Collecting Historical Evidence,

Busting Myths,

Taking Names.

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.

Latest Episodes

Irish America: Race and Politics

March 12, 2024

Professor Mary Burke destroys the myths and caricatures of Irish Americans as a monolithic cultural, racial, and political group. Figures from the Scots-Irish Andrew Jackson to the Caribbean-Irish Rihanna, as well as literature, film, caricature, and beauty discourse, convey how the Irish racially transformed multiple times: in the slave-holding Caribbean, on America’s frontiers and antebellum…

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Who Said “Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History”?

March 6, 2024

Lots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” They include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and many more. Given time, any powerful woman with backbone and nerve will get credit for this phrase and sentiment. Even Princess Leila from “Star Wars” saying “well-behaved women rarely…

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Green Book Sites: Local History and Architecture

March 5, 2024

We’ve already learned about the importance of “The Negro Motorist Green Book” from our previous show. Here, historians Catherine Zipf and Susan Hellman discuss their project on the architecture of the sites found in the Green Book and what various efforts are being made to locate more Green Book sites and preserve them. Perhaps the…

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Traveling While Black: The Green Book Guides to African-American Motoring

February 25, 2024

20th-century automobile travel was supposed to represent freedom, but what else did it represent? Professor Cotten Seiler from Dickinson College joins us to discuss the difficulties and hazards of traveling in the United States faced by African-American motorists in the 20th Century, especially during the height of segregation and Jim Crow. Specifically, we learn how…

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Henry Kissinger Part 2: Perpetual Power?

February 20, 2024

Professor Philip Nash joins us for Part 2 of our examination of the life and loves of Henry Kissinger, perhaps the most influential American foreign policy figure of the later Cold War. This episode discusses his time in power in the Nixon administration, his carefully crafted public image, and his continuing power after he left…

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Henry Kissinger Part 1: Meteoric Rise

February 6, 2024

Professor Philip Nash joins us for Part 1 of our examination of the life and loves of Henry Kissinger, perhaps the most influential American foreign policy figure of the later Cold War. We look at his origins, his education, his move into governing circles, and his meteoric rise to power in the 1970s. An amazing…

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Popular Episodes

“It’s a Wonderful Life” Myths and Urban Legends: 2023 Encore!

December 14, 2023

Imagine being tortured by wartime memories. Explosions, death, mutilated bodies (some of them friends of yours), all the screaming. Now, imagine them coming from a very confined and dangerous place. I’ve always thought that being in a warplane or submarine would add the extra stress of being trapped, and not even being able to contemplate…

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McCarthy and McCarthyism: American Demagoguery During the Cold War

September 19, 2023

Senator Joseph McCarthy was one of the most notorious politicians in American history. He made wild accusations, ruined the lives and careers of countless people, and stained American politics with investigative tactics similar to those in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Just as important, however, was McCarthyism. Professor Philip Nash explains all in this gripping episode that…

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Albert Einstein: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

May 29, 2017

Albert Einstein was one of the most significant scientific geniuses of the 20th century. His theories helped scientists break through some of the barriers to our understanding the physical world and the universe. He also contributed greatly to the philosophy of science. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the quote, “the definition of insanity is…

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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.

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.

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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

I'm hooked!

Great mix of historical facts and pop culture. Prof Buzzkill delivers a well-paced informative podcast.

—sixfloors, Submitted via Apple Podcasts

It's 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

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