Rest is history podcast disappointment

[Podcastproblemcast]

Listening To episode 618 and hear them say that Edward VI would have seen his sister Mary as a ‘middle aged terf”…. Someone with “antiquated, unacceptable, very cancellable views”.
Im hoping that I have missed the point being made.

It was an absolute joy. Watching Rory slowly dissolve.

So glad that Tominic are still sound 👌

This thread has reminded me of Dominic's election night summary on TRIP. I've just rewatched it and your description of Rory slowly dissolving is so accurate.

Even when Alastair gives Dominic the floor, he sounded so petutlant when he says "Dominic, you as the person who got it right, what do you think we got wrong?" Meanwhile Rory is just sitting slumped to the side like a puppet with its strings cut.

Do you remember earlier on? Dominic was the only one who, when they went round the table, said that Trump would win. The rest of them were huffing prentendium, and Rory was positive that it would be Kamala. And they were asking Dominic "Why"? And he gave them some actual facts and figures, and dispassionate assessment.

Rory is always wrong, about everything 😆

The reasons TRIH aren’t likely to do a women’s rights/feminist history podcast is/are the reasons they do so well. They have an increasingly clear view of what their audience responds to, and what their audience thinks their job is. So they and their audience are delighted with episodes that showcase interesting women from the past, and will describe why they’re interesting with feminist and political insights, but they don’t do much in the way of the theory of history or big political themes that cross centuries. Thank goodness, because I never understood a word of any of that. Also I think they are acutely aware that two chaps discussing key moments in women’s history can easily go a bit wrong.

One of the things I like about TRIH is that big themes of history emerge by themselves across time periods. For example that wherever and whenever you go, human beings behave like human beings. It totally shuts down the idea we might learn from history as apparently the only lessons we actually listen to are 'that guy was a massive shit but got to be very rich and important' not 'slavery and war are bad.'

I didn't but I am sad enough to be going back and re-watching the livestream at random intervals. It's even funnier than I am remembered. How does Rory get paid for being so consistently wrong? In any other role he'd be fired.

I like Rory, and I've learned a lot from him. He's the complete opposite of me in so many ways and it's done me good to listen to him.

I really enjoy TRIH and have laughed out loud quite a bit at the Elizabeth series (and the Lady Jane episodes are really funny too) but the "LADS, LADS, LADS!!!" irks me sometimes.

Rory and his emotional support pen 😆

Yes! So much this. Dominic sandbrook on Trigonometry was excellent on this and how everyone believes they are on the right side of history

https://youtube.com/shorts/ERK17DGnhhE?si=-s59Ux5sBmFVXKSa

Yes I listened to that, an excellent episode.

This is how I understood it too - it helps that I also remember an episode of TRIH a while ago in which they (hilariously) characterised Edward VI as a Harry Enfield-esque teenager, forever shouting 'I HATE YOU' in his breaking voice at his sisters and stropping off out of the room.

I think with that as background it makes it more obvious where they were coming from.

They did an episode about elections and when they were talking about political violence, mentioned that Rosie Duffield was unable to hold hustings due to threats against her. It was in June 2024 (so pre the sunlight of the FWS judgment) and I actually remember tearing up that someone in media had noticed and rightfully put it down as political violence when people within her own party were gleefully ignoring it and smearing her at every turn. I didn't take the mention of TERFs in the recent episode as anything other than a pertinent analogy.

As a TRIH fan, I’ve enjoyed this discussion. Both Tom and Dom know that men can’t be women, and although they don’t engage hugely with the debate, it’s clear what their views are. I loved being reminded that on TRIP it was Dom, the historian, who called the presidential election correctly. Incidentally, his books on late 20th century are massively readable and entertaining - I highly recommend.