Ed Helms, the talented actor known for his roles in "The Office" and "The Hangover," joins to share his passion for history's greatest screw-ups, or SNAFUs. He dives into humorous tales of engineering fails, including notorious disasters that went hilariously wrong. Ed explores how history can provide a therapeutic escape, reflecting on the absurdities of past blunders and the lessons they teach us. Further, he discusses the importance of resilience and how personal struggles can fuel creative expression, all while keeping the conversation lighthearted and engaging.
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insights INSIGHT
History's Dual Lesson
Studying history reveals humanity's repeated failures and resilience.
Despite disasters, the common thread is survival and perseverance.
insights INSIGHT
Consequences of Human Failings
History shows the dire consequences of incompetence, secrecy, and corruption.
Mistakes in leadership often result in loss of human life.
insights INSIGHT
History Teaches and Warns
History offers comic relief and perspective but also warns us to get decisions right.
Poor choices in leadership have real and grave consequences for people.
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You might know Ed Helms as Andy Bernard from The Office or Stu Price from The Hangover movies—but did you know he’s also a serious history buff? He’s especially fascinated by history’s biggest screwups, better known as SNAFUs ("Situation Normal: All F**ked Up"). In today’s episode, Ed joins Ryan to unpack some of these epic blunders, explain how history became an escape for him, and share why learning about the past can be surprisingly therapeutic.
Ed Helms is an actor, comedian, podcast host, and author.Ed has starred as Andy Bernard in The Office, Stuart Price in The Hangover trilogy, We’re the Millers, The Lorax, and much more. He hosts the podcast SNAFU and just released his book SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups.
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