Episode 78: The Graham Rule, the Nuclear Option, and Pepsi Protesting

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate Mike Pence's rules for women colleagues, the end of the Senate filibuster, and Pepsi's attempt to coopt Black Lives Matter.

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

• A recent profile of Mike Pence’s wife, Karen, in the Washington Post resurrected a detail Mike Pence shared in 2002 that he never dined alone with any woman who wasn’t his wife. Natalia shared Jia Tolentino’s response in the New Yorker that argued Pence’s rule treats all women as a group of temptresses rather than seeing them individually. Niki recommended an Atlantic article, “When Typists Were Feared as ‘Love Pirates’,” for understanding how working women were seen in early 20th century offices. Natalia commented on Helen Gurley Brown’s advice to working women in her 1962 book, Sex and the Single Girl. Neil recommended Ruth Graham’s Slate article that collected responses from different men and women who used rules similar to Pence’s for their marriages.

• We discussed the history of the filibuster after Senate Republicans successfully ended the 60-vote threshold needed to vote for confirmation of Supreme Court nominees.

• Pepsi found itself at the center of controversy after it released a new ad featuring Kendall Jenner giving a Pepsi to police officers at a protest. Natalia mentioned the iconic Coca-Cola ad from 1971, “Hilltop.” Niki recommended Thomas Frank’s essay “Commodify Your Dissent” and his book, The Conquest of Cool, for thinking about how corporations coopted the counterculture, and Natalia suggested Joshua Clark Davis’s book, From Head Shops to Whole Foods, for a history of activist entrepreneurs that pursued alternatives to profit-driven corporations. Neil recommended Jason Petrulis’s Twitter essay on the history of Pepsi’s targeted marketing and advertising to African-American consumers. Niki added Grace Elizabeth Hale’s essay, When Jim Crow Drank Coke, to the conversation.

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

• Natalia commented on The Awl article, “The Twilight of the Indoor Mall.”

• Neil discussed Ancestry.com.

• Niki talked about the Dionne quintuplets.

Episode 77: The AHCA, Children's Sleep, and Planets

In this week's episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the fate of the American Health Care Act, the constructed nature of children's sleep, and Pluto's place among the planets.

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

• We discussed why Donald Trump’s plan to repeal and replace Obamacare failed and the longer history of health care reform in the U.S.

• A recent Los Angeles Times oped wondered why parents insist their children sleep alone. We discussed the history of sleep, including Natalia’s comments on how famous pediatricians like Dr. Spock and Dr. Ferber recommended children be trained to sleep. Neil mentioned the growing attention to adult sleeping, including the popularity of napping pods in Silicon Valley and the attention to sleep in Arianna Huffington’s recent books, Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. Natalia recommended Jonathan Clary’s book, 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, and a Public Books review essay by David Henkin for critiques on how capitalism shapes American sleep habits. 

• Planets are in the news! We discussed the FiveThirtyEight piece, “Why We Love Stories About Mars,” and a recent proposal from some scientists about redefining what qualifies as a planet. Niki introduced the work of the anthropologist Lisa Messeri who writes about how humans talk about and imagine other planets. Neil and Niki discussed the popularity of science fiction, especially about Mars, including Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles and H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.

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

• Natalia commented on Hanya Yanagihara’s book A Little Life.

• Neil discussed the Twitter trending #ThanksForTyping.

• Niki talked about the newly-found memoir of Richard Hickock, one of the killers from Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.

Episode 76: Intersectionality, Beauty & the Beast, and Defunding the NEH & NEA

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate whether intersectionality is a religion, the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and Trump's plan to defund the NEA and NEH.

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

• In a recent piece for New York Magazine, Andrew Sullivan called intersectionality a “religion.” Sullivan’s essay was inspired by student protests at Middlebury College when Charles Murray, author of The Bell Curve, came to speak. Natalia explained how the legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw had developed the theory of intersectionality in the late 1980s as a way to understand how African-American women experienced legal discrimination. Niki pointed out that Frances Beal’s classic essay, “Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female,” had developed many of these ideas as early as 1969. Natalia noted conservative Alan Dershowitz’s critiques of intersectionality that linked disparate leftist causes such as Black Lives Matter and Palestinian liberation. Niki outlined Sullivan’s relationship with Murray, including his editing the New Republic’s symposium on The Bell Curve in 1994. Natalia recommended Prof. Kevin Gannon’s recent blogpost that outlined the Sullivan-Murray connection. Natalia also recommended Jonathan Zimmerman’s new book, Campus Politics, for a history of free speech debates on college campuses.

• Disney’s new live-action movie Beauty and the Beast is breaking box office records. Neil noted the film had already received glowing critical responses, and Natalia commented even a writer for Jezebel had praised the film.

• Donald Trump’s recently released budget included a complete defunding of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. Neil detailed the origin of the NEA and NEH and commented on some of its controversies through the years, including the dustup over Piss Christ, a 1987 photograph by Andres Serrano. Niki added the controversies over the Smithsonian’s Enola Gay exhibit and the National History Standards. Niki also mentioned a recent David Brooks column that lamented Americans lacked a unifying story, in part because leftist academics have focused so much on negative aspects of American history.   

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

• Natalia commented on Patricia Benjamin’s book, The Emergence of the Massage Therapy Profession in North America.

• Neil discussed the Boston public school system’s decision to replace its classroom Mercator projection maps with Peters projection maps.

• Niki talked about the Racked article, “The History of Green Dye Is a History of Death.”

Episode 75: The LSAT, George W. Bush, and Corporal Punishment

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate Harvard's decision to drop the LSAT, George W. Bush's newfound popularity, and corporal punishment.

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

• Harvard Law School will no longer require the LSAT for admission. Natalia placed the LSAT in the history of standardized testing and recommended Harold Wechsler’s The Qualified Student and Jerome Karabel’s The Chosen for the history of selective college admissions. Neil noted recent racial tensions at Harvard Law School.

• George W. Bush’s approval ratings continue to climb since leaving office, although Natalia noted the folks at Jacobin remain critical of his presidency. Niki recommended Jim Mann’s books Rise of the Vulcans and The Obamians for thinking about continuities between the Bush and Obama presidencies.

• In a recent editorial for the New York Times, Stacey Patton asked African-American parents to “Stop Beating Black Children.” Niki noted a counterargument to Patton’s from Slate’s Jamelle Bouie. Neil discussed how James Dobson’s 1970 classic Dare to Disciple shaped evangelical parents’ ideas about spanking. Natalia mentioned that J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy and Annette Lareau’s Unequal Childhoods both comment on how economic class affects corporal punishment rates.

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

• Natalia commented on American Girl’s job ad for a historical researcher.

• Neil discussed the slogan Don’t Mess with Texas.

• Niki talked about the Politico article, “The Vegetable Technology Gap.”

Episode 74: Wiretapping, Wellness Real Estate, and Late-Night TV

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Trump’s wiretapping allegations, “wellness real estate,” and late-night TV.

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

• Donald Trump has accused President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the election. We discussed the history of wiretapping, including the story of Richard Nixon and Anna Chennault.

• The Atlantic reported on the rise of “wellness real estate.” Niki mentioned David Brooks’ classic skewering of the affluent, Bobos in Paradise. Natalia recommended Jeffrey Kripal’s book on the history of Esalen.

• David Letterman sat down for a must-read interview with New York Magazine. We chatted about Letterman and the end of the late-night TV wars.

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

• Natalia commented on the twentieth anniversary of the death of Biggie Smalls.

• Neil discussed Carvel’s Fudgie the Whale ice cream cake.

• Niki talked about the reemergence of Charles Murray and scientific racism.

Episode 73: The Women's Strike, Anti-Semitism, and Robots

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the complicated politics of the women's strike, the rise of anti-Semitism in America, and humanity's relationship to robots.

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

• A Women’s Strike is being organized for March 8. We discussed the strike in the context of other women’s strikes and transnational feminism.

• We discussed the rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S. and abroad. Natalia noted Matthew Frye Jacobson’s book, Whiteness of a Different Color, for thinking about the limits of Jewish assimilation in the U.S.

• A recent New York Times editorial, “No, Robots Aren’t Killing the American Dream,” argued that humans have nothing to fear from robots. We talked about the history of robotics, human fears about technology, and pop culture depictions of robots including the movies Stepford Wives, Terminator, and Her.

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

• Natalia commented on the podcast Missing Richard Simmons.

• Neil discussed Timothy Tyson’s book, The Blood of Emmett Till.

• Niki talked about the Smitsonian.com article, “Tattooing Was Illegal in New York City Until 1997.”

Episode 72: Milo & CPAC, Professor Politics, and Momastery

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate CPAC’s decision to disinvite Milo Yiannopoulos, legislation to require political balance in university faculties, and Christian blogger Momastery’s announcement of her lesbian engagement.

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

• The conservative organization CPAC disinvited Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking at its annual conference after tapes surfaced showing him celebrating sex with underage teens. Niki situated the controversy in a longer history of CPAC, an organization that she has written about for Politico and the Los Angeles Times.

• An Iowa legislator has proposed a bill that would require faculty in the state’s university system to reflect a partisan balance. Neil outlined a history of conservative responses to universities as liberal bastions, including William Buckley’s 1951 classic, God and Man at Yale. Natalia mentioned Heterodox Academy, a project that advocates for more intellectual diversity on college campuses.

• We discussed the announcement by Glennon Doyle Melton, the Christian blogger behind Momastery, of engagement to the women’s soccer star Abby Wambach. Neil commented on a 2013 Momastery blog post that went viral where Melton wrote a letter to her son about how she would respond if he told her he was gay. Neil recommended Heather White’s book, Reforming Sodom, for understanding how mainline Protestantism provided religious support for gay rights in the second half of the twentieth century. Niki shared a Christianity Today article that argued Melton peddled a “gospel of self-fulfillment.”

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

• Natalia commented on Ross Perlin’s book Intern Nation.

• Neil discussed the Adulting School.

• Niki talked about Ibram Kendi’s essay, “A History of Race and Racism, in 24 Chapters.”

Episode 71: Paid Protestors, Secondhand Smoke, and Ivanka Trump

On this week’s Past Present podcast, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the history of “paid protestors,” the science of secondhand smoke, and the failing fortunes of Ivanka Trump’s clothing line. 

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

• Donald Trump and his supporters have argued “paid protestors” are rallying against him. Niki recommended a recent Jacobin article that noted the history of paid protestors in authoritarian regimes. Natalia shared an Atlantic article that profiled companies in the US that provided paid crowds to attend rallies or protests.

• We discussed a recent Slate article that argues secondhand smoke isn’t as bad as we’ve been led to believe. Niki discussed the 1976 case Shimp v. New Jersey Bell Telephone that concerned an office worker’s right to a smoke free workplace. Natalia commented on the Baffler article, “Off Our Butts.”

• Nordstrom has stopped selling Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, citing plummeting sales since her father became president. We discussed the history of fashion and politics, and Natalia recommended Sara Georgini’s article, “Crafting Protest, Fashioning Politics.” Natalia also shared Mary Davis’s Public Books essay, “Is There Really No Smart Writing on Women’s Fashion?” Neil commented on Andrew Sullivan’s essay, “The Madness of King Donald,” that argues all aspects of daily life are politicized in a Trump presidency.

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

• Natalia commented on the documentary “The Century of the Self.”

• Neil discussed the building of an 8-foot bulletproof wall around the Eiffel Tower.

• Niki talked about James Kirchick’s article, “Joe Alsop and America’s Forgotten Code.”

Episode 70: Valentine's Day, Obama & Black History, and Andrew Jackson

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the bawdy history of Valentine's Day, Obama's role in elevating black history, and the parallels between Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump.

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

• It’s Valentine’s Day! We discussed the long history of this holiday and some of its offshoots, including Galentine’s Day. Niki recommended Annebella Pollen’s history of mocking Victorian Valentine’s Day cards.

• We discussed the historian Robert Greene II’s article in The Nation, “Barack Obama Radically Expanded Our Appreciation of African-American History.” Our conversation also touched on other recent essays about Obama as the nation’s first black president, including pieces by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Tressie McMillan Cottom. Natalia also recommended the recent Netflix series, Barry. 

• According to White House staffers, Donald Trump’s inauguration speech was modeled on Andrew Jackson’s 1829 inaugural address. We discussed why Trump has looked to Andrew Jackson as his model for the presidency. Although Jackson has not fared well with historians of late, Niki recommended David Greenberg’s recent defense of Jackson.

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

• Natalia commented on the book The Goddess Pose.

• Neil discussed the history of the word “humbled.”

• Niki talked about Jamelle Bouie’s article, “Government by White Nationalism Is Upon Us.”

Episode 69: Refugees, Uber, and Dystopian Novels

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate American policy toward refugees, the politics of Uber, and the rising sales of dystopian novels.

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

• We discussed Donald Trump’s executive order that severely restricts immigration from seven Muslim countries.

• The ride sharing app Uber fell into controversy when it dropped surge pricing from rides leaving JFK airport during the recent protests over Trump’s executive orders. We discussed Uber and the history of ride sharing apps and taxi cabs. Natalia recommended Graham Hodges’s work on the history of the taxi industry.

• Sales of dystopian novels including 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale, and It Can’t Happen Here have surged in the first weeks of the Trump administration. Natalia recommended E.D. Hirsch’s book on American Cultural Literacy and Andrew Hartman’s history of the culture wars, A War for the Soul of America. Niki noted recent films like Wall-E and Idiocracy have played with themes about America as anti-intellectual and consumerist.

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

• Natalia commented on the #FreeMelania hashtag trend.

• Neil discussed Cleveland, Mississippi’s recent decision to comply with Brown v. Board of Education.

• Niki talked about the Backstory podcast. 

Episode 68: Betsy DeVos, Executive Orders, and Playgrounds

In this week's episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate Betsy DeVos and school privatization, the uses of executive orders, and the growing call for more dangerous playgrounds.

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

• Donald Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education has prompted strong opposition in large part because of her advocacy of privatizing public education. Natalia and Jonathan Kozol spoke about the privatization push and other trends in education at the Tucson Festival of Books last year. You can watch their talk here. Natalia has written about education controversies in her book Classroom Wars. Neil recommended Seth Dowland’s Family Values for understanding how conservative parents embraces “school choice” in the 1970s and 80s.

• Donald Trump began his presidency with a host of executive orders on his first day in the White House. We discussed the history of executive orders. Niki recommended Graham Dodds’ Take Up Your Pen for a history of unilateral presidential directives.

• We discussed the CityLab article that asks, “Can We Bring Back Riskier Playgrounds?”

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

• Natalia commented on Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s article, “Don’t Shame the First Steps of a Resistance.”

• Neil discussed the March for Life.

• Niki talked about Gene Demby’s history of “Sagging Pants.”

Episode 67: Plagiarism, Ringling Bros., and Sugar & SNAP

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the dangers of plagiarism, the fate of the cirucs, and whether sugary drinks should be restricted for SNAP recipients.

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

• Plagiarism is in the news after it was revealed that Monica Crowley, under consideration for a role in the Trump administration, had plagiarized work throughout her career, including her Ph.D. thesis. Niki compared the Crowley controversy to Joe Biden’s plagiarism scandal, citing David Greenberg’s argument that Biden’s plagiarism was part of a larger misrepresentation of his biography. Niki also discussed the plagiarism scandals of the historians Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Natalia commented on the controversy over the historian Michael Bellesiles who fabricated research for his book, Arming America.   

• After nearly 150 years in business, the Ringling Bros. circus is shutting down. Neil argued the circus was closing because Americans objected to its mistreatment of animals, especially elephants, that has been well documented. Natalia observed the documentary Black Fish, which exposes Sea World’s abuse of its marine animals, had also increased Americans’ awareness. Natalia also argued that the 1966 movie Born Free had shaped Americans’ understanding of animals in the natural habitat as contrasted to zoos and circuses. Niki recommended the book True Vine which tells the story of two African-American albino brothers who were displayed as circus freaks in the late 19th century.  

• The New York Times published an article alleging that large amounts of food stamps are used to buy soda. Natalia commented on various criticisms of the story, including Jacobin’s takedown of the piece. Neil discussed recent public awareness campaigns on sugar, including New York City’s “Pouring on the Pounds” campaign. Natalia mentioned a Baffler article on the fundamental dishonesty of anti-smoking campaigns. Niki recommended David Singerman’s New York Times article, “The Shady History of Big Sugar.”

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

• Natalia commented on Jill Corson Lake’s article, “Simianization in the Film ‘Sing’,” and Anne Helen Peterson’s article, “Living in the Beautiful Bubble of the Not-Quite Internet.”

• Neil discussed SpaceX and Hidden Figures.

Episode 66: The Women's March, Russia, and Obama's Farewell

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the women's march on Washington, US-Russian relations, and Obama's final speech to the nation.

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

• The Women’s March on Washington will take place the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration to protest the incoming administration. Natalia observed the march’s historical importance of mobilizing on a physical level in a social media age. Niki cited David Karpf’s argument in The MoveOn Effect of how slacktivism can become activism as the thin ties of social media grow into thick ties of political advocacy. Natalia lamented a recent Washington Post editorial that urged women marchers to not wear pink or sparkly items, and recommended Nan Enstad’s book, Ladies of Labor, Girls of Adventure, for understanding how the way women dress has often been used against them as political actors.

• News that the Russian government had interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Donald Trump brought a new dimension to U.S.-Russia relations, but we debated whether it represented a return of the Cold War. Natalia mentioned the New York Times op-ed from the former deputy director of the CIA, Michael Morell last year that endorsed Hillary Clinton in part because of his concern that Trump had become an “unwitting agent of the Russian Federation.” Neil recommended Ekaterina Pravilova’s Public Books essay on how Vladimir Putin has sowed disinformation and confusion throughout Russian society by attacking journalists, scientists, and historians.

• President Barack Obama delivered his farewell address to a packed auditorium in Chicago last week. Neil noted the speech displayed Obama’s characteristic optimism, arguing that was both its strength and weakness. Niki commented on the speech’s weaknesses in a recent piece for U.S. News & World Report. Natalia recommended James Fraser’s A History of Hope for contextualizing Obama’s optimism. Neil compared Obama’s speech to the famous farewell addresses from George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

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

• Natalia commented on the plagiarism accusations against Monica Crowley.

• Neil discussed President Obama’s designation of five new national monuments.

• Niki talked about “Nixon’s Vietnam Treachery.” 

Episode 65: North Carolina, Pot Legalization, and Alabama Football

On this week's show, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the decline of democracy in North Carolina, the trend toward legalization of marijuana, and the dominance of Alabama football.

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

• In a recent piece for U.S. News & World Report, Niki argued that North Carolina had become a “laboratory of illiberalism” because of recent measures to disenfranchise voters and strip power from elected officials. Natalia outlined North Carolina’s history as a state of “business progressivism.” Neil recommended Bill Chafe’s classic work, Civilities and Civil Rights, for how it complicates North Carolina’s legacy as a progressive state. 

• Eight states and DC have legalized marijuana in recent years. Niki noted pot had not been criminalized by the federal government until 1937. Natalia discussed how marijuana’s association with Mexico gave it racial dimensions in the U.S.  Neil recommended Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2013 New Yorker article that looked at how pot’s legalization in Colorado and Washington had affected those states. Niki noted how the 1936 film Reefer Madness had served as a warning about the drug’s effects only to become a camp classic by the 1960s and 70s as people saw pot use as a joke.

• The University of Alabama is playing for its 17th national championship in football. We discussed what has made the program so great and what it has meant historically.

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

• Natalia commented on the death of pop superstar George Michael.

• Neil discussed the death of the third remaining Shaker.

• Niki talked about the history of tomboys.

Bonus Episode 3: Michelle Obama

In this week's episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the legacy of departing First Lady Michelle Obama.

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

• As her time as First Lady comes to a close, Michelle Obama recently sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. You can watch the interview here.

• Natalia noted a 2014 New Republic profile of Michelle Obama had criticized her for having exacting standards and an unambitious agenda as First Lady.

• Natalia observed the therapeutic features of Oprah’s interview with Michelle Obama which Neil contrasted with interviews of other First Ladies, such as Jackie Kennedy in 1962, which focused on their role as hostesses and caretakers of the White House. Natalia remembered Betty Ford’s 60 Minutes interview that bucked this trend because of Ford’s outspoken views. Niki commented that Barbara Walters’ interview of Ford had famously removed clips that would have shown the First Lady was drunk.

• Neil recommended Blanche Wiesen Cook’s biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.

Flashback! David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, and Phyllis Schlafly

In this week's end-of-the-year flashback episode, we revisit segments on three historical figures who died in 2016: David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, and Phyllis Schlafly. 

Episode 64: Aleppo, Japanese Internment, and Kwanzaa

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate US involvement in Syria, the legacy of Japanese-American internment, and the 50th anniversary of the first Kwanzaa. 

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

• A cease-fire in Aleppo has brought a temporary halt to the assault on the city’s civilians by the Syrian government. Neil noted the Obama administration’s relative lack of involvement in Aleppo and compared it to FDR’s inattention to the Holocaust, as chronicled in Blanche Wiesen Cook’s recent biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. Niki observed how the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishment of new rules of war shaped modern ideas about the protection of civilians in military conflicts.

• Two recent reader letters in the Los Angeles Times defending Japanese interment during World War II have stoked controversy. Niki placed Japanese interment in a longer history of U.S. anti-Japanese policies, including the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907. Neil discussed how anti-Japanese propaganda, including cartoons drawn by the future Dr. Seuss, Theodor Geisel, shaped American attitudes and beliefs about Japanese as inhuman and menacing. Natalia shared the 1945 Frank Sinatra film The House I Live In which used the idea of the Japanese as enemies to unite Protestants, Catholics, and Jews in an American identity. Niki discussed the 1941 Life Magazine article, “How to Tell Japs from the Chinese.” She also commented on how the 1944 Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States that upheld Japanese interment as constitutional might be used as precedent for a Muslim registry during a Trump administration.  

• 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday that celebrates seven principles, including unity, self-determination, and collective economics.

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

• Natalia commented on the This American Life episode 604, “20 Years Later.”

• Neil discussed the new book by Alexandra Zapruder, Twenty-Six Seconds.

• Niki talked about a Slate article that explained why stuffed animals are getting softer.

Episode 63: Taiwan, the Oakland Fire, and Black Santa

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the future of the One-China policy, the tragedy of the Oakland fire, and the Mall of America's first black Santa.

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

• Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen last week set off a controversy in U.S.-China relations. Niki outlined the Cold War context of U.S.-China relations, and commented on President Nixon’s 1967 Foreign Affairs article “Asia After Viet Nam” that demonstrated his desire to understand how power operated around the world, as contrasted to Trump’s seeming disinterest in understanding the nuances of American foreign policy. Neil noted the deliberate approach the Obama administration took to dealing with China and that George W. Bush’s press secretary Ari Fleischer indicated how he always referred to it as the “government on Taiwan” instead of “of Taiwan.” Neil suggested the longer economic history of U.S.-China relations, rather than only a Cold War context, might help better understand Trump’s approach to China. Niki noted the 1937 book by Carl Crow, 400 Million Customers, encapsulated how the U.S. had long viewed China, and she recommended Elizabeth Ingleson’s recent dissertation that explores the history of U.S.-China economic relations.

• The Ghost Ship Warehouse fire in Oakland killed 36 people last week. Natalia saw historical echoes of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in the Oakland fire. Neil argued that fire tragedies, like the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903, had led to innovations of fireproofing technology and the introduction of fire code regulations. Niki commented on how the Great Chicago fire of 1871 had brought about the rise of skyscrapers.

• The Mall of America’s decision to hire an African-American man as the mall’s Santa has been met with racist outrage on the Internet. Niki compared that outrage to the response some had to the casting of an African-American actress to play the character Rue in the Hunger Games movies. Neil outlined the history of Santa in the American context, including how the 1822 poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” established the character in the American imagination. Niki recommended the BackStory podcast’s recent interview of a black Santa. Natalia discussed the “Pancho Claus” character some California public schools invented in the 1960s that is pictured in her recent book Classroom Wars.

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

• Natalia commented on the Texas elector Christopher Suprun’s New York Times article, “Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump.”

• Neil discussed a recent study that found that free Wi-Fi was now more common in hotel rooms than Bibles.

• Niki talked about the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and Brian Rosenwald’s article on how Americans at the time received news of the attack.

Episode 62: Fidel Castro, Liberalism's Future, and Fake News

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate Fidel Castro's legacy, the future of liberalism, and the rise of fake news.

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

• Fidel Castro died at the age of 90, having ruled over Cuba for more than 50 years. Niki placed Castro’s rise to power in a longer history of US-Cuba relations, including the Platt Amendment of 1901. Neil cited a Daily Beast article on Castro’s horrible oppression of Cuban gay people and noted Cuba’s recent crackdown on religious freedom. Natalia recommended Public Book’s essay “Cuba’s Next Chapter” for thinking about the future of Cuba post-Castro.

• What Next for Liberalism, asks historian Daniel Rodgers in a recent issue of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. Natalia pointed to Hillary Clinton’s 2.5 million popular vote lead over Donald Trump to suggest liberalism wasn’t as in decline as some have suggested. She also discussed Joan C. Williams’ Harvard Business Review article on the different ways the working class identity is interpreted by white voters. Neil recommended Jonathan Rieder’s Canarsie for understanding how white ethnic voters left the New Deal order in the 1980s. Niki commented on Mark Lilla’s New York Times essay that blamed identity politics for liberalism’s troubles. Natalia noted Laurie Penny’s Baffler essay that argued liberals tend to fetishize despair.

• Fake news stories proliferated throughout the 2016 campaign. Niki sketched how the decline of trust in American institutions, particularly media, allowed for the growth of fake news outlets. Neil discussed Facebook’s role in the spread of fake news stories, and commented on a recent CNN show where a woman repeatedly claimed she knew 3 million illegal voters had voted in the state of California even though she had no evidence to support the assertion. Neil noted the Left has a problem believing fake news too, a tendency that may increase during Trump’s presidency. Natalia mentioned an NPR interview with a fake news creator who talked about how lucrative his business was. She recommended a Wall Street Journal article that discussed how Stanford professor Sam Wineburg has developed a media studies curriculum to help teachers educate students about how they properly assess news sources they read.

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

• Natalia commented on an Evening Standard profile of the feminist filmmaker Cassie Jaye.

• Neil discussed the wildfires that have ravaged east Tennessee.

• Niki talked about how Trump has assembled the wealthiest cabinet in modern American history.

Episode 61: Trump University, Pence and Hamilton, and Turkeys Gone Wild

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the Trump University fraud settlement, Mike Pence's reception at Hamilton, and the wild turkey's distaste for the wild. 

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

• Donald Trump’s lawyers reached a $25 million settlement in the lawsuits over Trump University. Natalia situated Trump U in the long history of for-profit colleges but also the history of self-help. Neil commented on the interviews with Trump University students who felt they had been defrauded. Niki noted the founder of the University of Phoenix, John Sperling, had created his for-profit college with democratizing aims, but it seemed to be another example of things that are more expensive for the poor. In that light, Natalia recommended two Barbara Ehrenreich books, Nickled and Dimed and Bright-Sided, for understanding this phenomenon more.

• The cast of Hamilton delivered a speech to Mike Pence at the conclusion of a recent performance of the hit Broadway musical he attended. Neil placed the event in the history of theater as a place of political protest, but suggested the speech was different. Natalia recommended Lawrence Levine’s classic Highbrow/Lowbrow for understanding the changing place of theater in American culture. Natalia compared Mike Pence’s calm response to the incident to President Obama’s cool demeanor in the face of constant attacks, as detailed in David Remnick’s recent profile of the president.

• We discussed Yoni Applebaum’s 2015 Atlantic article that examined how wildlife today, like the wild turkey, would prefer to live in human environments. Niki noted the persistence of American ideas about “civilization” and the “wilderness,” something shaped in part by Frederick Jackson Turner’s classic 1893 essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.” Neil recommended Catherine McNeur’s book Taming Manhattan for how it details the history of wild animals in America’s largest metropolis.

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

• Natalia recommended the movie Moonlight.

• Neil discussed what sounds were heard at the first Thanksgiving.

• Niki commented on Lester Bangs’ 1979 essay, “The White Noise Supremacists.”