Villains of History

This week we cover pioneers of the Spiritualism craze, The Fox Sisters, with guest Taylor Hughes! Taylor is a former mega church pastor turned illusionist. He has a book called "Misdirection: A Magician's Guide to Spotting and Avoiding Manipulation in Your Life".

Comedian Alex Clark joins us to help tell the story of Kenneth Lay and the rise and fall of Enron. Check out Alex's youtube channel @itsalexclark

Today, Cat Alvarado tackles incel turned school shooter - Elliot Roger. While many blame his actions on mental illness, is there more to his rampage we should be talking about? With guest comedian Cyrus Naderpour.

New world order. Lizard people. Bilderberg group. Illuminati. Q-Anon. These conspiracies are based on "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion", an anti-semitic text that would have been forgotten by history if it weren't for Henry Ford. Yes, THE Henry Ford. This week, Cat is joined by guest co-host, David Robinson. Want to skip the biographical part and get straight to the conspiracy stuff? Skip the first 30 minutes.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Cat covers the life of the protagonist of the docuseries, Wild Wild Country, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Featuring Aaron Marsh from the podcast "Putting Up With Aaron Michael Marsh". See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For over two decades, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis stood in the way of baseball's integration. Join Cat & comedian Tom McClain as they dive into the frustrating story of Judge Landis, baseball's color line, and the inspiring Jackie Robinson. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode Cat explores the life of Keith Raniere, the infamous leader of NXIUM and the sex cult within the cult. Cat is joined by former presidential candidate, comedian Ben Gleib, creator of Idiottest! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you've ever eaten at a Yellow Deli, your pastrami sandwich might have been made by children in a cult called The 12 Tribes, led by Elbert Eugene Spriggs. Hear all about it with guest Isak Allen! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hugo Chavez - Saviour or tyrant? Dive into the life of Venezuela's feared yet revered former president with guests David Robinson and Eric Bustamante. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Cuba in the headlines, why not brush up on some Cuban history with this season 1 episode, Viva Cuba Libre, featuring comedian Jose Sarduy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jorge Rafael Videla, nicknamed "The Pink Panther", was responsible for the disappearance of over 15,000 Argentine citizens. Learn about about him with this week's guest, Morgan Jay. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode you'll learn about Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid in South Africa, along with guest comedian Jasmine Ellis. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is the second of two episodes on the infamous villain of the civil rights movement, Bull Connor, with guest Chip Nicholson. We also talk about Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail, and Chip's shocking experiences growing up in Alabama. Learn more about the Letter from a Birmingham Jail: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/letter-from-birmingham-jail/summary --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bull Connor was a real "piece of work" during the Civil Rights Era, and by that I mean he was awful.  Guest, Chip Nicholson, and I dive in to the life of Bull Connor and discuss the Civil Right Era and how it relates to the movements today in Part 1 of this two part episode. More about slavery in the cobalt mines.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we cover Belgium's King Leopold II.  Nicknamed "The Builder King", he was responsible for the maiming and starvations of millions of Congolese people.  His reign still affects the Congolese people today.  If you would like to donate to benefit people living in the Democratic Republic of Congo today, you can donate to Save the Children.  To learn more about ethical capitalism and learn about your favorite consumer brands, check out The Good Shopping Guide.  You can also check out Tyler Boeh's youtube channel here!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You may have heard of white nationalists provoking violence and rioting at the protests earlier this year. Who are these wackos?  In this episode we talk about the Boogaloo Boys, how they came to be, and the race war they hope to inspire.  Featuring Co-Host of The Bad Libs podcast, Brendan Woodruff. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is one of our heaviest.  We learn about the Rwandan Genocide and its financier, Félicien Kabuga.  We did our best to deliver the history in a way that respected the victims, while also attempting to lighten and break things up because it's a heavy topic.  This was one of the most difficult episodes for which to do that. Also, disclaimer, the episode contains some descriptions of graphic violence.   --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

French comedian, Noman Hosni, joins Cat Alvarado to tell the story of Maximillian Robespierre - which has some interesting commonalities with recent events in the US. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing, I'm re-airing "The Test Case", about a dictator who actually succeeded in outlawing abortion & birth control.  Find out what might actually happen in the US, if similar laws were enacted.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/supportSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vladmir Lenin was a Russian Revolutionary who's impact changed the course of the 20th Century. For the last episode of Season 2, Stephen Briggs (Netflix, Laff Mob's Laugh Tracks) joins to cover the story of Lenin and the Russian revolution.  Follow @VillainsofHistory and @theCatAlvarado on Instagram & Twitter, and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on Season 3! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/villainsofhistory/support