Ninjas Are Butterflies - Episode 177 Summary

Episode Title: Lake Van Ancient Sea Monster, Rwanda Genocide & Soccer Violence
Air Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Josh Hooper, Andy DeNoon, and the NAB crew

Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging and characteristically boisterous episode, the Ninjas Are Butterflies team brings their comedic, chaotic spirit to an array of dark and bizarre stories. The hosts swap wild tales about brutal soccer violence in Brazil, the horrors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide (and America's murky role), and the legends and mysteries of Turkey’s Lake Van, said to be home to an ancient fortress and a cryptid sea monster. True to form, the show is packed with side-splitting banter, sharp asides, pop culture detours, and just enough social commentary to keep things punchy—while never losing sight of the strange and the supernatural.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lily’s Go-Kart Injury & Surreal Hospital Story

00:40 – 16:12

• Lily recounts her go-kart accident and the ordeal with a dislocated elbow:
  • Describes how a child's go-kart accident led her to a trippy ketamine-induced out-of-body experience at the hospital.
  • Notable quote:
    • “I forget I’m a person. Okay. I think—I literally feel like I’m a molecule in the universe just jumping around.” (C/Lily, 11:08)
  • The staff’s dark humor, her fear, and the sense of helplessness are offset by the group’s comedic riffing.
  • She describes her vision of Josh as her “little guiding creature,” realizing, “You and I are soulmates… my little guiding… and then I’m starting to come out of it and I’m seeing you like this a little bit, then I get dizzy again…” (C/Lily, 12:53)
  • The procedure was traumatic: “I’m pleading with the Lord to accept my soul into heaven…” (C/Lily, 13:23)
  • The group jokes about the experience, maintaining comedic tone even through darker details.

2. Venezuela, Empires & US Foreign Policy Chess

17:01 – 48:14

• A satirical musical number, “That’s The American Way,” lampoons U.S. interventionism—dedicated, with a wink, to Venezuela.
  • “You’ve got it, we want it, we’ll take it with both hands…” (A: 17:29)
• The group recaps the recent U.S. raid and abduction of Venezuelan President Maduro:
  • “The first week of 2026, the US, in the middle of the night, does a secret raid…” (A, 37:04)
  • Speculation about oil (“Venezuela has the largest oil reserve in the world… but it’s super crude, very glunky.” – D, 36:33).
  • Biden’s and Trump’s approaches—suggesting the raid serves multiple power-play agendas in the global struggle with China and Russia.
• They debate whether these maneuvers are motivated by humanitarian concerns, realpolitik, or economic gain.
  • “I think it is a—we’re playing chess right now with China.” (D, 40:44)
  • “Someone controls this world, I don’t know who.” / “God does.” (D/A, 49:13-49:17)
• Discussion moves to the ethics and practicalities of tax strikes, education, and America’s penchant for coups:
  • “With history of America forming coups in countries, typically... they have not put into place an amazing leader.” (D, 44:08)
  • On the Iran coup: “Not partially. Fully responsible.” (D, 45:26)
• Satirize America’s global ambitions: “He was talking to this one guy… seems like we’re moving out of the stage of a republic and into an empire.” (D, 46:47)

3. The Rwanda Genocide & The Tragedy of International Inaction

67:02 – 77:03

• Josh offers a serious, detailed summary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, highlighting international indifference:
  • The Hutu regime’s propaganda (“Tutsi people are cockroaches, exterminate the cockroaches!” – D, 68:00)
  • UN and US withdrawal; Bill Clinton’s policies:
    • “The UN pulled out 90% of their peacekeepers in Rwanda.” (D, 69:28)
    • “Bill Clinton and them… refused to call it a genocide.” (D, 69:30)
    • “Presidential Decision Directive 25… If it doesn’t benefit the US, we’re not going to get involved.” (D, 70:10)
  • Callous Pentagon response to radio propaganda: “It would go against the constitutional principle of freedom of speech.” (D, 72:18)
  • Aftermath: 800,000 mostly Tutsi killed in 100 days; ultimate realignment of Rwanda with US—possibly to open trade from Congo (“...opened up trade routes from the Congo, so... the US had full access to the Congo resources through Rwanda.” – D, 74:18)
• Key memorable moment:
  • The group is clearly shaken by the magnitude of the tragedy, angry at the cynical refusal of help. “We could have gotten involved…” (D, 75:10)

4. Brazil’s Ultra-Violent Soccer Referee Incident

79:17 – 83:56

• Andy shares the shocking 2013 story of a fatal amateur soccer match brawl in Brazil:
  • Volunteer ref Octavio da Silva stabs a player after being punched.
  • Player dies en route to hospital, sparking a violent mob attack.
    • “The fans surround this referee and start beating him to death. They grab his limbs and… they quartered this guy. They take off his head… and put it on a stake in the middle of the goal.” (A, 81:39–82:09)
  • Only one person arrested, showing the chaos and groupthink of the moment.
• Notable reaction:
  • “That also is scary of, like, what humans can do.” / “Group think.” (D/C, 84:01–84:03)

5. Lake Van: Lost Fortress & Monster Legends

87:39 – 94:21

• Josh takes the crew into the weird: Lake Van in Turkey, home to a sunken ancient fortress and cryptid legends.
  • Divers discover a vast stone fortress (2017), possibly Urartu civilization.
    • “These stones, they’re cut perfectly flat… without mortar… from the 9th and 6th century BC.” (D, 90:07)
  • Lake Van “monster”—a Nessie-style cryptid said to be up to 50 ft long, serpentine, “very humpy lake.”
    • “These fishermen say this thing pops up right by their boat, and it’s longer than the boat.” (D, 93:50)
• Broader reflection on how every country has unsolved mysteries and lore:
  • “That’s the thing. We found so much that are on the surface and so we just got to start diving down deep, like into like, picking out a specific country.” (A, 96:44)

Additional Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the dangers of mob mentality:
  • “Like one second we're watching a soccer game, the next second we're putting someone's head on a stake.” (D, 84:05)
• Comedy persists in the darkest discussions, e.g. during Rwanda recounting or war talk.
• Bizarre “Would You Rather” segment (57:56) involving licking an athlete’s foot with fungus or a stranger’s sweaty armpit—classic NAB gross-out humor.
• Pop culture interludes include movie reviews (“Sinners,” “Black Bag,” “The Phoenician Scheme”) and digressions on Netflix’s “Stranger Things” finale.
• Ongoing running jokes about women drivers, groupthink, and recurring segments like pitching “spooky lake” stories.

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:40–16:12 | Lily’s go-kart injury and hospital ketamine story | | 17:01–48:14 | Venezuela raid, U.S. empire satire, foreign policy debates | | 67:02–77:03 | Rwandan genocide—UN withdrawal, US policy, aftermath | | 79:17–83:56 | Soccer referee murder and aftermath in Brazil | | 87:39–94:21 | Lake Van’s ancient fortress and monster mythology |

Tone & Style

• Irreverent and witty, with rapid-fire banter.
• Never too serious for long, even with grim themes.
• Deep dives into geopolitics, history, and the supernatural—all filtered through unvarnished curiosity and biting humor.

For New Listeners

Even if you’ve never heard Ninjas Are Butterflies, this episode is a crash course in the show’s unpredictable blend: true crime, world history, cryptids, comedy, and genuine group chemistry. The hosts’ willingness to alternate between tragedy, wild folklore, and hearty laughter keeps the listener engaged—even (or especially) as the stories descend into the eerie or the horrific.

End Credits

• Episode brought to you by Sunday Cool Tees and peppered with plenty of self-deprecating product plugs.
• Indy music, Patreon shout-outs, and a call for listener-submitted stories round out the friendly community vibe.

Final Word:
A rollercoaster ride of weird news, world tragedy, cryptid mystery, and playful sibling-level bickering—with just enough gravitas and skepticism to give the darkness its due.