Posts Tagged ‘History’
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is nearly here. The holiday has a fascinating history of its own, but the ways people have thought about the origins and history of Mother’s Day provide us a great opportunity here at the Buzzkill Institute to talk about the complications of history and memory. But it also gives us the chance to…
Read MoreKathleen Stone: Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men
Women faced a paradox in mid-twentieth-century America. Thanks to their efforts, World War II production had been robust, and in the peace that followed, more women worked outside the home than ever before, even dominating some professions. Yet the culture, from politicians to corporations to television shows, portrayed the ideal woman as a housewife. Many…
Read MoreThe Hindenburg News Report
We often talk about the effects that the reporting of dramatic and important events from the past has had on how those events (and the people involved) are treated in history. Often, the initial reports are accurate enough, but those reports are then misunderstood, misinterpreted, or deliberately tweaked by later commentators. That’s how myths creep…
Read MoreLee Offered His Sword to Grant
It’s a great story, Buzzkillers. It affirms the idea of gentlemanly conduct between officers of opposing armies. After his surrender in the parlor of the house of Wilmer McLean in the town of Appomattox Court House (that’s the actual name of the hamlet, by the way, Buzzkillers, “Appomattox Court House”) in April 1865, Confederate General…
Read More“People Sleep Peacefully in Their Beds at Night Only Because Rough Men Stand Ready to Do Violence on Their Behalf,” George Orwell Quote or No Quote?
I’m on a roll, Buzzkillers. Not only do we have a new Chief Operating Officer here at the Institute, but I have had more intense consultations with listeners in the past few weeks than ever before. Last week, Buzzkiller Ben West, messaged me on Facebook asking about the famous quote often attributed to George Orwell:…
Read MoreBen Franklin “We Must All Hang Together or All Hang Separately” Quote or No Quote?
One of the advantages of being in my station in life and having my social status is that I’m able to hire professionals to do a lot of the difficult work for me. The Buzzkill Institute pays very well for this, in my opinion. And so when the new Chief Operating Officer called me into…
Read More“George Washington Not First President” Myth
The myth that George Washington was not the first President of the United States has been kicking around for nearly 100 years. The fundamental argument is that there were Presidents of the Continental Congress (1774-1789) before there was a President under the US Constitution (1789). This is true. There were fourteen men who served in…
Read MoreSamuel Tucker – Man Crush Monday!
General Ty Seidule tells us about Major Samuel Tucker, civil rights champion and American hero. Listen to his amazing story and why we should look around us to find the history of the heroes in our own communities. Episode 441. Samuel Tucker Website Link: https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/blackhistory/default.aspx?id=73256 14 Feb 2022 — Buzzkill Bookshelf
Read MoreHitler, Jesse Owens, FDR, and the 1936 Olympics
The Olympics have always been controversial: Rio’s infrastructure problems and the zika virus in 2016; political boycotts of Los Angeles in 1984 and Moscow in 1980; apartheid South Africa being banned from participation from 1964 to 1992; and, perhaps the most famous of all, the 1936 Berlin games, held under Hitler’s Nazi government and chock…
Read MoreBefore #MeToo: The History of the 9to5 Job Survival Hotline
Dr. Emily Twarog enlightens us about the “9to5 Job Survival Hotline,” an early effort to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. We bust the myth that women were passive in their reactions to workplace abuse, and show how sophisticated organizations, like 9to5, had a huge impact on American culture. Episode 440. Links: 9to5: Winning Justice…
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