That's History, Babe!

The sad GENIUS of Eugene O'Neill

Thu, 21 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It’s not enough to be a deadbeat dad if you want to be an artist. You also have to be obsessed with the sea. This week, we take center stage and explore the life of storied American playwright Eugene O’Neill. Digging into his methods, inspirations, artistry, horrible family life, and dismal performance as a husband and father, we discover the visionary voice of this brooding genius, and learn that sometimes it pays to be sad! Tangents include but are not limited to mpreg, the illustrious city of Toronto, Charlie Chaplin being gross, and Flight starring Denzel Washington.

SOURCES:

Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part I

Eugene O'Neill - A Glory of Ghosts - Part II

The Hunted and the Haunted: Reflections on Eugene O'Neill with Dr. Gary Vena

The Gelbs on O'Neill - Charlie Rose

Tony Kushner on Eugene O'Neill - Library of America

Christopher Plummer as James Tyrone - Long Day's Journey into Night

Eugene O’Neill: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns, American Experience PBS

O’Neill: Life With Monte Cristo by Barabra & Arthur Gelb

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

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Bad Popes!

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Remember: just because you sit on the throne of Saint Peter doesn’t mean you can’t have a pet elephant or turn your palace into a brothel. This week, Jared and Abe plumb the depths of medieval history to explore the lurid, lascivious reigns of the un-holy men who led the Catholic Church. Yes, we’re talking about some BAD POPES. Tangents include but are not limited to Polish face, the snail-like Lombards, Julian Fellowes, and the ethical implications of sleeping with your friend’s older brother.

SOURCES

The Bad Popes by E.R. Chamberlin

“On Pornocracy” by Stefan Mattessich

“TV’s Young Pope Is Scandalous, But the Real Youngest Pope Has the 'Worst Reputation'” by Ashley Hoffman, TIME Magazine

Pope Leo X: The Most Extravagant Pope in History

The 1527 Sack of Rome

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Carrie A. Nation liked smashing up bars with a hatchet!

Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Sometimes when there’s a big problem no one wants to deal with, you gotta take matters into your own hands. Case in point: Carrie A. Nation; a devout woman, angry about alcohol, who started smashing up bars with a hatchet! In this episode, Abe and Jared dive deep into the life of Carrie Nation, aka Hatchet Granny, the fierce Temperance crusader and suffragist who’d had just about enough of this “alcohol” foolishness. Join us as we tell the story of this weapon-wielding diva, a tale that will make you ask “How pissed off do you have to be to set a barrel of whiskey on fire in the street?” Tangents include but are not limited to Beauregard Mercer IV esq., Lee Strasberg the first Methodist, and the feeling of the wind blowing through your bob.

Sources:

Prohibition: America on the Rocks (Lucasfilm, made by JAK Documentary, 2007)

The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A Nation by Carrie A Nation (1909)

Carry A. Nation: The Famous and Original Bar Room Smasher.” Kansas State Historical Society. http://www.kshs.org/exhibits/carry/carry1.htm

https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/carrie-amelia-moore-nation-2514/

“Hatchet Nation” by Mark Lawrence Schrad for Slate (2021)

Vessel of Wrath: The Life and Times of Carry Nation by Robert Lewis Taylor (1966)

https://www.wctu.org/history

She’s not a Christian! She’s tampering in dark-sided stuff!

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A Hairy History of Animal Celebrities

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Some people say dogs are man’s best friend, but we say there are dogs worthy of winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards. In this week’s episode, Jared and Abe grab their flea combs and diva into the hairy history of animal celebrities. From memes to movies and from the 1920s to the 2020s, we explore famous animals and what they tell us about ourselves. Tangents include but are not limited to The International Canine Semen Bank, projecting our fear of rejection onto baby zoo animals, and the ethics of giving your pet chimp wine and Xanax.

SOURCES

Life & Times Transcript of an interview with Alan Young, October 2007

Info on Air Bud and the bizarre stuff with his owner

Beethoven and the St Bernard

Beethoven

Koko the Gorilla

Crystal the Monkey in NY Mag

What happened with Travis the Chimpanzee

More Travis

Crystal PopSugar interview

“RIN TIN TIN” in Silent Stars (2000) by Jeanine Basinger

“What’s new pussycat? A genealogy of animal celebrity.” by John Blewitt (2013)

The saga of Lassie by Vernon Scott - Saturday Evening Post,10/3/1964

Animal Celebrities by David C Giles (2013)

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The Petticoat Affair and the scandalous Peggy Eaton

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Let’s face it: opinionated people can be polarizing. Jared knows it. Abe knows it. And Peggy Eaton – the 1820s political wife who brought the executive branch to a halt - definitely knew it too! In this episode, Jared and Abe take you back to the age of Andrew Jackson with the story of a scandal that paralyzed his presidency. Learn how snubs and sideways glances in the parlors of Washington, DC cost an entire cabinet their jobs and changed the course of American political history. Tangents include, but are not limited to, Charli XCX x Guy Fieri, the mail, and Mary from SLC marrying her grandpa.

SOURCES

Booknotes - C-SPAN | The Petticoat Affair by John Marszalek

The Jackson Era: Democracy and the Mob | The Cynical Historian

"One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals": Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair by Kristen E. Wood

Andrew Jackson: The American Franchise By Daniel Feller

The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House by John F. Marszalek

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Oh that's not....a history of THE VIEW

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Nineties television; a hellscape of trashy talk shows. Maury. Jerry. Sally. Ricki. But only one show remains on the airwaves to this day, arguably stronger now than it’s ever been: THE VIEW. In this episode, Jared and Abe explore the origins of TV’s last highly-rated daytime talk show. What made THE VIEW different from its competitors? Who still watches it and why? How does THE VIEW keep booking all these political guests? And why is Meaghan McCain the way she is? Tangents include, but are not limited to, Sean Connery, the difference between a shark and a sunfish, and Jared’s coaching advice to the Boston Celtics.

SOURCES

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Christina, Queen of Sweden: Lesbians win!!

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Don’t you hate when your girlfriend has a husband and you can’t hang with your philosopher bestie due to a silly little war about whether the church should slay or not? Christina of Sweden definitely did. Take a trip with us to 17th century Sweden, from Christina’s strange childhood and mommy issues to her ascension to the throne and blossoming desire to kiss her lady in waiting. Tangents include, but are not limited to, circumcision, Bunny the cat, and whether Jared is trying to steal Abe’s partner Sam.

SOURCES

Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-89) by Anchi Hoh (2016)

The Making of a Queen: The Education of Christina of Sweden by M.L. Clarke (1978)

Queen Christina, Lesbian Icon? On Sweden’s Delightfully Nonconformist Monarch by Eleanor Medhurst (2024)

The Afterlife of Christina of Sweden: Gender and Sexuality in Heritage and Fiction by Amy Saunders (2019)

https://www-jstor-org.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/stable/1395418?searchText=queen+christina+sweden&seq=1

https://youtu.be/6JDKEUqcjKA?si=eseHdwmOpzk81XgV

'A Girton Girl on a Throne': Queen Christina and Versions of Lesbianism, 1906-1933' by Sarah Waters (1994)

The Court of Christina of Sweden and the Later Adventures of the Queen in Exile by Francis Gribble (1913)

Christina of Sweden by Marguerite Horan Gowen (1944)

The Girl King, dir. Mika Kaurimaski (2015)

Queen Christina, dir. Rouben Mamoulian (1933)

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Close Encounters of the Gay Kind: A history of alien encounters

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Roswell. Hoax photos. Desert people. Racist and factually incorrect History Channel shows. What do all of these things have in common? Aliens. In this episode, Jared and Abe uncover the truth about the history of alien abductions, tackling tough questions such as: Where did this phenomenon come from? What is the first recorded alien abduction? What’s up with the probing? And most importantly, what the hell was going on in New Hampshire? Tangents include, but are not limited to, barefoot shoes, the jump scare from the movie E.T., and the medieval mentally ill.

SOURCES

Abduction, Surgery, and Madness: An Account of a Little Red Man in Thomas Walsingham's Chronica Maiora

They Know Us Better Than We Know Ourselves: The History and Politics of Alien Abduction (2007) by Bridget Brown

After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon by Greg Eghigian

Indeed They Have Invaded. Look Around.: POPULAR CULTURE New York Times (Online) New York Times Company. Jun 15, 1997 by Phil Patton

“When Did Alien Sightings Turn into Alien Abductions?”(2017) By Greg Eghigian

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The Election of 2000: An intro to Florida math

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The year 2000. A new millennium and, for America, a new president. But who will the people choose?? Twenty-six years later, we still don’t know. In this episode, Jared and Abe remove their glasses in disbelief as the race between George Bush and Al Gore goes down to the wire in Florida. Recounts. Hanging chads. The Miami Sound Machine. The only thing at stake is the United States of America. Tangents include, but are not limited to, giving out your number at karaoke, fidget rings, bath salts, and which member of the Bush cabinet you’d smoke a blunt with.

SOURCES

537 VOTES, HBO Documentary

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/butterfly-did-it-aberrant-vote-buchanan-palm-beach-county-florida

https://web.archive.org/web/20100731000517/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/media/election2000/election_night.html

https://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/10/election.president.02/

https://guides.law.stanford.edu/c.php?g=991108&p=7170216

https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~goguen/courses/275f00/abc-chads.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wufOcpTH0HU&list=PLmZWNw4ieD05KKWV7PbErdHrXS1yQu8hM&index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWETjjTniWo&list=PLmZWNw4ieD05KKWV7PbErdHrXS1yQu8hM&index=5

https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020430.html

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2000-republican-party-platform

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Emperor Nero and his teenage boy wife Sporus

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The Roman Emperor Nero. A mansion-building arsonist with a passion for twinks…or was he? In this episode, Jared and Abe pull back the curtain on Nero’s pervy reign to explore his marriage to Sporus, the boy who became empress of Rome. But who was Sporus? What drew Nero to him? And, most importantly, when exactly was the fiddle invented? Tangents include, but are not limited to, Latin phraseology, international sharts, and the eternal battle between AD and CE.

SOURCES

The Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius

Annals by Tacitus

Roman History by Cassius Dio

Nero by Edward Champlin

Jennifer Ingleheart, “Introduction: Romosexuality: Rome, Homosexuality, and Reception”, Ancient Rome and the Construction of Modern Homosexual Identities

Shaun Tougher, “The Aesthetics of Castration: The Beauty of Roman Eunuchs, Castration and Culture in the Middle Ages ed. Larissa Tracy

David Woods, “Nero and Sporus”

The boy that Emperor Nero made his “wife”: What the tragedy of the castrated Sporus tells us about homosexuality in ancient Rome.

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The smelly reality of Victorian Childhood

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

We’ve all seen the memes – Skrillex, 4Loko, GTA, and electric scooters all have the potential to kill a Victorian child. In the modern popular imagination, Victorian children are frail, easily offendable, and prone to overstimulation. But was this really the case? In this episode, Abe and Jared take a journey through Victorian England to investigate the reality of what it was like to be a child from the dredges of poverty to the upper echelons. So put on your page boy hats and fingerless gloves, tuck in to your most nutritious gruel, and get ready to dive into some of the most unvaccinated, brutal working conditions of the 19th century!

SOURCES

Chapter 1 of The Pragmatic Ideal: Mary Field Parton and the Pursuit of a Progressive Society by Mark Douglas McGarvie - “A Victorian Childhood in Defense of Tradition, 1878-1896”

BBC Four documentary The Children Who Built Victorian Britain (2011)

Victorian Childhoods by Ginger S. Frost (2008) - Introduction

https://www.amdigital.co.uk/insights/blog/byron-and-hobhouse-in-mediterranean-europe

Children’s Fantasy Literature: An Introduction by Michael Levy and Farah Mendelsohn (2016)

“Classed Childhood in Arthur Morrison’s A Child of the Jago and Victorian Slum Fiction” by S. Brooke Cameron, from Critical Essays on Arthur Morrison and the East End, edited by Diana Maltz (2022)

“The Victorian Child, c. 1837-1901” by Marah Gubar

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/hszufz/what_modern_day_thing_do_you_think_would_kill_a/.

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