Reflector

In today’s Hindsight we are looking back on our coverage of stolen election claims (No, You Stole the Election!) with journalist, lawyer, and podcast royalty, Emily Bazelon. We discuss gerrymandering, voter ID laws, growing distrust in institutions, and we debate the power of elites and whether we should be worried about Election Day 2024.

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Today in our third and final installment of this series, we delve into what may be the most contested election in American history. We also take stock of the already historic and unprecedented 2024 presidential campaign season. What happens when both sides of our political divide increasingly view the other as an anti-democratic threat?

Our aim with these episodes is to listen carefully to those who feel cheated, move beyond the daily political drama, and inspire deeper reflection on where our society stands and the challenges we face.

Special thanks to Washington Post columnist, Megan McArdle and to Megan Phelps-Roper.

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Here in our second installment into the recent history of stolen election claims, we’ve got angry voters, disappointed politicians, and a few tech-savvy democrats who see signs of hacking, fraud, and illegitimacy in three different elections.

We’ll discuss the allegations about hacked voting machines in Ohio in 2004, claims that the 2016 election was stolen from Hillary Clinton, and how stolen election claims in the 2018 gubernatorial election in Georgia helped make Stacey Abrams a national star.

Next time in Part 3, we’ll dive into the unprecedented 2020 election and the Stop the Steal movement. We’ll also share our thoughts on the 2024 presidential election and our expectations for what might happen on Election Day.

Special thanks to Megan McArdle and Megan Phelps-Roper.

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Claims that a US election was rigged, fraudulent, illegitimate, or stolen are not new. But in recent years—despite the fact that our elections have grown increasingly secure—these claims have grown louder and more impassioned. Today, we begin our look back on past claims of stolen elections in American history, in the hopes that understanding them in their context will help shed light on our current political moment—and where we might be headed next.

In this first installment, we speak to Megan McArdle, former writer for the Atlantic and current columnist at the Washington Post, about the stolen election claims in both the 1960 and 2000 elections.

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Featuring Your Cheatin’ Heart by Patsy Cline and The Jordanaires

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Today we’ve got a very special Hindsight episode that revisits the themes explored in our "Filthy Slime" episodes (Parts 1 & 2). We’re delighted to be joined by living legend and recent Grammy winner Killer Mike. He discusses his view of "rap on trial" and the complex relationship between art, crime, and life for young people in some of America’s toughest neighborhoods.

We also explore the legend of Stack Lee – AKA Stagger Lee – and the hundreds of songs and performances inspired by his most infamous crime. Writer, poet, and Washburn University professor Eric McHenry explains why this story continues to resonate more than a century after the notorious saloon murder.

As a new show, we’re still experimenting with different formats to tell stories and explore ideas. We’d love to hear your feedback! Please reach out to [email protected] with your thoughts, questions, and story suggestions.

Special thanks for this episode go to Killer Mike, Kmele Foster, Van Lathan, Megan Phelps-Roper, Claire Reynolds, and Eric McHenry.

Links:

Playlist of some of the music featured in this episode

Listen to Killer Mike’s recent album

Read more from Eric McHenry here or check out his essay on Stagger Lee, which he’s currently developing into a book called Original Gangster.

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Today, we continue our examination of difficult public debates, one year after concluding our series, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. In Part 1, we provided updates on women's sports, women-only spaces, and transition medicine for minors. This week, we hear from three different trans individuals who share their perspectives on the state of the debate, J.K. Rowling in particular, and the larger idea that good-faith debates are necessary for progress in a pluralistic society.

Our guests include Jacob Tobia, author of the book Sissy, and listener-favorite Noah, the teenager who shared his gender transition story with us in episode six of The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. We also listen and respond to sharp criticisms from popular YouTuber and former Witch Trials guest, Natalie Wynn, aka Contrapoints. We do our best to engage in the kind of good-faith debating that we believe in.

As always, we appreciate your time and attention and would be delighted if you shared this show and gave us a rating on Apple or Spotify. Thank you for your support, and please send us your thoughts, feedback, story ideas, or criticisms to our new email address: [email protected].

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About a year ago, the team that makes this show (Matt Boll and me, Andy Mills) along with our dear friend Megan Phelps-Roper (who also helps with each episode of Reflector), put out the final installment of The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. 

The show was a big hit with millions of listeners, even as it split — and in some cases enraged — media critics. Our aim was to tell the story of Rowling’s two major public controversies — both the witchcraft accusations from the late 90’s and the current backlash around sex and gender — as a way to uncover deeper truths about human nature.

Today, Megan again joins us to ask: Where do things stand now? For Rowling, for the debate around sex and gender, and for our society's willingness to have hard conversations in public.

Here in Part 1, author and journalist Helen Lewis guides us through the latest developments in women-only sports, women-only spaces, and youth transition medicine. We explore the ways in which the United States is becoming more of an outlier, and how J.K. Rowling’s career has continued to thrive amidst the backlash against her.

In Part 2, we dive into thoughts and criticism — of J.K. Rowling, of the series we made about her, and of our team itself — from three members of the trans community, each with a unique perspective. This includes two of listeners’ favorite guests from the original series: Natalie and Noah. For paid subscribers you can listen to that episode right away. To become a paid subscriber visit us at reflector.show

As always we appreciate your time and attention, and would be delighted if you’d share this show and give us a rating on Apple or Spotify. If you have any feedback, story suggestions, or criticisms, feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected]

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Today we're excited to share the first Hindsight episode of Reflector. This is the free version of this episode. To listen to the full version you can become a subscriber today by visiting us at reflector.show

The idea behind these particular episodes is to embody our commitment to transparency in journalism by following up on each of our stories with a less formal deep dive into our reporting and the larger social themes we explore.

Today, Matt and I are joined again by our friend Katie from our episode “The Sea Change.” Together, we respond to listeners' feedback and criticism, expand on some important topics left out of the episode, share some fun recommendations, and more.

And if you’d like to submit your own feedback for future Hindsight episodes you can always leave a comment on our website or shoot us a voice memo or email to: [email protected]

While all of hip hop prizes authenticity, as Van Lathan put it in Filthy Slime Pt 1: “In street rap authenticity is more important than skill”. Today we dive into the ways that this genre’s prizing of authenticity has evolved to a point where some rappers aren’t just merely making artful commentary or provocations about gang life, but are using their lyrics to document and at times admit their involvement in serious crimes, including murder.

Here in the second installment of our deep dive into rap on trial, our guests Van Lathan and producer 4-IZE help us examine this cultural debate in the larger context of an evolution happening right now in rap music. We look at the role played by everything from social media to record labels, and try to grapple with what this means not only for Young Thug’s RICO case but for the future of artists living in high crime neighborhoods.

Special thanks to Prince Paul, Jason Kramer, Bill Donahoe, Kmele Foster, 4-IZE, Megan Phelps-Roper, and Van Lathan.

Music in this episode from Cobey Bienart and Peter Lalish

Email your feedback, criticisms and story suggestions to [email protected]

We will read all feedback and respond in a future episode. 

Our website: reflector.show

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Other links:

Van Lathan’s Higher Learning Podcast

Spotify Playlist of Songs in this episode

Check out 4-IZE's Music

Music has been a feature of American culture wars since at least the time of Elvis Presley’s gyrating dance moves on The Ed Sullivan show in 1956. But amidst all the moral panics about hip-shaking and backmasking, there is a legitimate and fascinating question about the role and influence that popular music plays on human behavior and on society more broadly. 

Today, we are publishing the first episode in our breakdown of the debate around Rap on Trial and what it says (and misses) about the role of music in culture. We begin in 1985 with Tipper Gore’s fight against Prince and the obscenity of 80’s rock music, then dive deep into the rapper Young Thug’s current RICO case in Atlanta Georgia and other cases where music is being brought into criminal trials.

Our goal, as always, is to try and understand this story and everyone involved in the best faith possible. Which, yes, means we are going to steel-man Tipper Gore, Young Thug and T.I. all in the same story.

To listen to Filthy Slime Part 2 right now: SUBSCRIBE

Special thanks to our guests, Billboard Magazine’s Bill Donahoe and Van Lathan from The Higher Learning Podcast. As well as Prince Paul, Jason Kramer, Kmele Foster, and Megan Phelps-Roper.

Music in this episode from Cobey Bienart and Peter Lalish

Email your feedback, criticisms and story suggestions to [email protected]

We will read all feedback and respond in a future episode. 

Our website: reflector.show

Thank you to our sponsors. You can visit them here to learn more:

FIRE

GROUND.NEWS

Other links:

Van Lathan’s Higher Learning Podcast

Spotify Playlist of Songs in this episode