Anyone who ever picked up a comic book as a kid probably marveled at the ads for the mysterious Sea Monkeys. In reality, they are just brine shrimp, not fantastical beings with magical powers. But the story behind the invention of the Sea Monkey is tale all its own. Listen in to this classic episode.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know - Sea Monkeys Episode Summary
Get ready to dive into the surprisingly wild world of sea monkeys with Josh and Chuck as they uncover the fascinating science behind these beloved mail-order pets and the shocking secrets of their inventor. From the genius marketing tactics that made sea monkeys a cultural phenomenon to the mind-bending revelation that they're actually a man-made hybrid of brine shrimp, this episode explores how a creative entrepreneur built an empire on invisible ink comic book ads. But things take a dark turn when the hosts investigate the deeply troubling real-life story of the man behind the iconic Joe Orlando illustrations and what his personal beliefs reveal about the messy intersection of beloved American products and hidden histories.
Broadway Danny Rose
1984
PG
1h 24m
★ 7.1
"That was a Woody Allen movie where he played, that was, it was a talent manager — Josh referenced the Woody Allen film as a comparison when discussing Harold Von Braunhut's work as a talent manager."
— Josh
Evel Knievel
1971
1h 28m
★ 5.0
"he's opening up for an evil Knievel act in a parking lot in God knows where in New Jersey — Josh described a video of a high diver performing before an Evel Knievel stunt show in the early 1970s."
— Josh
Love After Death
1968
1h 12m
★ 3.9
"It's a soft-core zombie flick from the 60s — Josh mentioned this soft-core adult film starring Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut as an example of her B-movie acting career."
— Josh
Pee-wee's Playhouse
1986
★ 7.1
"They watch Peewee's play house and they're like, this is kind of campy but let's increase it by 35%. — Josh compared the Sea Monkeys TV show's campiness to Pee-wee's Playhouse as a reference point."
— Josh
Star Wars
1977
2h 1m
★ 8.2
"That treatment that George Lucas wrote about Wookiees and Chewbacca's planet that got turned into the Star Wars Christmas special — Josh compared Harold von Braunhut's fantastical Sea Monkeys booklet to George Lucas's Wookiee backstory used in the Star Wars Holiday Special."
— Josh
The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys
1992
★ 6.5
"So there was a TV show in the 80s starring Howie Mandel. Yeah. It just really doesn't get any better. — Chuck discussed the live-action Sea Monkeys TV show from the 1980s hosted by Howie Mandel, describing it as campy and unsettling."
— Chuck
The Star Wars Holiday Special
1978
PG
1h 37m
★ 3.4
"Do you remember that treatment that George Lucas wrote about Wookiees and Chewbacca's planet that got turned into the Star Wars Christmas special? — Josh compared Harold Von Braunhut's fantastical Sea Monkeys booklet to the Star Wars Christmas Special's creative approach."
— Josh
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