Sofa King Podcast

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one or the boldest cult leaders to ever live—James Strang. He proclaimed himself the King of Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, and from there, he ran an empire of lumber theft, polygamy, and even piracy across The Great Lakes. He wrote diaries in a made up language (that took a century to decode), forged documents and holy artifacts to help take power within the Mormon Church, and even became a member of the House of Representatives. Oh, and there was that one time he hid his second wife by dressing her as a boy and saying she was his cousin. If you like cults, this one has it all!   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strang https://leelanau.com/remembering-king-strang-of-beaver-island/ https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2020-07-24/new-book-documents-the-life-of-james-jesse-strang-self-professed-mormon-monarch-of-beaver-island https://mynorth.com/2009/03/beaver-islands-king/ https://www.ranker.com/list/james-

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the loudest voices of Generation X, Henry Rollins. He was the front man for the epic punk band Black Flag and later the front man for the Rollins Band. He was in icon of the 80s and 90s, known for his temper, tattoos, and timbre. Henry Rollins sang against the establishment and fought against what was corrupt in society; he fought against his fans at concerts, too, leading to a reputation as a hot head. He became equally famous for his spoken word and lectures as his music, and he helped voice the rage and frustration of his generation with an eloquence that few possessed.   Visit Our Sources: https://bigthink.com/people/henryrollins/ https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-Pu-Z/Rollins-Henry.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Rollins https://blabbermouth.net/news/henry-rollins-has-never-regretted-his-decision-to-stop-making-music https://www.grammy.com/artists/henry-rollins/6739 https://www.comedydynamics.com/catalog/hen

Daves not here man ... Classic This episode peels back the lid on the very popular conspiracy theory involving the use of fluoride in municipal drinking water. The common conspiracy theories get pretty crazy and talk about Communist plots and argue that Nazis used sodium fluoride to keep prisoners of war and concentration camp victims docile. We talk about those theories and whether they have been debunked or not, but we also look at more credible historical and scientific facts. One fact is that fluoride is a byproduct of enriching uranium and making aluminum, and it is a highly corrosive and toxic substance in concentration. Evidence obviously indicates that in very, very small amounts it helps prevent tooth decay. But in moderate to large amounts, it is a poison. (So much so that just after 9/11 the NSA expressed concern about terrorists hijacking unprotected fluoride trucks and using them to poison entire towns). How much is too much fluoride? How much is in the water you drink? How can you filter it ou

Daves not here man..... On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we look at a guy who may be the worst Brit to ever live, Jimmy Savile. Jimmy Savile was a media personality and radio host (think Ryan Seacrest or Dick Clark in the States). He had a hit-maker radio and tv show that every musician wanted to be on. He also had a BBC television series that made the dream of ill children come true. He was knighted by the Queen of England and the Pope. That all sounds pretty awesome, right? Well, he was also a serial rapist, pedophile, and necropheliac. A year after he died in 2011, over 500 victims came forward to discuss their trauma. They ranged from 5 to 75 years old at the time of the crime. Most of them were physically or mentally ill at the time of the abuse. There were dozens of rapes. Oh, and most people think none of this ever came to light because of a cover up that may have gone as high up as the Prime Minister or the Royal family, both of whom he was close to. So how did a crappy meta-celebrity beco

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at the achievements, impacts, and allegations against the original Hip-Hop mogul, Russell Simmons. A young Simmons fell in love the new art form of rap and immediately took charge of the genre’s future. He signed Kurtis Blow from his dorm room on to a label that didn’t exist, and he hustled every DJ in New York until he got him a record deal. From there, he created Def Jam records and was architect to the success of acts such as Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. He produced movies, reinvented stand up, created a fashion line, and put poetry slams on the map. In 2018, he stepped down from all of his corporate ties due to multiple sexual assault claims. Even under that dark shadow, Simmons stands out as a cultural titan that every rap mogul since has imitated.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/musician/russell-simmons https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/russell-simmons-40 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about phobias. Everyone is afraid of something, but that doesn’t make it a phobia. A phobia is technically a form of anxiety disorder that lasts more than 6 months. These can be common and reasonable things like snakes or spiders, or truly bizarre things like a fear of belly buttons or a fear of long words. What causes Phobias to exist? How many people suffer from Phobias? Is there a genetic component? How do we cure them? What are the most ridiculous Phobias we came across? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/phobias https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/specific-phobias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia https://www.verywellmind.com/list-of-phobias-2795453 https://www.realbuzz.com/articles-interests/health/article/top-10-most-bizarre-phobias/ https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/phobias/related/weird-phobias/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-01/ten-of-the-most-commo

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the best looking man in a bow tie, Pee-Wee Herman. Pee-Wee is played by the comedic actor Paul Reubens, and though he seems like an inevitable and overnight success, he worked on his comedy and this character for well over a decade before he blew up in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. He went to Cal Arts to study acting (alongside The Hasselhoff, I might add), and ended up working with the improve troupe The Groundlings. There, he slowly developed Pee-Wee with help from Phil Hartman. His stage show exploded in popularity after it was picked up by HBO, and then it was on to a film and a hit Saturday morning kid’s show. So, why did Paul Reubens quit the show? What happened when he was caught in a porno theater? How did he help start the career of Lawrence Fishburn and Tim Burton? What’s he up to now, and can we expect more Pee-Wee? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://hollywoodmask.com/actors/paul-reubens-wife-gay-personal-life.html https://en.wikip

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we hit you with some cryptozoology and talk about the Beast of Exmoor. This creature has been spotted thousands of times since the 1970s. It gained popularity in 1983 when a farmer lost almost 100 sheep in the course of three months. It got so bad that the British Royal Marines were deployed in “Operation Beastie” to try and kill or find forensic evidence. The descriptions are remarkably similar and seem to be some sort of a great cat that looks to be roughly seven feet long. It is lean and powerful and can easily jump over six foot fences. So what is this creature? An unknown great cat? It could be a freed pet, but it’s been there too long for such a creature’s lifespan. So what do the experts say? What are the sightings like? How are prey killed? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_Exmoor https://new-cryptozoology.fandom.com/wiki/Beast_of_Exmoor https://www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk/blog/beast-of-exmoor/ http

On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we look at the man single handedly responsible for the popularity of Area 51 and gray aliens, Bob Lazar. In 1989, he gave a sensational interview to reporter George Knapp. In it, he talked about his time in an facility called S4 and his work figuring out how alien space craft worked. There were 9 flying saucers there, and they used Element 115 to distort space-time and fly using gravity. It became a worldwide phenomenon that impacted everything from X-Files to Independence Day and even the classic video game X-Com. In 2018, film maker Jeremy Corbell tracked down Bob Lazar to interview him all over again for his hit documentary. If you’re into grays and UFOs or still just believe The Truth is Out There, you don’t want to miss this one.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5zvj7/ufo-technician-bob-lazar-speaks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lazar https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/06/01/ufos-the-pentagon-and-the-enigma-of-bob-lazar/ https://sci

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we try our hand at the Guinness Book of World Records. This childhood favorite started back in 1955 when there was no such thing as the internet, and encyclopedias only covered serious topics. It was launched by Sir Hugh Beaver who worked at Guinness, and he hired the McWhorter brothers to write it. One of them was assassinated by the IRA, but the show must go on. The Guinness Book of World Records became a sensation (and became a world record holder itself for most books sold). Their museums opened worldwide, the book was translated into languages all around the world, and television shows spawned everywhere. How did they change their business model to stay in business? What does it take to become a Guinness record holder? Who holds the most records? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness_World_Records https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-guinness-book-of-records-debuts https://www.guinnessworldr

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at one of the worst environmental catastrophes of the modern era, the Bhopal Disaster. The Indian city of Bhopal was home to a Union Carbide Corporation chemical company. They made pesticides using a very lethal substance called MIC gas. On December 2nd, 1984, 40 tons of this deadly concoction burst into the air over the city of a million people. It killed between 3,000 and 15,000 people and has led to massive long-term health issues for the victims and their children. Of course the corporation ducks its head and tries to blame someone else, as does the Indian Government. If you want to hear about a heartbreaking tale of corporate laziness leading to what one court considered mass homicide, this is the one for you!   Visit Our Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/dec/08/bhopals-tragedy-has-not-stopped-the-urban-disaster-still-claiming-lives-35-years-on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/12/bhop

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we bring you the best radio broadcast ever—The War of the Worlds. On October 30th, 1938, the legendary Orson Welles created a radio show for CBS based on the novel, The War of the Worlds. The show was unique, using cutting-edge sound design and special audio effects more than any other broadcast. Coupled with good acting, and a lack of commercial interruptions (like a real news broadcast), it freaked out the nation. Some accounts say that people panicked, stormed government buildings, and loaded up their shotguns ready for a Martian invasion. Others state that it wasn’t that bad, but the newspaper industry blew it out of proportion. So, what happened that night? Why did Welles and his cast get locked in a room in the studio for hours after? Why did cops storm the studio? What did Welles say about it the next day, and what was Hitler’s reaction? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/welles-scares-nation

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look into the largest police scandal in LAPD history. It was called the Rampart Scandal, named after a police station in a bad part of LA. In the mid-90s, when gang violence was at its worst, the police developed CRASH units, designed to arrest gang members by any means necessary. This lead to the Rampart CRASH team becoming the epitome of corruption. They shot people and lied about it, robbed a bank, planted evidence, stole cocaine from the evidence locker, and sold drugs. They were tied directly to the criminal enterprise that was Death Row records when it was run by Suge Knight. Oh, and they very well might have killed Biggie Smalls. This is a wild tale of corruption, greed, and cops who were no different than the gangsters they were charged to capture.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/lapd/scandal/cron.html https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2161&context=faculty_scholarship https://www.latimes.co

On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we look at the animal that even makes Indian Jones’ skin crawl—snakes. Found through all of human mythology, this slithery mother can represent medicine and healing or Satan and destruction. It is an animal so radically different than humans, that it might as well be an alien. It has senses we can’t imagine, is a ruthless killer, and is a primal fear in much of the human population. So, what are the most deadly snakes? Where are they found? What exactly is snake wine, and where (and why) do you drink it? What country has the most snake deaths, and why is antivenom one of the craziest medicines to produce? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adder https://www.livescience.com/deadliest-snakes.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_in_mythology https://www.history.com/news/snake-symbol-history-mythology  

This episode of The Sofa King Podcast is Part One of our discussion on the life, politics, policies, and death of the amazing John Fitzgerald Kennedy. JFK was one of the most beloved president of the United States, and his administration was often considered to be the “Golden Age” of America that many people called Camelot. Kennedy was the son of a wealthy business man who had alleged ties to the mob and illegal alcohol-running during prohibition. His legitimate businesses, however, set the Kennedy family up for a life of prosperity and prestige. JFJ, also known as Jack, was a sickly child and had chronic back problems through his life. He also was a screw-up at school, more interested in pranks and flirting than his formal education. All that changed, however, when he was at Harvard, and he wrote a book called Why England Slept which explored why Great Britain was unprepared for the Nazis. He used his family’s connections to let him join the Navy (something he couldn’t have done because of his back conditi

On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we explore one of the bloodiest chapters in the history of New England, the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials are a complex phenomenon that coupled puritanical fanaticism with fear of not only the devil, but life in the new world. The laws that led to the persecution of witches in New England date back to 1484, when Pope Innocent VIII wrote a papal bull called Summis Desiderantes Affectibus (Latin for “Desiring with supreme ardor”). This proclamation said that witches were real and were servants of the devil, and from there, witch-hunting mania was born. A few years later, The Malleus Maleficarum (aka “The Hammer of Witches”) was written by the Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer (and possibly a partner, the Dominican Friar Jacob Sprenger). Sprenger and Kramer were both given power by the pope to hunt and kill anyone they deemed a witch. While this sounds like the stuff of really cool video games, it more like rampant sexism and murdering women who didn’t adh

On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we discuss the wild career of the most famous pirate in history, Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard. Teach was thought to have been born in Britain but moved to Jamaica as a child. From there, he became a privateer (a pirate who worked for England) through Queen Anne’s War. After that, he used his naval skills to become one of the wildest pirates ever to set foot in the Caribbean. Teach was recruited after the war by a pirate named Captain Benjamin Hornigold, and in a very short time, he was promoted to run his own ship in this pirate fleet. Blackbeard earned his stripes and his nickname under Hornigold, and when the senior pirate retired from the life, Blackbeard was left in charge of the ships. He ran his new fleet based on fear of his growing reputation—he even lit his hair on fire before battle to look more fearsome. From there, Blackbeard went on to capture and recruit several ships, adding to his flotilla’s strength. One man, Stede Bonnet (The Gentleman Pirate) was

Mind Control, influence, and propaganda are the focus of this episode of the Sofa King Podcast. We talk about how governments and corporations try to make us loyal to their product/country using techniques that date back well before World War II. Derren Brown, the British mentalist and psychological manipulator is a prime example that we talk about. And of course, what Sofa King episode would be complete without a conspiracy? This episode’s is the CIA program from the 1950s-1970s known as MK Ultra. What was MK Ultra, and how did the maniuplate us? Tune in and find out. Some of our key topics this episode are mind control, propaganda, advertising, MK Ultra, the CIA, Derren Brown, mentalism, the propaganda/public relations master Edward Bernays, and the documentary film maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and her work documenting the Taliban.

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at one of the worst prison events in recent history, the Attica Prison Rebellion. Attica Prison, in upstate New York, was infamous for its cruel staff and correctional officers. Prisoners were given one roll of toilet paper per month, inadequate food, and were even beaten and tortured by guards. Racism was rampant, and after a fight in one yard, prisoners had said enough. They rushed some guards and took control of parts of the prison. After a well-organized negotiation and hostage situation, Governor Rockefeller ordered troops to fire, killing prisoners and hostages indiscriminately. This story has ties ranging from the black panthers to John Lennon to Richard Nixon. It’s a wild, tragic ride.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/09/08/attica-prison-riot-50-years-later/5509972001/ https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/attica-prison-uprising/ https://allthatsinteresting.com/attica-prison-riot https://www.history.com/this-

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the real gangster of West Coast hip hop, Suge Knight. Though his nickname comes from his sweet childhood nick name of “Sugar Bear,” he turned into a real monster. He started by managing a few rappers and then created Death Row Records which had some of the biggest names in West Side rap. He famously fueled the East/West rap war and was behind the wheel when Tupac was shot. What are the theories surrounding his involvement? What was RAMPART, and how was he involved with corrupt LAPD officers? Did he kill Biggie Smalls? Why did he run over two men in 2017, and how long is his prison sentence based on that killing? Listen, laugh, learn.     Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/musician/suge-knight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suge_Knight https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079761477/snoop-dogg-now-owns-death-row-records https://wealthygorilla.com/suge-knight-net-worth/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_scandal#Rampart_ties_to_D