History for Foos

History for Foos

Comedians Felipe Esparza and Butch Escobar are NOT history experts. Actually, they barely passed history in high school... But they like talking about and diving into different subjects... and they're willing to learn - and share what they've learned. Some topics are just 1 episode, others take up several episodes. If you didn't learn this stuff in skoo, don't be a foo and check out this podcast!

Episodes

EP 85 - The Untold History of Boyle Heights

September 28, 2025 • 67 mins
In this episode of History for Foos, Felipe and Butch dive deep into the rich, layered history of Boyle Heights — once known as the “Ellis Island of the West.” They explore its Jewish roots, cultural diversity, redlining, and how freeways reshaped the neighborhood. From pastrami traditions to community resilience, the guys bring humor and insight to a story that shaped Los Angeles. Follow Felipe - instagram.com/felipeesparzacomedia...
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EP 84 - Don't Blame L.A.

September 21, 2025 • 81 mins
Felipe and Butch dive into everything from the realities of life in Los Angeles to politics, homelessness, prison reform, and the wild ways government policies shape everyday people. With their trademark mix of comedy, honesty, and street-level storytelling, they cut through the noise while reminding us not to take it too seriously—after all, this is history for foos. Follow Felipe - instagram.com/felipeesparzacomedian/?hl=en Follo...
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EP 83 - When Venice Beach Struck Oil

September 14, 2025 • 62 mins
In this episode of History for Foos, Felipe and Butch dive into one of Los Angeles’ most unexpected and overlooked chapters—when Venice Beach wasn’t just a hub for boardwalk performers, muscle men, and artists, but also a booming oil town. Before the palm trees and skate culture defined the coastline, hundreds of oil derricks crowded the sand, reshaping the city’s future and leaving behind an environmental legacy that’s still felt ...
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EP 82 - 536 AD: The Worst Year in Human History

September 7, 2025 • 102 mins
Felipe and Butch talk about the worst year in human history - 536 AD. It marked the beginning of a catastrophic period characterized by a "volcanic winter" caused by a large eruption. With that large eruption, the world literally went into darkness that caused famine, the plague, and chaos around different parts of the world.

Hear about Felipe's tour dates, new merch drops & more by signing up @ http://felipesworld.com

LINKS
Felip...
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EP 81 - The Messy History of Executions

August 31, 2025 • 90 mins
Felipe and Butch get down and dirty on the history of the executions - how they progressed from Jesus getting crucified to the average man sitting on the electric chair, the many types of practical machines used and the reasons for them, which all are gruesome.

Hear about Felipe's tour dates, new merch drops & more by signing up @ http://felipesworld.com

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @Felipeesparzacomic (TT)
But...
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EP 80 - The Tragedy of the Radium Girls

August 24, 2025 • 79 mins
Felipe and Butch set their watches to the early part of the 20th century and discuss the watch scandal of the Radium Girls, women in the early 20th century who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with radium-infused paint. The women suffered, contracting illness, jaw bone/facial structures literally disconnecting from their faces, etc. This event eventually lead to re-doing labor laws and established OSHA.

Hear ...
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EP 79 - The Colonization of Hawaii

August 17, 2025 • 101 mins
Felipe and Butch fly over the rainbow crash land into the beauty of Hawaii before Westerners and more established colonizers took it over. They go over the kings that ruled Hawaii, the hand-made tech they used as weaponry that still shocks handheld tech today, and the morals they lived by. It's a long, complex history that Felipe and Butch condensed in just over an hour and there's still more to cover.


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EP 78 - The History of Baseball

August 10, 2025 • 111 mins
Last week a curveball was thrown and got Felipe and Butch out the field. Today, they bat up with the history of baseball. Felipe throws fun facts from his childhood playing little league and witnessing crazy events at that time. They both dive into where baseball began in its setting with the people behind it. Many versions of the game were created as their own past time as they name many of them. Who knew how vast this game is in ...
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EP 77 - The Rise And Fall Of The Berlin Wall

July 27, 2025 • 101 mins
Felipe and Butch stand united on the history of the Berlin Wall that separated the country of Germany to East Germany and West Germany. They jump across fences and discuss how the wall happened, why it happened, and its eventual destruction that was accidental.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @Felipeesparzacomic (TT)
Butch Escobar: @ButchEscobar
(IG and TT Theme music (Intro and Outro) - by IkeReatorBeatz

Get tickets t...
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EP 76 - The History of Amsterdam's Cannabis Culture

July 20, 2025 • 74 mins
Felipe and Butch set sail for knowledge and they ended up at the canals of Amsterdam. Felipe traveled there no too long ago and soaked so much culture and its history, especially that of cannabis. Amsterdam is infamous for its culture in the flower that is still controversial. The guys talk about how Amsterdam got its hands on the green and how it put it's grip into social life and order.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian ...
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EP 75 - The Life of OJ Simpson and "People v. Simpson"

July 6, 2025 • 102 mins
From the Los Angeles Riots, Felipe and Butch catch up to the "juice" where they find the life of OJ Simpson. A famous football player and entertainer in his later years after his sports career but is also infamous for being acquitted of a double murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman. The trial was a worldwide media circus that caused of division due to its verdict. The guys find out for themselves if h...
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EP 74 - The Rodney King Riots aka The 1992 Los Angeles Riots

June 29, 2025 • 94 mins
Felipe and Butch talk discuss the infamous Los Angeles Riots that took place in Los Angeles, CA in 1992 where the city of LA was in chaos for severeal days - looting, shootings, arrests, arson, and deaths in the midst of it . They also go in depth to the catalyst of the riots - The video of Rodney King receiving police brutality by LAPD that further went to a trial and caused uproar due to the verdict of acquittals of the officers ...
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EP 73 - The History of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

June 15, 2025 • 78 mins
Felipe and Butch talk about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Mozart for short), a prodigy musician and songwriter of classical music who started learning music at age 3 and started writing at age 5. The classical music that we still hear to this day was forever influenced by Mozart. They associate the history of this amazing artist through the film "Amadeus" dir. Miloš Forman.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @Fu...
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EP 72 - The History of The Chicano Squad

June 8, 2025 • 66 mins
Felipe and Butch set their destination to Houston, TX and find themselves in a trance of the famous "Chicano Squad". It's a team of bilingual patrol officers plucked from their beats and suddenly promoted to Detectives to form the first all-Latin homicide unit dedicated to tackling Houston's soaring rate of Latin homicide cases in 1979.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @FunnyFelipe (TT)
Butch Escobar: @ButchEscobar
(IG...
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EP 71 - The History of The Barbary Coast

June 2, 2025 • 47 mins
Felipe and Butch talk about the history of San Francisco's Barbary Coast. It was a port that acted as a hub for the "gold rush" in California. The Barbary Coast gave access for all kinds of life to re-establish themselves for gain. Some also caused chaos that also ties in to the life of Emperor Norton. This is quite a history crossover.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @FunnyFelipe (TT)
Butch Escobar: @ButchEscobar
(IG...
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EP 70 - The Rise and Fall of "Emperor Norton"

May 25, 2025 • 90 mins
Felipe and Butch talk about a man who made rules of his own to get buy through society but also made changes that benefited the common man. Joshua Abraham Norton who in 1859 declared himself "Emperor of these United States" in a proclamation that he signed "Norton I., Emperor of the United States". Norton issued several decrees, both surprising and inspiring, including the first proposal for a transbay bridge and tunnel, and a call...
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EP 69 - The History of Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary

May 18, 2025 • 92 mins
Felipe and Butch swim across from the main shore to the island of Alcatraz Prison. They talk about the history of the infamous Alcatraz Prison where at one point Al Capone was a resident, living like a king. They cover the riots, the famous escape that inspired films and other entertainment media. Get your jumpsuits ready.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @FunnyFelipe (TT)
Butch Escobar: @ButchEscobar
(IG and TT Theme ...
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EP 68 - Wrap Up 2025

May 11, 2025 • 86 mins
Felipe and Butch talk about past episodes they have shared their knowledge on and they also share important, historical moments that happened on May 11th.

LINKS
Felipe Esparza: @FelipeEsparzaComedian (IG) @FunnyFelipe (TT)
Butch Escobar: @ButchEscobar
(IG and TT Theme music (Intro and Outro) - by IkeReatorBeatz

Get tickets to laugh with Felipe @ http://FelipesWorld.com

Felipe Esparza is a comedian and actor, known for his stand-up specia...
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EP 67 - The History of Pimps

May 4, 2025 • 81 mins
Felipe and Butch get their dripped out canes and take a stroll down the history of pimps and the "game" of what is known as pimping. Before pimping, there was always prostitution and there have been businesses towards but were operated by women, usually by one powerful female. It's an interesting dive it would take a couple of episodes to cut through it but they hand you the education in about less than two hours.


LINKS
Felipe Esparz...
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EP 66 - The History of Dueling

April 27, 2025 • 64 mins
Felipe and Butch challenge each to a duel, to explain the history of duels. Duels evolved from medieval European traditions where knights and nobles would settle disputes through physical confrontations. There's no laws on it, lives were either changed or lost. It was appropriately called "trial by combat" where legal disputes were settled by fighting. While initially seen as a way to avoid violence, dueling eventually became a pop...
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