Bittersweet Infamy

Storytellers and best friends Josie Mitchell and Taylor Basso share the stories that live on in infamy: the strange and the familiar, the tragic and the comic—the bitter and the sweet. New episodes every other Sunday on the 604 Podcast Network! Support the show: ko-fi.com/bittersweetinfamy

#117 - My Perfect Socialist Daughter Must Die 02/23/2025

#117 - My Perfect Socialist Daughter Must Die Taylor tells Josie about the toxic, possessive, and deadly mother-daughter relationship between 1930s Spanish political activists Aurora and Hildegart Rodríguez Carballeira. Plus: unearthing the legend of the green children of Woolpit, the green-skinned changelings who’ve mystified the world since the 12th century CE. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/35308175

#116 - A Most Unusual Proposal 02/09/2025

#116 - A Most Unusual Proposal Josie tells Taylor about the unconventional art project that saw American artist Jill Magid propose to Italian archivist Federica Zanco with a diamond made from the physical remains of prominent Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Plus: head up to Dawson City, Yukon, and join the Sourtoe Cocktail Club—by drinking a cocktail made with a severed human toe! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/35158100

#115 - This Bud's Not for You 01/26/2025

#115 - This Bud's Not for You Taylor tells Josie the stories of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, whose TikTok ad for Bud Light kicked off a right-wing beer boycott, and January Marie Lapuz, the beloved social butterfly whose 2012 killing shocked Vancouver's LGBTQ+ community. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/34935370

#114 - The Terrorist Heiress 01/12/2025

#114 - The Terrorist Heiress Season five premiere! Josie tells Taylor about heiress turned abductee turned revolutionary Patricia Hearst, and her explosive odyssey with the militia that kidnapped her, the Symbionese Liberation Army. Plus: the tragic saga of the animal outlaws who became MAGA martyrs, Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/34745670

#113 - The Twelve Days of Infamy 12/24/2024

#113 - The Twelve Days of Infamy Holiday special! Taylor tells Josie one infamous story for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas—from the drummer the Beatles drummed out of the band, to a Partridge naked on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/34439485

#112 - A Spirited Tour of Spiritualism 10/27/2024

#112 - A Spirited Tour of Spiritualism Halloween special + season finale! Josie tells Taylor about the haunting history of the modern Spiritualist movement—from the crafty teen sisters who brought it to life, to the high-profile feud between Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that nearly caused its demise. Plus: get dressed up for Jimi (地味) Halloween, Japan's costumed celebration of the mundane and everyday; and walk with us amongst the dead at Old City Cemetery in Galveston, Texas. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/33627057

#111 - The War of the Worlds 10/13/2024

#111 - The War of the Worlds Halloween special! Taylor tells Josie about the 1938 Orson Welles radio play about a Martian invasion that allegedly caused a mass hysteria, and the 1949 Ecuadorean remake that went even further. Plus: flesh out your fall reading list with the world's largest collection of books bound in human skin! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/33395842

#110 - The Killers of Eden 09/29/2024

#110 - The Killers of Eden Guest host Peter Chiykowski tells Josie and Taylor about the pod of orcas who hunted in harmony with humans until a brutal betrayal ended it all. Plus: catch up with Darwin the Ikea Monkey, the stylish snow macaque whose fetching winter coat kept him warm through a chilly legal battle. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/33131722

#109 - Night at the Dick Museum 09/22/2024

#109 - Night at the Dick Museum Josie tells Taylor about the Icelandic Phallological Museum, which contains the world's largest display of phalluses, and curator Sigurður Hjartarson's quest for the collection's crown jewel: a human penis. Plus: listen to "Amelia's Song," the mysterious melody that reunited a family across cultures, continents, and centuries. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/33120682

#108 - Satan's Last Stronghold 09/15/2024

#108 - Satan's Last Stronghold Guest host Erika Jo Brown tells Josie and Taylor about the evangelical Christian fervour that led American missionary John Chau to contact the voluntarily isolated people of North Sentinel Island—with deadly results. Plus: get to know Erika Jo with a harvest-fresh game of Bitter or Sweet? /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/32964492

#107 - The Tower 09/08/2024

#107 - The Tower Taylor tells Josie about Alicia Esteve “Tania” Head, the prominent 9/11 survivor who was exposed as a fraud. Plus: a deep dive into the centuries-old history of the ama, Japan's legendary pearl divers. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/32890987

#106 - The Party Bus Omnibus 08/25/2024

#106 - The Party Bus Omnibus Josie celebrates Taylor's birthday with a series of infamous party stories, featuring guests of honour from Kim Kardashian to Kim Jong-il. Plus: step into the ring with the Fighting Cholitas, the professional wrestlers crushing stereotypes of Indigenous women in Bolivia. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/32710067

#105 - I Hate Brenda 08/14/2024

#105 - I Hate Brenda Taylor tells Josie and guest host Mitchell Collins about '90s nighttime soap queen and tabloid bad girl Shannen Doherty. Plus: a closer listen to hit em, the new musical genre that came to its creator in a dream. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/32518602

#104 - Artifact or Fiction? 07/28/2024

#104 - Artifact or Fiction? Josie tells Taylor about the muddy line between forgery and art, and how Mexican ceramicist Brígido Lara made it even muddier. Plus: 1972 Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern, his VP pick Thomas Eagleton, and the electroshock controversy that killed their campaign in only 18 days. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/32267072

#103 - Mine, All Mine 07/18/2024

#103 - Mine, All Mine Taylor tells Josie about the legend of Slumach's gold, and the curses, killings, and calamity surrounding the mythical lost mine of Pitt Lake, British Columbia. Plus: Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander and the controversial sculpture that lost its head in the culture wars. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/32148407

#102 - Waste 'n' Time 06/30/2024

#102 - Waste 'n' Time Josie tells Taylor about humankind's attempts to communicate the dangers of nuclear waste to our descendants in the very distant future. Plus: the declassified truth about Acoustic Kitty, the CIA's ill-fated attempt to engineer a feline spy. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/31861402

#101 - Hachikō, Stay 06/16/2024

#101 - Hachikō, Stay Taylor tells Josie about Hachikō, the Japanese dog who became a national icon by loyally waiting for his long-dead master, and other very good boys of note. Plus: the long, curly tale of the feral hogs of Ossabaw Island, and the unusual attempts to preserve and study them. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/31755381

#100 - One Hundred Gumballs 06/03/2024

#100 - One Hundred Gumballs Josie and Taylor present the Melties, celebrating your choices for the best moments of 100 episodes of Bittersweet Infamy. Josie chews so much gum that she becomes unstuck in the multiverse. Taylor's vendetta with an old foe has deadly consequences. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/31465647

#99 - Country Lessons 05/12/2024

#99 - Country Lessons Josie tells Taylor about the controversial 2016 CMA Awards performance by Beyoncé and The Chicks, and how it inspired Beyoncé's 2024 album, Cowboy Carter. Plus: it's full speed ahead on the Road to the Melties as Taylor and Josie prepare their ballots for episode 100 of Bittersweet Infamy! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/31189157

#98 - I Beg That I Have Not Intruded 04/28/2024

#98 - I Beg That I Have Not Intruded Taylor tells Josie about activist Sacheen Littlefeather, her protest on behalf of actor Marlon Brando at the 1973 Academy Awards, the disputes around her claims to Indigeneity, and the history of Indigenous identity fraud. Plus: does Denver's infamous haunted horse statue, Blucifer, have a cousin? Did the Wicked Witch of the West really ruin an episode of Sesame Street? Josie puts her undefeated streak on the line in the April Fools' Fact or Fiction Minfamous! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/30985398

#97 - URGENT! Exclusive Opportunity 04/14/2024

#97 - URGENT! Exclusive Opportunity Josie tells Taylor about the history of the Nigerian prince email scam, and the rise and fall of influencer/fraudster Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a.k.a. Hushpuppi the Billionaire Gucci Master. Plus: a chess-playing robot attacks a child? A viral chess trend makes it to outer space? The truth isn't black and white in the April Fools' Fact or Fiction Minfamous! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/30654898

#96 - All 33 of Us Are Safe in the Shelter 03/24/2024

#96 - All 33 of Us Are Safe in the Shelter Taylor tells Josie about the 2010 San José mine cave-in in the Atacama Desert near Copiapó, Chile, and the 33 miners whose rescue captivated viewers around the world. Plus: the fatal 2009 accident at Utah's Nutty Putty Cave. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/30493248

#95 - Florida Man 03/10/2024

#95 - Florida Man Josie tells Taylor about Florida Man, the memetic everyman whose chaotic antics dominate the headlines of the Sunshine State. Plus: a shambolic AI-generated Willy Wonka live experience leaves parents and kids in a world of pure infuriation. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/30234743

#94 - Dulce Amor (Sweet Love) 02/25/2024

#94 - Dulce Amor (Sweet Love) Bittersweet Romance - Candy Hearts edition! Inspired by the randomly chosen candy heart “CUTIE,” Taylor tells Josie about “Mi Bebito Fiu Fiu,” the viral TikTok anthem based on Peruvian ex-president Martín Vizcarra’s alleged salacious WhatsApp messages. Plus: Josie and Taylor indulge in a racy game of F, Marry, Kill! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/30077078

#93 - The Tree Huggers 02/18/2024

#93 - The Tree Huggers Bittersweet Romance - Candy Hearts edition! Inspired by the randomly chosen candy heart "HUG ME," Josie tells Taylor about the Chipko movement of 1970s Northern India, where villagers hugged trees to save the endangered Himalayan forests. Plus: learn about the infamous reality TV show, "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" Are you sure "I do" is your final answer? /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/30007913

#92 - No Other Love 02/11/2024

#92 - No Other Love Bittersweet Romance! Taylor tells Josie about the turbulent marriage between R&B icon Faith Evans and rap legend The Notorious B.I.G., and the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop feud that ended in two of music's most infamous assassinations. Plus: meet the Egyptologist influencer couple whose controversial cosplay is making waves up and down the Nile River. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/29870278

#91 - Driven 02/04/2024

#91 - Driven Bittersweet Romance! Josie tells Taylor about astronaut Lisa Nowak and her most dangerous mission: an overnight drive from Houston to Orlando to eliminate a romantic rival. Plus: Jack and Meg White of award-winning rock band The White Stripes—brother and sister? Married? Neither? Both? /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/29702398

#90 - I'd Like to Phone a Friend 01/28/2024

#90 - I'd Like to Phone a Friend In this special episode, Taylor surprises Josie with Bittersweet Ambush, a guerrilla game show with a devious twist, before telling her about the history of game show cheating scandals, including: the quiz show fixing trials of the 1950s; the ultra-gamers that broke Press Your Luck and The Price is Right; and the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? scammers who coughed their way to the million. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/29576668

#89 - To the Island 01/15/2024

#89 - To the Island Josie tells Taylor about the life and letters of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, who was scheduled for a lobotomy when her debut book won a national prize. Plus: keeping it Kiwi with a report back from Josie and Mitchell's van life honeymoon on New Zealand's South Island. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/29482358

#88 - The Final Countdown 12/31/2023

#88 - The Final Countdown New Year's Eve special! Taylor tells Josie about the computer glitch turned doomsday spectacle: the millennium bug, Y2K. Plus: as Steamboat Willie lapses into the public domain, we look back at the colourful history of Disney's Mickey Mouse copyright. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/29278023

Bittersweet Infamy

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