Weddings are an ancient tradition, and over the millenia the various rituals associated with (theoretically) life-long partnership have evolved and changed. One ritual in particular became both prominent and controversial in the West: the act of newly-married couples smashing wedding cake into each other's faces. So where did it come from? Why does it happen, and what do its critics think the practice means?

Weddings are an ancient tradition, and over the millenia the various rituals associated with (theoretically) life-long partnership have evolved and changed. One ritual in particular became both prominent and controversial in the West: the act of newly-married couples smashing wedding cake into each other's faces. So where did it come from? Why does it happen, and what do its critics think the practice means?

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.

Ridiculous History

CLASSIC: What's the Deal with Smashing Cake at Weddings?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ea1347cd-ee7d-4629-9656-afcb012c95b3/transcript

In this week's Classic episode: Bill Speakman, better known as the “Beer Bottle VC”, single-handedly took on a brigade of Chinese People’s Army Infantry in four hours of close-quarters combat. As he ran out of actual weapons, he began throwing beer bottles -- and, somehow, survived. Tune in to learn more about Big Bill Speakman, the Beer Bottle VC (and learn why he came to hate this nickname).

In this week's Classic episode: Bill Speakman, better known as the &ldquo;Beer Bottle VC&rdquo;, single-handedly took on a brigade of Chinese People&rsquo;s Army Infantry in four hours of close-quarters combat. As he ran out of actual weapons, he began throwing beer bottles -- and, somehow, survived. Tune in to learn more about Big Bill Speakman, the Beer Bottle VC (and learn why he came to hate this nickname).

CLASSIC: How Big Bill Speakman Fought Off North Korea With Beer Bottles

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/74dc87b5-dc06-49ab-bc70-b43c010dba12/transcript

Potatoes are amazing. While these sturdy little tubers may not seem immediately impressive, they're one of agricultural's biggest success stories. So, how did they grow from a domestic crop in South America to an absolute global phenomenon? In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max discover the origin of the potato -- and how a single French pharmacist launched a massive PR campaign to popularize spuds in Europe.

Potatoes are amazing. While these sturdy little tubers may not seem immediately impressive, they're one of agricultural's biggest success stories. So, how did they grow from a domestic crop in South America to an absolute global phenomenon? In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max discover the origin of the potato -- and how a single French pharmacist launched a massive PR campaign to popularize spuds in Europe.

A Ridiculous History of Potatoes, Part One: the Origin Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/03b7cba3-89dc-41f2-8d08-b43c0109f9a5/transcript

Heads-up, fellow Ridiculous Historians: this is an explicit episode, and maynot be appropriate for all audiences. It's no secret that Ben, Noel and Max are huge fans of etymology -- and there's one word that's mystified them for years. When did the English world fall in love with the term "bullsh*t"? In today's episode, the guys discover this particular curse word has a suprisingly bizarre, murky backstory, and a lot of the proposed origins of bullsh*t are, themselves ... bullsh*t.

Heads-up, fellow Ridiculous Historians: this is an explicit episode, and maynot be appropriate for all audiences. It's no secret that Ben, Noel and Max are huge fans of etymology -- and there's one word that's mystified them for years. When did the English world fall in love with the term "bullsh*t"? In today's episode, the guys discover this particular curse word has a suprisingly bizarre, murky backstory, and a lot of the proposed origins of bullsh*t are, themselves ... bullsh*t.

When Did We All Start Saying "Bulls*t"?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7650eb9b-ddef-4769-87d5-b43501019d63/transcript

CLASSIC: What's the Deal with Smashing Cake at Weddings?

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