How An Elephant Forgets

Marion Cotillard Morrison

How An Elephant Forgets is a storytelling podcast about how working folks got hoodwinked into forgetting the blood, sweat, and strikes that built their rights—and who wanted them to forget it. From company thugs to classroom censors, from cowboys to culture wars, host Marion Cotillard Morrison… no relation… digs through the dust to remember what the powerful tried to bury.

  1. The End of the Shift

    05/22/2025

    The End of the Shift

    Every job’s got a quitting time. But some endings ain't just about punchin’ the clock — they’re about what we carry home. In this season finale, we look back at the stories we’ve told and the voices we’ve lifted. We trace the arc from picket lines to pulpits, from broken pens to busted backs, and ask what it means to remember — and what it costs to forget. Because history doesn’t retire. It just waits for the next shift to begin.Further Reading: Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United StatesA sweeping account of American history told from the perspective of those at the margins — workers, organizers, and the ones whose names didn’t make the monuments. David Roediger, The Wages of WhitenessAn essential work examining how race and class have been used to divide the American labor force — and who benefits from that divide. Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the DarkA meditation on why remembering past struggles — even the unfinished ones — is an act of resistance, and how small acts ripple outward. AFL-CIO, State of the Unions ReportA detailed look at where organized labor stands today — gains, setbacks, and the path forward. The Century Foundation, “Rebuilding Worker Power” SeriesData-driven research and policy recommendations for strengthening the rights of workers in the 21st century.

    9 min
  2. The People Remember

    05/20/2025

    The People Remember

    You can knock the dust off an old slogan, print it on a fresh sign, and still mean every word. In this episode, we follow the echoes — from Birmingham to Bessemer, from factory gates to warehouse docks — where a new generation of workers is relearning the language of resistance. Some folks say unions are a thing of the past. But if you listen close, you’ll hear the people remember.Further Reading : Kim Kelly, Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American LaborA vivid look at the forgotten fighters of the labor movement — and the ones picking up their torches now. More Perfect Union (YouTube / Substack)Up-to-date coverage on union drives, strikes, and solidarity efforts shaping the modern labor landscape. Labor Notes, “Secrets of a Successful Organizer”Step-by-step lessons from the front lines of today’s labor fights — used by workers winning real power. Economic Policy Institute, “Unions Are on the Rise. So Are Employer Tactics to Stop Them.”A report connecting the dots between the uptick in organizing and the backlash that follows. NLRB Cases & Decisions DatabaseTrack the rules being tested — and rewritten — in real time.

    11 min
  3. What We Stand To Lose

    05/15/2025

    What We Stand To Lose

    It’s easy to forget just how bad things used to be — and how quickly they can return. In this episode, we take a closer look at what labor protections were built to prevent: the heat, the blades, the blood. From children on kill floors to men collapsing in the sun, this isn’t distant history — it’s a warning. Because while the language has changed, the rollback is already underway. And when memory is lost, so is leverage. Further Reading : National Employment Law Project, Tracking Deregulation in the Trump and Post-Trump EraA detailed record of federal rollbacks to worker protections, including OSHA enforcement, wage theft accountability, and classification laws. Economic Policy Institute, The erosion of worker powerExplores long-term trends behind declining union density, stagnant wages, and weakened safety standards. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Data and Statistics PageUseful for tracking inspection rates, citations, and enforcement trends by year and sector. ProPublica, “They Know the Heat Is Killing Workers. If Only the Government Would Listen.”Investigative reporting on how heat-related workplace deaths are rising — and how policy has failed to keep up. American Journal of Public Health, “Child Labor in the United States: Hidden in Plain Sight”A look at how minors are still legally employed in dangerous sectors like agriculture and meat processing.

    11 min
  4. SuperEverything Stores

    05/13/2025

    SuperEverything Stores

    Once upon a checkout lane, convenience became king. In this episode, we trace the rise of the “everything store” — from five-and-dimes to fluorescent mega-aisles — and how a handful of retail giants reshaped America’s working class. We’ll look at the promises that were made (lower prices, more jobs, endless choice) and the quieter costs that came due (union busting, shuttered main streets, supply chains stretched thin across oceans). Somewhere between the smiley-face stickers and falling prices, a whole way of life got rolled back. Further Reading : Nelson Lichtenstein, The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of BusinessA definitive academic take on how Walmart transformed labor relations, global trade, and corporate strategy in America. Bethany Moreton, To Serve God and Wal-Mart: The Making of Christian Free EnterpriseA fascinating dive into the culture, gender politics, and religious framing that supported the rise of retail giants. Frontline (PBS), Is Wal-Mart Good for America?A classic documentary exploring the hidden costs of the retail behemoth’s rise. Stacy Mitchell, Big-Box SwindleInvestigates how large retailers erode local economies and what alternatives could look like. Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR.org)Ongoing reporting and resources on anti-monopoly advocacy and the revival of local businesses.

    10 min
  5. Fox & Friends With Benefits

    05/08/2025

    Fox & Friends With Benefits

    Back in the day, folks got their news from the same three networks, delivered with a straight face and a necktie. These days? Turn on the TV and you’ll get a sermon in the morning, a scare tactic by lunch, and a culture war bedtime story by sundown. In this episode, we trace how the right-wing media machine came to be—not just Fox News, but the web of AM radio barkers, think tank talking points, and political operatives who figured out that facts don't sell like fear. From Roger Ailes' roots in Nixon's shadow cabinet to Frank Luntz's focus-grouped propaganda disguised as plain talk, we lay out how messaging was weaponized—and why so many working folks started voting against their own best interests. It ain’t brainwashing if you call it freedom, right?Further Reading: Sherman, Gabriel. The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News—and Divided a Country. Random House, 2014.A definitive biography on Ailes and the founding of Fox News. Katz, Elihu. The Irony of Fox News: How the Right Created a Media Empire by Imitating the Left. Columbia Journalism Review, 2017.An article exploring how the Right borrowed tactics from activist media to build a propaganda model. Brock, David. The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy. Crown, 2004.A former conservative insider explains the architecture of partisan media messaging. Luntz, Frank. Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear. Hyperion, 2007.A revealing look into how political language is shaped to manipulate perception—by one of its leading architects. Hemmer, Nicole. Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016.A scholarly but accessible look at how media built a new political reality from Goldwater to Trump. The Ailes Papers (Hofstra University Special Collections)Archival material on Ailes’ early work with Republican campaigns and media strategy. PRWatch.org (Center for Media and Democracy)Investigative reporting on the overlap between media, policy, and corporate messaging.

    11 min
  6. God's Property

    05/06/2025

    God's Property

    Faith can be a powerful force for good. But somewhere along the line, a lotta folks got sold a version of the gospel where God always votes corporate—and poverty’s just a sign you ain’t prayin’ hard enough. In this episode, we dig into how religious language and market ideology got braided together to bless deregulation, bust unions, and make the working poor feel like they were just spiritually underperforming. We talk about the rise of “Christian free enterprise,” the political sermons bankrolled by business lobbies, and how the phrase “God’s property” started meanin’ a little more about land deeds than redemption. It’s the story of how holiness got hijacked by ownership. Further Reading : Kruse, Kevin M. One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America. Basic Books, 2015.The foundational text for understanding the alliance between postwar capitalism and religious messaging. Dochuk, Darren. Anointed with Oil: How Christianity and Crude Made Modern America. Basic Books, 2019.Explores how resource wealth, evangelicalism, and economic policy became intertwined. Balmer, Randall. Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right. Eerdmans, 2021.A powerful rebuttal to the myth that the religious right emerged over abortion—it was about property, control, and desegregation. Martin, William. With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America. Broadway Books, 2005.Provides detailed history of how political actors used religion to gain public loyalty and dismantle New Deal-era ideas. Pierard, Richard V. and Linder, Robert D. Civil Religion and the Presidency. Zondervan, 1988.Discusses how American presidents have used religious language to justify policy—including Reagan’s alignment with Christian economic ideals. Texas Public Policy Foundation – Archive on Religious Liberty and Economic Freedomhttps://www.texaspolicy.comA current-day example of think tanks advocating for deregulation under faith-based rhetoric.

    11 min
  7. Saint Ronnie and the Gospel of Deregulation

    05/01/2025

    Saint Ronnie and the Gospel of Deregulation

    They say if you can’t say nothin’ nice, don’t say nothin’ at all—but I reckon if you say somethin’ nice enough times with enough flags behind you, folks’ll start thinkin’ it’s gospel. In this episode, we ride into the Reagan years—where the cowboy president smiled, waved, and gutted half a century’s worth of labor protections in the name of “freedom.” We break down how Reagan’s folksy charm helped repackage corporate power as common sense, and how a Hollywood union man turned politician came to declare that the most terrifying words in the English language were, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Funny thing is… he was the government. And he helped plenty—just not the people doin’ the work. Further Reading: McCartin, Joseph A. Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike that Changed America. Oxford University Press, 2011.Essential reading on how Reagan’s firing of the PATCO strikers marked a turning point in labor suppression. Phillips-Fein, Kim. Invisible Hands: The Businessmen’s Crusade Against the New Deal. W. W. Norton, 2009.Explores the long campaign by wealthy elites to dismantle New Deal protections—culminating in Reagan’s presidency. Kruse, Kevin M. One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America. Basic Books, 2015.Offers important context on how Reagan fused free-market ideology with religious rhetoric. Wilentz, Sean. The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008. Harper Perennial, 2008.A comprehensive examination of Reagan's rise and long-lasting influence on American politics. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. Harper Perennial, 2005.Chapters on the Reagan years offer a bottom-up view of his economic policies’ impact on working-class Americans. The Reagan Library Archives – Presidential papers and speecheshttps://www.reaganlibrary.gov

    11 min
  8. The Textbook Chainsaw Massacre

    04/29/2025

    The Textbook Chainsaw Massacre

    Now I don’t know about you, but back when I was sittin’ in a plastic chair with gum stuck to the underside and a worn-out copy of America: Land of the Free on my desk, I don’t recall readin’ a single line about labor strikes, child miners, or the bloody business of company towns. That’s no accident. In this episode, we fire up the saw and cut into the clean-cut myth of the American history textbook. From Texas school boards to right-wing think tanks, we trace how the stories of struggle, solidarity, and sweat got edited out—replaced with sanitized patriotism and bootstraps baloney. Turns out history ain't just written by the winners… it’s ghostwritten by the folks who don't want you askin' questions. Further Reading: Goldstein, Dana. The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession. Anchor Books, 2015.A wide-reaching look at how teachers have been shaped—and restrained—by politics and policy. Ravitch, Diane. The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. Vintage, 2004.Explores how textbook publishers yield to political pressure, often at the expense of honest content. Schoenbach, Livia. “The Textbook Adoption Process and Its Influence on Curriculum.” Social Education, 1993.A breakdown of how Texas and California influence the national narrative. Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. The New Press, 1995.A classic in myth-busting that sparked many a quiet awakening. Zimmerman, Jonathan. Whose America?: Culture Wars in the Public Schools. Harvard University Press, 2002.Investigates the battleground of American identity and curriculum. Texas Freedom Network Education Fundhttps://tfn.orgReports and analysis on Texas textbook adoptions and ideological influence.

    10 min
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About

How An Elephant Forgets is a storytelling podcast about how working folks got hoodwinked into forgetting the blood, sweat, and strikes that built their rights—and who wanted them to forget it. From company thugs to classroom censors, from cowboys to culture wars, host Marion Cotillard Morrison… no relation… digs through the dust to remember what the powerful tried to bury.

Information

  • Creator
    Marion Cotillard Morrison
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Marion Cotillard Morrison
  • Show Website
    How An Elephant Forgets