Political Pork

Summary

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Cabinet of Curiosities: "Political Pork" (May 21, 2026)

Podcast: Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Episode: "Political Pork"
Date: May 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Cabinet of Curiosities explores two remarkable yet vastly different tales under the theme of how power and legacy are remembered—and sometimes reimagined—in society. The first story examines an ancient legend of the Cahuilla people involving their once-revered shaman Taqwits and his descent into infamy. The second tale takes a humorous look at an unlikely political candidate: a pig named Pigasus, who ran for President of the United States in 1968. Both stories probe how societies choose to honor, confront, or satirize their leaders and ancestors.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legend of Taqwits – The Sinister Ancestor

[00:47 – 05:33]

• Importance of Ancestry:
  Mahnke opens by reflecting on the significance of ancestors across cultures and the complicated legacies some leave behind.

  “We honor those who came before us, regardless of our religion, political belief, or culture. The ancestors brought us to where we are." (00:47)

• Story of Taqwits:

  • Taqwits was a legendary shaman of the Cahuilla, a people who lived in what is now Southern California.
  • Gifted knowledge by Mukat, the creator, Taqwits initially led with wisdom and taught shamanship.
  • Over time, Taqwits became corrupt and began to kidnap and kill women from his tribe.
  • The tribe responded by attempting to burn him alive, but his spirit survived, haunting the San Jacinto Valley.

• Recurring Evil & Triumph:

  • Chief Elgut’s son was slain attempting to confront Taqwits, leading Elgut to train for revenge.
  • Elgut ultimately defeats Taqwits in a climactic supernatural battle, but Taqwits’ spirit lingers, blamed for natural disasters and disease.
  • The tale connects the legend to Tahquitz Valley, a real location, thus immortalizing the myth in the landscape.

• Nature and Memory:
  Mahnke draws a parallel between the fickleness of nature and the blurred legacy of revered but flawed ancestors.

  “Nature after all is like a fickle God. It gives us everything we need to survive, but can just as easily take it all away.” (05:32)

Notable Quote

• “But even spirits can fall from grace.” — Host (01:29)

Memorable Moment

• The depiction of Taqwits constantly changing form—“So Taqwits changed into a sea serpent and attempted to flee. But Elgut swam after him and caught him. He strangled the former shaman to death and had the tribe burn the body.” (04:07)

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2. Pigasus, the Yippie Presidential Pig

[06:41 – 10:36]

• Backdrop of 1968:
  The story is set against the turbulence of 1968: civil rights demonstrations, Vietnam War protests, and national unrest.

• Birth of a Candidate:

  • The Yippie group, disillusioned by mainstream politics, choose a pig, Pigasus, as their candidate to mock the process.
  • Pigasus was paraded through Chicago during the Democratic National Convention, exemplifying countercultural irreverence.
  • His campaign slogan: “If we can’t have him in the White House, we can have him for breakfast.” (07:50)

• The Stunt's Fallout and Legacy:

  • Police quickly disrupted the rally, arresting seven people and seizing Pigasus.
  • Yippies tried to retrieve the pig from a shelter, but were rebuffed after being recognized.
  • The fate of Pigasus remains disputed: rumors range from police barbecue to a peaceful life on a farm.
  • Mahnke wryly notes Pigasus’ unique achievement: “the first and so far only pig to be nominated for US President, although there are some today who dispute that claim.” (10:14)

Notable Quotes

• “Sadly, though, the candidate was unable to deliver the speech himself because he was a 145 pound black and white spotted pig named Pegasus.” — Host (07:45)

• “But as soon as he started speaking, police rushed the stage. Two officers scooped up Pegasus and dragged him away.” — Host (08:18)

Memorable Moment

• The Yippies’ attempt to spring Pigasus: “Later that day, one of his comrades came by and tried to bail him out by telling the worker at the counter he was looking for his lost dog, which was black and white with a curly tail. But the worker took one look at the young man's beard and weird stovepipe hat and recognized him as one of the Yippies. And so he was sent home empty handed.” (09:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------------------|------------| | Introduction & Episode Theme | 00:47–01:35| | Taqwits: The Cahuilla Legend | 01:36–05:32| | Reflection on Nature & Legacy | 05:32 | | Pigasus and the Yippie Stunt | 06:41–10:36| | Pigasus’ Fate & Conclusion | 09:50–10:36|

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Tone & Style

As always, Aaron Mahnke delivers these tales with a blend of scholarly curiosity, wry humor, and a touch of the gothic. His language is vivid, accessible, and lightly ironic—making both ancient myths and countercultural stunts feel equally engaging.

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Summary

"Political Pork" offers two rich vignettes: one rooted in indigenous legend, exploring the murky aftermath of failed leadership, and another in 20th-century American satire, skewering the absurdities of political pomp. Both invite listeners to ponder how we remember, reinterpret, and at times, lampoon our would-be leaders.

Memorable closing advice:
"And until next time, stay curious." (10:31)

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Transcript

[Erin Menke]

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[Erin Menke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild.

[Narrator (Cabinet of Curiosities Host)]

Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. It's impossible to understate how important ancestors are to human society. It's easy to evoke the concept as some ancient belief, but it never really has gone away. We honor those who came before us, regardless of our religion, political belief, or culture. The ancestors brought us to where we are. Their knowledge is how we built our cities. And because at the end of the day, no society can exist entirely in the present and the future. But what do we do when our ancestors have a more sinister reputation? When their knowledge and wisdom was important, but their actions were despicable? It turns out this conundrum is as old as time itself. It exists in legends that predate written history. The Cahuilla people of the western United States have a legend that tells this story, and it's one that still resonates today. Centuries before Spanish colonization, they lived in the canyons and deserts that would become Southern California. One of their first leaders was a shaman named Taqweetz. His knowledge and skill with medicine came from Mukat, creator of all things, and he led the Cahuilla people wisely, teaching them how to become shamans of their own. He was something greater than a human, a spirit who guided his people and showed them right from wrong. But even spirits can fall from grace. Taqwitz, after countless years of teaching and shepherding his people, began to grow arrogant. The Kawia people grew to fear his wrath and his pride. He began to kidnap the women of the tribe and kill them. Horrified by what he was doing, the tribe seized him and erected a pyre to burn him alive. The flames climbed high and would have killed any normal human being. But Taqwits instead disappeared, and his spirit fled deeper into the San Jacinto Valley, where he would remain Terrorizing the Cahuilla from the shadows. In some versions of this tale, like a dragon in medieval Europe, he would lurk in his lair, only occasionally emerging to kidnap a member of the tribe and carry them away forever. One day, the great Chief Elgut heard that his son and two other young men from the tribe had gone off to vanquish Tahkweets on their own. Fearing for their safety, he followed their trail into the valley. And there he found his son's two friends unconscious. And when they had been revived, they told him that his son had been slain by the demon. Swearing vengeance, Al Gut went home and trained long and hard. He climbed mountains, swam rivers, wrestled with bears and mountain lions. He knew that in order to face Taqwits, he would need to be stronger than any mortal man. And when the time came, he went into the valley again and confronted the demon who had killed his son. The two fought in the canyon first. Taqwits attempted to crush Al Gut with boulders then. But when that didn't work, they wrestled. When Taqweets realized that the chief was stronger than he was, he began to change form from one animal to another. But still the chief held on tightly to him. So Taweets changed into a sea serpent and attempted to flee. But Algut swam after him and caught him. He strangled the former shaman to death and had the tribe burn the body. Of course, in these sorts of legends, there's never a true end to the spirit, is there? As the sea serpent smoldered on the flames, the spirit of Takhweets rose in the form of smoke and slithered back into the valley. Taqweets would never again seize men, women or children from the village, but he would still cause trouble for the Cahuilla people. Earthquakes, floods, storms, and deadly natural phenomena are all said to be his doing. He's also said to bring disease to the residents of the valley. They rarely see him manifest again, but except on rare occasions where he appears as a green fireball soaring across the night sky. And the evidence of this legend is still around today. In Southern California. Just outside of Palm Springs and below Mount San Jacinto, is a valley known as Tahquet's Valley. In spite of its namesake's cruelty, it is a beautiful place with a waterfall and lush wildlife, A refreshing area on the edge of the desert. Legend says that much of this valley was carved out of the mountain during the fight between Tahquitz and Algout the and it stands today as the memorial to the demon's defeat. Nature after all is like a fickle God. It gives us everything we need to survive, but can just as easily take it all away.

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1968 was a chaotic year for the United States. The civil rights movement was in full swing, protests against the Vietnam War were reaching a fever pitch, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Had just been assassinated, sparking riots across the country. But in the midst of all of that turmoil, one presidential candidate emerged who promised to be totally different from any other leader America had ever seen. On an afternoon in August, that candidate rode through the streets of Chicago on the back of a station wagon. He'd grown up on a farm nearby and had never been politically involved until very recently, when he was recruited by the Youth International Party, better known as the Yippies, a countercultural group opposed to the Vietnam War. In just a few days, the Democratic National Convention was going to begin right there in Chicago. The Yippies hated their frontrunner, the sitting Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, because of his support for the war. So as a stunt to bring attention to their cause, they were officially nominating their own candidate the same week in the same town. The station wagon pulled up outside a crowded plaza where hundreds of young people with long hair and beards were waving signs and shouting. Police officers were everywhere, ready to step in if this rally got out of control, as yippee events often did. As the candidate passed through the crowd, the spectators clapped and cheered. He took the stage and the audience quieted, waiting to hear his acceptance speech. Sadly, though, the candidate was unable to deliver the speech himself because he was a 145 pound black and white spotted pig named Pegasus. He was running with the campaign slogan, if we can't have him in the White House, we can can have him for breakfast. One of the men standing on stage beside Pegasus unfolded a piece of paper and began to read off a prepared speech announcing the pig's candidacy for President of the United States. But as soon as he started speaking, police rushed the stage. Two officers scooped up Pegasus and dragged him away. In the ensuing chaos, seven humans were also arrested for disorderly conduct. Pigasus was put in the back of a police wagon and and taken to a local animal shelter. Later that day, one of his comrades came by and tried to bail him out by telling the worker at the counter he was looking for his lost dog, which was black and white with a curly tail. But the worker took one look at the young man's beard and weird stovepipe hat and recognized him as one of the Yippies. And so he was sent home empty handed. All the other Yippies from the rally that day who were arrested were released after posting bond But Pigasus fate is a mystery. A rumor claimed that the Chicago police had barbecued and eaten him, but more reputable newspaper reports suggest that he was actually sent to a farm about an hour north of Chicago. Wherever Pigasus ended up, he lived out the rest of his life without ever holding a major political office. But he also went down in history as the first and so far only pig to be nominated for US President, although there are some today who dispute that claim. I hope you enjoyed today's guided tour through the Cabinet of Curiosities. This show was created by me, Aaron Manke in partnership with iheart Podcasts, researched and written by the Grim and Mild Team and produced by Jesse Funk. Learn more about the show and the people who make it [e-mail] curiosities. You'll also find a link to the official Cabinet of Curiosities hardcover book available in bookstores and online as well as ebook and audiobook. And if you're looking for an ad free option, consider joining our Patreon. It's all the same stories but without the interruption for a small monthly fee. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] grimandmild and until next time, stay curious.

[American Public University Advertisement Announcer]

This show is sponsored by American Public University. The future won't wait and neither should you. That's why American Public University offers Master's programs designed for for momentum, affordable, high quality and flexible so you keep moving forward. With career relevant programs in business, healthcare, education, IT and more, you can gain skills you can use right away and the confidence to power your next move. American Public University made for what's next learn more at apu apus edu.

[Erin Menke]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.