Short Stuff: The Sandman

In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the fascinating history behind "Mr. Sandman," the 1955 hit song, tracing it back to the legendary figure of the Sandman himself. They dive into how this character emerged from Central and Eastern European folklore as a way to explain the crusty discharge that forms in your eyes when you sleep, and how parents used terrifying tales of the Sandman to get their kids into bed. The guys cover everything from the horrifying 1818 German story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, where the Sandman collects children's eyeballs to feed to his own kids, to Hans Christian Andersen's gentler 1841 take on the legend—proving that across centuries and cultures, bedtime has always been a struggle for parents.