Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn return to discuss the world in 2024, including the battle of TikTok vs the US Government, all the happenings with Boeing, RFK Jr. and his potential running mate, the awful events in Gaza, and Trump vs Biden round 2 in No

Politics – Looking Ahead to the 2024 Presidential Election with Ian Saxine

Nov 11th, 2023 2h 20m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by returning guest Ian Saxine to discuss what happened at the November 7th elections, and then look ahead to the 2024 presidential election and discuss what could be the key factors in the likely Biden vs Trum

Hollywood Monopolies, Streaming, & the WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strikes

Sep 10th, 2023 1h 26m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn discuss the historical context from the 1940s through today for the monopolistic actions of today's streaming companies, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the direct action individuals can take to help.

Christmas Film Review and End of Year Roundup

Dec 23rd, 2022 1h 10m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn celebrate Christmas by diving into a modern Christmas classic, Klaus (2019). We then take a look back at the year, both on the show and in American politics.A big thank you to all our listeners and guests who have made

Politics - The 2022 Midterm Elections with Ian Saxine

Nov 20th, 2022 1h 44m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn were joined by historian and author Ian Saxine to discuss some of the big stories from the 2022 midterm elections, including John Fetterman defeating Dr Oz in Pennsylvania, a big night for Ron DeSantis in Florida, and wh

Cuba and Operation Pedro Pan with John Gronbeck-Tedesco

Oct 22nd, 2022 1h

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by historian and author John Gronbeck-Tedesco to discuss his new book Pedro Pan: The Migration of Unaccompanied Children from Castro's Cuba. We discuss the 1959 Cuban Revolution, its impact on the Cuban parent

NASA During The Cold War with Brian Odom

Sep 25th, 2022 1h 4m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by Dr Brian Odom, NASA's Acting Chief Historian to discuss NASA during the 1950s and 1960s, including its inception after Sputnik, the increase in public funding under President and his goal of landing a man o

The Paramount Accords

Sep 18th, 2022 1h 1m

In this bonus episode, Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn look at the Paramount Accords and discuss the ramifications for the film industry on them being repealed. And at the end of the show we re-introduce ourselves for any new listeners, and discuss som

Taking the Family to Disneyland: Mental Escapism from Atomic Threats

Aug 28th, 2022 1h 17m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn discuss Vaughn's research into Disneyland and its place in post-war America. We look at how Walt Disney created a theme park unlike any other and use Disney's other forms of media to promote it.

Talking History with Ian Gordon

Aug 14th, 2022 1h 39m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by historian Ian Gordon to discuss all things history, including the books that inspired us to study the subject, finding areas of study you're passionate about, and how new technologies and platforms such as

The Modern Democratic Party – with Ian Saxine

Jul 23rd, 2022 2h 17m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by historian Ian Saxine to discuss how the Democratic party have fared in comparison to other centre left parties in the West in the 21st century, and look at how they have responded to challenges from the Rep

Conservative and Liberal Halls of Fame - Round 2

Jul 10th, 2022 1h 32m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn discuss what the terms ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ mean to them, and then they each give their nominations for the Conservative and Liberal Halls of Fame, which they originally created back in 2021.

George W. Bush - Second Term Troubles

Jun 12th, 2022 2h 2m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn conclude their series of shows on George W. Bush by looking at his second term as president. We cover a range of topics, including the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the NSA's domestic spying program, Hurricane Ka

The Cold Civil War

May 29th, 2022 1h 20m

Simon and Vaughn discuss the ongoing troubles in America and look at the ‘Cold Civil War’ that is taking place right now.

The Multiverse of Impressions Podcasts

May 22nd, 2022 1h 12m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn take a break from usual business to talk about the other podcasts that we work on, including The Joy of Star Wars and The Golden Age of Murder. We also let Vaughn rant about Dr. Oz running for Senator in her home state o

The Big Short – with Felix Salmon

May 8th, 2022 1h 21m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by Felix Salmon from the Slate Money podcast to discuss the 2015 film The Big Short. We look at how the film depicts the events of the housing market crash of 2008 and discuss what the films gets right and wha

George W. Bush – September 11th, Afghanistan, and Iraq

Apr 18th, 2022 1h 54m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn continue their series of episodes on President George W. Bush by looking at the events and immediate fallout of the September 11th terrorist attacks, as well as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Will Smith, The Oscars, and Don't Say Gay Bill

Apr 3rd, 2022 1h 46m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn discuss Will Smith slapping Chris Rock and dive into a brief history of the Oscars. They then discuss some other recent news stories, including Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, and Donald Trump hitting a hole in one. Also

The Vietnam War and The Serpent Papers – with Jeff Schnader

Mar 19th, 2022 1h

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by novelist Jeff Schnader to discuss his Vietnam War era novel, The Serpent Papers.

George W. Bush and the 2000 Election

Mar 7th, 2022 1h 52m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn start their new mini-series of shows on the George W. Bush presidency by looking at the 2000 election and his battle with Al Gore to become president.

Marvel, the MCU, and Modern Cinema

Feb 19th, 2022 2h 8m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by Dominic Tunney to discuss the history of comic books, comic book movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how modern cinema has changed over the past two decades.

Masculinity at the End of History: Late '90s Cinema with Adam Nayman

Feb 6th, 2022 1h 44m

Simon, Tobi, and Vaughn are joined by author and film critic Adam Nayman to look at the cinema of the late 1990s and in particular films such as Fight Club and The Matrix that portray the common theme of white men in comfortable office jobs rej

Ellen Schrecker Interview - The Lost Promise

Jan 22nd, 2022 1h 22m

Simon, Tobi and Vaughn are joined by historian Ellen Schrecker to discuss her latest book The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s.

Favourite Films and End of Year Awards

Dec 23rd, 2021 2h 22m

Simon, Tobi and Vaughn each pick 2 films that meant a lot to them as a teenager, and then we hand out our first end of year Impressions Awards. We also briefly mention our new upcoming Star Wars podcast, and at the end of the show we celebrate

Professional Wrestling in America

Dec 5th, 2021 1h 53m

Simon, Tobi and Vaughn discuss the history of professional wrestling in America. We chat about our own personal interest in wrestling when we were growing up, and then look at the history of the business, and in particular the growth of the WWE