Brutal Wisconsin

Join hosts Evan and C.J. (formerly also Chris) as they take a look behind the mask of "Midwest-Nice" to reveal the true, brutal, face of Wisconsin. Through exploring everything from the strange to politics, we'll learn with a few laughs!

Badger State Crossroads: Justice, Choice and The Data-Shadow 11/07/2025

Badger State Crossroads: Justice, Choice and The Data-Shadow /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/38946120

Let’s Get Spooky 10/31/2025

Let’s Get Spooky This week Kent and C.J. discuss efforts to fund Snap in Wisconsin, the return of legal abortion, and the Enbridge pipeline reroute. For the main topic they discuss a few spooky Wisconsin stories. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/38854620

Data Centers and the Dissolution of Democracy 10/24/2025

Data Centers and the Dissolution of Democracy This Week Kent and C.J. discuss issues people are raising with the Lighthouse data center in Port Washington, the stalking of Chief Justice Jill Karofsky, the sharp rise in the price of gold, and the impact of the shutdown of the federal government on the FoodShare program. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/38764845

Freedom and the Future 09/19/2025

Freedom and the Future This week Kent and C.J. discusses the uncounted absentee ballots, Tammy Baldwin's proposal to restore 988's LGBTQ+ counselors, and Microsoft's plans for the Mount Pleasant Foxconn facility. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/38274565

Faking Your Death is a Bad Idea 09/12/2025

Faking Your Death is a Bad Idea /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/38189510

Show Me a Warrant 08/29/2025

Show Me a Warrant This week C.J. and Kent discuss the recording of Walworth County Court Commissioner Peter Navis insisting that deputies provide a federal warrant before arresting two men making a traffic court appearance, the $284 million in losses to Wisconsin due to federal spending cuts, and nanobubble experiments meant to stop algae blooms. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/38016320

Dystopia News 08/22/2025

Dystopia News /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/37916885

The Threats to Our Democracy 07/11/2025

The Threats to Our Democracy This week Kent and C.J. talk about four news stories that speak baton threats to our democracy, like Elon Musk, but also potential solutions, like the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that effectively bans conversion therapy. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/37369915

News Update: July Fourth Edition 07/04/2025

News Update: July Fourth Edition This week C.J. and Kent stick to the news and discuss the rise in alcohol-related liver disease deaths in Wisconsin, Ron Johnson's opposition to the increased Medicaid tax, and a Republican-proposed bill intended to expand access to treatment over incarceration for the mentally ill people who arrested for low level crimes. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/37280650

Welcome to the Dystopia 06/20/2025

Welcome to the Dystopia /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/37084385

Harry Houdini Part VI: The Demise of a Legend 06/06/2025

Harry Houdini Part VI: The Demise of a Legend This week Kent and C.J. discuss the ongoing assault on our democracy, the wildfire smoke hanging in the air, and Aaron Rodger’ signing with the Steelers. For the main topic, they discuss the events that lead to Harry Houdini’s death. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/36882810

Harry Houdini V. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 05/23/2025

Harry Houdini V. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle This week Kent and C.J. discuss upcoming cuts to BadgerCare, a death in the Milwaukee County Jail, and the online community that helped sow the seeds of the ALCS shooting. For the main topic, they discuss the beginnings of the feud between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini over Spiritualism. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/36683970

Hannah Dugan and Civil Disobedience 05/16/2025

Hannah Dugan and Civil Disobedience This week Kent and C.J. discuss the evils of the Trump administration, alongside a pair of palate cleansing paranormal tales. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/36587890

Harry Houdini Part IV: Houdini and Spiritualism 04/25/2025

Harry Houdini Part IV: Houdini and Spiritualism This week C.J. and Kent discuss the practice of police in rural Wisconsin of dropping unhoused people off in cities with no support and Aaron Jones’ return to the City of Green Bay for the NFL draft. For the main topic they discuss an article Harry Houdini wrote about his debunking of Spiritualist séances. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/36302365

Harry Houdini Part Three 04/18/2025

Harry Houdini Part Three /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/36215855

Harry Houdini Part Two 03/28/2025

Harry Houdini Part Two /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35899395

Harry Houdini Part One 03/21/2025

Harry Houdini Part One This week C.J. and Kent talk about the lack of transparency in police misconduct as well as Robin Vos considering holding off deciding on the budget until after a court case about an Evers veto. For the main Topic they discuss a brief overview of the life of Harry Houdini. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35801340

GOAT and Mothman 03/14/2025

GOAT and Mothman This week C.J. and Kent discuss GOAT, the Wisconsin version of DOGE, the Supreme Court election, and some tales of Mothman. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35680730

Surrealism in Wisconsin: Art as Subversion 02/28/2025

Surrealism in Wisconsin: Art as Subversion This week Kent and C.J. discuss an anti-trans bill and the lies of a $5k check from DOGE. They also discuss Surrealism and the ways in which art can be a form of resistance. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35475770

Surrealists of Wisconsin Part Two: Lorine Niedecker 02/21/2025

Surrealists of Wisconsin Part Two: Lorine Niedecker /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35372955

Surrealism in Wisconsin Part One 02/14/2025

Surrealism in Wisconsin Part One This week C.J. and Kent discuss bipartisan support for atomic energy as well as the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election. For the main Topic, they discuss Surrealism and its impact on Wisconsin. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35280280

Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s Perspective on New Thought 02/07/2025

Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s Perspective on New Thought /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/35185840

A Surreal Update 01/16/2025

A Surreal Update This week C.J. talks about the next few episodes for Brutal Wisconsin, as well as new episodes for Historaholics, and nonfiction on Substack at Syntax & Sorcery. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/34888200

The Poems of Ella Wheeler Wilcox 01/11/2025

The Poems of Ella Wheeler Wilcox This week, C.J. reads a few of Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poems and shares his thoughts. Next week, the boys will be back with a regular episode! /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/34816805

Ella Wheeler Wilcox Part II: Perspectives on New Thought 12/20/2024

Ella Wheeler Wilcox Part II: Perspectives on New Thought This week Kent and C.J. discuss the other Ron Johnson, the kayaker who faked his own death, and the first confirmed case of H5N1 Bird Flu in Wisconsin. For the main topic, they discuss Ella Wheeler Wilcox and the belief system she propagated, New Thought. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/34542340

Ella Wheeler Wilcox Part One 12/06/2024

Ella Wheeler Wilcox Part One This week, C.J. and Kent return to discuss the overturning of Act 10 and the results of this year's deer season. The main topic they discuss is the Wisconsin-born poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/34310395

Election Results and Two Stories About Mothman 11/08/2024

Election Results and Two Stories About Mothman This week C.J. and Kent discuss the election results and then cleanse their palates with two tales of the Mothman. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/33842982

Halloween and the Horror of the Coming Election 11/01/2024

Halloween and the Horror of the Coming Election This week Kent and C.J. discuss the upcoming election through the lens of the most recent Marquette University poll and the differences between Trump and Kamala’s crowd sizes in Wisconsin. For the main topic they get a bit outside Wisconsin and discuss the witchcraft allegations leveled against Mary Staples in Connecticut. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/33716167

What Makes a Reliable Source? 10/25/2024

What Makes a Reliable Source? /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/33606947

The Badger State: Electoral Battleground 10/03/2024

The Badger State: Electoral Battleground This week C.J. and Kent talk about the recent election-related news affecting our state, including an update about the Wausau ballot drop box removal, a recent visit from Trump to Waunakee, an upcoming visit from Harris, and the most recent Marquette poll. /episode/index/show/cozyhorse/id/33322872

Brutal Wisconsin

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