The Dollop – Episode 160: The Past Times with Beth Stelling

Podcast: The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Guest: Beth Stelling
Episode Date: February 6, 2026
Theme: Comedians Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds, and guest Beth Stelling riff through early 20th-century newspaper stories, using absurd headlines and outdated social norms to spark comedy, social commentary, and personal anecdotes.

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Past Times" brings comedian Beth Stelling into the mix as Dave and Gareth pull up a newspaper—the Dayton Evening Herald from April 4, 1903—chosen specifically for Beth’s Dayton, Ohio roots. The trio mock, unpack, and riff on the surprising, dated, and sometimes ridiculous stories of the time. The main vibe is irreverent, playful, and packed with running jokes about historical weirdness, gender roles, and the unchanging nature of small-town news.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introductions and Banter

• The show opens with tour announcements and a friendly roast of Beth Stelling’s busy career.
  • “What aren't you doing, Beth?” – Dave Anthony [01:27]
• Beth explains she’s not married or having kids, joking about intimidating male comics and the peculiarities of dating fans.
  • “I feel like in my lifetime, ... I've dated comedians just because I refuse to be happy.” – Beth Stelling [01:48]
• The panel discusses the awkwardness of dating fans and boundaries blurred by podcasting.
  • “They do know stuff about you, but it wasn’t from you.” – Beth Stelling [03:00]

Guessing the Newspaper Date [04:52–06:10]

• Beth and Gareth try to guess the year of the newspaper. Dave reveals when and where it's from: "Dayton, Ohio. Saturday, April 4, 1903."
• The newspaper’s Dayton connection surprises Beth.
  • “I’m from Dayton.” – Beth Stelling [06:10]

Story 1: Licensing Women to Wear Men’s Clothes (Paris) [06:21–08:42]

• Dave shares an article where only ten women in Paris are "authorized" by police to dress in masculine attire.
• Hilarious mockery of bureaucratic sexism ensues:
  • “Do you have a license for pants?” – Gareth Reynolds [06:45]
  • “I actually do have my license in my pocket that I was afforded by these pants.” – Beth Stelling [06:51]
• They riff about the power dynamics of clothing, with callbacks to modern equivalents in gender policing and pop culture.
• Comparison to U.S. progress, or lack thereof:
  • “France is light years ahead of us.” – Gareth Reynolds [22:25]

Story 2: The Potato Merchant’s License (France) [09:01–10:38]

• The group laughs at the story of a male potato merchant allowed to wear women’s clothes.
• Lots of silliness about “sweater potatoes” and using potatoes for anatomical padding.

Side Tangent: Skirts, Kilts, and Scottish Fashion [10:44–12:12]

• Jokes about garment airflow, kilt culture, and pubes as “handbag” accessories.
• Beth explains the “A-line” cut to two clueless men.

Story 3: Throwing Lime in a Student’s Eye [15:14–21:50]

• 1903 teacher is fined $25 for blinding a child with lime, apparently unaware of the danger.
• Absurdity of the excuse is skewered:
  • “He peeped through a door...The teacher did not know that lime was injurious to the eye.” – Dave Anthony [20:00]
  • “Scarring of the cornea. Eye redness...” – Beth Stelling, reading the real consequences [21:28]
• They joke the song “Blinded by the Lime” [21:53].

Story 4: Women Lifting Skirts to Avoid Mud (Missouri) [22:07–23:33]

• Judge rules women may lift their skirts to keep them clean.
• Panel mocks the absurdity:
  • “They think we’re stepping in mud as an excuse to flash our calf.” – Beth Stelling [22:47]
  • “You’re making men horny.” – Dave Anthony [22:50]

Tangent: Audition and Acting Frustrations [16:52–19:47]

• Beth and Gareth discuss the torment of auditioning, callback woes, and the madness of taking feedback as a performer.
  • “This is why people ... go crazy.” – Beth Stelling [18:57]

Story 5: The “Hindu Sleeper” and the Failed Saloon Stunt (Indiana) [26:53–33:12]

• Man stages a seven-day sleep in a saloon, only to be burgled and roughed up.
• Beth and Gareth riff on the spectacle:
  • “This used to be called Hindu sleeping, but now we know it as depression.” – Gareth Reynolds [27:48]
• They get lost in the bizarre setup: a sleeping guy in a box, a cash register, and a staged robbery.

Story 6: Family Marrying Through Sisters (Tennessee) [41:10–47:09]

• Wild soap opera: Man marries a widow, then sequentially marries her daughters as each wife dies.
• The group recoils and jokes:
  • “If he marries that baby I’m gonna—” – Gareth, horrified [43:35]
  • “What if he just has chlamydia?” – Beth Stelling [46:06]
• They puzzle over the relationships among the children born of this tangled clan: "they're cousins and brothers and sisters." [47:00]

Story 7: Presidential Congratulations for Triplets (New Jersey) [47:24–49:12]

• President Theodore Roosevelt sends three photos of himself as gifts to parents of triplets.
• The group laughs at this grand gesture:
  • “That’s a Trump move... Here’s three pictures of me.” – Gareth Reynolds [48:04]

Story 8: Kid McCoy's Love Life, and Suing the Side Piece (New York) [51:38–55:09]

• Boxer Kid McCoy, divorced twice and married three times to the same woman, sues her alleged lover for $100,000.
  • “You’re supposed to pay me for that.” – Beth Stelling [54:55]
• The group riffs on suing for adultery, noting only a few states still allow it.

Story 9: Woman Drugged, Hair Stolen [55:29–57:53]

• Chloroformed and shorn: a midwife is attacked for her “luxuriant locks.”
• Beth imagines the attackers rendering themselves unconscious by nursing, much to Gareth’s delight.

Story 10: Baby Smothered by Cat (and Cat Conspiracies) [58:12–59:25]

• A 10-month-old is reportedly killed by the family cat.
• Dave returns to a long-running "cats are killers" theme:
  • “I told you, cats are baby killers... Cats will eventually exterminate the human race.” – Dave Anthony [59:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I feel like in my lifetime, I've definitely... I've dated comedians just because I refuse to be happy.” – Beth Stelling [01:48]
• “Do you have a license for pants?” – Gareth Reynolds [06:45]
• “I actually do have my license in my pocket that I was afforded by these pants.” – Beth Stelling [06:51]
• “If you have potatoes at your disposal, what do you think? You’re not putting them down the front [of your shirt]?” – Beth Stelling [09:59]
• “They think we’re stepping in mud as an excuse to flash our calf.” – Beth Stelling [22:47]
• “This used to be called Hindu sleeping, but now we know it as depression.” – Gareth Reynolds [27:48]
• “If he marries that baby, I’m gonna—” – Gareth Reynolds [43:35]
• “What if he just has chlamydia, and it can—” – Beth Stelling [46:06]
• “That’s a Trump move...Here’s three pictures of me.” – Gareth Reynolds [48:04]
• “You’re supposed to pay me for that.” – Beth Stelling [54:55]
• “I told you, cats are baby killers... Cats will eventually exterminate the human race.” – Dave Anthony [59:02]

Highlights & Recurring Themes

• Absurd Historical Norms: Licensing women’s clothing, policing women’s behavior, punitive damages for adultery.
• Gender / Social Commentary: Male privilege, double standards, and throwaway “protections” for women.
• Personal Stories: Audition frustrations, bad bar gigs, Beth’s tales of ex-stepdads and quirky family history paralleling the newspaper stories.
• Physical comedy references: Scottish kilts, theatrical sleeping stunts, and exaggerated scenarios.
• Modern vs. Historical Parallels: Beth notes how social dynamics and unfairness haven’t changed as much as we'd like.

Takeaways & Last Laughs

• Beth’s biggest surprise: the wig-snatching crime.
  • “The wig thing was honestly my shock.” – Beth Stelling [59:39]
• Gareth’s: the man who “cycled through the sisters.”
• Beth plans to “go through Instagram and start suing all my ex-boyfriends.” [60:39]
• The main comedic lesson: [59:51 onwards] “If anything, it just shows how much has not changed.”

Notable Timestamps

• [01:27] — Beth’s relentless schedule
• [06:10] — Dayton, Ohio connection revealed
• [06:21] — Women’s clothing licensing
• [15:14] — Kids blinded by lime
• [22:07] — Women allowed to lift skirts
• [26:53] — “Hindu Sleeper” sleep stunt debacle
• [41:10–47:09] — The “married widow” and serial sister marriage saga
• [47:24] — Presidential triplets photo op
• [51:38] — Kid McCoy’s marital soap opera and lawsuits
• [55:29] — Chloroform and wig crime
• [58:12] — Baby smothered by cat, cat conspiracy

Tone & Chemistry

The discussion is fast, irreverent, and sharp, with obscure history as a springboard for observational humor, gender politics, and performative groaning. Beth fits seamlessly into the show’s vibe, often riffing as confidently as the hosts and looping personal perspective (she’s from Dayton! Her stepdad had similar serial marriages!) into the mayhem.

For newcomers: This is The Dollop at its best—a wild tour through weird history with tangents that make the past seem both nuts and eerily familiar.