ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗
Just like history isn’t all black and white, neither are the people who lived it. So who are the ones living in the grey?
Welcome to Ambivalent Offenders— where we dig into the lives of people who’ve been called a lot of things: villains, scoundrels, monsters, misfits, or just plain morally messy. But were they really as bad as history says… or have they gotten an unfair rap?
In each episode, we unpack the stories, facts, and cultural myths surrounding some of the most questionable (and sometimes misunderstood) figures from the past — all in a tone that’s more friend-at-brunch (according to one listener review) than lecture hall. No dusty textbooks, no moral grandstanding. Just conversational storytelling, questionable behavior, and a little historical tea.
Ultimately, we’re here to do what humans do best: judge the hell out of some pretty interesting people.
Update frequency:
every 27 days
Average audio length:
75 minutes
English
United States
60 episodes
since April 21, 2023
episodic
LATEST EPISODE 🔗
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this month on Patreon, we did our own official power ranking of the American Revolutionary War Founding Fathers (and Mothers! Don't worry, Abby Adams, we did not forget the ladies!). We are sharing a clip of us discussing G…
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PREVIOUS EPISODES 🔗
Erin and I (Jamie) return to the story of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in this special episode. This time we focus on the final hours leading up to the 1999 plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn, and her sister Lauren.
Drawing directly from the official NTSB accident report and other pri…
NOTE: The entirety of this episode will be published in a week to our main feed. But to access it early, just join our Patreon at ANY tier! Link is in the show notes or if you search "Patreon Ambivalent Offenders."
Erin and I (Jamie) return to the story of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in this…
We return to Ambivalent Offenders in 2026 with a fresh look at Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy—now back in the cultural spotlight thanks to FX and Hulu’s Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. In this special 20 minute segment from our full Patreon episode, we revisit our original two‑part d…
In this first episode of the series, we are diving deep into the often messy and violent early life of William the Conqueror. From his tumultuous childhood in 11th-century Normandy to gaining his infamous title of conqueror, we explore the turbulent road that saw a young bastard son of a duke becom…
In Part 2 of Harold Godwinson’s story, Erin and Matt chart Harold's rise to power after the death of his father, his (very) brief kingship, and the bitter betrayal of his brother, which ultimately led to the showdown with Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A battle in …
Erin and Matt dive into the wildly dramatic life of Harold Godwinson, the last true Anglo-Saxon King of England. In Part 1, we rewind to the Anglo-Saxon world to follow the rise of Harold’s ambitious, king-making father, Godwin, the chaos of Viking invasions, and the messy family dynamics that shap…
Join Jamie, Erin, and Matt as they dive into the extraordinary life of Toussaint Louverture—born into slavery, educated under the eyes of plantation masters, and soon the driving force behind the Caribbean’s most pivotal uprising. In this episode, we set the scene beyond Saint-Domingue’s brutal sug…
Join hosts Erin, Jamie, and Matt as we unpack the life of the heretic pharaoh who upended centuries of religious practices for a sun disc with hands. Along with his famous wife, Nefertiti, Akhenaten built an entire city from scratch for his new religion, and dragged the whole country along for the …
Yoko Ono has long been cast in the shadow of John Lennon—or worse, blamed for breaking up The Beatles. But the truth is far more powerful. In this episode, we dive into Yoko’s groundbreaking solo art career, her fearless activism, and the decades of backlash she endured as a woman, an outsider, and…
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jamie Poljanac, Erin Poljanac, & Matt H, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
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