Reckoning with Jason Herbert
Reckoning with Jason Herbert is a long-form conversation podcast about history, the outdoors, and the stories that shape who we are.
Each episode features historians, writers, scientists, and thinkers in wide-ranging conversations about wild places, forgotten pasts, cultural memory, and the forces—human and natural—that continue to shape our lives.
This isn’t a news cycle show or a debate podcast. It’s a space for reflection, curiosity, and serious conversation—meant to be listened to slowly.
If you’re interested in history beyond textbooks, the outdoors beyond recreation, and stories that linger long after they’re told, this show is for you.
Reckoning with Jason Herbert
Episode 43: Tootsie with Justin Rawlins
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We talk a lot on the podcast about film as historical artifacts- depictions of moments in time that can tell us as much about the audience as the topics themselves. This week is no exception as we dive into 1982's Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman. However, what makes this episode unique is that we are joined by Justin Rawlins to talk about the craft of filmmaking, particularly method acting. We get into Hoffman's performance (as well as his legendary battles with director Sydney Pollack) as well as talk about other famous method actors such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert DeNiro, Natalie Portman, Jared Leto, and Christian Bale. We also get into the controversy surrounding Bradley Cooper's upcoming performance as Leonard Bernstein, and question if Tootsie could even be made in 2023.
About our guest:
Justin Rawlins is Associate Professor of Media Studies and Film Studies at the University of Tulsa. He has an upcoming book from the University of Texas Press called Imagining the Method: Reception, Identity, and American Screen Performance, which you can find on preorder for 40% here: https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477328507/imagining-the-method/
You can find his website at https://justinowenrawlins.com/ and on twitter at @j_o_rawlins