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Amira
Good morning. Joy. Joy? Hello? Anybody home? Where is she? She told me to pick her up this morning at 8:15 sharp. Joy.
Joy Dolo
One tomato tooth made home. Watch out. That's what you get from messing with these turtles. Toes, you whipper snapper.
Amira
Joy, wake up. It's 8:18.
Joy Dolo
8:18. We were supposed to leave three minutes ago. Oh no, I overslept.
Amira
Did you forget to set your alarm?
Joy Dolo
An alarm? No way. Not on this most special day. Alarms are too modern. I hired a knocker upper.
Amira
A knocker what?
Joy Dolo
Er, you know, a knocker upper. Long ago, before most people had alarm clocks, you could hire someone to come to your window and knock on it with a long stick to wake you up. That person was called a knocker upper. But my knocker upper must have overslept.
Amira
But why didn't you just set your alarm clock?
Joy Dolo
Oh, silly, silly Amira. On this most auspicious day, I could never. Anyway, I'm up and I'm ready.
Amira
Wait, did you sleep in your khakis and button down shirt?
Joy Dolo
Of course. I wanted to be ready the second I woke up. It's a big occasion.
Amira
What is the occasion anyway?
Joy Dolo
Our ride's here. I'll tell you on the way. Come on. You're listening to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm your host, Joy Dolo and I'm here today with my co host, Amira from Memphis. Memphis, Tennessee.
Amira
Hi.
Joy Dolo
Hello. And today's episode is all about jobs that people used to do but don't anymore. Amira, what are some jobs you might like to try when you get older?
Amira
One job that I would want to try when I get older is like a pediatrician or a nurse.
Joy Dolo
Oh, that's nice. You like to help people?
Amira
Yeah.
Joy Dolo
Yeah. And maybe like kids too.
Amira
Hey, yeah, definitely kids.
Joy Dolo
Yeah. So we know you'd be really good as a pediatrician. Are there certain qualities that you have that you think would make that a really good job for you?
Amira
Yeah, Yeah, I think. Like. Like I'm talkative, I guess. So I can keep like them company I guess, if they're like nervous. And I can. Also, I'm also helpful.
Joy Dolo
That sounds like that'd be a great job for you. Okay, speaking of jobs, we've got places to go, so let's kick it. Wow, the traffic is bad today. I haven't seen a jam this bad since I tried to make my own orange marmalade. So thick, so gloopy. So orange. Anywho, I'm sure we'll make it in time. Don't worry, Joy.
Amira
So Will you tell me where we're going now?
Joy Dolo
Today is the world famous. This used to be a career fair. Amira, do you know what a career fair is like? Have you ever had a career day at your school?
Amira
Yeah, I had one at my old school in elementary school, and I think I was a teacher.
Joy Dolo
Oh, very cool. That's actually pretty close to the pediatrician job. You want like a talkative person to make people feel better. That's cool.
Amira
Yeah.
Joy Dolo
Well, this is sort of like that, except none of these jobs exist anymore. It's a great way to learn about how technology and culture have changed over.
Amira
Time and a terrible way to find a job.
Joy Dolo
True. Although I do have an opening for a knocker upper, since someone, Elizabeth, couldn't seem to wake me up on time. So you never know. We're here. Oh, look. I bet that guy wants to be a court jester. Those were people hired to entertain royalty way back in medieval times.
Amira
He sure seems entertaining. And is that person trying to get a job as a barber or a surgeon?
Joy Dolo
Both. Today we know those are two jobs that require very different skill sets. But in the 14 and 1500s, they were done by the same person. Whether you needed your mustache trimmed or your tooth pulled, your local barbersurgeon was the one to call.
Amira
Yikes. That barber surgeon looks way too sleepy to be handling those sharp blades.
Joy Dolo
Yikes is right. Maybe their knocker upper overslept too.
Amira
What does a knocker upper actually do?
Joy Dolo
Are you looking for a new gig?
Amira
Joy, I'm 12 years old, but I'm a forever ago fan, so naturally I'm curious about history.
Joy Dolo
Right, right, of course, of course. Well, it all starts in England in the 1800s during the industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution.
Amira
That's when things started being made in factories with the help of machines instead of by hand at home.
Joy Dolo
Right. Big machines were used in factories, but people didn't have electricity yet in their homes. It was long before radios or TVs, but reading pretty popular. Before the Industrial Revolution, people set their own work hours.
Amira
Most people worked during the day, whenever the sun was up, instead of sticking to a set number of hours each day.
Joy Dolo
But as more and more factories opened, more bosses started setting specific hours for work. And the bosses wanted their workers to show up right on time. If a worker was late, they could be punished or even lose their job. But alarm clocks weren't common back then, and most workers couldn't afford watches. Enter the knocker upper.
Amira
So these knocker uppers would just go from house to house with a long stick, tapping on people's bedroom windows to wake them up.
Joy Dolo
Yep. Although there are records of at least one knocker upper Mary Smith, who used a small pipe called a pea shooter to blow mini projectiles up to the.
Amira
Windows like 19th century spitballs. Nice. Maybe this is the job for me. Hey, check out that table.
Joy Dolo
Ooh, looks like they're hiring for a milkman. They used to deliver milk to houses every morning. Now we just go to stores to buy it. Ooh, free milk samples. Don't mind if I do. Refreshing. Now, let's keep moving. We've got a lot more jobs that don't exist anymore to see, and I haven't handed out a single resume.
Amira
Hey, that person looks busy.
Joy Dolo
Yeah, she's got on a giant pair of headphones and she's sitting in front of a wall with a ton of wires coming out of it. She must be pretty important.
Mary Malloy
Operator, how may I direct your call? One moment, please, while I connect you. Operator, how may I direct your call? One moment, please. Oh, hello there.
Amira
Hi. What are you doing?
Mary Malloy
Well, I'm a switchboard operator, see. Name's Mary Malloy. And when it comes to phones, I'm the real McCoy.
Joy Dolo
Oh, I've heard of switchboard operators. They worked for telephone companies more than a hundred years ago in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Back then, phones were a lot different than they are now. They looked more like a microphone on a little stand. You'd talk into that, and then there was a cup like thing with a cord attached to it. You'd put that to your ear to hear with.
Mary Malloy
Yep. And back then, phones only did one thing. Call people. But you couldn't just dial the number yourself.
Amira
Well, if you couldn't dial a phone number, how would you call someone?
Mary Malloy
That's where I come in, see? Say someone calls into this. Used to be a career fair day looking for a certain so and so. Well, what do you know? Operator, how may I direct your call? Uh, they're looking for the town crier. Ain't that the fellow who used to shout the news in the town square before they invented newspapers?
Joy Dolo
Sounds right to me.
Mary Malloy
Please hold. I'll connect you. So here's my switchboard, see, it's got a socket for every phone in town. When someone wants to make a call, they pick up their phone and it comes straight to me through this wire. They tell me who they want to talk to, and then I plug that wire into the socket of the person they mentioned. Then that person's phone starts ringing. When they pick up, I tell them they have a call and transfer the caller over the nifty. Right.
Amira
So you get to spend all day on your phone and you barely have to talk to anyone. Sounds like a pretty great gig to me.
Mary Malloy
It's the bee's knees, kid.
Joy Dolo
Take a look at that switchboard. So many sockets. Hey, there's my knocker uppers line. Let me give her a call. She's got some explaining to do.
Mary Malloy
Perfect. Just pick up this phone and I'll put you through to her. Hello, Elizabeth the knocker upper call for you from Joy Dolo. Connecting now.
Joy Dolo
Good morning, my foot. You didn't wake me up. Self care day. Now, I know they didn't have those back then. I. Hey, she hung up on me.
Amira
So what happened to switchboards? Why doesn't this job exist anymore?
Joy Dolo
Well, phone companies realized that it might be easier and cheaper to use machines to connect people. So in the late 1920s, they invented phones. Phone numbers. It took decades for phone numbers to replace all the operators, though.
Mary Malloy
Talk about a drag. Not long after those wet blankets in the head office invented phone numbers. They told all us saps to get a wiggle on. Translation, you know, hit the bricks, scram, make like a tree.
Amira
Oh, they told the switchboard operators to leave.
Mary Malloy
Now you're on the trolley. So I was out of a job.
Joy Dolo
Switchboard operators used to be one of the most common jobs for women in the country. In 1920, about one in every 50 working women in the United States worked as a switchboard operator.
Amira
Well, thanks for talking to us, Mary. Good luck at the fair.
Mary Malloy
Toodle oo.
Joy Dolo
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring ring. Amira, pick up the phone.
Amira
Joy, that's not a phone. That's a banana. And you're making those ringing sounds.
Joy Dolo
Come on, pick it up.
Amira
Hello?
Joy Dolo
Oh, Amira, hi. I'm so glad I caught you. It's time to play first things first. This is the game where we take three things from history and try to put them in order of which came first, second and most recent in time. Today we're going to look at three rights won by US Workers. The five day work week, which means you work five days and rest for two. A guaranteed minimum wage, which says bosses can't pay people less than a certain amount of money per hour and the right to go on strike. Do you know what it means to go on strike?
Amira
To go on strike means to stop working so that way you can get better conditions from the manager or the store owner.
Joy Dolo
Absolutely. Yeah, that's. Right on. Right on. Okay, great. So out of all of These. Which do you think came first, which came second, and which came most recently in history?
Amira
I feel like the right to go on strike comes first because I've heard a lot of things about strikes from, like, the 1800s and 1900s.
Charles Hamilton
Mm.
Joy Dolo
Yeah. Yeah.
Amira
And then I feel like the guaranteed minimum wage came next, because even though people were paid very little, like, 100 years ago, they still had, like, a rate that you had to pay them, I think.
Joy Dolo
Yeah, yeah.
Amira
And then I think the five day work week came most recently because we're reading in class right now about how workers in the 1920s had to work, like, every single day. So I think that that came more recently.
Joy Dolo
Okay, those are some really solid guesses. So first we have the strike, and then we have the minimum wage, and then the five day work week.
Amira
Yes.
Joy Dolo
All right, let's lock that in. That was the treasure chest. I put it. We'll hear the answers at the end of the episode, right after the credits, so stick around. We're working on an episode all about how whales communicate, and we want to know if you could communicate with any type of animal, which would you want to talk with and why? Amira, what do you think?
Amira
I think that I would want to talk to cats, because I have two cats, and I want to know if they really love me or not or if they're just cuddling with me for warmth.
Joy Dolo
That is the question we would all need to know. If you became a cat whisperer, I think you would have a job for a lifetime.
Amira
Yeah. And I could tell other people what their cats are feeling too.
Joy Dolo
Yeah. Yeah. Okay, listeners, record yourself explaining what kind of animal you'd like to be able to communicate with and send it to us@foreverago.org contact. And while you're there, you can send us episode ideas, questions, and drawings. Like maybe a picture of Elizabeth the knocker upper knocking on my window when she was supposed to instead of sleeping in her bed.
Amira
So keep listening.
Joy Dolo
Brains on Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever Ago, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore.
Charles Hamilton
Forever Ago.
Joy Dolo
I'm their biggest fan. I also love Story smashboom Best, a.
Mary Malloy
Fun debate podcast for kids and families.
Charles Hamilton
Listen, I will play you smashboom Best.
Joy Dolo
You will love to refresh your memory.
Charles Hamilton
The ugly duckling goes like this. A bunch of duck eggs hatch, and.
Joy Dolo
The cute little ducklings go quack, quack, quack, quack.
Charles Hamilton
Mother duck is super happy with her eggs.
Joy Dolo
When quack.
Charles Hamilton
The last one explodes and out comes this zorp. Where did the signal go?
Joy Dolo
Must find smashboom Best.
Amira
Now.
Joy Dolo
Listen to smashboom Best wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, friends. Molly Sandon and Mark here with some very big news. Drumroll, please.
Charles Hamilton
We are hitting the road in search of adventure, fresh air, and you.
Amira
That's right.
Joy Dolo
We're going to be live at the Boulder theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, April 27. Our science themed live stage show takes the audience on an adventure through the brain, complete with magic tricks, dance moves, out of body experiences, mystery sounds and a game show.
Charles Hamilton
Molly, you almost left out the most important part.
Joy Dolo
Yeah, Molly, don't forget the big party. Oh, right after the shows, we're throwing a brain Tastic bash. Join us afterward for a VIP party where we'll play games, guess mystery sounds, pose for photos, and give as many high fives as humanly possible. Snag a spot by purchasing a VIP pass when you buy your show ticket.
Charles Hamilton
Oh, that reminds me, I've gotta start training. These hands aren't gonna high five by themselves.
Joy Dolo
Five and good idea. And remember, spots are limited, so grab your tickets today@brainson.org events.
Mary Malloy
The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But now we have a story about a school district where things are going very right.
Joy Dolo
Let me make sure my friends are sitting crisscross applesauce hands in their lap. I've never had a child that couldn't read.
Mary Malloy
How did they do it?
Joy Dolo
When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do and they would say, you kidding me?
Mary Malloy
New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast app.
Joy Dolo
You're listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.
Amira
And I'm Amira.
Joy Dolo
And we're at this used to be a career fair, learning about jobs that no longer exist. It's the job fair with the highest potential for cool historical facts and the.
Amira
Lowest potential for finding an actual career. So far, we've learned about knocker uppers, which are people who went around to wake people up for work before alarm.
Joy Dolo
Clocks were common if they woke up in time themselves. Elizabeth.
Amira
We also learned about switchboard operators who would connect phone calls before we could dial them ourselves.
Joy Dolo
Anyway, moving on to the next Greetings.
Charles Hamilton
Are you allergic to goat's hair?
Joy Dolo
Excuse me?
Charles Hamilton
I said, are you allergic to goat's hair?
Amira
I don't think so.
Charles Hamilton
Splendid. There are just a few other requirements for the position that we should review.
Amira
What position?
Charles Hamilton
My garden Hermit.
Joy Dolo
A garden hermit.
Charles Hamilton
Oh, dear me, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I and the honorable Charles Hamilton. I'm very rich and very British and an actual real historical person.
Joy Dolo
Judging by your white powdered wig, knee length silk coat and fancy vest, I'm gonna guess you're from the 1700s.
Charles Hamilton
How would you future folk put it? Haberdit. No, wait. Oh, nailed it. You are correct.
Amira
Okay, back in the 1700s, people got around on foot and by horse drawn carriages.
Joy Dolo
There wasn't TV or radio or computers or even electric lights yet. Just books and theater and powdered wig wearing for fun.
Charles Hamilton
Oh, and my fancy, fancy garden. We rich aristocrats loved our fancy gardens. These gardens were huge. More like a park really. Full of trees, flowers, caves, miniature mountains, bushes trimmed to resemble animals, tiny zoos. Fossils. Oh, just lovely. I need just one finishing touch for mine. A garden hermit.
Amira
Like a hermit crab?
Charles Hamilton
Why would I ask you about your goat hair allergies if I was looking for a crustacean? Come now. So silly.
Joy Dolo
Then what's a hermit?
Charles Hamilton
Why a silent and solitary man to live in a little house in my garden?
Joy Dolo
Maybe you could just get a garden gnome. You know, one of those stone statues with the cute pointy hats.
Charles Hamilton
An absurd notion indeed.
Amira
Okay. I've actually heard of hermits. They were around a long, long time ago. Like 500 years. Before even your time, Mr. Hamilton.
Joy Dolo
Oh, yeah. They were people who dropped out from regular life to be alone so they could focus on spirituality and religion. They often had long hair because they didn't care how they looked. They just focused on matters of the mind and the soul.
Charles Hamilton
Yes, indeed. But for my garden, I don't need you to be an actual hermit. I'd just like you to pretend to be one for a while.
Joy Dolo
See, pretending like acting. I love acting.
Charles Hamilton
Yes, yes. You'd be like a living decoration for the garden. Doesn't that sound fun? In my day, we saw the hermit as a reminder of a simpler, more pure time. So rich people like me would pay someone to act like a hermit so we can, as you might say, enjoy the vibes.
Joy Dolo
Okay, I might be able to get into this character.
Charles Hamilton
Splendid. Here are the requirements from an actual position that I paid an actual human to do in the actual 1700s. You will live in my garden hermitage for seven years.
Joy Dolo
Seven years? Well, that's a long time.
Charles Hamilton
During that time, you shall not cut your hair, your beard, or your nails. You shall not leave the garden. You shall not talk to the servant who brings you your meals.
Joy Dolo
Hmm, I do hate haircuts. And I love meals.
Charles Hamilton
In addition to meals, we shall provide you with a goat hair robe for your clothing, a mat and a pillow for sleeping, A Bible, a pair of glasses with which to read said Bible, water, an hourglass, and if you make it seven years, you get paid $900 in future folk money. That would be about $36,000 a year. E gad the numbers you people deal with these days. So many zeroes. Really unbecoming of a number to have that many zeroes.
Joy Dolo
Well, I do, but I also love chatting and going places and literally doing anything else besides hanging out in a shed in your garden for seven years.
Charles Hamilton
Fair?
Joy Dolo
Fair.
Charles Hamilton
My last hermit only lasted three weeks before he ran away to a pub.
Amira
Wait, wait, wait. I'm still stuck on the fact that this is an actual job. People did.
Charles Hamilton
Well, the fad only lasted about 100 years. Then we moved on to other distractions, like sending people all over the world to find rare orchid plants.
Joy Dolo
We've got a forever ago episode all about that. But seriously, you might want to consider a ceramic garden gnome. You don't have to worry about them running away. You don't have to feed them. And they're really cute. Hmm.
Charles Hamilton
I may consider that as a last resort. In the meantime, would you like to try on this goat hair robe?
Joy Dolo
Sure. Oh, wow. It's surprisingly comfy.
Amira
Really?
Joy Dolo
No. It's the worst thing ever. Let's get out of here. Bye, Charles.
Charles Hamilton
Now, what is it you future folks say when you bid adieu to one another? See you later, excavator. Aviator. No, no.
Joy Dolo
Fumigator.
Charles Hamilton
Oh, my goodness. It's right on the tip of the tongue. Paper plater. No. Oh, sausage and tater. No.
Joy Dolo
What a fun day at the no longer a career fair. But boy, are my feet tired from all that walking.
Amira
At least we got a lot of free swag from that booth of things people no longer use. What do you do with an eight track tape anyway?
Joy Dolo
Well, they make great coasters. It was eye opening to learn how as new technology like alarm clocks was introduced, jobs like knocker uppers went away.
Amira
But lots of new jobs have been invented since then, too.
Joy Dolo
And as technology and culture continue to change, so will jobs. We asked you to tell us what you think the jobs of the future will be. And here's what you said.
Amira
When I think a job in the future would be a cloud maker. They would get requests from people and then they would make clouds and put them into the sky. My name is Ellis from Pasadena, California. And a job that I think will be exist in the future is a cyborg technician. They help repair cyborgs. My name is Farah and the job of the future that I thought of would be a food machine person. Hi, I'm Elliot and I'm from Andover, Vermont. And I think a job of the future will be mobile homes in space. So someone will come to your house and they'll say, what do you want me to build?
Joy Dolo
And.
Amira
And you'll say, I want it to look like this and I want it to be able to do this. And I wanted to turn into a spaceship in space, but when we land on the ground, I want it to be a home.
Joy Dolo
Thanks to Caroline, Ellis, Vera and Elliot for sending in those great ideas. This episode was written by Molly Bloom, Nico Gonzalez Whistler and Jess Miller. It was produced by Ruby Guthrie. Our editors are Sandon Totten and Shayla Farzon. Fact checking by Ruby Guthrie. Engineering help from Chris Isaac and Josh Savageau with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez. We had additional production help from the rest of the Brainzon universe team.
Mary Malloy
Rosie Dupont, Anna Goldfield, Lauren Humpert, Joshua.
Joy Dolo
Ray, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver, Anna Wegel and Aron Woldeselassi. Beth Pearlman is our executive producer and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavadi and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Andrew Taufik and if.
Amira
You want access to ad free episodes and special bonus content, subscribe to our Smarty Pass.
Joy Dolo
Okay, Amira, are you ready to hear the answers for First Things First?
Amira
Yes, definitely.
Joy Dolo
Okay, so just as a reminder, what you said was strikes were first, and then minimum wage was second and the five day work week was last, right?
Amira
Yes.
Joy Dolo
All right, drumroll, please. Oh, my gosh. You got it right. What? You did it. Amira, I'm so proud of you.
Amira
I can't believe that I never get it right.
Joy Dolo
You never get it right. Well, this time you did. All right, so first up was the right to go on strike, 1935. And so a strike is when workers stop working until they're treated better by their bosses. And workers have gone on strike for centuries. But the right to strike in the US became officially a protection in 1935. And this is when the National labor relations Act of 1935 was passed. It also outlines rules and guidelines for strikes. Oh, that's neat. And then the next two was the five day work week and guaranteed minimum wage. Both of those were from 1938. So this was a tricky one. The five day work week and a guaranteed minimum wage were Both part of a law called the Fair Labor Standards act, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. And as we said before, the five day work week means you work five days and get two days off for rest. And in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards act, which set the standard work week at 44 hours. By 1940, it was down to 40 hours. And this meant that most Americans worked eight hours, five days per week. Before that, it was common for American workers to work 60 or more hours every week. If they worked five days, that would be 12 hours each day. 12 hours each day. That's nuts. When do they sleep? When do they eat? When do they. When did they go to the mall?
Amira
I could never work that much.
Joy Dolo
I know. How many hours a day do you think you'd want to work if you could choose?
Amira
Probably six or seven. That's how much I go to school now, so it wouldn't be as bad.
Joy Dolo
That's a good point. If you go to school for six or seven hours, that should be like the working hour time. I think I'd like to work for like two hours a day. Cause I think. I think I could get a lot done in two hours. Like when I have my coffee buzz in the morning, I just. I get so much done, and then right around noon, I start to get sleepy and. And then I have my snack and then I. And then I want to take a nap. Anywho, the first guaranteed minimum wage was set at 25 cents an hour. And today the federal minimum wage is $7.25. But many states have a higher minimum wage. $7.25 is what some people make hourly.
Amira
Wow.
Joy Dolo
Is that surprising to you?
Amira
Yeah, that's surprising. Well, it's really surprising that it grew like $7 in 900 years.
Joy Dolo
Isn't that nuts? And then also, like, we're still. We've been working 40 hours a week since 1940, and we're in 2024.
Amira
Yeah.
Joy Dolo
Do you think that needs to change or you think it's okay?
Amira
I feel like some people should definitely work less because that doesn't even count that some people work two jobs.
Joy Dolo
Yeah. Yeah, you're right. If you had to have like two full time jobs, like, you'd be working 80 hours a week and you wouldn't have time for like, your friends or your family or anything else. That kind of makes life awesome.
Amira
Yeah.
Joy Dolo
Join us next week for a new episode all about the history of rap music.
Amira
Thanks for listening.
Mary Malloy
The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But now we have a story about a school district where things are going very right.
Joy Dolo
Let me make sure my friends are sitting crisscross applesauce, hands in their lap. I've never had a child that couldn't read.
Mary Malloy
How did they do it?
Joy Dolo
When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do, and they would say, you kidding me?
Mary Malloy
New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast.
Joy Dolo
Apparently.
Forever Ago® – Episode: "Jobs That Don’t Exist Anymore"
Release Date: December 4, 2024
Hosts: Joy Dolo and Amira from Memphis, Tennessee
In this engaging episode of Forever Ago®, hosted by Joy Dolo and her co-host Amira, the duo delves into the fascinating world of occupations that have vanished over time. Aimed at educating families about the evolution of jobs through history, the episode seamlessly blends storytelling, historical facts, and interactive segments to captivate listeners of all ages.
Knocker Uppers:
The episode begins with Joy humorously recounting a personal mishap involving her knocker upper, a job that no longer exists. She says, “But my knocker upper must have overslept” (00:51), highlighting how this role was essential before alarm clocks became commonplace.
Transition to Career Fair:
Joy and Amira transport listeners to a historical career fair where they encounter various obsolete professions. Joy remarks, “This is sort of like that [a school career day], except none of these jobs exist anymore” (03:35), setting the stage for exploring roles that have faded into history.
Barber Surgeons:
At the fair, they meet a booth advertising barbers who also performed surgical procedures. Joy explains, “Whether you needed your mustache trimmed or your tooth pulled, your local barbersurgeon was the one to call” (04:15), illustrating how multifunctional roles were common in the past.
Switchboard Operators:
A pivotal moment occurs when they interact with Mary Malloy, a switchboard operator. Mary shares, “When someone wants to make a call, they pick up their phone and it comes straight to me through this wire” (07:04), emphasizing the critical role operators played before automated systems.
Labor Rights Ordering Game:
Joy introduces an interactive game segment where listeners are challenged to order three significant labor rights:
Amira thoughtfully predicts, “I feel like the right to go on strike comes first because I've heard a lot of things about strikes from, like, the 1800s and 1900s” (11:27), showcasing her understanding of labor history. The game not only engages listeners but also educates them on the chronological development of workers' rights.
Imagining Future Professions:
The hosts invite listeners to envision future jobs, receiving imaginative responses such as:
Joy encourages creativity by saying, “This episode was written by Molly Bloom, Nico Gonzalez Whistler and Jess Miller” (24:06), fostering a sense of community and participation among listeners.
Garden Hermit Position:
The episode takes an entertaining turn as Joy and Amira meet Charles Hamilton, a wealthy British aristocrat from the 1700s seeking a garden hermit. Charles describes the role with whimsical details: “In the actual 1700s, the fad only lasted about 100 years. Then we moved on to other distractions, like sending people all over the world to find rare orchid plants” (21:35). This encounter provides a humorous yet insightful look into eccentric historical jobs.
Revealing the Correct Order:
At the episode's conclusion, Joy congratulates Amira on correctly ordering the labor rights:
Modern Implications:
Joy reflects on the progress made, stating, “We've been working 40 hours a week since 1940, and we're in 2024” (27:03). Both hosts discuss the relevance of these rights today, with Amira suggesting, “I feel like some people should definitely work less because that doesn't even count that some people work two jobs” (28:07), highlighting ongoing labor debates.
The episode wraps up with Joy and Amira summarizing their journey through historical careers, emphasizing the dynamic nature of employment as technology and culture evolve. Joy aptly notes, “As new technology like alarm clocks was introduced, jobs like knocker uppers went away” (22:43), reinforcing the episode's central theme of change and adaptation.
Listeners are encouraged to continue exploring history with future episodes, such as the upcoming one on the history of rap music. The interactive and informative approach of Forever Ago® ensures that audiences not only learn about the past but also consider the future of work and societal roles.
Forever Ago® successfully combines education with entertainment, making history accessible and intriguing for families and young listeners alike.
Note: For a full listening experience and more interactive content, visit Forever Ago® and subscribe to their podcast network.