Episode Summary: "Complicated"

Podcast: Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities
Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Duration of Content: ~00:40 to 10:34

Overview

In this episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, Aaron Mahnke guides listeners through two fascinating tales that explore the complexity of human behavior throughout history. The first story uncovers the world’s oldest-known customer complaint from ancient Mesopotamia, illustrating how certain human interactions transcend time. The second tale traces the curious—and troubling—life of Harold von Braunhut, the inventive mind behind Sea Monkeys, whose legacy is marred by his association with white nationalist groups.

Story 1: The Oldest Customer Complaint (00:40–05:39)

Key Discussion Points

• The Timelessness of Customer Service Woes

  • Mahnke starts by examining the maxim, "the customer is always right," and its shaky validity.
  • Introduces a remarkable historical account from 1750 BCE, in the city-state of Ur (ancient Mesopotamia).

• The Merchant Conflict

  • Nani, the customer, is dissatisfied with poor quality copper provided by merchant Ea-nasir.
  • The servant Nani sent to collect the copper is met with rudeness and an ultimatum from the merchant: take the goods or leave.
  • Despite pointing out the subpar copper, the servant pays and returns, prompting a furious written complaint from Nani.

• Discovery and Impact

  • Nani’s complaint, inscribed on a clay tablet in Akkadian cuneiform, was discovered during a British Museum expedition in Iraq (1922-1934).
  • This tablet is believed to be the oldest preserved customer complaint in history—nearly 3,800 years old.
  • Multiple complaints to Ea-nasir were found, indicating a pattern of poor merchant behavior.

• Reflections on Legacy

  • The story highlights how minor grievances can echo across millennia, immortalizing even an ordinary merchant and his aggrieved customer.
  • Mahnke muses on how rudeness is remembered:

    "It just goes to show, when you treat people rudely, they remember it. Perhaps Ea-nasir should have remembered the Golden Rule—or, well, maybe in this case we should say the Copper Rule." [05:29]

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Relatability Across Time
  • "[It] makes the past a little more relatable, in spite of the vast gulf of time between us." – Aaron Mahnke [05:13]
• The “Copper Rule” Joke
  • "Perhaps Ea-nasir should have remembered the Golden Rule—or, well, maybe in this case we should say the Copper Rule." – Aaron Mahnke [05:29]

Story 2: The Creator of Sea Monkeys and His Troubling Past (05:40–10:34)

Key Discussion Points

• The Accidental Empire

  • In 1957, Harold von Braunhut, born to a family of Jewish toymakers, walks into a pet shop and discovers brine shrimp.
  • Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) are resilient—able to survive for years out of water—making them ideal for shipping.
  • Inspired, Braunhut creates “Sea Monkeys,” selling kits with freeze-dried eggs and marketing them fantastically.

• Marketing Brilliance

  • Recruits cartoonist Joe Orlando for whimsical, falsely suggestive advertising—depicting anthropomorphic Sea Monkeys.
  • Sales soar starting in 1964, with ads appearing in comic books and widespread popularity among American children.
  • Applies similar strategies for novelties like X-ray specs and Crazy Crabs, acquiring 195 patents in total.

• A Dark Underbelly

  • Von Braunhut also invents defensive gadgets, including a baton used in a Burt Reynolds film.
  • Investigation reveals a shocking secret:
    • Despite his Jewish heritage, von Braunhut is a white nationalist, adding "von" to his last name to conceal his roots.
    • Profits from his inventions fund racist and neo-Nazi causes, including direct support to figures and organizations like the Aryan Nations and KKK.
  • Scandal emerges when links are publicized; his reputation is permanently tarnished.

• A Paradoxical Legacy

  • Von Braunhut dies in 2003, penniless litigation follows, but Sea Monkeys remain popular under new ownership.
  • Mahnke closes with a meditation on human complexity, contrasting von Braunhut’s creative success with his moral failures:

    "A visionary entrepreneur who turned a humble brine shrimp egg into a cultural phenomenon, yet whose personal flaws and covert alliances cast a long, unsettling shadow over his achievements." [10:22] "In the end, his story serves as a reminder that brilliance and moral blindness sometimes coexist. Harold wasn't a good man, but he made something people loved, making him a curious example of just how complex and sometimes horrible human beings can be." [10:29]

Notable Moments & Quotes

• The Whimsical Marketing

  • "They looked nothing like the product that would arrive to eager children's doors. But that mattered very little to sales, which skyrocketed as the first ads were released in 1964." – Aaron Mahnke [07:33]

• The Dark Side Exposed

  • "Although born into a Jewish family, it turns out that von Braunhut was a rabid white nationalist who had added the 'von' to Braunhut to distance himself from his own heritage." – Aaron Mahnke [08:42]

• Legacy Reflection

  • "Brilliance and moral blindness sometimes coexist. Harold wasn't a good man, but he made something that people loved, making him a curious example of just how complex and sometimes horrible human beings can be." – Aaron Mahnke [10:29]

Key Timestamps

• Oldest Customer Complaint: 00:40–05:39
• Intro to Sea Monkeys/Harold von Braunhut: 05:40–07:29
• Marketing and Inventions: 07:30–08:32
• Von Braunhut's Racist Affiliations Exposed: 08:33–09:31
• Downfall and Paradoxical Legacy: 09:32–10:34

Conclusion

"Complicated" offers a thought-provoking look at the enduring quirks—and failings—of human nature, from the first irate customer to a 20th-century innovator with a dark secret. Through Mahnke’s dry wit and mindful narration, listeners are reminded that curiosity often leads down winding, sometimes uncomfortable, historical paths.

For further episodes and curiosities: curiositiespodcast.com