What would you do if a secret cabal of the nation’s most powerful people asked you to overthrow the President? Weirdly enough – it’s not a hypothetical. It almost happened to FDR in the 1930s, were it not for a very intense, very problematic Marine named Major General Smedley Butler. Join Ben Bowlin, Alex French, and a cast of historical characters brought to life by Joe Kinosian for a darkly comedic – and terrifying – retelling of one of the weirdest forgotten schemes in American history.
The Buffet Table
This week, we present a smattering of stories you might have missed. If you've inhaled all these, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else worth your time. Operation Lunar EclipseApple • Spotify • iHeart Boat TripApple • Spotify • iHeart The PledgeApple • Spotify • iHeart Old Man on CampusApple • Spotify • iHeart Seed WarsApple • Spotify • iHeart We're back with a new episode on May 15th!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Signs of Life: Revisiting Martha's Vineyard Sign Language
Martha's Vineyard once was a place you could gossip with neighbors, shop for supplies, or play a cutthroat game of cards — all without saying a word. That's because it had a thriving Deaf community. Residents, Deaf and hearing alike, communicated with a unique version of sign language that predates ASL. But it's mostly forgotten today. Today we dig into Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) and the folks who are working to keep its history. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Joanna Sokolowski and Julia SmithAdditional Writing by Marisa BrownProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Josh ThaneMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editors are Abbey Stone and Marisa BrownResearch and Fact-Checking by Meredith Danko, Austin Thompson, Joanna Sokolowski, and Julia SmithOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Oral history clips with Eric Cottle, Everett Poole, Sydney Harris, and Jane Slater are excerpted from interviews conducted with Linsey Lee, Martha's Vineyard Museum Oral History Curator. Courtesy of the Martha's Vineyard Museum. ASL interpretation for Nyle DiMarco by Grey Van Pelt. Thanks for listening! You don't owe us any favors. But if you enjoy the show and want to do us one anyway, could you head over to your favorite podcast platform(s) and leave us a rating? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Westward Hoax: The Secret History of Palisade, Nevada
In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild in the “Wild West.” But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the papers. * Very Special Episodes is a podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas ReillyVoice Actors: Josh Fisher, Zaron Burnett, Karl KeadleOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seed Wars: History's Deadliest Botany Rivalry
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event. The greatest botany rivalry in history! It's Vavilov vs. Lysenko for the fate of the Soviet Union. In the 1920s and '30s, Nikolai Vavilov was a big deal. He was studying seed genetics and learning how to prevent famines. Everyone wanted to work with him. Including a young kid named Trofim Lysenko. Lysenko studied with Vavilov. They were friends. But years later, Lysenko turned on his mentor, and turned against science. This became a problem, because Lysenko was good buddies with Stalin. The feud would bring the Soviet Union to its knees. And it would force Vavilov to make a fateful choice: one between the truth … or his life. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Jonathan WashingtonMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editor is Josh FisherResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas ReillyVoice Actors: Tom Antonellis, Zaron Burnett, Josh Fisher, and Chris ChildsOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Hear Also...Noble Blood: Catherine the Great and Her Husband the MediocreNoble Blood: The Ice QueenRidiculous Crime: Dope Floats: The Uncrashable Gary Betzner And here's Peter Pringle's excellent book on Vavilov mentioned in the episode. Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Spider-Man's Surreal Adventures on Broadway
In 2011, after many delays, one of the most anticipated musicals in theater history finally opened on Broadway. The show was Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The powerhouse creative team included a MacArthur Genius and Bono. But its downfall would be long and treacherous. Here's the story of what went wrong — and why we're still pushing for a revival. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Joe KinosianProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Emily MarinoffMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editors are Josh Fisher and Marisa BrownResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Joe KinosianOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to Celebrate Leap Day
With help from "Leap Day Lady" Raenell Dawn, Dana Schwartz makes the case for making Leap Day a national holiday. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. We're back with a full episode next Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Josh ThaneResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Dave RoosOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Pledge: Who Really Wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?
In today's Episode, Dana, Zaron and Jason tackle a 130-year-old mystery. Although American schoolchildren still recite The Pledge every morning in nearly every classroom, we still aren't sure who actually wrote it. And all these years later, the long-accepted story is showing some cracks. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan WashingtonMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editor is Aaron EdwardsResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Dave RoosOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Operation Lunar Eclipse
When a teenage astronomy fan is gifted a piece of the moon by NASA, he’s inadvertently pulled into the seedy underground moonrock trade. But don’t worry. With help from H. Ross Perot, NASA secret agents are on the case. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story every week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenProduced, Edited and Sound Designed by Josh FisherAdditional Editing by John WashingtonMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierOriginal Music by Elise McCoyStory Editing by Marisa BrownResearch and Fact-Checking by Marisa Brown, Austin Thompson, and Jake RossenShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing: Very Special Episodes
On Very Special Episodes, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing: Who Killed JFK?
Who Killed JFK? For 60 years, we are still asking that question. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's tragic assassination, legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner teams up with award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien to tell the history of America’s greatest murder mystery. They interview CIA officials, medical experts, Pulitzer-prize winning journalists, eyewitnesses and a former Secret Service agent who, in 2023, came forward with groundbreaking new evidence. They dig deep into the layers of the 60-year-old question ‘Who Killed JFK?’, how that question has shaped America, and why it matters that we’re still asking it today. Listen to Who Killed JFK? on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-who-killed-jfk-127000428/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing Sweet Daddy Grace
Hi, Let's Start a Coup! fans! Learn more about Bishop Charles Manuel “Sweet Daddy” Grace who was once the richest Black man in America! Six decades after his death, his descendants grapple with his life and legacy. Listen now on Sweet Daddy Grace. About Remus: Sweet Daddy Grace: A personal deep dive into the life of Bishop Charles Manuel ‘Sweet Daddy’ Grace, an ambitious and gifted African immigrant and one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and overlooked figures. With hundreds of churches across the country and a congregation said to be upwards of three million, he was thought to be one of the richest Black men in America—but was he an anointed genius or a blasphemous opportunist? Marcy DePina lifts the veil on Sweet Daddy’s triumphs, scandals, and fascinating eccentricities—all the while trying to understand her own unique bond with him. Listen to Sweet Daddy Grace now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ep 6 – The Real Coup
The Congressional investigation is, surprise, a farce. Those in office – heavily influenced by their powerful donors – seem determined to prevent any genuine attempt at investigating Smedley’s evidence. The press, controlled by the same forces, dismisses his claims as the paranoid ramblings of an old, no longer relevant relic of a bygone age. Yet the nation is listening. The original gonzo journalist John Spivak digs into the story – and he is able to prove Smedley’s claims. What happens next? LINK: http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/spivak-NewMasses.pdf (Page 8 for conspiracy board) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ep 5 – Ham on Half
As the conspiracy to overthrow the United States government rushes from idea to action, Major General Smedley Butler draws a line in the sand. From what he can tell, the country’s most powerful people have both the money and the political will to betray their own nation. And he knows the plotters' mercenary army could outnumber U.S. forces. Smedley orders a pizza and then blows the whistle, triggering a Congressional investigation. Yet, it seems, Smedley forgot one important thing: the shadowy forces plotting the coup may have already bought Congress.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ep 4 – All Smedleys Considered
Alex and Ben have done their best to be fair and objective in their exploration of the coup, but one Marine objects. In this week’s episode, Smedley Butler (played by Joe Kinosian) takes the mic to tell the story from his perspective. Looking back on his career as a hard-nosed death-dealer for Big Business, Smedley wonders: What led him to this point? Where will he go next?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ep 3 – Let’s Get Illuminaughty
You may say time machines don’t exist… but this week iHeart sends Ben and Alex back to the 1930’s for a gut-busting, guided tour of the dark, smoky rooms where a clandestine crew of ultra-wealthy schemers concocted the Business Plot. Our hosts consult with a cavalcade of sketchy historical figures, leading Ben and Alex to begin connecting the dots of the grand conspiracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.