MC professor creates history podcast titled You Are A Weirdo
Feb. 3, 2023
When Dr. Doug Sofer began his sabbatical last fall, he focused on turning a 2017 article written for the school newspaper, The Highland Echo, into a book. The book, currently titled You Are A Weirdo: Find Yourself in History, makes the argument for studying history and strives to make history readily accessible to everyone, not just those in the classroom. Sofer is currently searching for a publisher for his manuscript, but he may be more excited about a spinoff project that will make the past relevant and interesting for larger audiences.
Inspired by nonfiction podcasts such as Freakonomics and This American Life, and even comedic programs like Car Talk and Hello from the Magic Tavern, Sofer recognized not only his passion for podcasts but also making history readily available for everyone, not just those in the classroom. Thus, You Are A Weirdo was born.
Sofer, an associate professor of history and 18-year member of the Maryville College faculty, explains that his podcast is about “how history helps you understand the strangeness of now.” Each episode explores how there are many versions of “normal” and how norms differ from place to place and time to time. The podcast is intended to help listeners understand the importance of history so that people can learn about themselves and the peculiar times in which they live.
“History nerds have a temporal perspective that a lot of people lack. In fact, the argument I make in a bunch of different ways is that you’re lost without temporal landmarks, the same way you’re lost in space without spatial landmarks. We don’t know if things are changing unless we know where things have been 100 years ago, 1,000 years ago, 10,000 years ago,” Sofer said.
You Are A Weirdo seeks to help listeners gain that temporal perspective. Sofer explained that episode two, titled “You Don’t Get the Joke (Probably),” may be the best example of situating oneself in time. The podcast opens with a joke about Southern accents and shellfish that may not make sense to today’s listeners. It includes a flatulence joke from ancient Sumer and other historical jests likely to confuse people of the present.
Sofer said he understands that history is often left out of nerd culture, or as how Sofer refers to it, “the Kingdom of Nerds.” He hopes that besides helping make history more accessible, the podcast will also cement history’s place at the “nerd table” (where he quips it’s more than likely that Dungeons & Dragons is being played). These types of tongue-and-cheek statements are commonplace in each episode of “You Are a Weirdo.”
Sofer’s tenure at Maryville College and his background in the liberal arts also inspired his creation of the podcast. Sofer attended a small private liberal arts school, Hartwick College, in the Appalachian region of New York State, where he received an undergraduate degree in history in 1991. The professor explained the importance of the liberal arts in connection with his podcast.
“The liberal arts are the things people need to know to be free,” Sofer said. “‘Liberal’ doesn’t refer to a political doctrine in this case; it’s connected to the word ‘liberate.’ To be a free person means you’re able to stand on your own two feet intellectually. The concept of a ‘freeing’ education is one in which you know how evidence works, how we know what we know–and that includes what is known about the past. In fact, it is extremely important to understand how we know what we know about the past.”
You Are a Weirdo is available anywhere podcasts can be found such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. It can also be found on Dr. Sofer’s website, www.findyourselfinhistory.com.