Not Past It

In April 1993, thirty years ago this month, two guys from Queens who called themselves The Jerky Boys released a self-titled comedy album. It went on to sell over a million copies, making it one of the most successful comedy records of all time. But almost as soon as they made it big, they crashed. So how did these pranksters come to dominate the comedy scene, and what does their rise and fall tell us about prank comedy itself? This episode originally aired March 29, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking to blame someone for America’s metric system woes? Well! Look no further than Joseph Dombey, whose sole mission was to bring the meter and the kilogram to Thomas Jefferson 228 years ago. Unfortunately, on March 21, 1794, this unlucky Frenchman was caught by pirates. The first of many ill-fated events that led to our confusing and silly Imperial system of measurements. This episode originally aired March 23, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a spring night in the late 90s, folks in Arizona looked up at the night sky and saw … something. Something they couldn’t understand. On March 13, 1997, many people witnessed one of the most famous mass UFO sightings in American history, The Phoenix Lights. Not Past It takes a look back at that night and tries to understand where the government stands on UFOs today. This episode originally aired March 16, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On February 26, 2017, “Moonlight,” won the Oscar for Best Picture. But an envelope mishap nearly overshadowed the indie movie’s big moment. It’s a story from our not so distant past, but it tells us pretty much everything we need to know about Hollywood and awards season. We take a look at the history of the Academy, the famed awards show and expose the cracks hiding behind the movie magic. This episode originally aired March 1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our very first LIVE show, we’re exploring the wide-ranging influence of America’s coolest demographic: tween girls. Simone and our guest, BA Parker, are taking a historical domino journey that starts in Salem, MA, where, on February 29, 1692, the very first arrests were made in the Salem Witch Trials. But we’re not stopping there. We’ll examine 300+ years of history and take a good hard look at the way US history is made (and re-made) along the way. This episode originally aired March 22, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On February 25th, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay shook up the world when he defeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion Sonny Liston in a stunning upset. Clay floated like a butterfly, stung like a bee, and fought like an underdog with something to prove. In honor of that legendary moment, the Not Past It team is telling three more stories about the Davids who punched above their weight to conquer their Goliaths. This episode originally aired Feb. 22, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

173 years ago this week, a new fugitive slave law loomed large over the city of Boston. Southern slave hunters were now empowered to travel up North, catch anyone who’d escaped slavery, and return them to bondage. That’s why, in 1851, they rolled through town looking for Shadrach Minkins, who fled from slavery in Virginia. The Black abolitionists of the city made it their mission to protect Shadrach. And they fought back — even if it meant breaking the law. This episode originally aired Feb. 15, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roses are red, violets are blue…love stories from throughout history, our gift to you. February 14th, Valentine’s Day, marks a moment that we set aside to share our appreciation for one another. This week we’ve got stories about a young poet, bromance, and love that is out of this world. This episode originally aired Feb. 09, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the winter of 1925, the terrible suspicions of the only doctor in Nome -- a small, isolated town in northwest Alaska -- came true. A highly contagious and deadly disease called diphtheria was spreading, and he sent word asking for a delivery of the medicine to cure it. On February 2, 1925, Nome received its first delivery of antitoxin, transported by some heroic couriers: dogs! Sled dogs, braving the treacherous elements of a freezing Alaskan winter. But just one of those dogs would become legend. This episode originally aired on Feb. 2, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not Past It Trivia is back! This time, we’re joined by Rachel Lindsay and Callie Curry from The Ringer’s ‘Morally Corrupt’ podcast in this special, Real Housewives-inspired game. 17 years ago, Bravo announced a new type of television show, following the lives of five wealthy women. That show – the Real Housewives of Orange County – launched a reality tv empire. So pour yourself a glass of rosé as we tackle questions about Bravolebrities, TV through the ages, and real housewives from history. This episode first aired on Jan. 25, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

104 years ago this week, Prohibition went into effect, giving the country a Dry January for the ages. Prohibition was a famous failure, so who got us into that sober decade in the first place? Today, we’re talking about the notorious temperance crusader Carry A. Nation, whose weapon of choice made her a laughingstock -- and an unlikely hero. This episode originally aired Jan. 18, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On January 11, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General released a bombshell report detailing the harmful effects of smoking. It was the first time America’s “top doctor” issued such a public warning on the dangers of cigarettes. And with their backs against the wall, tobacco companies got creative and crafted new tactics to target Black communities. This episode originally aired Jan. 11, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1970s, amateur theater producer Ken Harper had a vision for an all-Black rendition of the Wizard of Oz. And on January 5, 1975, The Wiz premiered on Broadway. Hollywood came knocking shortly after, packing the film version of the musical with stars like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. But the Wiz’s success was never a guarantee. In fact, it went through many trials, misses, and near-deaths before becoming the cult classic it is today. This episode originally aired Jan. 4, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been a big year for the Green M&M. After a marketing revamp, she lost her signature go-go boots and femme fatale flair. So we thought, what better way to end the year than bringing back our episode all about how Ms. Green got so sexy in the first place. In this history domino classic, we trace how the Spanish American War led to a sugar boom, warring candy families, and eventually, the birth of a pop culture icon. This 2021 episode was originally rebroadcast on Dec. 28, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On December 22, 1972, St. Louis high society was readying itself for The Veiled Prophet Ball—a debutante ball for the daughters of the city’s most pedigreed families. Inside, thousands of guests at the white tie event settled in for an elegant evening. But just outside, a group of stealth activists was preparing to infiltrate the exclusive party, where they’d attempt to pull off a dramatic stunt and unveil the ugly truth behind the ball’s origins. This episode originally aired on Dec. 21, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode, we’ll find out how a 19th-century obsession with the frigid Arctic snowballed into our mythology of Old Saint Nick. We’ll take a sneak peek into Santa’s bag of toys, answer his personal phone calls, and track his sleigh across the starry night sky. We’re joined by comedian and writer Karen Chee (Late Night with Seth Myers, Patchinko). This episode originally aired Dec. 14, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On December 5, 1996, Patti LaBelle performed at the National Tree Lighting Ceremony, and so much went wrong: her cue cards were out of order, the backup singers were missing, and it was on national TV. The moment has since become an annual Christmas-time viral sensation. But 27 years laters, the question remains: how did everything go so far off the rails? Now, finally, we have the answer. This episode originally aired Dec. 8, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marie Grosholtz was born in France on December 1st, 1761. 261 years later, she’s better known as Madame Tussaud, the enigmatic woman behind a global wax museum franchise. Before the replicas of Taylor Swift and RuPaul, Madame Tussaud befriended royals and dodged guillotines during the French Revolution. Through her wax figures and eye for fame, she helped create the celebrity machine that still powers our culture all these years later. Plus, we talk to actor and star Danny Trejo about what it’s like to get immortalized in wax. This episode originally aired Nov. 30, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're continuing a Not Past It tradition and bringing back our Thanksgiving episode. Wamsutta Frank James, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe, led his fellow activists in protest of a Thanksgiving Celebration in Plymouth, MA. On November 26, 1970, he set the record straight as to the true and violent history of this holiday. The Pilgrim celebration went to shit and the first National Day of Mourning was born. This episode originally aired Nov. 24, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th U.S. state. White settlers and certain American Indians united behind statehood, but another group of residents was skeptical. Black Americans. They worried statehood would lead to segregation. One Black tribal citizen, James Coody Johnson, set out to stop the creation of Oklahoma. The fight that unfolded forever changed Black Americans’ relationship with the tribes. This episode originally aired Nov. 16, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder why children’s sports are segregated by gender? Why there has to be a girls team and a boys team? Well, On November 7th 1973, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights tried to change that. They ruled that little league baseball wasn’t just for boys in the Garden State. But what seemed like a victory for gender equality ended up setting in motion plans that still keep kids off the field to this day. This episode originally aired Nov. 09, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

King Tutankhamen, Egypt’s boy prince was laid to rest in a fantastical chamber of secrets. On November 4, 1922, the entrance to King Tut’s tomb was discovered 33 centuries after he was buried. But when the king’s tomb was disturbed strange things began to happen. This episode originally aired Nov. 3, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1816, at just 18 years old, Mary Shelley awoke from a nightmarish dream that inspired her famous novel, Frankenstein. But while her story pleasantly spooked literary friends, it was far beyond the tastes of Mary’s time. So where did Mary draw the themes for her monster tale? And how did Frankenstein break through the harsh critics, make it onto the silver screen, and become the iconic green monster we know and love? This episode originally aired on Oct. 26, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When international Jazz Age icon Josephine Baker walked into New York’s most exclusive nightclub 72 years ago this week, a brief interaction changed her career and life forever. What followed took Josephine should be from headlining New York’s top musical theaters to headlining the country’s juiciest gossip columns. Her mistake? Expecting service at a restaurant. This episode originally aired on Oct. 19, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lizzie Borden took an ax. Gave her mother 40 whacks. The legend of Lizzie Borden is infamous. One of the earliest true crime sensations in America. And 130 years later, the woman accused of hacking her parents to death with a hatchet still captures the public’s imagination. We would know — we visited the house where the murders took place, and spent the night hunting ghosts of yore. Little did we know, we’d find much more connection than we bargained for… This episode originally aired on October 12, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Depression-era Detroit is known for many things: baseball, bootlegging, and the booming auto industry. But what about a witch? On October 5, 1931, a Wayne County jury reached a verdict in the trial of an immigrant woman accused of murder and of being...The Witch of Delray. This episode originally aired on Oct. 06, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In September of 1907, the “tiny waist craze” swept up the women of London. They achieved the look by squeezing themselves into tightly laced corsets -- and deforming their bodies in the process. Women’s undergarments have evolved over the last century, but remain confining. Comedian Aparna Nancherla joins us as we trace this evolution and its surprising ties to American politics. This episode originally aired Sep. 22, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're dropping the premiere episode of the new time-traveling history trivia podcast, Past Perfect — brought to you by Simone Polanen and the team who brought you Not Past It. In this first episode, podcast superstars Emmanuel Dzotsi and Saidu Tejan-Thomas duke it out for trivia supremacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 13, 1963, Mary Kay Ash launched what would become a beauty empire. She wasn’t just selling makeup. She was selling a dream: Women could have a flexible career and still make time for a family. Mary Kay recruited hundreds of thousands of women from around the world to become sales reps. And her company grew into a multi-billion dollar, global phenomenon. Did Mary Kay give women the reins to their own financial future? Or was that promise only skin deep? This episode originally aired Sep. 14, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thirty-nine years ago, Alex Trebek stepped onto the set of Jeopardy and changed the world of trivia with one Canadian mustache. This week, Not Past It carries on the game show torch in a trivia showdown, featuring our inaugural contestants: Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the podcast Who? Weekly. Play along at home and see how you stack up! This episode originally aired Sept. 07, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we’re hitting repeat on one of our favorite episodes: In the 90s, everybody had to have a Beanie Baby. Not just kids. They were one of the biggest get-rich-quick schemes of the decade. On August 31, 1999, the company, Ty Inc., released a cryptic message that they would retire the wildly popular toys. Instead of fueling a massive frenzy — it revealed the beanie baby bubble was destined to burst. This episode originally aired on Sept. 1, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enron, the Houston-based energy giant, was one of the biggest, most well-respected companies in the 90s. But in 2001, it went from top of the heap to bottom of the barrel, real quick. On August 22, 2001, Sherron Watkins met with the company’s CEO to warn him about the accounting scandal pushing the company to the brink of collapse. This episode originally aired on August 25, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Woodstock is the most iconic music festival in American history, remembered for peace and love. On August 18, 1969 it earned that reputation after being declared an official disaster zone without all the deadly side effects. It even converted its host, dairy farmer Max Yasgur, into an unlikely apostle on the way. The episode originally aired August 18, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're going to hear from the team at Science Vs, who recently chatted with Professor David Saltzberg, a scientist who consulted on the Christopher Nolan blockbuster "Oppenheimer" (along with "The Big Bang Theory"). They also giggle about working with actors like Cillian Murphy to explain complicated science, and what the film got ... maybe a little ... wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On August 2nd 1937, Congress passed a nation-wide tax making cannabis so expensive it was virtually illegal. Around the same time, weed was thought to be the root of violent crimes. While the science was non-existent...there was racist propaganda. This episode originally aired on August 3, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On July 25th, 1978, Louise Brown came into the world as the first baby born through in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Nothing like it had been done before, and people were afraid scientists were playing God. In this episode, we’ll hear about the fight against IVF and how the procedure eventually became normalized. This episode originally aired July 27, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sally Ride was the first woman to rocket off into space for NASA. On July 23, 2012, she died and left behind a legacy for women and girls in STEM. We dig into the limits of being labeled “first” and learn about the woman inside the space suit. This episode originally aired July 21, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On July 13th, 1985, satellites zipped around our planet broadcasting a 16-hour, bi-continental mega-concert: Live Aid. Two stages, dozens of the biggest stars and one mission: feed famine victims in Ethiopia. The music would rock the globe and open wallets. It also painted a flat image of a starving nation — an image with us to this day. This episode originally aired on July 13, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the summer of 1973, Playgirl Magazine printed its first photos of full frontal male nudity. In a bold acknowledgment of female sexuality, the revolutionary magazine offered male nudity to straight women for almost half a century. Today, we are flipping through Playgirl’s fabled pages and examining just what it was about “The Magazine for Women,” that made it such a surprisingly...hard (we had to)...sell. This episode originally aired on July 13, 2022. *This episode contains explicit language and graphic sexual references* Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know that backlash from Indiana Jones and Gremlins led to the PG-13 rating? On July 1, 1984, the MPAA announced the rating that changed film forever. This week Simone reviews the rating system and it's hidden Puritan agenda. This episode originally aired on June 30, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How a Nazi battle on June 22, 1941 led to one of the biggest movie musicals of all time. Can you guess how we get there? This episode originally aired on June 23, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To commemorate both Pride and Banned Books Month, we're exploring how books have been banned and challenged here in the US — and how determined authors inspire the next generation of writers. We’re joined by Lil Miss Hot Mess, the author of “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish” and board member of Drag Story Hour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis played the best game of his career while tripping on acid. On June 12, 1970, Ellis pitched a no-hitter. Simone tells the story of his trip and what it can teach us about psychedelic drugs and performance anxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In celebration of Pride Month, Simone and producer Remoy Philip pound the NYC pavement in search of important locales from Black and brown LGBTQ+ history—some hidden in plain sight. This episode originally aired in June 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Not Past It, we have big news. And we are processing it the only way we know how: with trivia about the past, of course! Podcasting superstars, close friends, and bitter rivals Saidu Tejan Thomas and Emmanuel Dzotsi join us for a trivia battle to mark an important new era in Not Past It history. Follow @simonepolanen for updates on the future of Not Past It. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we’re bringing you an oldie but a goodie! The story of Marie Grosholtz better known as Madame Tussaud, the enigmatic woman behind a global wax museum franchise. Before the replicas of Taylor Swift and RuPaul, Madame Tussaud befriended royals and dodged guillotines during the French Revolution. Through her wax figures and eye for fame, she helped create the celebrity machine that still powers our culture all these years later. Plus, we talk to actor and star Danny Trejo about what it’s like to get immortalized in wax. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On May 12, 1932, ninety-one years ago this week, an infamous kidnapping came to its tragic conclusion. This kidnapping, which came to be known as “the Crime of the Century,” marked a loss of innocence for young people at the time, but would go on to shape the hopes, fears, and careers of generations of children. We’re joined by actor, writer, and former child actor Rivkah Reyes (School of Rock). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On May 3, 1997, an epic showdown began in New York City. Garry Kasparov, the Michael Jordan of the chess world, went toe to toe against a terrifying opponent...a computer. Before Chat GPT, before DALL-E …there was Deep Blue. IBM’s chess playing supercomputer that threatened to topple human intellect. Today, we’re revisiting the seriously dramatic battle between man and microchip, and what it tells us about the promises and perils of AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On April 24, 1996, the WNBA was created by the National Basketball Association. But the story of the WNBA is actually the story of TWO women’s basketball leagues -- and their battle over players, TV rights, and the value of women’s labor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when writers, producers, and actors recreate history for the silver screen? For our 100th episode, we wanted to find out. So we called up actress and activist Q’orianka Kilcher, who has portrayed a bunch of historical figures— like Pocahontas and Princess Ka’iulani of Hawai’i. On the show, Q’orianka tells us what it takes to play a real-life person and how portraying moments from history changes her relationship to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices