What do you remember from history class back in school? Maybe a few dates and events. Maybe the names of some important people, and you probably recall how dull a lot of history classes were.
I remember being inundated with a bunch of facts, which was fine (I guess), but it didn’t really make history come alive, you know? And it didn’t have to be this way…
History is more than this country going to war with that one, who married who to create what royal alliance, and which explorers went where to subject what indigenous people. There are many other branches of historical study.
There’s social history, economic history, the history of science and technology, technology—and (my favourite) stupid history. These are stories of how civilization changed because of stupid people and stupid things. And if we were taught stupid history alongside all the record stuff, those classes would have been a whole lot more fun.
For example, in 1545, winemakers in Saint-Julien, France, were in a panic because their vines were being eaten by weevils. These vineyard owners were so upset that they brought legal action against the bugs.
This was all very formal. Documents were drawn up and the weevils were appointed a defense lawyer by the court. There was a trial with a judge, and when it was all over, the weevils were found guilty of, well, being weevils and eating grapevines.
Almost a year later, the presiding judge issued a proclamation demanding that the weevils cease with their ravaging of the vineyards. Dumb, right? But believe it or not, the weevils listened. The infestation stopped almost overnight.
There were no weevil problems for 40 years, and when they showed up again in 1587, the vineyards again took the bugs to court. The result of that case is lost to time. I love it. That is wonderful, stupid history.
Music has its own stories like this. Yes, there are things that require serious sober study. But then there’s also the stuff that makes you think “That really didn’t happen—did it?
Oh, yes, it did. This is another round of stupid history, the music version.
Songs heard on this show:
- Coldplay, Yellow
- INXS, Devil Inside
- David Bowie, Sound and Vision
- Coheed and Cambria, Here We Are
- Metallica, Orion
- Eddie Vedder, Betterman
- Rachid Taha, Rock the Casbah
- Libertines, Can’t Stand Me Now
- Blind Melon, No Rain
The Ongoing History Music can be heard on these stations. Don’t forget that there’s a podcast version, too, in case you miss any episodes. Get them for free wherever you get your podcasts.
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- The Goat Network/Interior BC
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- WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm
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