History is one of my strongest subjects whether it be Trivial Pursuit, Geeks Who Drink or general conversation. How I didn’t jump on Stuff You Missed in History Class from the day it began is beyond me! It came up through The Onion’s AV Club‘s section about new discoveries, so I wasn’t alone.
SYMiHC is part of the Discovery Channel’s podcast network covering numerous topics with Stuff You Should Know being their foundation (more about this in another post). The podcasts are probably supplemental material to drive traffic toward the cable channels and Web site, however, I think the podcasts have become the real stars.
What topics are covered vary. Sometimes the hosts follow a theme during a particular month or holiday: Black History month for February; Richard III’s remains being confirmed last year, etc. They also strive to cover areas many American high schools don’t bother discussing and you would be hard pressed for time to take in college, namely cultures that aren’t part of the White Male Narrative we all received. There’s the dispelling of myths which is my favorite part.
My only complaint is the podcast’s growing duration. Being a completist, I started at the beginning (June 2008) last year and managed to get caught up. (Currently, I let a few accumulate then do a little binge listening while doing bills or driving.) The initial episodes were a few minutes. Just enough to let the hosts make their point regarding the subject matter. Then they began to grow longer. Ten, 15 and 20 minutes. Now they average half an hour due to a couple commercial plus with the conclusion of listener e-mail, I end listening there.
I still wholeheartedly endorse SYMiHC. It has broadened my horizons, not like I was disinterested when the subject involved minorities, the problem was finding a starting point. Just like the time I attended Marquette in the Eighties, there was a big stink over the White majority not caring about courses covering namely African history. The truth was much more complicated. Firstly, the majority regardless of ethnicity hated taken History classes. Secondly, all the students who loved History (especially the History majors) said the university lacked any professors qualified to teach the subject. Too bad the podcast didn’t exist then.
Check it out. Go through the past episodes to find what piques your interest. I guarantee you’ll be amused as well as educated.