Episodes

  • Episode 25. Cosplay

    Episode 25. Cosplay
    Jan 28 2026

    This week, Kate and Larkin are thrilled to chat with professional cosplayer Alia Pyatt, aka Magical Black Girl Alia, who discusses her experiences as a Black female cosplayer. While her time in cosplay has been overwhelmingly positive, she’s also seen her fair share of racism, sexism, and ableism in the community. Tune in to learn about the rampant gatekeeping that has driven many cosplayers out of a hobby that was once an escape for them.

    CW: Suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, visit this support site for help.

    Support legal aid in Minnesota: https://legalrightscenter.org/

    Support the People's Bail Fund of Minnesota: https://pbfmn.org/

    Support the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/now

    Support Magic Wheelchairs: https://www.magicwheelchair.org/

    Follow Alia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicalblackgirlalia/

    Follow Alia on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@magicalblackgirlalia

    References

    https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/2023-11/borjonashley_article-the-social-phenomenon-surrounding-b_ashley-borjon.pdf

    If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!

    Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.

    You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram.


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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 24. Gynecology

    Episode 24. Gynecology
    Jan 14 2026

    Gynecological exams and procedures are notoriously unpleasant, and the field is frustratingly under-researched. It seems like it’s already ruined, so why do an episode on it?

    Well, Larkin has an abundance of unpleasant history to add to the mix, including a long line of men known as the “fathers” of the practice, who committed horrific acts while barely advancing their understanding. From murdering the poor to performing unanesthetized surgeries on enslaved people, graphic atrocities abound.

    Listener discretion is definitely advised.

    Content Warning: Medical Trauma, Birth Trauma

    References

    If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!

    Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.

    You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 23. New Year's Resolutions

    Episode 23. New Year's Resolutions
    Dec 31 2025

    New Year’s Resolutions are a common way to set goals for the upcoming year. But they can also cause self-doubt and unnecessary pressure. Anti-burnout coach Rhia Batchelder teaches Kate and Larkin about the puritanical origins of the tradition and gives tips on how to make resolutions that will actually motivate you, without driving you into a shame spiral.

    Book a free assessment with Rhia on her website, rebuildwithrhia.com, and follow her on TikTok and Instagram for more amazing insights and advice.

    References

    https://www.history.com/articles/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions

    https://www.almanac.com/history-of-new-years-resolutions

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/when-did-new-years-resolutions-start

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/history-of-new-years-resolutions

    https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/a-history-of-new-years-resolutions-times-luxury-dst9n092x?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqd3VPsIuXrvrVZDRfOJpxE_ulWWU5iKyynDv6QwyftHeRPphJwesshI5wjSa2k%3D&gaa_ts=6942ec2c&gaa_sig=xPzgGd7NZVEVRoniYVBzX4kxeH9-W1m5nhlMrd0zoLJQrX-ON8w4VrbgDEd4S5owePl-xdZXxtTbTKCNWfisiA%3D%3D

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/31/health/new-years-resolutions-history-wellness

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7725288/

    Norcross JC, Ratzin AC, Payne D. Ringing in the new year: The change processes and reported outcomes of resolutions. Addict Behav. 1989;14(2):205–212. 10.1016/0306-4603(89)90050-6

    https://www.britannica.com/procon/New-Years-resolutions-debate

    If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!

    Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.

    You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    52 mins
  • Episode 22. Christmas 2025: Cannibals, Murder, and Deforestation

    Episode 22. Christmas 2025: Cannibals, Murder, and Deforestation
    Dec 17 2025
    It’s a Now It’s Ruined holiday special! Kate breaks the usual format to bring you three shorter Christmas-related ruins. She discusses a cannibalistic scarecrow, the murder-riddled true story behind Good King Wenceslas, and how the Vikings permanently deforested Iceland. Happy holidays!Special thanks to Elisa Hanssen, aka Elisa in Iceland, for helping us pronounce Icelandic words! Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.ReferencesHans Trapphttp://frenchmoments.eu/hans-trapp/#t-1702120300802https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/25-days-of-christmas/hans-trapp-the-christmas-cannibal-scarecrow/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatinate_(region)https://www.britannica.com/event/Italian-Warshttps://www.ripleys.com/stories/hans-trappKing Wenceslashttps://genius.com/Christmas-songs-good-king-wenceslas-lyricshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenceslaus_I,_Duke_of_Bohemiahttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Wenceslas-I-prince-of-Bohemiahttps://www.umnews.org/en/news/the-real-story-behind-good-king-wenceslashttps://www.britannica.com/event/East-West-Schism-1054https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schismhttps://magicbohemia.com/drahomira-and-the-gateway-to-hell/Iceland, The Yule Lads, and the Vikingshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-yule-lads-evolved-into-icelandic-versions-santa-claus-they-terrorized-children-into-following-rules-180948162/https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/elves-and-dwarves-0017783https://adventures.is/blog/the-icelandic-yule-lads/?srsltid=AfmBOop5efv3ZPK06PA-xkZGzqpTLJWgJwkqF_fGGC5cThqPhaFSf2uVhttps://restless-viking.com/2019/12/05/icelandic-yule-lads/https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/history-of-icelandhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Viking-peoplehttps://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/art-culture/vikings/https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/maritime-history/viking-shipshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278416524000369https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/little-known-role-slavery-viking-society-180975597/https://www.reddit.com/r/Norse/comments/1i6m4cg/what_were_blood_brothers_in_norse_society/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harald-I-king-of-Norwayhttps://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/apaa.12102https://www.savingiceland.org/2017/08/icelands-troubled-environment/https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/sciencebitesvolume2/chapter/5-6-soil-erosion-in-iceland-reclaiming-a-fragile-environment/ If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 21. Patreon Upcycle: The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping

    Episode 21. Patreon Upcycle: The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
    Dec 3 2025
    Kate dives into the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping, exploring the crime, evidence, and theories about who was involved. She and Larkin discuss whether they think the man convicted of the crime acted alone, if the kidnapping was an inside job, and whether Charles Lindbergh’s interest in eugenics motivated him to get rid of his sickly child. CW: Violence against childrenReferencesThe Baby Alice Thumb Guardhttps://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/lindbergh-kidnappinghttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/lindbergh-kidnapping/https://www.rutgers.edu/news/was-lindbergh-kidnapping-inside-jobhttps://www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical-times/why-newest-lindbergh-baby-conspiracy-theory-isnt-all-out-there-disabilityhttps://famous-trials.com/hauptmann/1405-clinderberghtestimonyhttps://famous-trials.com/hauptmann/1404-amlinderberghtestimonyhttps://crimearchives.net/1935_hauptmann/html/1935-01-07_trial_gow.htmlhttps://www.fbi.gov/image-repository/lindberg_note.jpg/@@images/image/highhttps://famous-trials.com/hauptmann/1389-#:~:text=Wilentz%20asked%20Lindbergh%20if%20he,a%20bizarre%20line%20of%20questioning.https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1726&context=lcphttps://famous-trials.com/hauptmann/1398-ransomhttps://www.bullionvault.com/gold-guide/gold-certificatehttps://www.washoeschools.net/cms/lib/NV01912265/Centricity/Domain/1116/Suspect%20Number%202%20Violet%20Sharpe.pdfhttps://dogs-in-history.blogspot.com/2024/03/dogs-in-charles-lindberghs-life.htmlhttps://www.criminalelement.com/how-the-tragic-death-of-violet-sharpe-inspired-a-classic-mystery/https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-15002-003https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=WIT19350202-01.2.18&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA--------0------https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2017/the-case-that-inspired-murder-on-the-orient-expresshttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Bruno-Hauptmannhttps://www.rutgers.edu/news/was-lindbergh-kidnapping-inside-jobhttps://www.the-sun.com/news/10801407/charles-lindbergh-baby-kidnapping-suspect/https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/was-wrong-person-executed-in-death-of-lindbergh-baby-ex-judges-book-and-dna-quest-raise-issues If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Episode 20. Nutrition and the Myth of Thanksgiving

    Episode 20. Nutrition and the Myth of Thanksgiving
    Nov 19 2025
    Need a break from your family this Thanksgiving? Come celebrate Now It’s Ruined-style! Larkin busts the idyllic myth of the first Thanksgiving before giving a rundown of how nutritional standards were shaped by the military-industrial complex and horrific experiments on Indigenous Canadian children. CW: Graphic Violence, Food Trauma, Medical TraumaIf you’d like to make a difference to people who are living with food insecurity, check out https://www.feedingamerica.org/ for opportunities to give back. ReferencesHistory of nutrition sciencehttps://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/361/bmj.k2392.full.pdfCanada’s shameful history of nutrition research on residential school children: The need for strong medical ethics in Aboriginal health researchNoni E MacDonald, Richard Stanwick, Andrew Lynkhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3941673/The dark history of Canada's Food Guide: How experiments on Indigenous children shaped nutrition policy; Zoe Tennant 2021https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/how-food-in-canada-is-tied-to-land-language-community-and-colonization-1.5989764/the-dark-history-of-canada-s-food-guide-how-experiments-on-indigenous-children-shaped-nutrition-policy-1.5989785https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3787164/https://gladue.usask.ca/sites/gladue1.usask.ca/files/gladue/resource559-2d380424.pdfMilitary Influence on Modern American Nutritionhttps://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/01/historian-traces-militarys-influence-modern-american-nutritionHannah LeBlancThe Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage They ImbueClaire Bugos 2019https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thanksgiving-myth-and-what-we-should-be-teaching-kids-180973655/https://wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/wampanoag-historyhttps://plimoth.org/for-students/homework-help/who-are-the-wampanoaghttps://www.history.com/articles/squanto-pilgrims-help-plymouth-thanksgivinghttps://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/resources/Cranberry-Dayhttps://www.rd.com/article/history-of-thanksgiving/King Philip’s Warhttps://www.history.com/articles/king-philips-warhttps://www.history.com/articles/turkey-thanksgiving-mealNutritionhttps://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/vitamins/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20805686/https://www.britannica.com/science/aminehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216786/Nuremberg Codehttps://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nuremberg-codeHungerplanhttps://www.nobelpeacecenter.org/en/news/hitler-s-hungerplanhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34907689/ If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    58 mins
  • Episode 19. Bananas

    Episode 19. Bananas
    Nov 5 2025
    There are lots of fun facts about bananas: They’re radioactive, they may be the oldest fruit in the world, and they’re technically berries! So how did the bright yellow, comedy-inspiring fruit cause massacres, coups, and human rights violations? It’s a colonialist tale as old as time, full of not-so-fun facts about bananas and the men who steamrolled entire countries in order to sell them. Referenceshttps://www.epa.gov/radtown/natural-radioactivity-foodhttps://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/02/10329710/how-to-eat-a-banana-correctlyhttps://gardenbetty.com/a-banana-plant-is-an-herb-or-little-known-banana-facts/https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/why-dont-banana-candies-taste-like-real-bananas/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monoculturehttps://www.britannica.com/topic/banana-republichttps://abgc.org.au/our-industry-old/history-of-bananas/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cavendish,_6th_Duke_of_Devonshirehttps://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/harvesting-history-the-untold-story-of-united-fruit-in-costa-rica/https://www.unitedfruitcompany.com/biographies/the-seldom-recorded-life-of-minor-cooper-keithhttps://www.maritimeheritage.org/vips/meiggsHenry.htmlhttps://www.unitedfruitcompany.com/timeline/1855-1880https://www.crcdaily.com/p/the-lost-legacy-of-costa-ricas-railroadshttps://library.harvard.edu/collections/united-fruit-company-photographshttps://provincetownindependent.org/history/2020/07/02/wellfleets-most-famous-son-and-a-fateful-partnership/https://www.unitedfruitcompany.com/biographies/lorenzo-dow-bakerhttps://twailr.com/locating-the-united-fruit-company-in-the-history-of-international-law/http://investopedia.com/terms/v/verticalintegration.asphttps://www.unitedfruitcompany.com/timeline/1900-1910https://visitpuertoarmuelles.com/united-fruit-company-the-great-white-fleethttps://greatwhitefleet.com/https://visualizingtheamericas.utm.utoronto.ca/race-1https://hir.harvard.edu/the-dark-side-of-bananas-imperialism-non-state-actors-and-power/https://history.wsu.edu/rci/sample-research-project/https://www.anumuseum.org.il/blog/sam-zemurray/https://www.unitedfruitcompany.com/biographies/samuel-zemurrayhttps://www.thecollector.com/colombia-banana-massacre-1928-story/https://visualizingtheamericas.utm.utoronto.ca/1928-massacre-1https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/23/tye.phphttps://coha.org/peeling-back-the-truth-on-the-guatemalan-banana-industry/https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/united-fruit-guatemala/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6pprpd3x96ohttps://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2007/March/07_nsd_161.html If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr
  • Episode 18. Halloween Candy

    Episode 18. Halloween Candy
    Oct 22 2025

    Happy Halloween! We’re joined again by our guest and muse, Erica Vogel, who busts some myths- and tells us some disturbing truths- about the concept of tainted Halloween candy. Where did this panic come from? How many children have been poisoned by candy? Has anyone ever actually found a razor blade in their taffy apple? Wtf is a taffy apple? And what the hell was Ann Landers’ problem with Halloween? Hear about all this and more in this fun (but still upsetting) episode that will have you saying, “Oh my god and but of course.”

    Content warning: Child death, poisoning deaths

    More from Erica: https://www.ericavogel.com/

    References

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/health/halloween-candy-panic-conversation-wellness

    https://www.britannica.com/topic/urban-legend

    https://www.snopes.com/urban-legend/

    https://westridgespyglass.org/5981/op-ed/the-backstory-hersheys-happy-accidents-flavorful-failures/

    https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/factbox-the-history-and-facts-of-halloween-idUSN23504990/

    If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!

    Follow us on Patreon for updates, video episodes, and lots of fun bonus content (even for unpaid members). You can also follow us on YouTube and Instagram.

    You can also follow Kate and Larkin! Kate is on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Larkin is on TikTok and Instagram.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    40 mins