Ridiculous Romance

Oh baby! Sometimes romance leads to tiny, adorable, little humans. This episode tells three stories about Ridiculous Rugrats: A maybe-mama who scammed her job with a pregnancy scheme, a mini-mama who was the shortest woman to ever give birth, and a mummy-mama who's baffling scans left Egyptologists fetally frustrated! These are definitely not what you expect when you're expecting!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 17th century, Portugal demanded tribute from the African nations of Ndongo and Matamba, but Queen Nzinga looked up from her 60-man harem and said nah, I'm busy. When they tried to overpower her on the battlefield, she married a neighboring warlord with a massive army, and used it to kick their sorry butts out. No matter how hard Portugal tried to subdue her, she kept them Portuguessing! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the death of his favorite Consort, Emperor Xuanzong was checked out and depressed. But when he met Yang Guifei, it was love at first sight. Unfortunately this led to an even bigger power vacuum and a tragic end to their love story, immortalized in the poem "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow". Jeeze with a title like that, can we have some fun with it?? Tune in and find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In China's Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong and his wife Empress Wang ruled over a golden age of arts and culture. But Consort Wu, one of his favored royal girlfriends, came from an imperial bloodline and had a real thirst for power. You know what that means: family drama, royal schemes, and a whole lot of back-stabbin'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The great Leonardo da Vinci once drew a diagram of what he kinda figured a vagina probably looked like, and gynecologists pretty much took his word for it for about 500 years! The vaginal enigma has eluded (read: been ignored by) scientists for centuries. But in 1991, Ida and Jupp climbed into an MRI machine to do the dirty deed and penetrate the mysteries of S-E-X!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From England to Japan to Norway, members of monarchies have been ditching their royal titles in the name of love! We'll look at three of these couples who decided to go from rich fancy nobles to rich fancy nobodies: Princess Mako and lawyer Kei Komuro, Princess Märtha Louise and self-proclaimed shaman Durek Varrett, and of course everybody's favorite majestic ginger, Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The beautiful and alluring Lulu Dorantes met Ramon Sosa at a Latin club when she accidentally stepped on his foot! This adorable meet cute led to a perfect marriage. When their love turned sour, Lulu hired a hit man to track down Ramon and kill him. But after the job was done and the hitman was paid, somehow Ramon would still come out on top!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caresse Crosby invented the bra in 1910, which might be the least interesting thing about her. She and her husband Harry Crosby lived wild lives in Paris, where they published as-yet-unknown authors like James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway, and helped encourage photography as an art form. Famous for their open marriage, they hosted champagne-soaked bathtub orgies, opium-fueled sex romps, and debaucherous threesomes. But one of their sidepieces would turn out to be a truly fatal attraction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lozen was a Chihenne Apache two-spirited person who broke down gender barriers to become both a healer and a warrior. Her inspirational leadership, total badassery, and mystical powers of detecting enemy forces saved countless Apache lives. Dahteste was a beautiful woman from the Chokonen Apache who was also an incredible fighter and skilled negotiator. When the two of them met under Geronimo's leadership, they found a deep love that thrived in the face of violence and deception from the US Army.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ed & Lorraine Warren were married paranormal investigators who gained serious fame off their spooky encounters, leading to book deals, lecture tours, & movie franchises like The Conjuring & Annabelle. But a dark secret supposedly haunted them, more frightening than any spirit or demon. And this possibly sparked a billion dollar Hollywood cover up!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Alice Kyteler’s fourth husband in a row dropped dead and left all his money to her and nothing for his own children, they knew it could only mean one thing: WITCHCRAFT. And when a power hungry bishop got involved, it sparked an epic battle between church & state, demons & angels, and witches & weirdos! Hear the story of the first woman ever convicted in Ireland of being a witch!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On our next RiCRYPTulous Romance, we go to the damp, foggy marshes of rural England to uncover human remains and a ghastly tale! When Malika mysteriously disappeared, everyone suspected her husband Peter. After a skull was found in a nearby bog, he quickly confessed to the murder. But the skull held an ancient secret that would turn this investigation... on its HEAD! MuahahaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're kicking off this year's RiCRYPTulous Romance with a tale of ghostly vengeance! When her newlywed daughter, Zona, turned up dead one cold January day, her mother Mary Jane instantly suspected Zona’s new husband, Erasmus Stribbling “Trout” Shue. But she had no evidence that would interest the authorities - until Zona’s ghost showed up at her bedside with all the gory details.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back to our histories next, but today we continue our joint journey with Cherry and Jason as we travel from Las Vegas to HOLLYWOOD! Two Ridiculous Romances converge in real time as we bounce between meals and museums all across Tinseltown. We may not be Diamond Members anymore, but that didn't stop us from acting like Big Celebs! And we close it all out with a spicy lil visit to a soberingly empty "gentlemen's lounge"...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey friends. We're unfortunately dealing with a family tragedy. But to take our minds off it, this week we decided to relive our recent adventures in Las Vegas with our friends and travel companions, Cherry and Jason! So if you want a peek into OUR Ridiculous Romances, then listen in as we laugh our way through Caesars Palace, The Bellagio, Meow Wolf, Fremont Street, and more for our 2022 Double Date-Cation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we rough it across the Utah desert like a couple of 1800's pioneers, we got a visit from the postman who brought us a stack of your letters which reminded us of life back home.... okay fine, so we checked our email and recorded this episode on a cell phone in our fancy resort cabin. But the sentiment is just as potent!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie d'Aubigny is just getting started! Now an operatic celebrity under her stagename, La Maupin, she continues to dive into daring duels, forbidden loves, and hilarious crimes. But after a second pardon from King Louis, would she finally find a love that would settle her down? Find out in her exciting conclusion - en garde!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie d'Aubigny was a 17th century French woman whose life sounds so chaotic and intense, she's in the running for our most ridiculous story yet. She would duel men all the time (and win), she pranked and embarrassed nobles just for fun, and she even set a convent on fire so she could run off with her forbidden lesbian lover! She pulled schemes so wild, King Louis couldn't even be mad about it. And that's all BEFORE she became a celebrity!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark and Bill, hosts of the amazing podcast Ridiculous News invited us on to their show for a Weekly Roundup, and you can listen right here! We're talking all this week's weird and wonderful headlines. Plus, Mark and Bill ask us some truly deep questions about our own Ridiculous Romance! Don't forget to subscribe to the Ridiculous News Podcast and follow them on IG: @markkendallcomedySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ridicuverse is merging! We're mingling with the funniest duo in current events: Mark Kendall and Bill Worley of Ridiculous News! Together we're tackling sologamy: the act of marrying yourself. Is this another trendy attention grab, or a daring act of self-love? Tune in to learn all about these mirrored matrimonies!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Felicity Rossi said "I do" to a zombie doll with a missing jaw, but she's got an out-of-this-world lover on the side. Meanwhile Meirivone Rocha Moraes's mother made her a life-sized doll named Marcelo that she could take dancing. But Marcelo wasn't careful so somehow Meirivone got pregnant with a doll baby?? Yeah, we know. You gotta listen to find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remedios Gomez was a normal Filipino teenager in the 1940s: she loved fashion, makeup, dancing, and beauty pageants. But when her father was killed by the occupying Japanese army, she became Kumander Liwayway and took the runway to the danger zone, leading her guerilla army in glorious victories...always with perfect hair and makeup, of course. Her legendary exploits made her the perfect political bride to unify the tense guerilla factions, and also led her to her true love.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Walt’s Leaves of Grass finally got published in the U.K. and was…routinely ridiculed by everyone. But two famous authors, including the master of fright himself, Bram Stoker, fell head over heels in love with not just the words, but the Walt. Their fan letters to the Good Gray Poet, now in his 60s, were verbose and passionate - and one of them would even move nations to be near him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Walt Whitman not only captured American culture and spirit in sweeping verse in his poetry collection Leaves of Grass; he also frequented the very first gay bar in America, cruised for cuties among the, ahem, working stiffs of the world, and even indulged in a little cross-dressing. Though persistent questions about his sexuality affected sales of his work and even his employment, he couldn’t deny the Song of Himself - and it led him to his true love.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We decided to abandon our virtues once again and have a dirty little rendezvous with the Internet's seediest forum for the most ridiculous sex stories we could find. Some hilarious, some outrageous, and some so bizarre that we had to reenact them to fill in the holes. Get your safewords ready and come join in!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 1900's, coal miners in America suffered from low wages, suppressed rights, and deadly working conditions. But detectives would evict and even beat anyone who whispered the word "union". When Sid Hatfield stood up to the oppressive coal companies, a gun fight erupted that changed the labor movement forever. But was it all a ruse for him to pursue a forbidden love? Find out in this special Labor Day episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia's handing out medals for Mommas; Singapore did an LGBTQ double take; and Mexico erected a totally turgid tombstone! This Goody Bag episode tells three weird and wonderful world stories that celebrate sex, love, and "vergas"!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After taking Broadway by storm, this trio used their fame to help find success for other Black performers in New York through organizations like The Frogs. Their talents were so impressive, their performances so renowned, that racist groups like The White Rats were forced to cry their wittle baby eyes out as Black actors' names topped marquees and dominated headlines! After her husband's death, Aida changed the game once again by performing in drag in a number that would be the centerpiece of nearly every show she was in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Vaudeville circuit, Black performers George Walker, Bert Williams, and Aida Overton refused to perpetuate the racist stereotypes of the time. Defying convention, they built a community of artists and a whole series of successful shows that delighted audiences across the world. Before long they opened the first Black full-length production on Broadway! But without George's wife, the amazing Aida Overton, they might never have found success...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to take a break from the alien lovers, the royal mistresses, and the bird brides, to hear some strange stories from the internet's freakiest place: Reddit. We pulled the most bonkers breakup stories we could find to share them with you and stage a few reenactments to try and make them make sense. Plus we get to share a few truly ridiculous breakups of our own...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ilya Ivanov wanted to do his part to accelerate the Bolshevik dream of a Soviet society. Serge Voronoff was convinced there was a way to make old men young again - maybe even live forever! The secret ingredient? Sperm and testicles from chimpanzees, of course! OranguTAINT no way we can ignore the SACKful of science and society around both these men’s experiments with ChimpanDEEZ nuts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Huggins is a lovely man and a talented artist. He works at a NJ deli and everyone in his neighborhood loves him. Oh and he lost his virginity to an alien named Crescent while a mini sasquatch and a giant preying mantis watched! Yes it's another romance between human and alien. Will our episode get invaded once again!? Not if we can help it... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After getting humiliated in court, Sir Richard took another trip across Europe to reinvent himself as an art snob. Meanwhile Lady Seymour found a ragtag group of brothel loving ladies to party with and besmirched his name even more! All was well until she was in Paris for guillotine season, and barely escaped with her head!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Sir Richard only married Lady Seymour for her money, he didn't mind her having a few sidepieces. In fact, he might have even loved to watch! But when she and her lover George tried to elope, Richard turned into a real Dick and sued them in a trial that hung ALL their dirty laundry out to dry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part one, we spread our minds wide and banged out the history of these sex-loving, purple golf cart driving hippies. But behind all the orgasmic demonstrations, erotic coursework, and free love philosophy, is this just another dark sex cult? In part two, we'll go deeper and try to put a finger on what makes this group seem so sticky!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gird your loins cause we're going DEEP under the covers to get to the big round bottom of this sex-obsessed lifestyle group! Victor Baranco dropped everything (probably including acid) to dedicate himself to giving his wife 3-hour orgasms, and they're still cranking out bangers to this day!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We compiled some of the most intense couples who've ever broken Guinness Records for most weddings, fastest runs, and longest smooches both above and UNDER water! These endurance lovers might make you feel lazy, but maybe they'll give you some new #relationshipgoals!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 13th century Spain, Diego and Isabel were two teenagers in love. But her strict father and a calendar technicality kept these star-crossed lovers from finding happiness! Their legend lives on and helped set a Guinness Record that would just never happen in a pandemic era.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Nessie and Percival exchanged vows, everything was perfect. But their marriage was revealed to be one in a string of dozens of elaborate cons dating back for decades! The unstoppable Amy Bock left a trail of financial destruction all across New Zealand. But gosh darn it nobody could stay mad at her!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu of Ethiopia were the ultimate power couple. Together they united the Ethiopian kingdoms and brought their nation into the modern era. And by combining his agreeable demeanor and her take-no-crap attitude, they did the unthinkable: crushed the European nation trying to colonize them!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colette tried to make her stepson/lover jealous with a suave Jewish jeweler named Maurice Goudeket - but she and Maurice ended up falling in love instead! Unfortunately, Paris was about to be occupied by the Germans, and the two of them would need to make hard choices to keep her husband safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one's for all the car lovers out there... literally! For some people, a sassy chassis can really get their engine running. It doesn't take a key to turn them on, just a tight gasket and a long dipstick. Take your top down, grab your pumps, and fill 'er up!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colette returns and heads to the frontlines to be one of the first women journalists to report on WWI! But another battle rages in her loins when she meets her husband's son from his first marriage, Bertrand, and the step-lovers have a globetrotting affair. Plus we get to learn about "lavender languages" - the secret code of the early 20th century gay underground scene!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reiko was a single mother in Japan whose 10 year old daughter Mana was being bullied in school for not having a father. So to help her out, she tracked him down and reunited them... ssssort of! The truth behind this story has so many twists and turns you'll have to Tokyo Drift your way through just to make it to the shocking ending!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After ditching her Willy, Colette was introduced to the brilliant, crossdressing lesbian Missy de Belbeuf! Together they created a mime show that shocked Parisians into a riot by showing women kissing, and worse - wearing pants! But when Colette captured the heart of a journalist, his lover "The Panther" went prowling for revenge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is a mélange-a-trois of ridiculous, fresh hot romances from the week's news! We've got a new understanding of how aggressively sexual female animals are in the wild. Then there's a woman who finally escaped a divorcing legal nightmare after 22 years. And of course, everybody's favorite AI sex dolls are becoming influencers. Another job snatched up by robots!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The famed French romance author Colette is best known for her sensual novels, her libertine lifestyle, and her bisexual polyamory. But it all started with a dull, traditional marriage to a savvy publisher and author named Willy. Short on ghost writers, Willy asked his wife to put pen to paper, resulting in the hottest Parisian novel in years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From powerful personal experiences to overly-detailed scientific explanations, many of our listeners were moved by certain episodes to share their own stories and insight! And we couldn't leave them untold. Join us for a dive into the mail bag as we swim around in some of your ridiculous romances in our first episode focused exclusively on you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian Prime Minister, "Swinging Pierre" Trudeau, was the hottest politician since JFK! Everyone wanted a piece, including Funny Girl herself, Barbra Streisand. But Pierre's wife Margaret was a party girl too, and tabloids caught her having a wild night with all of the Rolling Stones! Did she get her Jag on? Did Pierre ever say "Goodbye Dolly" to Babs? Listen in and find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story of Peter I & Iñes de Castro is basically Portugal's own Romeo and Juliet. But the OTHER romances around their story are a tangled web of shocking twists, royal backstabs, and sidepiece supremacy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.