Episode 340: Nicole Hemmer's "Partisans"

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss – and celebrate! - the publication of Niki’s new book, Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s.

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

• Partisans drops on August 30, 2022. You can order Niki’s book here.

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

• Natalia shared about Emi Nietfeld’s new book, Acceptance, reviewed in the New York Times.

• Neil recommended Not Just A Girl, a new Netflix documentary about Shania Twain.

• Niki discussed the topic of her latest column for CNN, “The Unlikely Team That is Trying to Make Trump Follow the Law.”

Episode 339: The Alex Jones Defamation Trial

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the defamation trial of right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones.

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

• Parents of children slain in the Sandy Hook school shooting successfully brought a defamation suit against Alex Jones, who amplified conspiracy theories denying the event ever happened. Natalia referred to this New York Times magazine story, and her own Process History essay about what Phyllis Schlafly fed her children for breakfast. Niki drew on Rick Perlstein’s 2012 essay for The Baffler and her CNN column on Jones’ influence on the GOP. Neil recommended Kevin Roose’s New York Times article on the spread of Jones-style provocateurs.

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

• Natalia commented on the “Inside the Complex ‘Social Lab’ of PE Class” installment of Anne-Helen Petersen’s Culture Study newsletter.

• Neil discussed Julia Yost’s New York Times essay, “New York’s Hottest Club is the Catholic Church.”  

• Niki recommended Mark Olalde and Maya Miller’s ProPublica investigative report, “A Uranium Ghost Town in the Making.”

Episode 338: Third Parties in American Politics

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of third parties in American politics.

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

• Andrew Yang, Christine Todd Whitman, and David Jolly have announced their formation of the Forward Party, the newest entry in a long history of third parties in American politics. Natalia referenced Jamelle Bouie’s New York Times critique of the idea. Neil referred to this PBS piece on the prevalence of third parties even today.

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

• Natalia recommended Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, The School for Good Mothers.

• Neil discussed Derek Thompson’s Atlantic essay, “Why The Old Elite Spend So Much Time At Work.”

• Niki shared about the Foreign Agent podcast.

Episode 337: The U.S. National Parks

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of U.S. national parks.

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

• Yellowstone National Park turned 150 years old this year. Natalia recommended historian Rachel Louise Moran’s book Governing Bodies; American Politics and the Shaping of the Modern Physique. Niki cited historian Sarah Phillips’ book This Land, This Nation: Conservation, Rural America, and The New Deal and this Atlantic essay by David Treuer. Neil discussed this Smithsonian magazine article. Natalia recommended historian Megan Kate Nelson’s book Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America, and Neil talked about the exclusionary policies in national parks outlined in this USA Today article.

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

• Natalia shared her latest column for Observer, “Coss Marte’s CONBODY Combined Fitness and Social Justice. Now He is Adding Legal Cannabis.”

• Neil discussed the Netflix series Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey and his 2008 Slate essay, “Short Creek’s Long Legacy.”

• Niki recommended Katherine Rosman’s New York Times article, “That Voice You’re Hearing? It Might Be Hers.”

Episode 336: Prenuptial Agreements

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the growing popularity of prenuptial agreements.

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

• Prenuptial agreements are becoming more common among millennials. Niki cited this New York Times article, and Neil referred to legal scholar Allison A. Marston’s Stanford Law Review article on the politics of prenups. Natalia referenced some of these celebrity couples whose prenuptial agreements made news.

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

• Natalia recommended the podcast, “Normal Gossip.”

• Neil commented on the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act by the House of Representatives.

• Niki shared her latest CNN column, “Controlling Who Can Travel or Talk About Abortion Brings a Dark Past Into Our Present.”

Episode 335: The Webb Telescope and the History of Space Photography

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the images from outer space captured by the Webb telescope.

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

• Everyday Americans and astrophysicists alike thrilled at the dreamy, full-color photos shared by NASA last week. Niki drew on this Guardian essay about how “Earthrise” changed our perspective on Earth. Natalia contrasted the Webb images with these early, grainy photos from space. We all drew on this Christie’s retrospective on space photography.

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

• Natalia commented on the divergent interpretations of who won this exchange between Senator Josh Hawley and law professor Khiara M. Bridges.

• Neil recommended Susan Orlean’s New Yorker article, “An Old Dog That Found A New Best Friend,” and this Instagram feed.

• Niki shared Justin Peters’ Slate article, “The Ridiculous Claims That Journalists Shouldn’t Have Published the Uvalde Video”.

Episode 334: Summer Travel and European Vacations

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the American tradition of travel to Europe.

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

• American travel to Europe is back with such a vengeance that some are calling it “revenge travel.” Neil referred to this history of the “Grand Tour.” Natalia and Niki drew on this Hudson Valley magazine article about midcentury Catskills resorts.

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

• Natalia discussed Rick Emerson’s new book, Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Impostor Behind the World’s Most Notorious Diaries, as reviewed in Observer by Nathan Smith.

• Neil shared about Amanda Mull’s Atlantic article, “You’re Not Allowed to Have the Best Sunscreens in the World.”

• Niki recommended Livia Gershon’s article for JSTOR Daily, “The Forgotten Temperance Movement of the 1950s.”

Episode 333: The Monkeypox Outbreak

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the outbreak of monkeypox in the United States.

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

• Monkeypox is the latest disease to concern the American public. Niki cited this Stat News article, and Neil referred to historian Jim Downs’ Atlantic essay about the historical continuities with the HIV-AIDS virus.

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

• Natalia discussed her latest “Quick Study” column for Observer, “American Childhood As We Knew It Is Over.”

• Neil recommended the Instagram account, A History of Dogs.

• Niki discussed her latest CNN column, “This is so much worse than Watergate.”

Episode 332: Religious Schooling and Church-State Separation

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss Carson v. Makin, the Supreme Court decision that overturns Maine’s ban on giving public funds to private religious schools.

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

• In a victory for proponents of school choice and a major weakening of church-state separation, Maine will now be required to provide state funding to religious schools. Neil cited this Slate article about the ruling, and Natalia drew on this City Journal piece.

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

• Natalia discussed Amanda Mull’s Atlantic article, “Fashion Has Abandoned Human Taste.”

• Neil recommended Hugh Ryan’s book, The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison.

• Niki shared about Patricia Bell-Scott’s book, The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice.

Episode 331: The Tampon Shortage

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the national tampon shortage and the history of feminine products.

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

• A national tampon shortage has until recently been dismissed as a minor inconvenience or even a punchline. We all drew on this Smithsonian history of menstrual products. Niki referred to this Atlantic essay on the history of the tampon, and Natalia to Lara Freidenfelds’ book, The Modern Period: Menstruation in Twentieth-Century America.

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

• Natalia shared about ProPublica’s new study of adult literacy and referred to this New York Times article about challenges to a popular literacy program.

• Neil recommended Sasha Issenberg’s book, The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage.

• Niki discussed Christopher Mathias’ HuffPost article, “Living With the Far-Right Insurgency in Idaho,” and her own column for CNN, “Arrests at Idaho Pride Event Could Be a Harbinger of Things to Come.”

Episode 330: Summer Weddings and June Brides

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the long American tradition of June weddings.

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

• June wedding season is upon us, and after two years of delayed celebrations, it is especially packed. Natalia referred to this Harper’s Bazaar photo essay about representation and same-sex marriage, and to this Buzzfeed article, which is useful despite repeating a myth about bathing practices being related to June wedding date selection. Niki referred to this Atlantic article on the relationship between marriage, weddings, and adulthood.

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

• Natalia recommended Molly Worthen’s New York Times guest essay, “400 Years Ago They Would Be Witches. Today They Can Be Your Coach.”

• Neil shared about the HBO Max series, “It’s A Sin.”

• Niki recommended Rebecca Traister’s article for The Cut, “The Institutionalist: Where Did it All Go Wrong?”

Episode 329: Uvalde, Texas and the Persistence of American Gun Violence

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

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

• Yet another mass shooting, this one at a Texas elementary school, highlights the unique American obsession with gun rights. Niki referred to this NPR piece on the tape recording of NRA leadership after the 1999 Columbine school shooting, and Natalia drew on Susie Linfield’s New York Times guest essay on the photography of graphic violence.

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

• Natalia recommended this Kathryn Fiona Substack interview with a former Johnny Depp supporter, shared by technology writer Kat Tenbarge.

• Neil discussed Penelope Green’s New York Times obituary of Margot Heuman.

• Niki shared Maris Kreizman’s Esquire article, “The Legacy of Gone Girl.”

Episode 328: Cryptocurrency

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the cryptocurrency craze.

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

• The crash of TerraLuna is proving “crypto” to be both more than a passing trend and less than the miracle its boosters once promised. We recommended Kevin Roose’s “Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto” in the New York Times. Niki drew on this History News Network article to link crypto enthusiasm to other financial bubbles, and Natalia referred to James Ledbetter’s FIN Substack throughout. This 2013 (early) history of Bitcoin from New York Times provided useful context for all of us. Niki also recommended David Yaffe-Bellany’s New York Times piece, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word with the Crypto Bros,” and the Crypto Island podcast.

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

• Natalia talked about Amy Odell’s new book, Anna: The Biography.

• Neil discussed Sarah Pulliam Bailey’s Washington Post article, “Southern Baptist Leaders Covered Up Sex Abuse, Kept Secret Database, Report Says.”

• Niki recommended Maureen Ryan’s Vanity Fair article, “The Great Pottery Throwdown is a Balm for a Weary Age.”

Episode 327: The “Great Replacement” Conspiracy Theory

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory.

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

• A deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, NY brought renewed attention to the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory widely circulated among white supremacists. Niki drew on this New Yorker article about the European origins of this idea and her own New York Times essay on the role of media in amplifying it. Natalia discussed Samuel Huntington’s Foreign Policy essay, “The Hispanic Challenge.” Neil referenced this Nation article about Renaud Camus.

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

• Natalia made a plea for more coverage of how summer camp directors are gearing up for their third pandemic summer. Those stories haven’t been written, but here’s a History Channel video she recorded on the history of summer camps.

• Neil discussed Trip Mickle’s New York Times article, “Farewell to the iPod.”

• Niki shared her congratulations and gratitude for historian Brian Balogh, on the occasion of his retirement from the University of Virginia.

Episode 326: The History of Adoption

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

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

• The phrase “domestic supply of infants” in a footnote to the leaked draft Supreme Court decision regarding abortion has horrified many Americans. Niki referred to this Atlantic article about the intense process of adopting a baby. Natalia referenced this New York Times essay about Gabrielle Glaser’s book adoption and historian Rickie Solinger’s essay on race and illegitimacy.

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

• Natalia recommended Jessica Bennett’s New York Times essay, “Pamela Anderson, Amber Heard, and the Limits of the Feminist Redemption Plot.”

• Neil discussed Milla Surjadi’s Duke Chronicle article, “Student Commencement Address Bears Striking Resemblance to 2014 Student Address.”

• Niki shared scholar Carla Cevasco’s Twitter thread regarding infant feeding.

Episode 325: The End of Roe v. Wade

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade.

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

• Politico published a leaked draft opinion, penned by Justice Samuel Alito, in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion. Natalia referred to historian Jill Lepore’s New Yorker article and Niki drew on Jennifer Schuessler’s New York Times piece regarding the contested history of abortion. Niki recommended historian Leslie Reagan’s book When Abortion Was a Crime, and Natalia cited Jamelle Bouie’s New York Times opinion piece on the culture wars.

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

• Natalia commented on the quantity of coverage of Congressman Madison Cawthorn’s masculinity, and the silence regarding the salience of his disability.

• Neil discussed Robert D. McFadden’s New York Times obituary, “Judith Jones, Editor of Literature and Culinary Delight, Dies at 93” and the HBO Max show, “Julia.”

• Niki recommended the new play, “Suffs.”

Episode 324: Elon Musk, Twitter, and the History of Media Oligarchs

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter.

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

• Billionaire Elon Musk made a successful $44 billion bid to acquire Twitter. Niki referred to this Los Angeles Times article about the limits of Elon Musk’s “free speech absolutism.” Natalia referenced this New York Times article about billionaire investors in the press. We all drew on this Psyche piece on the history of media ownership and its perils.

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

• Natalia recommended Kendall Taggart, John Templon, Anthony Cormier, and Jason Leopold’s Buzzfeed News investigative report, “Profit, Pain, and Private Equity.”

• Neil shared the launch of the anti-racism publication, The Emancipator.

• Niki discussed James Pogue’s Vanity Fair article, “Inside the New Right, Where Peter Thiel is Placing His Biggest Bets,” and this edition of John Ganz’ Substack, Unpopular Front.

Episode 323: Coachella and the History of Music Festivals

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss Coachella and the history of music festivals.

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

• The Coachella music festival has become a major cultural and commercial event. We all drew on this BBC chronology of music festivals, and Natalia referred to this piece in High Times. Neil referenced this Bloomberg article about the urbanization of music festivals and this Los Angeles Magazine article about the city’s regional experience of music festivals.

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

• Natalia recommended the new Netflix documentary, White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch.

• Neil discussed the film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

• Niki shared her latest CNN column, “’The First Lady’ is a Harsh Reminder of This Dissonant Truth.”

Episode 322: The Enormous Popularity of True Crime

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the ongoing popularity of the true crime genre.

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

• ·When journalist Brendan Koerner took to Twitter to call out a podcast for using his work without attribution, he drew attention to the broader appetite for true crime content. Neil recommended the podcast series Someone Knows Something, and Natalia referred to the “Dead Blondes” season on the podcast You Must Remember This and this Los Angeles Review of Books essay. She also cited an NPR segment about the how podcasters should cover true crime stories.

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

• Natalia recommended Derek Thompson’s Atlantic article, “Why American Teens Are So Sad”.

• Neil shared Tom Junod and Paula Lavigne’s ESPN article, “Untold.”

• Niki discussed the new podcast, Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis.

Episode 321: The Latest Battles over Marriage

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss recent developments in the politics of sex and marriage.

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

• Republicans have both been sounding alarms about pedophilia and attempting to relax age-of-consent laws. Natalia referred to historian Clayton Howard’s book, The Closet and the Cul-de-Sac: The Politics of Sexual Privacy in Northern California and Niki referenced Andrew Sullivan’s 1995 book, Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality. Neil and Natalia drew on Frank Bruni’s New York Times opinion piece.

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

• Natalia recommended Anne-Helen Petersen’s Bustle article, “Britney Falls in Love.”

• Neil discussed Rebecca Mead’s New Yorker article, “Could Leopards Be Paid for Their Spots.”

• Niki shared Taylor Lorenz’ Washington Post article, “Internet ‘algospeak’ is changing our language in real time, ‘nip nops’ to ‘le dollar bean’.”