Madame Tussaud | Just the Wax, Ma'am (TSB015)

12/08/16 • 6 min

Have you ever seen a human-like robot, doll or animatronic that was so lifelike it gave you the creeps? Maybe you feel uncomfortable seeing a clown or zombie but don’t know why. The uneasiness you may feel is known as the Uncanny Valley Phenomenon, which is noticeable when something is so close to being human, but lacks a certain something that’s hard to describe. If you saw the robot from the 1986 movie, “Short Circuit,” your brain would process it as just a regular robot and it wouldn’t set off any warning bells in your mind. But the more scientists try to add human features to a robot, the more negatively we respond to it.

This uncanny valley is why some people say they feel uncomfortable in wax museums. The characters are so incredibly lifelike, yet there’s something just off enough about them, our brains process them as being something to fear. Yet, wax museums have been popular tourist attractions for years. And it was one woman who became so skilled at her wax sculptures, her museums have attracted guests for more than 250 years.

I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Madame Tussaud.

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Check out #PodernFamily on Twitter to find other great indie podcasts like this one.

Click here to support this podcast on Patreon.

Media:

Music for Makers

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/11/health/uncanny-valley-robots/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/european-art-1600-present-biographies/marie-tussaud

http://mentalfloss.com/article/25496/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-madame-tussauds-wax-museum

https://www.madametussauds.com/hollywood/en/about/about-us/

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/death-madame-tussaud

https://ridiculouslyinteresting.com/2012/11/27/burnt-and-melted-wax-figures-after-the-1925-fire-at-madame-tussauds-in-london/

I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Madame Tussaud.

Follow The Story Behind: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Check out #PodernFamily on Twitter to find other great indie podcasts like this one.

Click here to support this podcast on Patreon.

Media:

Music for Makers

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/11/health/uncanny-valley-robots/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/european-art-1600-present-biographies/marie-tussaud

http://mentalfloss.com/article/25496/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-madame-tussauds-wax-museum

https://www.madametussauds.com/hollywood/en/about/about-us/

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/death-madame-tussaud

https://ridiculouslyinteresting.com/2012/11/27/burnt-and-melted-wax-figures-after-the-1925-fire-at-madame-tussauds-in-london/

Previous Episode

Speakeasies | Prohibition's Open Secret (TSB014)

There are lots of experiments that have come and gone. And not just experiments you’ll find in science laboratories or chemistry classes.

For example, if you were around for the early days of Facebook, back when it was known as “THE Facebook,” you might remember the slogan “a social experiment.” But it wasn’t the first social experiment, and it certain won’t be the last. Prohibition, otherwise known as a constitutional ban on the making and selling of alcoholic beverages, was known as the Noble Experiment from 1920-1933.

It’s safe to say the experiment failed, considering many lost their jobs, restaurants and clubs were put out of business, and prohibition gave way to corruption and an increase in underground crime, not to mention an exorbitant amount of power wielded to mobsters and bootleggers like Al Capone.

Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys once said, "For every prohibition you create, you also create an underground."

I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Speakeasies.

Follow The Story Behind: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Check out #PodernFamily on Twitter to find other great indie podcasts like this one.

The role of Jello Biafra was played by Mark from the Unskippable podcast, and Eleanor Roosevelt was played by Tammy Terwelp, General Manager of 91.5 KRCC, Southern Colorado's NPR Station.

Click here to support this podcast on Patreon.

Media:

Music for Makers

Sources:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jello_biafra.html

http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/prohibition-speakeasies-and-finger-foods

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-prohibitionspeakeasy.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268971/Inside-speakeasies-1920s-The-hidden-drinking-spots-transformed-New-York-Citys-night-life-prohibition-era-beyond.html

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/cotton-club-harlem-1923

https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/secret-bars-hard-to-find-speakeasies

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-gangsters.html

https://parachute.mapquest.com/2016/03/16/five-hardest-speakeasies-to-get-into/

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1085.html

Next Episode

Lego | Fun to Play With, Awful to Step On (TSB016)

With the birth of our second child coming in April, we’ve been going through a lot of my daughter’s toys to see what we can pass on, and there’s one bin of toys we know will be always be shared by her, our future son, as well as my husband and me.

In fact, we’re not quite sure which of these toys belonged to my husband when he was growing up and which ones are brand new, since they transcend generations and are robust enough to survive multiple children.

In this episode, we’ll talk about the man behind this toy, how his family has been behind production up through this day, and how this toy has impacted generations of children, past and present. And as awesome as they are for children’s development and creativity, there’s nothing worse than stepping on one with barefeet.

I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind LEGO.

The role of Ole Kirk Christainsen was played by Kevin from Who Are These Podcasts?

Follow The Story Behind: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Check out #PodernFamily on Twitter to find other great indie podcasts like this one.

Click here to support this podcast on Patreon.

Sources:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-lego-legacy/

http://mentalfloss.com/article/19400/early-history-lego

http://www.famousinventors.org/ole-kirk-christiansen

https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2016/april/smooth-handover-to-the-next-generation

https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history

http://www.dailycelebrations.com/120401.htm