Why is book banning on the rise in the United States? Are the children in danger? And what does “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” have to do with all of this? This week, we tell the story of the modern book banning, the “Ed Scare” movement, and how adults project political messages onto children's literature.

You will learn:

• Why are books banned?
• How did today’s book banning movement start?
• What gives children’s books the power to compel adults to politically organize?
• How does this power change from pro or anti censorship perspectives?

Sections:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:48 - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Book Banning
• 12:00 - Debrief
• 43:19 - Announcements (and roasting M4L)

Follow us:

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@roughdraftmedia
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/roughdraftseattle/

Sources:

• [Washington Post, 2015] One of America’s most Popular children's books has a secret political messagehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/21/one-of-americas-most-popular-childrens-books-has-a-secret-political-message/
• [Slate, 2020] How a Classic Children’s Book Got Hijacked by the Culture Warshttps://slate.com/culture/2020/02/if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie-welfare-culture-wars.html
  [PEN America, 2023] Banned in the USA: Mounting Pressure to Censurehttps://pen.org/report/book-bans-pressure-to-censor/

Has your favorite artist had a thing or two to say about the ever-so-elusive club that makes up the Grammys? We are willing to bet that they have.

On January 4, 2024, Jay-Z accepted Dr. Dre’s Global Impact Award at the Grammys with a poignant criticism of the misrepresentation of Black artists, specifically his wife Beyonce. In his own words, “She has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year. Even by your own metrics that doesn’t work’.” We want to find out why.

This week we are adding some context to Jay-Z’s Grammy speech, and taking a deeper look into the tumultuous racial history of the Grammys.

You will learn:

• What did Jay-Z have to say about the Grammys? Why now?

• Who is behind the Grammys? - Who profits from the show? What is the Recording Academy?

• When did the Grammys start? - Why? What major changes have happened in its history?

Sections

00:00 - Welcome

01:50 - Jay Z’s Acceptance Speech

14:03 - Debrief

48:29 - Announcements

Follow us

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@roughdraftmedia

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/roughdraftseattle/

Sources

[Britannica] The Grammys

[NPR] When Will Black Artists be Ready to Break Up With the Grammys?

[NPR] A Deeper Look at Representation Issues at the Grammys

[Wikipedia] Grammy Awards

How did Florence Nightingale manage to stop British soldiers dying of infection before germ theory was discovered? This week we are sharing the story of the Mother of Nursing, the Lady with the Lamp, the one and only Florence Nightingale as we ask questions about medical history, patriarchy, and the history of women in STEM.

Sections

00:00 - Intro

00:15 - Florence Nightingale’s Story

08:25 - Debrief

34:54 - Announcements

Follow us

TikTok - @roughdraftmedia

Instagram - @roughdraftseattle

YouTube - @canitellyousmthpodcast

Featured images

[00:29] Map of the Crimean Peninsula

[06:55 & 16:23] Diagram of the causes of mortality in the Army in the East - Florence Nightingale

Sources

[Britannica] Florence Nightingale Biography

[Florence Nightingale] Notes on nursing: what it is, and what it is not.

[NIH] The little-known history of cleanliness and the forgotten pioneers of handwashing

[SAP] Reworking Florence Nightingale’s Diagram