Episode 406: Neil J. Young's "Coming Out Republican: A History of the Gay Right"

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss – and celebrate! – Neil’s new book, Coming Out Republican: A History of the Gay Right.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Coming Out Republican is now available for order. You can buy Neil’s book here.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia shared about the Gothamist article, “Stop the Schtup: Brooklyn Orthodox Women Join Sex Strike to Pressure Husbands Over Divorce.”

• Neil commented on his forthcoming piece at The Revealer, “Reaching the Heartland: Gay Republicans’ Message to Religious Americans.”

• Niki recommended Heather Radke’s book, Butts: A Backstory.

Episode 405: Controversies over Christmas “Classics”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss controversies over Christmas “classics.”

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Beloved Christmas songs and movies, like so many cultural products, have come under new scrutiny recently. Neil’s Atlantic essay about Christmas controversies informed our whole conversation. We drew on this Atlantic essay that began the backlash against the film Love Actually, and Natalia referenced this interview with its director. Niki referred to this Variety essay about “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia, Neil, and Niki reflected on eight years of making the show together and announced both Niki’s departure and Past Present’s first hiatus. Thank you, Niki. And listeners, see you in the spring!

Episode 404: George Santos

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the strange career of now ex-Republican Congressman George Santos.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• George Santos’ lies are so numerous, it is difficult to keep track of them. Niki referred to this Atlantic article about how Santos got elected, and Neil and Natalia referred to this one by Adam Serwer. We all drew on this New York Times history of expelled Congress members.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia declared her ambition to compete in the HYROX fitness competition.

• Neil recommended the Slate podcast Dear Prudence and historian Julie Golia’s book, Newspaper Confessions: A History of Advice Columns in a Pre-Internet Age.

• Niki discussed Rivka Galchen’s New Yorker article, “Inside the Illegal Cactus Trade.”

Episode 403: Nikki Haley

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Nikki Haley recently secured the backing of the wealthy Koch Brothers, bringing more attention to her presidential run. Natalia referred to this multi-part POLITICO series on Haley’s career. Neil drew on this NPR piece, and Niki on this article from The Intercept.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia shared about her most recent MSNBC column, “How Feminists Have Failed Israeli Victims of Sexual Violence.”

• Neil recommended Sopan Deb’s New York Times article, “Nom Nom Nom. What’s the Deal With Cookie Monster’s Cookies?”

• Niki discussed the National Security Archive’s “Henry Kissinger: The Declassified Obituary.”

Episode 402: Home Ownership and the History of Mortgages

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss Americans’ attachment to the thirty-year mortgage.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• A thirty-year mortgage is an enticement to home ownership – if you can lock one in at a low interest rate. Niki cited this Washington Post article about the unfavorable market for millennial homebuyers, and Natalia referenced this New Yorker piece about the pitfalls of mortgages. We all drew on this Atlantic article about the resilience of the “ownership society” ideal. Natalia referred to this New York Times article about a landlord harassed by her tenant.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia shared about the paperback release of Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past and a 60% holiday discount on the audiobook of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession.

• Neil recommended visiting the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, California.

• Niki discussed the latest episode of the What Next podcast, “Moms for Liberty Tanked at the Polls. This Guy Called It.”

Episode 401: The History of Drive-Thru Dining

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the history of drive-thru dining. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Drive-through dining is more popular than ever since the pandemic. Neil drew on this Serious Eats history, and we all referred to this photo collection.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended Eboo Patel’s essay for Inside Higher Ed, “Why Campuses Need Centers for Pluralism.”

• Neil discussed Natasha Singer’s New York Times article, “This Florida District Banned Cellphones. Here’s What Happened.”

• Niki shared about the latest episode of Unclear and Present Danger, on which she appears.

Episode 400: The History of U.S. Divorce Laws

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of divorce law in the United States.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is a proponent of “covenant marriage,” an institutional arrangement that makes it much more difficult to get divorced. Natalia referred to this Atlantic article about the history of no-fault divorce. Niki drew on this JSTOR Daily piece on how women advocated for these changes and on this CNN piece as well.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended the “Dog Eat Dog” episode of Season 4 of the History Channel’s Food That Built America program.

• Neil discussed Bruce Weber’s New York Times obituary, “Bobby Knight, Basketball Coach Known for Trophies and Tantrums, Dies at 83.”

• Niki shared about a new edited collection, LBJ’s America: The Life and Legacies of Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Episode 399: Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican Chaos

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the drama around the election of the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Until this week, the new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was little known beyond Louisiana and ultraconservative circles. Natalia referenced this CNN piece about Johnson’s homophobic comments, and historian Matthew Dallek’s article for TIME. Neil referred to Niki’s latest CNN column.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Ksenia Svetlova’s New Republic piece, “Why We On the Israeli Left Feel Hit on Both Sides.”

• Neil recommended historian Lauren Lassabe Shepherd’s Daily Beast article, “Could Mississippi Actually Elect a Democratic Governor?”

• Niki shared about the Radiotopia podcast, “The Unmarked Graveyard: Stories from Hart Island.”

Episode 398: The History of Restaurant Reservations

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the history of restaurant reservations. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Restaurant reservations, like so much else, are getting gamified. Neil referred to this New York Times article. We all drew on this overview of historian Paul Freedman’s book and this Atlantic article.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia shared about Britney Spears’ new memoir, The Woman in Me.

• Neil recommended historian Daniel Immerwahr’s New Yorker article, “Beyond the Myth of Rural America” and Steven Conn’s book The Lies of the Land: Seeing Rural America for What It Is – And Isn’t.

• Niki discussed Elizabeth Williamson’s New York Times article, “Judge Won’t Let Alex Jones Use Bankruptcy to Avoid Sandy Hook Damages.”

Episode 397: The Beyoncé and Taylor Swift Tours

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of musical megatours and the concert movies they inspired.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Beyoncé and Taylor Swift made concert history this summer, and are now offering feature film versions of their concerts for the masses. Niki referenced this CNN article, and Natalia cited Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s New York Times Magazine analysis of Swiftiedom.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia shared about her upcoming events in the Center for Jewish History’s “Archives to Earbuds” series.

• Neil recommended the podcast series, Keys to the Kingdom.

• Niki discussed the new film, One Life.

Episode 396: The History of Historic Preservation

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of historic preservation.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Historic preservation is almost as old as U.S. history. Natalia drew on this Discourse magazine article, and Niki discussed this New Yorker essay. Neil referenced this New York Times opinion essay.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Matthew Schmitz’ Compact article, “Millennial Socialists Embrace Atrocities.”

• Neil shared Paige Williams’ New Yorker essay, “Among the Cabin Fanatics of Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty.”

• Niki recommended Matthew Dallek’s new book, Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.

Episode 395: TED Talks and the History of Public Speaking

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the rise – and fall? – of the TED Talk.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The writer Coleman Hughes gave a TED Talk on race earlier this year, and caused a stir when he advocated for “colorblindness” – and then accused TED of depressing the online circulation of his talk. Natalia cited this essay at The Drift, as well as this Atlantic article. Niki and Neil both drew on this Huffington Post history of TED, while Niki also referenced this New York Times profile of Chris Anderson, the head of TED. Neil commented on this New York Times article likening TED Talks to a religious event.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia invited scholars and writers to submit pitches for the series on physical culture that she is guest-editing for Nursing Clio.

• Neil shared about John Riley’s Metro Weekly article, “California Republicans Reject Platform Change on Gay Marriage.”

• Niki recommended the new special issue of the Journal of African American History, on the “Black 1980s.”

Episode 394: Sen. John Fetterman and the Senate Dress Code

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of political dress codes.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• In the wake of a debate over Senator John Fetterman’s casual style, the Senate voted to set a more formal dress code. Neil drew on this Gentleman’s Gazette article, and Natalia referenced Rhonda Garelick’s New York Times essay. Niki cited this POLITICO piece and this Washingtonian article.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended Jessica Bennett’s New York Times package, “Being 13.”

• Neil shared about the Deseret News poll, “Republicans See Trump as a ‘Person of Faith’… More So Than Mitt Romney, Mike Pence, and Others”

• Niki discussed the 1921 New York Times article, “Is the New Woman A Traitor to Her Race?”

Episode 393: Ibram X. Kendi and the Controversy over the Center for Antiracist Research

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the apparent crisis at scholar Ibram X. Kendi’s Center for Antiracist Research.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• After amassing tens of millions of dollars in funding, Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research abruptly laid off a third of its staff last week. Natalia referred to historian Holly Brewer’s scholarly critique of Kendi’s work in this Liberties essay, and Niki referred to extensive right-wing coverage of the issue, like this Fox News piece.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended Aymann Ismail’s Slate essay, “Closed Book.”

• Neil shared about historian Benjamin E. Park’s Slate essay, “Sound of Freedom’s Tim Ballard Is a Star on the Right. Why Would His Church Denounce Him?”

• Niki discussed her column for CNN Opinion, “Maren Morris’ Powerful Farewell to Country Music.”

Episode 392: The New Crisis of Masculinity

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the latest “crisis of masculinity.”

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Men, according to a recent New York Times report, benefit from a “thumb on the scale” when it comes to college admissions. The report belongs to a larger debate over a “crisis of masculinity” today. Niki referred to this New York magazine article about Andrew Tate, and Natalia cited right-wing documentaries The End of Men and What is a Woman? Natalia and Niki both cited Christine Emba’s interview in Vox, and Neil referred to this New Yorker article.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the ProPublica investigative report, “How Columbia Ignored Women, Undermined Prosecutors and Protected a Predator for More Than 20 Years.”

• Neil shared about Remy Tumin’s New York Times article, “The Battle to Save Marilyn Monroe’s Last Home.”

• Niki recommended Mark Joseph Stern’s Slate article, “The Volunteer Moms Poring Over Archives to Prove Clarence Thomas Wrong.”

Episode 391: The History of Telemarketing

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of telemarketing.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The new HBO docuseries Telemarketers is bringing attention to a decades-old industry. Niki drew on this Atlantic article about scams in the industry and this history of the “Do Not Call” registry, and Natalia drew on this Slate piece.

• In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed her latest MSNBC column, “Ramaswamy Amplifies A Strange, Outdated Myth to Back a Genuinely Good Idea.”

• Neil shared about his most recent CNN piece, “Strays is a Raunchy, Hilarious Reminder of a Real Problem.”

• Niki recommended Jonathan Chait’s New York magazine review, “Samuel Moyn Can’t Stop Blaming Trumpism on Liberals.”

Episode 390: A History of the Mugshot

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of the mugshot.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The release of former President Donald Trump’s mugshot was met with enthusiasm across the political spectrum. We discussed the long history of the mugshot. Niki drew on this NPR piece, and Natalia referred to this Hyperallergic post. Neil and Natalia referenced this Marshall Project report.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the Independent Women’s Forum report, “Oberlin College Administrators Caught on Secret Recording Reprimanding Head Lacrosse Coach for Defending Women’s Sports.”

• Neil recommended the podcast series, America After Roe.

• Niki shared about her latest CNN column, “How the GOP Used Joe the Plumber to Sell a Myth.”

Episode 389: West Virginia University and the Attack on American Universities

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the significance of major cutbacks at West Virginia University.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The announcement of major cutbacks to academic programs at West Virginia University has drawn ire from students and alumni. Natalia cited this Atlantic article by Tom Nichols and this Nation essay by Lisa M. Corrigan. Niki drew on this PBS article.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the edited collection, Who Would Believe a Prisoner?: Indiana Women’s Carceral Institutions, 1848-1920.

• Neil recommended the Netflix film, “Red, White, and Royal Blue” and this BBC article about hate-watching.

• Niki shared about Kathryn Cramer Brownell’s new book, 24/7 Politics, and her Los Angeles Review of Books essay, “Propaganda, Outrage, and Entertainment.”

Episode 388: The Hollywood Strike

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the current strike in Hollywood.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Hollywood actors and writers have been on strike for more than one hundred days. Niki drew on this Hollywood Reporter article about Ronald Reagan’s tenure as a union leader. Natalia referred to this New Yorker story about Orange Is The New Black, and we all drew on this NPR retrospective on the history of Hollywood strikes.  

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed her essay “We’re All Preppy Now” for The New Republic.

• Neil recommended historian Lauren Lassabe Shepherd’s new book, Resistance From the Right.

• Niki shared about Ben Strauss and Molly Hensley-Clancy’s Washington Post article, “Hollywood Cashed in on ‘Blind Side’ Success.”

Episode 387: Trigger Warnings

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss “trigger warnings.”

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• An essay in The Atlantic by Jill Filipovic is the latest salvo in the debate over “trigger warnings.” Niki cited Filipovic’s 2014 Guardian piece on the topic as well as this New Republic essay on the salient history of PTSD. Neil drew on this New Yorker article about how well the trigger warnings actually work. Natalia referred to this New York magazine story about trauma.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended the new podcast, Classy.

• Neil discussed Joel Mathis’ article for The Week, “Is Conference Realignment Ruining College Football?”

• Niki shared about Katherine Stewart’s New Republic article, “The Claremont Institute: The Anti-Democracy Think Tank” and referred to Christopher Mathias’Huff Post investigation, “Richard Hanania, Rising Right-Wing Star, Wrote for White Supremacist Sites Under Pseudonym.”