Episode 147: Brett Kavanaugh, Fraternity Hazing, and the Natural Beauty Industry

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the drama surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s upcoming Supreme Court confirmation, fraternity hazing, and the booming natural beauty industry.

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

• Conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s candidacy is being marred by sexual assault allegations. Natalia recommended Anita Hill’s New York Times’ op-ed about the historical echoes with her own experience.
• The hazards of fraternity hazing are back in the news after the death of a student at the Riverside campus of the University of California. Natalia recommended Nicholas Syrett’s book The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities and Paula Fass’ The Damned and the Beautiful: American Youth in the 1920s. She also suggested Caitlin Flanagan’s Atlantic article on the symbiotic relationship between fraternities and universities.
• “Natural beauty” is an ill-defined, but booming, segment of the beauty industry. Niki recommended Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book The Jungle and Natalia recommended Kathy Peiss’ book, Hope In a Jar: The Making of America’s Beauty Culture.

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

• Natalia discussed Dave Philipps’ New York Times article, “A Breakthrough for U.S. Troops: Combat-Ready Pizza.”
• Neil reflected on Noah Nash’s Military Times article, “These Four-Legged Military Heroes Will Soon Have An Award All Their Own.”
• Niki shared Julia Moskin’s New York Times article, “Ranch Nation.”