Not Past It

On February 1st, 2004— 19 years ago this week— Americans witnessed, live on television, a Super Bowl mishap that would impact our culture and media consumption to this day. So put on your jersey, grab some nachos and gather around for the history of the gridiron. We’re joined by Sam Sanders, host of the Vulture podcast, Into It & co-host of the Stitcher podcast, Vibe Check.

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Not Past It Trivia is back! This time, we’re joined by Rachel Lindsay and Callie Curry from The Ringer’s ‘Morally Corrupt’ podcast in this special, Real Housewives-inspired game. 17 years ago, Bravo announced a new type of television show, following the lives of five wealthy women. That show – the Real Housewives of Orange County – launched a reality tv empire. So pour yourself a glass of rosé as we tackle questions about Bravolebrities, TV through the ages, and real housewives from history.

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103 years ago this week, Prohibition went into effect, giving the country a Dry January for the ages. Prohibition was a famous failure, so who got us into that sober decade in the first place? Today, we’re talking about the notorious temperance crusader Carry A. Nation, whose weapon of choice made her a laughingstock -- and an unlikely hero.

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On January 11, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General released a bombshell report detailing the harmful effects of smoking. It was the first time America’s “top doctor” issued such a public warning on the dangers of cigarettes. And with their backs against the wall, tobacco companies got creative and crafted new tactics to target Black communities.

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In the 1970s, amateur theater producer Ken Harper had a vision for an all-Black rendition of the Wizard of Oz. And on January 5, 1975, The Wiz premiered on Broadway. Hollywood came knocking shortly after, packing the film version of the musical with stars like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. But the Wiz’s success was never a guarantee. In fact, it went through many trials, misses, and near-deaths before becoming the cult classic it is today.

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It’s been a big year for the Green M&M. After a marketing revamp, she lost her signature go-go boots and femme fatale flair. So we thought, what better way to end the year than bringing back our episode all about how Ms. Green got so sexy in the first place. In this history domino classic, we trace how the Spanish American War led to a sugar boom, warring candy families, and eventually, the birth of a pop culture icon.

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On December 22, 1972, St. Louis high society was readying itself for The Veiled Prophet Ball—a debutante ball for the daughters of the city’s most pedigreed families. Inside, thousands of guests at the white tie event settled in for an elegant evening. But just outside, a group of stealth activists was preparing to infiltrate the exclusive party, where they’d attempt to pull off a dramatic stunt and unveil the ugly truth behind the ball’s origins.

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On this episode, we’ll find out how a 19th-century obsession with the frigid Arctic snowballed into our mythology of Old Saint Nick. We’ll take a sneak peek into Santa’s bag of toys, answer his personal phone calls, and track his sleigh across the starry night sky. We’re joined by comedian and writer Karen Chee (Late Night with Seth Myers, Patchinko).

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This week we are lending our feed to the folks over at American Terror, a new podcast from Gimlet and Vice News. In this episode they tell the story of how in the 80's one man helped lead a far-right extremist group with planning murders and even the overthrow of the U.S. government. Until he switches sides, and the U.S. government takes on a risky prosecution.

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Marie Grosholtz was born in France on December 1st, 1761. 261 years later, she’s better known as Madame Tussaud, the enigmatic woman behind a global wax museum franchise. Before the replicas of Taylor Swift and RuPaul, Madame Tussaud befriended royals and dodged guillotines during the French Revolution. Through her wax figures and eye for fame, she helped create the celebrity machine that still powers our culture all these years later. Plus, we talk to actor and star Danny Trejo about what it’s like to get immortalized in wax.

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