# "Drunk History" taught me about Superman and the KKK **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388 "2013-07-24T16:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/1 "2013-07-24T16:31:04Z")
I’ve been watching _ **Drunk History** _ each week (oh, and by the way, I’m very close personal friends with Craig Cackowski, one of the regular cast), but I had no idea about one of the stories last night - the [\*\*\*Superman \*\*\*radio series, in the 1940’s, helped depopularize the Ku Klux Klan, whose strength had been growing again.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Superman_%28radio%29#.E2.80.9CClan_of_the_Fiery_Cross.E2.80.9D) Cool! And kind of funnily narrated by a drunk guy. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/2 "2013-07-24T16:32:34Z")
I’m pretty sure _Freakonomics_ is where I read about it. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/3 "2013-07-24T16:35:35Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I’ve been watching _ **Drunk History** _ each week (oh, and by the way, I’m very close personal friends with Craig Cackowski, one of the regular cast) Cool, he’s great. My wife took improv classes from his sister [Liz Cackowski](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Cackowski) who shows up a lot in Apatow movies and was a writer for SNL. Also, Craig was really funny in an episode of Veep he appeared in. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/4 "2013-07-24T16:56:25Z")
And I learned a lot more about James Wilkes Booth in the DC episode than I ever did in school. And Cackowski is great. The improved production values and the city by city format are really working for the TV version. I never thought they could top some of the Funny or Die episodes but I think they are on track. One of my favorite things in each segment is seeing what minor role Derek Waters decides to take. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/5 "2013-07-24T18:15:07Z")
I love that show, even though I’ve BEEN that drunk person telling a dumb story. (That has real facts in it. The story, I mean. And the being drunk.) But watching the actors mouth the words to the drunk story absolutely kills me everytime. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/6 "2013-07-24T18:18:28Z")
_Drunk History_ really is about history? I assumed it was just a sketch show with perhaps some costumes. I’ll have to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/7 "2013-07-24T18:21:05Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > The improved production values … are really working for the TV version. But they were smart to keep a lot of the ‘dumbness’ of costumes. The bad, ill-fitting wigs and clothes match the drunk storytelling well. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/8 "2013-07-24T18:25:51Z")
It’s both. A drunk comedian tells something historical, and their narration is used as a framework for costumed sketches. I quite enjoyed the first episode, possibly even learned a little something. It reminded me of college parties with friends who were politics or history majors… ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/9 "2013-07-24T18:54:50Z")
I love this show. It’s stupid and smart at the same time. > [@lazybratsche](#): > > It’s both. A drunk comedian tells something historical, and their narration is used as a framework for costumed sketches. I quite enjoyed the first episode, possibly even learned a little something. It reminded me of college parties with friends who were politics or history majors… Weren’t the original web shows narrated by actual drunk historians? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/10 "2013-07-24T19:10:09Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Weren’t the original web shows narrated by actual drunk historians? Nope, drunk comedians. My favorite was Jen Kirkman talking about the relationship between Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, acted out by Will Ferrell, Don Cheadle, and Zooey Deschanel. It’s fantastic. [Here’s the link.](http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d47e6a33a5/drunk-history-vol-5-w-will-ferrell-don-cheadle-zooey-deschanel) If you’re not familiar with the concept, definitely watch that one. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/11 "2013-07-24T20:40:10Z")
Unfortunately I can’t watch, since Comedy Central has lately gotten this odd idea that it’s a bad idea to put whole episodes online, and no one else seems to care enough to upload them elsewhere. So, like The Soup, I can’t watch. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/12 "2013-07-24T21:49:09Z")
I just discovered this show a couple of weeks ago. I’ve only seen one episode so far and loved it. Glad I’m not the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/13 "2013-07-25T02:45:41Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > It’s both. A drunk comedian tells something historical, and their narration is used as a framework for costumed sketches. I quite enjoyed the first episode, possibly even learned a little something. It reminded me of college parties with friends who were politics or history majors… Importantly, the two are done _simultaneously_. The scene cuts back & forth between the drunk comedian and the costumed sketch performers, but they just lip-sync the drunken comedian’s dialog, including any rambling or misspoken words. Makes it even funnier! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/14 "2013-07-25T02:58:25Z")
It’s somewhat more interesting than sober history. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/15 "2013-07-25T12:21:52Z")
So, history not only repeats itself, it also slurs its words and mumbles? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/16 "2013-07-25T12:30:10Z")
And occasionally barks and sneezes. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/17 "2013-07-25T13:02:54Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > So, history not only repeats itself, it also slurs its words and mumbles? This pithy statement is full of win! ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/18 "2013-07-25T13:50:59Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Unfortunately I can’t watch, since Comedy Central has lately gotten this odd idea that it’s a bad idea to put whole episodes online, and no one else seems to care enough to upload them elsewhere. So, like The Soup, I can’t watch. That is annoying. I don’t have cable and the only show I watch on CC is the Daily Show which does have full episodes. I would like to see more of those so hopefully Netflix or Hulu will get them soon. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/19 "2013-07-25T14:22:45Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Importantly, the two are done _simultaneously_. The scene cuts back & forth between the drunk comedian and the costumed sketch performers, but they just lip-sync the drunken comedian’s dialog, including any rambling or misspoken words. Makes it even funnier! There was one episode where the narrator call a phone call from her mother in the middle of the recording and the actors also acted out that conversation. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388/20 "2013-07-25T14:31:53Z")
I’m sure I’ve seen a couple that were narrated by real historians. At least, they were college history majors (master’s degree students, perhaps?), not comedians. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-history-taught-me-about-superman-and-the-kkk/664388.md?page=2)