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Dec 3 2013

How Castration Works

41 min 4 movies discussed
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In this episode, Josh and Chuck teach you everything you ever wanted to know but were too freaked out to ask about castration. Learn about the history of removing male genitalia, why some parents had it done to their sons, how the state has become the main agent of castration in the last several decades, and why some people who are not crazy decide to become castrated themselves.

AI Summary

In this fascinating and frankly uncomfortable episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive into the complex and often disturbing history of castration throughout human civilization. They explore everything from ancient Korean court officials and Italian castrato singers to modern chemical castration used on sex offenders, revealing how this practice has served various purposes from creating trusted government advisors to producing unique vocal talents. The hosts also examine the surprising psychological and medical aspects of castration, including recent longevity studies and the different reasons why some people today still choose this procedure voluntarily.


Movies Discussed

Farinelli
Farinelli
1994 1h 51m
★ 6.6
"in 1994, I saw a movie called Farinelli. Did you ever see that? — Josh mentioned this biographical film about a famous castrato singer to illustrate the history of castrati in opera." — Josh
My Beautiful Laundrette
My Beautiful Laundrette
1985 1h 38m
★ 6.7
"I think my beautiful Andrette was before that. No, no, there was another one that I saw that was before. — Chuck mentioned this as one of Daniel Day-Lewis's earlier films when discussing his career progression." — Chuck
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown
1989 1h 43m
★ 7.5
"Have you ever seen my left foot? I knew you were going to say that. — Josh mentioned this Daniel Day-Lewis film when discussing the phrase about body parts not belonging." — Josh
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
1969
★ 6.7
"do you remember that Brady Bunch where Peter Brady's voice changed? — Josh referenced this TV show episode to illustrate the concept of voice change during puberty." — Josh

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