BEEF with Bridget Todd

This week on Beef, famed naturalist John James Audubon and his eccentric contemporary Charles Waterton engage in a war of words that sets the birding world ablaze. Check out Melissa T. Yang's writing and research on her website! Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Benjamin Austin-Docampo Showrunning, Editing & Sound Design by Pete Musto Produced by James "Sam" Levine Created by Executive Producer Je...

In For the Love of History, TK is your guide to the past as we uncover the people, events, and little-known-facts hidden in the shadows of your old history textbooks. From empress baddies to activist profiles, turkey gods and the history of the toothbrush, tattoos, Pompeii peepees, and everything in between, you can find it all here. There is no telling how far we'll dig or how many "historical fa...

This week on Beef, the two pioneering music television programs, Dick Clarke’s American Bandstand and the Buddy Deane Show, bring youth, rock and race to the cultural forefront. Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Natalie McGill Showrunning, Editing & Sound Design by Pete Musto Produced by James "Sam" Levine & Benjamin Austin-Docampo Created by Executive Producer Jeremiah Tittle Find out more about...

In our latest piece of bonus content, senior producer Benjamin Austin-Docampo interviews space travel historian Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony about the United States' tremendous undertaking traveling to the moon, the mutual propaganda war that ensued, and the U.S.S.R.'s unique approach to space craft development. Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony is a historian of science and technology and the curator of the Smi...

This week on Beef, the Space Race reaches unprecedented heights as the Soviets and the Americans compete to be the first to put a man on the moon. Grab a copy of Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony's award-winning book, Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo. Read more about William P. Barry's incredible work for NASA! Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Benjamin Austin-Docampo Showrunning, E...

A podcast of fascinating facts! What do extraterrestrial radio signals and a mushroom from Texas have in common? What is a “number station“ and why is it so spine-tinglingly creepy? Join comedians Shane Rogers and Duncan MacEwan for an entertaining and hilarious deep-dive into obscure facts from science, history and pop culture. The internet is a dangerous place. Hold onto your wallet as MFFI take...

Marie-Josephe Angélique was an enslaved Portuguese woman brought to Montreal, Canada in 1732. Two years later, the city burned down: did she set the fire? We investigate! Reference: The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal by Afua Cooper Vulgar History is researched, written, and hosted by Ann Foster. Editor is Cristina Lumague. Listen to Vulga...

This week on Beef, the 20th century’s two global superpowers, the United States of America and the USSR, seek supremacy amongst the stars in the Space Race. Grab a copy of Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony's award-winning book, Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo. Read more about William P. Barry's incredible work for NASA! Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Benjamin Austin-Docampo Show...

In our latest piece of bonus content, host Bridget Todd talks with fashion historian Dr. Valerie Steele about the importance of Parisian couture, the delicious drama that surrounded it in the 1960 and 70s, and what the clothes we wear say about our culture. Dr. Valerie Steele is the director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she has personally organized...

This week on Beef, iconic designers Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent fight for love and luxury in the sex, drugs and drama-fueled Paris fashion world. Come see Dr. Valerie Steele's work at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology! Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Adrián Duston-Muñoz Showrunning, Editing & Sound Design by Pete Musto Produced by James "Sam" Levine & Benjamin Austin-Do...

Directed by Art Manke and designed by Lindsay Jones, Amy Freed’s translation of “The Taming of the Shrew” pits the two smartest people in the room against each other in a match of wits to tame the society that surrounds them.  Set in Renaissance Italy with a cast of seasoned pros including Allen Gilmore, Susannah Rogers, Danny Scheie, Annie Abrams, Mike McShane, Rob Nagle, Tessa Auberjonois, Kasey...

In our latest piece of bonus content, writer Max Wolfson talks with wine writer Rod Phillips about the history of alcohol, the moralizing that surrounds it and the customs that celebrate our need for inebriation. Rod Phillips is a wine writer, wine historian, and wine judge based in Ottawa, Canada. He's also a professor of history at Carleton University where he teaches courses on European (especi...

This week on Beef, brewers and booze-hounds of every social strata go head to head in 18th century England over what’s better: beer or gin. Pick up a copy of Stuart Walton's book "Out of It: A Cultural History of Intoxication" Learn more about Rod Phillips' wine writing on his website! Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Max Wolfson Showrunning, Editing & Sound Design by Pete Musto Produced by James...

In our latest piece of bonus content, showrunner Pete Musto talks with Professor Felipe Fernández-Armesto about the spirit of adventure, the human cost of exploration and the mythmaking that happens around people who seek the forbidden and the unknown. Felipe Fernández-Armesto is a professor of Ancient, Early Modern, Medieval, and Modern History at the University of Notre-Dame. Professor Fernández...

This week on Beef, fearless explorers Sir Richard Burton and Captain John Hanning Speke face unimaginable dangers, and their own divisiveness, while searching for the source of the Nile River. Check out Felipe Fernández-Armesto's latest book The Oxford History of the World. Learn more about Robin Hanbury-Tenison's adventures in South America! Hosted by Bridget Todd Writing, Editing & Sound Design...

In our latest piece of bonus content, host Bridget Todd talks with journalist and author J. Randy Taraborrelli about the complexities of the Bouvier family, the weight of international fame, and what our fascination with celebrities says about our culture. J. Randy Taraborrelli is a frequent contributing entertainment reporter for Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Mor...

This week on Beef, Former First-Lady Jackie Kennedy and her sister Princess Lee Radziwill play tug-of-war with the public’s affection and adoration. Grab a copy of J. Randy Taraborrelli's latest book about the Bouviers - Jackie: Public, Private, Secret. Hosted by Bridget Todd Writing, Editing & Sound Design by Showrunner Pete Musto Produced by James Levine & Benjamin Austin-Docampo Created by Exec...

In our latest piece of bonus content, writer Adrián Duston-Muñoz talks with professor of Hispanic Studies Dr. Stephanie Kirk about Mexico's Baroque period, the gender politics of knowledge during that time, and the connections between Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and modern day feminism. Dr. Stephanie Kirk is the Director of the Center for the Humanities and a Professor of Spanish, Comparative Litera...

This week on Beef, the brilliant 17th century nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz dares to defy the Catholic Church with her scholarship and searing wit. Pick up Dr. Stephanie Kirk's fascinating book Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and the Gender Politics of Knowledge in Colonial Mexico. Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Adrián Duston-Muñoz The actors who voiced Sor Juana’s words are Luisa Sofia and Franco Ma...

In our latest piece of bonus content, showrunner Pete Musto chats with pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong about TV history, diverse representation in media, and how Sex and the City paved the way for countless other hit shows like HBO's Girls and Comedy Central's Broad City. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is a former entertainment journalist and a New York Times bestselling author of sev...

This week on Beef, actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Catrall, the stars of the groundbreaking HBO megahit series Sex and the City, exhibit peak mean girl behavior. Grab a copy of Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's latest book "So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We're Still So Obsessed with It." Look for Felix Gillette's comprehensive history of HBO: "It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revo...

In our latest piece of bonus content, showrunner Pete Musto sits down with University of Edinburgh paleontology professer Dr. Steve Brusatte to talk about the joy of finding fossils, why people are fascinated by dinosaurs, and the problematic legacy of the Great Bone Wars. Dr. Steve Brusatte has worked as a researcher at the Division of Paleontology of the American Museum of Natural History, acted...

In 2024, two Next Chapter Podcasts shows received nominations for Ambies awards: "Play On Podcasts" and "BEEF!" So on March 8, Bridget co-hosted an IG live with composer Lindsay Jones, who was nominated for 'Best Original Score' for his work on Play On's adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. Enjoy the audio from that conversation, where they discuss their own work and BEEF's nomination for 'Best In...

This week on Beef, the natural historians who started the Great Bone Wars refuse to bury the hatchet, wreaking havoc on the future of their field. Grab a copy of Dr. Steve Brusatte's latest book "The Rise and Fall of Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us." Look for Dr. Matthew Carrano's contribution to "The Complete Dinosaur." Hosted by Bridget Todd Written by Nicole Walko...

This week on Beef, pioneering 19th century paleontologists Othneil Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope help build a discipline of science with their bitter backbiting in part one of the "Great Bone Wars." Pick up a copy of David Bainbridge's "Paleontology: An Illustrated History." Check out Robert Peck's co-authored history of the Academy of Natural Sciences, "A Glorious Enterprise: The Academy...