In this eye-opening episode of Counterwave Radio, Neils, BobbySox, and Bill take a sledgehammer to the construction paper turkeys of our youth to dismantle the sanitized myths surrounding Thanksgiving.

We’re looking past the pumpkin spice to find the gritty reality of 1621. The team explores the true history of the event, focusing on the apocalyptic plague that wiped out 90% of the Wampanoag tribe at Patuxet and the desperate diplomatic maneuvering of Ousamequin (Massasoit) that actually brought the two sides together.

We also look at how this narrative was manufactured centuries later—first by magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, and then cemented as national propaganda by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to unify a war-torn nation. Finally, we debate how to balance this heavy historical truth with the modern need for connection, gratitude, and survival at the family dinner table.

• The "First Thanksgiving" Was a Diplomatic Summit: It wasn't a potluck; it was a tense gathering where Ousamequin brought 90 armed warriors to investigate gunshots fired by the Pilgrims.
• The Great Dying: Between 1616 and 1619, an epidemic (likely leptospirosis) decimated the coastal New England population, leaving the village of Patuxet empty for the Pilgrims to occupy.
• Squanto’s True Story: Far from a happy volunteer, Tisquantum was a survivor of slavery and genocide who acted as a translator because it was his only option for survival in a world where his people were gone.
• The Invention of the Holiday: The modern holiday is a 19th-century invention. We discuss Lincoln’s political use of the holiday during the Civil War and FDR’s controversial rescheduling of the date in 1939 to extend the holiday shopping season.
• Navigating the Table: The hosts discuss "Education Wars" and the importance of teaching complex history rather than comfortable myths, while Bill argues for maintaining peace during the actual dinner.

Our resident culinary anarchist, Turbo, drops in to fix your menu with science:

• Radicalize the Bird: Stop roasting whole turkeys. Spatchcock them (remove the backbone) to cut cooking time in half.
• End the "Salmonella Jacuzzi": Stop wet-brining. Use a dry brine (salt) two days in advance for better osmosis and less kitchen contamination.
• Inclusive Sides: Switch to vegetable or mushroom stock for stuffing and potatoes so you don't alienate the vegetarians.
• The Filibuster: Let the meat rest for 30-40 minutes before carving. Use this time to distract your relatives with appetizers.

We are heading into "The Season." Tune in next time for "Unboxing the Holiday: Capitalism, Loneliness, and the Myth of the 'Perfect' Season," where we discuss how consumerism captured the winter months and the pressure to perform happiness.

Chapters

00:00 The Real Story of Thanksgiving: Guns, Germs, and PR

00:53 Setting the Real Stage for 1621 01:39 The Wampanoag Perspective

03:26 The True Story of the First Thanksgiving

05:16 The Manufactured Myth

09:37 Thanksgiving and Capitalism

16:43 Modern Thanksgiving: Balancing Tradition and Truth

23:12 Turbo's Turkey Tips

31:33 Black Friday's Black Magic

35:54 The Three Rs of Black Friday Prep

40:15 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

For more from Counterwave Radio check out

• (00:00:00) - The Real Story of Thanksgiving: Guns, Germs, and PR
• (00:00:53) - Setting the Real Stage for 1621
• (00:01:39) - The Wampanoag Perspective
• (00:03:26) - The True Story of the First Thanksgiving
• (00:05:16) - The Manufactured Myth
• (00:09:37) - The Manufactured Myth
• (00:16:43) - Modern Thanksgiving: Balancing Tradition and Truth
• (00:23:12) - Turbo's Time-Tested Turkey Tips
• (00:31:33) - Black Friday's Black Magic
• (00:35:54) - The Three Rs of Black Friday Prep
• (00:40:15) - Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

More info: Our Links

Episode Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

• (00:00:00) - How to Stay CALM in a Dystopian World
• (00:04:42) - Setting Boundaries for Notifications
• (00:05:19) - Boundaries of Alone Time
• (00:06:44) - Find Joy, Make Room for Joy
• (00:12:20) - Taking Care of Your Body
• (00:14:59) - 5 Things to Do For Yourself and Your Community
• (00:16:44) - 12 Points For More Self-Care
• (00:20:55) - A Week of Rest for Your Mind

Alright, folks, brace yourselves—the holidays are officially upon us.

You know, that magical time when every TV commercial is a focus-grouped fever dream of perfect families, and your Instagram feed becomes a relentless assault of curated "joy."

But what happens when your reality feels less It's a Wonderful Life and more Christmas Vacation? This week, Neils, BobbySox, and Bill are cutting through the tinsel-covered spin to tackle the Great Holiday Hype Machine.

We’re calling out the manufactured pressure to be 100% cheerful, 100% of the time, especially when:

• Your bank account is screaming. (Why does "showing love" mean "going into debt"?)
• Your family dynamics are... complicated. We're talking mandatory face-time with relatives you avoid for 11 months, like the aunt who needs to know why you're still single.
• You're just not feeling it. In a season obsessed with "togetherness," it can be the loneliest time of the year.

P.S. We have a new name! We're now Counterwave Radio (formerly 'Critical Defiance'). Why? 'Defiance' is reacting against the noise. A 'Counterwave' is creating a new, better conversation. That's what we're all about nowadays.

Instead of just accepting the holiday script, we’re rewriting it.

Bill breaks down the art of the "Strategic Boundary" (how to firmly tell someone their opinion wasn't on the menu). BobbySox champions the life-saving glory of the "Found Family Holiday," because the family you choose is often the one that matters most. Neils walks us through creating new, personal traditions that actually make you happy (even if it's just locking the doors and binging a show).

This episode is your official survival guide. We've got practical advice on self-care, deflecting those landmine conversations, and protecting your mental health.

So grab your headphones, spike that eggnog, and tune in. Let's survive the season without a full-on Griswold meltdown.

• (00:00:03) - How to survive the Holidays
• (00:02:36) - Counterweave Radio
• (00:05:29) - It's The Holidays Already
• (00:06:15) - Happy Holidays: The Holiday Ads
• (00:07:11) - The Pressure to Perform Holiday Joy
• (00:09:54) - Have You Ever Been Lonely During The Holidays?
• (00:15:03) - How To Avoid Conflict During The Holidays
• (00:19:34) - How Money Screws Up Relationships
• (00:22:01) - The Best Gifts For People
• (00:25:23) - How Hard Is The Holidays For People Who Are Single?
• (00:29:08) - Happy New Year!
• (00:29:48) - The Holiday Social Anxiety
• (00:32:22) - Self-Care for the Holidays
• (00:33:04) - How to Start Living With Gratitude
• (00:35:02) - Find Family
• (00:35:43) - Finding Family During the Holidays
• (00:37:16) - The Holiday Holiday Sitdown

We're kicking off Counterwave radio just in time for the holidays with a full slate of shows geared toward getting through them joyfully and, with any luck, mentally intact. Our very first trailer previews the episode topics and titles through the beginning of January 2026.

Coming This Holiday Season:

• Surviving the Holidays - The Guide the Griswolds Wished They'd Had
• The Real Story of Thanksgiving
• Unboxing the Holiday: Capitalism, Loneliness, and the Myth of the 'Perfect' Season
• A Freer America's Holiday Party: An Owner's Manual
• A Brief History of Screaming and Setting Things on Fire (Now Featuring AI!)

For more info check out https://counterwaveradio.com