Sofa King Podcast

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-cona

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://snl.jt.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Michaels https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/harry-shearer-interview-simpsons-spinal-tap-b2456903.html https://www.mentalfloss.com/article

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.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/mary-kay-letourneau-may-december-true-story-1234918355/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/obituaries/mary-kay-letourneau-dead.html https://www.crimelibrary.org/criminal_mind/p

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/de

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-n

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/stor

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-p

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most unique visionaries in all of Hollywood, Tim Burton. It’s hard to even start with his biggest hit since there are so many—Batman, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. His movies aren’t just financial blockbusters, they are cult favorites, adored by millions. His visual style, animation, and soundtracks are just as iconic as some of his characters. Come along as we take a look inside the mind of a maestro.     Visit our Sources: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/bio/ https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/tim-burton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Burton https://www.ranker.com/list/fascinating-facts-about-tim-burton/collin-flatt https://vocal.media/geeks/25-facts-about-tim-burton-and-some-of-his-movies https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/directors/tim-burton-net-worth/ https://chrislacy1990.medium.com/revisiting-princes-batman-1989-retrospective-tribute-ed09e692be02#:~:text=While

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the ultimate brain baller, Archimedes. He was born in 287 BC, but he was a genius the likes of which the world has seldom known. The cool stuff was his machines. He created giant claws that could scoop attacking ships out of the sea, advanced catapults, ballista that could throw whole trees, and allegedly a heat ray that set ships on fire, as well as the world’s first analog computer. But his real genius was in mathematics. He is said to be one of the all-time greats, a thousand years or more ahead of his time. The inventions and discoveries of Archimedes make him one of the smartest humans in the history of the species.   Visit Our Sources: http://archimedespalimpsest.org/about/history/archimedes.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v86Yk14rf8 https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/archimedes-archimedes https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/archimedes-ancient-greek-genius-ahead-his

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we go back in time to a story of murder, voodoo, torture, and sex. This is the story of Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall. The year is 1820, and an 18 year old Annie marries the wealthy owner of Rose Hall. However, he is abusive to her, and she learned dark voodoo from her nanny, so he’s killed with a mix of poison and dark magic. From there she goes off the rails, killing more hubbies, having sex with slaves, torturing people, and being a medieval-style crazy woman bent by dark magic and power. But, why do some skeptics say none of the story is true? What parts can history prove? Did she really kill slave babies just to use their bones in ritual? Who is the sorcerer Takoo, and how does he help in her undoing? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://medium.com/@karennordhus/annie-palmer-the-white-witch-of-rose-hall-81b434be4a2e https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Witch_of_Rose_Hall https://www.thepalmsjamaica.com/annie-palmer-white-w

On this bonus episode of everyone’s favorite sitcom, the guys celebrate shark week. Brent turns his pool into salt water, so he can buy a great white shark. Brad builds a shark cage to use in Brent’s pool, but cheap steel from Kerplunkistan puts his life in danger. Dave makes a killing when he buys out all the U.S. steel in town and replaces it with cheap steel from Kerplunkistan. Special Guest Star: The King of Flavor! If you can’t find this classic episode, you can always tune in at https://www.patreon.com/sofakingpodcast  

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the GOAT of late night television, Johnny Carson. At his height, he had the power to literally ask a comedian to stick around after a commercial break and make them overnight starts. David Letterman, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, and endless others claim that this single nod is what made their career. He single handedly changed late night programming into the format we recognize tonight. Carson was a brilliant comedian and show runner, though he did have some problems with liquor women. If you love classic comedy, give this one a listen!   Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/johnny-carson https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/richest-comedians/johnny-carson-net-worth/ https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/johnny-carson-foundation/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Do_You_Trust%3F https://www.purevolume.com/entertainment/secrets-from-

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast we talk about one of the strangest True Crime cases we’ve ever seen—the Phantom of Heilbronn. Also called “The Woman Without a Face,” this master criminal left DNA evidence at over 6 murders and 40 crime scenes spread over three countries. From the gang-style murder of an elite drug cop to DNA left on a toy gun at a small robbery, The Phantom was unstoppable. Her crimes led to a multinational manhunt. Why didn’t people already arrested for her crimes come forward with her identity? What was unique about the police officer's murder? Why did they think she used Heroin? What was the ultimate truth about this criminal mastermind who ran rampant across Europe? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.iso.org/news/2016/07/Ref2094.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_of_Heilbronn https://haubrichnoir.medium.com/tanzen-in-the-dark-the-phantom-of-heilbronn-1f4778e4ecdf https://www.iflscience.com/serial-killer-the-phantom-of-heilbronn-was-h

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Order of Odd Fellows. This fraternity slash secret society included Charlie Chaplin, Wyatt Earp, Ulysses S Grant, Charles Lindberg, and Franklin D Roosevelt. It was once larger than the Masons. Their goal was to expand friendship, love, and truth to all of humanities. They even acted as a form of insurance for each other before such a concept actually existed, but they had a funny way of doing things. For instance, starting in the 2000s, people all across America discovered dozens of skeletons hidden in abandoned Odd Fellow Lodges, and it turned out that this was a group that protected itself with odd rituals and cryptic codes.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Order_of_Odd_Fellows https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/633931/independent-order-odd-fellows-secret-society-skeletons https://odd-fellows.org/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ioof/comments/6hyyx4/my_great_great_grandfather_was_a_odd_fellow_left/ https://occult-wor

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the godfather of propaganda, Edward Bernays. Bernays was Sigmund Freud’s nephew, and stewing in that pot of mental manipulation made him a master of the craft. He started as a small-time editor and ended up toppling communist regimes alongside the CIA, getting women to smoke cigarettes, and making bacon a health food. He actually discussed a shadow government that ruled the world by mass manipulation of the populace, way back in the 1920s. He was a member of this shadow government, and even the Nazis learned their craft from him.   Visit Our Sources: https://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-mind-edward-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-44393 https://www.edology.com/blog/marketing/4-lessons-from-behavioural-science/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/12/consumer https://growth.me/books/propaganda/ https://www.npr.org/2011/02/10/133636541/the-business-of-color-compa

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the one and only Batman. That’s right, crime fighters! Batman has been a hallmark of American popular culture since he debuted in 1939. He’s gone from a murderer to a campy clown to a brooding teen and back again. His origin story is tragic, and his heroism is arguably a psychotic obsession, but something about the Dark Knight has captured our imagination. If you want to hear about how this gothic hero came to be, or you want to listen us debate which actor played the best Batman, download this one ASAP.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman https://www.superherostuff.com/biographies/batman_biography.html https://www.hendrix.edu/news/news.aspx?id=61460 https://screencrush.com/psychologist-diagnoses-the-batman/ https://comicvine.gamespot.com/profile/vipersixteen/blog/batman-is-not-crazy/156779/ https://www.ranker.com/list/batman-in-arkham-asylum-fan-theory/jonathan-kantor  

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about John Ashley. He was the head of the Ashley Gang and was said to rob 40 banks while becoming the head of Florida rum-running during prohibition. He got one of his eyes shot out by a member of his own gang, became the first pirate to attack American ships since it was a British colony, and had a feud with a one-legged sheriff who vowed to take Ashley's eye! His lover and wife, Laura Upthegrave, was just as devious as he was. Bonnie and Clyde got all the attention, but they couldn’t hold a candle to these two!   Visit Our Sources: Expedition Unknown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ashley_(bandit) https://indianrivermagazine.com/the-ashley-gang-what-really-happened/ https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/robberies/john-ashley/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Upthegrove https://indianrivermagazine.com/defiant-to-the-end/ https://www.flsheriffs.org/blog/entry/sheriff-bob-baker    

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we dive back in to the treasure trove of Artificial Intelligence with a talk on the state of A.I. (part 2). This time around, we talk about some of the newer events unfolding with AI. We cover the music being generated by AI, which uses the exact voice of actual singers. That’s going to be a legal mess, as will digital actors doing things they may not approve of. We also talk about the rights not just of humans but of AI itself—if it gets advanced enough, shouldn’t it have legal rights like any other sentient being? We cover that, the open letter to pause AI written by Future of Life Institute (and signed by Elon Musk, Seven Wozniak, and other tech badasses), and much much more!   Visit Our Sources: https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we explore the skies of the land down under and talk about the Westall '66 Encounter. Also called Melbourne 350, this is a strange UFO sighting. Why is it strange? Well because there were 350 witnesses including 5 local pilots from a flight club who were chasing it in the sky. It is also strange because all the reports sent to the government or the media seemed to have vanished, and there were straight up Men in Black on the scene within 30 minutes threatening students and teachers alike. President Johnson from the US even sent someone to investigate. After more than 50 years, most people who were witnesses are still reluctant to talk about what happened over Westall back in 1966. If you want to know what’s out there, give this one a listen!   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westall_UFO https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/ufo-westall-april-6-1966 https://www.9news.com.au/national/westall-ufo-could-pilots-could-hold-answers-to-mysterious

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the greatest authors and popular culture figures of all time, Kurt Vonnegut. With the release of his 1969 book Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut became an overnight sensation. He was something we lack today—a celebrity author who was witty enough to dominate late night and literary enough to be studied by scholars. One of the key moments of his life was being captured the Battle of the Bulge in WWII and then surviving the firebombing of Dresden. His life, his pain, his humor, and his madness, all play out in his wildly original novels, and hopefully we do him some justice with this little episode of ours. We might even laugh inappropriately as he would have wanted. So it goes ***     Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/writer/kurt-vonnegut https://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/biography/ https://www.famousauthors.org/kurt-vonnegut https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/kurt-vonnegut-slaugh