Let's be honest. If you live in the United States, you probably think fruitcake is ridiculous. It's like the MRE of Christmas, passed around from one family to the next. But what makes it so resilient? How, out of all the cakes in the world,did fruitcake become a thing -- and why does it remain with us today?

Let's be honest. If you live in the United States, you probably think fruitcake is ridiculous. It's like the MRE of Christmas, passed around from one family to the next. But what makes it so resilient? How, out of all the cakes in the world,did fruitcake become a thing -- and why does it remain with us today?

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

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

The Deliciously Ridiculous History of Fruitcakes

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/87fba14f-5a87-4758-93ec-b38c00ee1468/transcript

While tipping is widely accepted (and expected) in the United States today, this wasn't always the case. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max learn how scheming corporations used tipping as a way to exploit newly-freed employees... and how the anti-tipping movement became prevalent enough to end up as part of Presidential campaigns.

While tipping is widely accepted (and expected) in the United States today, this wasn't always the case. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max learn how scheming corporations used tipping as a way to exploit newly-freed employees... and how the anti-tipping movement became prevalent enough to end up as part of Presidential campaigns.

The Ridiculous Racist Origin of Tipping, Part Two: The Great Debate and Anti-tipping Crusades

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bf8957a0-3b2a-408d-83c5-b4b900e3b923/transcript

What's the best meal you've ever had at a restaurant? If it was in the United States, odds are you paid your tab -- and then added an extra fee on top of that. While tipping didn't originate in the USA, the States have the world's most prevalent (and infamous) tipping culture. And ever since the Civil War, it's been a hot-button issue: Should you tip? If so, whom, and how much? In the first part of this severely biased two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max dive into the debate... and learn the disturbing origin of American tipping along the way.

What's the best meal you've ever had at a restaurant? If it was in the United States, odds are you paid your tab -- and then added an extra fee on top of that. While tipping didn't originate in the USA, the States have the world's most prevalent (and infamous) tipping culture. And ever since the Civil War, it's been a hot-button issue: Should you tip? If so, whom, and how much? In the first part of this severely biased two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max dive into the debate... and learn the disturbing origin of American tipping along the way.

The Ridiculous Racist Origin of Tipping, Part One: A Gratuitous History of Gratuity

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2b861b39-678c-4eaf-96dc-b4b7013c1d08/transcript

Nowadays it's no secret that some Papal administrations from centuries past were a bit more scandalous than others, but when master engraver Marcantonio Raimondi created prints of explicit art located within the papal palace, the church was scandalized. Learn more about the bizarre tale of "The Sixteen Pleasures".

Nowadays it's no secret that some Papal administrations from centuries past were a bit more scandalous than others, but when master engraver Marcantonio Raimondi created prints of explicit art located within the papal palace, the church was scandalized. Learn more about the bizarre tale of "The Sixteen Pleasures".

CLASSIC: I Modi: The Scandalous Erotic Blockbuster Banned By The Vatican

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b8b47a47-9b4a-4b91-955c-b4b3010674f1/transcript

The Deliciously Ridiculous History of Fruitcakes

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