? EARS TO THE GROUND-

Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know is a podcast for rational conspiracy theorists. Since 2008, hosts Ben Bowlin, Matt Frederick, and Noel Brown have been delving into the world of popular conspiracy theories to analyze them rationally and uncover the disturbing grains of truth at the heart of paranoia. In addition to prevalent conspiracy theories, the hosts delve into cultural topics like the dubious history of tipping. They reveal that its origins lie in European feudalism, and that the cultural phenomenon made its way to the US after the Civil War as Americans tried to imitate the European bureaucrats they observed while traveling the continent. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, emancipated slaves were hired without actual wages and forced to rely on tips as their main source of income. This is unfortunately an abused system to this day, as since tipping is not enforced by law, only cultural practice, some institutions take advantage of this unspoken rule to avoid paying their employees a livable wage, forcing the consumer to shoulder the burden and the blame of providing workers with enough money to make it through the month. You can also listen to the full episode on iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Audible.

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