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Artwork for Ridiculous History

Ridiculous History

iHeartPodcasts
World War II
Boeing
Calvin Coolidge
Camouflage
Guinness World Records
History Of World Records
Breeching
Stan Hugel
William Howard Taft
Tecumseh
Sir Hugh Beaver
Norris and Ross Mcwhirter
William Henry Harrison
John Neal
Class and Economy
Gender Roles
Children's Clothing
Baseball Caps
Marketing
Warren G Harding

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

PublishesDailyEpisodes971Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Ridiculous History

Latest Episodes

What if you could hop from France to New York in less than four hours? Traveling twice the speed of sound, with caviar, lobster, champagne and cigars? This was the pitch of the Concorde jet -- a revolutionary, utterly ridiculous and brilliant craft t... more

In late 17th-century England, it was almost impossible for anyone outside of the upper class to successfully get a divorce -- the process was expensive and required approval from both the church and the government. As a result, some couples agreed to... more

As the Western world embarks on 2026, Ben, Max and Noel welcome everyone's New Year's resolutions. (Here's hoping that gym schedule continues through February!) In celebration of a "New Year, New Me" mentality, the boys return to the Ridiculous Histo... more

Nowadays beef, chicken and pork are the most common meats in the US -- but, not so long ago, that could have all changed. Join the guys as they travel back to the early 1900s, when Louisiana congressman Robert Broussard proposed an unorthodox solutio... more

Key Facts

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Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Tom Freston
Co-founder of MTV and author of 'Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu'
MTV
Episode: Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston
Katie Goldin
Host of Creature Feature, who discusses animal behavior
Creature Feature
Episode: CLASSIC: Clara, The World's Most Famous Rhinoceros
Jake Brennan
Podcaster, author, and creator of Disgraceland Podcast
Disgraceland Podcast
Episode: The Grim Christmas Folklore of Johnny Ace, with Jake Brennan
Rowan Newbie
Podcaster, producer, and musician
Pitches Podcast
Episode: CLASSIC: Idiomatic For The People, Part I
Dr. Priyanka Wali
Double board-certified physician
Episode: Introducing: Health Stuff
Casey Peggrim
Producer and contributor to the discussion
Episode: CLASSIC: Were Tulips Really The Bitcoin of the 1600s?
Christopher Hassiotis
A guest with a humorous take on military history
Episode: CLASSIC: (Some of) History's Dumbest Military Prototypes
Ross Benes
Legendary author and journalist, and researcher
Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Mental Floss
Episode: The Ridiculous History of the 90s and Low Culture, with Ross Benes
Rachel Lance
Author and expert in underwater physiology
Episode: The Terrifying Science of Tiny Subs and D-Day, Part Two: The Rise of the Chamber Divers

Hosts

Ben Bowlin
Host and Co-host, known for his humor and engaging storytelling in historical contexts.
Noel Brown
Co-host, noted for his wit and engaging discussions on absurd historical topics.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 7.1k ratings
  • Wasn't the term "Huckleberry" (meaning I am up for anything) involved in a madela effect over the term Huckle bearer?

    Podcast Addict
    4
    kRaCkrrjaCk
    2 months ago
  • Meh.

    Way too many commercials. Boring, drawn-out banter. Awkwardly and unnecessarily inserted biased political commentary which I find loathsome particularly in history podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    A.JAX
    United States2 months ago
  • Great Show!

    I love this show, I get to learn lots of cool history and share it with my friends! I know a lot of people complain about the commercials… I just skip them. But the meat of the show is good, accurate history facts and amazing humor. They find some of the most random stuff to talk about, and this is one of my favorites. Thanks for doing everything you guys do!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DeathCapMushroom
    United States2 months ago
  • low effort

    This show feels very low-effort. They mention the ridiculous bit of history, but there’s little added context, and the discussion is barely there or doesn’t add much. Is it really this easy to have an iHeart podcast?

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    coda_o7
    United States2 months ago
  • All fluff

    They covered good stuff but for a half hour podcast it’s 5-6 minutes of good stuff. The first five minutes aren’t intro and then ads. And there are simply a ton of ads in this podcast the meat is sparse.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    josephUSA
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the blend of humor and history, often highlighting the clever storytelling.
There's significant feedback regarding the amount of advertisements being disruptive to the listening experience.
Some comments reflect dissatisfaction with the occasional political commentary mixed into the history, indicating a divide among audience preferences.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#42
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#34
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#44
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#128
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#59
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#162
Germany/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston
Q: What advice would you give yourself if you could travel in time?
Freston encouraged young people to take risks, travel, and gather experiences rather than conforming to traditional career paths right after school.
Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston
Q: Can you kind of talk about those early days and how quickly it picked up, or did it take a minute?
Freston described how MTV didn't take off immediately, facing resistance from advertisers and cable operators initially, but once it was on air, the audience loved it.
Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about what that means?
Freston explained that he was influenced by the Beats and Libertarians, both believing in individual freedom and a life full of experiences, emphasizing the importance of improvisation.
CLASSIC: Clara, The World's Most Famous Rhinoceros
Q: What can help reduce stress in captivity for animals?
Increased enrichment through puzzles and positive interactions can help alleviate stress.
CLASSIC: Clara, The World's Most Famous Rhinoceros
Q: How might sudden fame affect an animal psychologically?
It can lead to stress and compulsive behaviors due to captivity, even if they've been raised in human care.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Ridiculous History

What is Ridiculous History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content features an engaging exploration of bizarre and often humorous historical tales, offering listeners insights into various oddities from different periods and cultures. Recent episodes have highlighted everything from World War II's connection to the Monopoly board game, to the strange history of fruitcake and the enigma of spontaneous human combustion, showcasing the hosts' knack for blending insightful research with comedic storytelling. This reflects an overarching theme of intersecting the extraordinary with the mundane, making history accessible and entertaining for all lovers of both the curious and the comical.

Where can I find podcast stats for Ridiculous History?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Ridiculous History. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Ridiculous History and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Ridiculous History get?

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What are the audience demographics for Ridiculous History?

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How many subscribers and views does Ridiculous History have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Ridiculous History has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Ridiculous History?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ridiculous History:

1. Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
2. Stuff To Blow Your Mind
3. Stuff You Should Know
4. Stuff You Missed in History Class
5. Useless Information Podcast

How many episodes of Ridiculous History are there?

Ridiculous History launched 8 years ago and published 971 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Ridiculous History?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Ridiculous History?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Ridiculous History from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Ridiculous History?

Recent guests on Ridiculous History include:

1. Tom Freston
2. Katie Goldin
3. Jake Brennan
4. Rowan Newbie
5. Dr. Priyanka Wali
6. Casey Peggrim
7. Christopher Hassiotis
8. Ross Benes

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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