Mike and Sarah are journalists obsessed with the past. Every week they reconsider a person or event that's been miscast in the public imagination.
Bonus: "The Dark Knight"
Sarah's other show has a special guest! Maintenance Phase co-host Aubrey Gordon visits Why Are Dads to talk about Christopher Nolan, trash masculinity and the dwindling number of non-problematic superheroes. Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The O.J. Simpson Trial: The DeLorean Detour
To tell the story of the "dream team" we must begin by going back to the future. This week we learn why O.J. Simpson fired the man who defended John DeLorean and why a briefcase of cocaine isn’t always a smoking gun. Digressions include Bob’s Big Boy, Margaret Thatcher and the Fonz. Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseLinks!1970 GTO Humbler commercial 1981 DeLorean commercialHoward Weitzman on John DeLorean in 2013 The "better than gold" tape John DeLorean Reinvented The Dream Car. Then He Totaled It.Delorean is Freed Key Witness Against DeLorean Begins Testimony Government Paid Informer Support the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
Tipper Gore vs. Heavy Metal: The Hearing
Mike tells Sarah the real reason Congress called a bunch of rockers to Washington D.C. Digressions include cartoon violence, sleeveless tees and Trixie Mattel. Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" and Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" are dissected at length. Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseLinks! The hearing transcript Dee Snider's memoirFrank Zappa's memoirRunning with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal MusicMusic-Evoked Emotions—Current Studies Don’t Let The Man Get You Down: Rock and Roll and The Development of The Parents’ Music Resource CenterSave the Children: The Parents’ Music Resource Center and Media ActivismHighway to Hell: Laws, Lawsuits, and Moral Panic over Heavy Metal MusicThe Parents’ Music Resource Center: From Information to Censorship“Leer-Ics” or Lyrics: Teenage Impressions of Rock 'n' RollParental Advisory – Explicit Content: The Parents Music Resource Center, Conservative Music Censorship, and the Protection of ChildrenAndrew Hartman’s A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture WarsThe Effects of Violent Music on Children and AdolescentsA Comparative Historical Analysis of Post-war Moral Panics and the Construction of Youth from 1938 to 2010Support the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
Tipper Gore vs. Heavy Metal: The Case Against "Porn Rock"
Mike tells Sarah how a congressional wife started a moral crusade. Digressions include Sheena Easton, Satanic rhymes and teen homicide statistics. Ozzy Osbourne's bat story is recounted in full.Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseLinks!Save the Children: The Parents’ Music Resource Center and Media ActivismEverything you need to know about Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat in Des MoinesHighway to Hell: Laws, Lawsuits, and Moral Panic over Heavy Metal Music, The Emergence of Youth Suicide: An Epidemiologic Analysis and Public Health PerspectiveThe Role of Gun Supply in 1980s and 1990s Youth ViolenceThe Parents’ Music Resource Center: From Information to CensorshipParental Advisory – Explicit Content: The Parents Music Resource Center, Conservative Music Censorship, and the Protection of ChildrenAndrew Hartman’s A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture WarsTrends in Premarital Sex in the United States, 1954–2003'I'd Sell You Suicide': Pop Music and Moral Panic in the Age of Marilyn MansonA Comparative Historical Analysis of Post-war Moral Panics and the Construction of Youth from 1938 to 2010“Children Having Children,” the 1985 moral panic article in Time Support the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The Anti-Vaccine Movement
Special guest Eric Michael Garcia tells Mike and Sarah about the deep roots of a pernicious modern myth. Digressions include Mary Tyler Moore, British place names and supermodel dating habits. Mike finally gets to talk about Swedish statistical methods. Here's some of Eric's work on autism and here's his book!Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The O.J. Simpson Trial: The Arraignmaker
This week, we put on our suits and head back to the courtroom. O.J. Simpson pleads not guilty, Marcia Clark finishes questioning Kato Kaelin and Bob Shapiro continues to furrow his brow. Digressions include "Speed," the Kuleshov effect and the intentional boringness of American law. In the final ten minutes, we talk briefly about the crime scene and Marcia’s reaction to it. If you'd like to see the arraignment footage for yourself it's here.Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
Shannon Faulkner & Sex Discrimination at The Citadel
Mike tells Sarah how a troll-ish experiment turned a South Carolina teenager into one of the most maligned women of the 1990s. Digressions include Sally Ride, Anne Hathaway and, as usual, "Newsies." Mike struggles with the word "infirmary" throughout.The pictures of Shannon we discuss in this episode are here.Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseLinks! Catherine Manegold's "In Glory's Shadow: Shannon Faulkner, the Citadel, and a Changing America"Susan Faludi’s “The Naked Citadel”Marching In Step: The Citadel And Post World War II America A Judicial Blow for "Jane Crowism" at The Citadel in Faulkner v. JonesThe Citadel's Lone Wolf, Shannon FaulknerSurviving the Company of MenShannon Faulkner and The Citadel: The Effects of Using Litigation as an Instrument of Social ReformSaving The Males: The Sociological Implications of the Virginia Military Institute and the Citadel (since we recorded this episode we've learned that the author of this piece has been accused of sexual harassment. Apologies for not mentioning it on the show!)Single-Sex Education: New Perspectives and Evidence on a Continuing ControversySupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The O.J. Simpson Trial: My Fair Paula
This week we talk about the early days of Paula and O.J.’s relationship and the celebrity cameos reach either a high or a low point. Digressions include date etiquette, cat scams and room-temperature Diet Coke. Mike has his head in his hands for long periods. In this episode we discuss domestic abuse, including the violence Nicole Brown Simpson experienced and the circumstances of her 911 calls.Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Escapes From L.A.
This week we return to the O.J. Simpson trial and learn what Paula Barbieri did after the Bronco chase. Digressions include fish, beef and grocery shopping while conventionally attractive. Neither co-host has a firm grasp on the meaning of the word "festive."Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseLinks!Paula on "Primetime Live" The Time cover Support the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Mike tells Sarah the complicated story of an over-simplified study. Digressions include Tonya Harding, "The Meg" and Kitty Genovese. The Milgram obedience studies and the "broken windows" theory of policing receive bonus debunkings. Thanks to Thibault Le Texier for helping us with this episode! Here's his book, "The History of a Lie," and the English-language summary, "Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment."Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseLinks! The Original StudyPhilip Zimbardo's "The Lucifer Effect"Zimbardo's 1973 NYT articleDavid Jaffee’s precursor study at Toyon HallBen Blum's "The Lifespan of a Lie"The Stanford prison experiment in introductory psychology textbooks: A content analysisThe Real Lesson of the Stanford Prison ExperimentRevisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment: Could Participant Self-Selection Have Led to the Cruelty?Interpersonal Dynamics in a Simulated Prison: A Methodological AnalysisThe Obedience Alibi: Milgram's Account of the Holocaust Reconsidered Obedience in Perspective: Psychology and the HolocaustUnchaining the Stanford Prison Experiment: Philip Zimbardo’s famous study falls under scrutinyThe Secrets of Abu Ghraib Revealed: American Soldiers on TrialSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
Losing Relatives to Fox News
Mike tells Sarah what makes older Americans more vulnerable to misinformation — and who is delivering it to them. Digressions include "Supernatural," the Rachel and a fake university in Pennsylvania. We recorded this episode before the election but tried not to make it too obvious.Here's the article Mike wrote with all the research he did for this episode: Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The Newsboys' Strike of 1899 (Part 2)
Sarah tells Mike about the thrilling conclusion to a children’s labor action and an overlooked Disney musical. Digressions include cronuts, carrier pigeons and Sylvester Graham’s crackers. Both hosts agree that they love saying the word "papes."Most of the information in this episode comes from Sarah's two new favorite books, Vincent DiGirolamo’s “Crying the News” and David Nasaw’s “Children of the City.” And here's the link to the newsboy footage we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gatfLuD-DoSupport us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The Newsboys' Strike of 1899 (Part 1)
Sarah tells Mike about media history, labor organizing, century-old moral panics — and the unlikely Disney musical that introduced her to all three. Digressions include Sting, "The Princess Bride" and 19th century graphic design. Both co-hosts recount their extremely millennial work histories.Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
Bonus: The "Twinkie Defense"
Was Harvey Milk's killer really given a light sentence after claiming that junk food made him do it? Mike's spinoff podcast, Maintenance Phase, dives into the rumor and finds a very You're Wrong About twist. Subscribe to Maintenance Phase here: https://linktr.ee/maintenancephaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)
The Electoral College
Topical episode! Special guest Jamelle Bouie tells Sarah and Mike about his problematic Founding Father faves and the bewildering institution they handed down to us. Digressions include '70s lapels, "Reversal of Fortune" and the Eurovision Song Contest. The filibuster rule and the three-fifths compromise receive bonus debunkings. Support us:Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PaypalBuy cute merchWhere else to find us: Sarah's other show, Why Are Dads Mike's other show, Maintenance PhaseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/yourewrongabout)