Ep. 28 Nain Rouge: Red Dwarf of Detroit

Is Detroit haunted by a mischievous, red-eyed menace? For centuries, sightings of the Nain Rouge have been followed by disasters, fires, riots, even the city's worst tragedies. Is it a warning of doom or the cause of it? In this episode of Kraken Cans Cast, we dive into the legend of the Red Dwarf of Detroit, its eerie appearances, and the chaos left in its wake. Grab a drink and join us as we uncover the truth behind this infamous urban legend.

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Transcript

As I left the bar, the cold wind of the Detroit night hit me square in the face.

As I took a deep breath, I decided it was time to walk home.

As I started my walk, passing a small alleyway, I heard a sharp eerie laugh.

As I turned, red eyes gleamed from the alley, a hunched figure grinned, teeth flashing in the dim light.

I froze.

I knew the stories.

Welcome back to another episode of Kraken Cans Cast.

Cast, cast, cast, cast, cast.

Where we talk all things cryptid, all things urban legends, and all things spooky.

Spooky, yeah, and today, I think we're maybe in the cryptid department, kinda.

I have no idea what we're into today.

It's gonna be a nice big surprise to this guy.

Yeah, we're doing the Nain Rouge.

That's the pronunciation I'm going with.

Hey, I like it, tomato, tomato.

This dude is from La Francaise, the Oui Oui.

Yeah, I don't know.

It was one of those I looked at like four different pronunciations, and they were all slightly different.

So this is what you're getting, the Nain Rouge.

If you don't like it, then-

Listen to it anyway, just suck it up, buttercup.

Yeah, just pretend I'm saying it correctly.

We'll just go with that.

Yeah, this is kind of like a little folklore, and I guess with this folklore, we're also gonna dive into some of the history of the city of Detroit, which is kind of interesting, because who the hell cares about Detroit?

Yeah.

It used to be booming back in the day.

Just like any other city.

I feel like there's not very many points in my life where it's just like, dang, I wonder what the hell, I wonder how Detroit came to be so cool.

The only thing they got going from is M&M.

Yeah.

Other than that, like, well, yeah.

Yeah, I don't know.

The Lions, I mean, they're finally relevant for the first time ever.

They still can't win in the playoffs.

Yeah.

So we'll get into that.

I know that'll break my friend Jason's heart.

He's a big Lions fan.

He's from, like, not far from Detroit, where he grew up, and it's just, it is what it is.

Hey, I'm a Titans fan, so.

Yeah.

You're allowed, dude, like, that gives you free rein to just talk shit on any team ever.

Totally free rein.

Yeah.

Getting into this episode, do you want to dive right into the Ruskies?

Yeah.

Do you have anything new going on in your life?

Anything fun?

Anything fun?

Got high cholesterol.

High cholesterol?

That is freaking fun, man.

It's not fun.

That's pretty fun.

You had fun getting there.

Yeah.

Now it's not going to be fun getting her back down.

Ah, it'll be nice and easy.

High cholesterol.

I guess I should have just said anything new, not anything fun.

Like that kind of.

I would have said either way.

Yeah.

Yeah, either way, he's just cholesterol is what's on his mind right now.

Yep.

Oh, what else recently?

Oh, I thought our internet wasn't working the other day.

I thought there was something going on with the wires or whatever.

So I came home from work, I was messing around with it for an hour and a half, unplugging everything, restarting routers, you name it.

I was even getting to the point where I thought a mouse down in the garage, chewed through one of the wires.

I was getting ready to come down, climb up in the ceiling, follow the wires.

Start going to town.

Yeah, just to see if one of them son of a bitch has bit through the wire.

And what was it?

We haven't paid our bills since November.

Do we have the joke, like we have a joke at work, because I work for a utility company, and once in a while, people like pull up, and they'll be like, hey, you know, my thing's not working.

And like one of the first things, my coworker will always look at me and be like, did you pay your bill?

First thing out of their mouth, like right away.

Yeah.

How does that happen?

How does it not get paid since November?

Switch cards?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I didn't know it was on the card that it was on, and we didn't even think twice.

Yeah, my wife had to just get a new debit card.

She got like, I don't know, she did sign up for some random, I think it was like a singing coach on Instagram that she found.

It was like five bucks a month, and they've just been charging her for like three months straight after she's told them she wants to cancel it.

And they keep saying, yeah, yeah, but just so you know, if you cancel it, but you can't use the product.

She's like, yeah, I don't care.

I want it.

I just like, she got so mad about these $5 every month, she canceled her card, like went to the bank and they canceled her card, ordered her a new one.

And then she tried to program the new one and went into Aldi's and couldn't buy groceries with it.

Luckily she had my card there.

I think it worked after like the sixth time of scanning it.

Damn.

Oh, and also she called me today.

She couldn't find her car keys.

So she's supposed to be somewhere with the kids at like nine o'clock.

She still doesn't know where her car keys at.

This is, it's 8.15 at night right now, we're recording this, and she still has absolutely no idea where her car keys are for the group she's supposed to go with tomorrow.

So we'll see.

I just leave my keys at home, at least the car key.

But yeah, I don't know.

That's the things.

It's all good stuff coming from us.

That happened to me recently.

I got an oil change recently with my, you know, I had my keys.

I came home, put them on the table and stuff.

And somehow, what happened?

Oh, OK.

I dropped my truck off for the oil change, took Kendra's van to work.

And then her mom took her to pick up my truck during the day.

So she had my truck key, put it in her purse, didn't think twice.

Next day, she went to work with her keys, which has the spare on it, with my key in her purse.

I'm up in the morning with the boys, like, getting ready to go.

And I'm like, where's my keys?

Like, I'm looking around and stuff.

I text her, I'm like, hey, where's my key at?

And then she's like, it's right here.

So I'm like, right here next to our other one.

Yeah.

So then my mom had to come pick me and the boys up, take me to get the key.

It was a mess, but we made it work.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I guess when Marietta was like freaking out today, looking all over the house for her keys, my daughter was just like, oh mom, I found them.

And when Marietta turned around, she just had like my son's play keys in her hand.

So you know how it's like, like you just want to rage then.

Yeah.

He's so mad that they don't understand the urgency of this situation right now.

Oh, it cracked me up when I said, she sent me a picture of her holding the keys.

And yeah, it made me laugh.

All right.

Let's get into the beer.

Let's get into the beer.

So today, we're at New Trail again for like the, I don't know how many time we've had New Trail.

Four.

Will this be the fourth or have we had them for the third?

This is the fourth.

This is the fourth.

Yeah.

So if you can't tell what we like, we like New Trail.

Sponsor, sponsor, sponsor.

Yeah.

Shout out.

Hashtag, get after us, holler.

Yeah.

So today, I have Flannery's Irish Ale, and this is an Irish red ale.

It's five and a half percent alcohol.

It's brewed with a bland of European Caramel malt and darker base malt, which give it a deep Caramel flavor, or as Cory likes to say, Caramel flavor.

No.

Mixed with-

No, hell no.

Mixed with bready complexities.

The beer has the reddish amber color with a light tan head.

It's malt forward with-

What a nice tan head.

Tan head.

Yeah, I like mine.

Mine never sees the sun.

It's malt forward with Caramel notes and limited bitterness, making it a great choice for those who enjoy a traditional Irish red ale.

And how I want to compare this.

So the Irish red has this reddish amber color of the beer, which makes it visually appealing in the glass, right?

Oh, yeah.

I was ready to drink it right off.

Yeah.

The red hue symbolizes the rich malt forward flavors, while on the other hand, the Nain Rouge, or what the translation is, is the red dwarf.

The red dwarf?

Yeah.

As the appearance of just being like totally red, having red and black fur with often glowing red eyes, the redness contributes to its menacing and eerie presence, symbolizing danger, misfortune, and bad omens.

The vivid red eyes and fur are key elements that make the Nain Rouge a fearsome figure in folklore.

That's how I compared it.

I wanted to do good.

I get a good Irish red for the red dwarf.

Kind of like a leprechaun too.

You get a little dwarf in there.

Yeah.

And when I say dwarf, I'm leaning more towards like he looks more like a goblin, kind of little hobgoblin look to him.

You know what I mean?

With that, let's cheers.

I mean, we can try our beer.

We've been hammering it pretty good so far.

It's tasty.

I'm going to tell you.

What are you going to tell me?

This is probably like the best red ale that I think I've ever had.

It's good.

It's good stuff.

Red ale makes me...

I feel like a good red ale makes me think that like spring is right around the corner.

It's like St.

Patrick's Day.

We still have some cold days ahead, but like spring is in the air.

Yeah.

Winter is ending.

Fortunately, we're still in February and it's cold.

It's not ending.

Nah, I think we got snow coming tonight.

Some like ice, wintery bullshit.

Yeah, it was ice on my way over here.

Super, super sweet to have a couple of brewskis and drive home them.

So yeah, get into the episode.

Let's go.

All right.

So we're done with the beer.

We're not done with the beer.

We're still sipping on the beer.

And we will be all night.

Yeah.

I will be.

I want to hear about the origin of this thing, the Nain Rouge.

Yeah.

So the origins kind of starts with this one French guy.

Just one French dude started this whole just craziness.

His name, and I could just be totally butchering this.

Antoni de la Moth Cadillac.

Sounds pretty good.

I think I might be hitting it right, because I watched a couple of videos of people saying his name, so I kind of have an idea.

And he was a French explorer and adventurer, born in March 5th of 1658, in Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, France.

His real name, which this cracks me up, his real name was Antonio LeMent.

But-

So how did he get to the Cadillac?

How did he get to the De La Moth Cadillac?

Yeah.

We'll get into that.

Okay.

But he adopted the more prestigious-sounding name of De La Moth Cadillac later in life.

Basically, he adopted this name because he wanted to sound a lot cooler.

And I mean, he's right.

He nailed it.

Cadillac.

And he was a man of ambition and adventure, which is perfect as France started to colonize the New World.

So you know, France kind of had this, the Quebec region of Canada, they were colonizing all that region.

And you know how Canada is, a cold weather.

At this time, it was just vast wilderness.

So he was able to hang his hat coming over here and getting into the fur trade and going to different like posts and stuff, and be able to make his name to himself, really through the fur trade, which is a lucrative business that attracted many European settlers to North America.

His exploration took him through the vast wilderness of the Great Lake region, and he developed a reputation as a skilled and resourceful leader.

So in one version, Cadillac encountered a mysterious storyteller, a mysterious fortune teller.

So this is where pretty much everything just kind of gets like wild.

So, and there's two ways that in one version, he meets this fortune teller before he ever leaves France.

That's kind of like the version that is not as common.

This is the version that's more common when he meets this fortune teller at the Grand Ball in Quebec City.

It was a night of celebration filled with music, dancing, and just all kinds of crazy what not going on up there.

I wonder what kind of crazy stuff was going on back then.

I bet it wasn't that crazy.

I don't know.

Dude, some crap back then is like uber crazy, and then other stuff is like there was ladies showing their ankle.

So, I mean, where are we at?

What end of the spectrum are we on there?

Not really sure.

And back then too, they didn't really know all the stuff that was bad for you today that we know.

So, they were just smoking whatever, probably drinking whatever.

Yeah, they didn't know about cancer.

But I wonder how, like, I always wonder how crappy the beer was back then.

I really don't think the beer could have been, like, super tasty.

You were just like, because, like, I think of, like, Game of Thrones, where there's just these random bars in the wilderness.

So, you know, these guys are just, like, making ale using, like, their socks and stuff downstairs.

Yeah, just got to taste it.

Yeah, it just got to taste like total ass.

Or it was some of the best beer you would ever taste.

Yeah, it really could be, though.

You never know.

Like, you know, when you go to the shitty little, like, restaurants or shitty little bars and the whole of a place, and sometimes you get the best, the best drink, the best food that you could ever imagine.

The best just steak.

Oh, I love me some cheese steak.

It probably doesn't help the cholesterol, though.

Oh, you'll be fine.

Yeah.

If you die, I get this whole cast all to myself.

It's going to pump your cholesterol up.

I will be the sole owner of the Kraken Cans Empire until this is all said and done.

So when Cadillac and his wife decided to consult with an ignomatic seer.

What the hell is that?

A seer is like a fortune teller.

Okay.

So a woman with piercing eyes and an air of mystique, she took Cadillac's hand and gazed into his fortune.

You will found a great city.

And this is, I got to work.

All right.

We're going to really work.

You're going to put your hands on my big breast tonight, baby.

Oh, well, you never know.

Part of it.

You will find a great city, but your ambition will come at the cost.

She foretold him that he would face numerous hardships and misfortunes.

Most ominously, she spoke of a creature known as the Nain Rouge, a red dwarf who would haunt him and bring ruin to wherever it would appear.

Her warning to him was not to provoke or anger the creature.

That's key.

So she told him, if you see this creature, don't provoke it, don't try and fight it, don't anger it, just don't be a dickwad to this thing, or else the creature would have its revenge.

So did she, so she's the one that, like, summoned this thing, like, her...

She didn't summon him.

She was just like, she was like a palm reader or a, I don't know if she's, the way I read it is she was a palm reader, and she read that in his palm that this creature was, like, basically going to be his demise, ultimately.

So Cadillac, confident and dismissive, rushed off the fortune teller's warning as mere superstition.

And years later, in 1701, Cadillac founded the city of Detroit, a strategic location along the Detroit River that would become a key hub for the trade and settlement.

So he's the founder of Detroit.

He's the daddy.

The daddy daddy.

The grand daddy.

Yep.

He was put in charge of, and there's this huge fort in Detroit.

So this was like a huge, like, this was like a key, key area.

Later on, we're going to talk.

It's a key area during wars.

This fort kind of centers around a lot of these stories.

He named the settlement Fort.

Oh man, here we go.

You got to be confident.

Remember what you told me.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Fort Ponchartrain de Detroit, in honor of the French minister of Maron, Louis Delpecte.

Comp de Ponchartrain.

Yeah.

I think it was right.

And this establishment of Detroit was a significant achievement as it provided a crucial link between the French colonies in Canada and the Mississippi Valley.

So this was a way for them to be able to do like the fur trade and just really all kind of trading goods using the Detroit River to go up into Canada, all the way down into the Mississippi where you had this fertile farmland and all kinds of stuff like that.

So this was when he had a strike of misfortune.

The first encounter with the Nain Rouge occurred shortly after the founding of Detroit.

Cadillac and his men, and I also read it in another one, is Cadillac and his wife were just out for a walk.

When they're exploring an area, when they came across a small red creature with sharp teeth and a sinister grin, Cadillac struck the Nain Rouge with his cane.

I always just picture he just went like, yeah, and just popped it right in the head.

He just smacked it in the head.

Yeah.

This thing was just staring at him and it's like, what the hell, man?

It's like the movie Up where the guy knocks the mailbox over.

He smacks him in the head with his cane.

Yeah, exactly.

So this encounter marked the beginning of Cadillac's trouble.

The Nain Rouge let out a menacing laugh and vanished into thin air.

So he wasn't even mad.

No, he was like waiting for it.

It's like he knew it was going to happen.

Cadillac's tenure as Commander of Detroit was marked by both successes and challenges.

He worked to establish alliances with local indigenous tribes and to promote the fur trade, but he also faced conflicts and tension with other settlers and officials.

Cadillac's ambition and assertiveness sometimes led to disputes with his superiors, ultimate resulting in his removal from the post in 1710.

This was the first and not last encounter of the Red Goblin in Detroit.

So what?

He found this place and then he got himself kicked out of this place basically?

Then it's like he found it with other explorers.

And basically when they all found, like when it was founded, I mean, there's multiple, like me and you were part of the founders of Detroit or whatever.

But because of the allegiances and stuff that he built with some of the upper people of France, they were just like, you know what?

You are in charge of this fort.

So in that way, he was kind of like the founder of it compared to other people.

There was ton of explorers and stuff going into it and everything.

So they're like, you have the coolest name.

So yeah, for sure.

Yeah, you're getting credit, boy.

It was between him and Burt Smith.

So like, damn it.

Why did my mother name me Burt?

Yeah.

Or Henry Ford.

Yeah.

John F.

Chevy.

I don't know.

I don't know where Chevy came from.

I don't know the back end on that one.

So we heard a little bit about this little creature, little creature, dwarf creature.

He didn't seem that big.

He's not.

You said.

No.

So what are some of his other attributes?

What does he do?

What is like, what are some of his other features?

So the first thing you talked about is the size, and he only stands about two or three feet, two or three foot tall.

Damn.

So he was at least a four footer.

No, he is small.

You were talking like that.

Like basically like, pun him.

Yeah.

Like that's what you think.

Yeah.

But that's what he wants.

As he's like, as you would just pun him and he's flying through the air, it's all you hear would hear is like, because like as he's going behind, he would just be like blasting.

I don't know.

Flame farts out of the fire.

Crop dust in the whole town.

Yeah.

The fires of California.

So he's bright red with a ruby complexion, giving him the name that means red dwarf in France or in French.

The creature is often depicted with short pointed teeth that add to its menacing appearance.

Its eyes are said to be glowing or piercing, and a lot of times they're talked about glowing red, which glowing red eyes.

I think of the Mothman.

I'm going to get into the Mothman later on.

Well, I was going to ask if there's some type of connection.

We're going to talk about the Mothman.

So there's a connection.

We're going to see.

We're going to talk about the Mothman later.

Step cousin.

Step uncle.

Oh, his grin is often portrayed as just mischievous and malevolent, reflecting its role as a bringer of bad luck.

Sounds like a trickster.

I guess that's what I'm kind of like a leprechaun or something or like, uh, I don't know.

It just yeah, he's like a little prankster.

Yeah, it's like a trickster.

Reminds me of like those little from the Yule cat episode, the the Yule, the Yule lads, the Yule lads.

Yeah, the Yule lads.

I feel like he could fit right in with those little bitches.

Yeah, he would be like their pet.

I feel like he's even smaller than them.

Yeah.

Yeah, because their mom was like 38 foot tall.

Yeah.

The creature is sometimes depicted as wearing tethered or ragged cloth, all in all enhancing its overall creepy and unsettling look.

So you just got this little tiny thing about this tall.

Red, nasty ass, pointy teeth.

He's just freaking out.

Like red is the best way.

Like I was just red.

God, just as nasty.

Like I was just picture him like, oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Just like hair kind of like slick back, but it's like real PC, you know.

And then just I imagine him wearing like an almost like an old timey like crappy suit, though.

Yeah.

I kind of like the I kind of picture him like the leprechaun in the mood.

The leprechaun.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

Red and maybe not quite as fat as that leprechaun.

Yeah, that's a fat leprechaun in that movie.

Yes, he's a big boy.

So what are some encounters that people have had with the Nain Rouge?

So every encounter with this thing basically led to a significant.

Shitty event happening to the city of Detroit, he's been seen four or five times through the course of history, all terrible things afterwards follow.

So encounter one, Cadillac was said to have a few other sightings with the Rouge before he was sent back across the Atlantic to France, but there were other major events after Cadillac was out of Detroit, where the Nain Rouge made an appearance.

So his first time after Cadillac, this is after Cadillac's gone, this is his first main appearance, well, he was seen at a creek called Parents Creek, creek located right outside Fort Detroit.

Not long after he was seen was one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the city of Detroit.

On a hot summer day, July 1763, the air was thick with tension in the wilderness near Fort Detroit.

As Chief Pontiac, a leader of the Ottawa tribe, had laid siege to the fort earlier in May.

So we got Pontiac, but where's Cadillac?

Cadillac's gone.

He's back.

He got kicked out.

He's back in France.

So he got kicked out, now we got Pontiac.

Yeah.

From what I read with Cadillac, he basically got sent over to France for crimes committed in the territory and spent most of the rest of his life in jail.

Like, that's how, like, that's how, like, yeah, like that this thing did him dirty.

You know what I mean?

Damn.

Yeah.

Talk about all these vehicles.

Cadillac, Pontiac.

Yeah.

I'm sure Pontiac was named after this dude.

Because I mean, this dude's like a badass.

I've heard of him before.

Yeah.

And like, he rallied all these Native Americans.

They just decided, like, they're taking over the fort.

And they went up against the resistance of British forces.

So Captain James Dalyell, a seasoned British officer, led a force of about 250 soldiers on a daring mission to break the siege.

They planned a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment, hoping to catch the Native Americans off guard.

As British troops stealthily approached the Parents Creek, they believe they had the element of surprise on their side.

However, Pontiac's war warriors were ready and waiting.

The moment the British emerged from the cover of the trees, they were met with a hail of arrows and gunfire.

So just like as soon as they like, you know how like all these fights back in the day, you just run.

There's no like tactics or anything.

It's like, run.

Yeah.

From the way it reads is they just absolutely mowed down these 250.

Maybe not all of them because some of them are treated into the wilderness to hide, but for the most part, they just absolutely destroyed them.

Captain Dalyell fought valiantly, but was struck down in the chaos.

The creek, once a tranquil waterway, soon ran red with the blood of the fallen British soldiers.

The fallen British soldiers, earning the grim name Bloody Run.

Bloody Run.

So I guess what locals, this is like still known as like Bloody Run to this day.

And as the river turned red, it was said that people saw the Nain Rouge dancing among the dead in the battlefield.

And I just, like, I don't know, I picture them dancing like, whoop, whoop, whoop.

Yeah.

Like arms in the air, just doing like a crab dance across the battlefield.

I feel that too, just going between the bodies.

Just like, do, do, do, do, do.

Yeah.

Just like, oh my god.

Yeah.

The British forces, now leaderless and demoralized, retreated in disarray.

The creek's waters stained with the blood of their comrades served as a stark reminder of the fierce resistance they faced.

Pontiac's victory at Bloody Run was a significant moment in his campaign against the British rule.

Though the siege of Fort Detroit continued for several more months, the battle demonstrated the resilience and strategic prowess of Pontiac and his allies.

That was spot number one.

He came there ready for just the freaking British to get moved down.

So you think, do you think he like helped out Pontiac and like the Native Americans?

I don't know because it is interesting to think of the fact that like they knew that they were coming.

Like they thought this was a total sneak attack, but they knew it was coming.

So like was he like a maybe he was like a Native American like type of creature and that's something like on their side or something.

I didn't even think of that.

Well, yeah, that's something.

Yeah, that's interesting.

I also wonder if like like you have these natives had seen this thing again and know what kind of like omen it brings.

So if before the British attack, they had seen him like down at the creek, so they knew at this point like something bad's about to happen.

They were just on their guard, ready to rock and roll.

Yeah.

Like maybe he's not like good for them, but they've just seen him enough to know like like bad shit's going to go down when you see this dude.

Yeah, that would make sense.

I didn't even think about that, but that's a good point.

So after this, after this encounter with Chief Pontiac and the Native Americans, the Nain Rouge went into hiding for more than 30 years in Detroit.

Nobody saw them.

And I always think there's a lot of times now, it's not in every story because you'll figure out there's a major event where this didn't happen, but a lot of times, like this thing is seen in like the hot of summer, which I always think just adds to us.

You know how when it's super hot, you're just like, you get swam measurable to be out.

Yeah.

You're just, it's miserable to be outside.

Every orifice.

Yeah.

Orifice again.

Orifice.

I feel like whenever you say that word, you got to add as many S's as you can.

Yeah.

Just to, yeah.

Yeah.

Just to, yeah.

Get it.

So after he was hiding for 40 years, he was seen walking the hot summer streets in 1805.

In June of that year, the bustling town of Detroit was alive and active.

What year was this?

1805.

The streets were filled with traders, settlers, and indigenous people all going about their daily routines.

This motherfucker, this guy was just walking the streets?

Yeah, dude.

That's what, like, he's just like, like, what are you doing?

Just out there with this, like, looking for a ride?

Yeah.

Not even that.

Like, he's just chilling like, oh, man, what are you bartering with today?

I could really use a good crow hat if you got one.

I figure this guy wears a lot of crow for some reason.

The wooden buildings, constructed with care and craftsmanship, stood proudly along the Detroit River, reflecting the town's growing prosperity.

But on June 11th of 1805, disaster struck Detroit yet again when a small fire broke out in a bakery on St.

Anne Street, one of the town's main thoroughfares.

The flames spread quickly, fueled by the dry conditions and the wooden structures, like this whole town's built with wood.

Yeah.

The whole entire town.

You know how it is.

Like there's basically row homes.

They might not be this far apart.

So the fire grew and rage and just continued to just engulf all the town.

Panic ensued as residents scrambled to save their belongings and loved ones.

Buckets of water were passed hand to hand, which I always think of the little rascals where they pass the bucket.

By the time they throw it, it's like a dixie cup worth of water on it, you know?

Their desperate attempt to douse the flames, but the fire was relentless.

The heat was intense.

Thick smoke filled the air, making it difficult to see and breathe.

The cracking of burning wood, which we've been talking about a lot of burning wood on the show.

Yeah, we like talking about wood.

We like talking about wood, especially if it's on fires.

And in butts.

And the city's residents echoed.

The city's residents, the cries of the residents echoed.

Man, you got to that wood.

Yeah.

Echoed through the streets.

As the fire spread, it devoured homes, it devoured shops, and public buildings, leaving nothing but charred remnants in its wake.

The town's population was forced to flee, seeking refuge on the banks of the Detroit River and in nearby fields.

From a distance, they watched in horror as their beloved town was reduced to ash.

By the time the flames finally died down, the once thriving town of Detroit lay in ruins.

Nearly every building had been destroyed and the streets were lined with smoldering debris.

The residents now homeless, heartbroken, and facing an uncertain future.

But from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1805, a new spirit of resilience and determination emerged.

The people of Detroit, undeterred by the devastation, came together to rebuild their town.

Led by Judge Augustine B.

Woodward, they laid out a new city plan inspired by the principles of symmetry and order.

The new plan featured wide avenues and spacious public squares designed to prevent the rapid spread of future fires.

Hey, you know why they need those wide avenues?

Why?

For that wood.

Oh, Great Fire of 1805.

You stupid.

We came with the finding moment in the town's history, a testament of the strength and preservation of its people.

So that's what I find really interesting.

Like this creature comes when all these like devastating events are going to happen.

But all these events, it's like a phoenix, like from the ashes rise, this like something like bigger and better a lot of times from all these things that happen.

I don't know necessarily if this thing is bad or good.

You know what I mean?

Like the Mothman, a lot of what we talked about the Mothman, like it was like he came to like almost warn people of things from happening.

Like was this dude just coming to-

Yeah, I think what makes this dude, people lean more towards the bad size is like how menacing he is when he does it.

You know what I mean?

Like the Mothman was just like this creature.

He didn't really know what it was.

He gave people conjunctivitis of the eyes accidentally.

Yeah, he just squeezed out all the parts.

Yeah, he farted on somebody's pillow.

It just happens.

It is what it is.

There's there's no way around it, really.

Yeah.

Accidents happen.

Yeah.

But this this dude, he just does it like he's kind of a dick when he does it.

You know what I mean?

Like I just picture him like I'm surprised nobody saw him like crab walking through the rubble of the fires, like, oh, just enjoying his life.

Yeah, but maybe maybe he's like a.

Try to think how to explain it.

Maybe he's like a symbol like of, you know, danger is coming, but just this dude's personality, he doesn't deal with it the right way.

It acts like an asshole when it happens.

Yeah, he just struggles.

He just struggles.

He's struggling just like you and me, trying to figure out his place in this world.

That's how he copes with it, dude.

Well, do you think how much responsibility and how hard it would be on your life if your job was to go around when just the shit's going to hit the fan?

Like you're the like you're the guy that shows up at your job to fire somebody every time you come around to somebody's getting fired.

Like that's how this dude is, whether he wants to be or not, it's just his job.

God-given ability is to just show up.

So maybe he just drinks a lot of alcohol before he has to make an appearance.

So he's drunk out there.

He doesn't know what he's doing.

So it's not so much menacing as it's just giddy.

Because it's just, well, and too, he's just happy to be around people.

Yeah, because, you know, he gets whatever.

He vanishes or gets locked in a cellar for 30 years.

He gets shat on all year long by people just saying, I hope we don't see the Rouge again, you know?

Yeah.

That would wear on you for a little bit.

Yeah, so I kind of feel bad for a little bugger.

I mean, not too bad, though.

I don't want to see him.

No, he can stay in Detroit.

Yeah.

Well, how would you leave Detroit?

Yeah.

The metropolis.

So on to encounter number three.

The Rouge didn't stay away for long this time.

It was only seven years later he made his next appearance at Fort Detroit again.

On June 18th of 1812, the United States...

Did he burn his place down again?

No, no, no.

He didn't resort to fire this time.

He does go to other elements, though.

We'll get to that, though.

I feel like he's kind of hit like he hit water already because he turned the creek.

I was going to guess fire for the next one.

Fire.

What do you think this one is?

Lightning?

No, I think just people get bowed down again in this one.

In June 18th, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain, igniting a conflict that would sweep across the North American continent.

Detroit, with its strategic location, quickly became a focal point in the early stages of the war.

So in 1812, British forces under the command of Major General Isaac Brock, along with their Native American allies led by Shawnee Chief, Tecumseh, laid siege on Fort Detroit.

Inside the fort, American General William Hall faced a daunting challenge.

The British forces outnumbered his own, and the threat of the Native American attacks loomed large.

General Hall, already shaken by the sight of the British and Native American forces, made the fateful decision to surrender Detroit without a fight.

In August 16, 1812, the British took control of the fort, like, just basically just walked right in and like, here are the keys to the fort.

Here you go.

We're not even going to fight.

Took control of the fort, making a significant victory early in the war.

The American soldiers, along with the residents of Detroit, were forced to endure the humiliation to defeat.

General Hall openly blamed the Nain Rouge.

He blamed him?

Blamed it.

Like, it is all his fault.

People say that...

What did he say?

What did he...

They supposedly said that the general saw him before the British got there.

So instead of going into battle, which was a battle he thought he was...

Like, this could be strategic for you, though.

Yeah.

You know, you know, so you know something's going to happen.

You're in a fort.

Yeah.

A fort, a fort.

It's basically made for you to have the high ground and be ready to go.

But yeah, so as the war continued, Detroit remained under British control, a crucial stronghold in the Great Lakes region.

The British used the fort as a base to launch further attacks against American forces and supply lines.

Those bastards.

However, the tides of war began to turn.

By the summer of 1813, American forces determined to reclaim their lost territory launched a counteroffensive under the leadership of General William Henry Harrison.

American troops recaptured Detroit in September 29th of 1813, following the victory of the Battle of Lake Erie.

Like, I read about a lot of these, and I didn't realize some of these battles.

I didn't know there was a Battle of Lake Erie, did you?

No.

The recapture of Detroit was a turning point in the war, restoring American control over the region and boosting morale, as the war drew to a close with the signing of the Treaty of Gaunt in December 18th.

In 2014, Detroit's residents began to rebuild their lives and their town, determined to move forward from the trials they had endured.

I just thought it was so fun.

Like, what a cowardly way out, though, for you to just be like, it's that son of a bitch and it's that red dwarf.

Yeah.

That red dwarf is why I had to give this fort up without a fight.

I seen it.

That's what it is.

I seen it.

I seen it.

I know he was smiling.

He's smiling at me.

He was waving his arms like this.

Up in the air.

Bad.

Yeah.

I know he was.

I feel like that.

That dude puts his arms up a lot.

Yeah.

But you would too if you were two or three foot tall.

You got to look bigger.

You got to make something big.

You have to look bigger.

Like you're fighting a grizzly bear.

You know, I heard if you got like you really have a bear chasing you.

I don't know how true it is.

So if you have a bear chasing you, take this with a grain of salt.

What kind of bear, though, it depends what kind.

I don't know.

Any bear fight them differently.

All bears.

This works.

You just you just you play like keep away behind a tree.

And eventually the bear just gets sick of it and leaves.

That's what I heard.

I don't know how big the tree is.

I mean, obviously, it can't be a sapling.

Got to be something like with some girth there, you know?

Can't be what you just planted.

Yeah.

We come behind the rose bush.

Hey, yeah.

Yeah.

But that's what I heard.

I don't know.

It sounds good.

I can't tell you.

Confidential source.

The guy survived seven bear attacks, so.

Usually, whenever I say, like, I heard it from, like, I have no idea who I heard it from.

Yeah.

I know exactly who I heard it from.

And I know he survived it.

I don't know.

What was it?

Six to twelve bear attacks?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, it's crazy.

He's talking black bear, probably.

Black bear.

No, he's a white guy.

His waist down.

Yeah.

I think all around.

I never saw him from the waist down.

He wore pants a lot around.

He could have been black.

Yeah, he could have.

We don't judge.

So we move on to encounter number four.

Four.

I thought there was three.

What?

I thought you said there was three encounters.

I said that was encounter number three, the last one.

I thought from the beginning.

No, I said there was like four to five encounters.

Sweet.

Yeah.

All right.

Oh, yeah.

Number four.

In the sweltering July night of 1967.

So this sucker went in like he was went to Heidenford like a hot minute.

Detroit was on the cusp of an event that would forever change its city's history.

The city was already a cauldron of racial tension, economic disparity, and growing frustration among its African-American tenants.

Can you remind me again what year we're at now from the 1967?

Oh, so we like a what, 100 and?

Yeah, well, 150 years.

Yeah.

Push out 140 years.

Damn, so this little guy was tied up for 100.

I like to think he just goes and lives his best life during these times, though.

He just poofs off to like a different planet, where there's a bunch of other little shits like him running around.

Off to Never, Neverland.

He could be like intergalactical.

Yeah.

That'd be cool.

Yeah.

That's what the thought is with Mothman, you know?

Yeah.

A lot of these stupids.

Stupids?

I don't know what I said.

Hey, yeah.

Freaking stupids.

So anyways.

I'm just surprised it's you, buddy.

Just like you said it and looked at me like, oh crap.

I'm not.

I'm not actually just insulting this little red bastard.

Let's get that.

Let's get that clear right now.

So back to the growing frustration of the African Americans.

It all started when two local utility workers in the city while working saw the Rouge smiling as it walked the streets of Detroit one day.

Did they know what this thing was though at that point?

Because that's 150 years.

Were these stories passed on for 150 years?

I think this is, I mean, we'll learn later now for sure it's part of local legend.

But I think it, I don't know.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, for sure.

This is a long time.

Yeah.

They didn't have internet back then.

I do think there was something significant about like when this, that general in the last story, what was his name again?

Big, big, just total.

Who was William Shatner?

General William Shatner.

General Hall.

Oh, yeah.

You're thinking of the fact that you shat yourself earlier.

I did.

Like, I think a lot of people, though, through history and through this region, knew the story of General Hall, just openly admitting like, I'm not even fighting the British.

That guy had to have been made fun of.

Yeah, he should.

He should.

Like, it's just like the captain of the Titanic.

You go down with the ship.

It is what it is.

It's what you have to do.

You have to.

Like, it's your job.

If you're the general of Detroit.

Yeah, this dude was the general of the fort.

Like, he was in charge of the fort.

It was his job to monitor everything in this fort.

It was his.

That was his job.

Like, yeah, it's like, oh, crap.

That that looks like a lot of them.

I am.

Yeah, here you go.

And I he probably just like threw the keys from the top and went out the back door then, you know, like didn't even stick around.

I just sat on there.

Yeah, yeah.

Left a little note.

Yeah, yeah.

Make sure to feed the dog.

What the hell?

Yeah.

So, I mean, like, I think that was pretty significant.

Yeah, history is that he just blamed a little red dwarf for giving up, like, this huge port.

Yeah.

I mean, it could have been a, it could have cost him the war when it was all said and done, as him just bouncing from this place.

So after the utility worker saw the smiling Rouge, it wasn't long.

I think it was like the next day after they saw this ominous creature.

The hours of July 23rd, 1967, the Detroit Police Department conducted a raid on an unlicensed after-hours bar known locally as a blind pig on 12th Street.

Now, 12th Street is called...

I would say this is the second biggest name you hear in like the...

like it's the second biggest name behind Martin Luther King when it comes to African American rights.

I know who it is.

Yeah, let's hear it.

I can't think of the name, though.

I'll give you a hint.

All she did was just not stand up.

Rosa Parks, man.

Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks.

I was like, sit down.

Simbad!

Yeah, that's what I was going to say.

It's now called Rosa Parks Boulevard.

The bar was filled with patrons celebrating the return of two local African American veterans from the Vietnam War.

As the police attempted to arrest the 82 people inside, a crowd began to gather outside, angry and defiant.

So really, yeah, they were doing something that's illegal.

But they were just out having a party, essentially, an unlicensed bar.

So more than likely, this was just a party at somebody's establishment, like two guys that came home.

And basically, the cops just showed up, and they're just kind of dicks.

Everybody quit drinking.

It's like, what do you mean, quit drinking?

It's 7 a.m.

We just got to start again, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

They're hitting them early in the morning.

So what started was a small, tense confrontation quickly escalating into widespread chaos.

By dawn, the crowd had grown, and the first signs of unrest began to emerge.

The air was thick with anger and frustration, and soon, windows were shattered.

Did you say this was an African-American area?

So was it like, yeah, probably like white police?

Yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So probably-

Especially in the 60s and stuff.

Yeah.

Looting began and fires were set.

The flames lit up the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the city.

As the day progressed, the unrest spread like wildfire.

Buildings were torched, stores were ransacked, and violence erupted on the streets.

The police, overwhelmed and ill-prepared for the scale of uprise, struggled to retain control.

The National Guard was called in, and eventually, federal troops were deployed to quiet the riots.

For five days, Detroit was engulfed in an inferno of rage.

Like, this is the 60s.

I feel like when there's a fire and stuff like that, that happened in 1802, it's like, yeah, you don't have the...

But this is like, these people rioted for five days straight.

They couldn't get under control.

So it was engulfed in an inferno of rage.

It's like 50, 60 years ago.

Yeah, it's really not that long.

Entire neighborhoods were reduced to smoldering ruins, and the city was plunged into chaos.

The sound of gunfire echoed through the streets, and the smell of smoke lingered in the air.

The violence claimed the lives of 43 people, left hundreds injured, and resulted in over 7,000 arrests.

7,000 arrests?

7,000 arrests.

Holy shit.

Thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed, leaving a lasting scar on the city's landscape.

Amid the turmoil, stories of heroism and resilience emerged.

And this is where I'm always getting like, when you read a lot of these stories, where the ruse showed up, there's always this like, it seemed like these horrible events happened, and the only thing that stops them is people just coming to just kick ass, essentially.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Even in the last four, it wasn't till the next general got there, and it's like, we gotta take back Detroit.

Took back Detroit, brought morale, brought celebration back to the city.

All these events happened, and through all the bad, something super good happens through the end of it.

And that's what a lot of people are remembered for.

So the hero and resilience.

Is there like a name for this, like the event that happened in Detroit?

Like, you know how every like big event has?

It's just referred to the Detroit riots.

Yeah.

Okay.

I was just curious.

Like the 1967 Detroit riots is what I kind of have in the notes.

Neighbors banded together to protect their homes and businesses while community leaders worked tirelessly to restore peace.

The riots, though devastating, also shone light on the deep-seated issues that had fueled the unrest, prompting calls for social and economic reform.

The 1967 Detroit riots were a turning point in the city's history.

They highlighted the urgent need to change and set the stage for future efforts to address the systematic inequality that had plagued the city for decades.

The legacy of riots served as a powerful reminder of the impacts of social injustice and enduring strength of a community determined to rebuild and heal.

And it seems like after all these, like so I was just talking about it where something good happened after all these, it's almost like the Rouge just is making Detroit stronger.

You know what I mean?

He's like building it up.

Yeah, like you know how they say like a blade sharpen, you know, like it's got to be something hard to sharpen the blade.

You know, it's like these like hard, crappy tests.

They're making this like city harder and harder and like more badass in a way.

Yeah.

I mean, like I don't think of the city of Detroit and just think like, like that's a sissy ass city.

Yeah.

I mean, that's like a working class kick your ass city.

That's just how I look at it from the outside.

I wouldn't go there.

I wouldn't walk around at night.

I wouldn't go there either in Detroit.

I wouldn't go there with a wet noodle.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Spaghetti.

You might get your noodle wet.

Yeah.

They hate spaghetti in Detroit.

Hate it.

Mom's spaghetti.

Yeah.

Well, yeah, you're right.

Maybe they don't hate spaghetti.

They got a whole mom's spaghetti restaurant.

And here we are on to encounter number five, and this is the final encounter.

Ooh, what year are we at now?

How many years is this?

Nine years.

Ooh, nine years.

Ooh, it's shorter.

Nine years later on the eve of one of the worst storms to hit Detroit in the modern era, the non-Rouge was spotted on the streets once again.

In the days to come, the city would know his reason for being there.

Ooh.

It was a cold winter morning in early March 1976.

1976.

When the skies over Detroit began to darken with heavy and ominous clouds, the National Weather Service had issued warnings of an impending ice storm, but few could have predicted the extent of the devastation that was about to unfold.

As the day wore on, the rain began quick.

As the day wore on, the rain began to fall, quickly turning into freezing rain as temperatures plummeted.

The raindrops froze upon contact with the ground, trees, and power lines, coating everything in a thick layer of ice.

By the evening, the city was transformed into a winter wonderland, but one that brought more hardship than beauty.

And do you know, like, ice storms are the worst.

Oh, yeah.

Remember working, like, I worked on power lines for a while, and I went to, like, Oklahoma City years ago for an ice storm.

And that stuff just like, like, just miles and miles.

It sucks because it will just, like, break, like, the line at every pole.

You know what I mean?

It's not like it's just, like, one or two spots it breaks, and then it will just broken, broken, broken.

So you're just there forever.

So you just got to keep putting it back up at every single pole?

You just put it up, you get, like, hoist out, you crank it together, and they have these things called, like, pickles that are almost like a, like a Chinese finger trap where you put them in and can't get them out.

You just pop it into that and on to the next one, crank, crank, crank, pop it into that, because everything's dead, you know, it's nothing.

But it's just like they got some of those in Tinker Toys.

Me and the boys play with Tinker Toys.

They got some of those little things that just hoist.

I kind of I mean, they're not exactly talking about the finger traps or the hoist.

Yeah.

The hoist, the hoist that crank things together, like crank anything together, just whoops, pops together.

Just reminded me of the old Tinker Toys.

Chinese Tinker Toys are weird to me, too.

I can't get into them.

I try and play with them, but it's like, I don't know.

She had one where you can build these big old chickens and stuff.

I got a video of my daughter when she's really young, where me and her built a big chicken with the Tinker Toys.

It's pretty good, but I don't know.

They're just weird.

Because we don't have Tinker Toys, we have Winker Toys, where they're just the off-brand, so they don't quite fit right with anything.

Oh, I got a perfect, this is a question that we're going to go off topic for a second here, folks.

You said off-brand.

Yeah.

Okay.

This has been something I've been wanting to throw into the cast for at least a couple of weeks now.

Okay.

All right.

So being a homeowner, being a husband, family man that you are.

I am?

You present it that way.

Well, me and the bank share the home, really.

The bank owns a good majority of it, like most of it.

Well, you squat there.

Yeah.

But.

You read it from them.

What?

Okay.

I just want to I just want to hear your opinion here.

So what do you feel like is one item that you buy at the grocery store that cannot be an off brand item?

Ketchup.

Ketchup.

God, dude, it's got to be Heinz ketchup.

You're disappointing me here.

Why would you have that?

It can't be an off brand.

Toilet paper.

Yeah, but there's...

No, listen to this.

Listen to this.

My wife bought this huge thing of toilet paper, right?

Did you ever have crappy ketchup, though?

I don't like ketchup.

Yeah, I mean, so for some of it...

So you don't like ketchup.

That's fine.

Dude, crappy ketchup hits really different.

Like, it ain't even the right color a lot of times.

Crappy toilet paper also hits different.

No, it cuts different.

Now, listen, I don't want to talk about toilet paper because I am in an active feud at my house right now over toilet paper.

We have like 40 rolls of the cheapest toilet paper that you could buy.

I would get better toilet paper at any rest area, any crappy gas station from here to Mississippi.

Yeah, dude, that is bad.

You put your...

Your finger goes right up your butthole with every wipe because it's as thin as...

That don't sound bad.

I don't know.

What's something that's really thin?

Hmm.

Something that's really thin?

Uh, crappy toilet paper.

Yeah, exactly.

So I'm using so much of this just trying to get rid of it, and we just have so many rolls left, and I can't do it anymore.

And it's like wiping with sandpaper.

Oh, dude.

So yeah.

I'm going through a toilet paper struggle myself right now.

That's my toilet paper struggle.

Let's hear yours.

It's not far off from yours, but she got...

So for Christmas, which this was like an awesome Christmas idea, her mom just brought a box of stuff over, like 50 gifts wrapped for us.

And all it consisted of was toothpaste, toilet paper, all stuff we used.

So like awesome gift for us.

And it worked out great because we let the kids unwrap it, so they got to unwrap for like ever.

Yeah, kids, they don't care what they're unwrapping.

They just throw it anyway.

Yeah.

So like it worked out perfect because she was just like, yeah, why don't you two unwrap this while your mom and dad drink their coffee?

So it's like this perfect.

So she got this like organic, I don't know what the hell it is, toilet paper.

Organic toilet paper.

Organic toilet paper.

Dude, my bunghole started hurting because it was like so rough.

You're probably throwing shit out of your butthole.

Dude, it was wrong.

Like, I don't know.

I feel like I could like root my ass across this table and it would feel better on it.

This organic toilet paper that we have.

And I said, I'll trade you.

I do.

I might trade you a couple of rolls of ours.

Because I got to wipe with crappy toilet paper at work.

I don't have.

I actually thought the one day I was like pooping in there.

Right.

And we have this, you know, like you go to work, you got crappy toilet paper.

It's like half ply toilet paper.

So you got to use like the bigger.

It's a big roll.

Yeah, yes.

And it's in the big thing and it doesn't want to come out quite right.

So you get like six foot and it will rip.

And that's not enough to wipe with because it's so thin.

You need like 38 foot of it to wrap around itself.

But I was looking there one day when I was in there pooping and I was thinking, I think I can just hide like a good piece of toilet paper up in the ceiling tiles.

Because I think if I get on top of the toilet before I get, I can reach it.

But I'm not sure if I can reach it or not.

And then I'm like, well, what if somebody walks in when I'm like reaching up?

Because it's like a community bath.

There's like four or five toilets in there.

So what if somebody walks in when I'm reaching up in the ceiling tiles to get my stash of toilet paper?

I don't know.

I'm torn.

I'm torn.

Hold on.

We're going to follow up on that right.

OK.

When I work with the juveniles, a lot of times, well, a lot of the kids who just eat toilet paper.

No worse.

So a lot of them had like sexual behavior problems.

So anyway, they would hide stuff up in the ceiling tiles in the bathroom.

Like dildos?

You wait, buddy.

Oh man.

So I don't know if I want to.

I don't know if I want to know.

So me as a supervisor, I would periodically go down to the bathroom because they had a couple of different bathrooms.

You have like a nose like a German shepherd.

So I felt like an invest, like a private investigator.

Like I, my ass would go down there after they would come up from school.

I'd put on the gloves.

I'd move the tiles around.

I'd reach up there.

I found a homemade peepee.

Oh, hell yeah.

Which was, it was a roll of toilet paper.

Yeah.

And in the middle of it was like bubblegum.

No, it was a glove.

A glove.

Okay.

What's the material?

Cloth.

No, not cloth, glove.

Just like, just what the hell?

Uh, latex, just latex.

Ooh, so it was just like, just shoved in the middle.

So I'm like up there, just reaching around.

And you stuck your hand right in.

Yeah, dude.

You know what else I found?

I found probably three, three to five latex gloves that all had poop on the fingertips.

All right.

So here we go.

Back to the back to the ice storm.

I'm cutting us off right here.

Go ahead.

The ice storm wreaked havoc on the city's infrastructure.

Trees weighed down by the heavy ice began to snap and fall, taking down power lines with them.

The streets were soon littered with falling branches and debris, and the power outages began to spread.

Thousands of homes, businesses were plunged into darkness, leaving residents without heat or light in the freezing temperatures.

Utility crews worked tirelessly to restore power, but the ice made their efforts difficult and dangerous.

They labored around the clock, braving the cold and the treacherous conditions to repair the down lines.

Despite their best efforts, it took days to restore power to many areas, and some residents were left without electricity for over a week.

The ice storm also had a profound impact on the daily lives of Detroiters.

Detroiters.

Detroiters?

Detroiters?

Detroiters.

Schools were closed.

Businesses shut their doors, and residents huddled together for warmth in their homes.

Many sought refuge in local shelters or with friends and family who still had power.

The community came together, again, sharing the resources and offering support to those in need.

As the days passed, the ice began to melt, and life slowly returned to normal.

The 1976 ice storm left a lasting impression on the city, serving as a reminder of the power of nature and the resilience of its people.

The event became a part of Detroit's weather history, often cited as one of the worst ice storms the city had ever experienced.

And with this ice storm, I guess that I, so I didn't dive in, I forgot to dive into at the beginning, but basically like a day or two before this ice storm, again, the Rouge was just like seen like just like waltzing up the streets of Detroit.

Like it cracks me up.

Like when these, you just like hang like, hey, like, hey, y'all, I'm back.

And it's like, like people are going to be excited.

What if he doesn't even know what's going to happen though?

Yeah.

But if he just gets summoned and just pops up and he's like, I'm here, but I don't know what's going to happen.

What if there's just a family of red dwarfs that live there, and when they finally muster up the courage to go outside, something horrible happens every time?

Yeah, that would suck.

Yeah.

Yeah, that would suck.

So yeah, that's the five main encounters with the Rouge that happened.

So do you know if there hasn't been any since then?

Not since then, no.

That you've seen?

Nope.

Interesting.

So that was, what year was that?

1970, what did you say?

1976.

1976.

So we're talking about, what, 25 or 50?

I mean, sorry, 50.

I was going to say, you're way off.

No, I meant, I was in my head, I was like 25, 25.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So 49 years ago.

Yeah.

So he's been, he's been, he's been out of there.

And as long as, at least in your stories, it was like 150 years.

Yeah, he had a long break there for a while.

So I mean, we might see him again in another 100 years.

Yeah, he could.

We heard about all the different encounters, encounters we could say.

Encounters with the Nain Rouge.

So what kind of impact has this had on the city?

So the city's really, I guess, kind of like embrace.

It reminds me a lot of like Krampus, where the city really embraced like the folklore of this thing.

So the legend of the Rouge has become a key part of Detroit's cultural identity, providing a unique folklore that adds depth to the city's history and traditions.

And every year, there's an annual celebration.

The March de la Rouge is an annual parade held in Detroit around the time of the spring equinox.

It's a lively and colorful event where thousands of people gather to celebrate their city and chase away the mythical Nain Rouge, a creature believed to be the harbor of doom.

This year, it's scheduled for March 20th.

So we can still make it this year if we want to go.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We're going to have to just plan out.

Like maybe next year, we just plan out the whole year of like, just road trips.

I don't think our wives will like it too much.

But I mean, we'll have to keep the sponsors happy by that time.

Hopefully.

You hear that new trail?

Participants dress in elaborate costumes, build creative floats, and join marching bands to parade around midtown Detroit.

The event culminates at the Mosaic Temple, where there's an official after-party.

It's a fun and spirited way for the community to come together and celebrate Detroit's history and look forward to the future.

The Rouge has been a pretty big tourist attraction, being the local legend.

Historians and folklore enthusiasts often go to Detroit just to kind of see some of the landmarks that are associated with it.

And really, I talked about this earlier, that the Rouge has just become a symbol of resilience for the city.

The city has had all these events happen and always bounce back from all of them.

Yeah.

I think it's kind of just, it's built.

We built this city.

I always think, do you ever watch the show New Girl?

Negative.

All right.

So there's-

Wait, actually I have, I think.

So there's-

Who's in it?

I don't know.

People?

I might have.

Zoe Deschanel.

Kendra might have watched it before.

Okay.

Anywho.

Go ahead.

It's like, who's in that?

It's Ben Affleck in that, because I know what the hell that is then.

Who would I have said that you would have been like, oh, hell yeah, that dude's in it.

That chick from Scary Movie.

No, she's not in it.

Okay.

There's a show with her in it that-

Yeah, it's not New Girl.

Okay.

The show got canceled after like three episodes.

I don't know.

I know what show you're talking about.

I don't know.

I don't know what it's called.

I know what you're talking about though.

Yeah.

But anyways, there's this guy on it.

His name is Schmidt.

And when he was younger, I always sing this song because my last name is Smith, you know?

I feel like I can let my last name slip because my name is Mike Smith.

Good luck finding me.

So like, but Schmidt, I always say, you know, We built this Smitty.

We built this Smitty on Tootsie Rolls.

He's fat, so I always make him sing that song.

That's what I always think.

I always sing that to my wife about building this Smitty.

Yeah.

Took a lot to build that Smitty.

It did take a lot.

A lot of beer.

Yeah.

A lot of anger and.

Dude, I had one of those days at home today.

Like, I'm sure you had it where you just you feel like your kids are just bullying you.

Oh, yeah.

Like, I felt like my my oldest was just like just bullying me today.

Like, there was no like, hey, do you want to do that?

It's like, let's do this.

Let's do that.

Scratch my back.

And at one point, she just doinked me in the face with this hard toy was I'm like watching Shrek 2 with her.

And it's like, what the hell do you want from me?

Do you want to fight?

Do you want to put on the gloves?

I am so over this.

Yeah.

It's one of those days where it's just like, at one point, I looked and every kid was just like screaming, like even the little guy who can't talk, he's just like screaming because he wants something.

And it's like, yeah, I got to get out.

I just got to go stand in the kitchen for like five minutes to get the hell away from all this right now.

Oh, yeah.

I feel like, yeah.

I can only imagine when we have the baby here, you know, in two months out.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So with all with the city of Detroit, they've really leaned into the embracing of the transbracing.

Yeah.

Embracing into the tradition.

Instead of shying away from it, they really just kind of built into how this symbol of misfortunes built this town.

And through everything that's gone on, it's built the community up.

We talked about in the ice storm how everybody was helping everybody.

You know, everybody helping everybody.

Everybody in the club getting tips.

And the economic revitalization, the Nain Rouge has also contributed to this.

The annual event attracts visitors, boosts local businesses, and brings positive attention.

So, you know, this this whole parade is like a big thing in the town that's able to help the town make a little extra money.

And also there's been a lot of artistic inspiration from this thing, because I could see, like, artsy people getting into this.

Oh, yeah.

This is like Jack.

You know how, like, all artsy people are obsessed with Jack the Pumpkin King?

Yeah.

And they, like, were, like, like, I remember the kids in school that wore, like, the Jack gloves.

It's like, all right, that's cool.

He liked that movie.

It's a good movie.

I never liked that movie until I had kids.

And, dude, I'm the same way.

My oldest was, like, obsessed with it.

And I'm like, this movie's all right.

Yeah.

That's what I was like.

OK.

Yeah.

I get stuck watching Hocus Pocus 2 all the time.

Yeah.

Which isn't bad.

I'm glad that Hocus Pocus 2 is all right.

Yeah.

I thought it was going to be a lot worse than it was.

And I could deal with it.

Yeah.

I didn't live up to the first one, but I don't think many movies do.

Well, you know, I'm going to be honest with you, the more I watch the first one, the more I'm like, well, this isn't that good of a movie.

It's just like, it's like embedded in my head that it's a good movie, you know?

Theories.

Yeah, we got a couple of theories.

So like the first one is just the folkloric entity.

Folkloric.

I like it.

Folkloric.

Yeah.

It might be a mythical creature rooted.

What are you laughing about?

I'm just like theories.

Yeah.

Theories.

Yeah.

Go.

Theories.

Go.

Like, all right.

All right.

Should I like restart that?

I don't care.

You can if you want.

Go ahead.

All right.

Fuck it.

It might be a mythical creature rooted in folklore, embodying the superstitions and fears of early settlers and indigenous peoples.

It appears before disasters could be a way to explain and cope with those events.

The symbolic figure, the symbolic figure.

It could represent the collective anxieties and struggles of the destroyed residents by giving a face to the misfortune.

The natural phenomenon.

Some theories suggest that sightings of the Rouge may be misinterpreted of natural phenomenon such as shadows, casual weather patterns, and even local wildfires.

Cultural tradition in modern times, the Rouge has become a cultural symbol of Detroit with the annual parade and festivities as a way for-

Do you know how long they've been doing that parade for?

No, I don't.

I'm not sure.

Yeah.

That's cool though.

Yeah.

The way to celebrate their resilience and essentially they think when they have this parade, it banishes him from coming to the town.

Like we celebrate him, so we banish him in that way, you know?

And there's the psychological manifestation.

That the Rouge could be psychological construct, a way for people to embody and confront their fears, uncertainties, and hardships.

So, Corey, I have two comparisons.

Before we get to those comparisons, I just wanted to, like based off the theories and stuff, like I just want to say again, I think that this thing was created, manifested, whatever you want to say, by like the Native Americans.

You think it's the Native American thing?

I think so.

I mean, just based off of like some of the stories that you went over with, like the battle and stuff, like, I don't know.

I mean, they were here before us.

Yeah, it would make sense.

They put like a curse on the land when they lost it, too, you know?

Yeah, like this is our our land.

Like this was our land first.

We built this city.

We built this city.

We built this Smitty.

On Tootsie Rolls.

Tootsie Rolls.

Yeah, I mean, it could.

That could be a theory.

What do you think?

Like, what do you like?

What's your thoughts?

Like, I know you just went over that and stuff.

Like, what do you what do you think?

Like, what's your perception on this little guy?

I think it's more of like maybe the original story with the fortune teller and stuff was more of just a way to scare this guy.

I think I always think of like this.

I think maybe he was just a little too cocky because he does seem too cocky for his britches.

So this was like a way to kind of like knock him down a peg or two.

And I think it was just passed around as a way for people to cope with these like events that happens.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I don't know.

I think when you have certain events that really hit close to home, and a lot of these, I mean, like almost all of Detroit got burned down in the fire.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Like that is like significant.

I feel like it's easier to just like kind of like go towards.

Supernatural.

The supernatural or just blame something for it.

Whether it's true or not, I mean, there are else you could just be a freak.

You know, he could be a manifestation of Native American culture.

Never know.

Yeah.

So but I have two comparisons to dive into.

Let's hear them.

So the first one is the Luton, which is a French folklore.

The Luton is a hobgoblin like creature that can be mischievous and malevolent.

And like you said earlier, like kind of like a trickster, you know?

Yeah.

Similar to the Rouge, the Luton is often associated with bringing bad luck or causing trouble.

The second comparison is I want to compare him to the Mothman.

There's a couple of things that made, obviously, he's seen it, what bad events are going to happen.

You know, he's witnessed.

Now, he's not witnessed in the extremities that the Mothman, like the Mothman was witnessed how many times before the collapse of the bridge, you know?

I mean, they're...

Yeah, I feel like Mothman's, they weren't as like significant events as this dude.

Yeah.

I mean, yeah, this dude shows up to like big ones.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But like, yeah, he...

Mothman shows up to, you know, different things happening, for sure.

Yeah, like this dude only comes out, like the Rouge only comes out for the biggest event.

Death and destruction.

Yeah, like it's happening.

He's not, he's not hanging around for, because Mothman was there for like 11 months before the bridge, the Silver Bridge, actually collapsed or anything like that.

But I just thought of like the red eyes that this thing was compared to.

I don't know, and I thought you brought up a really good point where you said about, does this thing just go back to its planet and just like, because there's a lot of theories that think like Mothman is like an intergalactic traveler and stuff like that, that I think we're going to dive into maybe in the next month or two, and I'm going to break down the Men in Black, and we're going to get into some of that some more.

I'm excited for that.

I have a beer that's been sitting in there waiting for you to do that.

It is going to be so out of date because it's been like waiting for a hot minute.

We're just aging it.

Yeah, for sure.

I don't give a shit.

I don't give a shit.

I'll drink that shit.

Yeah, for sure.

It's free beer.

You kidding me?

But yeah, I just, I just, there's so many compare.

I just really, I see a comparison between this thing and the Mothman.

Just that the only difference is there's five events that this thing was supposedly seen at.

Yeah.

Before compared to Mothman, it's just one event.

But Mothman was, I don't know.

And then if you compare it to Mothman, could we compare it to the Jersey Devil too?

Because I think the Jersey Devil and the Mothman are very similar.

Yeah.

I think there's a chance that the Jersey Devil is the Mothman.

Yeah.

We talked about that.

The Jersey Devil.

Definitely.

Like, there's a good chance.

And the Snallygaster.

The Snallygaster.

There's a chance that that is all the same thing.

Yeah.

Could the Rouge fit?

I mean, obviously, the Rouge is much smaller.

Could he fit in that same?

I mean, we're just an illegitimate child.

Yes, we're looking like, but he's older than all of them, too.

True.

So is he granddaddy?

You know how you get small when you get older?

You know?

Yeah.

Just keep on shrinking?

He started as like a 15-footer.

He's just down to like two right now.

Yeah, he was over with the old lads and the gorilla.

But yeah, I don't know.

It's interesting.

I think there's a lot of really good theories in a lot of ways that they can be all compared.

I'm interested to see when the next sighting is going to be.

Yeah.

And dude, if there is a sighting, buddy, we are going to be doing a live report on that.

We might be dead.

We could be dead.

I'll be lucky.

We might have 100 more years.

I'll be lucky if I'm here next year at this time with the way I live my life.

You mean to my cholesterol.

You're right.

I will be the sole owner of the cast.

We might have to leave this down to like our buddy Aaron.

Yeah.

That's scary.

That's scary.

Two page Aaron.

Two page Aaron.

Well, with that, we're going to head into the folklore score if you're ready for that.

I'm ready.

You got anything else to add?

Nope.

All right.

Folklore score it.

All right.

We're back here.

We're not back.

We didn't go anywhere.

Cory throws it over.

So here we go.

Let's get into the folklore score there, folks.

Let's do it.

All right.

So Cory, what do you got for a score?

I got a 27.

I got a 30.

It's going to leave him right off the board at 57, which we said beforehand, we were talking when we were making our scores.

It was going to be close to him making the board.

And he was close.

He was close.

Just off the boo hag is safe.

I feel like the boo hag has been hanging on.

Dude, just hagging on.

Yeah.

Hanging on like a boo.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

I know what you're saying.

All right.

So we'll dive into our scores a little bit.

If you're not familiar with it, we do a folklore score at the end of every episode.

We have five categories.

Spookiness, historical and cultural significance, believability, uniqueness, and threat level.

We score one to ten.

Get our score.

Obviously, a hundred would be the top score if it was.

We smoosh them together.

We smoosh them together.

Like our cheeks.

Like our cheeks.

Like that one episode early on.

Like our, yeah.

Well, I don't even remember that, but I don't believe you.

All right.

So spookiness.

I gave it a five.

I gave it a five too.

Hell yeah.

We're like right in the middle road.

It's kind of spooky.

Historical or cultural significance?

I gave it a five.

I gave it an eight because it's big in that region.

Yeah.

I could also see giving it a little bit lower because it's not like super well known throughout the United States or anything like that.

And it's like that region compared to like everything else.

It's like, yeah, for sure.

Not huge.

So that's why I was kind of like five.

Believability.

I gave her a four.

I gave it a three.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Uniqueness.

I gave it a six.

I gave it a six as well.

Hell yeah.

And threat level, I gave it an eight.

I gave it a seven.

So we're pretty much right on par with everything except for the historical cultural significance, which I'm totally cool with.

So I think it's neat when you go through this because I feel like like we can look at kind of how we have it broken now, but we can still look at it totally differently.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I feel like we typically do.

This is another one where you had a lower score than me.

Like the second or third time this has happened.

Third or fourth.

Third or fourth.

I don't believe it was that many.

I'm going to say four.

I'll check the spreadsheet.

Cory's saying it's fourth.

He's saying it's the fourth.

Definitely the fourth.

I'm not buying it.

I'm going to say fifth just because.

Damn.

I'm saying this might be the third.

And with that, folks.

I wanted to hit it on that.

Yeah, he missed it.

He got to be.

It's like the guy with the dollar.

You got to be quicker than that.

Go ahead, Cory.

Hit it.

And with that.

Oh, that was horrible.

I can't even.

I got to edit that out.

People are going to like it better.

No, I don't think so.

No way.

They never get tired of me.

Your trombone voice.

I never get to fucking baritone, man.

I'm freaking running a horse.

We're we're like fighting colds in this cast.

We didn't record.

Was the last week we didn't record anything because you were just like.

No, we recorded last week.

Was the last week we took like a week off there for a little bit.

We were just like we were hurting.

Voices were hurting.

I didn't even know if we were going to be able to record this week because I like dude on Saturday, I sounded like freaking Robert Kennedy.

I went to yell at the kids.

That's how horrible it was freaking horrible.

Horrible.

I couldn't deal with that.

And with that, and with that, I'm crack daddy Mike and I'm out.

Make sure to follow us on all major social medias, Facebook, Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, MySpace.

Yeah, we do escort stuff on Craigslist.

So you're into it.

I'll show my titties.

Yeah.

And Corey will let you put your wiener in his beard.

And with that, I'm crack daddy Mike.

I'm out here.

Follow us on all socials, Kraken Cans Cast.

BK, Corey, go ahead and follow us on X too.

I've been posting more on X for us.

So we've been cranking that up a little bit.

We still only got a couple of followers, but we're trying to get it.

We're trying.

You got to start somewhere.

I guess we got to start somewhere.

Well, Facebook, Instagram, Tick Tock and YouTube.

Much dumb and Tick Tock.

Oh, you did say Tick Tock.

I don't know.

I felt like you missed something there.

All right.

I'm out.

Yeah, like something pretty stupid.