Forever Ago – Details, episodes & analysis

Joy and Anna are amped to go on a fun road trip! And with a garage full of transportation options nothing is gonna stop them from hitting the road. Grab your smarty pass to see what they use for their ragin road trip!

We’re back with part two of our string-tastic story of the banjo! In the last episode, musician Rhiannon Giddens helped tell the origin story of the banjo, an instrument many think of as American. But it actually comes from Africa.

Today, we’re focusing on how the banjo went from an instrument played mostly by enslaved people to one of the most popular instruments in the United States. The reason for this was a popular form of entertainment in the mid to late 1800s called minstrel shows. Later on, the banjo helped create the genre known as bluegrass. Now it's having a resurgence thanks to artists like Beyoncé.

Featured expert: Rhiannon Giddens is a Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist. You can check out her website here!

Today, bagels are a classic American breakfast food. But less than 100 years ago, most people in the U.S. had never heard of them! Join Joy, co-host Arianna, and special guest Sohla El-Waylly of the Deep Dish podcast to learn how a group of tough, dedicated bakers helped bagels go from nearly unknown to breakfast big shot. Plus, Arianna pays a visit to Asa’s Bakery in Minneapolis and learns how to roll bagels and bialys. And of course, a brand new First Things First!

Featured Experts:

Sohla El-Waylly is a chef, cookbook author and podcast host! Check out her books, recipes and cooking tips on her website.

Asa Diebolt, is a baker and owner of Asa’s Bakery in Minneapolis, MN.

This episode was sponsored by:
Walt Disney Studios - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.

PRX - Check out new episodes of PRX's Jamming on the Job wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s easy to take toilets for granted, but these porcelain thrones are nothing short of marvelous. In this episode, Joy and co-host Caleb find out how bathrooms and sewers helped civilizations grow. Plus they take a pit stop in ancient Rome where public restrooms were very public. And they learn about a privy fit for a literal queen. Enjoy and remember to wash your hands when you’re done!

This episode was sponsored by:
Walt Disney Studios - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.

PRX - Check out new episodes of PRX's Jamming on the Job wherever you get your podcasts.

Dogs have served as human’s loyal companions for thousands of years. They’ve also been trained to do some pretty cool jobs! In today’s episode, Joy and cohost Oliver learn all about the history of guide dogs. These are canine companions that are trained to help guide people who are blind or have vision loss. They’ll also meet 16 year old Ella Shea and her guide dog Pico!  Plus, we’ll hear one of your invention mentions, and play a brand new edition of First Things First!

Resources:
To learn more about guide dog schools, visit https://www.igdf.org.uk/

This episode was sponsored by:
Walt Disney Studios- Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.

It’s a Forever Ago face-off! Joy has turned the garage at HQ into a boxing arena and has brought in Molly Bloom and Nico Gonzalez Wisler for a rock, paper, scissors showdown!  Grab your smarty pass to witness the raw power of rock, paper, scissors!

When most of us think of fortune cookies, we think of those little folded cookies that come with Chinese food. But did you know that fortune cookies aren’t from China? So where did they come from? And why do we think of them as Chinese? Join Joy and co-host Harlem as they find answers and trace the cookie’s journey. We’ll also hear from journalist Jennifer 8. Lee who wrote an entire book all about fortune cookies, plus a brand new First Things First!

Featured expert: Jennifer 8. Lee is a journalist, film producer, and author. She wrote an entire book about the history of fortune cookies called The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. Lee also produced a documentary about the origins of General Tso’s Chicken. To learn more, check out her website.

Resources:
To learn more about the internment of Japanese Americans, check out the graphic novel Displacement by Kiku Hughes.

This episode was sponsored by:
Walt Disney Studios- Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.

Hey Forever Ago Friends!! Ready for more Forever Ago FUN?! Well you’re in luck— Forever Ago is back with a brand new season May 15th! Tune in to learn all about how wheelchair basketball was invented, why we eat popcorn at the movies, and what humans did with their doo before modern toilets!

Forever Ago host Joy Dolo has a brand-new game she’s calling Instrumental Enigma. It sounds like a lot of fun! Emphasis on sounds! Grab your Smarty Pass to hear what producers Rosie duPont and Aron Woldeslassie think of the new game and all of its interesting sounds!

Do you know what Blibber-Blubber was? How about Wiff-Waff? If only there were an incredible game hosted by Joy Dolo to help us figure it out. Oh wait, there is! Grab your Smarty Pass and let’s play Whatchamacallit! The greatest game to explain a name.