“Shadow Inflation” and the COVID Economy

Past Present Podcast, Episode 297

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: “Shadow inflation” is affecting many American industries, in which services are being scaled back as prices remain the same or increase. Niki referred to this Vox article about the changes since the inflation of the 1970s.  In our regular closing feature, ...
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The Facebook Whistleblower

Past Present Podcast, Episode 296

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The Congressional testimony of whistleblower Frances Haugen is raising new questions about the social effects of Facebook’s global market domination. Niki referred to this interview with Facebook expert Siva Vaidhyanathan and Haugen’s 60 Minutes interview. Natalia drew on this NPR ...
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High-End Veganism and the Rise of Plant-Based Eating

Past Present Podcast, Episode 295

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Innovative fine dining restaurant Eleven Madison Park has earned mixed reviews for its newly vegan menu. Natalia cited historian Adam Shprintzen’s book The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of An American Reform Movement, 1817-1921.Niki cited the 1971 book Diet for a ...
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Gabby Petito and the “Missing White Woman Syndrome”

Past Present Podcast, Episode 294

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The disappearance and death of aspiring influencer Gabby Petito has set off a national media frenzy, sparked in part by social media sleuths who unpacked the case in real time on TikTok. Natalia referred to this Buzzfeed article about the ...
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Ivermectin, Medical Misinformation, and COVID

Past Present Podcast, Episode 293

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Ivermectin, a drug commonly used to treat parasitic infections in livestock, is flying off the shelves as a remedy for the coronavirus. Natalia referred to this Washington Post article about medical abuses, and Niki referenced the history of “patent medicines.”  In ...
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The Texas Abortion Law

Past Present Podcast, Episode 292

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The Supreme Court has failed to strike down a Texas law that drastically restricts abortion rights. Natalia referred to this Vogue article about “what six weeks pregnant looks like,” and Niki discussed this Public Seminar piece. Niki and Natalia drew ...
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The U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Past Present Podcast, Episode 291

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: After nearly two decades, President Biden announced that all American troops were leaving Afghanistan, which quickly fell to the Taliban. Natalia referred to Jeremy Varon’s Washington Post piece about the antiwar movement, and to this conversation at Public Seminarbetween historians ...
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American Grocery Stores and the “Ethnic Food Aisle”

Past Present Podcast, Episode 290

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The New York Times published an article about the debate over the ethnic food aisle, which is both undeniably ethnocentric and an important sales channel for purveyors of such products. Natalia referenced chef David Chang’s opposition to the phenomenon and ...
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The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Past Present Podcast, Episode 289

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed for a year, are in full swing despite the ongoing pandemic. Natalia mentioned this NPR piece about the unfair treatment of Paralympics competitor Becca Meyers, and Neil referred to the ambiguity over whether breastfeeding mothers ...
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The Protests in Cuba

Past Present Podcast, Episode 288

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The streets of Cuba are filled with protestors enraged by the poor handling of the pandemic and the excesses of the police state. Natalia mentioned Cuba scholar Rebecca Bodenheimer’s Twitter account and this POLITICO piece. Niki drew on this NPR ...
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Human Evolution Has Left Us Ill-Prepared: A Conversation with Emily Guendelsberger about Work in the 21st Century

Unproductive Labor, Episode Four

In this episode, we have a conversation with Emily Guendelsberger, author of What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane. She worked at Philadelphia City Paper, the Onion’s A.V. Club, Philadelphia Weekly, and the Philadelphia Daily News, and has contributed to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington ...
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