Professor Buzzkill History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#209 - The Age of Charisma Jun 22, 2017

Show notes

Professor Jeremy Young joins us to discuss the Age of Charisma (1870-1940). It was an exciting period in US history: industrialization was in high gear; railroads and telegraph lines were spreading widely; mass media was born; and increased concentration on charisma, magnetism, and emotion in politics, religion, and social reform. Styles of public speaking changed and founded the phenomenon of personality politics.

#208 - Quote or No Quote: Eleanor Roosevelt | It's Better to Light a Candle Than Curse the Darkness Jun 19, 2017

Show notes

We all love, and should live by the sentiment expressed in "It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness." But did Eleanor Roosevelt say it? Was it Confucius or an ancient Chinese proverb? Or does it come from the 19th century? We explore the origins of the ideas behind the quote, who said it, and how it got attached to Eleanor Roosevelt. Listen to the brand new Quote or No Quote episode of Professor Buzzkill!

#207 - JFK: The Presidency Jun 15, 2017

Show notes

Professor Nash joins us to discuss the misconceptions and the realities of JFK's presidency, its successes, its failures, and its legacies. We look specifically at the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, and Civil Rights. And we address the question of whether JFK was a liberal, a conservative, or a mixture of both. And on top of all that, we hear audio from some of Kennedy's most telling statements, speeches, and press interviews. It's a fully-rounded episode, Buzzkillers!

#206 - Special Episode: Eco-Soap Bank CNN Hero 2017 Jun 14, 2017

Show notes

Samir Lakhani, the founder of Eco-Soap Bank (one of our Buzzkill partners) has been named a CNN Hero for 2017. We interview him about the project and how the CNN recognition has affected the Eco-Soap Bank. The Buzzkill Institute is committed to helping this great project by contributing $1 for every Buzzkiller who donates to the Eco-Soap Bank. Go to ecosoapsbank.org/donate and type “Buzzkill” in the comments section of the on-line donation form. A donation of just $25 provides soap and hygiene education for 250 Cambodians and recycles 35 pounds of soap from the hospitality industry. And it supports ongoing employment of local people in Cambodia. See the CNN Hero announcement at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/04/health/cnn-hero-samir-lakhani-eco-soap-bank/index.html

#205 - Quote or No Quote: Winston Churchill | Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing... Jun 12, 2017

Show notes

The exact wording of the "Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…" quote varies a little bit from time to time, but it essentially conveys the same message -- Americans are a self-interested people, but they eventually do the right thing. But did Churchill ever say this, or even something like it? No. At least he never said it publicly, and there's certainly no evidence that he ever said it privately. Like dozens and dozens of other political quotes, they get attached to Churchill somehow. It's as if he's standing on a busy street corner and passers-by keep slapping unattributed quote bumper stickers on him until he rivals Shakespeare and the Bible for the world quote record.

#204 - Frank Lloyd Wright Jun 08, 2017

Show notes

Frank Lloyd Wright is the most famous architect in American history. But why is he so famous, and was it just about his architecture? In his own mind and in the popular mind, he is often considered a god and an artistic prophet. How did he become so famous and how did his fame and myth-making develop during his career? Architect Eric Osth helps us understand the deep complexities and twists-and-turns in Wright's highly public and media-savvy approach to his architectural design, as well as the public's embrace of it.

#203 - Quote or No Quote: Yogi Berra | It's Like Déjà Vu All Over Again Jun 05, 2017

Show notes

One of Yogi Berra's best-known "Yogi-isms," "it's like déjà vu all over again," has a complicated history, Buzzkillers. He may have said "déjà vu all over again" after Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit back-to-back home runs in a Yankee game in 1961, but there's no record of it. Further, "déjà vu all over again" attributions to Yogi Berra didn't really appear until the mid-1980s. And Yogi himself denied in 1987 that it was one of his Yogi-isms. What's the full story? Find out when you listen to the brand new Quote or No Quote episode of Professor Buzzkill!

#202 - D-Day Jun 01, 2017

Show notes

D-Day, June 6, 1944, is one of the most well-known events of World War II. Why did it happen the way it did and why did it succeed? Was it the turning point in the war in Europe? How many other military operations were going on at the same time in Europe that might explain victory in Europe? There are so many complications to the story that you need the Buzzkill Institute to help explain it all!

#201 - Quote or No Quote: Albert Einstein | The Definition of Insanity May 30, 2017

Show notes

Albert Einstein was a scientific genius, and he often discussed many topics outside his field. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the quote, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" is attributed to him? Alas, Buzzkillers, quotes like this seem to attach themselves to Einstein at the speed of light, and there's no evidence he ever said it. Listen to this episode where Professor Buzzkill explains all! And don't forget -- it's not insanity to rate and review our podcast on iTunes!

#200 - JFK: the Man and the Myths 1917-1963 May 25, 2017

Show notes

John F. Kennedy was one of the most fascinating Presidents in US history. And perhaps more fascinating are the ways in which he is remembered by succeeding generations. In this first part of a three-part series, Professor Nash joins us to discuss JFK's background, youth, service in World War II, and his political career. The sweep of his life is as complex and interesting as you can imagine, Buzzkillers!

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