Harlots of History

Latest Episodes:

Ma Rainey: Boas, Boll Weevils, and Orgies. Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

While Ma Rainey is the Mother of the Blues, yet when she died, her occupation was recorded as "housekeeper" and her death was never reported. Most of the press coverage she receives today is in response to the new movie on Netflix (which, while amazing, is based on all fictional characters except Ma herself). Emily tells Karamia about Ma: who always travelled with Peacock feathers; whose music defied heteronormative expectations of the 1920's; and who was once arrested for having an orgy with her female band members. Pour yourself some gin and dive in as we learn that boll weevils are not rabbits; Elvis stole a lot of songs from Black female songwriters; and Ma may have inadvertently inspired Karamia's shoulder tattoo.

Get Off Your High Tomato: Josephine Baker Part III Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

Well, we did it. We finally finished the saga of Josephine Baker. In this emotional roller coaster of an episode, we learn about Josephine's 12 adopted children; her friendship with Grace Kelly; and her career as a civil rights activist (among many others). Get out your tissues and your wine coolers; this episode is a doozy, but a perfect way for us to wrap up the thousand lives of Josephine Baker.

Ostrich Carriages Are The Only Way To Travel: Josephine Baker Part 2 Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to part 2 of Josephine Baker! Because her life is SO INTERESTING, we decided to extend it into three parts. In this episode, we will talk about her movie career; her opera performances; her time with the Ziegfeld Follies; her career as a French Resistance fighter; and how she travelled around town in a carriage drawn by an ostrich. Fake Counts with fake monocles; undercover spies in Portugal; Cheetahs named Chiquita: this episode has it all. Grab your Bouillon cubes and a stiff Martini, and settle in for what may be our most interesting Harlot yet!

Valentine's Day Special: Harlots' Love Stories Feb 14, 2021

Show notes

Happy Valentine's/Galentine's/Ballantine's day. We are so excited to spend it with all of our harlots! For a special treat, we asked you to send us in your terrible love stories, and boy did you deliver. Grab a box of red wine and 7 cappuccinos as we dive into some truly terrible horrid stories, and regale you with some of our very own worst (and best) dates. Story titles include... Catfish is Only Good Served Deep Fried; Bloody Valentine; and Misogyny? I Don't Know Her. Enjoy!

Naked in Her Dressing Room Eating Lobster: Josephine Baker (Part 1) Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

When the lights went up for the show and Josephine Baker was nowhere to be found... it was because she was naked in her dressing room eating lobster. We don't know about you, but we REALLY want to be friends with her. We weren't really sure how to fit someone who lived 1000 lives into one episode, so we decided to split up Josephine's story into two. In Part 1, Karamia tells Emily about Josephine's childhood: from supporting her entire family at age 9; to marrying TWO different men named Willy before age 15; to wowing audiences from St. Louis to Paris with her infectious grin and goofy faces. Grab yourself a plate of lobster; rename all your pets "Tomato"; put on a fake monocle, and get ready to fall in L.O.V.E. with Josephine.

PS... at the end of the episode we get cut off before we can tell you goodbye (but we were probably done saying anything interesting anyway).

Super Secret Medieval Affair Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to our last medieval episode! Karamia tells Emily about a super scandalous affair in 1300s France that inadvertently caused the 100 years war. Intrigued? You'll just have to listen to find out! Grab your wine flagons, your favorite Brie, your dashing knight, and head to a tower where they hopefully have WIFI so you can listen to this titilating episode!

Madona/Whore/Alice Perrers Jan 18, 2021

Show notes

Last week, we talked about the War of the Roses. This week, we are going back a little bit further... Emily tells Karamia about Alice, who came from nothing (literally, we know nothing about her) but rose through the ranks to quickly become the richest woman in England. Along the way we will discuss Edward III. Phillipa the Phertile, and how Karamia once ran into a window in Armani Exchange. Grab your turkey legs, 400 gallons of gascon wine, and settle in for a rowdy episode, chalk-full of good olde-fashioned EmilyRants (TM).

Punished for Harlotry: Jane Shore (and the War of the Roses) Jan 11, 2021

Show notes

Hey, remember season 5 of Game of Thrones when Cersei had to do the literal walk of shame? Turns out, like a lot of Game of Thrones, it actually happened! (well, without the dragons and ice monsters). Emily tells Karamia about Jane Shore, the mistress of Edward IV who was punished for Harlotry by walking through the streets Cersei-style! Along the way, we attempt to unravel the sticky time web of War of the Roses, and ask....why did everyone have to name their kids Edward, Henry, and Richard and not something unique like Moonshine? So grab your Kirtles and Tapers and a big ol' mug of wine, and join us for ye olde fashioned Harlotry!

Agnes Sorel: The OG Royal Mistress Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Medieval Mistress Month! We are excited to let our Apple Dumpling Shops loose and talk about some pretty peachy mistresses. To kick it off, Karamia tells Emily about Agnes Sorel, the original ORIGINAL royal mistress to King Charles VII, who ruled the country (while Charles was in the corner being creepy); invented fashion and forks; and was the victim of a 600-year-old secret mercury poisoning plot. So grab your Meade and your favourite fur coat, and please help us figure out what century we are actually in.

We Are Not Joking: "Operation Midnight Climax" Was A Real CIA Program Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to the end of 2020! We are so happy this year is almost over, and while we all have a lot of work to do in 2021... we wanted to kick off the New Year by telling you about one of the craziest CIA covert ops EVER and it's super-secret code name: Operation Midnight Climax. Yup. That's it, that's the real name. Karamia tells Emily about this sub-project of MKUltra, and how the CIA opened "safe-houses" (brothels) in San Francisco, paid sex workers to bring men back and unknowingly give them LSD-laced cocktails...all while CIA operatives sat behind two-way mirrors sitting on portable toilets drinking pitchers of martinis and recording....nothing. So grab your sparklers and sparkling beverage, lock your doors (because it is SUPER not safe outside), and help us kick off 2021 by asking, What in the actual fork?

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