American Vulgarity, from Lenny Bruce to Kanye West – The Free Press

Today we’re bringing you the latest episode of “ Breaking History ,” the podcast where I go back in time, in order to make sense of the present. The last episode told the story of how North Korea got the nuke. This week, we’re looking at the godfather of American lewdness, Lenny Bruce. Listen to the episode, which features voices from both the past and present, here: And, if you’re a paying subscriber, scroll down to read the companion essay, which begins with the ultimate recent example of lewdness, Kanye West’s new song. If you enjoy Eli’s essay, make sure to follow “ Breaking History ” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts—and you’ll never miss an episode. On May 8, Kanye West released his latest single. It’s called “Heil Hitler.” In the music video, men in pelts dance as the troubled performer complains about his custody battles for his children and how no one understands him on Twitter, and literally sings “heil Hitler!” Even in our post-woke 2025, a song in praise of the führer violated one of our culture’s remaining taboos. No major streaming platform offers Ye’s song to its customers. But it didn’t matter: As
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