Sharks Before and After Jaws
The blockbuster Jaws (1975) provoked fear by portraying sharks as “mindless eating machines.” But what did people think of sharks before then?
Is Childcare a Right?
Feminists supported universal childcare as a means of allowing women to advance in the workforce. But did this argument focus mostly on white women?
The Self-Help Mantra That Got Better and Better
Every day, in every way, the pop psychology of Emile Coué conquered 1920s Britain.
When Black Celebrities Wore Blackface
A Black Bohemia flourished in New York before the Harlem Renaissance and with it a new type of self-determined, contradictory Black celebrity.
Environmental Racism and the Coronavirus Pandemic
COVID-19 is disproportionately deadly among people of color. Long-term environmental racism could be a major factor in this disparity.
The Rec Room Party Where Hip-Hop Was Born
Thinking quickly and reading the dance floor, an innovative DJ began playing the funkiest parts of every record.
Sprawl, Body Odor, and Disaster in Beirut
Well-researched stories from NPR, The Guardian, and more great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Screen Time Guilt During the Pandemic?
Consider this: people once thought too much reading was bad for kids.
World War I Austerity Couldn’t Stop the Fashion Show
To the designer Lucile, luxury consumerism was a virtue as wartime economies struggled.
How the Soviet Union Turned a Plague into Propaganda
The fight against locust swarms allowed the Soviet Union to consolidate power over neighboring regions.