Podcast
Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem
Hosted by Pushkin Industries · EN
On the 250th anniversary of the United States, Revisionist History investigates the overlooked story of what was, at the time, the biggest secession movement in the U.S. since the Civil War.
A movement that took place on a small island miles out to sea from New York City. An early example of the politics of resentment that dominates America today. What do you do when a democracy looks like it’s falling apart?
Over the course of five episodes, The Staten Island Problem reconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s — the rise of Rudy Giuliani, the peak of the homicide rate, the Wu-Tang Clan, young Donald Trump, and the first Black mayor of New York — all through the prism of the city’s Forgotten Borough. Through colorful characters and never-before-heard archival audio, The Staten Island Problem reveals what can happen when a disgruntled minority manages to take over — and fracture — a democracy.
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Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
125episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Great American Elevator Tragedy | The Mistakes Series
May 2800:26:08Summary readyA single line of a building code proposal filled out by a fire inspector in Glendale, Arizona has had a devastating impact on the way housing is built across the entire United States. Malcolm enlists Stephen Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Building in North America, to investigate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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James Fleming’s Impossible Vietnam War Rescue | From Medal of Honor
May 2200:31:08Summary readyThis July 4th marks the 250th Anniversary of America—250 years of rebellion and innovation, of struggle and survival. At many times, our American experiment looked like it could fall apart at the seams. When you look closely at those moments, it was ordinary people who kept it all together. In thew new season of Medal of Honor, our podcast about courage, leadership, identity, and sacrifice, we’re telling the stories of some of those people. People like James Fleming. In 1968, in the dense jungles of Vietnam, a team of Green Berets was pinned down by an overwhelming North Vietnamese Army force. Their last hope was a young Air Force pilot named James Fleming. Despite being low on fuel and facing a wall of enemy fire, Fleming refused to turn back. The rescue mission seemed destined to fail, but a split-second decision would earn Fleming the nation’s highest military honor. Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscriptions. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm/plus and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The Trust Diagnosis
May 2100:39:09Summary readyThe episode centers on the dilemma of a man with an advanced, metastatic case of prostate cancer. His name is Dan. Every doctor he spoke to had a different opinion on what he should do — or whether it was even worth doing anything at all. His question was: which of these many opinions should I trust? The episode centers on which doctor he ended up committing to, how he made that decision of where to place his trust, and how his choice probably saved his life. What Dan will explain — and he is someone who has spent his life as a crisis communications specialist — is that trust only comes at the end of a careful and intentional process.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The BlackBerry Problem | The Mistakes Series
May 1400:32:56Summary readyJim Balsillie, the one time co-CEO of Research in Motion, reflects on the mistake that led to the downfall of BlackBerry, once named the fastest growing company in the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The Worst Poet in the World | From Cautionary Tales
May 700:41:21Summary readyIn light of our current series on mistakes, we're sharing an episode from Cautionary Tales—a podcast that’s all about mistakes and what we can learn from them. This story is about a poet—some say the worst poet in the world–William McGonagall. McGonagall's works were full of jarring meter, banal imagery, and awkward rhymes. They made him a laughing stock in 19th Century Scotland and are still derided to this day. What can we learn from such a disastrous poet? And it is possible we’ve misunderstood McGonagall all along? We'll be back with a new mistake next week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Why Would I Do That to Jennifer Lopez? | The Mistakes Series
Apr 3000:31:02Summary readyYears ago a music producer named Irv Gotti–a hitmaker for Jay-Z, Ja Rule, and Ashanti–was tapped by Sony Music to make a record with Jennifer Lopez. They wanted a big hit. And Irv delivered. But then he made the biggest mistake of his career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Tragedy in Texas | The Mistakes Series
Apr 2300:29:49Summary readyGeneral David Goldfein, former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, and Dr. Heather Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force, tell the story of the worst day in their professional careers and what it taught them about leadership. You can find their book, Get Back up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The Shawshank Redemption | From What Went Wrong
Apr 2101:29:30Summary readyWe've just begun our series around mistakes and last week, you heard Michael Lynton, former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, share how he found himself at the center of one of the most devastating corporate hacks in history. This week, we're sharing a preview of another podcast that looks at notorious Hollywood mistakes and the difficulties of movie-making, What Went Wrong. The Shawshank Redemption is the highest rated movie on IMDb. It’s held that position for nearly as long as the site has existed, yet its history is far more troubled than most people know. Hosts Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer explore the journey the movie took from big screen disappointment to near universally beloved American classic. Find more episodes of What Went Wrong wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The Sony Hack | The Mistakes Series
Apr 1600:30:15Summary readyThe former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Michael Lynton, tells Malcolm about a time he made a really big mistake: greenlighting a film that would lead to an international incident. You can learn more about Michael Lynton and Josh Steiner’s book, From Mistakes to Meaning, here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Richard Pryor: The Story We Got Wrong | From Big Lives
Apr 900:43:17Summary readyRichard Pryor redefined comedy by telling the truth, even when it scorched him. And today, we’re sharing a preview of a new podcast, Big Lives, and a special episode about Pryor. Every week on Big Lives, hosts Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to explore the story behind the icons who shape our culture—trailblazers like David Bowie, George Michael, Muhammed Ali, and Tina Turner—and better understand how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape. In this preview, Kai and Emmanuel look at how Richard Pryor rose from a Peoria, Illinois brothel to become a comedic great, only to then wrestle with racism, fame, desire, and self‑destruction. If you like what you hear, find more episodes of Big Lives wherever you get podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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