Operation Midnight Climax
George White ran the CIA brothel. He watched from a hidden room while men were dosed with LSD — and he convinced himself the fate of the nation depended on it.
Very Special Episodes: North by North Korea
When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape.
SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING
A Kim Jong-Il Production, by Paul Fisher
The Observant, by Ravi Mangla
Michelle Cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto
"Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Kim Jong Il" [Ridiculous Crime podcast]
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State Department
Big Brother: North Korea's Forgotten Prince [An iHeart O...
Spies and Dolls: The Doll Shop That Doubled as a Hotbed for Espionage
Velvalee Dickinson ran a doll shop on Madison Avenue that catered to wealthy collectors. But in one of the strangest espionage cases of World War II, Dickinson's clients had no idea she was using correspondence about doll orders to transmit coded U.S. military intelligence to the Japanese.
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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts.
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Very Special Episodes: When Michigan Held the World's Strangest Funeral
On a cold day in 1973, a crowd gathered on a farm for one of history's strangest funerals. It was an elite group, including the Governor of Michigan, bank presidents, and local dignitaries. Even Walter Cronkite sent a correspondent. But they weren’t mourning anyone human. No, this was a pizza-based catastrophe.
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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Very Special Episodes: How Gatsby Went From Total Flop to Great American Novel
When he published The Great Gatsby 100 years ago this week, F. Scott Fitzgerald thought he'd written the Great American Novel. But it was a commercial flop. The year Fitzgerald died, he received a royalty check for a paltry seven copies. It would take an unlikely series of events to posthumously pluck a masterpiece from obscurity.
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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.c...
VSE: The Improbable Life and Mysterious Death of Andy, the Sneaker-Wearing Goose
Gene Fleming and his pet goose Andy made headlines around the world. They brought out the best in the people of Hastings, Nebraska. But amid all this attention, Andy also brought out the worst. And three decades later, Andy's legacy is still reverberating around their hometown.
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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Very Special Episodes: Night of a Thousand Weddings
On August 26, 1965, LBJ issued a surprise executive order eliminating marriage as grounds for deferment from the Vietnam draft. The unexpected announcement set off a panic across the country. But if you could somehow get married before midnight, you might be in the clear. The problem was, nearly every state required blood tests or a waiting period — every state, that is, except Nevada.
Ride shotgun with Dana on the mad dash to Vegas. And join the gang on welcoming a new member to the Very Special family!
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Very Special thanks to the talented filmmaker Ash...
Very Special Episodes: Live From New York, It's Your Grandmother
During its first 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has welcomed legendary actors, superstar athletes, and notable politicians. But for one memorable night in 1977, Lorne Michaels turned the show over to an 80-year-old amateur.
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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Search 'Very Special Episodes' on your favorite podcast platform.
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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and S...
Super Streaker
Mark Roberts is the world's most notorious streaker. He’s spent more time naked than most Greek statues. And in February 2004, he set his sights on the Super Bowl. To make streaking history, he just needs to dodge the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, SWAT teams, and 250-pound linebackers.
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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Lo...
The Climax
Sidney Gottlieb thought he’d erased all traces of Operation Midnight Climax and MK-ULTRA from the government’s collective memory. While the world will never know the full extent of the CIA’s experimentation with LSD, an unlikely source revealed many of the victims. These breakthroughs came courtesy of George White, who testified from beyond the grave.
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Tripping
As the walls closed in on Operation Midnight Climax, George White took lessons he’d learned from a world-class magician to explore the last uncharted frontier of the psychonaut — the general public. It’s how White would make San Francisco’s sanity disappear.
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