Behind the Bastards Q&A: 2026 Edition – Part One

Podcast: Behind the Bastards
Hosts: Executive Producer Sophie Lichterman & Robert Evans
Date: January 13, 2026

Episode Overview

This special New Year edition features Robert Evans and Sophie Lichterman tackling listener questions in a lively, informal Q&A. The episode covers research methodology, the process behind episode selection, reflections on journalism, and lighthearted personal anecdotes. The tone is conversational, candid, and often irreverent—fans of the show’s banter and deep dives into history’s darker figures will find plenty to enjoy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Recap and Knives as Gifts

Sophie and Robert open with a friendly discussion about their holiday highlights, gifts exchanged, and a running inside joke about Robert giving Sophie a different “cool weapon” every year.

• Robert gifted Sophie a Moroccan ceremonial dagger this year. Past gifts have included a bowie knife, an axe, and a “purse knife.”
• The banter underscores their camaraderie and the show’s offbeat tone:
  • “You also, one year for my birthday, got me this like horseshoe knife…for like a cheese board. I get compliments on all the time.” – Sophie (03:54)
  • “Everyone needs a purse knife.” – Robert (02:22)

2. Research: Sourcing and Fact-Checking

Question: “What are your tips and tricks for identifying false information while doing your research?”

• Robert emphasizes skepticism and consulting multiple sources:
  • Beware “good-natured disinformation”—falsehoods spread absent of malicious agendas, often through repetition (04:20).
  • “If something sounds too good to be true...take a second look.” – Robert (04:35)
  • Strategy: Google summaries are unreliable, especially AI-generated ones (“never trust the Google AI summary” – Sophie, 08:47).
  • Use search terms like “anecdote + myth” or “ask historians Reddit”—reliable communities often debunk common legends.

On Books and Historiography:

• Even respected works should be checked for criticism from fellow historians.
• When a subject has only one substantial book, seek out bad books and debunkings to broaden perspective.
• Example: For nuclear history episodes, Robert read multiple books and fact-checked sources against each other (07:22).
• DuckDuckGo and using “-AI” reduced exposure to unreliable summaries.

3. Challenging “Uncoverable” Bastards

Q: “What bastard or bastards have you not done because the research will take too long or they’re just too complicated?”

• Notable holdouts:
  • Richard Nixon: “There’s so many books that I know I need to get through to do it…such a heavy lift.” – Robert (10:42)
  • Mao Zedong, Himmler, and Zizians: All require extensive, rigorous research, often involving critical source evaluation.
• Robert aims to tackle heavy, research-intensive episodes quarterly, but personal and emotional factors (like his father’s illness) can delay these projects.

4. Patterns Amongst “Bastards”

Q: “What are some unexpected commonalities besides poverty and abuse in childhood?”

• Robert debunks the myth that poverty/trauma are universal origins among “bastards”; those traits are as much a product of historical context as individual psyche.
  • “It was more common for the big Nazis to have been comfortable and of…at least like a middle class upbringing than it was for them to be as poor and downtrodden as Hitler was.” (12:01)
• The true commonality: a deep-seated, desperate need for importance and proximity to power, often overriding ethical considerations (13:29).

5. Origins of Journalistic Drive

Q: “What made you want to become a journalist?”

• Robert recalls being inspired by footage from the Yugoslav wars, plus later influences like Transmetropolitan and the media’s coverage of Occupy Wall Street (14:31).
  • “What a…serious job. Maybe I’ll do something like that as an adult.” (14:38)
  • His dissatisfaction with reporting on conflicts and the Holocaust’s coverage further motivated his career trajectory.

Sophie reflects on a pivotal college class that shaped her perspective on ethics and mass shootings, highlighting how single experiences can have lasting impact (17:53).

6. Who Was History’s First “Bastard”?

Q: “Who’s the oldest bastard in history?”

• Robert ruminates on how power imbalances have always existed, referencing prehistorical societies’ rituals to check ego and power while noting the universality of the “bastard” problem (19:43):
  • “There’s certainly a long prehistory of nameless bastards out there…individual people taking too much power for themselves has always been a danger.” (22:30)
  • Societal rules are evidence of ever-present risks, not proof of a “more enlightened” ancient humanity.

7. Writing Rituals & Music

Q: “Do you listen to music while you write scripts?”

• Robert’s musical habits have fluctuated; previously, he wrote to White Light Mixes and bluegrass, currently listens to less music while writing (24:02).
• “Last night, as I was working on what’ll be some of the first episodes of 2025, I was listening to Green Sky Bluegrass at Red Rocks.” (24:19)

8. When Subjects Don’t Fit the “Bastard” Mold

Q: “Have you started an episode only to realize the person wasn’t truly a bastard?”

• Example: Beau Brummell. Initially suspected of negative impact on men’s fashion, but found to be more sympathetic upon research.
• On Katy Perry: Considered but found no substantive grounds for a “bastard” episode; “not interesting for an episode” (26:38).
• “We’re not declaring someone a bastard just because they...did bad. We’ve all done bad things.” (26:57)

9. Dream Podcast Guest from History

Q: “Which bastard, past or present, would you want as a podcast guest to cover another horrible person?”

• Robert’s darkly comic answer:
  • “If he was alive, I would make…$50 million doing a podcast with L. Ron Hubbard where I just explain different cults to L. Ron Hubbard and he critiques them.…It would be the least responsible podcast of all time.” (27:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You could cut like a goat’s throat with that if you had to. If you’re being attacked by a goat…” – Robert, on the Moroccan dagger (02:43)
• “If something sounds too good to be true...take a second look.” – Robert (04:35)
• “Never trust the Google AI summary.” – Sophie (08:47)
• “There’s more than is just in this one source.” – Robert, on research best practices (07:22)
• “Everyone needs a purse knife.” – Robert (02:22)
• “I know I need to get through [Nixon's books]...such a heavy lift.” – Robert (10:42)
• “A desperation to be somebody, to be someone who matters in your society, is like, you see it.…That’s like the biggest warning sign, I think, that you see…” – Robert, on the true pattern among ‘bastards’ (13:29)
• “There’s certainly a long prehistory of nameless bastards out there.” – Robert (22:30)
• “We’re not declaring someone a bastard just because they…did bad.” – Robert (26:57)
• “It would be the least responsible podcast of all time.” – Robert on an imagined L. Ron Hubbard guest (27:31)
• “In the new year…fuck it. I don’t know. Whatever it is to you, fuck it.” – Robert’s parting words (28:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:36 – Opening greetings, holiday stories, and knife gift banter
• 04:20 – Tips for identifying and researching false information
• 10:42 – Which “bastards” are still too complex for an episode?
• 12:01 – Commonalities among ‘bastards’
• 14:31 – Robert’s journalistic inspirations and early influences
• 19:43 – “Oldest bastard” debate and prehistory talk
• 24:02 – Writing rituals and music choices
• 25:26 – When a subject isn’t villainous enough
• 27:31 – Dream podcast guest: L. Ron Hubbard
• 28:18 – Closing thoughts

Tone & Takeaway

Robert and Sophie’s rapport delivers both deep critical thought and irreverent humor. From dissecting research ethics to wondering about L. Ron Hubbard co-hosting a cult-critique show, their wide-ranging conversation remains insightful and entertaining—a signature of Behind the Bastards Q&A specials.
Recommended for listeners who enjoy honest, methodical historical analysis with a healthy dose of wit and skepticism.