Mar 10 2015

How Fleas Work

40 min 12 movies discussed
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Fleas are the bane of the existence of pet owners. From their eggs to their lifespan to their feeding habits, fleas are practically designed to be a nuisance. They are parasites, after all. Get down on flea level with Josh and Chuck in this episode.

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know: Fleas

Discover the creepy crawly world of fleas in this surprisingly fascinating episode that explores far more than just annoying pets! Josh and Chuck dive deep into the biology, life cycle, and history of these tiny parasites, uncovering shocking facts like how fleas can jump 250 feet in human equivalent distance and have been the vectors for deadly diseases throughout history. From the surprising phenomenon of flea circuses in 19th-century Europe to modern infestations and some truly bizarre Victorian-era erotica, this episode reveals why fleas are simultaneously gross and genuinely impressive creatures that have shaped human history.


Movies Discussed

Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder
1959 NR 2h 41m
★ 7.8
"Anatomy of a Murder by Autopriminger. — Referenced as a film the hosts may have been confusing with another Preminger work."
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
1941 1h 59m
★ 8.0
"Citizen Kane was a genesis of dark lighting, not so, because Phil Noir goes all the way back to 1920. — Listener mail corrects the attribution of dark lighting innovation in cinema."
Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder
1954 PG 1h 45m
★ 8.0
"Dial Infra-Murder was Hitchcock. — Corrected reference to a Hitchcock film during listener mail discussion." — Josh
Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8
2024 TV-14
★ 8.4
"Eight and a half being the birth of surreal cinema, because that goes to Un Chin and Deleu for 1929. — Listener corrects the hosts about which film truly pioneered surreal cinema."
Love Is Blind
Love Is Blind
2020
★ 6.2
"We're going to be talking to Nancy Rodriguez from Netflix's Love is Blind Season 3. — Referenced in an advertisement for the Chikis and Chill Podcast featuring a guest from the Netflix reality show."
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
2015 1h 28m
★ 4.6
"Look forward after Sharknado 3, preparing this march. — Referenced as an example of a sci-fi movie, in a joke about a hypothetical 'Blood meal butterfly' movie coming after Sharknado 3."
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1991 2h 17m
★ 8.1
"James Cameron has not made any good films since Terminator 2. — Referenced as a cutoff point in criticism of James Cameron's filmography."
The Birdman
The Birdman
2014 1h 16m
★ 7.0
"Josh's criticisms of Birdman, he suggested first that the scene where Reagan confronts the critic represents the director's pulpitting to the critics. — Discussed in listener mail about film interpretation and ending ambiguity regarding the protagonist's fate."
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
1920 1h 17m
★ 7.9
"Phil Noir goes all the way back to 1920 to the cabinet of Dr. Caligari. — Cited as an early example of film noir style, predating later films credited with the innovation."
The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone
2001 1h 48m
★ 7.3
"It's the devil's backbone, which was about an orphanage. Didn't he, wasn't he an executive producer? — Discussed in listener mail; Chuck corrects his earlier misstatement about Guillermo Del Toro's involvement."
True Lies
True Lies
1994 R 2h 21m
★ 7.1
"James Cameron has not made any good films since Terminator 2, ignoring the fantastic blend of comedy and action that his true lies. — Listener corrects Josh's criticism of James Cameron's filmography post-Terminator 2."
Un Chien Andalou
Un Chien Andalou
1929 17m
★ 7.4
"That goes to Un Chin and Deleu for 1929. — Identified as the actual birth of surreal cinema, predating 8½."

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