This Guy Sucked

When Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States came out in 1980, it literally rocked the boat. Instead of starting where most histories of the Americas start — on the deck of Columbus’s ship as it approached land — Zinn flipped the script, focusing instead on what the people standing on the shore would have seen. This episode tells the story of the ripple effects of Zinn’s radical take on history.Borrowed and Returned is a podcast series from Brooklyn Public Library that examines what our reading public borrowed in the past, and what we’re all reading now. In conversations with writers and readers across the country, the show revisits the books that changed us, and changed America, too.To listen to Borrowed and Returned, head over to your podcast app of choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Claire and Christina Wade get a little bit drunk with power and direct their righteous anger at one of the world’s most annoying men.GuestOur guest Dr. Christina Wade is a beer historian and the host of the Beer Ladies podcast. Her newest book, Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland, is available here. Follow her on Bluesky @braciatrix and Instagram @braciatrix, or visit her website here.Sensitive Themes & TopicsMurder and violence, misogynyCredits- Host & Executive Producer: Claire E Aubin. Find her on Twitter @ceaubin and Bluesky ceaubin, or check out her website.- Editor: Julia Schifini. Check out her website.- Music: Marshall Dean Williams- Multitude: multitude.productionsFind Us Online- Website: thisguysucked.com- Patreon: patreon.com/thisguysucked- Twitter: twitter.com/thisguysucked- Instagram: instagram.com/thisguysucked- Bluesky: @thisguysucked.comWant to become a sponsor of This Guy Sucked? Head over to https://multitude.productions/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Claire and Prof. Austin McCoy ask a very important question: does being okay at the saxophone cancel out hundreds of thousands of prison sentences and the dismantling of the welfare system?GuestOur guest Austin McCoy is an assistant professor at West Virginia University. His new book, Living in a D.A.I.S.Y. Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made is available here. Follow him on Bluesky @austinmccoy and Instagram @ausmccoy, or visit his website here.Sensitive Themes & TopicsRacism and racist violence, imprisonmentCredits- Host & Executive Producer: Claire E Aubin. Find her on Twitter @ceaubin and Bluesky ceaubin, or check out her website.- Editor: Julia Schifini. Check out her website.- Music: Marshall Dean Williams- Multitude: multitude.productionsShop TGS’ bookshelf - The Hater’s Library - here.Find Us Online- Website: thisguysucked.com- Patreon: patreon.com/thisguysucked- Twitter: twitter.com/thisguysucked- Instagram: instagram.com/thisguysucked- Bluesky: @thisguysucked.comWant to become a sponsor of This Guy Sucked? Head over to https://multitude.productions/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A moment of... something, if not exactly peace, for our patrons.For more of whatever this is and lots of other slightly-less-weird stuff, join the Multicrew!Credits- Host & Executive Producer: Claire E Aubin. Find her on Twitter @ceaubin and Bluesky ceaubin, or check out her website.- Editors: Mischa Stanton and Julia Schifini.- Music: Marshall Dean Williams- Multitude: multitude.productionsFind Us Online- Website: thisguysucked.com- Patreon: patreon.com/thisguysucked- Twitter: twitter.com/thisguysucked- Instagram: instagram.com/thisguysucked- Bluesky: @thisguysucked.comWant to become a sponsor of This Guy Sucked? Head over to https://multitude.productions/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Akilah Hughes, writer, comedian, and podcaster, lends sharp humor and curiosity to a deep dive into Phyllis Schlafly. They probe Schlafly’s rise, anti-ERA crusade, grassroots organizing, rhetoric about motherhood and women’s “privilege,” and lasting influence on conservative politics. Conversations mix history, tactics, and cultural critique in quick, candid bites.

Claire and Brooke Newman travel back to the 17th century and remind a king that he deserves all the hate he gets.GuestOur guest Brooke Newman is an Associate Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her book The Crown’s Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas is available here. Follow her on Bluesky @brookenewman and Instagram @drbrookenewman, or visit her website here.Sensitive Themes & TopicsSlavery, torture, racial violenceCredits- Host & Executive Producer: Claire E Aubin. Find her on Twitter @ceaubin and Bluesky ceaubin, or check out her website.- Editor: Julia Schifini. Check out her website.- Music: Marshall Dean Williams- Multitude: multitude.productionsFind Us Online- Website: thisguysucked.com- Patreon: patreon.com/thisguysucked- Twitter: twitter.com/thisguysucked- Instagram: instagram.com/thisguysucked- Bluesky: @thisguysucked.comWant to become a sponsor of This Guy Sucked? Head over to https://multitude.productions/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cultural historian Madeleine Pelling joins to delve into the tumultuous life of George IV, exploring why his extravagance and failures paint a portrait of toxic masculinity. From his scandalous secret marriage to Maria Fitzherbert to his disastrous union with Caroline of Brunswick, she highlights George's obsession with image and public scandal. Madeleine also critiques his tone-deaf cultural insensitivity during his Scotland tour and connects his reign to broader themes of power and male leadership, showing how history repeats itself.

In this discussion, Sophia Rosenfeld, a history professor and author, delves into the complex world of anti-suffragists—those who opposed women’s voting rights. She shares fascinating archival experiences and highlights how historical research often leads to unexpected discoveries. Rosenfeld explains the motives of anti-suffrage movements, revealing their influence on contemporary political discourse. The conversation uncovers their tactics, arguments about family and nation, and connects past suffrage debates to modern implications.

In this engaging discussion, Marlene Daut, a Yale Professor specializing in Haitian and French Caribbean history, takes us deep into the violent legacies of colonialism. She reveals the brutal realities of slavery in Saint-Domingue, highlighting everyday resistance and the intellectual life of the enslaved. Daut critiques Napoleon's reestablishment of slavery, shedding light on his white supremacist motives and the human cost of his policies. The conversation also tackles the erasure of colonial casualties from history and the ongoing battles over memory and representation.

Claire and Rhiannon Garth Jones take a trip to the Middle East. Or possibly the Near East. Or maybe somewhere else but it’s DEFINITELY not the West and how dare you imply otherwise.GuestOur guest Rhiannon Garth Jones is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Leeds. Her book All Roads Lead to Rome: Why We Think of the Roman Empire Daily, is available here. Follow her on Bluesky. @rhigarthjonesSensitive Themes & TopicsRacism, IslamophobiaCredits- Host & Executive Producer: Claire E Aubin. Find her on Twitter @ceaubin and Bluesky ceaubin, or check out her website.- Editor: Julia Schifini. Check out her website.- Music: Marshall Dean Williams- Multitude: multitude.productionsFind Us Online- Website: thisguysucked.com- Patreon: patreon.com/thisguysucked- Twitter: twitter.com/thisguysucked- Instagram: instagram.com/thisguysucked- Bluesky: @thisguysucked.comWant to become a sponsor of This Guy Sucked? Head over to https://multitude.productions/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.