With Good Reason

After new episodes drop, fans of TV shows from The Bachelor to Grey’s Anatomy take to social media to dissect what they just saw. And the twittersphere isn’t just venting about plot twists and love interests--sometimes there are bigger issues at hand. Dr. Morgan Smalls says that shows like Insecure and Being Mary Jane that feature Black women protagonists and majority Black casts inspire important conversations about race on social media. And: Disney princesses can be a bit of a scapegoat for what’s wrong with representations of women in movies. One of the problems: they don’t have many healthy female relationships. Jessica Stanley talks about the toxic relationships of wicked stepsisters and evil witches and how modern Disney movies are doing better.

Later in the show: Movies and television tell stories about who we are and who we get to be. What does that mean for people who don’t find themselves on the screen? Andre Cavalcante explores the history of trans representation in the media and how trans women have subverted the stories so often told about them. Plus: Movies are so much more than entertainment--they shape the way we see the world around us. Even when we don’t realize it. Kimberly Brown looks at common stereotypes of Black women in movies and what it means for a casual moviegoer to watch film in an anti-racist way.

Earlier this year, Virginia made headlines when it became the latest state to abolish the death penalty. Sabrina Butler-Smith is the first woman to be exonerated from death row. She says she’s living, breathing proof of why the capital punishment should be a thing of the past. Also: Deirdre Enright is probably best known for her work as the founding director of the Innocence Project and her passionate voice on the first season of the hit podcast, Serial. But before all that, she spent decades as a capital defense lawyer. She says she attended one of her clients’ executions and it changed her life forever.

Later in the show: Since 1976, 17 women have been executed in the United States. Mary Atwell says women facing the death penalty are often subjected to harsher sentencing due to gender bias within the criminal justice system. Plus: In 1951, seven Black men from Martinsville, Virginia were executed for allegedly raping a white woman. Two months ago, Virginia governor Ralph Northam issued pardons to each of the Martinsville 7. Peter Wallenstein says the Martinsville 7 case brings into sharp focus the racial disparities of capital punishment in Virginia.

The most important architectural thinker of the young American republic was Thomas Jefferson. He also held captive more than 600 enslaved men, women, and children in his lifetime. Architects Mabel O. Wilson and Louis Nelson discuss Jefferson’s conflicting ideals. Also: Erik Neil takes us through a Chrysler Museum exhibit that explored the inherent conflict between Jefferson’s pursuit of liberty and democracy and his use of enslaved laborers to construct his monuments.

Later in the show: Phillip Herrington says the white-columned plantation house is one of the most enduring and divisive icons of American architecture. Plus: The history of segregation is not just in our architecture, but in other public arts. John Ott is studying how artists in the early 20th century represented integration in their works, particularly in public murals and sculptures.

Cancer is a beast, and it doesn’t discriminate. For decades researchers have been trying to treat and cure children with cancer. Dr. Daniel “Trey” Lee is working with a team to develop more immunotherapies for pediatric cancer, reducing the pain and hopefully sending more patients into remission. Also: More and more employers and schools are rolling out vaccine mandates, leaving many wondering: is that legal? Margaret Foster Riley says that actually, yes, it’s very legal.

Later in the show: Do you have trouble trusting your gut? It may be because of what you’re eating, or not eating. Jasmohan Bajaj says our gut is our second brain, and we can help ourselves by helping our gut. Plus: How oil wells in Louisiana gave Jennifer Munson a new perspective on how to treat diseases like cancer and Alzhimers.

Last year, America celebrated the anniversary of many women getting the right to vote. But what led up to that victory was decades and decades of hard work and strategy. Lucinda Robb and Rebecca Roberts, authors of The Suffragist Playbook, share some of those tactics and how they are still used by activists today.

Later in the show: In today’s political strategy, attack ads on TV are out, attack tweets are in. Heather Evans’ studies how women politicians use social media. She says that not only are women candidates more likely to go negative online, they’re also just better at Twitter. And: This summer gymnast Simone Biles chose not to compete in the Olympic team competition. And one opinion piece after another weighed in on her decision as a public commentary or stance on mental health. Tomika Ferguson says that whether or not they choose it, Black women athletes are often looked to as activists on political and social issues.

The first year of college can be stressful and disorienting, especially for shy students. But Madelynn Shell says shy freshmen who have at least one good friend report more life satisfaction and better emotional wellbeing. Plus: While many students on the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia can’t wait to get out, one of their teachers couldn’t wait to come back. Christina Duffman grew up in poverty and now shares her inspiring life story with students who feel hopeless there.

Later in the show: Leslie Whiteman and her colleagues created a program called STAR (Successful Transition to the Academic Realm) to help minority students overcome science class challenges and pursue STEM careers. Plus: Many teachers see cell phones in the classroom as a real problem, but Helen Crompton loves bringing handheld technology into student learning. Helen Crompton is a Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient.

For decades, video games have inspired hit songs and have been adapted into countless movies. Boris Willis says the next horizon for video games is the stage. He uses cutting-edge video game technology to turn his performances into interactive experiences. And: Arcades defined pop culture in the 1980’s and 90’s. But today, they’re almost extinct. Zach Whalen charts the rise and fall of one of America’s most nostalgic institutions: the arcade.

Later in the Show: In 2014, Anita Sarkesian posted a series of videos criticizing sexist tropes in video games. The onslaught of harassment directed towards Sarkesian and other women in the gaming community is known as the Gamergate scandal. Bruce Williams says we’re still dealing with the social and political fallout from the Gamergate today. Plus: Over the years, Politicians and pundits have been quick to blame violent video games for mass shootings. But Jimmy Ivory says there's no evidence to suggest video games lead to violent behavior.

In 2017, many Americans watched in horror as violent images from the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville started spreading. A few short years later, My Monticello tells the story of Charlottesville neighbors fleeing racist violence and taking refuge in Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. The author, Jocelyn Johnson, talks about what it means to be writing about a past and a future that both feel very present and whether there’s hope in writing about America’s racism.

Later in the show: Famous for the fatwa put on him by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, Salman Rushdie is still writing years later--but now from the United States. Pennie Ticen discusses Rushdie’s past and the new kind of writing he’s publishing as an American immigrant. Plus: On the surface, The Tigger Movie and Anne of Green Gables don’t have a lot in common. But if you look a bit closer, they both touch on an incredibly popular theme in stories for kids: adoption. Kim Gainer explores why kids are so obsessed with reading about adoption and how these stories help shape who we are.

Many American students left for Spring Break in March 2020, and will be returning to in-person school for the first time this Fall. It sounds nice in theory -- some time away from the classroom. But schooling never stopped, and it was difficult. Bethany Teachman says that some students got hooked on social media apps like Tik Tok to cope. And: These days we recognize that teachers are superheroes. But that celebration may be too little, too late. With low pay and high stakes testing, Brad Bizzellsays teachers are under burnt out.

Later in the show: When the pandemic brought everything to a halt, nature still did her thing. Alan Forrest led Mindfulness Mondays that became a lifeline for many of his colleagues and students around the country. Plus: As students enter another uncertain pandemic year, Robert McNab says that we need to prioritize funding mental health resources.

What caused the Big Bang? Are black holes key to interstellar travel? And how close are we to discovering extraterrestrial life? These are some of the big questions that Kelsey Johnson covers in her fascinating class, “The Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe.” And: Robin Hanson has come up with a mathematical model that predicts when us earthlings will encounter an advanced alien civilization. Hint: It won’t happen anytime soon.

Later in the Show: UFO encounters are usually horror stories of abduction and alien implants. But Stephen Finley says many African Americans describe UFO encounters as positive experiences. Plus: Benjamin Zeller recounts the tragic history of Heaven’s Gate, a religious group whose members committed mass suicide in 1997.