Part One: Behind the Bastards Q&A: Year's End Edition

Summary

Behind the Bastards: Part One - Behind the Bastards Q&A: Year's End Edition

Released: December 31, 2024 by Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

Behind the Bastards takes listeners on a deep dive into the lives of some of history's most notorious individuals, uncovering the bizarre and lesser-known facets of their existence. In this special Year’s End Q&A edition, hosts Robert Evans and Sophie engage with their audience, addressing fan questions, sharing personal insights, and providing an inside look into the creation and challenges of producing such a compelling podcast series.

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Introduction and Setting the Tone

The episode kicks off with the hosts casually discussing their attire, setting a laid-back and approachable tone for the Q&A session. Robert mentions his "CHUD sweater," a practical choice that he humorously connects to blending into a new regime:

Robert Evans [02:05]: "If you're a tall white man and you wear a hoodie with a deer head on it, you are effectively invisible. So I'm prepared for the new world. Are you?"

Sophie responds with her own experiences related to online interactions and the pressures of maintaining a presentable appearance:

Sophie [02:20]: "I spent the last hour trying to make myself look nice enough for the camera so people aren't mean to me on the Internet."

---

Favorite and Least Favorite Episodes

One of the first questions addressed revolves around the hosts' least favorite episodes to produce. Robert candidly shares his struggles with episodes focused on foreign leaders outside his expertise:

Robert Evans [03:50]: "I really hate the foreign leader episodes... like, getting up to speed because you can't... It's a lot of work. And it's also nerve-wracking because there's no not getting some stuff wrong."

He highlights the anxiety of covering figures like Jair Bolsonaro and Benjamin Netanyahu, where incomplete knowledge can lead to inaccuracies. Sophie echoes this sentiment, particularly disliking episodes that delve into traumatic subjects involving children:

Sophie [05:36]: "I really fucking hate those [wilderness camp] episodes. Just like horrific shit up horrific kids..."

---

Handling Sensitive Topics

The hosts delve into how they handle the passing of controversial figures, exemplified by Henry Kissinger’s death. Robert shares a surprisingly subdued reaction, emphasizing respect for individuals who lived long lives without visible suffering:

Robert Evans [05:53]: "There's not a lot I'm glad he's dead, but like he lived an incredibly long life and got to do most of the things he wanted and never really suffered."

They also discuss the emotional toll of covering topics like the U.S. healthcare system and environmental disasters, with Robert expressing deep frustration:

Robert Evans [06:42]: "Every time we talk about the US healthcare system, I'm fucking livid... Those drive me fucking insane."

---

Pop Culture and Personal Interests

Shifting gears, Robert shares his views on modern Star Trek, expressing a preference for series that explore societal complexities over space battles:

Robert Evans [07:34]: "Deep Space Nine is asking what would the dark sides of that utopia be... Star Trek's never had good space battles, I'll say that right?"

Sophie engages in light-hearted banter, including a playful guessing game about Robert’s fantasy podcast guest, which humorously lands on unexpected names like LeBron James:

Robert Evans [10:19]: "I would love to talk with either Alan Moore or Werner Herzog... Or have a funny guest like Will Ferrell."

---

Behind the Scenes: Podcast Creation and Challenges

Robert provides an in-depth look into the genesis of Behind the Bastards, tracing back to his time at Cracked.com and his passion for exploring dictators’ histories. He recounts pitching the original idea and the subsequent evolution of the podcast format:

Robert Evans [20:03]: "I want to do a series where every season I talk about a different dictatorial regime... And then all of a sudden one day they got bought by iHeartRadio."

Sophie adds personal anecdotes about their collaborative journey and the influence of colleagues like Jack O'Brien in shaping the podcast’s direction.

---

Fan Interactions and Feedback

Addressing feedback, Robert discusses handling backlash from sensitive episode topics. He emphasizes the importance of not speculating on unverified personal attributes of historical figures, such as diagnosing autism based solely on behavior:

Robert Evans [17:43]: "It's not my job to be like this is what I believe is going on with Jeffrey Bezos. And now we all have to act like it's true because it's probably not."

He also highlights the positive impact of their listeners, noting the altruistic actions fans take in the real world:

Robert Evans [30:00]: "Some chunk of them are always going to be doing something weird and off-putting... But usually when I encounter our fans, it's in the context of them like doing something nice that's helpful to people out in the world."

---

Personal Stories and Light Moments

In a fun segment, Robert shares a humorous and heartwarming story about his cat, Saddam, including an incident involving a seed:

Robert Evans [26:03]: "He managed to get it wedged inside his urethra and it nearly killed him. But he's fine now."

Sophie complements this with her own update, showcasing their camaraderie and the personal side of the podcast hosts.

Additionally, they entertain listeners with whimsical questions like their Spice Girl names, revealing their playful personalities:

Robert Evans [18:44]: "My Spice Girl name would be Afraid of Women Spice."

Sophie [19:15]: "I think I would be Producer Spice."

---

Mental Health and Coping Mechanisms

When asked about activities that help them cope with the heavy topics they cover, the hosts provide contrasting yet genuine responses. Sophie highlights her affection for her dog, Anderson, while Robert candidly discusses his sobriety and hobbies like shooting:

Sophie [27:39]: "This beautiful dog I'm holding... Anderson. She looks quite beautiful."

Robert Evans [27:51]: "I've been sober for a while and will be staying sober. So I just get depressed and then get better and better at shooting a gun."

---

Future Projects and Upcoming Content

Looking forward, Robert gives an update on his forthcoming book sequel, After the Revolution, discussing the delays caused by personal losses and promising content releases:

Robert Evans [12:24]: "I finished the rough draft. I think probably in January, I'll put out the first three chapters just as kind of a teaser."

He also teases future podcast episodes, particularly focusing on Richard Nixon, promising a multi-part deep dive into his complex and controversial life:

Robert Evans [15:13]: "The current big one that I'm very slowly working on is doing another Nixon. Probably a six-parter... collecting fucked up Dick Nixon stories."

---

Conclusion and Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Robert expresses heartfelt appreciation for their listeners, highlighting the positive actions fans undertake in their communities. The hosts emphasize their commitment to delivering high-quality content and maintaining a supportive relationship with their audience.

Closing with promotional segments, Behind the Bastards directs listeners to their website and YouTube channel for more content, ensuring the audience stays connected and engaged.

---

Notable Quotes

• Robert Evans [03:50]: "I really hate the foreign leader episodes... It's a lot of work. And it's also nerve-wracking because there's no not getting some stuff wrong."

• Sophie [05:36]: "I really fucking hate those [wilderness camp] episodes. Just like horrific shit up horrific kids..."

• Robert Evans [06:42]: "Every time we talk about the US healthcare system, I'm fucking livid... Those drive me fucking insane."

• Robert Evans [07:34]: "Deep Space Nine is asking what would the dark sides of that utopia be... Star Trek's never had good space battles, I'll say that right?"

• Robert Evans [15:13]: "The current big one that I'm very slowly working on is doing another Nixon. Probably a six-parter... collecting fucked up Dick Nixon stories."

• Sophie [19:15]: "I think I would be Producer Spice."

---

Behind the Bastards continues to captivate its audience by blending historical analysis with personal anecdotes and interactive segments. This Year’s End Q&A Edition not only answers pressing listener questions but also provides a transparent look into the hosts' creative processes and personal lives, solidifying the podcast’s reputation as a thought-provoking and engaging series.

Transcript

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[Robert Evans]

Cool Zone Media hey everybody, I'm Robert Evans. This is behind the Bastards, a podcast by a man who is preparing for the entrance of the new regime. The need to go underground. So I'm in my CHUD block. You know, if you're a tall white man and you wear a hoodie with a deer head on it, you are effectively invisible. So I'm prepared for the new world. Are you?

[Sophie]

You look great.

[Robert Evans]

Thank you Sophie. I love my CHUD sweater. It's actually incredibly comfortable. Every year after deer season, this exact hoodie comes on for sale at a store near me and so I can get like three for five bucks each or some shit like that. And they're crazy comfortable.

[Sophie]

And per usual, I spent the last hour trying to make myself look nice enough for the camera so people aren't mean to me on the Internet.

[Robert Evans]

Yep, yep. Very different, very unequal situation. But I'm also not going to spend any more time caring about my appearance.

[Sophie]

Fair enough. What are we doing today, Robert?

[Robert Evans]

Well, Sophie, the same thing we do every night. Try to take over the world of podcasting. Oh, wait, we already did that.

[Sophie]

Yeah, I guess.

[Robert Evans]

Let's answer some Q and A's from our fans. Yeah.

[Sophie]

So we put out a post on our Instagram astardspod, and many of you sent in questions, and so we're trying to answer a lot of them.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah, yeah. The gist of the situation is, folks, it's the end of the year. This is when all of the companies that buy ads are really buying ads. And it's, it's, you know, when everybody wants to get as many people listening as possible. And we decided rather than doing something that zero effort and like, you know, running more episodes, which we do when we take a break, we wanted to give you guys a chance to ask us some questions and also make sure that we're providing you with new stuff because you crave new stuff. You won't stop demanding it. Every instant of our lives, Sophie and I think of nothing but pleasing your insatiable appetites. So Sophie went on Instagram and asked if you guys had any questions.

[Sophie]

Robert?

[Robert Evans]

Yes.

[Sophie]

What was your least favorite episode to do and why?

[Robert Evans]

Least favorite to do? I assume they're asking. Ever. I hate I really. Unless it's a place where I have a specific interest. I really hate the foreign leader episodes. Like, obviously Stalin's a foreign leader, but I've been reading about Stalin my whole life. Hitler's a foreign. I've read more books about Hitler than anybody who's not a Hitler scholar. But, like, Jair Bolsonaro. Right. Like, I don't know much about Brazilian politics coming in Netanyahu. I don't know much about, you know, politics over there. So, like, getting up to speed because you can't. It's not just enough to, like, learn what was Netanyahu's childhood. Like, you also have to know, like, the dynamics of politics prior to him coming into power. And like, the part like, and catching up on all of that in a way that you don't totally embarrass yourself is a. Is a lot of work. And it's also nerve wracking because, like, especially again, to go back to Netanyahu, this is a guy who, I mean, who had been involved in genocidal activity prior to where we are right now. But, like, certainly, like, it was the kind of thing where, like, because of how high the stakes are and how bad the things he was up to Were like, oh my God, the anxiety about fucking that up. The same with Bolsonaro, right? This guy who's fucking around the Amazon with indigenous peoples. This dude who is a very important part of this authoritarian trend. But also me, a guy who doesn't know much about Brazil. I'm always very anxious about those episodes. It's. They're important to do. We'll be doing more of them next year. I just, I always like stress out over. Because there's no not getting some stuff wrong. Right.

[Sophie]

Of course. It's. It's. Especially with history because it's so subjective. Yeah, sure. I really fucking hate when we do the like wilderness camp school things.

[Robert Evans]

And I love that.

[Sophie]

Just like horrific shit up horrific kids, Sophie.

[Robert Evans]

I love suffering children.

[Sophie]

Think they're in a safe place and then they get, you know, insert horrible thing here. Those, those episodes. I really, really fucking hate those.

[Robert Evans]

Nom, nom, nom, I'll eat them up all day.

[Sophie]

We did get this question quite a bit. And people want to know how you celebrated the passing of Henry Kissinger.

[Robert Evans]

You know, to be honest, that was a pretty normal day for me. Like, there's not a lot I'm glad he's dead, but like he lived an incredibly long life and got to do most of the things he wanted and never really suffered. So it's like, how much, like, let's say I had a beer, you know, let's say I had a beer.

[Sophie]

Let's say I had a beer. So cryptic. What the fuck? You sound so unwell, Robert. Is there an episode topic or individual that you have covered that has left you shaken up or angry long after you completed the episode?

[Robert Evans]

Everything we do on healthcare. Yeah, like every time we have done a healthcare. I know this is the week that it is. Every time we talk about the US healthcare system, I'm fucking livid. The Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster, Union Carbide in Bhopal, India as well. Like both of those are Union Carbide affiliated disasters. Those drive me fucking insane. Like, to some extent I find those guys more offensive than a guy like Hitler. Which is not saying that they're worse than Hitler. Cause Hitler did kill more people than like Jud Karbide. But Hitler was like a guy who very honestly was about murdering people. Whereas these guys are all pretending to be decent men, family men, you know, just, you know, all I'm doing is trying to make jobs and provide a, you know, valuable part of the economy. And they are just killing people by fucking the city full. So, yeah, those make me very angry.

[Sophie]

I'm gonna ask you one that won't make you very angry. Robert, what is your opinion on modern Star Trek? I love most of it. That's what they say.

[Robert Evans]

Okay. Lower decks is my favorite Star trek thing since DS9.

[Sophie]

Sure.

[Robert Evans]

I've seen some episodes of Strange New Worlds and there's. I can see why people like it a lot. I'm kind of exhausted with that time period in the Star Trek timeline. Like, I want new stuff. I a, like do one where Riker's like an old admiral and we're fucking dealing with Starfleet politics back on Earth in San Francisco. Give me anything where we're moving forward on the timeline but we're not leaping into like weird future war. Like, I'm not mostly interested in that stuff. I'm mostly interested with actually part of why I love ds. I, I love TNG because it's really looking at like what is. Would a utopia be, in a sense that's actually imaginable as something real that like something that could exist in some ways. And then Deep Space Nine is asking what would the dark sides of that utopia be in particular? Not even the dark sides, because it's less that and more kind of like what the culture series, you know, dealt with. Like what happens when this utopia and the people in it inevitably make contact or collide with reality or not reality. Cause they live in reality. But with places that are not utopia, with places that are different, that are worse, that have different values. Like what are those clashes like? And that's what I love in my Star Trek. Star Trek's never had good space battles, I'll say that right? I mean every now and then you get like a Wolf 359 or something. There's some pretty cool shit there. But like, fucking A, there's that one scene in Serenity is a better space battle in terms of like an interesting, cool looking space battle than ever got shot in Star Trek. But I don't watch Star Trek for space battles. I've got other shit for space battles.

[Sophie]

That was very thorough.

[Robert Evans]

Thank you.

[Sophie]

I like this question. Who is your fantasy guest?

[Robert Evans]

Fantasy guest Marisa Tomei during the. My Cousin Vinny. What are we talking about? What do you mean by fantasy here?

[Sophie]

I think they. Wow, very specific. I think they mean if you could have anybody come and guest on the podcast, who would. Your dream.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah, no, no, I know what they meant. I would love to have. I don't even know if I'd do an episode. I would just love to talk with either Alan Moore or Werner Herzog. Like, specifically if I had Herzog. The thing I'd most want to do with Herzog. I guess we could record it, but I don't really care if we do is I'd like to cook a meal with Werner Herzog.

[Sophie]

Sure.

[Robert Evans]

But I think. Yeah, in terms of funny people, I think Will Ferrell would probably be a really good guest. He's far too famous for us, but he seems like he's got a good sense of humor about these kinds of things.

[Sophie]

Can you guess who mine is?

[Robert Evans]

Who's yours?

[Sophie]

Can you guess?

[Robert Evans]

Yours is Harry Styles.

[Sophie]

Nope. Okay, there's only one obvious answer.

[Robert Evans]

Because it would be. It would be like really funny to bring Harry Styles on and just do like unit 731. Just like non stop 4 hours of the most nightmari stories of torture.

[Sophie]

And you just be like, treat people with kindness. What are you talking about? No, that's not who it is. There's only one person it could be.

[Robert Evans]

Okay. Who?

[Sophie]

I'm waiting to see if you know.

[Robert Evans]

No, I don't. I gave you my guess.

[Sophie]

The listeners are disappointed.

[Robert Evans]

Okay. They're less appointed.

[Sophie]

It's LeBron James.

[Robert Evans]

Oh, okay. Yeah. I mean, we could talk about basketball. Two experts like us. I mean, I think a lot of people would enjoy hearing our different feelings on ball handling, on three pointers, other basketball stuff. Those aren't the only two basketball related terms. I know, guys.

[Sophie]

I think a lot of people would want to hear your opinion on ball handling. Robert. Anyways, it's time for an ad break.

[Robert Evans]

Wow. Sophie.

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Robert Evans]

The subreddit's going to be very uncomfortable today.

[Sophie]

Cha cha cha cha.

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[Sophie]

We are back. Robert, this question was asked 552,000 times. When can we expect a sequel to after the Revolution?

[Robert Evans]

Well, the book's done. Basically. I finished the rough draft. I am almost through with the first draft, which is when I read through the rough draft chapter by chapter and make the edits that occur to Me to make it make sense. I think probably in January, I'll put out the first three chapters just as kind of a teaser. But I'll be working with my editor to get it in the shape. But very soon, very soon, it's taken much longer than I had hoped it would. In my defense, both my parents died since publishing the first one. So, you know, that's not really an excuse, but it's gonna make you feel bad, and so you're not gonna, like, follow up with complaining that the book's not out yet. I'm manipulating you. I'm a monster. I know it. But I'm good at it.

[Sophie]

You're allowed.

[Robert Evans]

Thank you.

[Sophie]

You've referenced that there are people who you start to look into, but ultimately find that there isn't really enough there for an episode. Who came the closest to being worthy of doing a whole episode about, but who was the most disappointing person that you weren't able to do an episode about?

[Robert Evans]

I know that's happened.

[Sophie]

It has.

[Robert Evans]

There's been. And usually when that happens, it's not that there's not enough. It's that there's just, like, not enough information about what they did. You'll hear, like, a reference to, like, some CEO who did this, like, really fucked up thing. He was, like, fucking eating poor people or whatever shit. But it's like, well, all I've got is, like, three sentences from an old newspaper. I can't really get an article out on that, honestly. Names aren't coming to mind. The closest I can come in terms of what I remember is like, I almost didn't get to do the Beau Brummel episodes after hours of research, because I did kind of come to the conclusion, you know, there's some bad side effects as a result of what he did, but that's nothing. Like, not that morally reflects on him in a negative way. Like, he wasn't trying to make generations of men more limited in their fashion choices. He just, like, liked what he liked. And likewise, I guess there's been a.

[Sophie]

Handful of people where you've been like, where people are like, it's not necessarily that you've looked into them. People are like, why don't you do an episode on so and so? And you're like, because they're fucking boring.

[Robert Evans]

Like Ben Shapiro. What am I gonna say?

[Sophie]

What are you gonna say?

[Robert Evans]

What is there really to say about Ben? You know, I have looked into him. I did think about it, and, like, at this point, he does have a negative impact. He's just boring. And like, that's a big. I will say when it comes to. If your question is ever why haven't you done so? And so, the answer is usually either I think they're boring. And if it's someone that you're like, well, there's no way he thinks this guy's boring. This guy's objectively interesting. It's because that's gonna be a shitload of work. And I'm always triaging the like the Lawrence of Arabia episodes, which seem to have gotten a good reaction. I think I had to read like five books for.

[Sophie]

You worked on that for like a bunch of articles.

[Robert Evans]

I was working in the background. Slowly getting through material. Yeah. Starting in like January.

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Robert Evans]

And not everything is like. But like Kissinger was like that. Kissinger was like a year of background work. And the current big one that I'm very slowly working on is doing another Nixon. Doing a Nixon. Probably six parter. Cause it's fucking Nixon. But at least a four parter. And that's gonna take me a while because I really don't. There's so many stories. Cause you could put that much effort into everybody, but it's a lot of folks. You would just be reading stuff that's largely repeating similar bits with slightly different takes. Whereas with Nixon, everyone who digs into him. There's so many stories, there's so many people who know crazy shit about Nixon. You really almost can't come to an end of collecting fucked up Dick Nixon stories. Like, it's almost an. It's almost like our most renewable resource on planet Earth is stories of Richard Nixon being a freaking weirdo. So it takes some time.

[Sophie]

Which episode received the most backlash from fans?

[Robert Evans]

Backlash. I, you know, I had some. There was some frustration over an episode we did that was. I think it was mixed. It's always really mixed. Even when there is like. About that Doctor who was like doing really bad surgeries for trans people. There were some folks who had some specific frustrations with that and then some folks who didn't. And you know, ultimately it's one of those things where when you're dealing with stuff like that, there are probably multiple. Right. Ways to do it. But, you know, it's tough. I think like the biggest thing that I. The biggest thing that frustrates me in terms of like feedback from listeners is when people will be like, obviously figure this person has autism. Why didn't you bring that up? Or that's an explanation for this behavior. Why didn't you bring that up? And the answer in every case is that person has not been diagnosed with anything. All I have is the behavior. Multiple other things could explain the behavior. I am not going to just declare Jeffrey Bezos to have autism based on my zero experience as a diagnostician. Because he didn't like music. Right. Like there are other reasons people might not like music. And it's just kind of an interesting detail about how he's sort of disconnected from a lot of the people around him. That can be explained by many different things. But it's not my job to be like this is what I believe is going on with Jeffrey Bezos. And now we all have to act like it's true because it's probably not.

[Sophie]

Hey Robert.

[Robert Evans]

Uh huh.

[Sophie]

Where can I read up on Robert's war zone journalism or whatever older pieces may be out there?

[Robert Evans]

Man. There's. I mean most of it was on cracked.com. some of it found its way into. It could happen here. At least my conclusions based on it. There was a. A video that you could view in VR that was like a 360 video documentary of some of my time in Mosul that was published through the E.W. scripps network. I think that one was called 24 Hours in Mosul or something like that. They was broadcast also on a bunch of TV networks. I don't actually know if the link is up. A decent number of things that I wrote back then for like local news have become lost media. Cause that's how that shit be. Yep. But you could. You should still be able to find some of the stuff on Cracked that I did. So. Yeah. I would say check that out there.

[Sophie]

Let's. Let's do a fun one before the next ad break. Robert, if you were a Spice Girl, what would be your Spice Girl name?

[Robert Evans]

If I were a Spice Girl, my Spice Girl name would be. Doesn't want to say anything mean about the Spice Girls because I am close to several women who grew up in love with the Spice Girls.

[Sophie]

Yes. But what would your.

[Robert Evans]

So that was my name. Yes, I gave my name.

[Sophie]

Your Spice Girl name is afraid of women. Spice.

[Robert Evans]

Specifically afraid of the women that I like. Spice. Yes.

[Sophie]

Afraid of women. I like Spice. Got it.

[Robert Evans]

Afraid of offending them based on having a bad take about the Spice Girls. Spice.

[Sophie]

I think. I think I would be Producer Spice.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah. That's probably fair too.

[Sophie]

It's time for ads again. We'll be back.

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[Sophie]

Robert, we're back. Can you believe it?

[Robert Evans]

No.

[Sophie]

Yeah, I know, it's crazy. When did you decide BTB was going to be your next thing? Was it something you've been building towards in your life? Was it becoming a pod, a major goal? Or did it just sort of happen?

[Robert Evans]

I'm going to explain this to you in a way that also explains some questions that we can't answer directly about why do you guys work for X or know are involved with, you know, such in such company?

[Sophie]

So here's my explanation, kind of answer.

[Robert Evans]

That, yeah, that's what I'm gonna do.

[Sophie]

Sure.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah. So I, when I was late into my time at Cracked, I was getting bored of writing that, doing the kind of articles I'd been doing for years there, these personal experience pieces where I'd interview someone and then turn their life experiences or the reporting that I'd done into like a listicle. And podcasts were starting to blow up. I was interested in the medium. I'd done1 through cr and found aspects of it pleasant. And the thing I had pitched was something based on my special interest, which is the Nazis. You know, I had done an article that had done very well on things you don't know about the Nazis that had delved into things. We've touched on in some episodes of the podcast. You know, all of these, these very weird things we talked, I talked about Karl May and Hitler's obsession with these cowboy novels and how that impacted the Third Reich and so that sort of stuff. And I was like, I want to do a series where every season I talk about a different dictatorial regime and all of the crazy weird facts about it. So season one would be 10 episodes on like these weird fact things. You don't know about the Nazis. Maybe we'd move on to Saddam Hussein or Stalin. And then we all got shit canned. And I remember, you know, you know, you have good friends among your co workers. When like as we're all getting drunk, one of the people who hadn't gotten laid off was Alex Schmidt. Good old Schmitty. And Schmitty and I are talking and I'm like, oh. So I had this great. And Schmitty's running Podcasts at Cracked and still employed. And I'm like, I have this great idea, a show. And Schmitty, being a very good friend, is like, don't tell it to me. So I didn't. And I spent the next couple of weeks getting fucked up like you do when you get laid off. And then had a call with Jack O'Brien and Sophie was on that call because Jack had left a few months earlier to work at Stuff Media, which is the company that was producing shows. Like, you know stuff you should know.

[Sophie]

Stuff you should know stuff you should.

[Robert Evans]

Know stuff you should know stuff they don't want you to know all that stuff.

[Sophie]

Stuff they missed in history class. The House Stuff's Worked team that was originally out of Atlanta.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah. And our boss is actually the guy who started Mental Floss. So like, this is.

[Sophie]

These are all one of the guys.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah, yeah, one of the guys. These are all folks who came out of the same era of digital media as me who were all pivot. Had pivoted to podcasting a little earlier. So I had my meeting with my old boss, Jack, and I tell him my idea for this Dictator show that I want to do.

[Sophie]

Let's pause for five seconds.

[Robert Evans]

Uh huh.

[Sophie]

When Robert says, I. I've mentioned this previously before, but Robert says he tells his idea for a Dictator show. First of all, this is my first. This is my first interaction with Robert is he's like running through a wind tunnel.

[Robert Evans]

I was jogging in San Francisco underneath a bridge, as I'm often doing near dog patch, if you're curious.

[Sophie]

And he. I could hear, you know, half the words. And it was like bad guys history worst. And I was like, yep, I would like to produce that. Thank you so much.

[Robert Evans]

And unhinged. Unhinged.

[Sophie]

Good old Jack O'Brien was like, okay, yeah. Because Jack actually had stolen me.

[Robert Evans]

Jackchuly. Jack.

[Sophie]

Jack. Jackually. Jack actually Jackually stole it. Stole me. I can't even say that.

[Robert Evans]

No, no, nobody can. It's a terrible word.

[Sophie]

So I worked at a company that bought how Stuff works. And I was working at that company doing like project management stuff, which is kind of like why it makes sense why I'm so, so able to control the amount of shows we have. Because a lot of my background was in that. And Jack, when Jack came on to run the LA version of and it was originally just comedy of the House Stuff Works team, he stole me from that other company. Thank you, Jack.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

And soon after that, I got to meet Robert and changed my life.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah. So, yeah, that's The. Well. And during that meeting, again, my show had been. My idea, had been seasons about like each season about a different dictatorship. And Jack was like, what if every episode you just switch and give a different, you know, a couple of episodes about a different monster and you can go back and forth and revisit different aspects of topics? Which is a much better idea. It would not. The show would not have worked as a. In a seasonal format the way that it does as a weekly. Even though making a. This into a weekly show has destroyed my life, but in a good way.

[Sophie]

Well, it's not even just that because it started as a weekly then. And then you're like, man, would it make sense if we like, split things into parts? So now it's. Now it's a twice weekly show at least. But yeah. Oh, our origin. That's so cute. But yeah. Anyways, we worked at this company called How Stuff Works and. Or Stuff Media, whatever, whatever. They went publicly by House of Works and then the company was called Stuff Media. And then all of a sudden one day they were like, oh, hey, by the way, we just got bought by iheartradio. You work for them now. And we were like, yep, cool.

[Robert Evans]

Okay. Well, I don't know. Nothing to do here. And that's how life is when you're in media.

[Sophie]

When you're in media. And like, you know, I really, I really like our team. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

Robert, can you give us a cat update?

[Robert Evans]

Cat update. I mean, they're cats, so very little changes in their day to day life. If things are doing well, there's many.

[Sophie]

Questions about your cats than just, you know, anything interesting.

[Robert Evans]

I mean, Saddam Hussein had a problem two years ago.

[Sophie]

Are you telling this story?

[Robert Evans]

Yeah. He tried to have. There's a blanket he likes to have sex with that's usually on my couch. I mean, he's been neutered, but he still tries to have sex with it. And that blanket got a seed that's like a sharp seed. It's one of those seeds that sticks to your pants in it. And he managed to get it wedged inside his urethra and it nearly killed him. But he's fine now.

[Sophie]

He's fine now.

[Robert Evans]

And there haven't been reoccurrences of any urinary issues which are very serious in male cats. If your male cat isn't peeing, get it to the vet immediately. Hours matter.

[Sophie]

Hours matter. The most amazing thing about that story is I once made Robert during this time shortly After. After we knew Saddam Hussein was gonna be okay. Join a call with a. Let's just call him an entertainment person. That was not being a chill guy. And do you remember this story on a project we decided. We ultimately decided not to work on?

[Robert Evans]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sophie]

On a project we ultimately decided not to work on. But it was like it was going to be a very unpleasant phone call. And Robert gets on, and Robert has maybe spoken to this man for 10 seconds once, and he's like, hey, how's it going, Robert? And Robert's like, my cat got a seed stuck up his urethra. And I really treasured that moment.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah, so do I.

[Sophie]

That was beautiful for me. Let's do. Let's do one more.

[Robert Evans]

Okay. I love questions. I love answers. I love answering questions. I love questioning answers. You know, all of those things. A good time.

[Sophie]

Robert, Sophie. I don't know why I say your name. Like, who else would I be asking? I mean, besides Anderson. Anderson. No. What activities do you. Oh, this is for both of us. What activities do y'all do to ease your mental health after researching and hearing about awful things?

[Robert Evans]

That's an option.

[Sophie]

This is mine. This is my answer right here. This beautiful dog I'm holding. And for the audio only, people, I'm holding up Anderson. And she looks quite beautiful. Yes, you do.

[Robert Evans]

Unfortunately, tragically, I've been sober for a while and will be staying sober. So I just get depressed and then get better and better at shooting a gun. That's how I spend my free time.

[Sophie]

Jesus Christ. Do you want that on the Internet?

[Robert Evans]

Why not?

[Sophie]

I don't know. You could have said, I go for runs most days.

[Robert Evans]

I go for runs most days. I lift weights, I push a hips, listen to music, my body armor. And dry firing a handgun. Yes, I do all these things.

[Sophie]

You have farm animals that are wonderfully magical.

[Robert Evans]

I do have farm animals.

[Sophie]

You also have a friend in which.

[Robert Evans]

I train at hitting moving targets in the woods.

[Sophie]

You have wonderful friends.

[Robert Evans]

Yeah, sometimes I trained shooting stuff in the woods with them.

[Sophie]

Your business partner is a very supportive person.

[Robert Evans]

Sure. Yeah, lots of that. I miss drugs, Sophie. I hate being sober, but it's okay. I've been doing it for years. I'll keep it up.

[Sophie]

You're doing great.

[Robert Evans]

It's just miserable.

[Sophie]

You're doing great, buddy. Well, give the people a Boston Rob and then we'll be on our way and we'll. Oy.

[Robert Evans]

I'm not your Boston Monkey. Is that good enough for you people? Does that make you happy? Is that what you want? No one's ever happy when they get what they want.

[Sophie]

We'll be back on Thursday with another round of questions.

[Robert Evans]

Questions. That's how they say it in Boston at this point.

[Sophie]

Robert, what percentage of them do you love? That number went down from 40, that's for fucking sure.

[Robert Evans]

No, that's probably still about right. That's close. Close enough for government work for me.

[Sophie]

32%.

[Robert Evans]

32%. Wow, you guys really gotta pump your Sophie numbers up. I don't know. I feel fine about our fans. You know, look, there's a lot of them and so some chunk of them are always going to be doing something weird and off putting. But usually when I encounter our fans, it's in the context of them like doing something nice that's helpful to people out in the world. Like run into a lot of fans handing out food. Run into a lot of fans being street medics. Run into a lot of fans protesting genocide. So I'm generally very positive towards our fans, especially the ones who are forklift certified. You are really the ones that we do this for. You know, whenever I close my eyes before sitting down to write an episode that I know is gonna really take it out of me, I think of you guys driving your forklifts and, you know, that gives me the fuel I need to go on.

[Sophie]

Bye. Behind the Basterds is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more from Cool Zone Media, Visit our website coolzonemedia.com or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Behind the Bastards is Now available on YouTube. New episodes every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to our channel YouTube.com behindthebastards.

[Robert Evans]

You wake up, put on your Ray Ban meta glasses. You're living all in. You realize you need coffee so you.

[Sophie]

Say, hey meta, how do I make.

[Robert Evans]

A latte brew two shots of espresso? After Meta AI gets you caffeinated, you're ready for some beats.

[Sophie]

Hey Meta. Play hip hop music.

[Robert Evans]

You head to meet some friends but.

[Sophie]

Can'T remember the place. Hey Meta.

[Robert Evans]

Call Eva Ray Ban Meta glasses. The next generation of AI glasses. Just say hey meta. To harness the power of Meta AI shop now at meta.com smartglasses.

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Welcome to Decisions Decisions, the podcast where boundaries are pushed and conversations get candid. Join your favorite hosts, Me wheezywtf and me Mandy B. As we dive deep into the world of non traditional relationships and explore the often taboo topics surrounding dating, sexual and love. Every Monday and Wednesday we both invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. Tune in and join in the conversation. Listen to Decisions Decisions on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.