The Internet Says it’s True

Sometimes, the best resistance looks like obedience. During the Nazi occupation of France, the Citroën automobile factory seemed to be cooperating — manufacturing trucks for the German military like any other commandeered facility. But behind the scenes, the French workers were quietly waging a war of their own. This episode tells the story of how a simple dipstick nearly brought down supply lines... and explores other clever examples of malicious compliance during WWII. Then we chat with Comedian Tristan Miller from New Zealand! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

In 1896, Native Americans were put on public display at the Cincinnati Zoo as part of a fabricated "village" exhibit. It wasn't just Cincinnati—similar human exhibitions took place around the world, reinforcing damaging stereotypes. But how did these events happen, and why do their impacts still linger today? This week, we dig into one of the most shocking forgotten chapters of American history. Then we chat with Grammy-Winning Musician and Michael's college buddy, Josh Quillen. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

In 1978, a group of mobsters pulled off the largest cash robbery in American history — and thought they’d gotten away clean.But almost immediately, the heist started to unravel in the bloodiest way possible. Millions disappeared. Bodies started piling up. This is the unbelievable true story of the Lufthansa Heist. In this episode, we tell the whole story, then play the quiz with Rob The Balloon Guy Balchunas! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

He pulled teeth in the middle of the street while a marching band played behind him. He claimed to make dentistry painless—and got sued for saying so. But instead of backing down, he built a dental empire and changed his name to beat the system. This is the bizarre true story of the man who turned dentistry into a circus: Painless Parker. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

In the scorching summer of 1916, terror lurked beneath the waves as a mysterious sea predator turned the Jersey Shore into a hunting ground. Over twelve harrowing days, swimmers vanished in a frenzy of blood and panic, and even an inland creek wasn’t safe from the carnage. What followed was a nationwide shark hysteria—an event so chilling, it would later inspire one of the greatest horror stories ever told. In this episode, we tell the story, and then play the quiz with Comedy Mind Reader, Eric Dittelman. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

A secret message, a bold promise, and a fateful mistake—when Germany reached out to Mexico with a shocking proposal, they never expected British spies to be listening. As the telegram’s explosive contents made headlines, outrage swept across America. What happened next would change the course of World War I forever. In this episode, we talk about the famous "Zimmerman Telegram" then we play the quiz game with Comedian Joel Savage! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Originally released April 11, 2022. Bootlegging was an inevitable result of 1920s Prohibition in the U.S. And when the government tried to solve the problem, they ended up with a solution that killed at least 10,000 Americans through poisoned, denatured industrial ethyl-alcohol. In this episode, we tell the story and then talk with Comedian Leslie Battle! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Originally released February 28, 2022. The Internet has been blowing up recently with people who can't believe this claim: That the phrase "Bucket List" originated with the 2007 Rob Reiner buddy film of the same name. In an apparent "Mandela Effect," or mass false memory, everyone seems to think they've been using the phrase in their lives long before 2007. In this episode, we talk about other examples of the Mandela Effect, and find out the truth about the origin of the "Bucket List." Then we play the quick quiz with Comedian Lisa Berry! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Originally released Sept. 20, 2021. When the Laerdal Toy Company was tasked with creating the very first mannequin for practicing CPR, they used a familiar face - it was that of "L'Inconnue de la Seine" - a famous mask supposedly cast from an unknown drowning victim discovered in the River Seine in the late 1880s. In this episode, we explore the strange case and then talk to Comedian and Author Dan Wilbur for the Quick Quiz! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

In 1973, the three astronauts aboard Skylab 4 staged NASA’s first (and only) space mutiny, rebelling against an overwhelming workload and mission control’s rigid oversight. For one dramatic day, they cut off communications, taking time to enjoy the view of Earth and reset their own schedule. When contact was reestablished, tensions ran high—but what happened next changed how NASA handled astronaut workloads forever. In this episode, we tell the story and then chat with Comedian and Actor Elyssa Phillips! To see Elyssa Phillips LIVE in Dallas, get tickets at https://www.prekindle.com/event/68255-elyssa-phillips-live-dallas Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

During World War II, the U.S. military developed a top-secret plan to unleash thousands of bats carrying tiny incendiary bombs over Japan, using their natural roosting instincts to ignite entire cities. The idea was bizarre—but in testing, it worked a little too well, with one fiery accident nearly turning the experiment into a disaster. In this episode, we talk about the Bat Bomb program, then play the quiz game with Jonathan Burns! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

In Fort Worth, Texas, an inconspicuous grave marker in Shannon Rose Hill Chapel & Cemetery says "OSWALD." It's the final resting place of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man charged with the assassination of President Kennedy. But next to that simple marker is another strange one. It reads, "NICK BEEF." Who is Nick Beef and why is this marker there? In this episode, we tell the story and find the truth. Then we chat with "The Mind Noodler," Matt Donnelly! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

You won't believe why graham crackers were invented. When Sylvester Graham invented this snack in the 19th century, it had nothing to do with hunger. Well, at least not THAT kind of hunger. In this episode, we learn about the "Grahamites," Sylvester Graham, and the invention of the snack that bares his name. Then we play the Quick Quiz with Mindreader Eric Dittelman! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Originally released July 10, 2023. Tarrare was a French 18th century man who is known to history for having the largest appetite known to man. He would regularly eat ridiculous amounts of food without ever gaining weight. This included entire baskets of fruit, piles of garbage, rocks, corks, dogs, cats, a quarter of a cow, and - reportedly - an entire living 14-month old toddler! In this episode, we examine the case of the insatiable Tarrare and then play the quick quiz with Magician Rebecca Spectre. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

In 1953, as many as 11 Indian Cobras were discovered in the most unlikely of locales: Springfield, Missouri! They were discovered over the course of several months in the fall of that year and it wasn't until decades later that this mystery was solved. In this episode, we talk about the "Springfield Cobra Scare," the pandemonium it caused and then examine the confession that solved the mystery in the 1980s. Then we play the quiz game with Comedian Glen Tickle! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Originally released October 4, 2021. The Cobra Effect is a story of unintended consequences. In British-controlled India, the government tried to offer an incentive to help curb the rampant deadly cobra problem. Their solution backfired. This is the story of the model that economist & sociologists call the "Cobra Effect." Then comedy writer Jimmy Mak comes on the show to play the quick quiz! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Every fall in Iceland, local residents throw baby puffins off a cliff. It sounds cruel, but it's actually part of a conservation strategy. These "Puffling Patrols" are actually helping to mitigate human-caused disruptions to the Atlantic Puffin's natural migration patterns. In this episode, we talk about "humans being bros," the Atlantic Puffin, the Icelandic practice of puffin chuckin', and then chat with Los Angeles Comedian & Actor, Becky Braunstein! Visit Becky Braunstein's website at: http://beckybraunstein.com Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

The Military Intelligence required to land on the beaches of Normandy France in 1944 was massive. And while Allied Forces were up to the task in gathering terrain maps, soil samples and German defensive positions, a TON of valuable information was gained through a BBC Photography contest and photos submitted by the public. In this episode, we talk about different types of intelligence gathering, how they're used in modern warfare, and this ingenious idea for gaining information that helped plan the landings on D-Day. Then we chat with Comedian and podcast regular, Jay Black! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Occasionally an item makes its way onto a movie set that has real-world value outside of the "silver screen." In a world where most props are manufactured or procured strictly to serve a purpose in a film, these real-world items have been seen on major feature films. In this episode, we'll talk about a few of these, and a mishap that ended in one of these rare items being destroyed on-screen! Then we chat with Comedian Brandon Koss! More about Brandon Koss at https://brandonkoss.com/ Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Originally released January 4th, 2021. The dropping of the ball in NYC's Times Square on New Years Eve is a tradition seen by billions of people around the world. But did the tradition of dropping a ball start in New York? In this episode, we explore the real history of the dropping ball and quiz my friend, magician Peter Boie! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals