The Tipsy Exchange

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Secret Societies: The Illuminati, Knights Templar & Freemasons | The Tipsy Exchange Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Shhh… we're talking about secret societies! Or at least, we're trying to. Berly is nervous about all the names she's about to butcher. (Remember the Stephen Moyer incident? We do.) But we're not letting a few mispronunciations stop us from uncovering the truth. Probably.

LA kicks things off with the Illuminati. She thought she knew a thing or two about the group. She did not. It turns out the real Illuminati was an actual organization founded more than 200 years ago, and its origins are nothing like what you'd expect. There were owls, secret code names, and a strict policy against trusting anyone over 30. (So we're out.) So what happened to them, and how did a real group turn into the go-to explanation for everything from pop stars to the dollar bill? We also have a theory about their secret rituals. It involves LARPing. And a tea party.

Then Berly takes on the Knights Templar and the Freemasons. The Templars were medieval warriors turned the richest, most powerful bankers in Europe, until one king decided he'd had enough. Their dramatic downfall may even explain why a certain day of the week is considered unlucky. Then we meet the Freemasons, who everyone seems convinced absorbed every other secret society in history. So what are they really? Let's just say Berly was expecting a little more drama.

Along the way, there's a True Blood reunion (R.I.P. to that show's final seasons), an ongoing appreciation for the Skarsgård family, a song you'll never hear the same way again, and some thoughts on Tom Cruise's running technique. There's also a Da Vinci Code check-in, plus a trip back to our favorite Indiana Jones movie. Oh, and our pick for who the real modern Illuminati are.

This week's toast: From André Malraux: "Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides." Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Do you think the Illuminati still exist? Are the Freemasons hiding something, or is it all just a big boys' club? And if you had to join a secret society, which one would you pick? Tell us in the comments. (We won't tell anyone. Promise.)

Please drink responsibly.

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The Tipsy Exchange is a comedy podcast where besties Berly and LA pour a drink, raise a toast, and dive into true crime, mysteries, the paranormal, and pop culture, with plenty of tangents along the way. It's like happy hour with your funniest friends. Leave us a review, send us your topic and toast ideas on Twitter and Instagram, and follow the show at thetipsyexchange.com. Cheers!

Stranger Things Inspired By, Part 2: MKUltra, Psychic Spies & the Satanic Panic | The Tipsy Exchange Jul 26, 2022

Show notes

We're back for part two of our Stranger Things deep dive! Last time, we covered the Montauk Project. This week, we're digging into more of the real history behind the Upside Down, and then we're getting into Season 4 Volume 2. (LA may have watched the second volume without realizing it had come out. Oops.)

Spoiler warning: This episode includes full spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4, including both volumes. You've been warned!

LA kicks things off with a Soviet housewife who could supposedly move objects with her mind, and how she kick-started a Cold War psychic arms race. Of course, the U.S. wanted in, so it launched its own psychic spy program. It also funded MKUltra, the CIA's search for mind control, which somehow ended with the agency accidentally helping to bring LSD to America. You'll also hear about a notorious Boston mob boss who was one of the test subjects. Berly thinks young Whitey could get it. LA has concerns.

Then Berly takes us into Season 4 and the real-life moral panic that inspired Eddie Munson's storyline. We talk about which song would save us from Vecna, our grief over Eddie (R.I.P., and Joseph Quinn, please call us), and the scenes we're furious got left out. Then we get into our Season 5 hopes and theories, including a D&D theory that may or may not make Berly's vampire-loving heart very happy, and a plea to the Duffer Brothers to bring back a certain character and let her flirt shamelessly with Robin. Plus: Erica Sinclair is a queen, Will deserves a win (and a new haircut), and Mr. Clark needs to come back.

Along the way, there's a Mindhunter mourning session, a very quiet burp, and a Church Lady that could be summoned by the satanic panic.

This week's toast: We skipped the opening toast this time, so we closed with one from our beloved Eddie Munson: "It's forced conformity that's killing the kids. That's the real monster." Cheers to the freaks and weirdos of the world!

Tell us what you think! Are you still grieving Eddie? What song would save you from Vecna? And what are your theories for Season 5? (Do you think Kali should come back and flirt with Robin? Because we do.) Tell us in the comments!

Please drink responsibly.

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Stranger Things Inspired By, Part 1: The Montauk Project Conspiracy | The Tipsy Exchange Jul 12, 2022

Show notes

We're back from our summer hiatus! Turns out we took our break in the wrong month, because the heat and humidity only got worse. (It's not just us getting older. Right? RIGHT?) But we're back, and we're diving into the Upside Down with a two-part series on the real-life stories that inspired Stranger Things.

Spoiler warning: This episode includes spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4. If you're not caught up, bookmark this one and come back.

Before it was called Stranger Things, the show had a very different working title. Berly tells the story of the conspiracy theory behind that title: the Montauk Project, a set of alleged secret government experiments at a military base on Long Island. It has everything: kids taken for experiments, a mysterious chair that could amplify psychic powers, a connection to another infamous military experiment, time wormholes, memories that were wiped (and then un-wiped), and at least one man who claims he was literally someone else in a past life. And then there's the monster. There's always a monster. Whether you believe it or not, it's a wild story.

Along the way, LA shares an actual Stranger Things secret from her market research days (she saw it before you did), we debate whether Mr. Clark the science teacher "could get it" (brainy is sexy, fight us), and we go on a Tesla tangent about solar-powered parking lots. Plus, there's a Midnight Special recommendation, a Matthew Modine appreciation break, and a David Harbour pun that nearly made LA choke on her drink.

This week's toast: From Dustin "Dusty Bun" Henderson: "I am on a curiosity voyage and I need my paddles to travel." Cheers to those paddles!

Tell us what you think! Do you believe any part of the Montauk Project could be true? Where do you think Eight was in Season 4? And the most important question: could Mr. Clark get it? Tell us in the comments, and come back for part two!

Please drink responsibly.

Source: https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/stranger-things-true-story-montauk-project-philadelphia-experiment

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536 AD: The Worst Year to Be Alive in Human History | The Tipsy Exchange May 31, 2022

Show notes

It's been a rough couple of years. Brain fog? Check. Forgetting the name of that one actor in that one movie? Weekly. The introvert's pandemic dream turning into a nightmare? Oh yeah. Before we get to the history, Berly and LA talk about the real toll of living through tough times, and why it's okay to give yourself a break.

Now, some perspective: you think your year was bad? This week, LA takes us back to 536 AD, the year many historians call the worst year to be alive. A mysterious fog swallowed Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, and the sun basically clocked out. There was snow in summer, crops failed, and there was no bread for years. Berly would not have survived. And just when things couldn't get worse, they did: a devastating pandemic followed. Scientists have since pieced together what caused it all, and the evidence is fascinating. There might even be a connection to some famous Norse myths.

Along the way, you'll hear some mixed feelings about Furiosa (no Tom Hardy, but hello Chris Hemsworth), Berly's first Peaky Blinders binge, our love-then-lost-it relationship with Vikings, and way too much excitement about The Northman. That spear throw in the trailer, though. Plus, a trip back to Björk's last movie, which is… apparently 22 years old? We're old.

This week's toast: From Neil Gaiman's graphic novel Signal to Noise: "There's no big apocalypse, just an endless procession of little ones." Be kind to yourself, be grateful, and let's get through this together. Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Coming up next is our mid-season happy hour, and we want to hear from you! What's made you happy so far this year? Have you discovered a new favorite show, movie, or book? Did you reconnect with someone you love? What's your favorite Tipsy Exchange episode this season? Tell us in the comments or tag us on Twitter at @TipsyExchange or Instagram at @TheTipsyExchange. You might hear your answer on the show!

Please drink responsibly.

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Three Ounces: The True Crime Story That Inspired Fargo | The Tipsy Exchange May 17, 2022

Show notes

It's our quarterly true crime episode! LA always hopes to find a case we've never heard of, which is nearly impossible these days. But this one comes with a twist: it's tied to one of the greatest movies ever made.

The Coen Brothers' Fargo famously opens by claiming it's based on a true story. Spoiler: it's not. At least, not exactly. But one of the film's most unforgettable scenes has roots in a real case from 1986 Connecticut. There's a flight attendant with a cheating pilot husband, a wife who was smart enough to hire a private investigator, and a sudden disappearance during a snowstorm. And the husband had a lot of flimsy explanations. You'll hear how a small team of investigators and one sharp-eyed witness pieced together what happened, and how that case made history in court with almost nothing to go on. How little? The title says it all.

Along the way, we get into the Fargo TV series (Martin Freeman fans, this one's for you), Berly's crush on Vigilante from Peacemaker (the character, not his… hobbies), and a proposal to permanently retire the phrase "crime of passion." There's also the story of a very tipsy night when Berly and a friend put on wigs and tailed a no-good boyfriend around town. We don't recommend it. We also don't not recommend it.

Content warning: This episode discusses murder, domestic violence, and graphic details of how a body was disposed of. Please take care while listening.

This week's toast: "Not only is there often a right and wrong, but what goes around does come around. Karma exists." We close with a cheers to the witness who spoke up and helped crack the case.

Tell us what you think! Had you heard of this case before? Did you know Fargo had a real-life connection? And do you have a lesser-known true crime story we should cover next quarter? Tell us in the comments!

Please drink responsibly.

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A Pirate's Life for Stede: The True Story of Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard | The Tipsy Exchange May 03, 2022

Show notes

Ahoy! This week, Berly and LA set sail into the Golden Age of Piracy. Yes, it's partly because we're obsessed with Our Flag Means Death. And yes, Taika Waititi in a leather crop top is a significant part of that.

Berly kicks things off with the most feared pirate of all time, Blackbeard. He was a real man with a very committed approach to personal branding. We have questions about his hair and beard maintenance routine. Then LA brings us the story we couldn't believe was true: Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate, a wealthy man with an estate, a wife, and kids, who one day decided he'd rather be a pirate. He had zero sailing experience. He bought a ship instead of stealing one. He paid his crew. And then he met Blackbeard.

What happened next sounds less like a pirate story and more like a romance novel. There's a very generous invitation to "relax," a ship name that's giving major jilted-lover energy, and a breakup that ended in betrayal. We're just saying, Our Flag Means Death might be more historically accurate than anyone expected. You'll have to listen for the ending, which we promise is dramatic.

Along the way, we get a Taika Waititi appreciation break (including his work as a very dedicated Instagram boyfriend), a wish that King Arthur was real, a Pirates of the Caribbean memory lapse, and a theory about Blackbeard's hot coals that we probably shouldn't have said out loud.

This week's toast: Jack Handey reminds us that pirates spent all that time hunting for treasure, never realizing the real treasure was the fond memories they made. Cheers to that, and to LA's sweet husky, Pirate. Then we close with a quote from The Princess Bride: "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while." Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Are you watching Our Flag Means Death? Do you think Stede and Blackbeard were more than just friends? (We have our answer.) Who's your favorite real-life pirate? Tell us in the comments!

Please drink responsibly.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy
https://www.nps.gov/people/blackbeard.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Flag_Means_Death#Premise
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-gentleman-pirate-159418520/

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The Anunnaki and Lizard People: Ancient Aliens or Wild Conspiracy? | The Tipsy Exchange Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

Remember the opening of Prometheus, where an alien shows up on ancient Earth and basically kick-starts humanity? Berly loves that movie. (LA loves Michael Fassbender, even when he's an android). It's also the perfect gateway into this week's question: have aliens visited Earth at some point in history?

Berly starts with the Anunnaki, the gods of ancient Sumer (and a word she will definitely mispronounce, so please forgive her in advance). One author translated ancient clay tablets and came away convinced that these weren't myths. They were records of real visitors from another planet who came here for a very specific reason. Just wait until you hear what they wanted. It'll make you rethink humanity's obsession with shiny rocks. Plus: the surprisingly advanced math that ancient civilizations seemed to know long before anyone else.

Then things get weird. LA takes us from ancient aliens to the lizard people conspiracy. We explain where it came from, who started it, and which famous faces have supposedly been "outed" as reptilian. There's also a list of "signs you might be a lizard person," and Berly checks way too many boxes. She'd like to thank her mom.

Along the way, there's a Stargate appreciation break (French Stewart!), a Stardust and Baron Munchausen recommendation, comparisons to The Eternals, and an honest debate about why we decided diamonds are valuable in the first place. You'll also get a Dark Knight quote we should have used as our toast, and a hot take on the Lizard from Spider-Man: No Way Home that we're not proud of. Okay, we're a little proud.

This week's toast: From David, Michael Fassbender's android in Prometheus: "Big things have small beginnings." Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Do you think aliens visited ancient civilizations? How many lizard person signs do you have? (Be honest.) Tell us in the comments. And if you're a lizard person, you can admit it here. This is a safe space.

Please drink responsibly.

Sources:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anunnaki
https://allthatsinteresting.com/anunnaki
https://www.afrikaiswoke.com/were-the-anunnaki-a-reptilian-race/
https://www.vox.com/2014/11/5/7158371/lizard-people-conspiracy-theory-explainer

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The Multiverse: Is It Real? Science, the MCU & Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | The Tipsy Exchange Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Remember our time travel episode? LA is still recovering. So naturally, we're back for another attempt at a scientific discussion. This time the topic is the multiverse, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters next month.

Spoiler warning: If you're not caught up on the MCU's Phase 4 movies and series, there are spoilers ahead. You've been warned. If you're still here, that's on you.

Berly has been fascinated by the idea of parallel worlds for a long time, so she turned to a real theoretical physicist to answer the big question: is the multiverse actually real? Turns out there's a lot of real science behind what Marvel is doing. There are two different ways to picture the multiverse, one of which involves bubbles (LA had… an interpretation). There's a theory about how the Big Bang may have happened. And we find out why time travel might not work the way the Avengers think it does. Spoiler: you might not be able to kill your Lincoln.

Then we head back through the MCU to find the multiverse hiding in plain sight, years before anyone said the word out loud. You'll learn which early movie quietly laid the groundwork, what real-world physics the Bifrost is based on, and why Doctor Strange deserves more love than it gets. Mads Mikkelsen! Benedict Cumberbatch! Come on, people. Then we rank our favorite Phase 4 series and movies so far, and we get emotional about No Way Home all over again.

Along the way, you'll hear a sci-fi movie recommendation that'll mess with your head, a Mario Kart mix-up, a New Girl episode that made Berly cry, and a Willem Dafoe fact that is… frighteningly large.

This week's toast: In honor of Baron Mordo's return, we quote the Ancient One from Doctor Strange: "We never lose our demons. We only learn to live above them." Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Do you believe in the multiverse? If you could visit another version of your life, would you? What's your favorite Phase 4 series or movie so far? Tell us in the comments. Science nerds, feel free to correct us. Kindly.

Please drink responsibly.

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Vile Vortices Part 2: The Ring of Fire, South Atlantic Anomaly, North & South Poles | The Tipsy Exchange Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

We're back for part two! Last time, we covered the first six of the Earth's 12 vile vortices: spots where planes vanish, compasses spin, and ancient civilizations built things nobody can explain. If you haven't listened yet, go back and start there. Or don't. We're not your mom. This week, Berly and LA finish the list.

LA starts us off in the Pacific with an underwater volcano off Hawaii and the Ring of Fire. There are so many underwater volcanoes, and Berly will never hear a certain Johnny Cash song the same way again. Next is an island chain near New Caledonia with violent currents, whirlpools, and an island that may or may not have ever existed. Then Berly takes us to the one vortex that isn't on Earth at all, a weak spot in the planet's magnetic field that messes with satellites, spacecraft, and our brains. From there, we dive into a stretch of the Indian Ocean tied to one of modern aviation's biggest mysteries.

Then we head to the poles. LA covers the North Pole, where early explorers faced deadly conditions and one doomed expedition left behind a haunting discovery more than a century later. Berly wraps things up in Antarctica with blood-red waterfalls, strange fossils, and a Norwegian research team that found something frozen in the ice. Or did they? You'll have to listen. Kurt Russell is involved.

Along the way, there's a reminder to never watch Open Water if you like the ocean, a trip back to the nightmare bear from Annihilation, some creative analogies to explain magnetic fields, and our ongoing quest for a globe with a skewer through it.

This week's toast: From Benedict Cumberbatch (because of course): "Mystique is rare now, isn't it? There aren't that many enigmas in this modern world." Here's to being an enigma. Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Now that you know all 12, which vile vortex would you never visit? Which one would you actually book a trip to? And do you think there's a real connection between them, or is it all just a big coincidence? Tell us in the comments!

Please drink responsibly.

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Vile Vortices Part 1: Bermuda Triangle, Dragon's Triangle, Easter Island & More | The Tipsy Exchange Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Remember our Mysterious Triangles episode from season one? Turns out it's become a fan favorite, and it sent us down a rabbit hole we promised we'd come back to: the vile vortices. Not vital vortices. Berly spent an embarrassingly long time calling them that.

The vile vortices are 12 spots around the globe, evenly spaced along the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn plus both poles, where strange things seem to happen. Planes and ships vanish. Instruments go haywire. Ancient civilizations build things nobody can explain. This is part one of a two-part series, and your hosts are covering the first six.

We start with a quick return to the Bermuda Triangle, including two ghost ship stories that are still unexplained. Then we head to the Dragon's Triangle off the coast of Japan, where ships have disappeared, a research vessel went missing, and something mysterious sits deep underwater. After that, we visit Easter Island, where we wonder how on Earth they moved those massive statues and try to decode a writing system nobody has ever cracked. Then it's on to the Algerian megaliths in North Africa, Great Zimbabwe's mysterious birds and far-traveled treasures, and an ancient city in the Indus Valley with plumbing more advanced than Shakespeare's England. Its people then… vanished.

Along the way, you'll hear a Brendan Fraser appreciation break (he could get it), a TikTok about climbing inside a pyramid that's pure cardio, a debate about ancient imaginations, and yet another plea to our favorite Forbes science writer to explain it all. JV Chamary, we still need you.

This week's toast: From Neil Armstrong: "Mystery creates wonder, and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand." (It's a little ironic to quote a guy who went to the moon while we talk about what's under the ocean.) Cheers!

Tell us what you think! Which vile vortex creeps you out the most? What's your theory on how they moved those Easter Island statues? Tell us in the comments. And stay tuned for part two, where we cover the other six!

Please drink responsibly.

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