In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss controversy over the “OK” sign, the Black Israelite sect, and the history of CIA disguises.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• When cadets flashed the “OK” sign, a gesture that has become a symbol of white power, an investigation by Army and Navy officials ensued. Natalia cited anthropologist Clifford Geertz’ “Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture.” Niki recommended ProPublica’s ongoing coverage of white nationalism.
• Recent murders in Jersey City have directed new attention to the fringe sect that calls itself the Black Hebrew Israelites. Niki referred to this Code Switch interview with historian Marc Dollinger about his book, Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s.
• The CIA’s former Chief of Disguise has donated some of her collection to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Natalia recommended this Washington Post op-ed by Jonna Hiestand Mendez, the retiring chief, about her work as a CIA agent. Neil discussed Matthew Avery Sutton’s book, Double-Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia shared her own Public Seminar article, “The Precarious Labor of the Fitpro.”
• Neil discussed Christianity Today editorial, “Trump Should Be Removed From Office.”
• Niki discussed Rachel Tashjian’s GQ article, “Why the Codpiece Remains One of Menswear’s Most Essential Accessories,” and this Twitter thread about the timeless accessory.

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss a cockfighting ban in Puerto Rico, Russia’s Olympic ban for doping its athletes, and the dawn of a new era in fonts.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The U.S. has enacted a ban on cockfighting in Puerto Rico. Neil cited anthropologist Clifford Geertz’s classic text on cockfighting in Bali.
• Due to doping violations, Russia has been banned from competing in the Olympics for the next four years. Natalia referred to this Smithsonian article on preventative measures against doping. Niki mentioned our previous segment on so-called “sex testing” and athletic competition in Episode 179.
• After a decade of minimalism, ornate fonts are making a comeback. Neil referred to this article about changes to the Helvetica font.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Olga Khazan’s Atlantic article, “Is it Weird to Wear Leggings at Work?”
• Neil recommended this New York Times Magazine feature, “The Twenty-Five Rooms that Influence the Way We Design.”
• Niki shared Max Ufberg’s Medium article, “The Decade We Marched For Our Lives.”

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss virginity tests, international achievement tests, and the end of the 2010s.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The rapper T.I. caused controversy when he said he subjects his daughter to a virginity test every year. Natalia referred to historian Hanne Blank’s book Virgin: The Untouched History. Niki cited our discussion of the evangelical purity movement on Episode 190.
• Children around the world took the PISA exam, and Americans had a mediocre showing. Natalia recommended the documentary A Place at the Table and journalist Dana Goldstein’s book The Teacher Wars.
• In a few weeks, the decade of the 2010s will be behind us. Niki recommended this article at Esquire on how the cultural gatekeepers lost their job in the decade.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Clarissa Jan-Lim’s Buzzfeed article, “Pinterest and The Knot Will Stop Promoting Wedding Content that Romanticizes Former Slave Plantations.”
• Neil commented on Chris Stedman’s Vox article, “Too Many Atheists Are Veering Dangerously Toward the Alt-Right.”
• Niki recommended the HBO show “The Watchmen.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss President Trump’s pardons of war criminals, controversial opinions about food, and the practice of indigenous land acknowledgments.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• President Trump recently pardoned three American servicemen convicted of war crimes. Natalia referred to Adam Serwer’s Atlantic piece “The Cruelty is the Point” and this New Yorker article about the 19th-century origins of the military court system. Niki recommended reading up on the case of Eddie Gallagher to understand the implications of these pardons.
• When conservative academic Tom Nichols recently insulted Indian food on Twitter, the internet struck back. Natalia and Neil commented on Ruth Graham’s Slate piece on the intensity of social media food takes. Natalia recommended Krishnendu Ray’s book The Ethnic Restaurateur. Neil referred to Jane Desmond’s Newsweek article about Thanksgiving turkey.
• Long a practice in Canada and Australia, indigenous land acknowledgements are becoming more common in the United States.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Tom Farrey’s book Game On: How the Pressure to Win at All Costs Endangers Youth Sports and What Parents Can Do About It.
• Neil commented on Rick Perry telling Trump he was “chosen by God” which he wrote about in his column for The Week, “God’s Gift to America.”
• Niki recommended Samira Kawash’s Atlantic article, “Sugar Plums: They’re Not What You Think They Are.”