Past Present

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss – and celebrate! – Neil's new book,  Coming Out Republican: A History of the Gay Right . Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show: ·       Coming Out Republican is now available for order. You can buy Neil's book here .   In our regular closing feature, What's Making History : ·       Natalia shared about the Gothamist ar...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss controversies over Christmas "classics."  Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Beloved Christmas songs and movies, like so many cultural products, have come under new scrutiny recently. Neil's Atlantic essay about Christmas controversies informed our whole conversation. We drew on this Atlantic essay that b...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the strange career of now ex-Republican Congressman George Santos.  Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       George Santos' lies are so numerous, it is difficult to keep track of them . Niki referred to this Atlantic article about how Santos got elected, and Neil and Natalia referred to this one by Adam Serwer....

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Nikki Haley recently secured the backing of the wealthy Koch Brothers , bringing more attention to her presidential run . Natalia referred to this...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss Americans' attachment to the thirty-year mortgage.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       A thirty-year mortgage is an enticement to home ownership – if you can lock one in at a low interest rate. Niki cited this Washington Post arti...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the history of drive-thru dining.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Drive-through dining is more popular than ever since the pandemic. Neil drew on this Serious Eats history, and we all referred to this photo collection .   In o...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of divorce law in the United States. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is a proponent of "covenant marriage ," an institutional arrangement that makes it much more difficult to get di...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the drama around the election of the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Until this week, the new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was little known beyond Louisiana and ultraconservative cir...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the history of restaurant reservations.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Restaurant reservations , like so much else, are getting gamified . Neil referred to this New York Times article . We all drew on this overview of histori...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of musical megatours and the concert movies they inspired. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Beyoncé and Taylor Swift made concert history this summer, and are now offering feature film versions of their concerts for...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of historic preservation.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Historic preservation is almost as old as U.S. history . Natalia drew on this Discourse magazine article, and Niki discussed this New Yorker essay . Neil re...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the rise – and fall? – of the TED Talk. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       The writer Coleman Hughes gave a TED Talk on race earlier this year, and caused a stir when he advocated for "colorblindness" – and then accused TED of dep...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of political dress codes.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       In the wake of a debate over Senator John Fetterman's casual style , the Senate voted to set a more formal dress code . Neil drew on this Gentleman's Gazett...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the apparent crisis at scholar Ibram X. Kendi's Center for Antiracist Research.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       After amassing tens of millions of dollars in funding, Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research abruptly...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the latest "crisis of masculinity."  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Men, according to a recent New York Times report , benefit from a "thumb on the scale" when it comes to college admissions. The report belongs to a larger deb...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of telemarketing.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       The new HBO docuseries Telemarketers is bringing attention to a decades-old industry . Niki drew on this Atlantic article about scams in the industry and this histo...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of the mugshot.  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       The release of former President Donald Trump's mugshot was met with enthusiasm across the political spectrum. We discussed the long history of the mugshot . Niki drew...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the significance of major cutbacks at West Virginia University. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       The announcement of major cutbacks to academic programs at West Virginia University has drawn ire from students and alumni . Natali...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the current strike in Hollywood. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Hollywood actors and writers have been on strike for more than one hundred days . Niki drew on this Hollywood Reporter article about Ronald Reagan's tenure as a u...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss "trigger warnings." Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       An essay in The Atlantic by Jill Filipovic is the latest salvo in the debate over " trigger warnings ." Niki cited Filipovic's 2014 Guardian piece on the topic as well as this...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the life and legacy of comedian Paul Reubens.  You can support Past Present here: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Paul Reubens , best known for  his recurring role as Pee-wee Herman , has died. Natalia referred to this Daily Beast retrospective and Niki drew o...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the new megahit film, Barbie .  Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Barbie , directed by filmmaker Greta Gerwig, is a box-office blockbuster . Natalia drew on this MSNBC piece she wrote about the doll's complicated legacy, and Niki...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of summer break in the United States. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       The idea that a long summer vacation originated in "the agrarian calendar" is a persistent myth . Niki referred to our Episode 40 , in which we d...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the history of tipping in the United States. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·       Tipping is once again at the center of debates about service, labor, and consumerism. Neil referenced this Phil Magness essay , and Natalia cited this...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss male enhancement surgery and the history of the penile ideal. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show: ·       A recent ProPublica article exposed the expanding, and disturbing, world of penile enlargement surgery. Neil referred to this glowing 2...