Best Demetria Spinrad and Isaac Meyer Podcasts (2025)

1
Episode 567 – The Revolutionary, Part 2

6h ago

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This week: Miyazaki Manabu completes his transformation from son of a yakuza boss to a committed member of the Communist party. After all, it turns out those two groups have a surprising amount in common… Sources Miyazaki, Manabu. Toppamono: Outlaw,, Radical, Suspect. My Life in Japan’s Underworld. Trans. Robert Whiting. Images A recruiting poster …

1
Episode 566 – The Revolutionary, Part 1

9d ago

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This week: the start of a multi-part “modernized biography” intended to help us explore postwar Japan through the lens of a single, fascinating life. This episode is mostly focused on introducing our subject–Miyazaki Manabu–and his unique and fascinating circumstances as the scion of a small yakuza family. Sources Miyazaki, Manabu. Toppamono: Outla…

1
Episode 565 – Riot Girls

18d ago

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This week: what do we know about women and the wrong end of the law during the Tokugawa Period? Given the male-dominated nature of the feudal social order and the historical written record, what can we figure out? And what are the limits of that knowledge? Sources Walthall, Anne. “Devoted Wives/Unruly Women: Invisible Presence in the History of Jap…

1
Episode 564 – You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party, Part 3

23d ago

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This week: outside of big urban riots, how did violence figure into the daily life of the Edo period? To answer this question, we’ll take a look at one particularly well-documented example: youth gangs in the area surrounding Sensoji in the shogun’s capital of Edo. Sources Takeuchi, Makoto, “Festivals and Fights: The Law and the People of Edo” and …

1
Episode 563 – You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party, Part 2

1M ago

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This week, we cover the second and third of Edo’s three great riots in 1787 and 1866. How did samurai and commoners talk about these acts of mass violence? How was all this a manifestation of a sense of “street justice” among the masses? And what’s with the handsome young guy everyone keeps swearing was secretly behind the whole thing? Sources Take…

1
Episode 562 – You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party, Part 1

1M ago

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This week: the first of three episodes on urban rioting in Tokugawa period Japan. This week, we’re covering the first two urban riots in the history of the shogun’s capital city. What drove the people of Edo to riot, and how did the shogunate respond to those challenges to its authority? Farmers appealing to a magistrate for tax relief–following th…

1
Episode 561 – The Otaku, Part 3

1M ago

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In the final episode of this series: how did “otaku culture” spread overseas when it was so stigmatized at home, and what can all this tell us about Japan in the post-bubble era? Sources Kinsella, Sharon. “Japanese Subculture in the 1990s: Otaku and the Amateur Manga Movement.” Journal of Japanese Studies 24, No 2 (Summer 1998) Eng, Lawrence, “Stra…

1
Episode 560 – The Otaku, Part 2

2M ago

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For our first episode of 2025: “otaku culture” as a phenomenon began to emerge, in part, as a reaction against the crass commercialism of postwar Japan. Yet now, it is entirely a part of the fabric of that commercialism. How did that happen? We’ll explore it by looking at two fascinating phenomena: the dojin market known as Comiket and the transfor…

1
Episode 559 – The Otaku, Part 1

2M ago

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Our last episode of 2024 is also the first episode in a series on one of Japan’s most distinctive cultural phenomenons: otaku culture. This week: is the idea of being an “otaku” older than we think? Sources Azuma, Hiroki. Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals. Trans. Jonathan E. Abel and Shion Kono. Ito, Mizuko. “Introduction” and Izumi Tsuji, “Why Study…

1
Episode 558 – The Hack

2M ago

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This week, the story of an Edo period writer whose primary claim to fame was producing decent ripoffs of people far more famous and talented than him. What does a career like that tell us about the book market in premodern Japan–and more importantly about what we as people tend to look for in the things we read? Sources Hibbett, Howard S. “Ejima Ki…

1
Mickey Cohen 1:10:30

5M ago1:10:30

1:10:30

Mickey Cohen had friends in high places, from celebrities to televangelists to the LAPD. So what happened when one of the nation's most notorious mobsters tried to file his taxes as a legitimate hat salesman? Sources and show notes at this link

1
Mickey Cohen, part 1 1:04:40

6M ago1:04:40

1:04:40

It's an illegal gambling, Nazi-punching, tax-paying good time with Mickey Cohen, a gangster who rose through the ranks during one of America's most infamous eras of organized crime. Just don't ask about who he might have shot on his way to the top. Sources and show notes at this link

1
Sovereign Citizens, part 2 1:15:46

7M ago1:15:46

1:15:46

As the internet creates new unmoderated spaces for ideas to spread, the sovereign citizen movement moves on to new audiences and finds a lot of angry divorced dads who don't want to pay child support. Content notes: This episode continues our discussions of fascist ideology, racism, and antisemitism from part 1. Sources and show notes at this link …

1
Sovereign Citizens, part 1 1:11:10

7M ago1:11:10

1:11:10

Don't feel like paying your taxes? Want to start your own posse? Still mad about the gold standard? Looking for an excuse to blame all your problems on the Jews? Have we got a legally dubious ideology for you! Content notes: This episode contains discussion of fascism and anti-semitic ideology. Some violent incidents such as Ruby Ridge and Waco are…

1
The Principality of Hutt River 1:08:49

8M ago1:08:49

1:08:49

When you're unhappy about the price of wheat, there's only one solution: Send a telegraph to the Australian government declaring war. Sources, show notes, and some pictures from a very real country at this link Support the show on Patreon

1
The James Flint Incident 1:05:14

8M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

When an Englishman with the rare ability to speak Mandarin Chinese got into a dispute with a corrupt local official in Zhejiang, he took his complaints all the way to the top, kicking off a diplomatic incident involving the emperor himself. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon…

1
Simas Kudirka 1:01:00

9M ago1:01:00

1:01:00

A negotiation over fishing rights took an unexpected turn when a Lithuanian fisherman jumped onto an American Coast Guard ship to seek asylum. But as investigators dug into the story of this Soviet citizen's attempt to defect, they discovered that the defector's legal status was far more complicated than anyone—even Kudirka himself—could have guess…

1
ONE Magazine 1:01:44

9M ago1:01:44

1:01:44

In a country where gay sex is illegal, is a magazine for gay people a publication for criminals? Is the content obscene, even if there's no sexual content on the page, just because sex might be suggested somewhere off the page or in the pages of an entirely different publication? And most importantly, can you put this magazine in the mail? Sources …

1
We'll be back in a bit! 0:51

10M ago0:51

0:51

Hello listeners! Isaac is entering final paper grading/rec letter writing season on top of planning an international exchange school trip for some of his students in May. I've also got plans to visit family on the east coast this month. Instead of rushing out episodes to cover the time we'll be too busy to record, we decided to hit pause on Crimina…

1
The Ulysses Trial 1:09:58

11M ago1:09:58

1:09:58

If the obscene material you're distributing is so avant-garde that most readers can't tell it's actually obscene, did you commit a crime or not? This week, we're getting into the trial of the scandalous literary magazine editors who brought the work of James Joyce to America. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon…

1
Two small scams 59:02

11M ago59:02

59:02

Not all scam artists prey on suckers’ desire to get rich quick or cheat the system. Some of them prey on their marks’ better impulses, like their love for their pet dogs or their willingness to help a stranger in an emergency. Content note: This episode contains discussion of animal cruelty and inhumane and misguided medical practices. It contains …

1
British Prison Reform 1:13:14

12M ago1:13:14

1:13:14

With options for getting rid of its convicts drying up, Britain started thinking about reforming both its prisons and the prisoners inside them. The intention behind these prison reforms was great. But attempts to create a better prison system involved wild philosophy experiments in real life, a lot of Bibles, a lot of time to think in silence, and…

1
Abortion in Modern Japan 1:09:30

12M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Is abortion legal in Japan? No, but also yes. Join us on a journey through history to learn about how modern abortion law developed in a legal system that didn't treat fetuses as legal persons but did want to count them as future taxpayers. Content note: This episode is about abortion. It contains discussions of miscarriages, the complications of i…

1
The Yakuza 1:01:59

1y ago1:01:59

1:01:59

We're out of the country for a family memorial service and didn't have time to record a Criminal Records episode for the week. But that doesn't mean we're out of crime content! This week, we've cleaned up and cut together some of Isaac's very, very old History of Japan audio to bring you the history of Japanese organized crime.…

1
The Bloody Code 1:03:21

1y ago1:03:21

1:03:21

Under Britain's most notorious era of criminal law, you could be sentenced to death for everything from destroying a fishpond to being a particularly malicious 7-year-old. But how many criminals actually died thanks to this wave of harsh legislation? Getting the answer requires a deep dive into the very weird world of crime and punishment in the in…

1
Emma Goldman, part 2 1:10:01

1y ago1:10:01

1:10:01

The law was out to take Emma Goldman down on a range of charges from distributing obscene material to assassination to sedition. But did the woman the papers called the Queen of Anarchy deserve her lengthy rap sheet? Sources and show notes (with some excellent political cartoons) at this link Support the show on Patreon…

1
Emma Goldman, part 1 1:03:00

1y ago1:03:00

1:03:00

Something seemed a little less than ideal about governments and economies around the world in the late 1880s. One woman's solution? Anarchy. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

1
Bonus Episode: Babylon Berlin 29:35

1y ago29:35

29:35

Thanks to Demetria's brilliant decision to get as many vaccines as possible on the same day, there's no new episode this week. Instead, we're releasing a bonus episode from our Patreon archives about one of our all-time favorite works of historical fiction. We'll be back on our regular posting schedule in 2024! Content warning: Babylon Berlin is se…

1
CW "Shorty" Young 1:10:23

1y ago1:10:23

1:10:23

On one side, a crooked saloon owner with a side business running brothels and opium dens. On the other side, a moralistic tycoon with rail car full of beautiful vegetables. Which one of them did more damage to a frontier town in Montana? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon…

1
The Reichsbürger movement 1:14:36

1+ y ago1:14:36

1:14:36

Want to crown yourself the king of Germany? Want to conquer Europe because you have really strong opinions about public transit? Want to get rich quick selling fake government ID cards? With this one completely nonsense legal strategy, you too can claim the government of Germany isn't real and join the ranks of some very iffy far-right extremists. …

1
The Stone of Destiny Heist 59:55

1+ y ago59:55

59:55

To crown the monarch of the United Kingdom, you need a 336-pound block of sandstone. But who really owns that big chunk of stone, and who was the thief who stole it from its rightful place? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show and find our bonus episode about Braveheart on Patreon

1
The Osaka Incident of 1827, part 2 59:56

1+ y ago59:56

59:56

If you're going to accuse a gang of spirit mediums of practicing a banned religion on the down low, you have to prove they're actually members of that religion. But what if your only understanding of how this religious group worships comes from stories about outrageous magical villains? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreo…

1
The Osaka Incident of 1827, part 1 58:48

1+ y ago58:48

58:48

A group of spirit mediums found a way to use their psychic prowess to get rich in the physical realm. But when an investigator started looking into a suspiciously successful prosperity scheme, he uncovered a case of divine fraud. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

1
Lie Detector Tests 1:05:08

1+ y ago1:05:08

1:05:08

Let's dive into the dangerous, divine, and occasionally kinky history of trying to figure out who's telling the truth. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

1
James Reavis, Part 2 1:08:14

1+ y ago1:08:14

1:08:14

In the second part of our story, the Baron of Arizona has to create a Baroness so he can rise to great heights in Europe and use his connections to keep swindling in America. But while the upper crust in the old country buy into his wild story, Americans are starting to unravel his fraud. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patr…

1
James Reavis, Part 1 54:34

1+ y ago54:34

54:34

James Reavis was a failed real estate investor, but he had a knack for document forgery. And if you lose all the land you own legally, why not acquire some more with the help of a few doctored papers? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

1
The Bombing of KAL Flight 858 1:01:27

1+ y ago1:01:27

1:01:27

A North Korean plot to sabotage the Olympics and possibly derail a crucial South Korean election hinged on a pair of very unusual spies. When one of the bombers survived after swallowing a cyanide capsule, she told investigators her whole world was a lie. Content note: This episode concerns a terrorist attack, a plane crash, mass murder, and a deat…

1
The death of Thomas Overbury, part 2 1:10:13

1+ y ago1:10:13

1:10:13

Mirror mirror on the wall, who really killed Thomas Overbury? We're getting deep into what might just be the weirdest trial we've ever covered on this show, with accusations flying about witchcraft, a poisoned enema, Spanish treachery, and a cameo from Sir Francis Bacon. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon…

1
The death of Thomas Overbury, part 1 1:01:03

1+ y ago1:01:03

1:01:03

We begin a twisted tale of witchcraft, poison, and legal arguing over magically cursed genitals in the court of King James I. Sir Thomas Overbury tried his best to climb to a coveted position at court, but he made a lot of enemies along the way. Content note: I'm going to throw an explicit label on this one just in case because it involves a discus…

1
The Five Men of Naniwa 1:02:21

1+ y ago1:02:21

1:02:21

In life, they were poor hooligans. In death, they became five of Japan's greatest folk heroes. Join us for a journey into Japan's 17th-century true crime puppet shows, time-traveling heroic tales, and kabuki romance. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show and find bonus episodes on Patreon…

1
The Iran-Contra Affair 1:02:14

1+ y ago1:02:14

1:02:14

You've heard jokes about the Iran-Contra affair, but have you heard the actual legal arguments of the defendants? To understand the true scope and purpose of these complicated financial shenanigans, we've got to cover a whole lot of history. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon…

1
Section 28 1:20:45

1+ y ago1:20:45

1:20:45

This Pride month, we’re gearing up for a fight. As we battle over “Don’t Say Gay” bills in the US today, we’re looking back to the 1980s to see how a similar legal effort played out in the United Kingdom. No one was ever successfully prosecuted under Section 28, but that doesn’t mean it was harmless. Content note: This episode contains in-depth dis…

1
Arnaud du Tilh, a.k.a. Martin Guerre 55:05

2y ago55:05

55:05

A man named Martin Guerre left his wife and child. Eight years later, a man who called himself Martin Guerre returned. Why would his wife accept her not-quite-the-same husband without raising any questions, and what happened when one member of the family became convinced his nephew had been replaced by an imposter? Sources and show notes Support th…

1
Section 230 1:09:30

2y ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Is the rule that made the modern internet to blame for breaking it? Is a forum legally analogous to a bookstore that might have a dirty book in it somewhere? Who's responsible for all this junk everyone's been putting in the internet tubes? And if we're heading for a massive change in the way we handle illegal content online, are we at risk of dest…

1
Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai, and Wang Lijun 57:32

2y ago57:32

57:32

We're back with a new recording of one of the first cases we covered on Criminal Records. Bo Xilai was one of the rising stars of China's Communist Party, but his political dreams came crashing down when a close business partner was found dead in mysterious circumstances. Sources and shownotes at this link Support the show and listen to bonus episo…

1
Bonus Episode: Marie Antoinette (2006) 24:01

2y ago24:01

24:01

We're out of the country for the week, so we've released one of our Patreon bonus episodes into the regular podcast feed. We've talked about Marie Antoinette's real life and death, but how does the 2006 Marie Antoinette movie choose to frame her story? This is part of a much longer discussion in our bonus episodes about movies depicting (or claimin…

1
Perkin Warbeck 1:02:20

2y ago1:02:20

1:02:20

A half-baked plot to replace the true king of England with an impostor involved mind-controlling ointment, a loyalist uprising that never materialized, and some of the biggest political powers in Europe. Content note: The backstory of this episode involves the likely murder of two children, although the focus of this case is a different crime. Sour…

1
Ovid 58:10

2y ago58:10

58:10

One of the western canon’s greatest poets was a real horndog. Was his banishment from Rome really about making Rome great again by returning to purity culture, or did Publius Ovidius Naso get caught up in a complicated web of politics at the dawn of the Roman empire? This episode is marked explicit for some seriously steamy poetry quotations. Sourc…

1
James Aitken 1:15:04

2y ago1:15:04

1:15:04

One would-be hero of the American revolution wasn't American, heroic, or particularly good at helping the revolution. His plan to burn down the British navy's most strategic dockyards had just one fatal flaw: he wasn't actually any good at starting fires. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon…

1
Naftaly Frenkel (re-record) 50:57

2y ago50:57

50:57

One Soviet convict impressed his own jailors so much that he ended up completely transforming the Soviet Union's gulag system. But how much of what we know about the life of Naftaly Frenkel is real, and how much is a right-wing attempt to link the Communist party to a conspiracy theory about greedy Jews? Content note: Discussion of mistreatment of …

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