KERA's Think Actor Ed Helms on history’s biggest screw ups
May 2, 2025
Ed Helms, comedian and actor known for his roles in The Office and The Hangover, dives into history's biggest blunders. He shares the wild story of cats trained as spies in the CIA's Operation Acoustic Kitty, and an absurd Cold War plan to nuke the moon. Helms also discusses the accidental nuclear bomb drop in South Carolina and the ambitious yet flawed Biosphere 2 project. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes humor's role in coping with humanity's mistakes and reflects on our fascination with history's screw-ups.
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Hope in Historical Screw-Ups
- History is full of mega mess-ups, showing that current problems are not unprecedented.
- This perspective offers optimism that humanity will survive and recover from failures.
Comedy as Pain Relief
- Humor serves as a coping mechanism for cultures facing hardship.
- It helps compartmentalize pain and functioning during tough times, even through gallows humor.
Comedy Holds Truth to Power
- Satire often holds a mirror to institutional hypocrisy, serving as accountability.
- Comedy can be a powerful way of speaking truth to power, from Voltaire to modern shows.