Collecting Historical Evidence,
Busting Myths, & Taking Names
The Professor Buzzkill podcast is a weekly romp through some of the history myths that are most deeply embedded in our culture.
Welcome to the Buzzkill Institute
The Professor Buzzkill History Podcast tackles our culture’s most commonly accepted history myths and misunderstandings, one show at a time. Through intensive research, discussions with some of the world’s most important historians, and a relentless dedication to finding historical truth, we have become one of the most popular history show in the podcast world. We bust myths, but go further — we show why the history surrounding that myth is so important. We explore dubious quotes from the internet, bring to light overlooked people who deserve more fame and glory, and have fun with our listeners.
-Dr. Joseph Coohill, aka Professor Buzzkill
Historian for the Public
Join the Class
Subscribe to our free newsletter to get blog posts and episode links before anyone else. Historical myths and misunderstandings sent straight to your inbox!
Listen to Professor Buzzkill on your favorite podcast platform!
Latest Myths
Hands of Time: a Watchmaker’s History
Dr. Rebecca Struthers, an academic expert on horology and an award-winning watchmaker, guides us through…
Heather Cox Richardson on Saving Democracy – Wisdom Wednesday!
Listen to “Heather Cox Richardson on Saving Democracy – Wisdom Wednesday!” on Spreaker. When it…
McCarthy and McCarthyism: American Demagoguery During the Cold War
Senator Joseph McCarthy was one of the most notorious politicians in American history. He made…
Naming Gotham: The Villains, Rogues and Heroes Behind New York’s Place Names
Why are New York’s roads, bridges, buildings, and institutions named after certain people? Who were…
Coffee with Hitler: Civilized Diplomacy?
“How might the British have handled Hitler differently?” remains one of history’s greatest “what ifs.”…
Anarcha: One of the Mothers of Gynecology
Anarcha was a young enslaved woman who was operated on by J. Marion Sims, the…
Gun Carnage in the United States
Dr. Thomas Gabor shatters the many myths that help keep American gun culture alive. His…
Titanic Myths Smashed!
Kate Messner, the author of the wonderful “History Smashers” series, enlightens us about the innumerable…
Undelivered Speeches and What They Can Tell Us About History
For almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These “second speeches” provide alternative…
MEET YOUR HOST
Professor Buzzkill
Historian for the Public
In real life, “Professor Buzzkill” is Dr. Joseph Coohill, a historian of Britain and Ireland. Coohill’s first experience with the audio realm occurred while studying modern history at Oxford. He hosted “The History Show” on Oxford Student radio, which lasted almost four episodes; “The History Show” was an instant failure and Coohill feels shame.
Yet, the spark of enthusiasm for history and the desire to inform remained, and the Professor Buzzkill podcast was born. Coohill works tirelessly to explain complicated yet compelling historical analysis to diverse audiences. By explaining how misunderstanding history hurts public discourse and policy decisions, he offers clear and concise solutions to such problems, using examples from history.
info@professorbuzzkill.com
About the Show
Full length episodes
Full Episodes include interviews with prominent historians, discussions with new scholars discovering important things about history, and analyses from Professor Buzzkill about important historical topics and misunderstandings.
Extra Credit Myths
“Extra Credit Myths to Start the Week” are short, myth-busting shows to help you start your week on the path to historical accuracy and righteousness.
Man Crush Mondays
“Man Crush Mondays” are occasional shows that bring to light under-studied or forgotten men from history who deserve more fame and glory.
Woman Crush Wednesdays
“Woman Crush Wednesdays” are occasional shows that highlight significant women from the past who deserve more attention and a stronger place in history.
Piece of Sh*t Saturdays
“Piece of Sh*t Saturdays” are occasional shows that dump on people from history who deserve more shame and opprobrium.
Quote or no Quote
“Quote or No Quote” shows examine whether quotes from famous historical figures are genuine, and provides the historical context behind what was actually said, and who actually said what.
A Word From Our Listeners
Great history podcast!
Love the detail and complexity that the host goes into–so many popular history podcasts flatten the past for an easy story but this one shows that the reality is always more interesting.
Mr.Gal , Submitted via Apple Podcasts
Im hooked!
Great mix of historical facts and pop culture. Prof Buzzkill delivers a well-paced informative podcast.
sixfloors , Submitted via Apple Podcasts
Its that good.
It’s not everyday you come across a podcast that has great information that you can relate to from someone who is so passionate about sharing it with the world. So glad to have discovered Professor Buzzkill and to learn a little bit more of something I didn’t really know a lot about.
Dependent_Nick, Submitted via Apple Podcasts
Won’t kill your buzz, history lovers!
This is a really fun podcast with a fresh take on history. Produced and researched by professional historians with a sense of humor, the podcast takes on subjects all over the historical map. The only point of commonality is a goal to bust popular preconceived myths about the subject. Making the podcast even more lively is the format, which takes the form of a freeform conversation among several people instead of a monologue or lecture. Recommend!
FrenchTurk, Submitted via Apple Podcasts
