Revisionist History (podcast)

From Podpedia
Revisionist history
File:Revisionist History logo.jpg
Presentation
Hosted byMalcolm Gladwell
GenreHistory
FormatMP3
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Length30-40 mins
Production
No. of seasons2
Publication
Original releaseJun 16, 2016 – present
ProviderPanoply Media
Websiterevisionisthistory.com

Revisionist History is a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell produced through Panoply Media. It began in 2016, and has aired 2 10-episode seasons.

Gladwell, who was already a successful author and essayist, was convinced to create a podcast by his friend Jacob Weisberg, editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, which also includes the podcast network Panoply Media.

Each episode begins with an inquiry about a person, event, or idea, and proceeds to question the received wisdom about the subject.

Season 1 (2016)[edit | edit source]

No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
1"The Lady Vanishes"June 16, 2016 (2016-06-16)
Central Topic: The Roll Call, an 1874 oil-on-canvas painting by Elizabeth Thompson
Themes Explored: How success by a member of a minority group does not alleviate discrimination, but perpetuates it.
2"Saigon, 1965"June 23, 2016 (2016-06-23)
Central Topic: Leon Gouré, Konrad Kellen and the RAND Corporation recommendations regarding the Vietnam War
Themes Explored: How personal bias can lead to people drawing different conclusions from the same data.
3"The Big Man Can't Shoot"June 30, 2016 (2016-06-30)
Central Topic: Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and the underhand free throw
Themes Explored: Why smart people sometimes refuse to accept the best ideas.
4"Carlos Doesn’t Remember"July 7, 2016 (2016-07-07)
Central Topic: Meritocracy in American schools:
Themes Explored: How America is making use of its human capital.
5"Food Fight"July 14, 2016 (2016-07-14)
Central Topic: Bowdoin College, Vassar College and the budgetary choices of colleges
Themes Explored: How colleges get rewarded for distorting the educational system.
6"My Little Hundred Million"July 21, 2016 (2016-07-21)
Central Topic: Hank Rowan's donation to Glassboro State University
Themes Explored: The ideologies behind educational philanthropy.
7"Hallelujah"July 28, 2016 (2016-07-28)
Central Topic:Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Deportee by Elvis Costello
Themes Explored: The role of time and repetition in the creation of works of genius.
8"Blame Game"August 4, 2016 (2016-08-04)
Central Topic: The 2009–11 Toyota vehicle recalls
Themes Explored: Human perception and misconception, our fraught relationship to technology, media dishonesty.
9"Generous Orthodoxy"August 11, 2016 (2016-08-11)
Central Topic: Chester Wenger, the Mennonite minister who confronted his own church
Themes Explored: Effective ways of dissent.
10"The Satire Paradox"August 18, 2016 (2016-08-18)
Central Topic: Harry Enfield and his creation of the Loadsamoney character
Themes Explored: How satire with the aim of social protest can backfire.

Season 2 (2017)[edit | edit source]

No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
1"A Good Walk Spoiled"June 14, 2017 (2017-06-14)
Central Topic: Golf and golf clubs
Themes Explored: Property taxes, real estate, CEO productivity.
2"The Road To Damascus"June 21, 2017 (2017-06-21)
Central Topic:The CIA's use of former terrorists as informants
Themes Explored: Forgiveness and second chances.
3"Miss Buchanan's Period Of Adjustment"June 28, 2017 (2017-06-28)
Central Topic: Brown v. Board of Education
Themes Explored: The persistent legacy of racism in American schools.
4"The Foot Soldier of Birmingham"July 5, 2017 (2017-07-05)
Central Topic: The Foot Soldier, by Ronald McDowell
Themes Explored: Artistic license, sanitizing of history.
5"The Prime Minister and the Prof"July 12, 2017 (2017-07-12)
Central Topic: The friendship between Winston Churchill and Lord Cherwell
Themes Explored: The Bengal Famine.
6"The King of Tears"July 9, 2017 (2017-07-09)
Central Topic: Country Music as illustrated by an interview with prolific song writer Bobby Braddock
Themes Explored: Sad songs as compared to general levity of the rock and roll genre.
7"State v Johnson"July 26, 2017 (2017-07-26)
Central Topic: Black Americans and the US justice system
Themes Explored: Institutional racism, power dynamics.
8"Mr. Hollowell Didn’t Like That"August 2, 2017 (2017-08-02)
Central Topic: Black Americans and the US justice system via an extended interview with Vernon Jordan about his work with Donald L. Hollowell
Themes Explored: Institutional racism, power dynamics.
9"McDonald’s Broke My Heart"August 9, 2017 (2017-08-09)
Central Topic: McDonald's decision to stop frying its french fries in beef tallow
Themes Explored: The link between saturated fats and heart disease, the power of individual persistence.
10"The Basement Tapes"August 16, 2017 (2017-08-16)
Central Topic:
Themes Explored:

Reception[edit | edit source]

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.