The Great Onion Scandal

Onions are the only agricultural product where commodity futures cannot be traded in the United States. It all has to do with two men in Chicago, and a whole lot of onions.

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Script by THG

#history #thehistoryguy #food

[johngregg]

Onions scandals should not be leeked to the press.

[ZeusTheIrritable]

Is it weird that I would rather watch a short documentary about onion futures trading than nearly any network produced TV show?

[JonesNate]

4:15 -- "But the market for butter spread thin..."

Funny guy. -_-

[Bbbuddy]

So much fun has started with “two guys in Chicago.”

[lisaboban]

It takes a real talent to make commodity trading and onion farming into a fascinating story. Well done, sir.

[jackmanatee]

We have an odd, kind of family heirloom. It's a still life painting of onions. The story goes that the painting belonged to a railroad VP in California who loved onions but for whatever reason could not eat them. Apparently the VP was a distant relative of the family. The painting was given to my father when he was a young man working in machining factory in the years before WWII. An odd story? Yes, and I've always doubted it's veracity. However it's a very nice painting. 😄

[skyden]

So glad The History Guy mentioned, "Trading Places" because that movie immediately came to mind when discussing "future's commodities."

[ElementofKindness]

_"If making money is a crime, then I'm guilty."_
He didn't make money. He extorted money.

[timothysworld]

The most-accepted Chicago meaning is a word that comes from the Algonquin language: “shikaakwa, ” meaning “striped skunk” or “onion.” According to early explorers, the lakes and streams around Chicago were full of wild onions, leeks, and ramps. Appropriate that Chicago played such a huge part in this story.

[vinnynj]

I love that little nod to Trading Places at the end. On a side note people selling short on major films released in 2023 could have made a fortune.

[gheathen]

Mortimer and Randolph Duke would be proud.

[caturdaynite]

One year Mom got me an onion for Christmas. I looked right at her and ate it raw. I still like onions and I learned a valuable lesson. Don't make Mama mad.

[noneyabizz]

Guy turned good later, that's not normally how bad onions work.

[palehorseman]

I'm surprised that box office futures was even considered given how infamous Hollywood accounting is.

[handimanjay]

It brought tears to my eyes at how you peeled this subject, sliced then diced its many layers.

[thetangieman]

Having grown onions at scale, actively traded commodities futures, and secretly desiring the cheat code to large piles of money this story is one of my all-time favorites, right up there with The Idles of March and the Manhattan Project.

[MrJamesjustin]

"...the market for butter was spread thin"? Ahhaha 😂 Sir, only you could get away with that.

[spankduncan]

What's the difference between an onion and an accordion?
No one crys when you cut up an accordion.

[constipatedinsincity]

That last joke has me crying 😢 I don't know why!

[scotto]

I really appreciate all the puns you sprinkled throughout this clip. Thank you for all that you do. We learn so much from you😊