Let's All Go to the World's Fair | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a. production of iHeart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm. Josh and there's Chuck and it's just us. today. Jerry's out on vacation. I mean, she's at a conference and this is stuff. you should know. >> That's right. Uh, this was your idea and. I. something about it just smacks of kind. of classic stuff you should know where. we talk about a bygone era in a way.

>> Mhm. Mhm. And so yeah, we're talking. about world's fairs today. Depending on. where you are in the world, you might. call them international expositions, universal expositions, you might just. call them expose if you're pressed for. time. >> Sure. >> And I thought maybe Chuck, we would just. do this entire episode in gibberish that. only you and I can understand. >> Yeah. That's a great idea. >> This is the one. We're finally going to. do it. >> All right, let's do it. >> On second thought, let's not do it.

>> No, let's not do it. >> All right, so um well, let's set the. stage then in plain English. Um it's. hard to kind of understand now because. we live in a world and um generally grew. up in a world that if did if if we. didn't have internet when we were kids, we still had television, cable. television, no less. Before that, generations had radio. Um, and then yes, now today we can basically go anywhere, see anything, even stuff you don't want. to see because everyone generally has.

access to the internet, right? >> Yeah. >> Before all of this, like being exposed. to new ideas, new things, seeing what. the latest cutting edge stuff was, that. was not a common thing for the average. person. Like you just did not see that. kind of stuff. And that was generally. the role that world's affairs played. >> Yeah, it was that and it like every time. I was reading about the different ones. from the different nations, it was very. much like, hey, look at how great we're. doing,

>> right? >> You know, like I mean obviously trying. to spur commerce and trade and stuff. like that, but a lot of it was sort of. showing off. >> It was showing off. It was showing off. like all the technological prowess and. all the future ideas that are coming. down the pike that each country was. working on. There was lots of corporate. exhibits eventually. And it sounds to me. like a cool place to have been. Yeah. >> Like if I had a big list to pick from of. stuff I could go time travel to, I would. probably go to a couple of these. >> Oh, all right. So, Woodstock,

uh, the inauguration of Jimmy Carter, and the World's Fair. >> That's right. Um well let's get into the history of. this shall we? >> Yeah because they didn't start as. world's fairs. Uh if you want to track. the prehistory you got to go to the. national fairs. >> Sure. >> Uh England was holding these in the. 1700s. Uh barely. Uh I think 1754 was. the first real one when the uh what. would later be the Royal Society for. Arts. But before they got royal I guess. they were just the Society for Arts.

They had different shows and it was sort. of like I mean this was the 1700s so it. was the technology of the time was like. hey look at this cool new loom or look. at this new cool way we can press cider. >> Yes. And there was this kind of this new. idea called industrial arts. Um, which. was essentially designing and and. inventing new technology. And yeah, it. was old timey, but for the time it was. pretty cutting edge. And this was what. laid the kind of the foundation for the. idea of what a world's fair is all.

about, which is look at all the. technological progress we're making. And. I saw that it was essentially. inextricably tied together with the. industrial revolution. that that's. really what kind of gave them the oomph. needed, you know. >> Yeah, steam powered oomph. >> Yeah, that's right. >> I guess not yet. Uh but steam is coming, don't worry. Um France would get. involved. They saw what England was. doing where they're like, well, we can't. let them best us. >> So, they started holding theirs also in. the late 18th century. And both of them.

again were like marketing themselves um. sort of abroad, but also to their own. people like, "Hey, look at how great. we're doing rest of France.". Yeah, you can feel good about being. French. >> Yeah. >> And France becomes like basically the. apex of world's affairs eventually or. international expositions. >> Um but England kind of took the the the. crown back first. Uh and um Prince. Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, um who. was of German ancestry or what we now. call Germany and who we have to thank.

for Christmas. So thank you Prince. Albert. >> Oh yeah. Um he hosted the great. exhibition of the works of industry of. all nations in 1851. and this was what basically everyone who. knows about world's fairs knows anything. about world's fairs says this was the. first world's fair. >> Yeah. Um no one calls it the great. exhibition of the works of the industry. of all nations. >> Right. >> Except for us because we're being. technical because everyone calls it the. Crystal Palace exhibition. Uh because.

that's where they built the Crystal. Palace. uh it was in Hyde Park from May. to October 1851. >> and they wanted a real you know and and. you'll see this as a trend like they. really wanted to knock people's socks. off when they arrive. >> and when you arrived at this you know. kind of glorified greenhouse and in fact. it was built by a greenhouse builder. named Joseph Paxton. >> right. >> um but it was 18 acres of glass and iron. and steel and uh it was it created 8. miles of display space and it was like.

super impressive. Yeah, it was a real. ring and a ding-ding greenhouse. I mean, an 18 acre greenhouse is not easy to. make, right? So, yes, it knocked. everyone's socks off for sure. Um, you. said there's eight miles worth of. display space inside. So, it was also. capable of holding 14,000 exhibits. >> Yeah, man. >> About half of them were from Britain. And one of the reasons that Prince. Albert wanted to do this is because he. wanted to drum up interest um in Europe. in particular for imports from Britain.

>> Yeah. Um, yeah. He was like, "Hey, we. got a bunch of good stuff. Why don't you. come over and see it and then you can. place your orders on your way out the. door?". >> I wonder if they could you really place. orders? >> I bet you could. >> They had like You think so? >> Yeah. So, there was about 560 exhibits. from the US and one of them was the Colt. repeating pistol. And I guarantee you. could have been like, I want to order. some of those. Give me some right now so. I can shoot in the air in the Crystal. Palace. I bet you could have left there. with a cult repeating pistol if you had.

enough money. >> Probably. Yeah. >> Yeah. But uh I promise steam and that is. that first one is where the steam engine. was officially debuted as well as the. automated cotton mule. >> Sure. >> For for spinning. >> Um France, you know, I think you said US. had 560. France had uh 1760 exhibits. >> Mhm. >> Um in addition to the Colt repeating. pistol, did you mention chewing tobacco? >> I did not. That's where we debuted as a. nation. Hey, look what we've come up. with. Chewing tobacco, which I imagine.

we we stole from indigenous uh peoples. here. >> Yes. But we really kind of Americanized. it. The person running that booth had to. dance back and forth pumping his fist. like a prospector the whole time. >> Right. And dance on maybe artificial. legs because uh artificial legs were. debuted by the United States there. >> That's right. We really just had one. exhibit and they were everything. compressed together. >> A guy dancing on an artificial egg, shooting his pistol in the air, chewing.

>> Yep, that's exactly. >> I love it. >> Um, so yeah, this was obviously a huge. hit. It actually made money for the. organizers, which uh was not the case. for all the World's Fairs to come. But. because of that, um, a lot of people. around the world were like, "Hey, I want. to get in on this." And Paris said, "We're first." Um, there was one in. Dublin, there was one in Cork, there was. one in Munich, there there was one in. New York, but really everything kind of. moved over to Paris when they said, "We're we're taking over here.".

>> Yeah, for sure. I mean, the other ones. were legit World's Fairs. I think the. one in New York in 1853. uh through I think November 1854, that. was a long one. July to November. >> Yeah. >> Um, the Exhibition of the Industry of. All Nations. In that case, they they did. okay, but they were they clearly copied. the Crystal Palace. They built their own. there in Bryant Park, but they lost. money. Uh I think the first US one to. make any kind of hay was the one in. Philly in 1876, right?

>> Yeah. Um that was the Centennial. exhibition where the typewriter was. invented. Alexander Graanbell. demonstrated the telephone. Um there was. also the largest steam engine ever, >> which apparently still holds the record. It was a 700 ton steam engine called the. coreless engine. It took 65 railroad. cars to deliver it to the to the. exhibition in Philadelphia. And when. they turned it on, all of the machines. at the World's Fair came to life because.

they were all being powered by that. steam engine in the center of the whole. place. And. >> that's a pretty fun little knock your. socks off moment. >> It is pretty cool. I thought. >> like everyone's standing around. Well, I. guess it was still uh it wasn't powering. lights at the time, was it? No, not yet. >> Okay. Because we're Yeah, that that. happens. It's coming, everybody. >> It's coming. Yeah, but this whole thing, it really I mean, it attracted 10. million people and it was a it was a big. one. Um, so I guess I got ahead of. myself. Paris hadn't come yet. I'm just. really excited about Paris taking over. for some reason.

>> Yeah, I mean, they they took over in a. big way. They hosted eight of them. between 1855 and 1937. And a lot of theirs uh like most other. nations when they hosted the government. kind of really hosted. uh in America it. was a lot of like corporate entities. from the beginning along with the. government, >> but Paris really took it to a a. political um sort of apex by like. Napoleon really was showing off in the. first and second ones uh like look how. great I am and look at all the great.

things I've done. >> Uh the third one I think in 1878 was. like hey you know uh we're we're doing. fine. we've recovered from the. Francoressussian War and all this. internal violence of the Paris Commune. and like we're still doing great. Look. at us. >> Yeah. Yeah. That I mean that was a big a. big part of those European ones like you. said. Um the Paris ones also um more. charmingly had um fountains like almost. all of them had a really cool fountain. and a lot of those fountains are left. over. Um, there was one from 1889 called.

the Fountain of Progress, and it is the. first water feature to to have electric. lights inside that shined up from from. from underwater, which to me is still. quite impressive. >> Yeah. Do you think when they debuted it, they were like, "And we're going to have. Jacques stand in the fountain while we. turn it on, right? >> We're pretty sure it's going to work, >> right?" No one likes Shock anyway, so. don't worry. >> Yeah, it all worked out for Jacques, though. No, but I'm still like when I.

see a swimming pool light. >> Mhm. >> I know it's housed in a thing, but I. don't know. It all just vaguely makes me. nervous. >> It does for sure. I get that. But the. ones in the fountains, they never make. me nervous. They just look so cool to. me. >> Yeah, cuz you're not in the fountain. >> No. No. So, it doesn't matter if it's. like buzzing with electricity. >> You ever been to Rome? >> Yes. Yes, I have. It's one of my. favorite towns. >> Seen that Trevy Fountain? >> I do. Is that the one with all the Yes, I have.

>> Yeah, that be You didn't go to Rome and. not see the Trevy Fountain, >> right? Yeah, it was pretty amazing. >> Yeah, >> I think that has lights in it. >> I'm sure it does. >> Or at least around it. The thing was lit. up. I was there at night and it wasn't. dark. >> I was there during the day, so I. couldn't tell you. >> Okay, I got you. >> So, one of the other things that. happened at the 1889 Exposition. Universal. was that the Eiffel Tower was debuted. And we talked about this in depth. We. did a 2020 episode on the Eiffel Tower. >> That's right. Uh but just a couple of.

points as a refresher. It was a contest. about a hundred entrance. Uh and Gustaf. Eiffel won it along with his colleagues. and they proposed um at the time what. was going to be the and it was I think. the tallest building uh in the world at. about a,000 ft and uh people you know. the people of the world loved it but the. people of Paris did not like it very. much. Right. No, they wanted to get rid. of it. And it almost got torn down. I. think in 1909 it came as close as it.

ever has and they said, "No, no, we're. going to use this as a radio telegraph. station." So people in Paris were like, "All right, as long as it's serving some. purpose, you know, because I can't. remember who said it, but someone said. that something that doesn't uh actually. function can never truly be beautiful.". >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. Something along those lines. Yes. So like form over function basically. >> Function over form or function and form. >> Function. Well, yeah, sure. >> Yeah,

>> I think we're saying the same thing. >> Yeah, I think so. >> Oh, we are speaking in code now. >> That's right. >> It finally happened. >> Uh they also had what was called a. hygiene palace at that expo, which. sounds super gross. >> Yeah, it does. >> Uh but it was, you know, it was at a. time, you know, it was 1889, so hygiene, you know, we're talking like life-saving. hygiene, not like how to smell less. Um, so they showed like hospital stuff, medical stuff, uh, how to raise, they. had real babies and showed like here's. how you raise a baby properly, >> right? >> And then also speaking of babies, they.

um made a re a full-scale reproduction. of the tower at the Meline Hospital for. foundlings, which is where in Paris, if. you had a child, uh, this is where you. would leave it for somebody else to take. over. >> if you didn't want the child. Right. >> Yes. Exactly. Right. But and they even. had like a model of a baby and. everything in it. I don't know why they. chose to include that, but they did. >> Uh, I don't know. Maybe get the word. out. >> I guess I guess so because that was. Yeah, they were trying to get the word. out in the hygiene palace. For sure.

>> It's interesting when you can look back. at a thing like that and it can be both. sort of the greatest thing and the. saddest thing all at once, you know. >> For sure. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. We should Yeah, >> we should build one. >> Yeah. Well, it's funny you mentioned. that. I started one this morning. You. can come over and help me finish it. Awesome. Uh that expo was very. profitable. Um they made a ton of money. on it. Um and I don't think we said at. the beginning like from the beginning. these worlds fairs um a portion of the.

money that they make on these has gone. or at least in the United States has. gone into funds that help that still. help fund like industrial arts programs. for students. >> Yeah. That first Crystal Palace. exhibition has a uh a fellowship fund. that helps people in industrial design. get through grad school still today from. from 1851. Yeah. >> Uh should we break or should we talk. about the 1900 expo? >> Let's talk about the 1900 expo because.

just to just to kind of keep this. contained for a second. Basically, this. the these biggest ones, the ones that. really made the biggest splash are still. contained in Europe largely Great. Britain and France. >> Okay. All right. I agree. This one had. the 1900 attracted 50 million people. >> That's crazy. >> Yeah. I mean, these are 1900 people. So, >> there's only 50 million. >> Yeah. I mean, you can get 50 million. people pretty easily together now in any. given space. >> For sure. It's like nothing. >> But it was a big deal back then. And.

again showcasing Paris as like sort of. one of the leading modern cities. Um. they de debuted something pretty cool. there called the theorama. uh which they still have these and they. have one of these in Atlanta. The. cycllorama in Atlanta is this kind of. thing where you go in this um sort of. immersive theater experience where they. have projections but also paintings uh. and it's like a 360°ree screen. In their. case, they simulated a balloon ride cuz. it sounds like balloons were all the. rage at the time.

>> For sure. They also had an actual. balloon race, a longdistance balloon. race as part of the exposition. >> Yeah. >> Um that reminded me when I was reading. about the Sineorama um when we did our. Salt Lake City show that one time. >> Oh yeah. Before the show, during the. afternoon, I was walking around downtown. Salt Lake and I um ended up in like the. main Mormon temple and one of the things. they have there as an exhibit is a I. think it's basically 300°. It's not 360,

but it is really close. >> Yeah. >> Like highdeaf movie screen that is right. there in your face. >> Oh, cool. >> Of Brigham Young like receiving the. message from God. And it was so. disorienting that I ended up like. staggering out of there in the middle of. it. Like I couldn't take it. It was just. overwhelming. >> The message or the 300 degree uh. >> I guess a little bit of both, but I. think more the more the the whole 300. degree thing. It's it it was the most. immersive video experience I've ever.

seen by far. >> Yeah. I'm wondering, I haven't been to. the sphere in Vegas, but I'm wondering. if I mean it looks super cool, but I. wonder if there is any sort of like, oh. boy, this is too much kind of feeling. >> Probably. I mean, it's it's Las Vegas. >> Yeah, that's true. It's all too much. >> So, uh, one of the great things about. the 1900 exposition came from the United. States. It was an exhibit by American. black scholars including web Duboce and. Booker T. Washington uh who attended and.

basically said, "Here's all the progress. that black Americans have made since the. end of slavery." It sounds really cool. >> Yeah. They had uh books, they had. inventions, they had art, um they had. just straight up photographs of like, "Look, we have uh black nuns in the. United States, we have black soldiers, we have black college students." Um and. then apparently web uh doce was sort of. the early USA Today because he loved. making infographics. >> and he made infographics showing like.

their literacy rates were rising. Uh. they were they own taxable property and. the these were from actual uh Georgians. I think. >> right? >> Uh and then also like hey our literacy. is so good among black Americans like. we're better than Romania and Russia at. this point. >> Yeah. um they uh that if you I went and. looked at some of Duboce's um. infographics and they're really. interesting. Like he came up with some. really interesting ways to cram a bunch. of data. >> into one page visually. So it's worth.

looking up especially if you like. colorful things. >> Uh I do and that is very USA Today. >> Mhm. >> Shall we break now? >> Yes. >> All right. We will be right back after. this. >> Well, now we're on the road driving in. your truck. Why not learn a thing or two. from Josh and Chuck? It's stuff you. should know. >> Stuff you should know. >> All right.

All right. So, we're back. More World's. Fairs. Uh, Latin America is getting. involved now. Uh I think this is after. they had freed themsel uh themselves. from Spanish rule early 19th century. they wanted to again show like hey we're. doing pretty well um not only were they. sending um factions to other worlds. fairs like in Europe and the United. States. >> but Cordoba and Buenoseris uh Argentina.

had their own Santgo Chile had their own. and this was like between the 1870s and. 1880s. >> Yeah. Um, at the time there was a lot of. tension though apparently between the. country's boosters who were like, "Look. at us like we we don't need Spanish. Well, we're doing all this cool. interesting stuff and we're inventing. all this stuff." And then others there. were like, "No, the point of this is to. like sell ourselves as sources of raw. materials, >> right? >> And places where you can overthrow.

regimes to grow bananas more cheaply.". >> Yeah, I think that was that was a big. point, right? Like, hey, we can actually. make stuff here. We're not just to be. sort of looted for what we can provide. you. >> Precisely. And then the people who made. money from the country being looted, they were the ones who were like, "No, no, no. We need to just show off how. easily we're looted.". >> Yeah. Exactly. Uh there were, you know, speaking of looting, there were worlds. fairs and places that were colonized at. the time. Uh there was one in 1883 to 84. in Kolkata. Uh Kingston, Jamaica had one.

in 1891. Hanoi had one in 1902. And this. was, you know, hey, look at the local. culture, but also like clearly coming. from the colonizer side, like look how. great they're doing thanks to us. >> Right. Exactly. Um, okay. So, there were. like the they spread all over the world. because they were so impressive and they. really did bring a lot of attention and. industry and business and um uh exports. from these countries that were hosting.

these things. Like they were not just. vanity projects. there really were big. returns on them. >> Um, and the US got back in the game. I. don't know if it was the first one after. the Philadelphia one. It could have. been, >> but far and away, uh, in the United. States, the most famous World Fair was. the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, the. World's Colombian Exposition. It was a. pretty good World's Fair, if I do say so. myself. >> Yeah. And if you're one of the. gazillions of people who have emailed us.

over the years to do one on the Chicago. World's Fair and HH Holmes, the the. serial killer, >> um we we should probably do a standalone. episode on that. >> because this is just going to be a sort. of a a quickie. Yeah. >> On Chicago. And I know there's a lot. more to it than this. So I guess that's. me saying prepare to be disappointed a. little bit. >> Yeah. But uh more like a preamble to. like there'll be a deeper episode coming. because a lot of people have asked for. this over time. It is you know mainly. known for the fact that uh HH Holmes.

serial killer was kidnapping young women. who traveled to that Chicago fair and. had his murder castle in Englewood and. there was a great great book called The. Devil in the White City which I still. haven't read but everyone said it's just. amazing. It's by Eric Larson and it's on. the list. >> as far as popular histories go. It is. easily in the top five. >> Yeah, man. I got to read this thing. >> So good. So readable. He does such a. great job of putting you there. And it. is like it does cover HH Holmes and all.

the terrible stuff he does in depth, but. it also covers the fair in depth. It's. just it was an amazing thing. >> Yeah. So, we're going to cover the fair. not so in depth. Uh but we're going to. mention a few things for sure. This is. where we got Cracker Jacks. >> Mhm. >> Uh this is where we got the dishwasher. >> Sure. Uh this is where we got the the. modern zipper which they called a clasp. locker at the time. >> We did an episode on that too in 2020. >> That's right. Uh what else? >> Uh the ferris wheel came from the 1893. expedition which very quickly after that.

became like a staple of world's fairs. Uh and it was very appropriately. designed by George Washington Gail. Ferris Jr. who was from Pittsburgh. And. the first one he designed was 264 ft. tall, 36 cars, and offered a 20-minute. ride in exchange for 50 cents, which is. about $18 today. And you could see the. whole dang fair from the top of that. ferris wheel. And it blew people's. minds. >> Yeah. I thought it was when I was. reading this, I thought it was.

interesting that um they became a thing, but like more like a or at least in the. United States, more like a fairgrounds. or a carnival thing. Mhm. >> Uh and just more recently, like the past. like 15 or 20 years, I feel like went. back to this original idea, put like a. huge ferris wheel in a in a downtown. city, >> right? >> Ju just so you can like see stuff. >> Yeah. And bear in mind also at the time. we kind of take it for granted now but. in the same way that you the average. person was not exposed to cutting edge. technology and new ideas and awesome new.

products and stuff. >> people people especially in the. Midwestern United States were not. exposed to a view of 264 feet like this. is an extremely novel experience for. most of the people who attended that. fair. >> Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Atlanta's got one. You ever been on that one? No, I have not. I haven't been on a. ferris wheel in a long, long time. >> Yeah, you know, London has the eye, Atlanta has theirs. It's uh it, you.

know, it's it's it was fun to take Ruby. when she was little. Uh but like there's. no reason for you to go on it. >> Okay, good to know. Even the London Eye, have you been on that one? >> I haven't been on that. But hey, there's. a Ted's Montana Grill right there. The. Tabernacle's right there. So, if you got. tickets to see a show at the tabernacle, >> go eat at Ted's Montana Grill. Have a. bison burger. >> Check. >> Ride on the ferris wheel and and then. you've done it. >> We're going to see Ekko and the Bunnyman. in May. So, we'll ride the ferris wheel.

then. >> Remind me about that before it happens. cuz I might meet you there. >> I just did. >> No man, that's in May. You got to remind. me like three days before. >> I will. Maybe we can ride the ferris. wheel together. Yumi, Yumi, and Emily. >> Oh, man. Our Instagram would blow up. Could Would you believe it? I think I. just blew some people's minds by saying. Y, Yumi, and Emily. >> Yeah, people get that confused a lot. They do. >> This is way off target cuz we were just. talking about something that reminded me. of it, but I had a funny Simpsons. reference last night.

>> Wait a minute. What? You're about to go. on a tangent because those aren't. allowed on our podcast. >> Do you ever make a joke that you know no. one else will get, but so it's really a. joke for you? >> Like 80% of the time, maybe? I was watching Emily or Emily was gone. last night. So Ruby and I had a a daddy. daughter night in which we usually like. order cheeseburgers and watch a like a. action movie or something. >> cute. >> And I showed her Speed last night. >> Uhhuh. >> And uh I queued it up and I was like, "You're going to love this. I'm not even. going to tell you anything about it.".

And she was like, "No, wait. Will you at. least tell me the name of it?" And I. went, "It's called The Bus that Couldn't. Slow Down.". And she was like, "Really?" And I went, "No, it's a Simpsons joke." And then she. wouldn't just let it go. She had me. explain the whole thing, which, you. know, fell on deaf ears. But. >> it's one of my all-time favorite kind of. Simpsons uh jokes. >> I don't remember that joke. >> It was Homer was describing a movie that. he had just seen and he was like, "Oh. yeah, >> it's a bus whose speed couldn't slow. down because if it had less speed, it.

would blow up and the speed would cause. it to whatever." And he said speed like. eight times and. >> they asked him what the name of it was. He said the bus that couldn't slow down. >> Man, that show just keeps on giving, doesn't it? >> I know. Speed holds up pretty good, too, by the way. >> Oh, well, yeah. Kuna Reeves short hair. is really great in that movie. >> Yeah, it he he was hunky. And it's like. uh Yeah, it really it was I mean, it's. so action-packed. It was It was great. I. enjoyed it. >> Yeah, Dennis Hopper as a bad guy. A.

crazed bad guy is pretty much timeless. >> He was great. And I I remembered the bus. stuff, but that's just the middle part. I forgot the whole first part and the. last part which was also tons of action. >> I don't remember that. >> Yeah. Go back and then watch it. We'll. watch it before we go on the ferris. wheel. >> We just did a mini crush. >> I know we did. Uh where are we? Oh, we're back at 1893 because that's where. electricity really came in, right? >> Yes. That was another big thing in Devil. in the White City. Um they they really. went behind the scenes. I think there. was a huge struggle between George.

Westinghouse and Thomas Edison to get. the contract to light the 1893 World's. Fair and Westinghouse won. Yes. Um and. he lit this fair up and it was gorgeous. I didn't see it, but I read Eric. Larson's description and it's it sounded. just totally amazing. >> Yeah, that sounds cool. That's also. where Chicago really got a lot of its uh. beautiful architecture that we love. today. >> Yeah. >> Uh with their neocclassical buildings. was a lot of more temporary at the time.

>> and that's why they called it the White. City, but it really influenced the. design going forward. >> to promote that Bose arts style. Is that. how you say it? >> Yeah. >> Thanks. Uh and also if you're wondering. like did they do that at other fairs? That's we got art deco from the 1925 uh. exhibit in Paris. >> Yes. And a little traveler's tip here. If you ever find yourself in New. Zealand, I think the northern part of. it, >> do yourself a favor and go visit Napier.

is a small town. I don't remember what. part of New Zealand it's in, but you. really can't miss anything in New. Zealand. It's not that big. And it. suffered an earthquake in I think 1931. and like the whole downtown was leveled. So they were like, well, what what style. is in right now? Oh, art deco. So they. rebuilt their entire downtown in art. deco. all these amazing different. buildings and amazing different colors. and they have preserved it like. perfectly. >> Oh man, I love art deco. I got to check. that out. >> Oh, you Yes. This is the art deco town.

known internationally as the art deco. town. >> Had never heard of it. I thought you. were going to recommend the uh river. tour, the architectural tour in Chicago. >> I didn't take that one. It sounds kind. of cool though. >> It's awesome. Uh for like a a big sort. of large mass tour thing. It's really. great. >> Did Ferris Buer go on that in the movie? because I know he was on a boat at some. point or they showed people on a boat. >> I don't know if there's a shot of that. or not. >> All right. Well, let's just say there. is. >> Okay. But I did it. Chuck Beer did.

>> Um Okay. Uh oh. Yeah. So, that was 1893. Like we said, go read that book. You. will not regret it. Um and then jumping. forward a little bit, but staying in the. United States, there was the St. Louis. World's Fair in 1904. Have you ever seen Meet Meet Meet Meet. Meet Meet Meet Meet Meet Meet Me in St. Louis, Chuck? >> No. I take it that was you that added. that was a terrible Saint a terrible uh. musical. >> Yes, it was. It was. >> like I didn't want to be I didn't want.

to exist for those couple of hours while. I was sitting there watching this play. It's so dumb and the music is so stupid. and everything about it is just. >> terrible. >> Where did you see this? >> At the Fox. >> Wow. So like of a Broadway revival. >> Yeah. And this period of American. history I just find creepy and I don't. really like it anyway, you know? There's. a lot of like sussophone music and stuff. like that. >> Okay. >> Um so and this is like a whole thing set. at that time and it's just it's not.

good, dude. >> Wow. All right. >> Okay. So don't see it. >> Okay. Go see Hell's Kitchen instead or. Operation Mince Meat. >> Okay. Um, but also there's a lot of. misiscon. they said a lot of people say like. that's where the hamburger came from and. the hot dog and the ice cream cone. >> And some of that stuff is partly true,

right? >> Yes. Hot hot dogs were first served in. buns at the 1904 fair, but hot dogs. already existed, >> right? Ice cream cone wasn't invented. there, but this is where the first place. where a lot of people saw ice cream. cones for the first time. >> It sounds like a bunch of junk food. >> Yeah, it definitely was. Cotton candy. was debuted at the 1904 fair. >> And um I feel like there's a nice little. twist to the inventor, don't you? >> Yeah. He sold it as fairy floss. His.

name was William J. Morrison, and he he. was in fact a dentist. Uh I think that's. one of those little fun facts that. people like to throw around. Mhm. >> Absolutely true. But it was also Dr. Pepper debuted there. Jello- puffed dry. cereal. It sounds just like a bunch of. like American junk. >> Yeah. This is where a lot of it came. from for sure. And then also just uh we. might edit this part out, but just. between you and me, the first electric. plug and socket debuted there too, which. is pretty significant.

>> But I want to give a little hat tip to. Livia for explaining what an electric. plug and socket does. which allowed lights and appliances to. be safely attached to and detached from. a central power supply. >> Oh man, Livia best. >> That's the dedication that we can expect. from Livia. >> Uh and also you can get way more. in-depth information. We kind of did a. whole episode that covered this kind of. thing. >> in uh 2019, our episode on human zoos. and how awful they were,

>> right? But they had stuff like that here. like native villages and that's in. quotes uh where they had very offensive. sort of misleading um exhibits about uh. indigenous Americans and Filipinos and. Africans and yeah that just a sort of a. bummer of a world's fair I think. >> Yeah for sure. Um yeah they would. basically be like hey let's take every. single racist um conception or. misconception and attitude that we have. toward all these different groups and. bring them to life. Yeah, and that's. exactly what it was. So, yeah, that was.

it was a good episode and that it was it. explained it pretty well, but it was. definitely a a bummer of an episode for. sure. >> Yeah, but you could wash it all down. with a Dr. Pepper. So, what what could. be wrong? >> That's right. And give somebody a big. smile and like half of your teeth are. missing. >> Uh, all right. I think we're at our. second break point and we'll talk about. sort of the next uh wave of World's. Fairs and then kind of the death of. World's Fairs right after this. Well, now when you're on the road driving in.

your truck, why not learn a thing or two. from Josh and Chuck? It's stuff you. should know. >> Stuff you should know. >> All right. So after World War I, um, World's Fairs. became less common and less successful. I blame, uh, going off of the gold.

standard, >> right? >> But, um, there's still plenty that came. along that you'll that if you know. anything about World's Fairs, pay any. kind of attention to it, you'll be like, "No, there was Expo 67 in Montreal, or. there was Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan." Yes. Yes. We'll get to all those. Um, but the. general point is here is that they were. less successful because people started. to see radio. There were movies or they. started to listen to radio. Movies. became widespread and very popular. Um,

and then simultaneously to that there. were so many worlds fairs to choose. from. No matter where you were in the. world, you you might be in a a large. area, a large city um that has multiple. worlds fairs competing with one another. in the same region, certainly the same. country. That happened and it became a. bit of a mess. So this uh group called. the Bureau International Expositions, the BIE, established in Paris, of. course, um they said, "We're going to.

step and we're going to start regulating. these events. We're going to take this. mess and we're going to mash it into a. Devil's Tower plateau of mashed. potatoes. We're going to create. something coherent out of it. >> Wow, nice ref. Uh yeah, they they. established some rules. Well, the first. rule was like unless it's officially. sanctioned by us, it's not even a. World's Fair. >> Mhm. >> So, you got to go through us. Um it. can't be more than 6 months. You can't. run these things for 9 12 months. Uh you. got to have a theme. Like, get it. together, everyone. Like a party with a. theme is so much better.

>> Sure. And since then, uh, this was in. 1928, there have only been 50 World's. Fairs, uh, since, uh, I guess they. established in 1928, but, 1931 is when. they officially started sanctioning. them, and there's only been 50 since. then, >> right? >> Can you imagine some poor guy who's. like, "Hey, this isn't an official. World's Fair, >> wants their money back.". >> Yeah. So, um, after the Cold War. started, these things you kind of. mentioned at the outset, they seem to be.

like different countries saying like, "Look at how great we are.". >> That was a huge part of world's affairs. that that were during the Cold War, especially between the American and the. Soviet pavilions. >> Um, yeah, >> they were like basically like here's the. stage where we can show the rest of the. world how much better we are than you, Russia, and vice versa. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um, little fun fact we. got to throw in there. You remember the. the Montreal Expose, which are now the. Washington Nationals in Major League. Baseball. >> Yeah. >> Uh that name came from the Montreal Expo.

that happened in 1967. >> Yep. >> It's a fun little fact. Uh New York had. a couple of big ones in Queens. Uh they. had one in 39 and 40. Uh the world of. tomorrow was a big theme and they. debuted things like air conditioning, television, nylon stockings. Pretty. good. Uh they debuted a robot that. smoked cigarettes named Electro uh who. had a dog a robot dog named Sparkco. >> Yeah. >> And this was kind of notable mostly for.

well for those things but also the fact. that they were able to uh put a bunch of. money into reclaiming uh Flushing. Meadows and Corona Park which at the. time was a a dumping ground for ash. >> and just a really gross spot. But um you. know when you when you fly if you see. Men in Black or you fly over it is where. the New York Mets used to be. Um and you. would see that big um steel globe from. Men in Black. Uh very famously that was. the New York World's Fair in 39 and 40.

>> Yeah. Um I looked at pictures of Electro. and he looks like a 1939 robot for sure. Huge barrel chest and then like like he. look I. >> a little bit like Mr. Robato, but a. little less detailed in the face. But he. did smoke cigarettes. I saw it. >> It's nice. >> One of the other things about World. Fairs, too, is depending on what the. world was doing, like for example, if. they were about to enter a world war or. were already embroiled in one, it could. make for some awkward stuff. Like.

Germany was going to open a pavilion at. the 1939's World's Fair and after they. invaded Czechoslovakia, um the rest of the world was like, "No, you're not allowed here at this World's. Fair. um the UK, Poland, Czechoslovakia, a few other countries that were already. involved in World War II had pavilions. there and so like stuff that was going. on in Europe was being reflected in the. World's Fair. >> Yeah, for sure. Um we're heading back to. Queens cuz I mentioned they had two. there and they had their second one. there in 6465.

And this was a pretty um pretty big one, too. Uh I think this is where that. sphere came from was the 6465 if I'm not. mistaken. Uh this is where computers. really made their first big go. Uh IBM. had a huge they had like an acre uh acre. size spot uh display. Um they had a uh. this is where where Walt Disney really. made a big splash too. Uh I think they. debuted it's a small the literal it's a. small world ride there.

>> which is pretty cool. And then if you've. ever been to the Magic Kingdom in. Orlando and rode or ridden the Carousel. of Progress, >> uh that made its debut there. That was. GE, you know, and if you've ever ridden. it, it's clearly like a like, hey, look. what's what's going to happen not too. far from now. >> Yeah. And they did one for the state of. Illinois, too. And I looked that up and. apparently they they created an. animatronic talking Abe Lincoln which I. believe ended up giving rise to the Hall.

of Presidents. >> Yeah. One of the creepier things you can. do at Disney. >> It really is. Uh one of the other things. is that the 1964 World's Fair was so g. whiz look at the future that Isaac. Azimov, the great science fiction. writer, was um uh prompted to write an. essay. Yeah. >> Yeah. about what the what the world's. fair in 2014, 50 years in the future. would look like. And he got some right. He missed the mark a little bit. Um like. for example, he got right that um robots.

will neither be common nor very good in. 2014, but they will be in existence. >> That's certainly true. They're getting. better now, but 2014 uh robots, the one. I had was not very impressive. >> Did it smoke cigarettes, though? >> It did. Well, it did. We did. That's the. key to a good robot. >> I had to have a smoking buddy. >> That's right. Uh what else, Chuck? What. else did he say? >> Uh well, this one is interesting because. it sounds like he got it just right, but. just, you know, you'll have to hear the. after the afterward.

>> Um he said that society will suffer. mental, emotional, and socio. psychological consequences from our. technology. >> And if you read that, you think, man, he. nailed it in 1964. Like right on the. head. But he had a different take than. that. He was like, "No, that's going to. happen because it's going to be like. wall E basically where nobody works. because robots are doing everything and. we're going to suffer from what he. called enforced leisure.

>> and everyone's just going to be lazy and. it's going to be awful." And he said the. most glorious single word in the world. will have become work. >> That's cute. >> He missed that mark a little bit for. sure. >> Yeah. So, the 1964 World's Fair was. basically the last great World's Fair. that the United States ever threw. There. have been plenty of great World's Fairs. since then, but as far as the US is. concerned, 64 was the the last good one. 62 in Seattle, that gave us the Space. Needle. It was called the Century 21.

Expo. Um, and 10 million people showed. up. And this kind of showed a uh the. beginning of a trend of declining. attendance. >> in in the fairs that were thrown in. America because this was about the time. that Americans decided that we wanted to. stop being informed. >> Yeah. And you know, we're not bagging on. any of these cities and any of their. world's fairs. It's just sort of a fact. that this is when attendance really. started to wayne. Some of them lost a.

lot of money. Um, we love that Space. Needle, but uh 10 million people isn't. like two years later in New York there. were 56 million, >> right? >> Uh, and that brings us to New Orleans. and the Louisiana World Exposition of. 1984. >> New Orleans is one of my favorite cities. in the world. Truly, truly deep down, I. love New Orleans. >> Nice. >> But they put on a pretty shoddy World's. Fair in 1984. >> Yeah. I mean, it was really heavy on the. New Orleans culture. like they have a. lot to to show off as far as that's.

concerned. The amphitheater there was. designed by Frank Giri. Um the parts. that were done well were just little. magical spots, right? >> Yeah. >> But there were also lots of parts that. were like asphalt and concrete. thoroughares that just kind of looked. like um like a just something you might. stumble upon in a park in a small town. at some point like with the booths set. up along each side. some of the the. actual design, structures and buildings.

were very very bland. And then the one. of the main reasons they wanted to throw. this was because they wanted to. revitalize um New Orleans as a town. where you could just come outside of. Mardigra, outside of Jazzfest, like you. can just come anytime and it'll be fun. So the riverfront that they were. promoting was largely abandoned, was. pretty run down and this is where they. built the World's Fair area. So you. could kind of see the reality of the. area at the edges pretty clearly.

>> Yeah. I mean, some of the stuff wasn't. even finished. So, this isn't just us. again like with our opinions on things. like when you have uh two massive. alligator statues at top the Wonder Wall. in Bayou Plaza. >> and they're not done and and along their. backs there's not even, you know, alligator scales and it's just the metal. structure that was underneath. >> Uh it's not great. it was unfinished. Um. they, you know, if you were from New. Orleans and Louisiana, you probably had. a great time. I imagine a lot of people.

had a great time, but um they, you know, Ronald Reagan didn't even go. I think. the president almost always goes or had. always gone to attend the opening. Um. less than 10 million people went and. they lost a ton of money on it. >> Yeah. And so to be fair, like this. wasn't just New Orleans fault. They were. they were victims of this long-standing. or or this trend. Yeah. I guess it was. long-standing by then of American. attendance being pretty shoddy. >> Yeah. >> Um the Knoxville World's Fair, which. gave us the Sunsere, which is still.

>> I remember that one. >> That was held two years before. Epcot. came along two years before and it built. itself as a permanent World's Fair. >> Not fair. >> No. The Olympics were being held in LA. that same year and it was sucking a lot. of the enthusiasm and energy over to the. West Coast. Plus, Louisiana and. surrounding states like Texas, where you. would rely on a lot of your visitors to. come from, their local economies just. went in the toilet because the oil. industry hit a huge bust time.

>> Yeah. I mean, I think uh the organizers. for the New Orleans fair went bankrupt. Uh they lost more than 120 million. bucks. Uh creditors apparently uh. allegedly got back 8 cents on the. dollar. >> Mhm. And it was it was such a bust that. they canled the 1992 World's Fair in. Chicago. >> I know. >> Um yeah, it it was it was not great. >> No, but like we said that there have. been plenty of um there were plenty of. non-American throne world fairs that. were outstanding. One of the ones that.

frequently gets point pointed to was. Osaka in 1970. >> And this is about the time. So Europe. kind of kicked it off. It spread. throughout the world. America did its. best to kind of take over for a while. and then it moved east. The kind of the. epicenter of where world's fairs are. held moved from the to the Middle East. and east generally more often than not. these days. And Osaka7 seemed to kind of. kick that off. >> Yeah, they debuted IMAX movies in 1970.

in Osaka with a 17-minute film called. Tiger Child. Uh I think the two the 2010 expo in. Shanghai I think has the record right of. of visitors 73 million people uh the. largest of all time. So that's you know. they're certainly not dead. Uh I I was. wondering some point a couple years ago. like what happened to the world's fairs. and you know they're just happening in a. big big way in places like Shanghai so. it's not as much on my radar. >> right. >> and also I think things like.

>> CES the consumer electronic show and. other sort of specific industry expose. and trade shows have sort of dampened. the um the appetite for these don't you. think. >> for sure but they are still around Osaka. is going to hold another one or I'm. sorry it held another one in 2025. there's one Belgrade Servier or Belgrad, can't remember which way you say it. That's coming in 2027. And then Riyad, Saudi Arabia is I think the furthest out. one that's already scheduled for 2030.

So, it's definitely still happening. Um. I would like to go to one just to see. what the heck's going on. I'd like to go. to the Belgrade one. >> Oh, that'd be cool. >> Uh and also just one other thing I want. to just shout out. Um Expo 70 in Osaka. That is where Yumi's aunt and uncle met. >> Oh, nice. Yeah, I thought so, too. He. was a smoking robot. She was a show. girl. >> Classic story. >> Uh, you got anything else? >> I got nothing else. >> All right. Well, that's it everybody.

That's World's Fair. I guess we'll see. you in Belgrade in 2027. And until then, Truck, I say it's time. for listener mail. >> That's right. We heard from a lot of. people about our short stuff on the. McGuffin. No, we're talking about this, >> which was pretty it was pretty fun. I. think it was kind of appropriate that we. couldn't quite define it cuz it's quite. hard to define. >> Okay, fair enough. >> Uh, but we heard from a writer director. legit. Uh, hey guys, I'm a writer. director from LA. Uh, I thought I could.

share how I've always viewed the. McGuffin. When you're trying to develop. a film plot, you might uh have a. specific location or scenario that you. want your characters to end up in, but. sometimes you can't think of a natural. way to get them there. So, that's where. you throw in a mcguffin. Uh, in fact, if. you're really in the zone while you're. writing, uh, you can use it as a. placeholder even, uh, and say like the. protagonist stops by the house to grab a. mcguffin only to find a dead body in the. yard. >> Oh. >> Uh, one of the reasons it can be. difficult to identify a mcguffin from a. specific movie is because the writer.

might be disguising it to avoid what. could be perceived as lazy. screenwriting. Uh, one of the more. obvious examples is a character needing. to find the secret map that leads to the. treasure or the next clue. That is from. Josh Beck, writer, director. Uh, and. like I said, we heard from a lot of. people. Um, one was kind of funny. We. heard from somebody who kind of said, "I. don't care what George Lucas says. R2-D2. is not a mcguffin. Uh, it's the plans. that are mcguffin." Because.

>> the person is never the mcguffin. It's. the object. >> And I had the the great um sorrow to. write this person and say, "I'm sorry to. break it to you, but R2-D2 is an. object.". >> Oh. >> And not a person. I know. It's true, though. Like, if the. whole point to this writer's uh email. was, >> hey, it's not the person, it's the. object, it's like, well, >> an android isn't a person. >> So, I feel like then Josh backed you up. that that the McGuffin is totally. irrelevant to what you care about in the.

whole thing and that it's kind of like. this thing that gets you to the thing. that's the point, >> which is basically what you were saying. Yes. Okay. both the first time when you. brought it up in some other episode and. that that short stuff you stuck to your. gun. So it sounds like you were right. But then all of those people out there. who are like Maltese Falcon is the the. quintessential example of McGuffin. That. is just wrong then. That's not true. Yes. It's the point of the whole thing. Everything everyone's doing is centered.

around getting their hands on the. Maltese Falcon. Nothing else matters. There's no interpersonal stuff that. really matters. That is the point of. everything. So, it can't possibly be a. mcguffin. >> Is But is the Maltese Falcon itself. important? Like, >> yes. >> The Well, what what does it do? >> It gives you riches beyond measure. >> Oh, okay. >> It's like Yes. And it's irreplaceable. It's its own thing. It's It is not a. mcguffin. And I don't ever want to talk.

about mcguffins again after this. I'm so sorry that I ever brought it up. >> We also heard from a lot of people who. pointed out the Big Bang Theory TV show. thing where they say that Indiana Jones. was a mcguffin himself. >> because if he was not a part of that. movie like nothing. >> nothing would have mattered like the the. Nazis would have opened up the arc and. it would have killed them all and. nothing would have changed. Oh. >> Uh, yeah. I don't know about that. because it ended up in his hands and.

ended up in the storage, but I don't. know. >> That's a Huh. I hadn't thought about. that point. Wow, that Chuck Lori, he's. amazing. >> Yeah. >> Did I ever tell you about the time we. were in Los Angeles and um it was the. day after Charlie Sheen's meltdown and. like the entire future of like that. whole show was up in the air. the we just happened to be in LA that. one day and I just happened to be. walking at the McDonald's that John.

Crier happened to go to and started. stress eating like a McMuffin in his. Mercedes. >> A Mcuffin. No, I remember you telling me. that story. That is incredible. >> Think about the timing. all the. different little things that had to. happen to just bring me to pass to see. that one guy. >> whose whose issues were on the world. stage right then. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> It was nuts. Yeah. So, I hope he's doing. better. >> Oh, he's doing fine. >> Good. Uh well, uh that was Josh who.

wrote in and thanks to everybody who. wrote in about McGuffins. We did get a. lot of great emails from everybody. So, thank you. And if you want to write us a. great email, whether you're a writer or. director, both, neither, doesn't matter. We want to hear from you. Send it off to. stuffodcast@ iheartradio.com. >> Stuff you should know is a production of. iHeart Radio. For more podcasts, iHeart. Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple. Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your. favorite shows.