Episode 405: Controversies over Christmas “Classics”

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 began the backlash against the film Love Actually, and Natalia referenced this interview with its director. Niki referred to this Variety essay about “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia, Neil, and Niki reflected on eight years of making the show together and announced both Niki’s departure and Past Present’s first hiatus. Thank you, Niki. And listeners, see you in the spring!

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. We all drew on this New York Times history of expelled Congress members.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia declared her ambition to compete in the HYROX fitness competition.

·      Neil recommended the Slate podcast Dear Prudence and historian Julie Golia’s book, Newspaper Confessions: A History of Advice Columns in a Pre-Internet Age.

·      Niki discussed Rivka Galchen’s New Yorker article, “Inside the Illegal Cactus Trade.”

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 multi-part POLITICO series on Haley’s career. Neil drew on this NPR piece, and Niki on this article from The Intercept.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia shared about her most recent MSNBC column, “How Feminists Have Failed Israeli Victims of Sexual Violence.”

·      Neil recommended Sopan Deb’s New York Times article, “Nom Nom Nom. What’s the Deal With Cookie Monster’s Cookies?”

·      Niki discussed the National Security Archive’s “Henry Kissinger: The Declassified Obituary.”

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 article about the unfavorable market for millennial homebuyers, and Natalia referenced this New Yorker piece about the pitfalls of mortgages. We all drew on this Atlantic article about the resilience of the “ownership society” ideal. Natalia referred to this New York Times article about a landlord harassed by her tenant.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia shared about the paperback release of Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past and a 60% holiday discount on the audiobook of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession.

·      Neil recommended visiting the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, California.

·      Niki discussed the latest episode of the What Next podcast, “Moms for Liberty Tanked at the Polls. This Guy Called It.”

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 our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia recommended Eboo Patel’s essay for Inside Higher Ed, “Why Campuses Need Centers for Pluralism.”

·      Neil discussed Natasha Singer’s New York Times article, “This Florida District Banned Cellphones. Here’s What Happened.”

·      Niki shared about the latest episode of Unclear and Present Danger, on which she appears.

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 divorced. Natalia referred to this Atlantic article about the history of no-fault divorce. Niki drew on this JSTOR Daily piece on how women advocated for these changes and on this CNN piece as well.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia recommended the “Dog Eat Dog” episode of Season 4 of the History Channel’s Food That Built America program.

·      Neil discussed Bruce Weber’s New York Times obituary, “Bobby Knight, Basketball Coach Known for Trophies and Tantrums, Dies at 83.”

·      Niki shared about a new edited collection, LBJ’s America: The Life and Legacies of Lyndon Baines Johnson.

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 circles. Natalia referenced this CNN piece about Johnson’s homophobic comments, and historian Matthew Dallek’s article for TIME. Neil referred to Niki’s latest CNN column.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia discussed Ksenia Svetlova’s New Republic piece, “Why We On the Israeli Left Feel Hit on Both Sides.”

·      Neil recommended historian Lauren Lassabe Shepherd’s Daily Beast article, “Could Mississippi Actually Elect a Democratic Governor?”

·      Niki shared about the Radiotopia podcast, “The Unmarked Graveyard: Stories from Hart Island.”

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 historian Paul Freedman’s book and this Atlantic article.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia shared about Britney Spears’ new memoir, The Woman in Me.

·      Neil recommended historian Daniel Immerwahr’s New Yorker article, “Beyond the Myth of Rural America” and Steven Conn’s book The Lies of the Land: Seeing Rural America for What It Is – And Isn’t.

·      Niki discussed Elizabeth Williamson’s New York Times article, “Judge Won’t Let Alex Jones Use Bankruptcy to Avoid Sandy Hook Damages.”

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 the masses. Niki referenced this CNN article, and Natalia cited Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s New York Times Magazine analysis of Swiftiedom.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia shared about her upcoming events in the Center for Jewish History’s “Archives to Earbuds” series.

·      Neil recommended the podcast series, Keys to the Kingdom.

·      Niki discussed the new film, One Life.

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 referenced this New York Times opinion essay.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·      Natalia discussed Matthew Schmitz’ Compact article, “Millennial Socialists Embrace Atrocities.”

·      Neil shared Paige Williams’ New Yorker essay, “Among the Cabin Fanatics of Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty.”

·      Niki recommended Matthew Dallek’s new book, Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.