00:00 Joseph Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, was an active and willing participant in his own sideshow act, and despite his physical deformities, he was an admirable and brave individual who went through immense suffering in his short life.

05:04 Joseph Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, has been portrayed in various forms of media, including movies and Broadway shows, with actors embodying the character rather than relying on prosthetics, and his story gained significant attention in the late 1970s despite being largely forgotten.

10:06 Joseph Merrick's condition, known as the Elephant Man, caused his skin to become loose and rough, his face to become spongy, his jaw to deform, his speech to be impaired, and a growth to protrude from beneath his upper lip, resembling an elephant's trunk.

15:00 Joseph Merrick had a difficult and abusive childhood, which led him to eventually end up in a poor house, where he stayed for five years before finding an alternative.

20:13 Joseph Merrick likely suffered from proteas syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by an overgrowth of tissue, bone, and organs, which caused him to have severe physical deformities and health issues.

25:20 Joseph Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, had severe physical deformities and health issues caused by cells that didn't know when to stop growing, including an enormous skull that weighed 20 pounds and was three feet in circumference, bony growths inside his mouth that affected his speech, and the need to sleep sitting up with his head resting on his knees due to the risk of a broken neck.

30:10 Joseph Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, attracted the attention of doctors who invited him for examinations and wanted to use him as a case study, but Merrick refused and the exhibit showcasing him was eventually shut down, leading him to move to Belgium where he faced both success and setbacks.

34:56 Joseph Merrick, after being abandoned, beaten, and robbed in Belgium, was delivered back into the hands of Frederick Treves and received financial support from Francis Cargon and high society in London, leading to a more comfortable and celebrated last four years of his life.

39:51 Joseph Merrick died at the age of 27, likely due to a dislocated vertebrae caused by an attempt to sleep flat on his back like a normal person, and after his death, his bones were preserved for display while the rest of his body was buried in an unmarked grave.

44:59 Joseph Merrick, also known as John Merrick, was buried in a consecrated grave in an actual cemetery and his grave was marked in recent years, debunking the rumor that his body was discarded or that Michael Jackson tried to buy his bones.

49:36 The hosts discuss a listener's ghost encounter and their plans to investigate further.