Radio Free History

How Art Got Ugly continues, as we move from the Modernist aesthetics of the 1920s to the more conservative and realistic art of the 1930s. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Gio joins RFH to talk about Futurism and art from 100 years ago, why some of it was profound, and the ways in which it remains relevant to the culture of today. We talk about culture on every level, from philosophy to internet memes. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

A continuation of the last episode, as we finish our deep dive into 1920s Paris's avant garde. We look at the Purists, the Surrealists, Art Deco, the 1925 Expo, and the legacy of 1920s Paris on modern aesthetics and architecture. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts continue their investigation of why modern art is ugly. Today's episode takes us through 1920s Paris, the world of Ernest Hemingway, Dada, and Surrealism. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

(NOTE: We started recording before realizing that the mic wasn't properly connected, but the vibe was good, so we didn't stop. The sound gets better after about 20 minutes when we realized it) Our hosts look continue their investigation of how modern art got so ugly, and arguably the lynchpin of the whole story is 1920s Germany, during the Weimar Republic. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

In our hosts' ongoing quest to figure out when art started to go off the rails, they dig into Russian Constructivism and the early years of the Soviet Union. It turns out that this era is full of clues that are crucial to solving the mystery. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

"How Art Got Ugly" reaches the crux of the story: The 1920s and the aftermath of WW1. We examine Modernism across the creative endeavors, and start by looking at the art before, during, and after the rise of Benito Mussolini. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

We look at the back-story behind the movie Lawrence of Arabia, from the Islamic Golden Age through its legacy on the Middle East conflicts going on today. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

The "How Art Got Ugly" series continues. After spending several episodes tracking the evolution of art from Michelangelo to Picasso, we take some time to survey the creative landscape in the aftermath of WW1. We examine Monet's Water Lilies, the legacy of the Futurists, the Museum of Modern Art, and a theory that culture is still, to this day, stuck in 1925. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Episode five of our hosts' deep dive into how modern art got so ugly. This time, we look at the early 20th century, as avant garde movements pop up across Europe, from the Cubists and Fauvists in Paris, to the German Expressionists in Berlin and Munich, to the Futurists in Milan, to the Dada movement in Zurich. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look continue their investigation of how modern art got so ugly, and this episode takes us to Montmartre during the fin de siècle. What we now call "modern art" starts to emerge in Paris's answer to 2000s Williamsburg. We also look at Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

We look at the history of professional wrestling, from its obscure origins in the British Isles through the billion-dollar business that it is today. Whether you care to admit it or not, pro wrestling looms large in our 21st century culture. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

This is the second half of the conversation in the previous episode. Our investigation of modern art goes to 19th century France, when avant garde art begins to look a little less realistic, and a little more "modern", whatever that even means. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look continue their investigation of how modern art got so ugly, starting with a look at some of the entries in the 2024 Whitney Biennial. We then look at how the concept of art came about in the 18th and 19th centuries. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look (with some exasperation) at the finals of the 2024 Turner Prize, and ask how modern art got so ugly. More importantly, what is art and why does it cover so many of these ugly works? The story behind that question goes all the way back to the Renaissance. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

Our hosts look at the life and times of Fred Phelps, the founder and face of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

In a break from the usual format, this is Radio Free History's first interview episode, where we talk to a local (and well-respected) martial arts instructor about the history of Kung Fu and martial arts generally in the West, up to the current day with MMA. He dispels some common myths about martial arts that persist, often due to dramatic depictions in movies and media. At the end, we spend some time discussing how his training is relevant to his work with an international disaster relief charity. If you would like to donate or volunteer, please go to https://globalmedic.ca/. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

The conclusion of the previous episode about Francis Walsingham and the Elizabethan spy rings. In this episode, we see how Walsingham was directly involved with two historic events: the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

The Elizabethan age was in inflection point, when a lot of the things we associate with England came into being. The foundations of modern English culture, art, and religion are all products of the age. It was also a time when spies and informants were everywhere, and they played a crucial role in the struggle between the English Protestants and Catholics. James Bond may have been written during the reign of Elizabeth II, but he would have been right at home during the reign of Elizabeth I. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

When you dig into the history of any European country, the 16th century is always an inflection point, either because of the Reformation or the Renaissance. Our hosts take a bird's eye view to see just what the Continent (as a whole) looked like before and after this period of change. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

We've all heard the story of Al Capone making his fortune running rum from Canada to Chicago, as portrayed in classic films like The Untouchables. But what was the story of the man on the other end of that supply line? https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

The Hell's Angels are the world's largest and most famous biker club, but like any other large organization or business, they have rules and procedures to work at scale. In this episode, the boys take a look at the world's most famous biker gang, and how it runs. It turns out that it's not so different from a franchise operation. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

The second in a series of episodes looking at the history of North America as a whole, we look at the Mexican-American War, including the run-up and aftermath. In less than 20 years, the map was redrawn in essentially every region on the mainland of the continent, and it was all related (directly or tangentially) to one conflict. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Surprisingly few people know just how North America got the way that it is. You may know a few facts about the Louisiana Purchase or the Alamo, but how does a continent end up dominated by three large countries with stable borders? This is the first in a series of episodes looking at North America as a whole, starting with Mexico's fall from a prominent position in the world's strongest empire at the start of the 19th century. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

In 1995, Mel Gibson produced, directed, and starred in "Braveheart". The movie won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and forever left its thumbprint on both pop culture and Scottish nationalism, but it did not always prioritize historical accuracy. In this episode, our hosts take a deep dive into the age of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and set the record straight on a crucial episode that forged the Scottish national identity. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Picking up where the last episode picked off, we've already looked at how an upstart German political party rose to prominence and took over most of Continental Europe. Today we look at where it all went wrong, from both a political and a military perspective. You'll also hear family anecdotes that you won't read in any history books. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

When a political discussion gets empassioned, somebody always seems to bring up pre-WW2 Germany. And yet, it's amazing how few events are mentioned, other than the Nuremberg rallies, the invasion of Poland, and maybe the Treaty of Versailles. This is the first podcast in a series, really digging into the question of how Germany got to that point. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

It seems like nobody can explain what exactly money is, or how the banking system works. That doesn't stop people from having all sorts of theories about inflation, the central bank, currency traders, and the money printer. Benn and Jay explore the history of money and banking, as they try to answer a deceptively simple question: What exactly is a U.S. Dollar? https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

The British Empire had a storied history, and at one point controlled more than 20% of the world's dry land. And yet, there are a lot of misconceptions about the Empire, even things as simple as the time period when it was at its strongest. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory