Star Struck | Revisionist History | Malcolm Gladwell

A legendary Hollywood mogul, a famous author, a fatal drunk driving accident, and a brilliant bit of screenwriting, left on the cutting room floor. Revisionist History engages in a pop culture what-if experiment about the 1937 version of "A Star is Born."
Season 7 (2022)
#revisionisthistory #podcast #malcolmgladwell #astarisborn #drunkdriving
ABOUT REVISIONIST HISTORY
Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every podcast episode re-examines something from the past - an event, a person, an idea, even a song - and asks whether we got it right the first time. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
ABOUT MALCOLM GLADWELL
Malcolm Gladwell is president and co-founder of Pushkin Industries. He is a journalist, a speaker, and the author of six New York Times bestsellers including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He has been a staff writer for the New Yorker since 1996. He is a trustee of the Surgo Foundation and currently serves on the board of the RAND Corporation.
ABOUT PUSHKIN INDUSTRIES
Pushkin Industries is an audio production company dedicated to creating premium content in a collaborative environment. Co-founded by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg in 2018, Pushkin has launched seven new shows into the top 10 on Apple Podcasts (Against the Rules, The Happiness Lab, Solvable, Cautionary Tales, Deep Cover, The Last Archive, and Lost Hills), in addition to producing the hugely successful Revisionist History. Pushkin’s growing audiobook catalogue includes includes the bestselling biography “Fauci,” by Michael Specter, “Hasta La Vista, America,” Kurt Andersen’s parody Trump farewell speech performed by Alec Baldwin, "Takeover" by Noah Feldman, and “Talking to Strangers,” from Pushkin co-founder Malcolm Gladwell. Pushkin is dedicated to producing audio in any format that challenges listeners and inspires curiosity and joy.
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[@malcolmgladwell]

Want more Revisionist History? Don't miss new episodes uploaded here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKXdnYRrhsSqmtk

[@pamgallagher9778]

I never knew the tragic story of Margaret Mitchell's death. But I'm 77, when I was 20, on a tragic Christmas Eve in 1965, a young drunk driver smashed head-on into the car driven by my great aunt and uncle on their way to Midnight Mass. He killed my beloved Great Aunt & Uncle, Esther & Elmer Peterson, in northeastern Illinois. It was also called an 'accident' instead of reckless homicide. I vowed at the horrible double casket funeral, I would never drive with alcohol in my body. I kept my vow. I was later elated watching the movement, 'Mothers Against Drunk Drivers' grow and succeed at changing the laws and consequences for drunk driving. Long overdue!Still the courts are full of multiple arrests for drunk driving, and also under the influence of drugs drivers. And, the rich folks still pay attorneys to get them 'off.' And, the 'adult beverage' manufacturers who support the Liquor Lobby still make shady deals. And, alcohol over indulgence continues to destroy families all over the earth.

[@rogerpatry5167]

Fascinating. I was born in ‘58 and experienced first hand society’s evolution from accepting drunk driving, to it becoming a criminal act. That change, and maybe it could be estimated, caused people to rethink driving drunk; I saw it. Again, it could probably be estimated how many accidents and lives that saved. My recollection was that Mothers Against Drunk Driving had a big influence on that change for the better. As always, I enjoyed your thoughtful and creative approaches to story telling.

[@AnotherWayFilms]

Excellent podcast Mr. Gladwell. Audiences' perceptions and habits are shaped by film and television. Writers, Producers and Directors who ignore this, further jeopardize society. There is a movement, not unlike the pro-car-seatbelt and anti-smoking campaigns of the past, to demonstrate safer storage and handling of guns in film. Called the "Show Your Safety" campaign. The Entertainment industry can make a difference, as we've seen time and time again. In one direction, or the other.

[@madhusharma9949]

Absolutely brilliant and so engrossing.

[@iamlalapalooza]

wow... this is phenomenal and so well said!!

[@ikeaub]

I am and will forever be a fan of your work. Thank you always.

[@kevinpoole6122]

The title of this entry, having now listened, is *SO* chilling. As a recovering addict and alcoholic myself, I can attest that Hollywood’s sugarcoating and glamorizing everything from smoking (remember when Lucy was heavily pregnant, smoking like a chimney?) to alcohol, in every conceivable way, to drug use, rarely every showing the actual real life consequences of all the same.

[@willmpet]

Dorothy Parker once retorted to Clare Booth Luce who had held a door open for Parker, “age before beauty” and Parker said to her “Pearls before Swine”.

[@mariacosta4463]

Excellent!

[@wespeakforthetrees]

Well done. As a former drunk driver I get it.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Love listening to the story telling aspect but also learning so much from the message. Have been stuck on how to end a novel for 3 yrs...will boldly take it where it isn't expected

[@mooster47]

The tolerance of drunk driving as well as drunk domestic abuse is still extremely widespread, and some people still use the same "accident" excuses as the ones from that earlier time. In fact, the narrative that says that addiction is not a character flaw, as it was seen until about 50 years ago, but an illness, has, if anything, reinforced in some minds the concept of the drunk "accident" being something that was more fate than the responsibility of the drunk driver, and even the victims of domestic abuse at the hands of a drunk will make excuses about how nice the guy is when he's sober.

[@sbaumgartner9848]

Malcolm, I just found out about this channel. What a great idea you had in creating this channel.

[@willmpet]

I’ve only seen the movie once! I finally thought it was a good idea. It’s not in my top 100!

[@paulpolichio6514]

2 34:26

[@KlingbergWingMkII]

Boy, after this video, I really need a good stiff drink!

[@kimkeheleyfrye2731]

Does this episode show more the lack of concern paid to driving under the influence or the lauding of women who sacrifice for their men? Gone with the Wind and A Star is Born show women who subjugate to their men.

[@marcusathitakis7441]

Me Gladwell sir… another thought experiment. If you had been born a generation later would you be known more as a podcaster than an author 🤔🤪😊. To be honest - I prefer listening to you than reading you sir

[@ironworksmultisport]

This really took some bizarrely tortured logic to somehow connect the death of Margaret Mitchell to "A Star Is Born". Don't waste your time.

[@Redmenace96]

me too. He gives so many superfluous comments and details....finding it hard to follow.