The Ripon Rabbit
About this show
Long before government waste became a meme, Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire was calling it out one ridiculous dollar at a time with his famous Golden Fleece Awards.
Tonight on Tin Hat Thursday, Red and Screech are dusting off the Golden Fleece and asking what Proxmire might think of Washington today.
💘 $84,000 to study why people fall in love — more than $500,000 in today’s dollars. 🐒 Half a million dollars on research Proxmire famously described as studying why monkeys clench their jaws — about $3.1 MILLION today. 👀 $46,100 studying the effect of scantily clad women on male drivers. ☂️ Taxpayer money spent examining whether military personnel should carry umbrellas in the rain.
And somehow… it gets better. We’ll have some fun looking at Proxmire’s greatest hits, but then we’ll fast-forward 50 years and ask:
Did Washington learn anything? From millions spent on unusual modern research to an estimated $186 BILLION in improper federal payments in FY2025, maybe the Golden Fleece shouldn’t have been retired after all.
🐑 Tonight, YOU get to award the fleece!
Wasteful spending? Legitimate research? Or something that simply sounds completely insane until you hear the rest of the story?
Join Red Owl & Screech Owl Scott tonight for a little Wisconsin history, a lot of taxpayer money, and one very simple question: 💰 “WE SPENT HOW MUCH ON WHAT?!”
Join the conversation live in the VIP Backstage Lounge at RiponRabbitHole, or tune in on Rumble or YouTube. Bring your calculator. You’re gonna need it. 🐑💸
Host(s) Screech & Red Owl
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