The Dollop – Episode 164: The Past Times with Cameron Logsdon

Date: March 6, 2026
Podcast Hosts: Dave Anthony & Gareth Reynolds
Guest: Cameron Logsdon
Theme: Comedians Dave and Gareth are joined by stand-up Cameron Logsdon to riff through curious news stories from a 1909 Omaha newspaper, blending historical oddity with irreverent banter.

Episode Overview

In this episode of "The Past Times," Gareth and Dave welcome comedian Cameron Logsdon to sift through a historic newspaper. The three comedians offer their signature blend of wit, skeptical curiosity, and absurdity as they examine headlines and stories from the March 21, 1909, Omaha Sunday World Herald. Expect frequent digressions, playful insults, and modern comparisons, all enveloped in their conversational comedic tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Podcasting Boom and Celebrity Takeover (02:16–05:16)

• The trio kicks off reflecting on the current oversaturated podcast landscape.
• Dave jokes about requiring “death matches” to start a new podcast:
  Dave (03:32): “Now with the new laws, you gotta kill a podcaster to start a new one.”
• Gareth laments famous comedians and celebrities flooding the space:
  Gareth (04:47): “It’s like when LeBron does McDonald’s commercials. I’m like, no, no, no, not okay.”

2. Guessing the Era – 1909 and Omaha Nostalgia (05:23–07:56)

• Cameron wins the game of guessing the newspaper’s year.
• The hosts recall Omaha’s steak reputation and local comedy circuit stories about excessive steak gifts.
• Gareth (07:01): “They have good steaks and they also have pie.”
• Cameron bemoans never having received free steak as a comic.

3. Fierce Battle of Pitchforks (08:27–14:14)

• The first news story: Four farmers in Iowa fight violently with pitchforks.
• Notable Banter:
  • Gareth: “I guess this is the last straw for them.” [10:56]
  • Dave: “His brain pierced is such a 1909 way of being a doctor... His brain got pierced, so he can’t think. No more.” [10:00]
• The group discusses the logistics of piercing a brain with a pitchfork and riff on “tines”.
  • Dave (14:06): “A tine is a sharp, slender, pointed prong... found on items like forks, pitchforks, combs, and deer antlers.”
• Cameron feigns Omaha loyalty: “Farm puns. Sensitive territory for my people from Omaha.” [11:08]

4. Small Has His Troubles – 1909 Adultery Scandal (14:24–17:26)

• News item about Charles Small’s convoluted marital issues and accusations of adultery.
• The group tries to untangle the relationships and legal implications, humorously speculating about missing murder motives and the “tine” metaphor’s sexual connotations.
  • Cameron (17:34): “Don’t you want the judge to say, how’d that guy die? Isn’t that the bigger mystery here?”

5. The 1349 Gallstones Surgery (18:30–27:51)

• Article: A woman in Wichita has 1,349 gallstones removed.
• The comedians are astounded and visualize comedic outcomes:
  • Gareth (19:41): “That’s buckshot.”
  • Jokes about the patient feeling lighter and relief analogies (like ridding oneself of “bugs up the nose”).
  • Cameron (27:48): “There’s as many gallstones as there are stars in the sky.”
• Discussion dissolves into body horror and gross-out humor about old-timey medicine and bug infestations.

6. Crime & Forgiveness When Drunk (28:22–32:03)

• News item: A bank cashier returns stolen money, blames drunkenness, and isn’t prosecuted.
• Gareth (28:25): “I relate to this very strong, totally allowable.”
• Detailed debate: which crimes society will forgive if you were drunk (theft—maybe; murder—never).
• The three are amazed that the bank simply accepts the excuse and the money’s return: “That sounds pretty reasonable.” [32:30]

7. Spurious Ketchup Dumped at Sea (33:04–36:59)

• Federal agents throw over 15,600 bottles of “spurious ketchup” into Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay for mislabeling.
• Jokes about Boston Tea Party parallels and gross diner ketchup practices.
  • Gareth (34:06): “This is kindergarteners’ Boston Tea Party.”
• Gareth admits to painstakingly refilling ketchup bottles with packets at home, much to Dave and Cameron’s disbelief (lengthy comedic grilling ensues).

8. A National Kiss – The Iron Duke Smacks a Heroine (41:24–45:57)

• Story: Speaker ‘The Iron Duke’ Cannon gives a medal—and a kiss—to young heroine Mary McCabe.
• The group mocks the paternalism and skeeviness of public male kisses as reward:
  • Dave (43:50): “It was an odd situation for Uncle Joe, but he never had a better grip on anything than on that girl’s face. Jesus.”
  • Gareth (44:01): “At what point am I supposed to be both sympathetic and pleased by this story?”
• They reference Richard Dawson’s old Family Feud kisses, and skewer America’s long tradition of public creepiness.

9. Stray Bullet in Chicago & Milwaukee Spelling Bee (47:20–49:52)

• A young man claims he was shot by a stray bullet but police are dubious—which leads to an aside about spelling Milwaukee (with Gareth sharing a humiliating spelling bee anecdote).

10. Fistfight Challenge: Editor vs. Preacher (52:55–57:14)

• Final article: A local editor and a reverend may have a bare-knuckle basement fight—with the reverend putting a $10 bounty on the editor.
  • Gareth (53:30): “Basements should be for fist fighting.”
  • Calls for more fighting reverends and editors becoming folk heroes.
  • Cameron (54:21): “I do want the reverend to fight the battle himself, period.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dave (03:32): “With the new laws, you gotta kill a podcaster to start a new one.”
• Gareth (10:00): “His brain got pierced, so he can’t think. No more.”
• Cameron (14:07): “They said people in the Midwest don’t have a good vocabulary… 1909.”
• Dave (17:13): “Smalls must be... good at delivering some tines.”
• Gareth (28:25): “I relate to this. Very strong, totally allowable.”
• Gareth (34:06): “This is kindergarteners’ Boston Tea Party.”
• Dave (43:50): “...he never had a better grip on anything than on that girl’s face. Jesus.”
• Gareth (53:30): “Basements should be for fist fighting.”

Important Timestamps

• [03:32] – Discussion about podcast market “death matches”
• [05:42] – Year guessing game & Omaha nostalgia
• [08:27] – Pitchfork battle story
• [14:24] – The “Small has his troubles” adultery tale
• [18:30] – 1,300+ gallstones surgery story
• [28:22] – Forgiving crime committed while drunk
• [33:04] – Spurious ketchup dumped into the sea
• [41:24] – Iron Duke kisses hero
• [47:20] – Stray bullet story, Milwaukee spelling aside
• [52:55] – Editor vs. preacher fistfight challenge

Overall Tone & Style

The episode is irreverent, digressive, self-aware, and laden with mockery—equally at the expense of long-dead Midwesterners, 1909 journalism, and the hosts themselves. Listeners are left with both a skewering of the American mythos and loving mockery of historical oddities.

Where to Find Cameron Logsdon

• Website & Tour: Cameronlogsdon.com
• Social Media: @CameronLogsdon (everywhere)

End Note

Fans of The Dollop will appreciate this installment’s absurdist take on history, with guest Cameron Logsdon slotting in perfectly to the dynamic. From pitchfork duels to the meaninglessness of celebrity podcasts, it’s an episode that blends deep-cut historic oddities with sharp modern satire.