Well, I Laughed

Call him Smoky the bandit because he is going to steal your heart. When Bill Wynne was fighting for the US in the Pacific during World War 2 he was prepared for whatever the enemy might throw at him, he did not expect a tiny Yorkshire Terrier named Smoky. Bill and Smoky were inseparable and (obviously) popular. What started as an unlikely meeting in the least hospitable of places quickly turned into magic. As Smoky raised spirits a...

Welcome to week three of our Holiday Break where we're revisiting your favorite old episodes! This week: Harry Houdini!

Get ready for an enchanting episode as Maia and Grant sit down to talk about the fascinating story of the iconic Harry Houdini, dive into the complex world of dating loaded with relationship humor, and discuss modern childhood experiences especially those related to Grant's intriguing classroom conversation....

Welcome to Well, I Laughed: People of Agency Edition. For today's holiday break episode, Grant and Maia introduce Aileen and this People of Agency episode.

What if the most revolutionary force in American history wasn't a politician or an army, but mail carriers bringing letters to farmhouse doors? At the turn of the 20th century, rural Americans lived in profound isolation, cut off from news, markets, and opportunities that city d...

Welcome to week one of the Well, I Laughed Holiday Break. Today, based on audience votes, we're revisiting Episode 40, originally published 2-14-24.

Grant tells Maia about the rarest fish in the world, found in the strangest of places. An episode about the Devil’s Hole Pupfish and Devils Hole, located in Death Valley National Park. With wild conservation showdowns, unexpected legal dramas, and a touch of irrever...

We’re so glad these listeners shot their shot because now we get to read their stories! Our friends from around the Well, I Laughed listener-verse had some fantastic tales. Sarah resorts to hiding in a bush. Clara’s dad redefines “family” multiple times. Savannah survives her artistic era and gets her happy ending. And Anna needs a shot on Christmas Eve after an eventful encounter. They shot, and next time you could too! It’s this ...

Shoot your shot, take the leap, jump over a bunch of obstacles. This time, literally. Evel Knievel was a man that would only let one thing hold him down: gravity. But when a rebellious streak led to a wife and kids, Evel hopped on his bike and took off with the goal of supporting his family. His famous stunts and infamous wipeouts made him a household name. And his story is as interesting as his antics. The world knew him as the da...

What are the forces that make us who we are? Many people with hard childhoods grow up into adults with fulfilling lives and careers. Others... get kicked out of a sex cult. Charles Guiteau is the latter. A man destined for greatness if he was not so consistently bad at everything. And a liar. And crazed. But in America, even a loser can hit it big. This week on Well, I Laughed the incredible forgettable life of a man who changed th...

These listeners were caught Red-Handed... with some fantastic stories for this week's episode! Reality Winner confronts a mug thief, Laura has a traumatic time in a gas station bathroom, Linden accidentally runs a sting operation, Annie study abroad friends have an eventful hookup in Thailand, and Luna doesn't find what she is looking for (thank god). All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!

00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:37:16 Rea...

For more than two decades you had a better chance of winning the lottery than the McDonalds Monopoly Millions. Unless... you knew the right guy, who knew a guy, a shadowy figure named "Uncle Jerry." What started as one of McDonalds most successful promotional campaigns in it's history also managed to fund organize crime, exotic vacations, and at least one strip club/church in South Carolina. Burgers are sold, lives are ru...

Would you commit a crime if you thought you would never get caught? If you thought everyone was doing it? If there were no victims, just some light corruption? Maybe not, but what if the government compelled you to do it? This week, Maia dives into the anti-corruption operation the Federal government ran known as ABSCAM with the help of known con artist Melvin Weinberg. Dozens of politicians get swept up in corruption charges, and ...

Stories funny enough to make you sick (with laughter)! Rachel updates us on a dodge threesome and Ashley reports back from the scene of the infamous peeing-your-pants-while-donating blood story. Polly gushes over Winter Formal while Casey finds herself - but not god - in Uganda. Brittney instills a “well” of fear into Grant. And Kate ruins field trips for her school forever. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!

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If you’ve ever been driven to the edge of fury trying to open up a bottle of pills (making your headache worse in the process) this story is for you! Between the sprawling backdrop of the Chicago suburbs Maia takes on a journey that involves more than one unsolved murder and raises serious questions about the safety of America’s pharmaceutical system. The case is infamous, the Tylenol Murders, the resolution less so. Did James Lewi...

How responsible are we for the consequences of our actions? This week, Grant and Maia dive into the story of a woman who has come to be known as a reckless, disease spreading cook. Mary Mallon, also known as “Typhoid Mary.” Mary spread typhoid to dozens, maybe even hundreds of people. Several of whom would die from the disease before she was finally caught and quarantined. But behind the sensational story and the oddities of her ca...

These stories will have you in a trance! It's stories from the Well, I Laughed universe! Emily survives a strange hook up, only to be haunted by it years later. Yael's tio takes a trip no one wants to go on. Malana's brother falls in love with an illegal turtle. Lily avoids being radicalized. And Addi visits a liminal (haunted) space. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!

00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:26:12 Emily accidentally goe...

Can one person’s legend be another person's vicious rumor? This week, we try to separate fact from fiction as we look at the Mystic Monk himself - Rasputin. From humble beginnings and fervent religious belief Rasputin grows from peasant to powerful advisor in a stunningly short period of time. He was powerful, but was he evil? What was his relationship with the Queen? And how did he die? Man, myth, legend… Sex Martyr? This week, on...

As someone once told Grant "See how men lie?" This week Maia entrances Grant with the life of a man as interesting as it was false. Ronald Dante. AKA Ronald Pellar, Dr. Dante, Phil Harris, Joseph Reuben, Mr. Fabian, and so, so many more aliases. But what can we learn from a liar? Turns out quite a bit, as long as you're able to believe. Today we find out we're all living in Ron's world. Join us as we all learn to become &...

These stories hit close to home because they are Far From Home but near to our hearts (that's something, right?) AJ does not handle meeting a pope well. Kelsi gains and looses in Venezuela. Cedar rehomes some ducks. And Halie finds new friends in her new home. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!

00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:21:09 Catch-Up pt.2
00:33:49 Maia steals a car?
00:37:44 AJ in the Catacombs
00:51:07 Kelsi's Venezuel...

Would you trust love one more time... if you had to do it on a boat? Literally? This week we follow one man, Santiago Genovés, as he seeks to answer a few too many questions the easiest way he knows how. Forcing a dozen strangers to spend three months on a raft at sea. What happens when people drift far from home and into the arms of someone else? This week, The Acali "Sex Raft", on Well, I Laughed!

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When our hero is stolen from his home, what will it take to get back? This week, we retrace the steps of Paquipquineo. The Native American and Algonquin speaker who was kidnapped by the Spanish from his home in modern Virginia. His journey took him throughout the Spanish empire and taught him a valuable lesson - be cautious of these Europeans. Paquipquineo's journey is at times heartbreaking and harrowing as he finds himself Far fr...