Landline with Mary Mahoney

Mary Mahoney
  • 4.8 (16)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Landline is the podcast where pop culture gets some context. Hosted by historian Mary Mahoney—your millennial friend with too many interests and not enough friends willing to talk on the phone—each episode calls up guests to connect today’s celebrity culture, internet trends, TV, music, and movies to the histories that explain why it all feels so familiar. Blending non-boring history, sharp cultural analysis, and the intimacy of a private phone call, Landline helps listeners make sense of the present by dialing into the past. Want more Landline? Join the patreon. You’ll get a weekly newsletter and bi-weekly episodes delivered to you all for free. For $5 a month, you can get a bonus episode, a weekly newsletter of links and recommendations, chat with other listeners about all things pop culture and history, suggest topics for future episodes, and more! You can find the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. MAR 3

    Your Charismatic Male Leader Will Always Disappoint You: A History of Utopian Communities with Monica Mercado

    Historian Monica Mercado joins me to explore nineteenth-century utopian communities — from the polyamorous, silverware-making Oneida community to the celibate, achingly chic Shakers — and what draws people to radical experiments in communal living then and now. We get into charismatic male leaders who will always, always disappoint you, why the Shakers are having a moment (three members and counting!), and how nuns, queer culture, and Oprah Winfrey might all be connected. Spoiler alert: building a better world is not easy, but someone has to do it. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: TikTok nuns, convent summers, and the desire to leave society 05:59 - Setting the scene: the "burned over district" and 19th-century utopian movements in upstate New York 11:18 - Oneida: complex marriage, male continence, and why the silverware in your drawer might have a complicated history 21:10 - Where Oneida goes wrong: eugenics, the government crackdown, and the charismatic male leader who runs away to Canada 27:23 - Enter the Shakers: celibacy, beautiful furniture, and a female founder who said God is both woman and man 36:18 - The last Shakers: Brother Arnold, Sister June, and the new member who just boosted global numbers to three 48:07 - Nuns now: who's joining convents today, student loan debt as a barrier to entry, and the old nuns making protest signs on Facebook 1:06:24 - Final thoughts: what utopian communities teach us about actually building (not just imagining) a better world Resources & Links Mentioned "I Am Anne Lee" by Eileen Myles (https://lithub.com/a-prose-poem-by-eileen-myles-ann-lee/ ) Visit the Oneida Mansion House — museum, B&B, and historic site in Oneida, NY (oneidacommunity.org)Ellen Wayland-Smith's Oneida: From Free Love Utopia to the Well-Set Table (https://bookshop.org/a/102042/9781250131867 )Visit Shaker sites: Hancock Shaker Village — the Shaker museum Mary visited in Pittsfield, MA (hancockshakervillage.org).  Shakers upstate (Albany, Chatham/Mount Lebanon. Sabbath Day Lake Shaker Village — home of the last living Shakers in New Gloucester, Maine (maineshakers.com)There Are NO Black Shakers is a contemporary folk opera re-interpreting traditional Shaker hymns to tell the very true story of Prime Lane, a free Black man who joined the Shaker Society in Albany in 1802.The New York Times profile of Brother Arnold and Sister June (2024)The New York Times coverage of Sister April joining the Shakers (2025)The AP on young nuns and student debt (https://apnews.com/article/young-nuns-catholic-student-debt-aging-4d61e7ed31df84f3879b119022cc170f)  and sustainable nuns! (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/the-nuns-are-ok-building-a-sustainable-future-for-women-religious/) Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode and a weekly newsletter of things I'm loving in pop culture. Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney Transcript Full episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14R54vWfai4WiYdI7EqBuMuJJnDBMRj3wpwrBVZW6oBs/edit?usp=sharing  Connect with Mary: Website: www.marymmahoney.com Instagram: @mimimahoney Email: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.com Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other pop culture and history lovers find Landline. Guest Information Connect with Monica Mercado: Website: https://monicalmercado.com/ Follow Monica’s convent research trips here: https://www.american-religion.org/empty-places/loretto Landline is sponsored by Libro.Fm. Sign up today to enjoy audiobooks and support local bookstores! (link: https://tidd.ly/40tPrKb) Landline is an interview-based podcast exploring pop culture and history, hosted by Mary Mahoney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 11m

  2. FEB 17

    Why are straight women yelling “Kiss!” at NHL Games? Talking Heated Rivalry with Frankie De La Cretaz

    Sports journalist Frankie de la Cretaz joins me to talk about Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey romance that has straight women yelling "kiss!" at NHL games. We get into what that phenomenon reveals about MLM romance, consent in different queer communities, and the complicated politics of who gets to consume queer culture. We also dive into Frankie's experience defeating Boston's 2024 Olympic bid, the PWHL's ICE funding problem, my Lilith Fair kidnapping story, going to Camp Gaylor, and why Lake Placid's Olympic Village is still a functioning prison. This episode is longer than usual because we kept discovering shared obsessions—I laughed until I cried and learned so much. Timestamps[00:00] Intro: Women yelling "kiss" at NHL games [02:19] Meeting Frankie and Super Bowl hot takes [10:05] Frankie's role in defeating Boston's 2024 Olympic bid [15:53] Lake Placid's Olympic Village-turned-prison (still operational!) [18:34] Olympics as political propaganda and anti-trans victory laps [24:57] USA Hockey's trans ban and the silence of women's hockey players [26:56] The PWHL's Mark Walter problem: funding ICE while having moments of silence [30:02] The NHL's viewership crisis and opportunistic embrace of Heated Rivalry [34:41] The "kiss" chants at NHL games [39:02] Mary's Lilith Fair kidnapping story [47:09] Going to Camp Gaylor and writing about it for Cosmo [50:34] Why the Gaylor community matters beyond Taylor's actual sexuality [57:17] Introduction to Heated Rivalry: the show, the books, the obsession [1:02:03] The brilliant narrative adaptation from books to show [1:04:10] It's NOT a happy ending—they got caught, not liberated [1:09:47] Why straight women love MLM romance (and it's complicated) [1:14:21] Cruising culture, consent, and how it works in gay male spaces [1:28:40] Will sapphic sports stories get the same attention? [1:30:34] Pitching the National Women's Football League as a TV series [1:33:18] What queer sports storytelling should look like going forward [1:35:07] Book recommendations: Kate Cochran, KT Hoffman, Victoria Zeller [1:42:10] The Sochi Olympics, Tattoo, and Heated Rivalry coming full circle [1:47:48] Wrapping up: Subscribe, support, and join the conversation Resources & Links Mentioned Books We Recommend: Frankie de la Cretaz. Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Adam Berg. The Olympics that Never Happened: Denver ‘76 and the Politics of GrowthKate Cochrane. Wake Up, Nat & DarcyKT Hoffman. The Prospects Further Reading: Frankie de la Cretaz. Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Frankie de la Cretaz.“In the Field: An Interview with Sapphic Woho Romance Author Kate Cochrane.” Out of Your League, December 23, 2025. https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/in-the-field-kate-cochrane. Frankie de la Cretaz. “Sorry but I Don’t Give a F**k That the NHL Has Embraced ‘Heated Rivalry.’” Out of Your League, December 26, 2025. https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/sorry-but-i-don-t-give-a-f**k-that-the-nhl-has-embraced-heated-rivalry.  Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free.  Become a Patreon member → TranscriptFull episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7jr_E2ipmYT4AWv84N9WXGpR6RQErwXyLfjvUkrzcE/edit?usp=sharing  Connect with Mary: Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.com Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline. Frankie de la Cretaz Resources: Website: https://www.britnidlc.com/ Out Of Your League: https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/ Book: Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Instagram | Threads | BlueSky Landline is an interview-based podcast exploring pop culture and history, hosted by Mary Mahoney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 50m
  3. I Can’t be a Giving Tree: Revisiting Children's Books as a Parent with Anna Newman - Patreon Preview

    FEB 11 · BONUS

    I Can’t be a Giving Tree: Revisiting Children's Books as a Parent with Anna Newman - Patreon Preview

    I'm so excited to welcome my wife, librarian Anna Newman, for a conversation about navigating children's literature as new parents to our son Max. We discuss the joy and challenges of early parenthood, revisiting beloved childhood books that haven't aged well, and how we're thinking about introducing Max to classic stories—including whether problematic favorites like The Giving Tree and certain American Girl books have a place on his bookshelf. Join the patreon now for $5 a month to support the show, and listen to this episode! Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 min

  4. FEB 3

    The Most Dramatic Sport at the Olympics: A figure skating preview with the lore you need to know with Maura Sullivan Hill

    Figure skating journalist, coach, and writer Maura Sullivan Hill joins me to discuss what I'm predicting will be an extremely messy Winter Olympics. We talk about the lore surrounding today's figure skaters, the politics baked into every aspect of the sport, and why—spoiler alert—Michelle Kwan should have won the gold medal. Plus, Maura breaks my heart by confirming the pachinko is not technically possible. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and welcoming Maura Sullivan Hill 03:13 - About Maura's book "Legends of Women's Figure Skating." 08:18 - Figure skating as a lens for understanding culture and politics 13:31 - The 2002 Salt Lake City judging scandal 15:26 - Old 6.0 system vs. new International Judging System 20:22 - U.S. women's team: Amber Glenn, Alyssa Liu, Isabeau Levito 28:28 - Amber Glenn as an openly pansexual athlete 34:25 - Music selection and music rights issues 43:12 - The French team controversy and Gabriella Papadakis's memoir 53:39 - Same-sex ice dancing partnerships 1:01:02 - Deanna Stellato-Dudek competing at age 42 1:04:38 - Men's figure skating and Ilya Malinin 1:07:58 - Maxime Naumov's story after the 2024 plane crash 1:09:38 - Citizenship and nationalism in figure skating 1:19:45 - Closing and Patreon watch party info Further Reading/Viewing: Check out Maura’s Book, Legends of Women’s Figure Skating Finding Her Edge (Netflix). Is this great? No. Is it fun? Absolutely. The Cutting Edge. A classic.  Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode, access to my AIM Buddly List chat, and more! Become a Patreon member → Read the full episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oPLlyYTke-HjI7B4DsWTgqJuDuzGJ7cM5s8nlJzHBDE/edit?usp=sharing  Connect with Mary: Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.com Connect with Maura: Website: https://www.maurasullivanhill.com/ Instagram: @maura_sullivan_hill Check out Maura’s book, Legends of Women’s Figure Skating Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 21m

  5. FEB 3

    American Girl at 40: Revising Kirsten, Indigenous Representation, and Playing School with History (with Colette Denalie Dion Montoya)

    American Girl is turning 40 this year (same, honestly), and with that milestone comes some reckoning with their original books. A few years ago, they quietly released revised editions of some classics, including "Kirsten Learns a Lesson"—the book where Swedish immigrant Kirsten befriends an Indigenous girl named Singing Bird, they somehow communicate without language, and then Singing Bird's family just...leaves Minnesota voluntarily at the end. For my first episode of Landline, I call up Colette Denalie Dion Montoya, an indigenous researcher and librarian, to help me understand what American Girl changed in the new edition and whether swapping out words like "savage" actually addresses the deeply colonial narrative at the heart of this story. We talk about representation, nostalgia versus history, the insidious ways racism gets re-coded, and why Pleasant Rowland collaborating with Barbie feels like a betrayal. Timestamps 00:00 — Why American Girl Made Millennials Like This Main character energy, history-as-personality, and the doll books that rewired our brains. 07:00 — “American Girl Is in Its Hot Mess Era” Mattel, quiet revisions, and why the 40th anniversary feels… tense. 12:00 — The Plot of Kirsten Learns a Lesson (Red Flags Included) Secret forest meetings, “Indian friends,” and who gets to claim land as “home.” 23:30 — What American Girl Changed (and What They Didn’t) From “savages” to “treaties”: how blame quietly moves off settlers and onto “the government.” 38:00 — Nostalgia vs. History Why revisions, Barbie collabs, and 90s dolls reveal what the brand values now. Further Reading/Viewing: Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Diversity Statistics and Graphics: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/ LibGuides: Native American Literature: Children’s Books (from Ohio Northern University): https://library.onu.edu/c.php?g=1279965&p=9394796 “Manifest Destiny” in The American Yawp (a collaborative textbook on American history) “Running Zach” episode of Saved by the Bell, which its star discussed (and apologized for) on a later rewatch podcast, Zack to the Future. Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (full disclosure: I co-wrote this unhinged history of a brand that has meant a lot to me!)  Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode, access to my AIM Buddly List chat, and more! Become a Patreon member → Read the full episode transcript here: (link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9vpEsF4CPdkcppujqW5gXKLY_u4xl7mfguine7DxY/edit?usp=sharing )  Connect with Mary: Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoney Connect with Colette:  Instagram: @colettka_cutletka  Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 4m

  6. JAN 27

    Trailer

    Landline is the podcast where pop culture gets some context. Hosted by historian Mary Mahoney—your millennial friend with too many interests and not enough friends willing to talk on the phone—each episode calls up guests to connect today’s celebrity culture, internet trends, TV, music, and movies to the histories that explain why it all feels so familiar (even if it’s not). Blending non-boring history, sharp cultural analysis, and the intimacy of a private phone call, Landline helps listeners make sense of the present by dialing into the past. Want more Landline? Join Landline on Patreon. You’ll get a weekly newsletter and bi-weekly episodes delivered to you all for free. For $5 a month, you can get a bonus episode, a weekly newsletter of links and recommendations, chat with other listeners about all things pop culture and history, suggest topics for future episodes, and more! Full transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BHkqtU7EJ8537Uo2wlSURrKMZiLx_tByVFs6P_bL4rU/edit?usp=sharing  Connect with Mary: Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 min

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Landline is the podcast where pop culture gets some context. Hosted by historian Mary Mahoney—your millennial friend with too many interests and not enough friends willing to talk on the phone—each episode calls up guests to connect today’s celebrity culture, internet trends, TV, music, and movies to the histories that explain why it all feels so familiar. Blending non-boring history, sharp cultural analysis, and the intimacy of a private phone call, Landline helps listeners make sense of the present by dialing into the past. Want more Landline? Join the patreon. You’ll get a weekly newsletter and bi-weekly episodes delivered to you all for free. For $5 a month, you can get a bonus episode, a weekly newsletter of links and recommendations, chat with other listeners about all things pop culture and history, suggest topics for future episodes, and more! You can find the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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