The 10 Best Revisionist History Episodes
With episodes on everything from McDonald’s french fries to Elvis Costello songs, Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Revisionist History is full of the interesting stories, engaged commentary, and expert research you would expect from the New York Times best-selling author of Talking to Strangers, Outliers, and Blink.
Last Updated: Aug 6th, 2021
1) McDonald’s Broke My Heart
Calling all french fries lovers! Malcolm Gladwell craves pre-1990 McDonald’s french fries, but he couldn’t put a finger on why their fries taste like cardboard today. Go on a journey with Malcolm as he unravels the big foodie secret and recreates the McD french fries of yesteryears. You’ll never look and eat fries the same way after listening to this best of Revisionist History.
2) A Good Walk Spoiled
When you see lush green golf courses, perhaps this question has popped into your head: why are wealthy folks so obsessed with golf? Malcolm digs into this perplexing question by examining the operations of golf courses and the philosophy of them. Find out how the heck these golf courses can maintain and pay taxes on large properties with just a few members in private clubs.
3) Puzzle Rush
When you see lush green golf courses, perhaps this question has popped into your head: why are wealthy folks so obsessed with golf? Malcolm digs into this perplexing question by examining the operations of golf courses and the philosophy of them. Find out how the heck these golf courses can maintain and pay taxes on large properties with just a few members in private clubs.
4) Food Fight
Food versus financial aid for college students is at the heart of this episode’s debate. In a race to attract students, private elite colleges compete with each other to offer the best campus food including everything from hand-grown rosemary to lobster feasts. But the tradeoff of delicious meals and access to education isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Listen to this three-part miniseries that examines the systemic obstacles poor kids face when they try to climb the educational ladder.
5) The Basement Tapes
A meticulous scientist kept all the data in his basement from a huge experiment he conducted a long time ago on fat in our diet and how it impacts heart health and mortality. After he died, a phone call prompted his son to go retrieve the forgotten data. This heart-touching episode reveals what it means to practice science, but more importantly, what it means to be a child to your parents and their legacy.
6) Free Brian Williams
Former NBC anchor Brian Williams was cancelled when he was called out for lying about being in a helicopter that was nearly hit by a rocket in a war zone in the Middle East. Malcolm Gladwell asks: Was Brian Williams purposely lying or did he simply forget? This episode looks into the fallible memory of humans and how well we remember “flashbulb memories” for significant events. Listen to Malcolm's argument and you can be the judge on whether we should free Brian Williams.
7) The Prime Minister and the Prof
Winston Churchill was a revered prime minister for leading the UK and Allies to victory in WWII, but he wasn’t the only decision maker in parliament. Behind the scenes, Churchill had an eccentric best friend named Frederick Lindemann, a brilliant physicist and intellectual who advised the prime minister on everything from bombing strategies to food rationing in India. Hear this undertold story about the mysterious figure who had a humongous influence on one of the most powerful men in history.
8) The Satire Paradox
In this classic Season 1 episode of Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell examines the complex role of satire in our society. From the Colbert Report and Saturday Night Live to biting Israeli satire, understand when and where political satire succeeds and when it falls flat. You’re guaranteed to watch political comedy in a whole new light after you listen to this episode.
9) Tempest in a Teacup
Malcolm Gladwell gets to the bottom of the origins of the Boston Tea Party in this best episode of Revisionist History. Get tea drunk with Malcolm, then take a detour to stories about mobsters and the American Dream to understand the real motivations behind the historic Tea Party protestors. In true Revisionist History style, this episode will make you rethink history and see it in a completely different way.
10) Little Mermaid Part 1: The Golden Contract
Little Mermaid is a beloved story and Disney animated film cherished by children and parents around the world. But this lawyer mom and Malcolm Gladwell argue that it’s hugely problematic. Dive deep into the history of Ariel and her cast of finned half-humans, and the vexing moral conundrums they present. This three-part investigative miniseries is more than just a critique on Little Mermaid, but anexposé on questionable narratives and moral sloppiness in children’s entertainment. The series starts with an eye-opening reexamination of Little Mermaid, and ends with a splash with a reimagination of the movie created by a high-end Hollywood screenwriter.
