The Roots of Johnny Cash
Long-time Buzzkiller, Dr. Colin Woodward, discusses his new book, Country Boy: the Roots of Johnny Cash. Woodward dispels many myths about Cash, but also about the culture he grew up …
Myths
Martin Niemöller “First They Came…” Encore: Wisdom Wednesday!
The other night I went to see “Born on Third Base,” the new stand-up comedy show by Gary Gulman, who is one of my favorites. Rather than just tell jokes, …
Martin Niemöller “First They Came…” Encore: Wisdom Wednesday! Listen Now
Early Baseball: History and Myth
Baseball began as a schoolyard game, brought to America by the colonists. It evolved rapidly over the second half of the nineteenth century, with innovations and rule changes continuing throughout …
Hatshepsut: the Female Egyptian Pharaoh. Woman Crush Wednesday Encore!
Who was Hatshepsut? Were there female pharaohs in ancient Egypt? I owe the idea for a Woman Crush Wednesday show on Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of …
Hatshepsut: the Female Egyptian Pharaoh. Woman Crush Wednesday Encore! Listen Now
Did Abner Doubleday Invent Baseball?
Not only did Abner Doubleday not invent baseball, it wasn’t even invented in Cooperstown (the site of the Baseball Hall of Fame). Put away your hankies, Buzzkillers, America will survive …
Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan for the Lead Parts in Casablanca?
Ronald Reagan was already a successful actor by the time Hal Wallis was getting around to producing Casablanca (which went on to become one of the most famous and best-loved …
Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan for the Lead Parts in Casablanca? Listen Now
Race and the US Supreme Court: Justice Deferred
Professor Vernon Burton joins us to explain the long and tortured history of the ways in which the United States Supreme Court has handled race. The Supreme Court is usually …
Manhattan for $24? Best Real Estate Deal Ever! Or Was It?
Have you heard the one about 17th-century Europeans buying the entire island of Manhattan for $24 worth of beads and trinkets? It would have been the best real estate deal …
Manhattan for $24? Best Real Estate Deal Ever! Or Was It? Listen Now
3-year-old “Chimney Sweep” Video
Jason Steinhauer of the History Communications Institute joins us to explain the veracity of the film clip of a “3-year-old chimney sweep” from the 1930s that’s gone viral on social …
Vikings Didn’t Wear Horned Helmets
A Viking horned helmet would have been very impractical, and perhaps dangerous, in battle. A sword blow to the head might glance off a smooth helmet. But it would surely …