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. Support the show: ko-fi.com/bittersweetinfamy

#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

#87 - SantaCon is Coming to Town 12/17/2023

#87 - SantaCon is Coming to Town Holiday special! Josie tells Taylor about the anarchic origins of the rowdy annual Santa celebration, SantaCon. Plus: on Christmas Day 1914, a heartwarming moment of peace emerges from the icy trenches of war. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28987243

#86 - Self-Insert 12/03/2023

#86 - Self-Insert Guest host Amanda Ortiz tells Josie and Taylor about the web of fate connecting the September 11 terrorist attacks, My Chemical Romance, Twilight, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Plus: the local legend of Jim McIngvale a.k.a. Mattress Mack, Houston's best known gambler, philanthropist, and furniture baron. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28766088

#85 - Rand Larceny 11/19/2023

#85 - Rand Larceny Josie tells Taylor about South Africa's crooked cop turned brazen bank robber, the infamous André Stander. Plus: the stone cold truth about the most iconic novelty gift of the 1970s—the Pet Rock. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28675953

#84 - Gotta Get Down On Friday 11/05/2023

#84 - Gotta Get Down On Friday Season premiere! Taylor tells Josie about the viral anthem of 2011, "Friday," and the sudden infamy of singer Rebecca Black. Plus: all the gossip from Josie and Mitchell's wedding, including the haunting in hotel room #309! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28516202

#83 - A House That Eats Girls 10/22/2023

#83 - A House That Eats Girls Halloween special + season finale! Taylor tells Josie and guest host Mitchell Collins about the scary movie co-written by a child: Nobuhiko Obayashi's infamously eccentric experimental horror comedy, House (1977). Plus: Josie and Mitchell trap Taylor in a fiendish and frightening choose-your-own-adventure story! /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28284638

#82 - Get the Hell Out 10/08/2023

#82 - Get the Hell Out Halloween special! Josie tells Taylor about three infamous exorcisms, including a convent of hell-raising nuns in 17th century France, a passel of seemingly possessed Pueblo women in the Spanish colony of New Mexico, and the mid-century possession that inspired the classic horror flick The Exorcist. Plus: unearthing the shadowy secret behind Powers of Darkness, the Icelandic translation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28208390

#81 - The Flying Tailor 09/24/2023

#81 - The Flying Tailor Taylor tells Josie about garment-maker/inventor Franz Reichelt and his fateful 1912 flight from the Eiffel Tower. Plus: unmasking Saúl Armendáriz, a.k.a. Cassandro, an iconic and exotic figure in the world of lucha libre (Mexican professional wrestling). /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/28050789

#80 - The Mysterious Affair at Harrogate 09/10/2023

#80 - The Mysterious Affair at Harrogate Josie tells Taylor about the infamous 1926 disappearance of mystery icon Agatha Christie. Plus: the shocking lost Sesame Street episode that traumatized child audiences, "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce." /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27921210

#79 - The Empress of Canada 08/27/2023

#79 - The Empress of Canada In the final episode of our special British Columbia-centric Bittersweet 604 series, guest host The Established, Shanda Leer tells Josie and Taylor about legendary Vancouver drag queen and activist ted northe, the Imperial Court System, and the Dogwood Monarchist Society. Plus: the real story of professional wrestling's Fake Razor Ramon, BC's own Rick Bognar. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27493437

#78 - Brother XII of the Great White Lodge 08/20/2023

#78 - Brother XII of the Great White Lodge In this road trip special recorded inside a 1970 Volkswagen bus in Jordan River, BC, Taylor tells Josie about spiritualist Edward Arthur Wilson, a.k.a. Brother XII, and the Aquarian Foundation, Vancouver Island's mystical doomsday cult. Plus: the sweetest protest in Canadian history—the Ladysmith chocolate bar strike of 1947. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27471531

#77 - The Right Side of the Tracks 08/13/2023

#77 - The Right Side of the Tracks In this road trip special recorded in the forests of Jordan River, BC, Josie tells Taylor about the Militant Mothers of Raymur, who stood in front of speeding trains to make a better world for their children. Plus: a blurry glimpse of two of British Columbia's most elusive residents—the serpentine marine monsters, Cadborosaurus and Ogopogo. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27471507

#76 - One Book, Two Books, Banned Books, Blue Books 08/06/2023

#76 - One Book, Two Books, Banned Books, Blue Books In this 604 studio special, Taylor tells Josie about children's educator and LGBTQ+ activist James Chamberlain, and his fight against Surrey School District 36 to teach kids that parents come in every colour of the rainbow—featuring an original interview with James himself. Plus: W̱SÁNEĆ elder Dave Elliott Sr., and the thrift store typewriter he used to save the SENĆOŦEN language from extinction. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27471498

#75 - From the Andes to Israel With Love 07/23/2023

#75 - From the Andes to Israel With Love Taylor tells Josie about "En Tus Tierras Bailaré," a musical love ode to Israel performed by three of Latin America's most infamous YouTube stars—Delfín "Hasta el Fin" Quishpe, La Tigresa del Oriente, and "La Pequeña" Wendy Sulca. Plus: Tonka the celebrity chimp, his allegedly fake death, and Scottish actor Alan Cumming's quest to bring the sordid truth to light. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27314442

#74 - Coldproof 07/09/2023

#74 - Coldproof Josie tells Taylor about the superhuman survival story of capsized Icelandic fisherman Guðlaugur Friðþórsson. Plus: Ying Zheng (嬴政), Jing Ke (荊軻), and the wackiest assassination attempt in ancient Chinese history. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27308316

#73 - This Side Up With Care 06/25/2023

#73 - This Side Up With Care Taylor tells Josie about American abolitionist and magician Henry Box Brown, and his most ingenious disappearing act: his escape from slavery. Plus: the stop-and-go story of East Berlin's iconic Ampelmännchen traffic lights. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27166743

#72 - The Night the Hills Lost Time 06/11/2023

#72 - The Night the Hills Lost Time Josie tells Taylor about honeymooners Barney and Betty Hill, and their infamous extraterrestrial encounter. Plus: a nautical joyride gone wrong pits three Tokelauan teens against the merciless Pacific Ocean. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/27029025

#71 - Elizabeth Shrugged 05/28/2023

#71 - Elizabeth Shrugged Taylor tells Josie about American con artist and automotive entrepreneur Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael, and her three-wheeled masterpiece: the Dale. Plus: the time 300 to 400 pounds of pasta appeared overnight in the New Jersey woods. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/26923389

#70 - Finding the Groove 05/14/2023

#70 - Finding the Groove Josie tells Taylor about the embattled production of a Disney cult classic: The Emperor's New Groove. Plus: one mother's quest to secure Hannah Montana tickets for her daughter—no matter the cost. /episode/index/show/009be5d6-c390-4bf8-8545-bdb56f7dc66c/id/26785395

Bittersweet Infamy

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