Peculiar Records, Censorship, and Aging: Unpacking Human Oddities - Episode Hero Image

Peculiar Records, Censorship, and Aging: Unpacking Human Oddities

No Such Thing As A Fish · · Listen to Original Episode →
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TL;DR

  • The BBC's 1949 ban on jokes about specific individuals, like Mr. McGillycuddy, highlights the power of personal objection to shape broadcast content and led to the creation of internal censorship guidelines.
  • The Venezuelan Andes' El Daría Colomoto ice cream parlor, once holding a record for 860 varieties, demonstrates how novelty and unique offerings can achieve Guinness World Records status, though such records are often surpassed.
  • The Franklin Expedition's disappearance and subsequent search efforts, including the use of collared arctic foxes with coordinates, underscore the extreme measures taken to explore the Northwest Passage and the challenges of Arctic exploration.
  • The Italian word "umorale" for a grumpy pensioner complaining about roadworks, originating in Bologna, illustrates how localized cultural observations can become recognized terms, even entering official dictionaries.
  • The BBC's "Green Book" censorship pamphlet reveals a detailed, often peculiar, list of prohibited topics and innuendo, demonstrating the strict and sometimes arbitrary nature of broadcast content regulation in the mid-20th century.
  • The discovery of well-preserved bodies from the Franklin Expedition, like John Torrington, offers profound insights into historical mortality and preservation conditions, even leading to posthumous recognition in popular media.

Deep Dive

This podcast episode, featuring Michael Palin, explores a collection of disparate facts highlighting unusual records, historical curiosities, and linguistic quirks from around the world. The core argument is that the world is full of peculiar and often amusing details that reveal fascinating aspects of human behavior, history, and culture, suggesting that embracing these oddities can lead to unexpected insights and enjoyment.

The episode delves into several distinct areas, each offering a glimpse into the extraordinary. In Venezuela, a town boasts the world's tallest cable car and an ice cream parlor with a record-breaking 860 flavors, including unusual options like avocado and trout. This highlights a human tendency towards achieving records, even in seemingly mundane areas, and the appeal of novelty and extreme variety. The discussion then shifts to the BBC's 1949 ban on jokes about solicitors, chambermaids, and a specific Irishman, Mr. McGillycuddy. This illustrates the complex and sometimes arbitrary nature of censorship and the power of individual objection to influence broadcast standards, showing how a personal grievance can lead to institutional policy. The exploration of the Franklin Expedition's disappearance and the subsequent, often bizarre, search efforts, involving fox collars and rockets, underscores the desperation and creative lengths to which people will go in the face of mystery and loss. It also points to the limitations of technology and understanding in past eras, and the eventual reliance on indigenous knowledge, though often overlooked. Finally, the concept of the "umorale" in Bologna, a grumpy pensioner who critiques roadworks, and the Japanese "window side tribe," elderly employees sidelined at work, reveal evolving societal attitudes towards aging and the need for purpose. These terms suggest a cultural recognition of the challenges of retirement and marginalization, and the human desire to remain engaged, even if through seemingly unproductive means. The episode also touches on the longevity of certain individuals and the questionable advice derived from their experiences, implying that genetic predisposition often plays a larger role than lifestyle choices.

Ultimately, the episode suggests that the pursuit of novelty, the intricacies of social regulation, the enduring human spirit in adversity, and evolving societal approaches to aging are all sources of fascination. The "so what" is that by examining these peculiar facts, we gain a richer, more nuanced understanding of human endeavors, from record-breaking feats and the evolution of censorship to the challenges of exploration and the universal experience of aging.

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"In 1949 the bbc issued a company wide ban on making any rude jokes about solicitors chambermaids and one very specific irish man called mr mcgillycuddy"

This quote introduces an unusual historical anecdote about the BBC's censorship policies. The speaker points out the specific categories of people and the singular individual who were deemed off-limits for comedic material, suggesting a peculiar and perhaps arbitrary nature to the ban.

"The merida cable car frog which you might have seen what what lives in the cable car what takes a ticket yes and all oh you can call me foul it just lives very near the stations of the cable car and it hasn't been found anywhere else so it's now called that's very interesting"

This quote describes a unique species, the Merida cable car frog, and its specific habitat. The speaker finds it interesting that the frog's name is derived from its proximity to the cable car stations, highlighting a curious aspect of its discovery and classification.

"The oil bird oh i don't know if you saw this yes actually i did hear about the oil birds um i hope it's not because in the olden days they used to take oily birds and then use them as candles i hope it's not that yeah i'm really i'm really sorry to say it james they did use them as they did they had a very high fat content and i'm afraid it's especially the baby oil birds oh no and they basically were burnt down to make oil but they're an amazing animal they're the only birds or one of very very few birds which uses echolocation"

This quote discusses the fascinating, albeit grim, history of the oil bird. The speaker reveals that these birds were historically used for their high fat content to create oil for burning, but also highlights their remarkable ability to use echolocation, a trait more commonly associated with bats.

"The rescue team who tried to find the lost franklin expedition did so with rockets kites flashing lights gunshots horns drums and by putting collars on arctic foxes"

This quote details the unconventional and varied methods employed by rescue teams searching for the lost Franklin expedition. The speaker lists a range of unusual tactics, from pyrotechnics to animal-based strategies, underscoring the desperation and ingenuity of the search efforts.

"In bologna there is a word umorale which describes a grumpy pensioner who stands with his hands behind his back complaining about roadworks yeah the dream the dream bit for me the dream life we'll all end up there eventually"

This quote introduces a specific Italian word, "umorale," and its descriptive meaning. The speaker finds the concept of a grumpy pensioner observing and commenting on roadworks to be a relatable and perhaps even aspirational image of a certain kind of retirement.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Michael Palin in Venezuela" by Michael Palin - Mentioned as a source for facts about Venezuela and the author's travels.

Articles & Papers

  • "The Green Book" (BBC internal pamphlet) - Referenced as a document detailing prohibited joke topics for BBC comedians.
  • "The Daily Telegraph" - Mentioned as the publication to which the current Mr. McGillycuddy of the Reeks wrote about stamp prices.

People

  • Michael Palin - Guest on the podcast, author of "Michael Palin in Venezuela," and former member of Monty Python.
  • Mr. McGillycuddy of the Reeks (Ross McGillycuddy) - An individual whose name was used in jokes, leading to a BBC ban.
  • Leonard Henry - A comedian who used the name McGillycuddy of the Reeks for a comedy character.
  • Spike Milligan - Mentioned as an example of a comedian who received "The Green Book."
  • Wilfrid Pickles - Mentioned in the context of a BBC sketch about summarizing Proust.
  • Proust - Mentioned in relation to a BBC sketch about a competition to summarize his work.
  • Serge Gainsbourg - Mentioned in relation to the banned song "Je t'aime... moi non plus."
  • Jane Birkin - Mentioned in relation to the banned song "Je t'aime... moi non plus."
  • King Charles III - Mentioned as having been part of the Cambridge Footlights and the Magic Circle.
  • Eric Idle - Mentioned as being part of the Cambridge Footlights.
  • John Cleese - Mentioned as being part of the Cambridge Footlights.
  • Graham Chapman - Mentioned as being part of the Cambridge Footlights.
  • Terry Jones - Mentioned as being part of the Oxford University Dramatic Society.
  • Prince Andrew - Mentioned in relation to King Charles III and a magic trick.
  • Franklin (Sir John Franklin) - Commander of the lost expedition, subject of search efforts.
  • Lady Franklin - Wife of Sir John Franklin, who organized search parties for the lost expedition.
  • James Clark Ross - An explorer who led expeditions and declined to lead the Franklin expedition.
  • Amundsen - Mentioned as an example of a traveler who sought local knowledge.
  • John Torrington - A crew member of the Franklin expedition whose body was found.
  • Mallory - Mentioned in relation to well-preserved bodies found after expeditions.
  • Danilo Massotti - A writer who coined the term "umorale."
  • Fellini - Mentioned in relation to Italian culture and the term "umorale."
  • Richard Osman - Mentioned in relation to the Hatton Garden burglary.
  • Kev - The self-styled "dullest man" in Britain, founder of the Roundabouts of Redditch calendar.

Organizations & Institutions

  • BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) - Issued a ban on certain jokes and produced "The Green Book."
  • Cambridge Footlights - A university drama club that King Charles III was part of.
  • Magic Circle - A society of magicians that King Charles III joined.
  • Lords Day Observance Society - An organization that objected to a play being performed on a Sunday.
  • QI Offices - The location from which the podcast is recorded.
  • Royal Geographical Society - Holds collections related to the Franklin expedition.
  • The RealReal - Mentioned as a luxury resale platform.
  • Burger King - Created an advert featuring "umorales."

Websites & Online Resources

  • nosuchthingasafish.com - Website for the podcast "No Such Thing As A Fish."
  • apple.co/nosuchthingasafish - Link for joining Club Fish via Apple.
  • nosuchthingasafish.com/patreon - Link for joining Club Fish via Patreon.
  • michaelpalin.com - Michael Palin's official website.
  • rocketmoney.com - Website for the financial management app Rocket Money.
  • apple app store - Platform for downloading the Rocket Money app.
  • google play stores - Platform for downloading the Rocket Money app.
  • therealreal.com - Website for The RealReal, an authenticated luxury resale platform.

Other Resources

  • "Je t'aime... moi non plus" - A song by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin that was banned.
  • Radio Caroline - An offshore pirate radio station that played songs banned by mainstream radio.
  • The Reeks - A mountain range in County Kerry, Ireland, associated with the McGillycuddy name.
  • The Franklin Expedition - A historical expedition that went missing in the Arctic.
  • HMS Resolution - A ship from which a desk was taken and is now in the White House.
  • Hatton Garden burglary - A major burglary committed by elderly individuals.
  • Umorale - An Italian word describing a grumpy pensioner who complains about roadworks.
  • Window Side Tribe - A term from Japan for an elderly employee sidelined at work.
  • Gonzoozler - A British term for someone who watches activity on a canal.
  • Roundabouts of Redditch calendar - A calendar created by Kev, considered "Britain's dullest man."
  • Car Park Appreciation Society - A society founded by Kev.

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