Decoder Ring: The Butt and the Bustle

For about two decades towards the end of the Victorian era, in the
1870s and 1880s, a large bustle-enhanced bottom was the height of
fashion. In this episode we explore how it’s connected to today’s
big booty craze. We look at the bustle’s history with a curator
fascinated by old undergarments; consider the various theories
about its popularity with the author Heather Radke; and then hone
in the tragic story of Sarah Baartman. The bustle may be
old-fashioned, but it still has a lot to tell us about race, sex,
power and how much people know, or let themselves know, about what
they put on everyday. We hear from Heather Radke, author of Butts:
A Backstory, as well as Kristina Haughland, Janell Hobson, Pamela
Scully, and Maria Garcia.  Special thanks to Wesley Stevens
and Daisy Rosario. This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who
produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited
by Andrea Bruce. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of
Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. If
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