Well, I Laughed

Have you ever looked someone up online to get a better sense of who they are? What data did you use? Americans have thousands of data points about themselves floating online, and some companies are more than happy to collect that data and use it however they see fit. Cambridge Analytica used it to try to influence elections all over the world. The scandal shocked the world when it came to light, but how illegal was their data colle...

The company's name has become synonymous with lies and fraud, but what happened to Enron is a beautiful web of malice and mischief. The Enron scandal came to reshape expectations around corporate behavior and oversight. The lies were big, the money was bigger, and after climbing the mountain there is only one way to go - bankruptcy. Listener beware! This week we are "Entering Enron".

00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:30:14 Entering ...

Stories from the Well, I Laughed listener-verse! This week Jenni shares her brief stint living a life of crime. Amanda gets understandably nervous about passing a drug test. Bella tries to become an actor and it's a tragedy. Madison cares for nature which does not care for her. All that and more, this week on Well, I Laughed!

00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:25:27 Jenni's Five Finger Discount
00:37:52 Amanda Combination IBS-Drug Test
00:58:1...

If man's best friend is a dog, his second best friend might just be a beer. But there was a time in our history when the government tried to cut the bond... prohibition! And while most have heard of prohibition, few truly appreciation it's unique place in American history. The only amendment in US history to ever be taken back, how we banned it and what it did to us is still misunderstood. Grab a drink and enjoy as we get to how Am...

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!

00:00:...

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...