logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2022
37m 50s

Cecil Rhodes: the man behind the row abo...

BBC Sounds
About this episode
<p>Johnny Cochrane, Thanyia Moore and Olga Koch knock down the man behind the big statues controversy - should statues of evil geniuses from history stay up? Producer Beth O'Dea</p> 
Up next
Jul 9
Florence Nightingale
Was Florence Nightingale a nursing pioneer, or a terror with a spreadsheet? Could the mother of modern nursing really have been a glorified doctor's receptionist from hell? Did her colonial attitudes towards race, and her perpetuation of the idea of 'women's jobs' hold us back as ... Show More
31m 38s
Jul 2
Marilyn Monroe
Was Marilyn Monroe a genius who beat the system to become a star? Or was she a career driven narcissist who perpetuated the sexism of old Hollywood? And does she have a case to answer for the toxic beauty standards with still live with today. Hannah Platt, Janine Harouni and Tony ... Show More
34m 25s
Jun 25
Father of bodybuilding, Joe Weider
You might not have heard of Joe Weider, but he was the man who invented modern bodybuilding. Formalised training, published magazines, birthed massive international competitions, and unearthed a megastar in Arnold Schwarzenegger. But was he a genius who built himself up from noth ... Show More
38m 37s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Which Statues Should We Take Down? How To Fairly Judge Historical Figures by Today’s Standards
In the United States, questions of how we celebrate – or condemn – leaders in the past have never been more contentious. In 2017, a statue of Robert E. Lee was removed – leading to a race riot and terrorist attack. But in 2020, statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Chri ... Show More
39m 3s
Jul 2021
Should they stand or fall? The great statue debate
As statues of controversial historical figures continue to hit the headlines, Alex von Tunzelmann – author of Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues that Made History – looks at some of the most illuminating examples from across the centuries. She explores why the debate has proven so divi ... Show More
50m 29s
Jul 2021
Why every single statue should come down – podcast
Statues of historical figures are lazy, ugly and distort history. From Cecil Rhodes to Rosa Parks, let’s get rid of them all. By Gary Younge with additional reporting by Meghan Tinsley, Ruth Ramsden-Karelse, Chloe Peacock and Sadia Habib.. Help support our independent journalism ... Show More
28m 55s
Apr 2021
America's Monuments | The Trouble With Confederate Statues | 7
In recent years, there’s been a movement to remove statues of Confederate leaders and other monuments that some see as celebrations of America’s racist history. But does taking down these statues help address the racial inequities that plague our nation to this day? Or is it just ... Show More
38m 6s
Aug 2020
Bremen’s Elephant Statue
Amid the ongoing debate about how to handle historical monuments which commemorate colonialism and slavery, Witness History hears the story of a giant statue of an elephant in the German city of Bremen.The port city had played a significant role in Germany's colonial past, and af ... Show More
10m 23s
May 2022
Beyond The Scenes - The Ongoing Battle to Remove Confederate Statues
While America has made progress in removing confederate statues from public squares, many remain standing. Director of the PBS documentary The Neutral Ground, CJ Hunt, and founder of Project Say Something, Camille Goldston Bennett, join Roy Wood Jr. to discuss why these monuments ... Show More
1h 3m
Jan 2024
Cecil Rhodes | Must Rhodes Fall? | 4
More than a century after Rhodes' death students in South Africa and Britain thrust his name back into the spotlight. Should statues of colonialists like him be torn down? And, in Africa, how is Rhodes' legacy felt today?Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever you get you ... Show More
35m 8s
Feb 2023
The Colossus of Rhodes
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes has lived on in legend - with fact and fiction often blurring. A 108 ft high statue of the Sun God Helios, it was erected in celebration by the people of Rhodes after successfully defending the island against A ... Show More
29m 18s
Jun 2023
Why Do We Obsess Over Charles Darwin’s Health?
Is it serious historical work? Respectable gossip? Blatantly prying into people’s lives? Retro-diagnosing historical celebrities like Darwin and Lincoln and Hitler and Poe is all of the above and more... 
24m 18s
Oct 2023
Assignment: America’s hidden histories
It’s more than 150 years since the end of the American Civil War. But the replacement of a monument dedicated to the Confederate Commander Robert E Lee with a statue of black icon Henrietta Lacks has proved an emotive issue in Roanoke, Virginia. In a region steeped in the history ... Show More
27m 46s