History Harpies: Pop Culture, Past and Present

History Harpies: Pop Culture, Past and Present

by Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff and Christine Caldwell Ames

History TV & Film

Season 1

Yes, Nicole Kidman Has Always Been a Sexy Bold Queen (Ft. Dead Calm, To Die For, Eyes Wide Shut, and Babygirl)

Lauren and Christine grab the harpoon guns and pour a cold glass of milk to discuss the diverse, sexy, bold choices of Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman. And they ask: When will Nicole date a nice 6’4” guy?

Yes, Mothers and Daughters Are Always Complicated (Ft. Mommie Dearest, Black Swan, and Unknown Number)

Lauren and Christine get out the wire hangers, put on matching dresses, and gulp a vodka on the rocks as they consider mothers and daughters in pop culture.

Yes, There’s More To Maine Than Stephen King (Ft. Carrie, A Summer Place, and Wet Hot American Summer)

In the second of our Hometown episodes, Lauren and Christine head Down East to the great state of Maine. Like Philadelphia, the Pine Tree State has its class issues. Unlike Philly cheesesteaks, its lobster rolls contain mayo. But if it is so beautiful, why is it so creepy? Book recommendations: Carol F. Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England Edna St Vincent Millay, Collected Poems

No, Mayo Should Not Be Put On Cheesesteaks (Ft. Rocky, Trading Places, and Billy Joel)

In the first of two Hometown episodes, Lauren introduces Christine to the culinary magic known as the pizza steak as they visit Philadelphia. Can they run up the Rocky Steps in their training montage while singing every word to “Piano Man”? Hoagie recommendations: https://dalessandros.com/ https://leeshoagiehouse.com/

No, Sydney Sweeney Is Not the First Denim Bombshell (Ft. Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon)

In this episode, nothing gets between Lauren, Christine, and their Calvins, as they look back at the career of Gen-X icon Brooke Shields. Book recommendations: E.J. Bellocq, Storyville Portraits: Photographs From the New Orleans Red Light District, circa 1912 https://assets.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_2678_300299020.pdf Kathy Peiss, Hope in a Jar: The Making of America’s Beauty Culture https://www.pennpress.org/9780812221671/hope-in-a-jar/

No, Beaches Do Not Always Mean Bad Decisions (Ft. Love Island, Blame It On Rio, and Where the Boys Are)

Lauren and Christine get out the sunscreen and head to the beach, asking why films and tv often associate this setting with booze, hooking up, and regrets. And they resolve never to go to Rio with Michael Caine. RIP Connie Francis. Book recommendations: Emma Rosenblum, Bad Summer People E.M. Forster, A Room With a View

Yes, Sex and the City Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda Skipped the Reboot (Ft. And Just Like That)

In a double-sized episode, Lauren and Christine say “hello, lover” to Sex and the City, while leaving a break-up Post-It note for And Just Like That. Book recommendations: Colette, Chéri Ann Douglas, Terrible Honesty: Mongrel Manhattan in the 1920s

Yes, “Forever” Has Been Around Forever, Pt. 2 (Ft. American Pie, Fast Times, and Beverly Hills 90210)

Lauren and Christine return to first love and high school, surveying American culture’s fascination with virgins. If we can’t all be Brenda and Dylan, or even Jim and Michelle, can we at least avoid being Stacy and Ron?

Yes, “Forever" Has Been Around Forever, Pt. 1 (Ft. Fast Times at Ridgemont High)

Lauren and Christine cast a misty eye on stories of first love, senior year in high school, and college applications — and feel nostalgic about the days when teachers and students could smoke in school. Book recommendations: Wendy Mogel, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee Theodore Sizer, Horace’s Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School

Yes, There Were Angry Young Men Before the Internet (Ft. Adolescence, 8 Mile, and Blackboard Jungle)

Lauren and Christine ask if Adolescence deserves its anti-misogyny hype, if anger can boost a young man's ambition, and if World War II created a generation of angry, jazz-hating, rock-and-roll loving, juvenile delinquents. Book recommendations: Dan T. Carter, The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Rage-Conservatism-Transformation-American/dp/0807125970 Leonard Sax, Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Adrift-Epidemic-Unmotivated-Underachieving/dp/0465072100

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