Episode 109: Bill Clinton, the NYC Subway, and GOP's Tax Plan

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the recent reckoning with Bill Clinton’s legacy, the state of the New York City subway, and the new tax reform measure.

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

• Conservatives and liberals alike are reevaluating Bill Clinton’s legacy in terms of the sea change in attitudes about sexual harassment and assault. Niki referred to Clinton’s 2012 speech at the Democratic National Convention. Natalia cited Estelle Freedman’s book Redefining Rape: Sexual Violence in the Era of Suffrage and Segregation.
• A New York Times article recently asked how and why the New York City subway system is in such disrepair. Natalia recommended Clifton Hood’s book 722 Miles: The Building of Subways and How They Transformed New York. Neil referred to Kim Phillips-Fein’s book on 1970s New York, Fear City: New York’s Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics.
• A new tax reform bill has passed the House. We discussed the history of the GOP and tax reform. Niki referred to Molly Michelmore’s book Tax and Spend: The Welfare State, Tax Politics, and Limits of American Liberalism. Natalia mentioned Bruce Schulman’s recent Washington Post article.

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

• Neil discussed the new film Wonder.
• Natalia discussed the podcast Ear Hustle.
• Niki discussed the history of green bean casserole.

Episode 108: Liz Smith, Interracial Friendships, and Roy Moore

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Liz Smith and the history of gossip columns, whether interracial friendships are possible, and evangelical responses to Roy Moore’s pedophilia scandal.

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

• Gossip columnist Liz Smith passed away this month, prompting us to historicize the genre she helped establish. Natalia referenced this Vanity Fair group interview of Page Six writers and editors and pointed to Anne Helen Petersen’s article about Rona Barrett.
• This New York Times op-ed by Ekow Yankah doubted whether interracial friendships are truly possible in this historical moment. Niki referred to Jamelle Bouie’s Slate essay “There Is No Such Thing as a Good Trump Voter.” Neil cited this study showing the greater diversity of African-Americans’ social networks than those of white people. Natalia referred to Brittney Cooper’s Salon essay about the limits of her friendships with white people. Niki commented on “the talk” and Natalia recommended this Public Seminar essay by historian Ed Baptist.
• Family values champion Roy Moore has been accused of pedophilia and many are surprised that evangelicals are standing by him. Natalia referenced this New Yorker article that reports that Moore often cruised for teen girls at an Alabama shopping mall, and this New Republic article that highlights how teen girls are often sexualized in evangelical cultures. Niki referenced this MSNBC segment in which Moore’s lawyer intimated that Muslim cultures condone child marriage. Neil, who has written about the limits of understanding white evangelicals through a political lens, also referred to a piece he wrote for Religion & Politics before the election last year on how the religious right moved from “outside activists” to “inside operatives.”

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

• Neil discussed Trump’s recent lifting of a trophy-hunting game ban. (Note: Since our recording, President Trump has put the ban reversal on hold.)
• Natalia discussed Lara Freidenfeld’s Nursing Clio essay questioning all forms of “perfect motherhood.”
• Niki discussed this Jezebel article about the 1936 advice manual Live Alone and Like It, the subject of Joanna Scutts’s new book, The Extra Woman.

Episode 107: Democratic Wins, Twitter, and The Snowy Day

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the Democratic wins in the recent off-year elections, the doubling of Twitter’s character limit, and the release of a postage stamp based on Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day.

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

• Democrats won in a “blue wave” in the recent off-year elections. Natalia referenced this Roll Call article showing how the parties of sitting presidents have historically come up short in off-year and midterm elections.
• Twitter recently extended its character limit to 280 characters, prompting us to consider the history of the medium. We referenced Mashable’s Twitter history timeline and Natalia cited Julia Turner’s New York Times magazine article that highlights the linguistic effect of the hashtag on modern speech. Niki referred to Alan Brinkley’s biography of publisher Henry Luce.
• Peter, the Black protagonist of Ezra Jack Keats’ classic children’s book is now on a postage stamp. Neil recalled reading The Snowy Day as a child. Natalia also commented on another famous children’s book from the era, Corduroy. Niki referenced Daksha Slater’s Mother Jones article on “The Uncomfortable Truth About Children’s Books.”

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

• Natalia discussed the documentary Abacus: Small Enough to Jail.
• Neil discussed the slime craze among American kids.
• Niki discussed the new movie The Florida Project.

Episode 106: Kevin Spacey, Company Towns, and the Reformation

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate Kevin Spacey’s coming out amid charges of pedophilia, the 21st century company town, and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

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

• When a Buzzfeed article reported that actor Anthony Rapp, at age fourteen, had been assaulted by Kevin Spacey, Spacey responded by coming out as gay. Niki referred to longstanding rumors about Spacey’s sexuality, including a 1997 Esquire cover story that hinted about his “secret.” We all referred to the longstanding stereotype of homosexual-as-pedophile promoted by the 1961 public service announcement film Boys Beware, which we have referenced on other segments.
• Google is developing a stretch of the Toronto riverfront, the New York Times reported. Natalia referenced a Smithsonian magazine article that explains that company towns have historically had both utopian and dystopian qualities. Natalia also referred to the informal use of the term “company town” to describe a town dominated by a single company, such as the role of Maytag in Newton, Iowa, described in an NPR segment.
• The Protestant Reformation just turned 500. Neil referenced Martin Luther’s 95 Theses and the Five Solas that undergirded the Reformation.

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

• Neil discussed the end of the New York City cabaret law.
• Natalia discussed the #MeToo movement in the pornography industry.
• Niki discussed Errol Morris’ New York Times book review of Peter Manseau’s The Apparitionists.

Episode 105: JFK Files, Joni Mitchell, and Anxiety

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the declassification of the JFK files, Joni Mitchell, and our age of anxiety.

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

• In light of President Trump’s announcement that “he” would declassify a substantial chunk of the files surrounding the JFK assassination, we discussed the history of conspiracy theories around this event. Natalia and Neil cited Max Holland’s 1994 Reviews in American History article that explored why conspiracy theories proliferated so over JFK’s assassination.
• David Yaffe’s new biography of Joni Mitchell has reinvigorated interest in the folk singer widely considered a musical genius. Niki referenced The Ringer article explaining “fear of a female genius.” Natalia referred to Zadie Smith’s analysis of Mitchell’s unique poignancy born in part of her use of “complicated chords.”
• The New York Times recently published a longform article highlighting the extreme anxiousness of contemporary American teenagers. Neil referenced Scott Stossel’s Alternet article on the long history of anxiety and Natalia cited Ruth Whippman’s book America the Anxious.

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

• Natalia discussed the new podcast Sexing History, highlighting their recent episode on the Mark Eden breast-enhancement device (on which she is interviewed).
• Neil commented that the sitcom Will and Grace is back on the air.
• Niki discussed Sarada Peri’s Washington Post - Made By History article about the cost of sidestepping the Presidential Records Act.

Episode 104: Girl Scouts, #MeToo, and HIV/AIDS

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the Girl Scouts in light of the Boy Scouts’ recent decision to admit girls, #MeToo activism, and how Michael Friedman’s recent death of HIV/AIDS helps us understand the illness in historical context.

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

• We discussed the decision by the Boy Scouts to admit girls’ and the resistance of Girl Scouts leadership to the idea that this is a step forward for gender equality, as explained in this New York Times op-ed. Neil referenced the Girl Scouts’ longstanding commitment to progressivism. Natalia recommended this Atlantic article about what the Boy Scouts’ resistance both to admitting gay scouts and girl scouts teaches us about masculinity.
• When Alyssa Milano implored women Twitter to answer “me too” to signal their having been sexually assaulted, she touched off a new wave of hashtag activism. Natalia referenced the longer history of “me too” – it was created a decade ago by Tarana Burke – and commented how contributions of people of color are often erased. Niki recommended David Karpf’s The MoveOn Effect as a useful way to understand hashtag activism. Natalia recommended feminist Carol Hanisch’s On the Issues article about the continued salience of consciousness-raising to the feminist movement.
• Michael Friedman’s death of HIV/AIDS in 2017 came as a shock to many who think of the disease as chronic, but no longer fatal. In chronicling how the disease has stigmatized gay men, Niki recalled conservative William F. Buckley’s proposal that HIV-positive gay men have their status tattooed on their buttocks. Natalia referenced a Smithsonian article on the fear-mongering approach of 1980s and 1990s public health campaigns around HIV/AIDS, as well as a useful New Republic piece explaining why the United States was hit harder than western Europe by the virus.

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

• Natalia discussed a Racked article explaining a new fashion trend: menocore.
• Neil commented on the latest wave of resistance in schools to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  
• Niki discussed historian Claire Potter’s Washington Post article on the relevance of Andrea Dworkin to understanding the Harvey Weinstein debacle.

Episode 103: Harvey Weinstein, Pumpkin Spice, & the Dove Ad Controversy

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein and the culture that enables him, the history of the pumpkin spice phenomenon, and the controversy over a Dove soap advertisement.

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

• We discussed the serial sexual assaults many women in Hollywood allege movie mogul Harvey Weinstein committed against them, reported in a New York Times story by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Neil cited Ann Helen Petersen’s explanation in Buzzfeed of the way that women in Hollywood have used gossip networks to safeguard each other from Weinstein’s aggressions. Natalia referenced Rebecca Traister’s essay in The Cut about how not only changes in attitudes toward survivors of sexual assault but also an awareness of Weinstein’s waning power converged to make these allegations surface now.
• Starbucks has made the Pumpkin Spice Latte a fall fixture; we discussed the history of the phenomenon and of pumpkin (spice) itself. Natalia referenced Cindy Ott’s monograph Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon, in which she argues that pumpkins went from an undesirable last culinary resort in the colonial era to a symbol of the pastoral ideal in the nineteenth century and still today. Natalia and Niki also recommended the humorous McSweeney’s essay, “It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherf*&kers”.
• Dove, a brand that has distinguished itself with its body-positive messaging, caused a firestorm by releasing an ad that appeared to show a black woman becoming white. Niki pointed out that this is not the first time Dove has come under fire for its approach to race. Natalia recommended watching the full ad, rather than the screenshots that have circulated on social media. Natalia also recommended contextualizing the incident with Autumn Whitfield-Madrano’s book Face Value and an article at The Conversation about the racist history of skincare.

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

• Neil commented on the sexist media coverage of the surprising loss of the U.S. men’s soccer team to Trinidad and Tobago, disqualifying them from the World Cup.  
• Natalia discussed Eminem’s anti-Trump freestyle rap at the BET Awards.
• Niki discussed the “interesting but wildly inaccurate” ideas about equal time on television for politicians expressed by President Trump in a series of tweets.

Episode 102: Bronx School Killing, Romance Novels, and Game Shows

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate a fatal stabbing at a Bronx high school, the history of the romance novel and its critics, and the evolution of the game show genre.

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

• We discussed the stabbing death of Matthew McCree, 15, at the hands of his classmate, Abel Cedeno, 18, at the Bronx public school, Urban Assembly, the first killing in a New York City school in two decades. Natalia cited Albert M. Camarillo’s theory of the “new racial frontier” that describes community and conflict in contemporary cities as one framework for understanding this conflict between a Puerto Rican and African-American New Yorkers. We also referenced West Side Story to emphasize the long-standing stereotype of Puerto Ricans as gangsters, a trope that has resurged in response to this incident. Niki highlighted the concept of the “school-to-prison pipeline” as important context to understand the criminalization of young men of color by the schools.
• Romance novels not only earn enormous profits, but also disdain from the literary establishment. For this reason, a long New York Times Book Review “roundup” of new titles in the genre made news.  Romance blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books was ambivalent, grateful for the publicity but critical of the choice of a writer who failed to acknowledge the complexity of the genre. Natalia commented on Kelly Faircloth’s more nuanced treatment at Jezebel and recommended scholar Janice Radway’s book on the different ways women read the genre.
• Monty Hall, host of the classic game show Let’s Make a Deal, recently died, an occasion to consider the genre he helped define in historical context. Niki pointed out how the quiz show scandals of the 1950s marked an era of far higher trust in public institutions. One signal theme of the modern era, Natalia commented, is the blurring between the genres of reality television and game show, evidenced by The Briefcase, among other programs.   

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

• Neil commented on the death of musician Tom Petty, and in particular on his relationship to the Confederate flag.
• Natalia discussed the Los Angeles Times’ series and podcast “Dirty John”, by Christopher Goffard, a gripping California narrative that also reminds us of the need to support longform, investigative journalism.
• Niki discussed “Before Vibrators Were Mainstream” in the Atlantic, which explored the feminist origins of the contemporary sex toy industry.

Flashback! Hawaii

In this week's flashback episode, we revisit our segment on the history of Hawaii.

Bonus Episode 4: The Equifax Hack

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the Equifax hack. 

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

• We discussed the Equifax hack in the context of the history of credit. Niki recommended historian Louis Hyman’s book Debtor Nation: The History of America in Red Ink. Natalia commented on the cultural sensitivity of exposing financial information in particular, citing sociologist Rachel Sherman’s book Uneasy Street: The Anxieties of Affluence. Niki cited Hyman’s Wilson Quarterly article on the 1920s precedents for the contemporary political economy.

Episode 101: LIVE! Antifa, Cultural Appropriation, and Income Inequality

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the historical origins of Antifa, cultural appropriation, and the role of contract labor in an unequal society.

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

• We discussed Antifa, which has been popularized by historian Mark Bray’s Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook. Natalia commented on the romanticized assumption of Antifa opponents that there ever was a “perfect” nonviolent protest culture, as explained in this New York Times opinion piece. Niki referred to the long tradition of anti-fascist activism in the United States, which she outlined at U.S. News and World Report. On the global history of anti-fascism, Natalia recommended historian Federico Finchelstein’s new book.
• Cultural appropriation has been making headlines recently, and one especially strident one – “Three Cheers for Cultural Appropriation!” – in the New York Times sparked our conversation. Niki pointed out that the Times has been remarkably sympathetic to those accused of cultural appropriation, recently publishing another piece by Kenan Malik that made a similar argument. Natalia pointed out the difference between syncretism and outright cultural theft, as in the case of the Kardashian-Jenners stealing the designs of black fashion designers, as Teen Vogue reported.
• Income inequality is rising in this country, and we considered a New York Times article that compared the professional and economic mobility of a janitor working at a major corporation in the 1980s and today. Natalia cited Margaret O’Mara’s Pacific Standard article that argued that the technology industry has elevated those with access to capital, intensifying inequality.

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

• Neil commented on the surprising hike in football participation in Alabama even as national rates have fallen.
• Natalia discussed historian Emily Contois’ appearance on the FoodPsych podcast, in which she explored the history of dieting.
• Niki talked about the discovery of – and resistance to accept – the fact that at least one woman apparently served as a Viking warrior.

Episode 100: DACA, Louise Hay, & an All-Female Lord of the Flies

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the White House’s announcement to end DACA, the death of New Age guru and publisher Louise Hay, and the prospect of an all-female Lord of the Flies remake.

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

• We discussed the recent history of DACA and its unique policy history; we all found this Vox article by Dara Lind helpful.  
• New Age pioneer Louise Hay died last week, leaving millions of her readers and followers bereft. We discussed how her strain of positive thinking has shaped the self-help genre, as Boris Kachka argues in New York, and that it has early origins in 19th-century New Thought, a movement Harvey Green explores in his book Fit For America. Natalia referred to Barbara Ehrenreich’s searing critique of the world Hay helped create in her book Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America.
• Lord of the Flies is being remade with an all-women’s cast, but with an all-male writing team. We debated the limits of this strategy as a form of feminist liberation, and Niki cited an article in The Lily that made that argument.

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

• Natalia discussed Esther Perel’s article in The Atlantic “Why Happy People Cheat” and surmised that it signals a shift in American morality.
• Neil commented on a new interpretation of the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) put forth in the New York Times: that the measure often used by historians as an example of failed idealism actually succeeded in changing the nature of global warfare.
• Niki talked about the “better baby” contests of the early 20th century, which exemplify how eugenics and Progressivism converged.

Episode 99: Hurricane Harvey, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and Princess Diana

On this week’s Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil J. Young debate the natural and political implications of Hurricane Harvey, President Trump’s pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and the legacy of Princess Diana two decades after her death.

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

• We discussed Hurricane Harvey and the origins of the meteorological model that determines whether a storm is a “1-in-500-years” eventuality and the role of human decisions in mitigating or intensifying natural disaster. We also discussed the history of media coverage of looting after such disasters; Natalia cited Andy Horowitz’ Washington Post article “Hurricane Harvey Threatens More than You Think.”
• President Trump’s pardon of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made headlines both for the troubling legal precedent it sets and the content of Arpaio’s career, defined by harsh treatment of prisoners and minorities. We discussed the entwined history of white supremacy and law enforcement; Neil mentioned Gilbert King’s book Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.
• Princess Diana died twenty years ago this summer, and she changed popular ideas about the crown, the media, and celebrity. Niki recalled her particular prominence in the tabloid press that profited immensely from her celebrity. Neil cited Jane Mendle’s TIME article about Diana’s positive role in destigmatizing mental illness in the United Kingdom.

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

• Neil commented on historian Christopher D. Cantwell’s reflection in The Atlantic about sharing a name with alt-right activist Christopher Cantwell.
• Natalia discussed Ruth Graham’s article in Slate about the quick vilification of televangelist Joel Osteen’s response to Hurricane Harvey.
• Niki talked about the recent court ruling that the Cherokee nation must recognize the rights of descendants of Cherokee freedmen.

Episode 98: Afghanistan, Plus-Size Clothing, and Swearing

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.”

Episode 97: Nazis in Charlottesville, the Google Memo, and Blondeness

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the role of neo-Nazis in the white nationalist violence in Charlottesville, the Google memo, and the political power of blondeness. 

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

• We discussed the deadly attack by white nationalists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia. Niki has written about her experience in Charlottesville for U.S. News & World Report and for Vox. In thinking about the history of Nazism in the U.S., Natalia recommended James Q. Whitman’s book, Hitler’s American Model, which examines how Hitler looked to American race law as a blueprint for Nazi Germany. Niki added Nina Silber’s Washington Post piece, “Worshiping the Confederacy is about white supremacy – even the Nazis thought so,” to the conversation. Natalia also shared Kenneth Jackson’s book, The Ku Klux Klan in the City, for understanding the northern and urban origins of the twentieth century KKK, and Timothy Snyder’s Black Earth which shows how Nazism’s goal was to destroy current state borders to create a white “utopia.”

• Google fired the software engineer James Damore for writing a memo, “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber,” where he argued women and men didn’t experience systemic bias at the company. (You can read the 10-page document here.) Natalia pointed to a Wired article that debunked Damore’s scientific claims. Neil noted that Damore’s first sit-down interview with an alt-right leader belied his claim that the memo represented an objective scientific project with no ideological agenda. In discussing the history of women in Silicon Valley and the computing industry, Natalia recommended Ben Allen’s Public Books review of Matthew Kirschenbaum’s Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing, and Marie Hicks’ history of British women computer programmers, Programmed Inequality.

• We debated Amy LaRocca’s article for The Cut, “Political Peroxide: Blonde Privilege.”

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

• Natalia discussed Lifetime.com’s new history series, #SheDidThat.

• Neil commented on a history of traveling with cats.

• Niki talked about OkCupid’s decision to kick white supremacist Chris Cantwell off its site.

Episode 96: Stolen Valor, MLMs, and Private Roads

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate lying about Vietnam, multi-level marketing companies, and the privatization of public roads.

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

• Donald Trump has attacked Sen. Richard Blumenthal for lying about his military service in Vietnam, something that was uncovered during his 2010 run for office. Niki commented on the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, and Natalia noted that B.G. Burkett’s book, Stolen Valor, showed that the habit of journalists relying on personal accounts as evidence of military status resulted in many misrepresentations of wartime service.

• After a crackdown on multi-level marketing companies’ predatory practices during the Obama Administration, the Trump presidency looks to be a boon for MLMs. We discussed the Quartz article that argued MLMs like LuLaRoe are forcing people into debt and psychological crisis. Natalia compared the “mompreneurs” of MLMs to the “teacherpreneurs” we discussed in Episode 1. Neil explained why MLMs are so popular with Mormons, and Natalia shared an Al Jazeera article that showed MLMs also appealed to those involved in prosperity gospel churches. Natalia also recommended watching John Oliver’s takedown of MLMs.
   
• A Bay Area couple has bought Presidio Terrace, an exclusive street in San Francisco, for about $90,000. We discussed the development of roads and the history of privatization.

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

• Natalia discussed the news that Saks Fifth Avenue is offering a “prison-style bootcamp.”
   
• Neil commented on comments by Pastor Robert Jeffress that God has given Donald Trump authority to “take out” Kim Jong Un.

• Niki talked about Eric Grundhauser’s Atlas Obscura article, “The Eclipse of 1878 Almost Killed the Father of the National Weather Service.”

Episode 95: MS-13, R. Kelly, and Doctor Who

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the place of MS-13 in the history of street gangs, R. Kelly's sex cult, and the controversy over the first woman actor to play Doctor Who.

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

• In a speech in Suffolk County, NY, Donald Trump promised to eradicate MS-13, a street gang active throughout the U.S. and Central America. Natalia shared the Daily Mail’s interview with a former MS-13 member that emphasized the gang’s origins as a non-threatening social organization. Natalia commented on a New York Times profile of MS-13 in El Salvador showed it to be a violent but poor organization.

• In a piece for BuzzFeed, the music critic Jim DeRogatis exposed the hip-hop artist R. Kelly is holding women against their will in a “sex cult.” Neil discussed how academics had replaced the word “cult” with the term “new religious movement,” but wondered how best to describe R. Kelly’s situation. Natalia recommended Tricia Rose’s books for understanding misogyny in hip hop.

• Jodie Whitaker has been named the 13th Dr. Who, and the first woman to occupy the role. We discussed the famed BBC series and what Whitaker’s selection means for the history of women in science fiction.

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

• Natalia discussed Taffy Broddeser-Akner’s New York Times Magazine article, “Losing It in the Anti-Dieting Age.”

• Neil commented on news that Michiko Kakutani will be stepping down as chief book critic for the New York Times. Neil also commented on Kakutani’s review of Volker Ullrich’s biography of Hitler.

• Niki talked about Benjamin Coates’ Washington Post essay, “How a WWI-Era Law Set the Stage for the Trump-Russia Controversy.”

Episode 94: Boy Scouts, Eugenics, and Eloping

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Trump's divisive speech before the Boy Scouts, the return of eugenics in criminal justice, and the rising wave of elopements.

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

• Donald Trump’s recent speech at the Boy Scouts Jamboree has earned criticism for its political tone and inappropriate remarks. Niki pointed out that other presidents have given political speeches to the Boy Scouts, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George W. Bush, but Trump’s was unique for its partisanship. Natalia shared Amy Davidson’s New Yorker piece that argued Trump had distorted the one Boy Scout value he included in his speech: loyalty.

• A Tennessee county is offering reduced sentences to inmates who get long-term contraceptives. Natalia noted this news was far different than the “brosectomy” parties the Wall Street Journal reported some men are having. Neil commented on how Adolf Hitler had admired the forced sterilization laws of many U.S. states. Natalia mentioned a Salon article on North Carolina’s notorious history of forced sterilization.

• A recent story in the New York Times profiled couples who have chosen lavish elopements rather than traditional wedding ceremonies. We discussed the history of elopement and America’s “marriage industrial complex.”

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

• Natalia discussed Jennifer Finney Boylan’s Public Seminar piece, “Mobilizing to Fight Trump’s Transgender Ban.”

• Neil commented on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.

• Niki talked about the origins of Pilates in a British World War I interment camp.

Episode 93: LIVE! Libraries, the Hamptons, and the Summer of Love

In this week's special live episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate funding cuts for libraries, the history of the Hamptons, and the legacy of the Summer of Love.

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

• Donald Trump’s proposed budget allots zero federal dollars to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. We discussed the history of public libraries in America during our live taping at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, New York.

• Although the Hamptons is known as a favorite summer destination spot for Manhattan’s wealthy, the region has a long and diverse history, including a historic summer community for African Americans in Sag Harbor.

• It’s the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. We debated how the historic gathering in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco transformed American attitudes about sex and sexuality. In our discussion of changing sexual norms, Natalia commented on Laura Kipnis’s new book, Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus.

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

• Natalia discussed the decision by the National Council of La Raza to change its name to UnidosUS.

• Neil commented on the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death.

• Niki talked about Guian McKee’s Washington Post article, “Why Are Republicans Trapped on Health Care? Because Democrats Stole Their Best Idea.”

Episode 92: Higher Ed & the GOP, the Reverse Great Migration, and Immigration in California

On this week’s episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate Republicans’ increasing distrust of higher education, the reverse Great Migration of African Americans to the South, and the last remaining fleeing immigrants sign in California.

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

• A recent Pew poll revealed that a majority of Republicans think colleges have a negative impact on the nation. We discussed the history of conservative criticism of American universities, including William Buckley’s famous polemic, God and Man at Yale. Natalia mentioned the historian Nancy McLean’s recent allegations that there’s a Koch-funded effort to discredit her work and that of other liberal scholars. We have discussed other university-related topics in previous episodes, including segments on intersectionality and on political correctness.

• Writing in the New York Times Sunday Review, Reniqua Allen argued that since racism is everywhere, African Americans might as well move back to the South. Allen’s article highlights the “reverse Great Migration” that has seen African Americans returning to the South for the last several decades. Natalia mentioned Edward Ayers’ book, The Promise of the New South, as a seminal work for understanding the changing South in the twentieth century. Neil commented on the cultural representations of Atlanta as a modern “black mecca,” including the Real Housewives of Atlanta and the Hulu series Atlanta.

• A story in the Los Angeles Times documented the last remaining immigrants fleeing sign just north of the Mexican border. (You can see an image of the sign here.) While Latinos have dominated the American conversation about undocumented immigrants, Niki shared Carly Goodman’s recent Washington Post piece on the preponderance of undocumented Irish immigrants in the U.S. in the 1980s. Natalia noted a recent Boston Globe article showed some of these undocumented Irish were being deported under Trump’s immigration executive order. Natalia added that despite the diversity of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., Latinos were still depicted as presenting a “distinct” challenge, as Samuel Huntington argued in a 2004 Foreign Policy article.  

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

• Natalia discussed the new Salma Hayek movie, “Beatriz at Dinner.”

• Neil commented on the bicentennial of the bicycle.

• Niki talked about Trump’s privatization push, including placing military contractors and mercenaries in Afghanistan.