0:00

Thank your job stanks. Just wait

0:02

until you hear what it was like to be a funeral

0:04

clown. Long before all human knowledge

0:07

was in your pocket, People had some pretty bizarre

0:09

professions. Luckily, you don't have to

0:11

see a sin either or barber surgeon

0:13

now, but you'll find out what it was like to get

0:15

surgery with a shave. Wondry's

0:17

new podcast this job is history,

0:19

is hosted by Chris Parnell from Saturday

0:22

Night Live and Rick and Morty, steeped in

0:24

factual history. This brilliantly funny

0:26

podcast delves into quirky and absurd

0:28

jobs from the past with hilarious interviews

0:31

that are infused with fascinatingly true

0:33

easter eggs. Come get weird with us

0:35

each week as improv comedians from

0:37

groundlings and UCB act out their

0:39

old fashioned gig from another time. You'll

0:41

be glad your guidance counselor didn't recommend

0:44

any of these jobs. You're about to hear

0:46

a clip from this job is history while

0:48

you're listening. Follow this job is history

0:50

wherever you get your podcasts. And

0:52

hey, Prime members. You can listen to this

0:54

job is history early and ad free

0:56

on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon

0:59

music app today.

1:00

From wondering, it's this job

1:02

is history. With me, Chris Parnell.

1:05

Each week, my producer, Linda and I invite

1:08

people from the actual past who

1:10

worked the strangest and most unexpected jobs

1:12

throughout time. You'll be transported

1:15

into the past and hear remarkable on

1:17

the job stories straight from the mouths

1:19

of the people who worked them.

1:23

It's not often that we get to talk to someone from

1:25

the eighteenth century, especially

1:27

someone in your line of work. So

1:30

tell us in your own words, what exactly

1:32

is a sen eater?

1:34

Well, sen eaters

1:36

are very well below the poor.

1:38

They're below the high Iraqi altogether,

1:40

really. But that's where you stand

1:43

when your job is banned by the Church of England.

1:45

Wait. Why would sin eating be banned

1:47

by the church? If what you say is true, you're

1:49

saving people souls?

1:50

First of all, Chris, it is

1:53

true. Second of all, it's complicated.

1:55

So

1:56

you know how Catholics have lost rights,

1:58

confession before they die.

1:59

Right. Of course. See, ever since we

2:02

became a protestant country,

2:03

free. It's not generally accepted

2:05

to do Catholic things like last

2:08

rites or confession. The

2:10

vicar says that faith alone is enough

2:12

to grant you gold's grace. But

2:14

most of it ensures Briebelieve

2:16

it doesn't know to have a little extra

2:19

reassurance.

2:19

Oh, so you're still sort of

2:21

doing the thing that the Catholic communion wafers

2:23

and confessions do. You're just doing it after

2:25

people die at dinner time.

2:27

No. It's completely different.

2:30

and calling it Catholic would get me in

2:32

a lot of trouble. What

2:34

I do as a good protestant

2:36

is help people deal with their guilt

2:38

and fears. Otherwise, what would they do?

2:41

I wouldn't know. I mean,

2:43

not to brag, but my therapist says I'm

2:45

remarkably good at suppressing

2:47

feelings of shame.

2:48

What's a therapist?

2:52

Is that what you call centimeters nowadays?

2:54

Oh,

2:54

a therapist is a person who you see every

2:56

week to talk. They give you the confidence to

2:58

speak up for yourself. Like when someone kind of tough

3:01

looking takes your drink at Starbucks or

3:03

when a kid on a bicycle bumps into

3:05

you and says something nasty. Okay.

3:07

Abigail, you talk

3:09

to a therapist about your feelings. They

3:11

help you cope with regrets, shame, things

3:13

like that. Actually, they basically

3:15

are sitting ears except without

3:17

the eating part. I

3:20

don't want to alarm you, but talking

3:23

about feelings doesn't seem like

3:25

it would save you from damnation.

3:27

Well, you're symbolically

3:29

reassuring people.

3:30

No. I'm literally truly eating

3:32

their sins. Chris, why

3:34

don't we move on to some other questions?

3:37

Yeah.

3:37

Abigail, I'm so sorry if I

3:39

implied that eating corpse bread didn't literally

3:41

absolve sins.

3:42

Well,

3:43

I accept your apology, Chris, and I

3:45

thank you kindly. Now here's

3:47

a different question. How do you

3:49

know what sins you're eating? Or

3:51

does it all taste like bread? Truthfully,

3:54

I can taste it.

3:56

Yeah. I've got the gift. When you've

3:58

been a sin eater

3:59

as long as I have, each sin

4:02

starts to become very distinguishable.

4:04

Gluttony. Take for

4:05

gluttony. Always always

4:08

hungry afterwards. That's when I

4:10

know gluttony. So

4:12

sloth. Now, sloth, you

4:15

can't keep the crumbs off the floor. Doesn't

4:17

matter what you do, if you wear a bib,

4:19

if you've got a tray, They're all

4:21

over the place. Now last let me

4:23

tell you something last is

4:24

fantastic. It's

4:27

subtle, but tasty. It's got a bit

4:29

of a kip

4:29

to it, you know. Hey,

4:32

Prime members. You can listen to this job

4:34

as history early and ad free on

4:36

Amazon Music. Download the Amazon

4:38

Music app today.