Not Past It

On September 22nd 1989, ABC launched their now iconic TGIF lineup. So today on the show, three essays, from three different people, about why millions of Americans tuned in every Friday night to watch two hours of families getting into shenanigans and having resolvable conflict. Turns out, sitcoms can teach us quite a bit about history, about our families and about ourselves. This episode original...

American flags, camouflage ribbons and “Never Forget” statements, prevailed as symbols of patriotism in the early 2000s. On September 11, 2001, four coordinated terrorist attacks took place in the U.S. and had catastrophic ripple effects across the globe. Simone explores her personal feelings about 9/11 and the “Never Forget” narrative. This episode originally aired September 8, 2021. Learn more a...

Zsa Zsa Gabor was the epitome of Hollywood glam, starring in dozens of films and tv shows in the 1940s and 50s. But by the 1980s, her shine began to dim. On September 14 1989, Gabor made a celebrity comeback when she was prosecuted for slapping a Beverly Hills cop. In court Gabor played the role she was born to play… herself. This episode originally aired September 15, 2021. Learn more about your...

180 years ago this week, China and Great Britain came to an agreement that would forever change Martin Scorsese’s IMDB page. On this episode of Not Past It, Vox film critic and culture reporter, Alissa Wilkinson joins us as we follow the smokey trail of the Opium Wars to Hong Kong’s most famous cinematic export, and land on a very special night in 2007. This episode originally aired August 31, 202...

Cowabunga dudes! Surfing may be the crown jewel of California beach life, but back in the day the ultimate wave-riding destination in San Diego County was also a key military outpost. Fights broke out between surfers and Marines throughout the 50s and 60s. That is until August 25, 1970, when a Tricky Dick got political with a small group of surfers...and eventually changed the beach forever. This...

You may have heard about the Elon Musk’s months-long saga to takeover Twitter. It’s been in the news a lot lately. But in August of 1988 -- another Wall Street showdown got its start. Arguably the nastiest takeover battle in Wall Street history. It brought 1980s ‘greed is good’ culture to new heights, Mean Girls levels of backstabbing to Wall Street, and created a playbook for the Elons of today....

This week we're bringing you an episode from our friends at, Every Little Thing. They explore how one style of cheerleading came to dominate in so many American schools? In part one of a two-part episode, ELT flips through the history of cheerleading and meets the man who held cheerleading in the pompom of his hand.  Check out part two: Behind the Pom Poms: Cheerleading's Checkered Past (Part 2)....

Jesse Owens swept the track and field events at the Olympics in Berlin. On August 3, 1936, Owens won his first of four gold medals in the 100 meter dash cementing his name in history. The Black track star was celebrated as a hero -- but the celebration was short lived. This episode originally aired August 4, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever heard of lady crime boss, Ma Barker? On July 26, 1932, her alleged gang of thieves stole over $200,000 from a Kansas bank without firing a single shot. The Barker-Karpis gang stole millions before Ma was killed in a shootout with the FBI. But was she a criminal mastermind or just a scapegoat? This episode originally aired July 28, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...

In the summer of 1952, America’s mental hospitals were bursting at the seams. There were too many patients and too few treatments. One state took a novel approach -- mass lobotomies. The plan, pioneered by West Virginia, became known as Operation Ice Pick. This episode originally aired July 20, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fed up with not receiving funding to fix their crumbling water infrastructure, the residents of a small town in Minnesota took matters into their own hands. On July 13th, 1977, the town of Kinney voted to secede from the U.S. This episode originally aired July 14, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Think you know the Illuminati? Well, it's more than a rumored celebrity cult. And on July 4, 1798, the speech "The Duty of Americans at the Present Crisis," was delivered to warn of the group's threat to American democracy. This episode originally aired July 7, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On June 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court ruled that the right to an abortion does not exist in the Constitution, effectively overturning 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. One fearless woman, Mary Calderone, assembled a group of doctors, public health experts, and psychologists, 67 years ago to talk about abortion at...

Paris Hilton’s sex tape ushered in a new era of celebrity obsession. On June 15, 2004: it went on sale after her ex made a deal with a pornographic distributor. Simone reflects on the scandal, fallout and impact it had on a generation of young women. This episode originally aired June 16, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buffalos, horses, wagons and trains: These are all icons of the U.S. expansion west. But a camel? This Pride Month, Simone tells comedian and culture writer Ashley Ray the story of the U.S. Army’s little-known Camel Corps and reveals its surprising link to the creation of a queer city. This episode originally aired June 15, 2022. Show notes: Shout out to Jon Ponder from the West Hollywood History...

Did you know there was almost an AIDS vaccine? On June 3, 1998: AIDSVAX VAX004 reached the final stage of trials before widespread approval. Simone gets the facts on the vax and why it never made it to the masses. This episode originally aired June 2, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are cornflakes and eugenics connected? On May 31, 1895: the Kellogg brothers filed the patent for what would eventually become Corn Flakes. Simone digs in to the cereal’s bizarre, dark origins and examines its lasting impact on the wellness industry today. This episode originally aired June 2, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On May 25th, 1925, 97 years ago this week, the state of Tennessee indicted a science teacher for teaching evolution. The case against John Scopes became known as Scopes the “monkey trial,” and it got the whole country talking. What should be taught to children and what does that say about who we are as nation? Scholars say this trial drove a wedge between Americans -- a wedge that stands to this d...

This week, we’re bringing you an oldie but a goodie! The story of Marie Grosholtz better known as Madame Tussaud, the enigmatic woman behind a global wax museum franchise. Before the replicas of Taylor Swift and RuPaul, Madame Tussaud befriended royals and dodged guillotines during the French Revolution. Through her wax figures and eye for fame, she helped create the celebrity machine that still p...

On May 12, 1932, ninety-one years ago this week, an infamous kidnapping came to its tragic conclusion. This kidnapping, which came to be known as “the Crime of the Century,” marked a loss of innocence for young people at the time, but would go on to shape the hopes, fears, and careers of generations of children. We’re joined by actor, writer, and former child actor Rivkah Reyes (School of Rock). T...

What comes to mind when we say “Cinco de Mayo?” Cheesy beer ads? Themed nights at the local bar? Well, in this episode, we smash through 160 years of history, tracing El Cinco from the Battle of Puebla on May 5th 1862, to the holiday’s commercial takeover in the 1980s. Plus, we explore the surprising origins of this holiday, that’s a lot more American than you may think. This episode originally ai...

On Earth Day, April 22nd 1971 -- 51 years ago this week -- a commercial debuted starring a crying American Indian. The image stuck in the country’s consciousness. But there were surprising forces behind the ad. In this episode, we dig into the powerful players who helped shape how we think about environmental action. Join us in talking trash and trash talking. This episode originally aired April 2...

On April 11, 1942, the Manzanar Free Press was born. It was a first of its kind newspaper—written by Japanese-Americans incarcerated by their own government at the Manzanar detention center. There, a group of young journalists would try to document their grim new reality amidst censorship and escalating tensions within the camp, all while their faith in America was being tested. This episode origi...

In 1955, Dr. Mary Calderone assembled a group of 43 medical minds in a private location in upstate New York. This event would be one of the first abortion conferences in America - sponsored by Planned Parenthood. The discussions, and a book that came out of it, was one of the first steps on the path to Roe v. Wade. Not Past It takes you inside the conference walls. This episode originally aired Ap...

Zap! Boom! Pow! This April fool’s week, comic book writer Evan Narcisse joins us for a history domino adventure. We trace how one hilarious 17th century scientific discovery shoots its way through gun history, card games and lands on the birth of an iconic and villainous comic book funnyman. And watch out! Along the way you might get kapow’d! This episode originally aired March 30, 2022. Learn mor...