If you've ever seen a flea circus, then count yourself among the few. It's a dying art, but back in the day they thrilled and delighted young and old alike. Learn all about the tiny big tops in this classic episode.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know - Flea Circuses
Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly elaborate and oddly delightful world of flea circuses, where tiny acrobats have been performing death-defying feats since the 1820s. From the mysterious Italian impresario who started it all to the ingenious ways performers glued props to fleas and made them appear to sword fight and play soccer, this episode explores a bizarre slice of entertainment history that's far more documented and widespread than you'd expect. But here's where it gets really wild: some flea circuses were completely fake, using nothing but stage magic and audience suggestion to create the illusion of performing insects, which honestly might be less cruel than the real thing.
Easy Rider
1969
1h 35m
★ 7.0
"Heckler's flea circus shows up in a scene in Easy Rider. — Josh mentions that Heckler's flea circus appears in the background of a scene in the classic film Easy Rider."
— Josh
"On the podcast, Hey Dude, the 90s called David Lasher and Christine Taylor, stars of the cult classic show — A podcast ad mentions the cult classic 90s TV show Hey Dude and its stars."
Monster
2003
1h 49m
★ 7.2
"I've also used the episode about police interrogation during a unit featuring Walter Dean Meyers novel Monster — A teacher references using a SYSK episode alongside the film Monster in teaching a unit on police interrogation."
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
★ 8.3
"The goons showed up in the Monty Python episode. They were the direct predecessor of Monty Python. — Chuck mentions that the Goons were the direct predecessor to Monty Python."
— Chuck
"An astronaut is a fame indicator. It's a Simpson's reference. Homer was saying somebody was richer than an astronaut. — Chuck references a Simpsons joke to illustrate a point about fame comparisons."
— Chuck
To Kill a Mockingbird
1962
2h 9m
★ 8.0
"I've used the episode on book banning several times while teaching to kill a mockingbird — A teacher mentions using a SYSK episode as a supplemental teaching tool for teaching To Kill a Mockingbird."
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