On this week’s Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil J. Young debate Trump’s proposal for Afghanistan, plus-size clothing, and why swearing is on the rise.
Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
· We discussed the war in Afghanistan and Donald Trump’s plan to send more troops to the country.
· Clothing designers are finally designing more clothing for women who wear a size 14 or larger, but what took so long? Natalia talked about the ads Lane Bryant once ran for their larger-sized clothing. Neil mentioned this season of Project Runway is featuring models up to size 22. Natalia commented on Refinery29.com’s 67 Percent Project that has committed to diversifying the representation of models on its site.
· More Americans are swearing these days, according to research conducted by the psychology scholar Jean Twenge. Neil noted that George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” from 1972 included words that today are commonplace.
In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:
· Natalia discussed the Los Angeles Times’s article, “Millennials Are Spending Big on Trendy Places to Sweat.”
· Neil commented on the increasing popularity of cremation.
· Niki talked about Seyward Darby’s Harper’s article, “The Rise of the Valkyries.”