Episode 42 — Weird Connections: Why Paris Hilton Is a Genius

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Did you know Zeppo Marx invented a heart attack alarm? We usually think of genius as one explicit thing: You're a genius at music, or computer programming, or whatever. But there's no straight road from "genius" to "what you do with that genius." Charles Darwin may have figured out evolution as a side effect of his obsession with eating rare animals. Paris Hilton seems like she's famous for being rich and spoiled, but she might be the greatest marketing mind of our generation.

On today's podcast, Cracked editors Jack O'Brien, Soren Bowie, and Michael Swaim

discuss the exceptional people who built our world, and the exceptionally weird things that made them brilliant. It seems strange for a musician or a comedian to invent new technology, but smart people are smart all around. It gets even broader than just inventions. Bob Dylan makes art out of plagiarizing everything from older songs to a book on the Monica Lewinsky trial. Want to hear more crazy connections made by beautiful minds? Click here and listen in.

[Snutting 15]

Great show! Is there someplace where I can get a list of the songs you've featured?

 

Edit: Here is the Spotify playlist!