Professor Buzzkill: History 101

Ever wonder how the shamrock, the Celtic Cross, and the Claddagh Ring became symbols of Irish culture? And which Irish people deserve more historical attention and shouldn't remain "Hidden Hibernians"? Professor Edward O'Donnell explains all in this St. Patrick's Day episode!

The Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he may surprise you with the ultimate conclusions he reaches. Maybe he’s not that much of a buzzkill after all.

The Irish slaves myth claims that Irish people were enslaved by the British and sent to the Americas (especially the Caribbean) to work on plantations. The history of Irish slaves has been buried by our politically-correct world, so the myth goes, and has been replaced by an over-emphasis on the enslavement of Africans in the New World. But is there any truth to it, Buzzkillers? Listen and learn.

The story that the family who owns the Bonne Maman jam company sheltered Jews during the Holocaust has become an internet sensation. Is it true? We examine it in great detail. More importantly, we talk about questions of inherited virtue, inherited sin, and the desperate need for more historical research at all levels! Lots of shouts outs to important and worthy people too! Episode 443

Lots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and many more. Given time, any powerful woman with self-respect, backbone and verve will get credit for this phrase and sentiment. Listen and learn who said it first.

A Presidents' Day Special Monday Myth to start the week! The story that John Hanson, not George Washington, was the real first president of the United States, has been squirreling around the internet for years. Should we think about changing the currency? Should we re-write our kids’ school books? Before you go overboard, Buzzkillers, listen to this Episode 442!

General Ty Seidule tells us about Major Samuel Tucker, civil rights champion and American hero. Listen to his amazing story and why we should look around us to find the history of the heroes in our own communities. Episode 441. 

Feb 9th is National Pizza Day in the USA! This is a good time to learn about the "pizza effect." It helps explain why assumptions about the history and development of certain cultural practices and traditions help build hardy historical myths. Learn about the "pizza renaissance" in Italy, the "Hindu renaissance across India, the "Cornish pasty renaissance" in south-west England, and the "Clancy Brothers" or "traditional music renaissance" in Ireland! Listen while enjoying your favorite pizza pie!

Hitler storming out of the stadium after Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics is one of the most enduring images we have of the tumultuous history of Nazi Germany. Hitler famously “snubbed” Jesse Owens and all African-American athletes because of his ideas of Aryan racial superiority. But did it actually happen? And did it happen the way we usually think? Find out, Buzzkillers!

Dr. Emily Twarog enlightens us about the "9to5 Job Survival Hotline," an early effort to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. We bust the myth that women were passive in their reactions to workplace abuse, and show how sophisticated organizations, like 9to5, had a huge impact on American culture. Episode 440.

Heather Cox Richardson tells us about Red Cloud, a Native American leader who deserves more fame and glory. Dr. Richardson gives us a sophisticated understanding of why Red Cloud was important and what he means for American history as a whole! Episode 439.

Dr. Heather Cox Richardson explains the historical issues that have underpinned oligarchy, democracy, and the continuing fight for the soul of America. She traces the story of the American paradox – the competing claims of equality and subordination woven into the nation's fabric and identity. One of our very best shows, and essential listening for every engaged citizen! Episode 438.

Did your great granny tell you that your family name was Americanized at Ellis Island? Well, either she was mainlining the after-dinner sherry, or she had bought into an old historical myth. Join Professor Buzzkill as he walks Vito Corleone and other immigrants through the halls of the Ellis Island processing center and find out whether their ethnicity gets mangled! Episode 437.

Historian Timothy Galsworthy explains the details and complications of the famous Republican "Southern Strategy" in the election of 1960. He tells us how this strategy was developed much earlier than most people realize, and how Nixon had to use a tense balancing act to woo southern voters who traditionally hated the Republican party. Episode 436.

One of the absolute best stories flying around the web is the one where a young Scottish farmer boy saved a young English aristocrat from drowning. The aristocrat's grateful father paid for the farmer boy's education. That young farmer boy grew up to become a doctor and to discover penicillin. In later life, he received an emergency call to save a prominent politician's life. The farmer boy's name was Alexander Fleming. The life he saved twice? That of Winston Churchill. But listen to the real story! Episode 435.

Dr. Einav Rabinovitch-Fox tells us how the rise of mass media culture made fashion a vehicle for women to assert claims over their bodies, femininity, and social roles. As women employed new clothing styles, they expanded feminist activism beyond formal organizations and movements and reclaimed fashion as a realm of pleasure, power, and feminist consciousness. Episode 434.

"At least Mussolini made the trains run on time" is one of history's biggest myths. More importantly, it has been used as a lazy rationalization for electing zealots to high office because they can "get things done." We bust this Mussolini train story in today's Monday Myths to Start the Week. And please remember not to listen to the other "big lies" out there! Episode 433

Jason Steinhauer joins us to talk over the brilliant ideas and analyses in his new book, "History Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Post." A gripping conversation that's at the cutting edge of where history and "e-history" are now, and what might lie in store in the future. Listen and learn! Episode #432

The "fact" that J. Edgar Hoover (director of the FBI) was a cross-dresser is well-known and mentioned constantly in American culture. But is it true? Did J. Edgar go to parties dressed extravagantly as a woman and call himself "Mary"? We explore this famous story as one of our "Monday Myths to Start the Week." Enjoy! Episode #431

Should old acquaintance be forgot? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good auld Robert Burns!