Episode 207: Virginity Tests, International Achievement Tests, and the End of the 2010s

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss virginity tests, international achievement tests, and the end of the 2010s.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• The rapper T.I. caused controversy when he said he subjects his daughter to a virginity test every year. Natalia referred to historian Hanne Blank’s book Virgin: The Untouched History. Niki cited our discussion of the evangelical purity movement on Episode 190.
• Children around the world took the PISA exam, and Americans had a mediocre showing. Natalia recommended the documentary A Place at the Table and journalist Dana Goldstein’s book The Teacher Wars.
• In a few weeks, the decade of the 2010s will be behind us. Niki recommended this article at Esquire on how the cultural gatekeepers lost their job in the decade.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Clarissa Jan-Lim’s Buzzfeed article, “Pinterest and The Knot Will Stop Promoting Wedding Content that Romanticizes Former Slave Plantations.”
• Neil commented on Chris Stedman’s Vox article, “Too Many Atheists Are Veering Dangerously Toward the Alt-Right.”
• Niki recommended the HBO show “The Watchmen.”