One of the earliest civilizations we've detected, the Myceneans, kicked off the habit of creating a mask of a deceased person's face in deathly repose. What began as an ancient rite has only recently fallen out of practice around the world. Learn about this dignified but ghoulish custom with Josh and Chuck.
AI Summary
Josh and Chuck explore the fascinating world of death masks, those plaster casts made of deceased people's faces that have been around since ancient Egyptian times. They dive into the surprising history behind this centuries-old practice, from how the Romans used them at funerals to how phrenologists collected them for bogus scientific studies. The episode also reveals an amazing connection between a mysterious 19th century Parisian drowning victim and something millions of people have encountered in CPR training classes.
An Idiot Abroad
2010
★ 7.7
"after Idiot Abroad's premiere, which is a very good lead-in for us — Mentioned as the lead-in show for their upcoming Science Channel TV show premiere"
— Chuck
Dirty Dancing
1987
1h 40m
★ 7.3
"Have you ever seen that dirty dancing at the end of that movie when they do the whole dance showdown thing? — Josh is describing a parody video where Iron Man is edited into the final dance scene"
— Josh
"just tell Demi more of that — Mentioned while discussing working with clay and the famous pottery wheel scene"
— Josh
Lincoln
2012
2h 30m
★ 6.8
"Daniel Day-Lewis right there — Chuck mentions the actor when they're looking at Lincoln's death mask"
— Chuck
Police Academy
1984
1h 37m
★ 6.7
"You didn't want to look like Sergeant Mauser from Police Academy — Used as an example of someone with their eyebrows blown off when explaining why grease was applied to facial hair before making death masks"
— Chuck
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