It's about time Malcolm Gladwell got into the podcasting game.
After all, the journalist and bestselling author of The Tipping Point and Blink is used to creatively telling non-fiction stories (which are hugely popular on podcasts), and has experience performing. He's even been on one of the most popular podcasts in the country.
So it was a natural fit for Gladwell to debut his own audio show, which he did today. The 10-episode Revisionist History, produced in collaboration with Slate's podcast network Panoply, focuses on often-overlooked moments in history. "Sometimes, the past deserves a second chance," Gladwell says in the premier episode. In the case of episode 1, "The Lady Vanishes," indeed, it does.
In his first show, Gladwell talks about Elizabeth Thompson, one of the first 19th century female painters to achieve notoriety, who was later written off, not even mentioned in her husband's memoir. After her, it was decades before another female was successful in the man's world of painting.
"Once you know about Elizabeth Thompson, you see Elizabeth Thompsons everywhere," says Gladwell, describing a person who may not have made the playing field easier for those like her. In fact, she may have made it worse, by giving those in power an excuse to close the door again for others.
By the end of the half hour, Gladwell does mention Hillary Clinton, and makes you think about her in a new context: How will she affect women running for office in the future? Will fellow politicians be as sexist as those in Australia when first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard held office? They're relevant and thought-provoking questions.
Gladwell's second episode, "Saigon, 1965," is about a top-secret Pentagon project. Episode three the following week, "Big Man Can't Shoot," explores why basketball Wilt Chamberlain had so much trouble with foul shots. We'll plan to listen and find out.
