Frida Kahlo: Pain, Politics, and the Self-Portraits That Made an Icon
In this episode of The Compendium, we dive into the wild, beautiful, and often brutal life of Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo is the artist who turned her pain into power. From the accident that shattered her spine to the politics, love affairs, and Diego Rivera drama that filled her world, Frida painted every heartbreak straight onto the canvas. And today I’m going to tell Adam all about it as we explore her bold self-portraits, her surrealism before it had a name, and how a woman once dismissed as “Diego’s wife” became a global symbol of art, rebellion, and self-expression, from La Casa Azul to the Tate Modern.
We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:
Frida (2002) – Directed by Julie Taymor
Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo – by Hayden Herrera
Complete Works – Frida Kahlo – Frida Kahlo Foundation
Frida: The Making of an Icon – Exhibition at Tate Modern
Host & Show Info
Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
Topic Suggested by: Samantha Bingley
Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin
Trailer Music: Stealy Move by Soundroll
Community & Calls to Action
Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
️ Early access episodes: Patreon
Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
--------
1:26:37
--------
1:26:37
Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
In this episode of The Compendium, we dive into the chaotic story of Fyre Festival, the so-called “greatest party that never happened.” What began as Billy McFarland’s glossy vision of a luxury music festival in the Bahamas quickly unraveled into a full-scale disaster involving Ja Rule, celebrity influencers, and one infamous cheese sandwich. We explore how this viral catastrophe became a modern parable of greed, Ponzi schemes, and social media delusion, and what happened to Billy McFarland after the fallout.
We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019) – by Chris Smith
Fyre Festival – Wikipedia
Hype: Inside the Fyre Festival and the Golden Age of Grift – by Gabrielle Bluestone
Billy McFarland – Wikipedia
Host & Show Info
Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin
Trailer Music: Stealy Move by Soundroll
Community & Calls to Action
Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
️ Early access episodes: Patreon
Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
--------
1:26:32
--------
1:26:32
It's Raining Meat
In this episode of The Compendium, we hand over the mic to our friends at Horrifying History for a crossover episode. Its a tale so bizarre, it sounds made up, but absolutely isn’t.
In 1876, a woman in rural Kentucky stepped outside to find chunks of raw meat falling from the sky. Yes, actual meat! What followed was a media frenzy, scientific confusion, and some truly stomach-churning theories — including one involving vulture vomit.
Horrifying History explores this forgotten slice of weird America and why it’s exactly the kind of story we love: unsettling, unexplained, and just plausible enough to make you question everything.
We give you just The Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:
And find more episodes of Horrifying History wherever you get your podcasts.
Host & Show Info
Host: Brenda Ganske
Listen on: Spotify
Listen on: Apple
Visit at: https://bleav.com/shows/horrifying-history
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
--------
31:46
--------
31:46
The Mushroom Murderer: Erin Patterson’s Deadly Family Lunch and the Trial that Shocked the World.
In this episode of The Compendium, we explore the Mushroom Murders the shocking case of Erin Patterson and the deadly family lunch poisoned with death cap mushrooms. Three relatives died, one barely survived, and the trial revealed her deep web of lies. This episode has it all, deception, courtroom drama and of course that imfamous poisoned Beef Wellington. Join us as we uncover how this bizarre story became Australia’s most infamous mushroom murder trial.
We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:
Inside the Family Lunch That Killed Three (2025) — Youtube
Leongatha Mushroom Murders — Wikipedia
Key Facts in Australia’s Mushroom Murder Trial — Reuters
Host & Show Info
Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin
Trailer Music: Stealy Move by Soundroll
Community & Calls to Action
Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
️ Early access episodes: Patreon
Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
--------
1:34:21
--------
1:34:21
Space Cadets: The British Reality Show That Convinced Contestants They Were In Space
In this episode of The Compendium, we revisit Space Cadets: How A British Reality Show Convinced Contestants They Were In Space. In 2005, Channel 4 and Endemol staged the most ambitious TV hoax in British history, tricking contestants into believing they had been launched into orbit. Hosted by Johnny Vaughan, the show combined fake cosmonaut training, a shuttle simulator, and an elaborate Ipswich “Russian base” to sell the illusion. Nearly twenty years later, we unpack how Space Cadets blurred entertainment and deception, why it remains reality TV’s strangest moment, and how contestants truly believed they were in space.
We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:
Space Cadets (2005) – Wikipedia
Space Cadets TV Series - Youtube
Ipswich, we have a problem - The Guardian
Capricorn One (1978) – by Peter Hyams
Host & Show Info
Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin
Trailer Music: Stealy Move by Soundroll
Community & Calls to Action
Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
️ Early access episodes: Patreon
Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
About The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
A weekly variety podcast giving you just enough information on a topic to stand your ground at any social gathering. We explore stories from the realms of true crime, history, and incredible people.
Listen to The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things, The Mel Robbins Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app