Fascinators!
Fascinators is a show about the wonderful, weird and sometimes puzzling things that fascinate us. Each episode, father and son duo Ken and Evan Atkinson explore the histories, concepts and stories that fascinate them. Find out why Santa Claus is buried in New York City, why every film director eventually wants to make a Pinocchio movie, why no one is really sure why there are 52 cards in a deck and so much more!
Episodes
This episode is jam packed with stories of history repeating itself. Ken tells the story of the time Werner Hezog tried to move a boat up a mountain while Evan digs into the cultish linguistics of corporate speak.
After an accidental summer break, Ken and Evan Atkinson are back with the answers to more burning questions that you never thought to ask. Evan sets out to understand if Google Maps is actually making your drive longer while Ken looks to the animal kingdom to improve some human technology. Hangout and learn a thing or two on an all-new Fascinators!
Did you know that if you release a musical on broadway at all, you have a 40% chance to be nominated for Best Musical at the Tonys? Did you know that turkey, the food, is named after Turkey the country? Well buckle up, because you're about to learn a whole lot more than that on this week's Fascinators!
This week on Fasncinators: Evan tells us the story of the rise and fall of the fastest monkey on four wheels, Jocko Flocko. Ken, meanwhile, tries to break out of jail with an armful of nectarines and a helicopter.
Take a listen and learn something new!
It's episode 50! Evan and Ken have brought you 100 fascinating stories over the past two years and this week is no different. Ken uncovers the dark story of the inventor of the Heimlich maneuver and how it relates to Tigger's voice actor while Evan takes America's pass-time to task as he examines flagrant examples of cheating and adventurous groundskeeping. Thank you for listening along to 50 episodes of Fascinators!
Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is you can now buy Taylor Swift's new album in 8 different colors of vinyl. The bad news? Squirrels have acquired a taste for meat. Find out what that means for you on this week's Fascinators!
Have you ever seen someone that really looked like a Tim? Or maybe a Samantha? Turns out, you might actually have a good chance at guessing right! This week on Fascinators, Ken takes us on a wild ride through music history to find out why Johnny Cash almost single handedly caused the extinction of the world's biggest flying bird. Evan meanwhile discusses the theory of nominative determinism and how you can guess anyone's na...
What size paper could cover the Earth? What is the dark origin story behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' name? Find out the answer to these questions and so many more on Fascinators!
Are you happy? We at Fascinators sure hope you are, but how does one measure how happy they truly are? Evan has some ideas. Also in this episode, Ken takes us through the history of royalties and discovers how much the cast of Friends is really making from your fifth rewatch.
Get ready for a real heater y'all. Evan explores the bizarre and fascinating world of the Ig Nobel prizes, answering questions you never thought to ask. Which way does hair grow in the southern hemisphere? Can plants see? Do people grow beards to protect from punches? Meanwhile Ken is digging up some centuries old tea on Charles Dickens and his most famous obsessive fanboy.
The boys are back with a holiday treat, their longest episode yet! Ken walks us through the ups and downs of the board game industry while Evan pulls back the curtain on everything you need to do to win an Oscar.
The boys are back with a pair of fascinating stories! Evan takes us through the wild true story of one of the most prolific hoaxes in American history while Ken answers the age old question: why are domestic cats smaller than domestic dogs while wild cats are much larger than wild dogs?
Find out on Fascinators!
Breaking news alert: Over 170 cocaine hippos are running rampant in Columbia! Find out the truth behind that news bulletin and learn about the 1992 BBC program that set out to find evidence of paranormal activity and ended up creating a few ghosts of its own on this week's Fascinators!
Where did all of the airships go? What does the founder of Benihana have to do with the history of balloons? Why did Charlie Brown never get to kick that football? Join Evan and Ken to find out the answers to most of those questions and some more you didn't know you had!
It's episode 40! Ken tells us the historical reason why Cinco De Mayo is really a cautionary tale about pastry theft. Evan takes us through the history of the most degenerate of gambling vices, pinball. Find out more on this week's Fascinators!
Have you ever thought about when the first vending machine was created? Would you have guessed it was in the first century AD? When's the last time you thought about Full House actor Dave Coulier and his surprisingly long lasting impact on pop music?
Tune in to find out the stories behind these and more fascinating questions!
Make sure to check your smart phone for bugs. This week the Atkinson boys are talking about telecommunications and CIA operations. Ken tells us all about the telephone and how the fax machine is way older than you'd think. Evan dug into the CIA's archives to find stories about acoustic kitties and Filipino vampires, oh my!
The Atkinson Boys are back from a brief hiatus to bring you a handful of fascinating stories. Evan talks about why you probably shouldn't get into treasure hunting if you want to live a happy life and Ken uncovers the dark history of a company whose products are probably in your medicine cabinet right now. Take a listen!
Calling in once more from their separate studios, Evan and Ken are here with a fresh batch of fascinating stories for us. Ken shares the second half of his two-parter on Death and Taxes, while Evan weaves a story about why Kim Jong Il is one of history's biggest Godzilla fans. You don't want to miss this!
The Atkinson boys are live on camera for a very special episode! Evan kicks us off with a deep dive into the world of pseudonyms while Ken begins part one of a two parter on Death and Taxes. Who really wrote the Nancy Drew books and how did Bruce Lee truly die? Find out on this week's Fascinators!
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