicide Watch DC, homicidewatch.org/2014/01/13/at-trial-daughter-says-muth-pressured-drath-for-money/.

Donnelly, Grace. “Here's Why Life Expectancy in the U.S. Dropped Again This Year.” Fortune, 9 Feb. 2018, fortune.com/2018/02/09/us-life-expectancy-dropped-again/.

Foer, Franklin. “The Worst Marriage in Georgetown.” The New York Times Magazine, 6 July 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/magazine/albrecht-muth-and-viola-drath-georgetowns-worst-marriage.html.

Joynt, Carol. “Washington Social Diary.” New York Social Diary, 17 Aug. 2011, www.newyorksocialdiary.com/across-the-nationacross-the-world/2011/washington-social-diary-31.

Joynt, Carol. “Washington Social Diary: It's a Horror Story.” New York Social Diary, 11 May 2015, www.newyorksocialdiary.com/across-the-nationacross-the-world/2015/washington-social-diary-its-a-horror-story.

Martin, Adam. “The Odd Behavior of a Husband Arrested for a D.C. Socialite's Murder.” The Atlantic, 17 Aug. 2011, www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/08/unfortunate-behavior-husband-arrested-dc-socialites-murder/354256/.

McElwaine, Sandra. “Socialite Murder: Viola Drath and Albrecht Muth's Tumultuous Marriage.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 8 Sept. 2011, www.thedailybeast.com/socialite-murder-viola-drath-and-albrecht-muths-tumultuous-marriage.

Stanley-Becker, Issac. “A 69-Year-Old Man Asks to Be Declared 49, Claiming Age Is as Fluid as Gender.” The Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/08/year-old-man-asks-be-declared-claiming-age-is-fluid-gender/?utm_term=.8376fa922826.

White, Josh. “Profile of Dead Washington Socialite Viola Drath.” The Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2012, www.washingtonpost.com/local/profile-of-dead-washington-socialite-viola-drath/2011/12/06/gIQAmYQrUP_story.html?utm_term=.ab3d57ea969c.

White, Josh, and Alison Klein. “Viola Drath, Slain Georgetown Woman, Had Sought Protection from Husband, Documents Show.” The Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/local/viola-drath-slain-georgetown-woman-had-sought-protection-from-husband-documents-show/2011/08/15/gIQAEb16HJ_story.html?utm_term=.2943ee4274da.

White, Josh, et al. “Viola Drath’s Husband Forged Inheritance Document, Court Papers Say.” The Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/local/viola-draths-husband-forged-inheritance-document-court-papers-say/2011/08/17/gIQAS11KMJ_story.html?utm_term=.ff4815047b84.

White, Josh, et al. “Viola Drath’s Husband, Muth, Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Her Killing.” The Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/local/viola-draths-husband-muth-charged-with-second-degree-murder-in-her-killing/2011/08/16/gIQAJn3HKJ_story.html?utm_term=.df7adf323b08.

Williams, Clarence, and Jenna Johnson. “Viola Drath's Death Investigated as a Homicide.” The Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/local/viola-draths-death-investigated-as-homicide/2011/08/14/gIQAFoCcFJ_story.html?utm_term=.6112ab0a330b.

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Strange Country Ep. 66: Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound

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Lydia Pinkham was one of the most recognizable women of the 1800's. Her visage peered from the boxes of Vegetable Compound she created to cure female troubles. She was also one of the first women to experience the trolling of men who took great pains to criticize her hair, her smile, her existence. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss patent medicines, advertising's impact on women's roles and the joys of premenopausal life.

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Strange Country Ep. 65: Cemetery Picnics

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Would you like some gravestones with your potato salad? In the late 19th century, many people did opting, to picnic in the cemetery at the foot of a loved one's gravesite. Unlike today, America did not have many parks designed for recreational purposes so cemeteries were the thing. Strange Country co-hosts Kelly and Beth explore the past's connection to death and talk about general connections we try to make with one another.

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Strange Country Ep. 64: Amityville and Other Hauntings

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The Lutz family spent 28 days at 112 Ocean Drive before fleeing in terror. Was it evil spirits or a money-making opportunity? Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly get in the Halloween spirit by discussing two famous haunted houses--Amityville and the Phelps mansion. This episode will definitely leave you asking: Do you smell what I'm cooking?

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Strange Country Ep. 63: Damnation Island

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Those considered insane, poor, sick, and criminal were committed to Blackwell Island. It was designed to help, to be a safe haven, but became a nightmare. Strange Country co-hosts Kelly and Beth dive into the conditions at Blackwell and talk about gratitude. While things are bleak now at least we don't have to bathe in other people's syphilis sores.

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Strange Country Ep. 62: Heaven's Gate

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Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Nettles believed they were heavenly messengers sent from outer space to Earth to recruit humans and help them reach the next Evolutionary Level. For two decades, a handful of converts followed the teachings and worked on shedding their humannesses until they eventually shed their "containers" in a mass suicide in March 1997.

Cite your sources

“'95 Statement by an E.T. Presently Incarnate.” Heaven's Gate - How and When It May Be Entered, www.heavensgate.com/misc/95upd96.htm.

Feinberg, Ashley. “The Online Legacy of a Suicide Cult and the Webmasters Who Stayed Behind.” Gizmodo, Gizmodo.com, 5 Jan. 2015, gizmodo.com/the-online-legacy-of-a-suicide-cult-and-the-webmasters-1617403237.

Fisher, Marc, and Sue Ann Pressley. “Crisis of Sexuality Launched Strange Journey.” The Washington Post, 29 Mar. 1997, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/03/29/crisis-of-sexuality-launched-strange-journey/3709d9ff-51ee-4f50-a9cd-a45525d7ad8f/?utm_term=.29280808a359.

Genoni, Thomas G. “Art Bell, Heaven's Gate, and Journalistic Integrity.” CSI, 1997, www.csicop.org/si/show/art_bell_heavenrsquos_gate_and_journalistic_integrity.

Hafford, Michael. “Heaven’s Gate 20 Years Later: 10 Things You Didn’t Know.” Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2017, www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/heavens-gate-20-years-later-10-things-you-didnt-know-114563/.

“Inside Story: Heaven’s Gate Cult.” BBC One, BBC, 6 Aug. 1997, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00h1nt7.

Myers, Sergio, director. Heaven's Gate: The Untold Story. UFOTV, www.amazon.com/Heavens-Gate-Untold-Marshall-Applewhite/dp/B071XNRVKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534795461&sr=8-1&keywords=heaven's gate the untold story.

Phelan, James S. “Looking for: The Next World.” The New York Times Magazine, 29 Feb. 1976, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/national/mag.html.

Purdum, Todd S. “Former Heaven's Gate Member Commits Suicide.” The New York Times, 7 May 1997, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/national/050797heavens-gate.html.

Rainey, James. “The Cult in Hindsight : Diamond Bar Woman Recalls Group's Beginning and the Unease That Turned Into a Crusade Against It.” Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 1997, articles.latimes.com/1997-03-30/news/mn-43687_1_diamond-bar.

Steinberg, Jacques. “From Religious Childhood to Reins of a U.F.O. Cult.” The New York Times, 29 Mar. 1997, www.nytimes.com/1997/03/29/us/from-religious-childhood-to-reins-of-a-ufo-cult.html.

“Suicide Cult's Possessions Auctioned Off.” The New York Times, 22 Nov. 1999, www.nytimes.com/1999/11/22/us/suicide-cult-s-possessions-auctioned-off.html.

Zeller, Benjamin E. “Anatomy of a Mass Suicide: The Dark, Twisted Story behind a UFO Death Cult.” Salon, Salon.com, 15 Nov. 2014, www.salon.com/2014/11/15/anatomy_of_a_mass_suicide_the_dark_twisted_story_behind_a_ufo_death_cult/.

Zeller, Benjamin E. Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion. NYU Press, 2014.

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Strange Country Ep. 61: Joseph Smith, the Live Show at APT

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Strange Country's second-ever live show features Mormon founder Joseph Smith and his seer stone and many wives. Learn about Missouri's hidden secret and Smith's last moments before being murdered by an angry mob. Thanks to Auburn Public Theater for hosting us.

Cite your sources

Green, Emma. “Mormons Once Aspired to Be a 'White and Delightsome' People.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Sept. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/mormons-race-max-perry-mueller/539994/.

Krakauer, Jon. Under the Banner of Heaven: a Story of Violent Faith. Pan Books, 2011.

Maza, Cristina. “Mormons Are Baptizing the Kardashians and Holocaust Victims after They Die.” Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2017, www.newsweek.com/mormons-baptizing-holocaust-victims-kardashians-joe-biden-marilyn-monroe-death-756702.

“Smithsonian Statement Regarding The Book of Mormon.” Brigham Young's Wives and His Divorce From Ann Eliza Webb, www.utlm.org/onlineresources/smithsonianletter2.htm.

Turner, John G. “Why Race Is Still a Problem for Mormons.” The New York Times, 18 Aug. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/racism-and-the-mormon-church.html.

“What Does It Really Mean to Be a ‘White and Delightsome’ People?” LDS Living, 17 June 2016, www.ldsliving.com/What-Does-It-Really-Mean-to-Be-a-White-and-Delightsome-People/s/81621.

Whitney, Helen, director. The Mormons. The Mormons, Frontline and PBS, www.pbs.org/video/frontline-the-mormons-part-one/.

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Strange Country Ep. 60: Holy Rollers

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Edmund Creffield was the second coming of Christ or at least that's what he told his followers in 1903. He would whip them into such a frenzy that they would roll for hours on the floor. They left their families. They burned their furniture. They annoyed their neighbors. What was Creffield's draw? Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly explore this odd cult from the west coast.

Cite your sources.

McCracken, Theresa. “Edmund Creffield and the Brides of Christ Church.” The Oregon Encyclopedia, 17 Mar. 2018, oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/creffield_edmund_and_the_brides_of_christ_church/#.W3HnqJNKhmA.

McCracken, T., and Robert B. Blodgett. Holy Rollers: Murder and Madness in Oregon's Love Cult. BookBaby, 2013.

“Salvation Army Founded.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/salvation-army-founded.

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Strange Country Ep. 59: The Osage Murders

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Strange Country Ep. 58: Kitty Genovese

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The murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964 became the story of urban apathy, but did 38 neighbors really standby and watch the young woman get brutally murdered? In ep. 58 of Strange Country, co-hosts Beth and Kelly explore this horrific crime and Kelly considers becoming a police officer.

Cite your sources:

Gansberg, Martin. “37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police.” The New York Times, 27 Mar. 1964, www.nytimes.com/1964/03/27/archives/37-who-saw-murder-didnt-call-the-police-apathy-at-stabbing-of.html.

Haberman, Clyde. “Remembering Kitty Genovese.” The New York Times, 10 Apr. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/04/11/us/remembering-kitty-genovese.html.

Lemann, Nicholas. “A Call for Help.” The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2014, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/03/10/a-call-for-help.

McFadden, Robert D. “Winston Moseley, Who Killed Kitty Genovese, Dies in Prison at 81.” The New York Times, 4 Apr. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/nyregion/winston-moseley-81-killer-of-kitty-genovese-dies-in-prison.html.

Phillips, Craig. “Filmmaker James Solomon Peels Back the Mythology of the Kitty Genovese Story.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 20 Jan. 2017, www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/filmmaker-james-solomon-witness/.

Merry, Stephanie. “Her Shocking Murder Became the Stuff of Legend. But Everyone Got the Story Wrong.” The Washington Post, 29 June 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/her-shocking-murder-became-the-stuff-of-legend-but-everyone-got-the-story-wrong/2016/06/29/544916d8-3952-11e6-9ccd-d6005beac8b3_story.html?utm_term=.eaeda06e041b.

“A New Look at the Killing of Kitty Genovese: The Science of False Confessions.” Association for Psychological Science, 30 June 2017, www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/observer/obsonline/a-new-look-at-the-killing-of-kitty-genovese-the-science-of-false-confessions.html.

Rasenberger, Jim. “Kitty, 40 Years Later.” The New York Times, 8 Feb. 2004, www.nytimes.com/2004/02/08/nyregion/kitty-40-years-later.html.

Rasenberger, Jim. “Kitty Genovese: The Myth, the Truth ... And Me.” History News Network, 1 May 2016, historynewsnetwork.org/article/162664.

Solomon, James, director. The Witness. The Witness, Five More Minutes, 2015.

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Strange Country Ep. 57: The American Plan

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The American Plan sounds super American like apple pie and wealth inequality, but it's really about locking up women suspected of having STDs. Without due process. And with forcible gynecological exams. Strange Country explores the phenomenal story unearthed by Scott Stern in his book The Trials of Nina McCall. Get ready to get angry.

Cite Your Sources:

Fard, Maggie Fazeli. “Sandra Fluke, Georgetown Student Called a ‘Slut’ by Rush Limbaugh, Speaks Out.” The Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2012, www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-buzz/post/rush-limbaugh-calls-georgetown-student-sandra-fluke-a-slut-for-advocating-contraception/2012/03/02/gIQAvjfSmR_blog.html?utm_term=.e8377fd2b5a1.

Gwynne, Kristen. “10 Completely Vile Things Rick Santorum Has Said.” Rolling Stone, 28 May 2015, www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/10-completely-vile-things-rick-santorum-has-said-169555/.

Kelly, Kim. “A Forgotten War on Women.” The New Republic, 22 May 2018, newrepublic.com/article/148493/forgotten-war-women.

Madison, Lucy. “Foster Friess: In My Day, Women ‘Used Bayer Aspirin for Contraceptives.’” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 17 Feb. 2012, www.cbsnews.com/news/foster-friess-in-my-day-women-used-bayer-aspirin-for-contraceptives/.

Stern, Scott W. The Trials of Nina McCall: Sex, Surveillance, and the Decades-Long Government Plan to Imprison "Promiscuous" Women. Beacon Press, 2018.

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Strange Country Ep. 56: Greenbrier Ghost

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The story of Greenbrier Ghost may put you in an everlasting faint, but that's way better than worm fever. Elva Zona Heaster married a bad man, but got her justice in the end thanks to the tenacity of her mother. Tune into Strange Country Ep. 56 to hear the story of the only time a ghost helped convict a murderer.

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Strange Country Ep. 55: Stanford Prison Experiment

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Are we defined by the social roles we assume and the circumstances we find ourselves in? Stanford Psychologist Philip Zimbardo thinks so after witnessing college students degrade other students in a prison simulation in August. 1971. The Stanford Prison Experiment is not without its controversy, which Strange Country discusses in Ep. 55. Co-host Beth also admits a dark secret from her past.

Cite Your Sources:

5 Psychology Experiments You Couldn't Do Today, Scishow, 11 Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ3l1jgmYrY.

“Adolf Eichmann.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007412.

Baker, Peter C. “Electric Shock: Did Stanley Milgram's Famous Obedience Experiments Prove Anything?” Pacific Standard, 10 Sept. 2013, psmag.com/social-justice/electric-schlock-65377.

Blum, Ben. “The Lifespan of a Lie – Trust Issues – Medium.” Medium, Augmenting Humanity, 6 7 June 2018, medium.com/s/trustissues/the-lifespan-of-a-lie-d869212b1f62.

Carey, Benedict. “Psychology Itself Is Under Scrutiny.” The New York Times, 16 July 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/07/16/health/psychology-studies-stanford-prison.html?action=click&module=Ribbon&pgtype=Article.

Garber, Megan. “Why We Prefer Masculine Voices (Even in Women).” The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2012, www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/12/why-we-prefer-masculine-voices-even-in-women/266350/.

“Interview with Carlo Prescott.” The Stanford Prison Experiment, 11 July 2018, static1.squarespace.com/static/557a07d5e4b05fe7bf112c19/t/5b4e1da2575d1f08e7b1304b/1531846050337/PrescottInterview2018-07-11.pdf.

Mcleod, Saul. “Milgram Experiment.” Simply Psychology, Simply Psychology, 5 Feb. 2017, www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html.

Prescott, Carlo. “The Lie of the Stanford Prison Experiment.” The Stanford Daily, 28 Apr. 2005, stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford20050428-01.2.24&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------.

Resnick, Brian. “The ‘Marshmallow Test’ Said Patience Was a Key to Success. A New Replication Tells Us S'more.” Vox, Vox, 6 June 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/6/17413000/marshmallow-test-replication-mischel-psychology.

Resnick, Brian. “Philip Zimbardo Defends the Stanford Prison Experiment, His Most Famous Work.” Vox, Vox, 28 June 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/28/17509470/stanford-prison-experiment-zimbardo-interview.

The Untold Truth of the Stanford Prison Experiment, Grunge, 8 Dec. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsWJPNhLCUU.

Weber, Paul J. “'Mad Men' Star Hamm Was Accused in Violent Fraternity Hazing.” The Associated Press, 10 Apr. 2015, apnews.com/0500cba41cfe452d92bd36a05d66db24/mad-men-star-hamm-was-accused-violent-fraternity-hazing.

Winkie, Luke. “The Myers-Briggs Personality Test Is Bullshit.” Vice, Vice, 15 Sept. 2017, www.vice.com/en_us/article/bjv8y5/the-myers-briggs-personality-test-bullshit.

“Zimbardo Blames Military Brass for Abu Ghraib Torture.” Chapter 6. Consumer Buying Behavior Notes, www1.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2006/dec/zimbardo120705.html.

Zimbardo, Philip. “Philip Zimbardo's Response to Recent Criticisms of the Stanford Prison Experiment.” Stanford Prison Experiment, 23 June 2018, www.prisonexp.org/response.

Zimbardo, Philip. Quiet Rage, 1992, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIUlBrvqyyo&t=1670s.

Zimbardo, Philip. “Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment: A Lesson in the Power of Situation.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 30 Mar. 2007, www.chronicle.com/article/Revisiting-the-Stanford-Prison/9676.

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Strange Country Ep. 54: PTL

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Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker formed PTL in the 1970s. They were beamed into millions of homes telling viewers that they could pray their way to materialistic paradise and double their money by donating to PTL. Then it all started to crumble like the powder foundation shellacked onto Tammy Faye's face. Join Strange Country on its one-year anniversary and donate if you love Jesus.

Cite your sources:

Carter, Heath W. “The Cautionary Tale of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.” Christianity Today, 19 Sept. 2017, www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/september-web-only/cautionary-tale-of-jim-and-tammy-faye-bakker.html.

Funk, Tim. “Fallen PTL Preacher Jim Bakker Is Back with a New Message about the Apocalypse.” The Charlotte Observer, 2018, www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article200297074.html.

Funk, Tim. “Jessica Hahn, Woman at Center of Televangelist’s Fall 30 Years Ago, Confronts Her Past.” The Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2017, www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article189940794.html.

Himmelsbach, Erik. “The Me Decade.” Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2006, articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/08/books/bk-himmelsbach8.

Kurtzman, Daniel. “Pat Robertson's 10 Most Ridiculous Quotes Ever.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/stupid-pat-robertson-quotes-2734325.

McKinney, Kelsey. “The Second Coming Of Televangelist Jim Bakker.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed, 19 May 2017, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kelseymckinney/second-coming-of-televangelist-jim-bakker.

“Religions - Christianity: Pentecostalism.” BBC, BBC, 2 July 2009, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/pentecostal_1.shtml.

Stetzer, Ed. “Understanding the Charismatic Movement.” Christian History | Learn the History of Christianity & the Church, Christianity Today, www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/october/charismatic-renewal-movement.html.

Wigger, John H. PTL: the Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakkers Evangelical Empire. Oxford University Press, 2017.

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Strange Country Ep. 53: Bohemian Grove

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The Bohemian Grove is where the rich, powerful, mainly white dudes go to unwind, drink and pee on the glorious Redwoods that they would likely chop down just cuz they can. This has been happening every summer for nearly 150 years. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly speculate what these masters of the universe may be up to since no women are allowed, and make plans to bring their DEFT truck there next summer.

Sources:

Flock, Elizabeth. “Bohemian Grove: Where the Rich and Powerful Go to Misbehave.” The Washington Post, 15 June 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/bohemian-grove-where-the-rich-and-powerful-go-to-misbehave/2011/06/15/AGPV1sVH_blog.html?utm_term=.3196c5a24d65.

Guy, Peter. “The Fatuous Folly of the Super Rich and Their Plans to Escape the Apocalypse in New Zealand.” South China Morning Post, 18 Feb. 2018, www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2133724/fatuous-folly-super-rich-and-their-plans-escape-apocalypse.

Ingraham, Christopher. “The Richest 1 Percent Now Owns More of the Country’s Wealth than at Any Time in the Past 50 Years.” The Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/06/the-richest-1-percent-now-owns-more-of-the-countrys-wealth-than-at-any-time-in-the-past-50-years/?utm_term=.2ebb43e94b48.

Loudenback, Tanza. “The World's Richest People Spend $234 Billion a Year on Luxury Goods - Here's How Much They Spend on Yachts, Private Jets, Wine, and Clothes.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 1 Mar. 2018, www.businessinsider.com/rich-people-spending-on-travel-private-jets-clothes-cars-2018-2.

MacLellan, Lila. “Science Proves Rich People Don't Really Notice You-or Your Problems.” Quartz, Quartz, 23 Oct. 2016, qz.com/816188/science-shows-the-richer-you-get-the-less-you-pay-attention-to-other-people/.

Mearhoff, Jeff. “Mississippi close to having most-Restrictive abortion law.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 8 Mar. 2018, abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/mississippi-test-state-restrict-abortion-53601798

Santos, Danny F. “15 Weird Habits Of The Super Rich And/Or Famous.” Theclever, Theclever, 6 Apr. 2017, www.theclever.com/15-weird-habits-of-the-super-rich-andor-famous/.

Saunders, Debra J. “Bohemian Grove: Men Only.” San Francsico Chronicle, 10 July 2011, www.sfgate.com/opinion/saunders/article/Bohemian-Grove-men-only-2355089.php.

“State Facts About Abortion: Georgia.” Guttmacher Institute, 5 Jan. 2018, www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-georgia.

Weiner, Sophie. “My Summer Job at the Bohemian Grove, Serving Milkshakes to the Shitfaced Global Elite.” Gawker, gawker.com/my-summer-job-at-the-bohemian-grove-serving-milkshakes-1763551409.

Weiss, Philip. “Masters of the Universe Go to Camp: Inside Bohemian Grove.” Spy, Nov. 1989, pp. 59–76, whorulesamerica.ucsc.edu/power/bohemian_grove_spy.html.

Williamson, Elizabeth. “Truth in a Post-Truth Era: Sandy Hook Families Sue Alex Jones, Conspiracy Theorist.” The New York Times, 23 May 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/us/politics/alex-jones-trump-sandy-hook.html.

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Strange Country Ep. 52: Mothman

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Is it a bird? A demon? An alien? Most likely a bird. Definitely looks more like a bird than a moth. The Mothman haunted the small town of Point Pleasant, West Va., for a year in 1966. It’s got a little of everything in it--UFOs, mythical, stuff, Native-American history, campy tales, a fallen bridge, death, and mystery all tied into one. Tune into Strange Country Ep. 52.

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Strange Country Ep. 51: Linda Hazzard

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Dr. Linda Hazzard was the only licensed fasting specialist in the state of Washington. Her methods caught the eye of two English sisters Claire and Dora Williamson. They decided to give Dr. Hazzard’s cure a try. By May 1911 Claire will be dead and Dora very near to following her to the grave. Strange Country Ep. 51 dives into the strange world of Starvation Heights.

Cite your sources:

Baurick, Tristan. “Olalla's 'Starvation Heights' Still Causes Chills after a Century.” Kitsap Sun, 30 Dec. 2014, archive.kitsapsun.com/news/local/olallas-starvation-heights-still-causes-chills-after-a-century-ep-418381772-357167181.html.

“Hazzard, Linda Burfield (1867-1938): Fasting Proponent and Killer.” Supreme Court Affirms Limited Right to Abortion in Roe v. Wade Case, Superseding Washington State Law, on January 22, 1973. - HistoryLink.org, www.historylink.org/File/7955.

“Linda Hazzard: The ‘Starvation Doctor.’” Medical Bag, 15 June 2016, www.medicalbag.com/despicable-doctors/linda-hazzard-the-starvation-doctor/article/472439/.

Lovejoy, Bess. “The Doctor Who Starved Her Patients to Death.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 28 Oct. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/doctor-who-starved-her-patients-death-180953158/.

Olsen, Gregg. Starvation Heights. Three Rivers Press, 2005.

Shea, Molly. “How Celebs Are Tricking You into BS Wellness Fads.” New York Post, 13 June 2017, nypost.com/2017/06/13/how-celebs-are-tricking-you-into-bs-wellness-fads/.

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Strange Country Ep. 50: AC/DC Live Show at Auburn Public Theater

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Strange Country's first-ever live show features the War of the Currents, Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse's fight for electric domination. One of its major battles took place in Auburn, NY over which current would power the first electrocution. Thanks to Auburn Public Theater for hosting us.

Cite Your Sources:

Barry, Dan. “A Specter of Past Executions Resurfaces in Tennesee.” The New York Times, 23 May 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/us/a-specter-of-past-executions-resurfaces-in-tennessee.html.

Brandon, Craig. The Electric Chair: an Unnatural American History. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2009.

Clary, Mike. “Bloody Florida Execution Spurs Questions.” Los Angeles Times, 9 July 1999, articles.latimes.com/1999/jul/09/news/mn-54315.

Clendinen, Dudley. “Editorial Observer; The Long Search for a Civilized Way to Kill.” The New York Times, 7 Nov. 1999, www.nytimes.com/1999/11/07/opinion/editorial-observer-the-long-search-for-a-civilized-way-to-kill.html.

Collins, Jeffrey. “South Carolina Senate Empowers State to Use Electric Chair.” U.S. News & World Report, 7 Mar. 2018, www.usnews.com/news/best-states/south-carolina/articles/2018-03-07/south-carolina-senate-approves-electric-chair-for-executions.

“First Execution by Electric Chair.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-execution-by-electric-chair.

Galvin, Anthony. Old Sparky: the Electric Chair and the History of the Death Penalty. Carrel Books, 2015.

Gurstelle, William. “The Most Gruesome Government Report Ever Written Evaluates 34 Ways to Execute a Man.” Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2017, www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a25689/gerry-commission-report-methods-of-execution/.

King, Gilbert. “Cruel and Unusual History.” The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/opinion/23king.html.

King, Gilbert. “Edison vs. Westinghouse: A Shocking Rivalry.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 11 Oct. 2011, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/edison-vs-westinghouse-a-shocking-rivalry-102146036/.

“The Last Electrocution.” The New York Times, 2005, www.nytimes.com/1995/03/07/nyregion/the-last-electrocution.html.

Long, Tony. “Aug. 6, 1890: Kemmler First to Ride 'The LIghtning'.” Wired, 5 Aug. 2008, www.wired.com/2008/08/aug-6-1890-kemmler-first-to-ride-the-lightning/.

“Methods of Execution.” Battle Scars: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center, deathpenaltyinfo.org/methods-execution.

Newman, Andy. “BLOGOSPHERE A DARK MOMENT; The Last Man Hanged by New York State: Was He Guilty?” The New York Times, 6 Dec. 2009, archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9D01E7DB1531F935A35751C1A96F9C8B63.html.