Summary
Overview
The QI team presents their weekly podcast from the London Podcast Festival, sharing four fascinating facts ranging from wooden bathing suits in the 1920s to hot priest calendars and Shakespeare translations. The discussion covers unusual swimwear throughout history, creative ways to handle cremated remains, Shakespeare's collaborative works and international translations, and the bizarre world of charity nude calendars in early 2000s Britain.
Wooden Bathing Suits and Swimming Costume History
In the 1920s, spruce veneer bathing suits were marketed as simple, cheap, and fashionable swimwear that floated in water. The discussion expands to cover various controversial swimming costumes throughout history, including Martha Washington's weighted swimsuit designed to preserve modesty, Annette Kellerman's arrests for immodest swimwear, and the bikini's controversial debut. The segment explores how different cultures viewed modesty differently, with the bikini being controversial in the Marshall Islands not for revealing the top, but for showing thighs.
- 1920s wooden bathing suits were made of spruce veneer and advertised as floating aids for swimming
- Martha Washington's swimsuit from 1767 had weights sewn into it to prevent it from floating up and losing modesty
- The bikini was controversial in the Marshall Islands for revealing thighs, as the local tradition was to go topless but cover legs with a muumuu
- The bikini's first model, Micheline Bernardini, was a former nude model hired after all other models refused, and may still be alive at 98
- Miss Universe pageant was created in 1951 after Miss America winner Yolande Bezzi refused to wear a bikini on promotional tours
" You're timed from when you start getting changed, aren't you? You're actually timed from when you're trying to find a pound for the locker. "
Speed Shooting and High-Performance Swimwear
The discussion shifts to modern swimwear technology, particularly the LZR Racer suits that helped break world records through features like ultrasonic welding and internal core stabilizers. The conversation takes a humorous turn discussing speed shooting - a German sport of racing down water slides as fast as possible - where the optimal technique involves minimal swimwear and specific body positioning to reduce friction.
- LZR Racer suits were based on shark skin and used ultrasonic welding to eliminate seams, reducing drag and oxygen consumption
- The suits took 20 minutes to put on and were eventually banned after beating numerous world records
- For speed shooting competitions, the fastest method involves wearing minimal swimwear, crossing legs, and planking with only heel and shoulder blades touching the slide
" I had the most embarrassing ten minutes of my life having to literally like a dog wiping its ass on the ground shimmy down this thing. "
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