Shows
You're Wrong AboutSound of Freedom with Michael Hobbes AND Human Trafficking re-releaseLike so many other mostly imaginary topics, human trafficking is in the news again. Michael Hobbes—ever heard of him??—came by so Sarah could tell him about Sound of Freedom, a surprise hit summer movie that promises it can end child slavery, but only if you buy as many tickets as you can. Then, you can hear the episode we released on "human trafficking"—what it isn't, and what it is—back in 2019. You can find Mike's shows here:Maintenance PhaseIf Books Could Kill2023-09-052h 44
The Comic's Comic Presents Last Things FirstYou're Wrong About's Sarah MarshallSarah Marshall is the co-creator and host of the award-winning podcast, You're Wrong About, Podcast of the Year at the 2022 I Heart Radio Podcast Awards. You’re Wrong About revisits what we think we know about history and cultural events that have lodged themselves into our brains, and how that compares with what actually happened. Marshall sat down with me to talk about how she got into podcasting in the first place, why she and co-creator Michael Hobbes started a Patreon a year later, what it’s like identifying more as a talker now than a writer, and what she h...2023-04-1335 minYou're Wrong AboutHunting Serial Killers with Michael HobbesThis week, Mike and Sarah reunite to hunt for serial killers, and try to figure out whether they’re really endangered. Digressions include crow funerals, Carrie Bradshaw, and how we feel about being called mom and dad.An extended cut of this episode is also available for Patreon supporters and Apple + Podcast subscribers. Here's where to find Mike:NewsletterTwitterMaintenance Phase Support us:Bonus Episodes on PatreonBonus Episodes on Apple PodcastsDonate on PaypalBuy cute...2022-09-121h 03
Maintenance PhaseThe Scarsdale Diet Murder feat. Sarah MarshallIn 1982 a murder captured America's imagination. Forty years later, two podcasts joined forces to talk about it. Hear more from Sarah at You're Wrong About and You Are Good!Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Diana Trilling’s “Mrs. Harris”Shana Alexander’s “Very Much a Lady”"The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet"Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show2022-08-231h 31
There Are No Girls on the InternetWe’re wrong about trafficking, with Michael Hobbes - BEST OF TANGOTIOdds are, you’re probably not going to be kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking in a Target parking lot in broad daylight. On the fantastic podcast You’re Wrong About, Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall debunk the thinking that leads to moral panics. Michael explains what we’re all getting wrong about trafficking and why it matters. Listen to You’re Wrong About: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/human-trafficking/id1380008439?i=1000465289965 Want to support the show? (thank you!) Subscribe, tell a friend, leave a review, or buy some merch at There...2022-07-0830 min
Alison Rosen Is Your New Best FriendSarah MarshallJournalist and podcaster Sarah Marshall of hugely popular You're Wrong About and You Are Good joins the show to talk about how she envisions the word "juggernaut," growing up in Oregon and Hawaii as a "lonely, adultified kid," her theory that loneliness is an American problem, grad school, fan fiction, television about television, memory, Tonya Harding, Go Ask Alice, Flowers in the Attic, the Sex and the City reboot and continuing You're Wrong About after her cohost Michael Hobbes left. We also took your questions, and did a round of Just Me Or Everyone and HGFY. Products...2022-01-171h 34There Are No Girls on the InternetDISINFORMED We’re wrong about trafficking w/ Michael HobbesOdds are, you’re probably not going to be kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking in a Target parking lot in broad daylight. On the fantastic podcast You’re Wrong About, Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall debunk the thinking that leads to moral panics.Michael explains what we’re all getting wrong about trafficking and why it matters.Listen to You’re Wrong About: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/human-trafficking/id1380008439?i=1000465289965 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.2021-04-2828 min
Noble BloodThe People's Princess (with Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall)Thanks to the popularity of the television series The Crown, a new generation has become captivated by Princess Diana—her life and her tragedy. She remains an enigmatic figure, undeniably captivating, for both her vulnerability and her power. To better understand her life, and her legacy, Dana speaks with Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes of the podcast 'You're Wrong About.' Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.2021-03-021h 17
You Are GoodRobot Daddies and Terminator 2 [with Michael Hobbes!]Terminator 2 is about a boy, his mom, and a killer robot, sure, but is it possible that a movie about a surrogate cyborg father has some daddy issues to unpack? Join Sarah, Alex and Michael Hobbes as we discuss the best movie of 1991.
Our guest Michael Hobbes is a reporter for HuffPost. He is also the co-creator and co-host of You’re Wrong About and Maintenance Phase.
Terminator 2 is a movie about two robots from 2029 to present day [1991] Los Angeles. One is sent by resistance leader John Connor to protect his childhood self from the se...2020-10-281h 18
Sorry He Sucks8 - George & JohnIn the last episode of season 1 Kara & Amber discuss each others favourite Beatles George Harrison & John Lennon.
George Refs:
WIKI
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-george-harrison-had-an-affair-with-ringos-wife-maureen.html/
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/george-harrison-devoted-to-other-mens-wives/news-story/2ac22349e6f1a95be0f2f410bf00c684?sv=8b510ae48758a0d013ce82b032d82ae
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/sep/04/beatles-george-harrison-martin-scorsese
https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/bizarre/814510/wife-swapping-free-love-drugs-dark-side-of-the-quiet-beatle/
George Harrison : Living in the Material World HBO Documentary by Martin Scorsese.
Tr...2020-09-141h 26You Are GoodSurviving Dad and A Nightmare on Elm StreetIt’s about a lascivious dream demon, sure, but Sarah and Alex unpack Nightmare on Elm Street’s Dad themes and there is plenty to sort through.
What happens when you realize that your parents' self-serving attempts at keeping you safe push you even further into harm’s way? And when you find yourself on the hook for their sins?
Nightmare on Elm Street is, of course, the story of Nancy Thompson—a teenage girl who is stalked by Freddy Krueger, a burned man equipped with razor-like fingers. She learns that the demon was once a man in...2020-09-091h 06
The Feminist PresentEpisode 6 - Sarah Marshall + Michael Hobbes of You're Wrong AboutSarah Marshall is a writer currently at work on a book about the satanic panic of the 1980s. Michael Hobbes is a journalist at the Huffington Post. Since 2018, Sarah and Michael have been hosting "You're Wrong About," a podcast about true crime, moral panics, and the untruths or half-truths around crime, fame, and power that have dominated American culture and national politics over the past half century. Laura and Adrian speak with Sarah and Michael about their podcast, about taxonomies of wrongness, and about the myths by which the true crime genre has governed the way gender is experienced...2020-07-151h 01
You're Wrong AboutQuarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (Week 2)
“Her parents’ financial success is dependent on her abdomen.” This week, Jessica moves to L.A., records a video and meets a boy. The celebrity cameos escalate. Digressions include overalls, werewolves and Judy Garland. This episode unfortunately contains detailed descriptions of disordered eating.
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https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Jessica-Simpson-Week-2.mp3
2020-05-1400 minYou're Wrong AboutQuarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (Week 1)
Our journey through late-’90s pop stardom begins with an intervention and ends with an audition. Digressions include Willie Nelson, Ozzy Osbourne, Jane Fonda and the cast of the Mickey Mouse Club. Sarah’s English degree and exercise habits make appearances. This episode, we’re sorry to say, contains descriptions of sexual abuse.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, donate on Paypal or buy merch!
https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Jessica-Simpson-Week-1.mp3
2020-05-0700 min
Back to WorkEpisode 476: Paul Williams Sat AloneDISCUSSED: Dan has concerns!; every road has many parts, but you seriously need to show your humanity; stop signs are really just velocipede serving suggestions; not all wood floats; too soon; an ambitious crossover is proposed; Cormac McCarthy rules; Phillip W. Battery sure has a lot going on for a busy and attentive new dad; as a main topic, your hosts bounce off a terrific recent episode of Merlin's beloved You're Wrong About; hey, what B2W-ish lessons can be drawn from the response to the Y2K "bug"?; ultimately, it is just so hard to solve one problem...2020-05-051h 23You're Wrong AboutThe Y2K Bug
Mike tells Sarah how an obscure technical glitch became a nationwide mobilization. Digressions include Twitter beefs, “The Net” and VHS pricing. We spend much of the episode roasting our own work from the relatively recent past.
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CORRECTION: It seems the women in Britain didn’t terminate their pregnancies due to the false positive test results. We were wrong about this and we’re sorry!
Links!
“Distributing liability: the legal and political battles of Y2K” by Dylan Mulvin, the researcher M...2020-05-0400 minYou're Wrong AboutQuarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 5)
We conclude our book club with Michelle’s escape from the dungeon. The dead baby trend continues; Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Satan’s fingernails make brief appearances. Digressions include Dustin Hoffman, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and things that rhyme with Beelzebub. This episode contains references to child abuse and sexual assault.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, donate on Paypal or buy a cute T-shirt!
https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Michelle-Remembers-Week-5.mp3
2020-04-3000 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: When Kato Met Marcia
Sarah tells Mike about the clash of the titans, the fury at the grand jury. We follow Kato, the wise fool of the kingdom, for the week between the murders and the Bronco chase. Digressions include John Travolta, French kickboxing movies and “The Mummy.” The celebrity cameos are less numerous than usual but no less absurd.
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https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/When-Kato-Met-Marcia.mp3
2020-04-2700 minYou're Wrong AboutQuarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 4)
This week, our lithe psychiatrist takes his favorite patient hiking, a priest burns some furniture and Michelle tries to escape her remembering. This episode contains descriptions of kitten sacrifice, sexual abuse and three more dead babies.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, donate on Paypal or buy a cute T-shirt!
https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Michelle-Remembers-Week-4.mp3
2020-04-2300 minYou're Wrong AboutQuarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 3)
Sarah and Mike continue into the depths. With Dr. Pazder home from Mexico, he and Michelle journey into her subconscious and the stories they find there continue to get weirder. This episode contains kitten sacrifice and the first—but not the last—dead baby of the Satanic panic.
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https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Michelle-Remembers-Week-3.mp3
2020-04-1600 minYou're Wrong AboutMarie Antoinette
“What’s sad about her has nothing to do with the content of her character.” Special guest Dana Schwartz tells Mike and Sarah how an Austrian princess became a French scapegoat. Digressions include Rubik’s Cubes, Taylor Swift and Tom Stoppard. The use of the word “bawdy” exceeds all previous episodes combined.
Find Dana at her website or listen to her podcast!
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https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Marie-Antoinette-feat-Dana-Schwartz.mp3
2020-04-1300 minYou're Wrong AboutQuarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 2)
Sarah and Mike continue their journey into the book that launched a thousand lawsuits. Michelle and Dr. Pazder’s relationship grows more troubling by the chapter. Digressions include orgy etiquette, sheepskin jackets and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Neither co-host believes anything depicted in this book happened as described, but still want to warn you that it contains scenes of torture and sexual abuse.
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https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Michelle-2.mp3
2020-04-0600 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Exploding Ford Pinto
Mike tells Sarah about a dying industry, a dangerous car and the acclaimed article that misrepresented them both. Digressions include “Mission Impossible,” “Friday the 13th” and the naming conventions of academic articles. This episode contains a larger-than-usual number of dad jokes and a shocking revelation about Johnny Carson.
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Links!
Mother Jones’ 1977 “Pinto Madness” article
David Halberstam’s “The Reckoning: Ford, Nissan, and the Decline of American Industry”
Gary Schwartz’s “The Myth of the Ford Pinto”
”’Pinto “Madness” as a Flawed Landmark Narrative: An Organizational and Network Analysis...2020-04-0200 minYou're Wrong AboutQuarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 1)
Sarah describes the spark that ignited the Satanic Panic. Our setting is a therapist’s office in 1976 Victoria, B.C., and our digressions include Sybil, scary paperbacks from the ’80s and shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater. This episode describes child abuse.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, donate on Paypal or buy a cute T-shirt!
https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Michelle-Remembers-Part-1.mp3
2020-03-2600 minYou're Wrong AboutD.C. Snipers Part 4
In the final chapter of our series on the D.C. sniper attacks, Mike finally tells Sarah about the D.C. sniper attacks. Digressions include “The Abyss,” Ed Rooney and Jack the Ripper. We begin the episode with an update on our quarantine plans. Sarah misremembers the name of the TV show she was on.
Links!
“The Making of Lee Boyd Malvo”
Mildred Muhammad’s book, “Scared Silent”
“23 Days of Terror: The Compelling True Story of the Hunt and Capture of the Beltway Snipers”
“Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation”
“Three Weeks...2020-03-2300 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Marcia Clark Part 2
Sarah tells Mike about a week in the life of Marcia Clark, who became America’s most famous prosecutor on June 13, 1994. Digressions include car phones, college group work and “Titanic” (as usual). In keeping with the theme of this episode, Sarah had a bad feeling about recording without her mic screen, but Mike said it would be fine. Please excuse our p-pops.
This episode contains descriptions of murder and sexual violence.
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https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Marcia-Clark-2.mp3
2020-03-0900 minYou're Wrong AboutD.C. Snipers Part 3
Mike tells Sarah about the indoctrination of Lee Boyd Malvo and the beginning of the sniper attacks. Digressions include Jonestown, Greek tragedy and something called “creepy crawling.” The episode begins with a lengthy meta-discussion of true-crime tropes and whether we are playing into them. The final section includes a detailed description of a suicide attempt.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, donate on PayPal or get a T-shirt
Links!
“The Making of Lee Boyd Malvo”
“The Diary of the D.C. Sniper”
Mildred Muhammad’s book, “Scared Silent”
“23 Days of Terror: The Compelling True Story of the Hunt a...2020-02-2400 minYou're Wrong AboutValentine’s Day Re-Release: Anna Nicole Smith
Valentine’s Day re-release! Sarah and Mike reflect on one of the only love stories they’ve ever covered on the show.
https://atomic-temporary-15624535.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ANS-Re-Release.mp3
2020-02-1400 minYou're Wrong AboutWhy Didn’t Anyone Go to Prison for the Financial Crisis?
“Every big fish you catch, you end up with a hole in the net.” Mike tells Sarah how America’s white-collar crime spree got so bad. Digressions include self-checkout kiosks, Barbie dolls and moonshine. Homeless shelters and teacher pay feature prominently. By the standards of this podcast, this episode is relatively upbeat.
This episode is based on an article by Mike and here it is!
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https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/white-collar-crime.mp3
2020-02-1000 minYou're Wrong AboutD.C. Snipers Part 2Mike tells Sarah how a nice Jamaican kid became the disciple of a mean American adult. Digressions include Tonya Harding (of course), “Sliding Doors” (again) and “Anne of Green Gables” (Sarah has an English degree). Mildred re-appears just after the hour mark. We are unable to conceive of a content warning comprehensive enough for all the horrors contained in this episode. There is less crying than last time, but only slightly.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, donate on PayPal or get a T-shirt
Links!
“The Making of Lee Boyd Malvo”
The 2004 Vanity Fair article on Lee
Mildred M...2020-02-0300 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Kato Kaelin Part 2
Sarah tells Mike the ending to the story of the mimbo houseguest and O.J.’s alibi. Digressions include O. Henry, Nigerian e-mail scams and Dave Coulier. Mike wildly over-simplifies the Brexit vote.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, make a donation or buy a tote bag!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/kato-kaelin-part-2.mp3
2020-01-2000 minYou're Wrong AboutThe D.C. Snipers
“If you’re black, you can’t get work as a serial killer even if you’re manifestly qualified.” Mike tells Sarah how a military veteran became an abuser, a murderer and, eventually, a footnote in his own crime spree. Digressions include Jim Jones, the Addams Family and “The Gillooly Gang.” The episode gets super dark about two-thirds in, but brightens just before the big twist. We describe—again, unfortunately—domestic abuse in great detail.
Support us! Subscribe on Patreon, donate with Paypal or get a T-shirt!
Links!
Mildred Muhammad’s book, “Scared Silent”
NPR int...2020-01-0600 minYou're Wrong AboutD.C. Snipers Part 1
“If you’re black, you can’t get work as a serial killer even if you’re manifestly qualified.” Mike tells Sarah how a military veteran became an abuser, a murderer and, eventually, a footnote in his own crime spree. Digressions include Jim Jones, the Addams Family and “The Gillooly Gang.” The episode gets super dark about two-thirds in, but brightens just before the big twist. We describe—again, unfortunately—domestic abuse in great detail.
Support us! Subscribe on Patreon, donate with Paypal or get a T-shirt!
Links!
Mildred Muhammad’s book, “Scared Silent”
NPR int...2020-01-0600 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Kato Kaelin Part 1
Sarah tells Mike how an aspiring actor protected and then betrayed Nicole Brown Simpson without knowing he was doing either. Digressions include ’80s movie tropes, ski-resort etiquette and the need for a process of “un-faming.” Unfortunately, this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and abuse.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, make a donation or buy a T-shirt!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/kato-kaelin-1.mp3
2019-12-1600 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Kato Kaelin
Sarah tells Mike how an aspiring actor protected and then betrayed Nicole Brown Simpson without knowing he was doing either. Digressions include ’80s movie tropes, ski-resort etiquette and the need for a process of “un-faming.” Unfortunately, this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and abuse.
Support us: Subscribe on Patreon, make a donation or buy a T-shirt!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/kato-kaelin-1.mp3
2019-12-161h 08You're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Barbieri Part 2
“There’s no precedent for women in this family being treated like they matter.” Sarah tells Mike about the Bronco chase as Paula Barbieri experienced it. Then, she recounts how a poor kid from Panama City, Florida, made it all the way to the high-fashion world of Paris, France—and discovered that she had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. Sarah continues to compare everyone to Erin Brockovich.
This episode begins with a lengthy discussion of O.J. Simpson’s suicide attempt on the day of the Bronco chase. We go on to descr...2019-12-0200 minYou're Wrong AboutHuman Trafficking
Mike tells Sarah how NGOs, activists and George W. Bush resurrected the ‘stranger danger’ panic for the modern era. Digressions include Reply All, muffins and Yelp for massage parlors. Mike’s vocal fry is worse than usual.
Support us on Patreon or order fun T-shirts!
Corrections: Mike gets the first name of Catharine MacKinnon wrong and says first-wave feminism when he means second wave. He’s extremely embarrassed.
Links!
The Vanity Fair article debunking the Robert Kraft case
The infamous Washington Post fact-check of the claim that 1 in 7 runaways are victims of...2019-11-2500 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Marcia Clark
Sarah tells Mike how Marcia Clark got the slam-dunk case that ended her career as a trial lawyer. Digressions include string cheese, “Inception” and what calling women “difficult” means in 2019. We go on the record in favor of a wide range of frivolous hobbies.
If you want to support the show, you can subscribe on Patreon or (new!) buy a tote bag or a sticker!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/marcia-clark.mp3
2019-11-141h 20You're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Marcia Clark Part 1
Sarah tells Mike how Marcia Clark got the slam-dunk case that ended her career as a trial lawyer. Digressions include string cheese, “Inception” and what calling women “difficult” means in 2019. We go on the record in favor of a wide range of frivolous hobbies.
If you want to support the show, you can subscribe on Patreon or (new!) buy a tote bag or a sticker!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/marcia-clark.mp3
2019-11-1400 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Barbieri Part 1
“Centering conversations around blame is not the most useful thing for us to be doing.” Sarah tells Mike about the woman who broke up with O.J. Simpson on the morning of the murders — then stayed by his side through the trial. Michael Bolton makes an extended cameo appearance.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Michael Bolton’s “Completely”
“L.A. in the Age of O.J.” by Dominick Dunne, Vanity Fair, March 1995
Entertainment Weekly’s review of “The Other Woman”
Paula Barbieri’s YA cover
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/paula-barbieri.mp3
2019-11-0100 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Barbieri
“Centering conversations around blame is not the most useful thing for us to be doing.” Sarah tells Mike about the woman who broke up with O.J. Simpson on the morning of the murders — then stayed by his side through the trial. Michael Bolton makes an extended cameo appearance.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Michael Bolton’s “Completely”
“L.A. in the Age of O.J.” by Dominick Dunne, Vanity Fair, March 1995
Entertainment Weekly’s review of “The Other Woman”
Paula Barbieri’s YA cover
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/paula-barbieri.mp3
2019-11-011h 22You're Wrong AboutRe-Release: Poisoned Halloween Candy and Other Urban LegendsFew topics have been suggested to us in the last year as often as the razor blade in the apple. Luckily we’ve got you covered with last year’s Urban Legend Spectacular! Come for the poisoned candy, stay for the high beams and rainbow parties.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
“The Razor Blade in the Apple: The Social Construction of Urban Legends”
Miriam Forman-Brunell’s awesome book on babysitters
Snopes’ debunking of the “killer in the backseat” myth
The terrible 2005 New York Times article asking whether “rainbow parties” are real
Caitlin Flanagan’s 2006 “streetwalker” opus in the Atl...2019-10-311h 15You're Wrong AboutHalloween Re-Release! Ed Gein and Slasher Movies
Sarah takes Mike on a grisly journey from Wisconsin bachelor Ed Gein’s house to the horror movies he inspired. This is a re-broadcast of our 2018 Halloween episode, whose themes are evergreen.
Support us on Patreon
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/slashers.mp3
2019-10-3050 minYou're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 2
“You can’t expect people to know the exact kind of help they need.” We continue our deep dive into the O.J. Simpson case with the history of Nicole Brown Simpson’s marriage to O.J., their 1992 divorce and the last weeks of Nicole’s life. Digressions include Julia Roberts, Malibu real estate and Madonna’s “Erotica.” Mike is fighting a cold and apologizes for his raspiness. This episode contains even greater detail on the violence and domestic abuse Nicole suffered.
Plus, a correction! Sarah forgot to mention that O.J. Simpson received two years of probation...2019-10-171h 36You're Wrong AboutThe O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 1
Mike and Sarah begin their epic journey into O.J. Simpson’s trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, beginning with the story of Nicole’s life with O.J. until their marriage in 1985. This episode contains descriptions of violence and domestic abuse. Like so many of the women we talk about, Nicole deserved better.
Support us on Patreon
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/nicole-brown-simpson-part-1.mp3
2019-10-031h 03You're Wrong AboutThe Wardrobe Malfunction
Our first live show! Mike tells Sarah about Janet Jackson, the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show and the 9/16ths of a second that destroyed her career. Digressions include Puff Daddy, Jessica Simpson and Edward James Olmos. Like all positive developments regarding this show, performing live is something we feel weird about and so we spent the first few minutes talking about it!
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Broadcast Indecency Regulation in the Era of the Wardrobe Malfunction
Everything you forgot about Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s 2004 Super Bowl controversy
‘Nipplegate’ revisited
Nipple Ripples...2019-09-1900 minYou're Wrong About‘Yoko Ono Broke Up The Beatles’
Mike tells Sarah how the myth of meddling wives serves to exonerate terrible husbands. Digressions include “50 Shades of Grey,” Marie Antoinette and the end of the 1960s. This episode, we’re sorry to say, contains descriptions of domestic abuse.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Tim Riley’s “Lennon”
Philip Norman’s “John Lennon: The Life”
Jonathan Gould’s “Can’t Buy Me Love” (good on The Beatles, terrible on Yoko)
Cynthia Lennon’s “John”
“Feminism and 1960-1970s Popular Music”
“Why The Beatles Broke Up”
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/yoko-ono.mp3
2019-09-1000 minYou're Wrong AboutGangs
“Isn’t it amazing how we can only imagine our monsters capitalistically?” Mike tells Sarah how police, prosecutors and journalists accidentally conspired to invent the perfect suburban menace. Digressions include IKEA, the “Godfather” trilogy and Fleetwood Mac. Mike takes big gulping breaths when he reads out loud.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Fabulous summary of all the studies that have debunked gang myths
“Systemic Racial Bias and RICO’s Application to Criminal Street and Prison Gangs”
“Myths and Realities of Youth Gangs”
“Menacing or Mimicking? Realities of Youth Gangs”
Terrific study of the gangs moral panic in...2019-08-2200 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Victims’ Rights Movement
“When you allow emotion into the courtroom, bias rushes in alongside it.” Special guest Rachel Monroe tells Mike and Sarah how a good-faith critique of the justice system led to a decades-long crackdown. Digressions include Charles Manson, Ronald Reagan and a billionaire mugshot. As usual, Mike’s similes are worse than Sarah’s.
Here’s how to support us on Patreon and buy Rachel’s book!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/victims-rights.mp3
2019-08-1600 minYou're Wrong AboutSex Offenders
“Things are not going to get better if we make the people who scare us seem more powerful.” Mike tells Sarah about the myths of sex crimes, the reality of child abuse and the importance of unsympathetic protagonists. Digressions include frozen pizza, millennials (obvs) and vaccination rates. Mike can only name one state that borders Nevada.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Mike’s article on sex offenders
Terrific overview of why sex offender laws don’t work (skip to p. 230)
Michael Seto’s overview of the research on pedophilia
Fascinating case study of clergy...2019-08-0700 minYou're Wrong AboutTonya Harding Part 2
“The story that did the most damage to the people in it was the one that made the most money.” Sarah tells Mike about the low-rent conspiracy that sparked a ratings bonanza. Digressions include “Out of Sight,” Robert De Niro and ancient sexting technology. Mike continues to laugh confusedly at references he does not know.
Support us on Patreon!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/tonya-harding-pt.-2.mp3
2019-07-2600 minYou're Wrong AboutTonya Harding Part 1
Sarah tells Mike the story of a world-class figure skater who worked at a mall potato restaurant. Digressions include “Sleepless in Seattle,” mall walkers, synchronized diving and the difficulty of skating a perfect pentagram. This episode unfortunately contains descriptions of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Tonya deserved better.
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Links!
Sarah’s 2014 article about Tonya
The Oregonian’s retrospective slideshow
Clips from Sandra Luckow’s “Sharp Edges”
Nancy Kerrigan’s first international competition, the 1987 NHK Trophy
Tonya Harding at the 1987 NHK Trophy
Network profile of Tonya Harding at the 1990 Nationals
Tonya...2019-07-1800 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Stonewall Uprising
“Humans aren’t good at remembering what got us where we are.” Mike tells Sarah how a turning point in the gay rights movement became an immediate controversy, a lasting inspiration and a never-ending debate. Digressions include “Newsies” (of course), “True Romance” and “Norma Rae.” Mike’s creaking chair and Sarah’s rustling blanket-fort are heard throughout.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Historian Eric Gonzaba’s wonderful LGBTQ T-Shirt Archive
Historian Hugh Ryan’s delightful book and fascinating article on the misconceptions surrounding Stonewall
Mark Segal’s dayjob and important book
The Making of the Stonewall Myth
F...2019-06-2700 minYou're Wrong AboutKitty Genovese and “Bystander Apathy”
“Once you tell a story incorrectly once, you can’t control where it goes.” Sarah tells Mike how The New York Times turned a suburban murder into an urban legend. Digressions include Billy Joel, the World’s Fair and “Ferngully.” This episode marks a triumphant return to Long Island and an unexpected celebration of Pride Month.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
The original New York Times article, “37 Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police; Apathy at Stabbing of Queens Woman Shocks Inspector”
“4 Kew Gardens Residents Testify To Seeing Woman Slain on Street”
“A Call for...2019-06-2000 minYou're Wrong AboutSexting
“We’re uncomfortable with the evidence that teen girls have sexual agency.” Special guest Amy Hasinoff tells Mike and Sarah how a moral panic became a legal nightmare. Digressions include Cosmo advice columns, Grindr etiquette and the revolutionary hugging of the “Avengers” movies. Due to the ongoing hex placed on this podcast, the sound quality is worse than usual.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Amy’s website and book and Twitter
2015 article on Amy’s book and the “well intentioned mess” of sexting laws
PC Mag: It’s Time We All Grew Up About Sexting
The A...2019-06-1100 minYou're Wrong AboutThe American Taliban
“He’s been punished even more than the American prison system can aspire to punish anyone”: Mike tells Sarah how John Walker Lindh became a terrorist in the media, a freedom fighter in his own mind and something between the two in reality. Digressions include “Newsies,” Bruce Willis and “Candide.” Sarah sneakily reveals her lifelong affection for Howard Stern.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Moving Guardian article by Lindh’s father
New Yorker article describing how the evidence against Lindh fell apart
Lindh’s TV interview from the hospital
Lindh’s indictment
Time’s 2003 article “...2019-06-051h 12You're Wrong AboutExorcism
“It just seems like capitalism masquerading as religion”: Sarah tells Mike how a horror movie resurrected a ritual and established an industry. Digressions include “Avatar,” the NFL and the ethics of book publishing. The final five minutes are an unintentionally concise description of the core moral principle of this show.
Support us on Patreon
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/exorcism.mp3
2019-05-2841 minYou're Wrong AboutHomelessness
“We want stories that don’t exist in systems”: Mike tells Sarah what happened when Utah set out to solve one of America’s most intractable problems. Digressions include the Paleo diet, the planet Mars and the inadequacy of the term “up the river.” Jimmy Carter makes an extended cameo appearance.
Support us on Patreon
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/utah-solved-homelessness.mp3
2019-05-161h 09You're Wrong AboutDan Quayle v. Murphy Brown
“Why did we make fun of Dan Quayle for misspelling the word ‘potato’ when we should have made fun of him for arguments like this?” Mike tells Sarah how a real vice president blamed a fictional single mom for causing one of the most divisive events of the 1990s. Digressions include “Designing Women,” “Alien” and “The Brady Bunch.” Listeners finally learn that Sarah has a lovely singing voice.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
Dan Quayle’s speech to the Commonwealth Club of America, which set off the whole controversy
A clip of his (only!) mention of...2019-05-0951 minYou're Wrong AboutElián González
Mike tells Sarah how a 5-year-old kid transformed a city, divided a political party and (maybe) determined a presidential election. Digressions include World War II, Clarence Darrow and something called “Like, News with Skeeter.” Both co-hosts conclude that this episode is somehow an equal-parts mixture of Satanic Panic and Terri Schiavo.
Support us on Patreon
Links!
The court’s ruling rejecting Elián’s case
“The Elian Gonzalez Case: The World’s Most Watched And Politically-Charged Custody Battle That Reached The U.S. Supreme Court And Determined A Presidential Election”
Congressional hearing: “Cuba’s Oppressive...2019-04-251h 00You're Wrong AboutThe Preppy Murder
Sarah tells Mike how an aspiring rich kid became an emblem of a world he didn’t belong to. Digressions include drill teams, prep schools and eating disorders. The p-pops are worse than usual.
Plus, an announcement! You can now support us on Patreon!
Links!
“A Current Affair” clip from 1988
“East Side Story,” New York Magazine
“Preppy Killer’s Girlfriend Gets to Serve Probation, Still Loves Her Man”
Lisa Birnbaum’s legendary and essential Preppy Handbook from 1980.
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/preppy-murder.mp3
2019-04-1800 minYou're Wrong AboutThe “Ebonics” Controversy
Mike tells Sarah how a simple idea in a single school district became a nationwide racial panic. Digressions include slasher movies, Space Invaders and homeschooling. The taglines are becoming more esoteric.
Thanks to our special guests Dionna Latimer-Hearn and Daniel Russell!
Mike’s video!
The abstract of Dionna’s Ph.D. dissertation, which won the the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship Award!
The full text of the “Ebonics” resolution
Transcript of the Congressional hearing
James Baldwin’s 1979 op-ed, “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”
William Labov’s 1972 Atlantic article, “Academic Ignorance and...2019-04-0400 minYou're Wrong AboutTerri Schiavo
Mike tells Sarah how the media, the president and the Pope turned a simple medical story into a complicated legal one. Digressions include canine loyalty, unionized space-workers and polyamory logistics. Both co-hosts recorded in tiny rooms, but with very different acoustics.
Links!
The Joan Didion essay in the New York Review of Books (we love her but this gets a lot of things wrong!)
“Suppose the Schindlers Had Won the Schiavo Case”
The first independent investigator’s report, from 1998
The second independent investigator’s report, from 2003
“Schiavo And Its (In)Significance”
“Terri Schiavo — A Tragedy Compound...2019-03-0500 minYou're Wrong AboutAnna Nicole Smith
Sarah tells Mike how a poor Texas girl made herself into an icon and America made her into a punchline. Digressions include massage technique, “Death Becomes Her” and (obviously) “The Godfather.” Mike sounds even sicker than he did last week.
Plus, special thanks to Ian at Marfa Public Radio, who helped Sarah record this episode!
Links!
Sarah’s 2017 Buzzfeed essay
Anna’s 1993 Playboy video centerfold
Mimi Swartz’s wonderful Texas Monthly profile of Anna Nicole and J. Howard
Dan P. Lee’s New York Magazine essay on Anna Nicole’s legal and personal woes
Skip...2019-02-2000 minYou're Wrong AboutAcid Rain
Mike tells Sarah how an environmental problem became a national rallying cry, a sticky diplomatic issue and, eventually, a conspiracy theory. Digressions include “Alien,” Field & Stream and NRA public service announcements. Both hosts are recovering from colds and at least one spends the episode under a blanket.
Links!
The EPA report on the costs and benefits of the Clean Air Act
“Sour Showers: Acid Rain Returns–This Time It Is Caused by Nitrogen Emissions”
“The Organisation of Denial: Conservative Think Tanks and Environmental Skepticism”
“Is Acid Rain a Thing of the Past?”
“How Cold War Politics Helped S...2019-02-1545 minYou're Wrong AboutGary Hart
Sarah tells Mike how a dubious affair distracted from the real scandal of the 1988 election. Digressions include “Good Will Hunting,” People Magazine and Linda Ronstadt. Michael Dukakis is described, for the first time ever, as “the soulmate who was there all along.”
Links!
“Was Gary Hart Set Up?”
“The Road to Bimini,” Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 1987
“The Selling Out of Donna Rice” –Excerpt from Inside People
“Why is Lee Atwater So Hungry?” David Remnick, Esquire, 1986
The infamous tank ad
“Talking Trash with Mike Dukakis,” Boston Magazine, Garrett Quinn
Excerpt from Bad Boy: The Life and Politics of Lee Atwater...2019-02-0749 minYou're Wrong AboutTammy Faye Bakker and Jessica Hahn
“She only said one thing her whole life”: Sarah tells Mike how two decent women became scapegoats for the actions of one terrible man. Digressions include Larry Flynt, NPR tote bags and Playboy back issues. The co-hosts discover they have wildly different relationships with “Saturday Night Live.”
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/tammy-faye-bakker-and-jessica-hahn.mp3
2019-01-251h 07You're Wrong AboutEnron
Mike tells Sarah how a “bad apples” explanation kept us from seeing the real scandal at the heart of America’s largest corporate bankruptcy. Digressions include “Casino,” Thanksgiving economics and corruption catchphrases. Neither co-host truly understands how the stock market works.
Links!
The hilarious Houston Chronicle article full of red flags
The 2001 article that started Enron’s downfall
A detailed breakdown of Enron’s accounting shenanigans
“Understanding Enron: It’s About the Gatekeepers, Stupid”
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/enron.mp3
2019-01-161h 17You're Wrong AboutThe Challenger Disaster
It wasn’t an accident. Mike tells Sarah how the infamous space shuttle disaster came to be seen as a white-collar crime. Digressions include the Donner Party, George Lucas and “Jurassic Park.” Both co-hosts are audibly recovering from colds.
Links!
The Rogers Commission Report
The House of Representatives Report
A wonderful Popular Mechanics oral history of the Rogers Commission
Diane Vaughan’s 1997 article on “the normalization of deviance”
Fascinating clips of Feynman talking about the accident and its organizational causes
Feynman’s appendix
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/Challenger.mp3
2019-01-0300 minYou're Wrong About“A Dingo’s Got My Baby”
Sarah tells Mike how a tragic story became a hacky catchphrase. Digressions include raccoon anarchists, flu remedies and late-night Arby’s. Sarah’s Google alerts will surprise none of our listeners.
Links!
The clip from “Seinfeld”
Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton’s website
The Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton collection at the National Museum
of Australia
Trial and investigation resources
“Dear Lindy”
The Australian Supreme Court decision quashing the Chamberlains’ convictions
The 2012 inquest that confirmed Lindy’s story
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/A-Dingos-Got-My-Baby.mp3
2018-12-1900 minYou're Wrong AboutThe 2000 Election
Mike tells Sarah how a close election and an even closer Supreme Court decision established the political template we’re still living with today. Digressions include quarks, Ouija Boards and (sorry) moral philosophy. The “lemonade theory” turns out to be less fun than it sounds.
Links!
The Supreme Court decision
Ronald Dworkin’s election wrap-up for the New York Review of Books
A long and suspenseful Vanity Fair tick-tock
Executive summary of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Report
A nice writeup of the lemonade theory and why we only got lemons
https://rot...2018-12-1200 minYou're Wrong AboutAmy Fisher
Sarah tells Mike about the sad reality — and the terrible man — behind the infamous Long Island Lolita. Digressions include software terms of service, the rise of beepers and Monica Lewinsky’s LinkedIn profile. Mike, a 36-year-old man, appears not to understand what pimps do.
Links!
The “In Living Color” sketch featuring caricatures of Joey and Amy
The People Magazine article “Treachery in the Suburbs”
Pier Dominguez’s lovely BuzzFeed essay on Amy
Clip from “Casualties of Love” aka “L’Affaire Amy Fisher”
Betsy Israel interviews Amy in prison in 1996
...2018-12-0300 minYou're Wrong AboutRoe v. Wade
Special guest Megan Burbank tells us about the history, limitations and loopholes of a landmark court ruling. Digressions include Betty Ford, “Maude” and naming conventions for anonymous defendants. The glories of Washington State politics are examined in depth.
Links!
Megan is on Twitter and the internet
The article that resulted from Megan’s trips to all those pregnancy crisis centers
Megan’s Seattle Times coverage of abortion, adult ballet and Seattle rain
Megan in Teen Vogue talking about states’ diverging abortion restrictions
A look back at “Maude’s Dilemma”
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/201...2018-11-2154 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Duke Lacrosse Rape Case
Mike tells Sarah how a false rape allegation became a right-wing rallying cry and a left-wing conspiracy theory. Digressions include JonBenet Ramsay, “24” and “The Vagina Monologues.” Mike regrets not commenting on the metaphorical significance of being trapped in the closet throughout the episode.
Links!
The North Carolina Attorney General’s summary report
A 2007 American Journalism Review article on the media’s role
Durham in Wonderland, the excruciatingly detailed blog that chronicled the case in real time
The credulous New York Times story from August 2006
An interesting law review article on the case from 2007
A typology of f...2018-11-1400 minYou're Wrong AboutLorena Bobbitt
Sarah tells Mike how a case of marital rape and spontaneous mutilation became a national punchline. Digressions include Ron Jeremy, Alan Dershowitz, Motörhead and the tortures of self-reflection. Sarah reviews John Wayne Bobbitt’s later works.
Links!
Lili Anolik’s Vanity Fair retrospective
A clip from “John Wayne Bobbitt Uncut”
“His Wife Seized His Prize and Cut It to Size”: Folk and Popular Commentary on Lorena Bobbitt
CNN coverage of Lorena Bobbitt’s trial
John Wayne Bobbitt on Howard Stern’s New Years Rotten Eve Pageant 1994
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/lorena-bobbitt.mp3
2018-11-0700 minYou're Wrong AboutStranger Danger
How inflated statistics, cultural anxieties and moral crusaders turned a tiny number of missing children into a decade-long political project. Digressions include 1870s parenting, “E.T.” and the lack of parks in Los Angeles. Both co-hosts secretly believe that the popularity of TV movies in the 1980s explains all of America’s social problems.
Links!
Podcast Patron Saint Joel Best’s terrific 1988 article debunking the “missing children” statistics
“The Enterprise of Child Safety in the Age of Reagan”: Another great article on how missing children became a right-wing political crusade
A lovely rumination on the disappearance...2018-10-3100 minYou're Wrong AboutUrban Legends Spectacular!
Razorblades in apples, babysitters on acid, killers in backseats and “rainbow parties”: In this episode, Mike and Sarah investigate the scary stories Americans tell each other and discover the actual anxieties behind them. Turn on your high beams for this one.
Links!
“The Razor Blade in the Apple: The Social Construction of Urban Legends”
Miriam Forman-Brunell’s awesome book on babysitters
Snopes’ debunking of the “killer in the backseat” myth
The terrible 2005 New York Times article asking whether “rainbow parties” are real
Caitlin Flanagan’s 2006 “streetwalker” opus in the Atlantic
Corrections!
The first two times Sarah me...2018-10-2400 minYou're Wrong AboutHalloween Special! Ed Gein and Slasher Movies
Sarah tells Mike how Ed Gein became one of America’s most famous serial killers despite not actually being one. Plus, the cinematic villains Gein inspired and what the slasher movies of the 1980s were really about. Digressions include Freud, summer camp logistics and the T-1000. Mike continues to awkwardly insert his teenage crushes into every conversation.
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/slashers.mp3
2018-10-1750 minYou're Wrong AboutShaken Baby Syndrome
Mike tells Sarah how an over-simplified diagnosis, over-confident doctors and over-zealous prosecutors got thousands of innocent parents thrown in prison. Digressions include food poisoning, Sherlock Holmes and 1950s medical ethics. Mike wanted to mention Louise Woodward but he forgot.
Links!
The 1962 paper proposing the existence of abused children
The original 1971 article that invented shaken baby syndrome
And the later debunking by the same doctor
2011 New York Times Magazine article about Trudy Munoz Rueda
A long and glorious scientific dismantling of the shaken baby syndrome hypothesis
Another scientific review finding insufficient evidence
Jeffrey Havard and th...2018-10-0857 minYou're Wrong AboutMultiple Personality Disorder
Sarah tells Mike how pop culture created a two-decade-long obsession with multiple personality disorder and repressed memories. Digressions include Dead Poets Society, restless leg syndrome and the low editorial standards of the American publishing industry. The Satanic Panic makes a cameo appearance.
Links!
The case of the human meat hamburger
Excerpt from Debbie Nathan’s “Sybil Exposed”
Excerpt from Elizabeth Loftus’ The Myth of Repressed Memory
Frontline documentary: The Hunt for Memories
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/multiple-personality-disorders.mp3
2018-10-0100 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Obesity Epidemic
Mike tells Sarah that America has sent the wrong messages and done the wrong things about obesity for more than half a century. Digressions include height (again), sweatshops and Julianne Moore. Sarah and Mike’s mothers both make extended appearances.
Here’s a link to Mike’s article!
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/youre-wrong-about-the-obesity-epidemic.mp3
The photo is Corissa Enneking, one of the people Mike interviewed for his article!
2018-09-1900 minYou're Wrong AboutColumbine
Special guest Rachel Monroe (re-)joins Mike and Sarah to talk about all the myths surrounding the second-biggest news event of the 1990s. Digressions include car crashes, September 11, Diane Sawyer and the terrors of teenage journaling.
Links!
Dave Cullen’s book (which all three co-hosts agree was kind of meh but he seems like a nice guy)
An interesting write-up weighing the evidence for various theories of the killers
Rachel’s lovely and disturbing essay on “Columbiners”
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/columbine.mp3
2018-09-1700 minYou're Wrong AboutIran-Contra
Mike tells Sarah why the biggest scandal of Reagan’s presidency provides more (depressing) lessons about current politics than Watergate. Digressions include Mormons, Top Gun and the X-Files. Both co-hosts have considered what they will name their deliberately boring tax-shelter corporations.
Links!
Mike’s essay about his parents living in Iran in 1979
The Yale Law Review article about the structural failures of Iran-Contra
The findings prepared by the hilariously impotent Tower Commission
The amazing CJR story that asks why the press didn’t care about Iran-Contra
An overview of the scandal from Brown University
The 1991...2018-09-1000 minYou're Wrong AboutJeffrey Dahmer
Sarah tells Mike that shoddy policing (and Milwaukee generally) are responsible for one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Digressions include panel vans, Anita Bryant, early man and Hannibal Lector. Mike struggles, as usual, not to cry during the gross parts.
Links!
Sarah’s wonderful essay about Dahmer: http://www.partisanmagazine.com/blog/2016/5/3/living-things
And Sarah’s wonderful article about Ted Bundy: https://believermag.com/the-end-of-evil/
A Vanity Fair article on Dahmer just after his arrest: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/1991/11/jeffrey-dahmer-dennis-nilsen-serial-killer
The “48 Hours” interview with Dahmer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZauuAyuA2Y
Tr...2018-09-0100 minYou're Wrong AboutD.A.R.E.
Mike tells Sarah that the D.A.R.E. program did not, in fact, keep kids off drugs. But that’s just the beginning of the debunking. Digressions include Martin Scorsese, Iceland and control groups. Both co-hosts reveal that they were not cool enough to be offered drugs in high school.
Links!
“A popular program for preventing teen drug use does not help. Here’s what does.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/
More on how D.A.R.E. crushed dissent: http://www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/DARE.pdf
A 1994 review of the evide...2018-08-1800 minYou're Wrong AboutAlpha Males
Sarah tells Mike that animal behavior is an imperfect template for human society. Digressions include rabbits, Bob’s Burgers and online dating. Mike makes an awkward observation about locker rooms.
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/alpha-males.mp3
2018-08-0449 minYou're Wrong AboutKurt Cobain and “Copycat Suicide”
Special guest Candace Opper tells Mike and Sarah about how the death of a rock star changed the field of suicidology (which is a thing). Digressions include eating disorders, car crashes and the insane grimness of the term “family annihilation.” The cringe-worthiness of Mike’s teenage years reaches new depths.
Links!
Check out Candace’s work! https://candacejaneopper.com/
And her tweets! https://twitter.com/candaceopper
Here’s an essay she wrote about Kurt copycat suicides: https://www.guernicamag.com/the-chemistry-of-an-echo/
And a bit more on the Kurt Cobain conspiracy theorist in Seattle: https://www.theguardi...2018-07-2800 minYou're Wrong About“The Godfather”
Sarah tells Mike about how America’s favorite gangster movie is really its favorite killing-the-American-Dream movie. Digressions include the Mona Lisa, Bruce Springsteen and the tyranny of height-ism. The sound quality continues to worsen.
Links!
Kael Reviews:
http://scrapsfromtheloft.com/2017/12/30/the-godfather-alchemy-review-by-pauline-kael/
http://scrapsfromtheloft.com/2017/12/12/the-godfather-part-ii-fathers-and-sons-review-by-pauline-kael/
Making of:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/03/godfather200903
on Lucy Mancini’s vagina:
http://the-toast.net/2014/10/09/please-dont-forget-american-classic-godfather-important-subplot-big-vagina/
A great essay on the godfather III: https://www.tiff.net/the-review/the-teenage-heartbreak-of-sofia-coppolas-mary-corleone/
Puzo’s obituary:
https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/03/movies/mario-puzo-author-who-made-the-godfather-a-world-addiction-is-dead-at-78.html
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018...2018-07-2155 minYou're Wrong About10th Episode Spectacular!
Sarah and Mike take a break from debunking to reflect on the first 10 episodes and tell the secret history of how they met. Digressions include “Portlandia,” Snapchat and the The New York Post. The recording quality, as usual, is wildly inconsistent.
Links!
Sarah’s Tonya Harding essay: https://www.believermag.com/issues/201401/?read=article_marshall
Mike’s millennials article: http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/poor-millennials/
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/10th-anniversary.mp3
2018-07-1400 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Exxon Valdez Oil SpillMike tells Sarah that America’s most devastating oil spill was not, in fact, a DUI. Digressions include “Titanic” (obviously), the Cuyahoga River, Jennifer Lopez and marshmallows. Punitive damages make a triumphant return. Mike, a professional writer, continues to misuse the word “literally.”
Links!
The NYT article summarizing the Supreme Court decision: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/washington/26punitive.html
The study on “disaster trauma” in Cordova: http://www.arlis.org/docs/vol1/B/243478793.pdf
Retro Report episode on the spill: https://www.retroreport.org/transcript/exxon-valdez-in-the-wake-of-disaster/
Episode Hero Ricky Ott: http://www.rikiott.com/
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com...2018-06-3000 minYou're Wrong AboutSnuff Films
Sarah tells Mike about how snuff films don’t exist but lots of near-snuff films do. Digressions include “Basic Instinct,” gymnastics and YouTube’s righthand bar. Mike is palpably grossed out for the duration.
https://rottenindenmark.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/snuff-films.mp3
2018-06-2558 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Jonestown Massacre
Special guest Rachel Monroe tells Mike and Sarah what’s really behind the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid.” Digressions include David Koresh, East Germany and how flower children were the first millennials. Mike inadvertently reveals his prejudice against extroverts.
For more of Rachel’s work, check out her website. Recently she’s written about #vanlife, a romance scammer, essential oils and the kidnapping of a Navajo girl. Her book on women, true crime and obsession comes out next year.
Links!
“Escape from Jonestown: https://longreads.com/2014/11/12/escape-from-jonestown/
Rolling Stone’s 1979 article on the origin and afterm...2018-06-1600 minYou're Wrong AboutThe Clinton Impeachment
Part two of our epic dissection of the Clinton impeachment scandal. This week: The story breaks, the House indicts, the Senate demurs and Mike rants more than usual about the media. Digressions include Mark Fuhrman, “Broadcast News” and gay porn.
Links!
An interview with Ken Gormley, the author of “Clinton vs. Starr”: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123653000
Fascinating academic article comparing coverage of Watergate to coverage of Clinton: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1464884904044937
“Book: Hillary Clinton Error Led to Impeachment”: https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/04/25/book-hillary-clinton-error-led-to-impeachment
Unchained Reaction: The C...2018-06-0900 minYou're Wrong AboutMonica LewinskySarah and Mike talk about what America forgot — and never learned — about history’s most famous intern. Digressions include generational resentments, 1990s fashion and off-brand colleges. Also, Mike’s microphone breaks about 25 minutes in, so he sounds like he’s recording in a submarine. Sorry!
Links:
The Starr Report: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-105hdoc310/pdf/CDOC-105hdoc310.pdf
Unchained Reaction: The Collapse of Media Gatekeeping and the Clinton–Lewinsky Scandal: https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=asc_papers
Sex, Politics, and Public Opinion: What Political Scientists Really Learned From the Clinton-Lewi...2018-06-0200 min