Associate Professor of History, Eugene Lang College, The New School

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Treason, Accents, and Outdoor Play

Past Present Episode 140

July 24, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the definition of treason, the significance of linguistic accents, and a new practice of prescribing outdoor play. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: President Trump’s behavior at his joint press conference with Vladimir Putin has earned him the epithet of ...

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Thai Cave Rescue, Breastfeeding, and Fleece Vests

Past Present Episode 139

July 17, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the children rescued from a Thai cave, the Trump administration’s approach to breastfeeding policy, and the fleece vests that have become a staple uniform of the finance industry. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: A Thai boys’ soccer team ...

Thai Cave Rescue, Breastfeeding, and Fleece Vests

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Democratic Socialists, Court Packing, and Audiobooks

Past Present Episode 138

July 10, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the rise of Democratic Socialists, plans for packing the Supreme Court, and the increasing popularity of audiobooks. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Thanks to the recent upset victory of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez in a New York Democratic primary, socialism appears to ...

Democratic Socialists, Court Packing, and Audiobooks

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Civility, Gays and Gyms, and Mr. Rogers

Past Present Episode 137

July 3, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate recent claims that the Left is destroying civility in politics, the LGBTQ+ history of American gym culture, and a half-century of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: When White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to ...

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Anthony Bourdain, Family Values, and Ageism

Past Present Episode 136

June 26, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this week's episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the legacy of Anthony Bourdain, the end of “family values” conservatism, and ageism as a form of discrimination. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The late Anthony Bourdain helped define the now familiar figure of the “celebrity chef.” ...

Anthony Bourdain, Family Values, and Ageism

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Summer Camps, Boarding Schools and the Ideology of Family Separation in the U.S.

Family separation is part of American history

June 21, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

For many American parents gearing up for sleepaway camp season, the usual jitters are accompanied by a guilty unease: it’s hard to be anything but horrified by the profound difference between the experiences of affluent kids heading off for a summer of campfires and canoeing and those of the more than ...

Summer Camps, Boarding Schools and the Ideology of Family Separation in the U.S.

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U.S.-Canada Relations, Kate Spade, and A.P. History

Past Present Episode 135

June 20, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the historical relationship between Canada and the United States, the legacy of the late designer Kate Spade, and the controversy over proposed changes to an Advanced Placement history course. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Relations between longtime ...

U.S.-Canada Relations, Kate Spade, and A.P. History

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Masterpiece Cakeshop, Presidential Pardons, and Separated Families

Past Present Episode 134

June 12, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, Donald Trump’s use of the presidential pardon, and the American tradition of separating families. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the baker who ...

Masterpiece Cakeshop, Presidential Pardons, and Separated Families

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Twinks, a Manhattan Con Artist, and the Ford Mustang

Past Present Episode 133

June 6, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the rise of the “twink” aesthetic, Manhattan con artist Anna Sorokin/Delvey, and the cultural endurance of the Ford Mustang. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The New York Times has declared “ the age of the twink .” Neil referred to this ...

Twinks, a Manhattan Con Artist, and the Ford Mustang

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Incels, Mormonism and Race, and Millennials and Personal Finance

Past Present Episode 132

May 30, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: In the wake of a Toronto terrorist attack, “incels,” or involuntary celibates, are gaining attention. Niki referred to this New York Times article about Jordan Peterson. Natalia cited Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker article on the origins of incel rage, Ross Douthat’s New York Times op-ed raising the possibility of the redistribution ...

Incels, Mormonism and Race, and Millennials and Personal Finance

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The Israeli Embassy, Tom Wolfe, and Sports Gambling

Past Present Episode 131

May 23, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: President Trump officially moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and violence in Gaza ensued. Neil wrote about Trump’s stance in his Huffington Post column this week. Natalia recommended this Tablet article breaking down the context for the violence in Gaza. “New Journalism” pioneer Tom Wolfe ...

The Israeli Embassy, Tom Wolfe, and Sports Gambling

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The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Golden State Killer, and Remembering the Holocaust

Past Present Episode 129

May 9, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Golden State Killer, and the news that Americans are forgetting the Holocaust.

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