The Colin McEnroe Show - Winamp (2024)

We imagine pirates to be the quintessential rule-breakers — but really, they had their own strictly-followed codes.How did 18th-century pirates dictate their own community standards? How did they create social mobility in an age when changing one's social status was nearly impossible?This hour, we join pirate historian Rebecca Simon to find out!GUEST:Rebecca Simon: Pirate historian with a doctorate in history from King’s College London; she’s the author of several books about piracy, includingThe Pirates’ Code: Laws and Life Aboard ShipThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 11, 2023.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/16/2024 • 41 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to an essay about NPR in The Free Press, NPR’s response to the essay, (our friend) David Folkenflik’s reporting on the essay and NPR’s response and such … Oh, and Scrabble … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/15/2024 • 41 minutes, 30 seconds

Ripleyis an eight-episode limited series adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels. It is the first serialized screen version of those stories following five feature film adaptations, including the 1999 filmThe Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law. The Netflix series stars Adam Scott, Dakota Fanning, and Johnny Flynn. It is created, written, and directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian (who also createdThe Night Of) and shot —in black and white— by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit.And: Scrabble Together is a new, forthcoming version of the classic board game that’s coming to Europe from Mattel. It’s a faster-paced, collaborative version of Scrabble that’s being billed asless “intimidating.”It will not be available in the U.S.GUESTS:Irene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity College, and she’s the author ofThe Essays Only You Can WriteLindsay Lee Wallace:Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/12/2024 • 41 minutes, 21 seconds

If I say “cult classic,” what do you think of? Probably an underground movie that built up an intense following over time, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show or The Room, right? Or maybe even something a bit more mainstream like The Big Lebowski?But where’s the limit here, if there is one? Is Blade Runner a cult movie? Or Pulp Fiction? Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Office Space? Slap Shot? (I mean: Slap Shot?!?)This hour, a look at a genre, a cross section of cinema history that seems to include everything from all-time classics like A Clockwork Orange to all-time terribles like Plan 9 from Outer Space and many, many weird and not-even-so-weird things in between: the cult classic.GUESTS:Millie De Chirico: Co-author ofTCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinemaand co-host of theI Saw What You DidpodcastDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticSam Hatch: Co-hostsThe Culture Dogson WWUHKevin O’Toole: Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on WWUHThis show was produced with Sajina Shrestha.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/11/2024 • 43 minutes

This hour, Yale Dean Tamar Gendler joins us to discuss her course “Public Plato: Ancient Wisdom in the Digital Age.” We'll talk about how to make ancient philosophy relevant for a modern audience, questions of framing and form, and what we can all learn from concepts like alief, phronesis, and eudaimonia.GUEST:Tamar Gendler: Professor of Philosophy, Psychology and Cognitive Science, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, at Yale UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 5, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/10/2024 • 41 minutes

This hour, we’re talking about lotteries. How did this massive money redistribution game come to be? And we know that lotteries can randomly allocate cash prizes to ticket buyers – but could they also pick our political officials? Or the victims of our human sacrifice rituals to ensure that “corn be heavy soon”?GUESTS:Jonathan D. Cohen: Historian and author of For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern AmericaAlex Guerrero: Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University and author of the forthcoming book, “Lottocracy: The Case for Democracy without Elections”Ruth Franklin: Book critic and author of the award-winning biography Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted LifeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Stacey Addo, Lily Tyson, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 23, 2023. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/9/2024 • 49 minutes

This legislative session, local students lobbied Connecticut lawmakers to change our state insect, which is currently the praying mantis. This hour we are focused on the praying mantis. We'll learn about the insect, why students think it should not represent the state, and what praying mantises of the future could look like.GUESTS:Katherine Dugas:Entomologist and research technician at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationLiz Alter:Professor of Evolutionary Biology at California State University Monterey BayJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/8/2024 • 49 minutes

Larry David’sCurb Your Enthusiasmhas been on HBO for going on 24 years. As the show comes to a close, we take a Nose-ish look at it and its impact on cringe comedy and the role of cringiness and awkwardness in our lives.GUESTS:Katie Baker:Senior Staff Writer atThe RingerShawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine:Actress, comedian, and dancer. She is founder, director, and choreographer of Connetic DanceTy Tashiro:Psychologist by training and author of the booka*wkward: The Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward and Why That’s AwesomeJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/5/2024 • 49 minutes

On Monday, the contiguous U.S. will see a total solar eclipse for the last time until 2044. Online, the excitement is also giving way to fears — will communities in the eclipse’s path have enough food and gas to support all the travelers? Will it interrupt our power grid? This hour, we’re talking about the dark side of the eclipse — from doomsday predictions to ancient omens.GUESTS:Vahé Peroomian:Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College of Arts, Letters, and SciencesRebecca Boyle :Science journalist and author of the book,“Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are”Leah Hudson Leva:Writer who researchedconspiracy theories about this year's total eclipseJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/4/2024 • 49 minutes

Bestselling author Don Winslow joins us to discuss his new novel,City in Ruins, which he says is the last of his career.GUEST:Don Winslow:Bestselling author, whose new book,City in Ruins, is out this weekJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/3/2024 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

Today “Luddite” is used as a derogatory term for someone who doesn’t understand technology. But the original Luddites weren’t behind. They were technical workers who were concerned about the impact that technology would have on people.This hour, we look at the history of Luddites, how their philosophy applies today, and ask what our present would look like if they had won. Could we all gain something from thinking more like a Luddite?GUESTS:Miriam A. Cherry: Professor of law at St. John’s University and the author ofWork in the Digital Age: A Coursebook on Labor, Technology, and RegulationBrian Merchant: Technology columnist at the Los Angeles Times and the author ofBlood in the Machine: the Origins of the Rebellion Against Big TechGavin Mueller: Assistant professor of new media and digital culture at the University of Amsterdam and the author ofBreaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your JobThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 21, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/2/2024 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing — calls about grammar, gardening, long-distance dialing, autotune. Anything. Everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour aboutwhatever you want to talk about.888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/1/2024 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose has crazy substitute teacher energy.3 Body Problemis a Netflix series created by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo and loosely based on the 2008 novelThe Three-Body Problemby Liu Cixin, the first novel in theRemembrance of Earth’s Pasttrilogy.3 Body Problemis the first television series created by Benioff and Weiss sinceGame of Thrones.And:More Feelingsis the second HBO comedy special from Ramy Youssef.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani:Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerShawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/29/2024 • 49 minutes

It's tax season. How did this quintessentially frustrating thing come to be so frustrating? And must it be so?This hour, we’re learning about why taxes are so complicated to file in the U.S. Then, we’ll talk about how some of the richest people in America end up paying next to no taxes on the wealth they grow every year. Finally: a conversation with someone who doesn’t pay a chunk of his taxes — on purpose — as a form of protest.GUESTS:Monica Prasad:Professor of Economic and Political Sociology at Johns Hopkins UniversityPaul Kiel:Reporter for ProPublica who covers taxesLawrence Rosenwald:Professor of English Emeritus at Wellesley College and a longtime war tax resisterJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/28/2024 • 48 minutes, 53 seconds

Constructed languages have existed in popular culture for a long time, but they've reached a new level of ubiquity today. This hour, we talk with professional conlangers who have created languages forGame of Thrones,Dune, and many other worlds. We'll learn about the art of constructing languages, and the appeal of learning one of them.GUESTS:David and Jessie Peterson:Professional conlangers whose work appears inDune: Part Two,Elemental,Shadow and Bone, and more. They co-host the weekly livestream “LangTime Studio” on YouTube. David also created languages forGame of ThronesGregory Danielson III:Experienced Toki Pona speaker and teacherJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/27/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour, we grapple with the impact our ancestors have on our lives and what our responsibility is if they did something we disagree with.GUESTS:Maud Newton: Author ofAncestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a ReconciliationJenny Strauss: Great-granddaughter of Lewis StraussThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 17, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/26/2024 • 50 minutes

Plastic is everywhere in our world, and scientists are increasingly discovering the negative health and environmental impacts of the material.This hour, we take a look at our relationship to plastic. We talk about the material, its evolution, and its symbolism in our culture. Plus, we look at the use of single use plastic in television and why it matters.GUESTS:Susan Freinkel: Author of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story; her Substack is 1,017 Acres: Life in the ParkErica Cirino: Communications manager of the Plastic Pollution Coalition and the author of Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic CrisisDana Weinstein: Project specialist for the Media Impact Project at the University of Southern California Annenberg Norman Lear CenterThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/25/2024 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off. In its place this hour, a look at the current controversies swirling around certain celebrities:Catherine, Princess of Wales hasn’t made a scheduled public appearance since last year. Kensington Palace announced in January that she was having “planned abdominal surgery.” The internet was dissatisfied with that explanation. And then some photos this month, including one that the Princess admitted to doctoring, have left the internet, let’s say,even less satisfied.And: Dan Schneider has been described as “the Norman Lear of children’s television.” His Nickelodeon shows launched the careers of people like Amanda Bynes, Ariana Grande, Keenan Thompson, and others. But a new docuseries,Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, brings together a number of previously known stories and allegations with some new information that, altogether,paints an ugly pictureof what was going on behind the scenes — and often even on the screen — on Dan Schneider’s sets.And finally: Director Jonathan Glazer’s acceptance speech at this year’s Academy Awards included this passage: “Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?” At the ceremony, people applauded. Since the ceremony, (some) people have responded, uh, less kindly. In any case, the Oscars havea long history of political controversy.GUESTS:Alison Foreman:A features writer atIndieWirecovering and critiquing TV, film, and trends in HollywoodTiffany Hsu:A technology reporter forThe New York Timescovering misinformation and disinformation and its origins, movement, and consequencesPete Hammond:Awards columnist and chief film critic atDeadlineThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/22/2024 • 49 minutes

March Madness is here!And so the only logical thing to do is to get improv comedian Julia Pistell and the actual Bill Curry together to talk basketball for an hour on the radio.That may not be the only logical thing to do. It may be that that’s not actually a logical thing to do at all.But we’re doing it anyway.*It’s our 14th one of these unless it isn’t. We’re pretty sure we’ve done this show every year from 2010 on, but for 2020. There’s circ*mstantial evidence, at least, that we did this show that first March that our show was on the air, in 2010. But no proof that that’s a thing we did survives. But we’re still fairly confident we did it.GUESTS:Eugene J. Cornacchia: President of Saint Peter’s UniversityBill Curry: Playing the part of Bill CurryFrankie Graziano: Host of The Wheelhouse on Connecticut PublicJulia Pistell: A founding member ofSea Tea Improv, amonga number of other thingsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/21/2024 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds

We all strive to be right about things — we do our research, we listen to people who seem smarter than us, we make compelling arguments over dinner tables. But is there an underappreciated art to being wrong? This hour, lessons on changing your mind and admitting mistakes: from newspaper corrections to public intellectual pivots.GUESTS:Eranda Jayawickreme:Professor of Psychology at Wake Forest UniversityTy Seidule:Visiting Professor of History at Hamilton College and the author of“Robert E. Lee and Me.”He’s a retired brigadier general in the U.S. army and the former Vice Chair of the Department of Defense’s Naming Commission.Isaac Saulis the founder of the newsletter TangleJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/20/2024 • 49 minutes

You’re probably familiar with the panicked rush that comes when you’re running around your house, looking for keys or a wallet you’ve misplaced. It’s an awful feeling. But maybe there’s some value in the process of searching for lost things — beyond the prize you may (or may not) find at the end. This hour, we’re talking to some professional “lookers” to find out: Is there joy, or hidden value, to be found in the search process? Can we learn to be better lookers?GUESTS:Chris Turner:CEO ofThe Ring Finders, a global directory of metal detecting specialistsJames Renner:Journalist and authorWalter Wick:Photo-illustrator and picture puzzle designer known for the “I Spy” and “Can You See What I See?” seriesJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 16, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/19/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/18/2024 • 49 minutes

Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein. These, along with many others, are the sorts of songwriters we associate with the Great American Songbook, the amorphous canon of important 20th-century pop songs, jazz standards, and show tunes from Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, and movie musicals.But there’s another important detail here. The songs we think of as the Songbook are from, more specifically, the 1920s through the 1950s. With some simple arithmetic, you can see that they’re, uh, getting on in years — which might (must?) mean that their devotees are, too.The Nose is off this week. In its place this hour, a look at and a listen to — and some concern for the future of — the Great American Songbook.GUESTS:Joelle Lurie: Vocalist, songwriter, voiceover artist, and bandleaderSteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the University of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired September 1, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/15/2024 • 50 minutes

Today, the sea chantey is something people listen to while having a good time in bars or at festivals, but its roots are more complex, stretching into the hard labor performed by sailors on 19th century merchant vessels and having ties to Black work songs. During the first year of the pandemic, there was a sea chantey craze on TikTok as people found joy and connection in the songs.This hour, we treat you to the joy of the chantey form and some of the pain that lies behind it.Connecticut Public’s talk shows have teamed up to bring you a full week of stories exploring the state’s shoreline and beyond. You can find all of our NautiWeek coverage at ctpublic.org/nautiweek.GUESTS:The Jovial Crew: A group of musicians and historians that’s been performing chanteys, forebitters, and other traditional old songs in Essex, Connecticut, since its founding in 1986; on the show today are Joseph Morneault, Rick Spencer, Michael Hotkowski, and the group’s founder, Cliff HaslamMaya Angela Smith: Associate professor of French at University of Washington who wrote the essay “A People’s Song Upon the Waters”Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 2, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/13/2024 • 49 minutes

Christopher Nolan’s movies have grossed more than $6 billion, earned 49 Academy Award nominations, and won 18 Oscars — including seven wins this year for Oppenheimer.His Dark Knight films helped spark the comic book movie renaissance we’re still experiencing, and his seventh feature, Inception, is the highest-grossing totally original, totally standalone movie ever made.This hour — and in the wake of Oppenheimer’s Best Picture-winning Oscar weekend — a look at the filmmaker behind Batman Begins, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Memento, and more: Christopher Nolan.GUESTS:Kayleigh Donaldson: A pop culture writer and criticJames Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceTom Shone: The author ofThe Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher NolanThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Rebecca Castellani, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired September 2, 2021, and July 28, 2023, in a different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/12/2024 • 50 minutes

Our lives are entrenched in secrets — the average person, apparently, keeps as many as 13 of them at any given time. They’re largely regarded as bad for us.But maybe secrets, like us, are more complex? Is there a time when a secret can be harmless, or even good? Can a secret save lives? And how many people can be involved in one before it all topples down?GUESTS:David Robert Grimes:Scientist and science writerRaneta Lawson Mack:Professor of law emerita at Creighton University School of LawMichael Slepian:Researcher who studies the psychology of secrecy, as well as an associate professor at Columbia Business School; he’s the author ofThe Secret Life of SecretsThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 9, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/11/2024 • 49 minutes

Dune: Part Twois the third film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel. It is thesecond partof Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation and the first of hisDunefilms released exclusively in theaters. It has grossed $204 million in its first week at the worldwide box office, making it the highest grossing American movie of 2024 so far.Dune: Part Twostars an ensemble cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, and … Christopher Walken?And:The Greatest Night in Popis a Netflix documentary about the recording of “We Are the World.” It features new interviews with Sheila E., Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, and Dionne Warwick.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine:An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersJohn Dankosky:Director of news and audio forScience Friday, event and podcast host forThe Connecticut Mirror, and co-owner of Lam Yoga in New Hartford, ConnecticutIrene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity College and she’s the author ofThe Essays Only You Can WritePedro Soto:President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/8/2024 • 49 minutes

The Doobie Brothers. Christopher Cross. Steely Dan. Kenny Loggins. Toto. Michael McDonald. Ambrosia. Supertramp. (The Eagles? Uh, Michael Jackson?)Something was happening in the music world out there on the West Coast in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Something with electric pianos and slower tempos and jazz and R&B influences and hi-fi, almost crystalline production.This hour, we take a deep dive into the smooth, soft sounds of … yacht rock.GUESTS:Hollywood Steve Huey:A music critic and a cohost of theBeyond Yacht RockandYacht or Nyacht?podcastsCharly Kay:Lead and backing vocalist in theYacht LobstersDavid Mendelsohn:Vocalist and guitarist in theYacht LobstersScout Raimondo:Production intern at Connecticut PublicGaston Raimondo:Scout’s dadBrian Slattery:Arts editor for theNew Haven Independentand a producer at WNHH radioThis show was produced with Scout Raimondo.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/7/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour is all about America’s 21st president, Chester A. Arthur, who took office after President James Garfield was assassinated. We look at Arthur’s life and legacy and at what happens when someone unexpectedly takes over the highest office in the land.GUESTS:David Edelstein:America’s Greatest Living Film Critic.Scott S. Greenberger:Executive editor ofStateline, and author ofThe Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester A. ArthurVictoria Sample:Historic Sites Section Chief for the State of VermontJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/6/2024 • 49 minutes

When was the last time you read a short story? This hour, we talk about why short stories are so popular in the classroom, but why adults don’t seem to read them much once they’re done with school. And we make the case for why you should. Plus, a look at the art of the short story with some masters of the craft.You can read Rebecca Makkai’s Substack post that inspired this show here.Here is the story that is discussed in the final segment, “How I Became a Vet” by Rivka Galchen.As part of this show we asked each of our guests to recommend a short story, a collection, or an author. Here are those recommendations:Rebecca Makkai: “The Dinner Party” by Joshua FerrisGeorge Saunders: “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault, “The Conventional Wisdom” by Stanley ElkinDeborah Treisman: Liberation Day by George Saunders, After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley, “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak” by Jamil Jan KochaiAmy Bloom: “The Dead” by James Joyce, stories by Edward P. Jones, essays by Samantha IrbyIrene Papoulis: “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ PackerBrian Slattery: “Hell is the Absence of God” by Ted ChiangColin McEnroe: “The Hole on the Corner” and “What’s the Name of That Town?” by R.A. LaffertyGUESTS:Rebecca Makkai: Author of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-finalist The Great Believers, among other books; her newest book is I Have Some Questions For You, and she is artistic director of StoryStudio ChicagoGeorge Saunders: Author of twelve books; his most recent is Liberation Day, a collection of short storiesDeborah Triesman: Fiction editor for The New Yorker and the host of their Fiction PodcastAmy Bloom: Author of four novels and three collections of short stories; her most recent book is the memoir In LoveIrene Papouli: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven IndependentJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 7, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/5/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour: lunch — from the hungry judge effect to the sad desk lunch. We’ll look at the history of our mid-day meal, talk about school lunches, and get tips for packing lunch.And we want to hear from you. Do you love lunch? Hate it? Eat the same lunch every day? Never eat lunch? Call us: 888-720-9677.GUESTS:Megan Elias:Historian, Director of the Food Studies Program, Associate Professor at Boston University, and author ofLunch: A HistoryAviva Wittenberg:Author ofLunchbox: 75+ Easy and Delicious Recipes for Lunches on the GoErin Feinauer Whiting:Professor of Multicultural Education at Brigham Young UniversityJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/4/2024 • 49 minutes

Poor Thingsis the eighth feature film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. It is written by Tony McNamara and based on the 1992 novelPoor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officerby Alasdair Gray.Poor Thingsis a fantastical comedy that deals with some pretty dark ideas, and it’s nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Lanthimos), Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), and Best Adapted Screenplay.And: After a year without a permanent host,The Daily Showhas finally filled its vacancy! Or one-quarter of its vacancy, at least. But anyway: Jon Stewart is back! But just on Mondays. But Jon Stewart has returned! At least through the election. And then Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Thursdays are hosted by a rotating group of correspondents. For now, anyway, it sounds like.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict:The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction … and she’s the host of theRite GudpodcastSam Hadelman:Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/1/2024 • 49 minutes

Everything's felt like, and been called, a "crisis" lately. This hour, we talk about the overuse of the term "crisis," and crisis fatigue. Plus, we'll talk with a crisis communicator about how to manage a crisis. And, finally, a look at the midlife crisis.GUESTS:Eliah Bures:Historian of modern Europe and a Senior Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Right-Wing StudiesChristian Paz:Senior Politics Reporter forVoxMolly McPherson:An expert in crisis communications and emergency management. She is the author of the bookIndestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media CrisisBarbara Bradley Hagerty:Contributing writer toThe Atlantic, and author ofLife Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of MidlifeJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/29/2024 • 49 minutes

"The lesser of two evils" is a phrase we hear a lot during election cycles. Why is that? This hour, we look to philosophy, the polls, and forensic psychiatry to explore the meaning of this idiom.GUESTS:Lakshya Jain:Partner at the election analysis websitesplitticket.orgJulia Maskivker:Professor of Political Theory and Political Science at Rollins College in Florida. She wrote the book“The Duty to Vote.”Dr. Michael Welner:Forensic psychiatrist and chairman of The Forensic PanelJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/28/2024 • 49 minutes

Who am I? We’ve all wondered at some point. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality test based on Carl Jung’s psychological types, has offered many an answer.This hour, we delve into the history of the MBTI and contemporary applications of this test and explore its scientific validity.Plus, a look at a dating app that uses the 16 personality types to help people find love.GUESTS:Jessica Alderson: Founder ofSo Syncd, a 16 personalities-based dating appAlexander Swan: Associate professor of psychology at Eureka College and host of theCinemaPsychpodcastPaul Tieger: A prolific author on the MBTI; his books includeDo What You AreandJust Your TypeThis show was produced by Carol Chen.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired August 3, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/27/2024 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to the cold,Cheese & Stuff, fast crocodiles, how we choose music, when Colin eats lunch … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/26/2024 • 49 minutes

With the Academy Awards just two weekends away, this year’s awards season is coming to a close.With that in mind, this hour we take a Nose-ish look at awards shows — awards shows as live events, as television, and as the actual doling out of artistic accolades.Plus: a brief history of the Academy Awards with Michael Schulman, the author ofOscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.GUESTS:David Edelstein:America’s Greatest Living Film CriticAlison Herman:TV critic atVarietyMichael Schulman:A staff writer atThe New Yorkerand the author, most recently, ofOscar WarsThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/23/2024 • 49 minutes

Barcodes are everywhere, and they helped to shape the world we live in. This hour, we'll look at the history and impact of barcodes. Plus, we'll look at the rise of QR code menus and tickets, and talk about what we might gain and lose as we move away from physical objects to digital ones.GUESTS:Jordan Frith:Pearce Professor of Professional Communications at Clemson University, and author of the bookBarcodeSean Willard:Menu Engineer with Menu EngineersBailey Sincox:Perkins-Cotsen Postdoctoral Fellow in the Princeton Society of Fellows, where she teaches and writes about early modern English literatureJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/22/2024 • 49 minutes, 8 seconds

This hour, partly cloudy spies with a 50% chance of certain rain. Have you ever wondered if you really exist? Consider that you might not exist at all. In other news, get ready to gyre and gimble in the wabe — our show today is about incoherence.GUESTS:Alex Worsnip:Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He’s the author of“Fitting Things Together: Coherence and the Demands of Structural Rationality”Tom Nichols:Staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter.Major Jackson:Professor of English at Vanderbilt University and host of the podcast the Slowdown from American Public Media. His most recent book is“Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems”Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/21/2024 • 49 minutes

J. Edgar Hoover served as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under eight presidents and made the FBI into the organization it is today.This hour, Beverly Gage, Yale historian and author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Hoover, joins us to talk about his life and legacy.Plus, a look at the status of the FBI today and the lessons we can learn from Hoover’s example.GUESTS:Beverly Gage: Professor of 20th-century U.S. history at Yale University; her newest book,G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for BiographyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 27, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/20/2024 • 49 minutes

American Fiction, the feature film directorial debut of Cord Jefferson, is a comedy based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. It is nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jefferson, Best Actor for Jeffrey Wright, and Best Supporting Actor for Sterling K. Brown.And: Criminal Record is a British crime thriller series on Apple TV+. Here’s their synopsis: “In the heart of London, an anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives — a young woman in the early stages of her career and a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy — into a fight to correct an old miscarriage of justice.” Criminal Record stars Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo.GUESTS:Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College, and she’s the author ofThe Essays Only You Can WriteThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/17/2024 • 50 minutes

This hour is all about printers. We’ll talk about printer problems and why, despite our struggles, we can’t seem to quit them. And, we’ll talk with a rage room owner about the appeal of smashing printers.GUESTS:Cory Doctorow: Science fiction author, activist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and journalist. His new book, The Bezzle, is out next weekAllen St. John: Multimedia Content Producer for Consumer ReportsCody Nicholas: Co-owner of the Lose It Rage Room in Woodbridge, VAJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Katie Pellico, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/15/2024 • 48 minutes, 54 seconds

From pen names to online aliases, pseudonyms are all around us. This hour, we’re talking about what compels people to adopt an alternate identity when they write.Do pseudonyms liberate us? Do they make us treat each other better? Or do they stop credit from going where it’s due?GUESTS:Carmela Ciuraru:Author of“Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms”and, most recently,“Lives of the Wives: Five Literary Marriages”Daniel A. Gross:Editor at the New Yorker and author of the Atlantic article,“The Mystery of the Hardy Boys and the Invisible Authors”Alfred Moore:Senior lecturer in Politics at the University of YorkJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/14/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour, novelist Joyce Maynard joins usfor a second timeto talk about her latest novel, the blurring of life and fiction, and her new career running a hotel in Guatemala.GUEST:Joyce Maynard:Novelist; her latest isThe Bird HotelThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 25, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/13/2024 • 49 minutes, 59 seconds

This hour is all about commercials. We'll look at the Super Bowl ads, and how commercials have infiltrated streaming. Plus, a look at what’s going on with those "He Gets Us" ads for Jesus.GUESTS:Patrick Dugan: Executive creative director at Adams and Knight in AvonSuzanne Vranica: Advertising Editor for The Wall Street JournalBob Smietana: National reporter for Religion News Service, and author of Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it MattersJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/12/2024 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off this week. In its place, and with the week coming to an end, it’s time for an hour on endings.We look at the art of the ending, wonder what makes a satisfying ending in literature and TV and music, and ponder how we know it’s time to let a thing come to an end.GUESTS:Jen Chaney: TV critic at Vulture and New York magazine and the author ofAs If! The Oral History of CluelessGeoff Dyer: Author ofThe Last Days of Roger Federer: And Other Endings, among other booksRebecca Makkai: Artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago and the author, most recently, ofI Have Some Questions for YouSusan Rogers: Multi-platinum record producer, cognitive neuroscientist, professor at Berklee College of Music and co-author ofThis Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About YouThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired May 17, 2019, and May 17, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/9/2024 • 50 minutes

This hour we look at the philosophy of humanism. We survey the history and evolution of the humanist tradition, and discuss what it means to practice humanism. Plus, how humanism can help us relate to technology.GUESTS:Sarah Bakewell:Author ofHumanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope, among other booksGreg Epstein: Author and Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is also Convener for Ethical Life at the MIT Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical LifeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 13, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/8/2024 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to coyote behavior, the asphalt on the highway, where bare feet are and are not acceptable (and, relatedly, “Barefootin’”), crosswalk signals … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/7/2024 • 49 minutes

Terms that started out in the therapist’s office have moved into the public discourse. This hour we talk about therapy-speak, armchair psychology, and how greater awareness of mental health terminology and diagnoses impacts the broader conversation around mental health, for better and worse. Plus, a look at how therapists are depicted on TV and how that’s impacted their work outside the screen.GUESTS:Lucy Foulkes:An academic psychologist at the University of Oxford and author of the bookLosing Our Minds: The Challenge of Defining Mental IllnessJessica Gold:Assistant Professor and the Director of Wellness, Engagement, and Outreach in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine. She works clinically as an outpatient psychiatrist, and writes about mental health for a variety of general audience publicationsInkoo Kang:The television critic atThe New YorkerJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 24, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/6/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour, we revisit the classic debate about whether or not we have free will.Plus: Is there anything that makes you feel like you have free will more than a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book? We revisit the series … if you choose to listen, that is.GUESTS:Kevin J. Mitchell:Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. His new book isFree Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free WillShannon Gilligan:CEO and Publisher of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, which has been in print for more than 40 yearsSONGS:“Can’t Help Myself” by Four Tops“You’re Made That Way” by Mavis Staples“Metacognition” by High School for the Recording Arts Los Angeles“Make Your Own Kind of Music” by Cass Elliot“Choose your own adventure (Kyle Watson Remix)” by GoldFishJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/5/2024 • 49 minutes

In the Knowis a stop-motion, claymation, half-hour comedy series created by Zach Woods, Brandon Gardner, and Mike Judge. It follows a third-rate NPR host, Lauren Caspian (voiced by Woods), a “well-meaning, hypocritical nimrod puppet” and his third-rate NPR interview show,In the Know.And:Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformativeis a limited-series podcast fromRadiotopia Presents. It is created and hosted by Jess Shane, and it attempts to expose and question “the nuts and bolts of documentary storytelling.”GUESTS:Theresa Cramer:A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder ofQuiet Corner CommunicationsTracy Wu Fastenberg:Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/2/2024 • 42 minutes, 3 seconds

This hour: popular songs are getting shorter, tropical sand is made of fish poop, and Scramble the weather-predicting duck puts Punxsutawney Phil to shame.GUESTS:Joe Bennett:Forensic musicologist and a professor at Berklee College of Music in BostonJoe Roman:Conservation biologist at the University of Vermont and author of book, “Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World”Isaac Torcellini:One of Scramble the Duck’s handlersJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/1/2024 • 41 minutes, 16 seconds

What is yodeling, anyway? Some consider it singing, some say it’s an ululation, and still others consider it merely a means to herd animals. Whatever yodeling is, one thing’s clear: Yodeling has been around for thousands of years and shows no signs of disappearing.This hour, we speak with a musicologist, a DJ, and a professional singer about this age-old vocal practice. We trace yodeling’s history from its humble, utilitarian roots to its place in modern day pop music and beyond.GUESTS:Bart Plantenga: The author of several books includingYodel in Hi-Fi: From Kitsch Folk to Contemporary ElectronicaRoger Tincknell: A cowboy yodeler, musician, and traveling performerTimothy Wise: Author ofYodeling and Meaning in American MusicChion Wolf: Host ofAudaciouson Connecticut PublicThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired October 10, 2017.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/31/2024 • 42 minutes

This hour, we take a look at the state of philanthropy with Amy Schiller, author of the new book,The Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong and How to Fix It. We’ll look at the evolution of philanthropy through history, and potential reforms for its future. Plus, we’ll discuss the rise of effective altruism, the philanthropic philosophy of LeBron James, and what we can learn from the example of Notre Dame.GUEST:Amy Schiller:Writer, political philosopher, and visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. She is author ofThe Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong and How to Fix itJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/29/2024 • 41 minutes

Samuel and Olivia Clemens and their children moved into the house they’d had built at Nook Farm in Hartford — the house that we now call the Mark Twain House — in 1874, 150 years ago this year.Partly to celebrate that anniversary, we present this hour a new version of our 2015 interview with the late Hal Holbrook.Holbrook was probably best known for his one-man show, Mark Twain Tonight!, which he performed for 63 years — longer than Samuel Clemens used the Mark Twain moniker.Beyond Mark Twain Tonight!, you probably know Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat in All the President’s Men. He’s in a Dirty Harry movie. He’s in a Steven Spielberg movie. He’s in Wall Street and The Firm and John Carpenter’s The Fog. He appeared on Designing Women and The West Wing and The Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy and Grey’s Anatomy.Hal Holbrook won a Tony Award. He was nominated for 12 Emmys, and he won five. And he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Into the Wild.We talked to Holbrook on the evening of February 3, 2015. He was two weeks shy of his 90th birthday — which birthday he celebrated by performing Mark Twain Tonight! at The Bushnell in Hartford.Hal Holbrook died in 2021. He was 95.GUEST:Hal Holbrook: Was a film, television, and stage actorThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This interview was originally produced by Betsy Kaplan.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired February 4, 2015, in a different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/27/2024 • 50 minutes

Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in Alaska inTrue Detective: Night Country. Juno Temple, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Richa Moorjani in Minnesota in the recent fifth season of Fargo.Emma Corrin and Brit Marling in Iceland inA Murder at the End of the World.There’s something going on with all these TV mysteries set in the frozen, frigid North with all these neo noiry North Country female leads.This hour, a Nose-ish look at what Colin’s taken to calling the current "hard-boiled women in cold climates" phenomenon.GUESTS:Melanie McFarland:Senior culture critic atSalonShawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastKat Rosenfield:A novelist, a columnist forUnHerd, and the co-host of theFeminine Chaospodcast; her most recent novel isYou Must Remember ThisSubscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/26/2024 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds

Have you ever heard someone say that East Coasters are kind but not nice, and West Coasters are nice but not kind? This hour, we’re figuring out what “niceness” is, why it's so important to us, and how can it sometimes mask not-so-nice things.GUESTS:Carrie Tirado Bramen: Professor at the University at Buffalo and author of the book“American Niceness: A Cultural History”Amit Kumar:Assistant Professor of Marketing and Psychology at the University of Texas at AustinJordan Green:Self-proclaimed “kind West Coaster”Mia Mercado:Humor writer and author from the Midwest who wrote“She's Nice Though: Essays on Being Bad at Being Good”Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/25/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour we take a look at the science fiction books and movies set in 2024 to see how close to reality they turned out to be. We'll discuss the 1960 filmBeyond the Time Barrier, the 1975 filmA Boy and His Dog, and Octavia E. Butler's 1993 novelParable of the Sower. Plus, we'll hear from a speculative fiction writer about the challenge, and value, of imagining the future. And, we'll talk with someone behindThe Washington Post's annual "List" about predicting trends for the next year.GUESTS:Charles Bramesco:Afilm and television critic, and author of the article “The beginning of the end? What we can learn from films set in 2024”Annalee Newitz:A writer of science fiction and nonfiction whose books includeThe TerraformersandFour Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age. Their forthcoming book isStories are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind. They are also the co-host of the podcastOur Opinions Are CorrectCassandra L. Jones: Assistant Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Cincinnati. Her forthcoming book isBlack Speculative Feminisms: Memory and Liberated Futures in Black Women's Speculative FictionMaura Judkis:Features Reporter forThe Washington Postwho wrote “The List: What’s In and What’s Out for 2024”SONGS:“The Future” by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats“2024” by Tyson James“Don’t Leave Me” by The Winans“You Want it Darker” by Leonard Cohen“Not My Fault” by Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee StallionSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/24/2024 • 49 minutes

Loneliness: It’s often cited as an “epidemic” and can have a health impact comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.This hour, we talk about what loneliness looks like in the brain and how public policy could affect our loneliness epidemic.Plus: a conversation with an expert on making friends as an adult!GUESTS:Elisa Baek: Assistant professor of psychology at USC DornsifeChris Murphy: U.S. Senator from ConnecticutKat Vellos: A speaker, connection coach, and the author ofWe Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better FriendshipsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 12, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/23/2024 • 50 minutes

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about.SONGS:“Now You Know” by the Original Cast of Merrily We Roll Along“Winston Churchill’s Boy” by Benjamin Clementine“Give Him a Great Big Kiss” by The Shangri-Las"Bombay Bicycle Club" by Fantasneeze (feat. Matilda Mann)"The Telephone Call" by KraftwerkSubscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/22/2024 • 49 minutes

Saltburnis the second movie written and directed by Emerald Fennell, followingPromising Young Woman. It is a comedy-drama-thriller set mostly on the titular sprawling estate during summer break from Oxford University. Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike were both nominated for Golden Globes for their performances.And:The Holdoversis the eighth feature film directed by Alexander Payne and the first feature written by David Hemingson. It is the second time Payne and Paul Giamatti have worked together, followingSideways.The Holdoversis a comedy-drama set mostly during Christmas break from a fictional New England boarding school. Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph both won Golden Globes for their performances.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Honeymooners’ Star Joyce Randolph Dead at 99Played Ed Norton’s Wife, Trixie‘Rap sh*t’ Canceled at MaxThe comedy from creator Issa Rae starring Aida Osman ran for two seasons on the streamer.‘Schmigadoon’ Canceled After Two Seasons at Apple TV+Elton John Just Got EGOTThe 150 Greatest Science Fiction Movies of All TimeFrom space odysseys to star wars, alien invaders to guardians of the galaxy — the best sci-fi films from the beginning of the movies until nowReboot Star Wars!Toward a definition of “Egg Cinema”How movies made by seeming cis people sometimes end up super trans.Lorne Michaels Says Tina Fey ‘Could Easily’ Take Over ‘Saturday Night Live’: She’s ‘Brilliant and Great at Everything’GUESTS:Xandra Ellin:A producer at Pineapple Street StudiosSam Hadelman:Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity College, and she’s the author ofThe Essays Only You Can WriteThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/19/2024 • 49 minutes

From abortion rights to partisan school board elections, ballot measures are a big deal in 2024. But what are they? A drop of direct democracy to defend against corrupt politicians? A pawning-off of governance to voters who don’t know what they’re voting on? This hour: the good, the bad, and the weird of ballot measures.GUESTS:Dane Waters:Founder of theInitiative and Referendum Instituteat the University of Southern CaliforniaDesmond Meade:Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and author of"Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens"Ryan Byrne:Managing Editor of the Ballot Measures Project at BallotpediaJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/18/2024 • 49 minutes

In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give it to humans, and suffered an eternity of punishment for doing so. This hour, we revisit that myth, and talk about why it resonates so much today. Plus, we’ll take a look at the 2012 filmPrometheus.GUESTS:Adrienne Mayor: Research scholar in the Classics Department and the History of Science Program at Stanford University. She is the author ofGods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other booksAnnie Dorsen:Theater director who works at the intersection of algorithmic art and live performance. Her most recent production wasPrometheus Firebringer. She is the recipient of a MacArthur FellowshipA.O. Scott:Critic at large forThe New York Times Book Review, where he was formerly film critic. He is the author ofBetter Living Through CriticismDom Nero:Writer, video editor, and co-host of “Eye of The Duck,” a podcast about movies and the scenes that make them specialSONGS:“Road to Hell (Live)” by the Original Cast of Hadestown“We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel“Oppenheimer” by Old 97s“Prometheus” by SickTanicK“A Planet” by Marc StreitenfeldJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/17/2024 • 49 minutes

Why do humans cry? This hour, we look at the science of crying and discuss what it does for us, emotionally and culturally.Plus: musician Dar Williams on why some songs make us cry. And: We investigate “crocodile tears” with a crocodile biologist.GUESTS:Benjamin Perry: Minister at Middle Church and the author ofCry, Baby: Why Our Tears MatterKent Vliet: An expert in crocodilian biologyDar Williams: Singer-songwriterThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Stacey Addo, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 6, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/16/2024 • 50 minutes

In lieu of a standard Nose, we decided to take a show-length look at some of the best stand-up comedy from 2023 and some of the most-anticipated stand-up comedy of 2024.There are the new controversial specials fromDave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais. But there are also good, recent specials from folks likeKenny DeForest, Gary Gulman, Dina Hashem, Pete Holmes, andBeth Stelling.And there’sTaylor Tomlinson’s new late night gigstarting January 16.Plus: Pete Davidson has a brand-new special. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are on tour. John Mulaney and Rory Scovel have new specials coming. And more!GUESTS:Shawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastJason Zinoman:Critic at large forThe New York Times, where he writes theOn ComedycolumnThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/12/2024 • 49 minutes

The cars have eyes: Data privacy (or lack thereof) and your vehicleSomewhere along the way, cars stopped being just a means of transportation — now, they’re also a dining room, an entertainment center, even an extension of our selves. And apparently,they’re sharing and selling data about youthat you might not know they collected in the first place. This hour: everything you didn’t know about that thing you sit in for an hour every day.GUESTS:Jen Caltrider:Program Director of Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included projectKashmir Hill:Technology reporter at the New York Times, specializing in privacyStefan Gössling:Professor at Linnaeus UniversityIan Walker:Professor of Environmental Psychology at Swansea UniversityJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/11/2024 • 49 minutes

It’s kind of Civil War days right now. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley choked on the cause. Former President Trump is being disqualified from state ballots based on an amendment intended to keep Confederate leaders from holding federal offices and charged with another offense derived from the Civil War.This hour: Are we in the Civil War era? And what would it mean if we were? Plus, what another civil war could look like.GUESTS:Caroline Janney:Professor of history of American Civil War and the director of the NauCenter for Civil War History at the University of VirginiaGerard Magliocca:Samuel R. Rosen Professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of LawStephen Marche:Novelist and essayist; his most recent book isThe Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American FutureClint Smith:Staff writer atThe Atlanticand author ofHow the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across AmericaJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/10/2024 • 49 minutes

There’s an old Latin saying from the early Middle Ages: Verba volant, scripta manent — What is written remains, what is spoken flies away. Essentially, it means you should write down your contracts.But according to Alberto Manguel, author of A History of Reading, the phrase can be interpreted in a different way: What is written is stuck to the page. It’s only when you give it a voice that it acquires wings and can fly.This hour: reading out loud. We look at the history of the practice and talk to people who make reading expressive, communal, and loud.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan: Director, producer, arts consultant, and an artist working at the crossroads of performance and creative leadershipDennis Duncan: Lecturer in English at University College LondonDrew John Ladd: Blogger, activist, and the author of Wolfsong BelovedAlberto Manguel: Director of Lisbon’s Center for Research into the History of ReadingRobin Miles: An audiobook narrator and a producer, director, teacher, and actor for theater, television, films, and museumsBrooke Steinhauser: Programs director at theEmily Dickinson MuseumChion Wolf: Host ofAudaciouson Connecticut PublicThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 5, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/9/2024 • 50 minutes

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/8/2024 • 49 minutes

Anatomy of a Fall(Anatomie d’une chute) is a French courtroom drama thriller directed by Justine Triet and written by Triet and Arthur Harari. It won the Palme d’Or (and the Palm Dog Award —which is a real thing, it turns out) at Cannes last year. It is currently nominated for four awards at Sunday’s Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture — Drama.And: Provocative sex has returned to the movies,according to Alexandra GleemaninThe New York Times Magazine, citing things likeMay DecemberandSaltburnand evenOppenheimer. The Nose wonders how we feel about that.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict:Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of theRite GudpodcastXandra Ellin:A producer at Pineapple Street StudiosLindsay Lee Wallace:Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/5/2024 • 49 minutes

In honor of Merriam-Webster’s 2023 Word of the Year, we're doing a show on authenticity! What is it? Why do we care about it? And whether we're talking about historical paintings or people — how do you figure out what's authentic?GUESTS:Peter Sokolowski:Editor-at-large at Merriam-WebsterGeorge Newman:Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of TorontoEthan Bueno de Mesquita:Interim Dean and Sydney Stein Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of ChicagoJeffrey Taylor:Partner at New York Art Forensics and a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Lithuania. He wrote the book,“The Art Business: Art World, Art Market.”Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/4/2024 • 49 minutes

This hour we look at the world of political merchandise. We explore the history of political merchandise, what it can tell us about an election, and the latest trends going into 2024. Plus, we’ll talk with a t-shirt maker to learn about the current landscape of political merchandise, and what sales can tell us about the priorities of voters.GUESTS:Claire Jerry:Curator of Political History for the Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryHunter Schwarz:Journalist and the founder and curator of the visual politics newsletter “Yello”Mike Draper:Founder and owner of the t-shirt makerRaygunJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/3/2024 • 49 minutes

Before Covid,Most Americans couldn’t imagine the staggering loss of life that earlier generations experienced during epidemics of smallpox, diphtheria, polio and other fatal infectious diseases. We’ve been living in a golden age since WWII, when widespread use of vaccines and antibiotics eradicated the biggest killers and doubled life expectancy. But the catch-22 of medical discovery is that over time, we collectively forget the horror of the diseases from which we were saved.Today, a look at our never-ending quest to escape contagion. We also talk about the myth of ‘Patient Zero’ and a lunar pandemic that never happened.GUESTS:Richard Conniff:National Magazine Award-winning writer forSmithsonian magazine, National Geographic,and other publications. He’s also a former Guggenheim Fellow. His most recent book isEnding Epidemics: A History of Escape From Contagion.Leyla Mei:New York City-basedwriter and medical historian. She has a PhD in American history and writes about disease, risk and race.Dagomar DeGroot:Associate professor of environmental history at Georgetown University.His workhas appeared inAeonmagazine,The Conversation, andTheWashington Post, among other outlets. His most recent book,Ripples in the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Humanity's Place in the Solar System,will be published in 2024.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter,an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 22, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/2/2024 • 49 minutes

Continuing a streak of long, strange years, it’s been a long, strange year. And so, The Nose wonders how our popular culture is dealing with it all.We look back at a whole bunch of movies and TV shows: American Symphony, Barbie, Black Mirror, The Curse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Headliners Only, Killers of the Flower Moon, Leave the World Behind, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Reservation Dogs, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and more.We wonder about the future of superhero movies. We look at the over- and under-appreciated figures in our pop culture.And don’t worry: Taylor Swift gets discussed.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Tom Smothers, Comic Half of the Smothers Brothers, Dies at 86Though he played a naïve buffoon onstage, he was the driving force behind the folk-singing duo’s groundbreaking TV show.Lee Sun-kyun, ‘Parasite’ Actor, Found Dead at 48Mr. Lee, a familiar face on Korean television and movie screens, rose to international fame after starring in the Oscar-winning film.Jo Koy to Host 2024 Golden GlobesThe comedian will make his awards show debut on the CBS broadcast.‘Zone of Interest,’ ‘Perfect Days,’ & ‘Godland’ Make 2024 International Film Oscars ShortlistThe Year Millennials Aged Out of the InternetThe Internet Isn’t Dead. It’s Saturday Night LiveIn 2023, a new idea took hold: The internet isn’t fun anymore. Except it’s not a new idea.We Aren’t Posting on Social Media as Much Anymore. Will We Ever?Excessive ads, bots and misinformation have sucked the fun out of sharing publicly, users sayThe Triumph of ZeldaIn a year of huge games, Tears of the Kingdom still stands outGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and director of marketing at Washington MontessoriDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticRich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordBill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/29/2023 • 50 minutes

As we have every year for at least the last 10 years, to round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year.GUESTS:Jen Allen: A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her most recent album is Sifting GraceNoah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album, with Henry Lugo, isAlter EgoGene Seymour: A film, television, and music criticThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/28/2023 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 55 seconds

This hour: invisibility. We learn about the science of invisibility and whether we’re getting close to having the technology to turn invisible. We also talk about invisibility in pop culture and science fiction and debate questions we all have about what would happen if someone could turn invisible.GUESTS:Gregory Gbur:Author ofInvisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen, and a Professor of Physics and Optical Science at the University of North Carolina at CharlotteLisa Yaszek:Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia TechSophia Brueckner:Futurist artist, designer and engineer, Associate Professor at the School of Art and Design, and Co-Director of the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing at the University of MichiganJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 31, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/27/2023 • 49 minutes

Romance novels have long had a reputation for being flimsy, sexist, trashy bodice-rippers. But there’s lots more to the genre than meets the eye. This hour, we look at what makes romance novels work – and why so many of us are devouring them.GUESTS:Olivia Waite: The New York Times Book Review’s romance fiction columnist who writes queer and historical romance, fantasy, and critical essays on the genre’s history and futureJason Rogers: Olympic medalist, journalist covering masculinity, and the founder of a now-defunct romance book club for menTony Horvath: Creative director for the long-time romance-novel publisher Harlequin, where he oversees production of about 80 book covers a monthJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, Carolyn McCusker, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 1, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/26/2023 • 49 minutes

Every year since 2014, we’ve done some version of this show. We get “Big Al” Anderson and Jim Chapdelaine and Colin together, we sing some songs, tell some stories, have some surprise guests … and somehow we wind up with a holiday special.We couldn’t, strictly speaking, do the together part of that this year. But that’s no reason not to sing songs — eight of them, no less — and tell stories and have some surprise guests. And this year, we’ve included a brand-new version of an unheard, age-old Big Al song that Al and Jim sent along special.It’s an hour of joyous nonsense for Christmas Eve Eve, an audio “Happy holidays” from us to you.🎄GUESTS:“Big Al” Anderson: Vocals, guitar, songwriterJim Chapdelaine: Guitar, vocals, songwriter, mixer, engineer, producer, etc.Lorne Entress: Drums and vocalsPaul Kochanski: Bass guitar and vocalsNekita Waller: Connecticut’s 17th State TroubadourThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Natalie Frascarelli, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired in a different form December 24, 2019, and December 22, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/23/2023 • 51 minutes

Maestrois thesecond filmproduced, written, and directed by Bradley Cooper. Netflix calls it a “love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.” It stars Carey Mulligan as Felicia and Cooper as Leonard Bernstein.Maestrois nominated for four Golden Globes, including Best Picture, Drama and Best Director, Motion Picture.Plus: A brief look at the year in classical music.GUESTS:Steve Metcalf:Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the University of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolIrene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/22/2023 • 49 minutes

At the beginning of the year, the company behind the public effort to de-extinct the wooly mammoth announced it will also be de-extincting the dodo. The announcement stirred up a lot of excitement and questions about whether we can – or should – bring back species once they’re gone.So this hour we're talking about de-extinction! We’ll hear about what it takes to bring back extinct animals, efforts to build a safety net for plants that might go extinct in the future, and walk through some fun de-extinction thought experiments.GUESTS:Helen Pilcher:Science and comedy writer with a PhD in cell biology who wroteBring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinctionBen Lamm:CEO of the de-extinction companyColossal, which he co-founded with George Church.Carlos de la Rosa:President and CEO of theCenter for Plant ConservationJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 18, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/21/2023 • 49 minutes

As some stores announce they are getting rid of self-checkout machines, we take an hour to explore that technology and its impacts. We'll debate its pros and cons, look at the history of self-service at grocery stores, and talk about the future of technology in stores.Plus, we'll learn about the psychology of "weak ties," and the value of talking to strangers in places like the checkout aisle.GUESTS:Christopher Andrews:Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at Drew University, and author ofThe Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself EconomyStew Leonard Jr.:President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s, a regional supermarket chain headquartered in ConnecticutGillian Sandstrom:Senior Lecturer in the Psychology of Kindness at the University of SussexJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/20/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour, we look at the idea of sacredness — in both religious and secular spaces — and ask how we can identify and make places for the sacred in our everyday lives, through reading, music, and even baseball.GUESTS:Mark Miller: Lecturer in sacred music at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music and Divinity School, composer in residence at Drew University, and the minister of music of Christ ChurchMary-Jane Rubenstein: Professor of religion and science in society at Wesleyan University and the author ofAstrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race, among other booksVanessa Zoltan: An atheist chaplain; co-host of the podcastsHarry Potter and the Sacred Text,Hot & Bothered, andShould I Quit; and the author ofPraying with Jane Eyre: Reflections on Reading as a Sacred PracticeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 15, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/19/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to YouTube’s algorithm, The Misfits song “Hybrid Moments,” Costco,John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, the perpetual state of existential dread that millennials experience, birdwatching … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/18/2023 • 49 minutes

Cult documentaries and docuseriessure seem to be having a moment right now. (On the other hand.) This isn’t the sort of material The Nose usually gets into. But, and partly inspired by Cat’s Corner inthe current edition of The Noseletter, we decided to give three popular new shows a look:Escaping Twin Flamesis a three-part Netflix docuseries that looks at the controversial online community Twin Flames Universe.The Garden: Commune or Cultis a six-part Discovery Channel docuseries about the off-the-grid community The Garden.AndLove Has Won: The Cult of Mother Godis a three-part HBO docuseries that looks at the life and death of Amy Carlson, also known as Mother God.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:André Braugher Dies: Star Of ‘Homicide: Life On The Street’, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ & Other Series And Films Was 61Golden Globe Nominations: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’ Top Movie List; ‘Succession’ Leads Way In TVThe Year Twitter DiedNicolas Cage Says He’s Almost Finished: “Three or Four More Movies Left”The famously prolific 59-year-old actor says he’s eyeing a Hollywood endgame: “I’ve said what I’ve had to say with cinema.”‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Officially Ending With Season 12 at HBO“I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this ‘Larry David’ persona and become the person God intended me to be,” David says of ending his HBO comedy.The New Yorker Drops Andy Borowitz’s Satire Column Amid CutbacksHow ‘Mr. Brightside’ Became a Generation’s AnthemOverlooked at its release, the Killers’ signature hit has become one of the most inescapable rock songs of its time.A 25-Year-Old X-Files Mystery Was Solved on Twitter in Less Than 24 Hours24 Things That Stuck With Us in 2023Films, TV shows, albums, books, art and A.I.-generated SpongeBob performances that reporters, editors and visual journalists in Culture couldn’t stop thinking about this year.The Most Egregious Example of “We Didn’t Use CGI” Mythology (So Far)Strapped, stressed, axed: is it curtains for theatre’s artistic directors?Indhu Rubasingham has been named as the National’s new head. But elsewhere, theatres are ditching this once coveted role altogether. Can a theatre really manage without one?GUESTS:Sam Hatch:Co-hostsThe Culture Dogson Sunday nights on WWUHJacques Lamarre:A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz EngineCarolyn Paine:An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceCat Pastor:Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut PublicThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/15/2023 • 44 minutes, 58 seconds

A listener told us we should do a call-in show dedicated to endorsem*nts from listeners. What a great recommendation! So we’re doing just that.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Lily Tyson, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Thanks to Carmen Baskauf, David Borsvold, Mayor Luke Bronin, John Dankosky, Meg Fitzgerald, Francesca Fontánez, Sabrina Herrera, Iman James, Betsy Kaplan, Carlos Mejia, Jessica Severin de Martinez, Cat Shen, and Chion Wolf.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/14/2023 • 41 minutes, 19 seconds

Amanda Mull writesThe Atlantic’s “Material World” column about American consumerism. This hour, we talk with Mull about the state of online shopping and returns, the changing quality of what we buy, and the experience of shopping in person.GUEST:Amanda Mull: Staff writer atThe Atlanticwho writes the column “Material World” about American consumerismJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/13/2023 • 49 minutes

Have you heard the music of Connie Converse? She was a singer-songwriter in New York City in the middle of the 20th century, who, in her lifetime, never received widespread recognition. Then, at 50, she drove off, and was never heard from again.This hour, a look at the life, music, and legacy of Connie Converse and what her example teaches us about how we think about the role of art and artists in our society.GUEST:Howard Fishman: Musician, frequent contributor to The New Yorker, and author ofTo Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie ConverseThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired May 2, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/12/2023 • 42 minutes

What’s in your kitchen? With a plethora of kitchen tools available to us today, the contents of our kitchen drawers varies. Buta recent surveyhas shed light on some trends in kitchen tool ownership. This hour, we look at that data, and we talk about the history and evolution of kitchen tools and gadgets. Finally, we talk about examples of creative kitchen tools throughout history.GUESTS:Megan Elias:Historian, Director of the Food Studies Program, and Associate Professor at Boston UniversityDavid Montgomery:Senior Data Journalist at YouGov, and a history podcasterCorinne Mynatt:Writer, editor, consultant, and producer. She is the author ofTools for Food: The Objects that Influence How and What We EatJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/11/2023 • 41 minutes, 5 seconds

May Decemberis the 10th film directed by Todd Haynes and his fifth collaboration with Julianne Moore. It stars Natalie Portman, Moore, and Charles Melton, and it’s loosely based onMary Kay Letourneau.And:John Lennon: Murder Without a Trialis a three-part docuseries. It is directed by Rob Coldstream and Nick Holt and narrated by Kiefer Sutherland. John Lennon was murdered 43 years ago, on December 8, 1980.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan:Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsLindsay Lee Wallace:Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/8/2023 • 49 minutes

This show's all about guts! How are our guts and our brains connected? How much of our emotional lives come from our stomachs? And how, across history, did our digestive systems become such pivotal parts of our identity?GUESTS:Diego Bohórquez: Gut-brain neuroscientistElsa Richardson: Historian of health and medicine and the author of the forthcoming book, “Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut”Julie Balsamo: Gut health dieticianJoin the conversation onFacebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lateshia Peters, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/7/2023 • 49 minutes

What is a diva? And how has the term evolved? This hour is all about divas. We’ll talk about how the term emerged in the opera and moved into the popular music landscape. And we’ll take stock of the current moment for divas.GUESTS:Myrna Reynolds: Retired singer who sang at the New York City Opera among many other placesZachary Woolfe:The New York Times’ Classical Music CriticSpencer Kornhaber:Staff writer atThe Atlantic, and author of the new book,On Divas: Persona, Pleasure, PowerJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/6/2023 • 49 minutes

Hotlines: whether you realize it or not, you’ve likely used one before. From emergency services to customer service and crisis lines, they often fly under the radar in our daily lives.This hour, we’ll look at the history of hotlines and then meet some people who have created innovative ways to talk to strangers on the phone: from a hotline for advice from elementary schoolers to an app that calls you to talk.GUESTS:Dr. Lee Humphreys: Professor of Communication at Cornell UniversityJessica Martin: An artist who leads an art program for West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, California. She’s also the co-creator of the kids-advice hotline, PeptocDanielle Baskin: An artist who co-created Dialup, a voice-chat app that connects you to strangersMichelle Rorong: An architect in Indonesia who wrote about her experience using Dialup during a COVID-19 quarantine periodHOTLINES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Peptoc — 707-8PEPTOCButterball Turkey Talk-Line — 1-800-BUTTERBALLCallin' Oates — 719-26-OATESJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Frankie Graziano, Sabrina Herrera, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Lily Tyson, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 10, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/5/2023 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to The Hold Steady, Leonard Bernstein andMaestro, the (always) impending government shutdown, the late John Lennon’s voice, the late Shane MacGowan’s voice … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/4/2023 • 49 minutes

We come to the end of our week of special coverage with a show about how we imagine extraterrestrial life.What do you picture when you picture extraterrestrial life? Is it like E.T.? Or little green men? Or an alien from Star Trek?This hour is all about how we imagine extraterrestrial life and how those visions are shaped by pop culture.GUESTS:Jaime Green: Freelance writer, editor, writing teacher, and the author ofThe Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the CosmosDoug Jones: Actor known for his roles in Hellboy, The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, and more; he plays Saru in Star Trek: DiscoveryColin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.You can find all of our Astronaughty Week showshere.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/1/2023 • 52 minutes, 33 seconds

If you follow the show, then you probably know that we’ve had a bogus ban on astronauts for quite some time now. In case you don’t follow the show, let me just explain at the top here that it’s been 2,220 days — more than six years — since an astronaut last appeared on The Colin McEnroe Show.But. The ban is over! We are astronautless no more!And so, this hour — and to celebrate Astronaughty Week — we bring you no fewer than THREE astronauts.We listen back to our (in)famous interviews with legends Buzz Aldrin and Scott Kelly. And then: a brand new interview with a real, live astronaut, former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield.The bogus ban is over! Don’t let Colin tell you any different!If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. It’s free, confidential, and always available — in English and Spanish.GUESTS:Buzz Aldrin: A retired astronaut, engineer, and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force; he was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, and he was one of the first two humans to walk on the Moon; his 2016 book isNo Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the MoonChris Hadfield: An engineer, musician, and a retired astronaut and fighter pilot in the Canadian Air Command; his new book,The Defector, is his second novelScott Kelly: An engineer and a retired astronaut and aviator in the United States Navy; his 2017 book isEndurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of DiscoverySubscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Josh Nilaya, Cat Pastor, Esther sh*ttu, Audrianna Smith, Evan Sobel, Ashley Taylor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired in a different form May 24, 2016, and November 1, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/30/2023 • 50 minutes

Today, we continue our week of special coverage with a show focused on belief, and how we react when we experience things that we think should be impossible.A few years ago, Diana Walsh Pasulka publishedAmerican Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology, which looked at the mechanism of belief in extraterrestrial life, finding that this is becoming a new American religion. Now, she has a new book out,Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences, which looks at our experiences with non-human life forms, including UFOs, dreams, angels, and AI, and how these encounters challenge our assumptions about life. This hour, we talk with Diana Walsh Pasulka about her work.Plus, Yale Professor Carlos Eire joins us to talk about the history of the impossible, including discussions of levitation and bilocation, and how beliefs form.GUESTS:Diana Walsh Pasulka:Professor of Religion at University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and author ofAmerican Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology. Her new book isEncounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences.Carlos Eire:Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University. His new book isThey Flew: A History of The Impossible.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/29/2023 • 49 minutes

Today, our week of discussions about life in the universe continues as we talk with two prominent astrophysicists about the possibility of life outside of earth. Astrophysicist Adam Frank is part of the team of scientists that is currently using the most advanced technology to search for life on other planets. This hour, we talk with Frank about that work, and what would happen if they find something. Plus, we'll talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the likelihood of life on other planets, and the variety of life here on earth.Neil deGrasse Tyson is presenting “Delusions of Space Enthusiasts” on December 1, 2023 at 8 p.m. at Foxwoods Resort and Casino.GUESTS:Adam Frank:Helen F. and Fred H. GowenProfessor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Rochester. He is the author of the new bookThe Little Book of AliensNeil deGrasse Tyson:Astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. His newest book isTo Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic DiscoveryJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/28/2023 • 42 minutes, 58 seconds

The United States has a long history of UFO sightings and reports, dating all the way back to the 1940s. This hour we talk about that history, and, specifically, how the U.S. government has related to these objects over time with Garrett Graff, author of the new bookUFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There.GUEST:Garrett Graff: Journalist and historian. His latest book isUFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There. His previous book,Watergate: A New Historywas a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/27/2023 • 49 minutes

President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on November 22, 1963.It would be hard to argue that the modern American era, the era that we’re still living in 60 years later, didn’t begin on that Friday afternoon in Dallas. It would be hard to overstate the effect and influence of that event, that act on the American psyche.This hour, a look at the shadow that the JFK assassination still casts over our news and politics, our movies and music, our media and culture.GUESTS:Stephen Battaglio: Writes about television and the media business for the Los Angeles TimesTimothy Hampton: The author of several books, includingBob Dylan: How the Songs WorkSean O’Neal: A writer, a contributor to Texas Monthly, and the former editor-in-chief of The A.V. ClubSteve Rose: Assistant features editor at The GuardianPhilip Shenon: The author ofA Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy AssassinationThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Joey Morgan, Cat Pastor, Lateshia Peters, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, part of which originally aired in a different form November 22, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/22/2023 • 51 minutes, 21 seconds

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all recognize the big names or fall in love with a brand-new star — but what about that lady who killed it with her one line about the coffee? She's a professional actor, too! On this hour of The Colin McEnroe Show, we learn about the art of the smaller role: how they're cast, how to nail it, and what it's like to have a long resume of one-liners. And don't forget the extras and body-doubles, too! They'll be with us, for just a minute.GUESTS:Jenny Ravitz:Casting director based in New York. She has worked on over 500 episodes of television in addition to theater, film, and commercialsEzra Buzzington:Actor whose over 70 film credits and dozens of TV appearances range from "Weird Al the Waiter" inGhost Worldto a mutant inThe Hills Have Eyesand, most recently, as one of the leads in the South By Southwest hit filmBrooklyn 45. He has appeared in Academy Award-winning films alongside some of your favorite actorsVlad Perez:LA-based actor who has co-starred in television shows includingBrooklyn 99,Murderville,Friendsgiving, and many more. He’s also one of the founders of the Sea Tea Comedy Theater right here in HartfordHarriet Dobin:Former Hartford media maven now actor in PhiladelphiaAllie Rivera:Performer and teacher at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater in downtown Hartford, and is the creator and producer of the theater’s Improvised Hallmark & Lifetime showJoin the conversation on Facebookand Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, Carolyn McCusker, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired May 4, 2023.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/21/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about. You can reach us at 888-720-9677.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/20/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose has had to work through the occasional civilian who’s stood between eyes and the prize.The Killeris the 12th movie directed by David Fincher and his first credited feature film collaboration with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker since 1995’sSe7en. It’s Fincher’s second movie for Netflix, who describe it this way: “After a fateful near-miss an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.”The Killerstars Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin.And:Albert Brooks: Defending My Lifeis an HBO documentary directed by Rob Reiner. It chronicles Brooks’s career in comedy, and it’s the first documentary Reiner has ever made (other thanThis Is Spinal Tap, of course).Some other stuff that happened this week give or take:UCLA Study: Gen Z Wants Less Sex Onscreen, Prefers Platonic Relationships Depicted to Romantic RollercoastersA 2023 study by UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers found that viewers ages 10 to 24 want content more relatable to them.What Comes After Marvel? Better Hope It’s Not Something WorseWith the MCU in its early endgame, many may think that movies can return to “normal.” Think again.Why the Dying DVD Business Could Be Headed for a ResurrectionNetflix and Best Buy said adieu to discs — but with streamers deleting titles to cut costs, could DVDs and Blu-rays mimic the revival of vinyl and CDs?Hungry (but Not for Human Contact), Americans Head for the Drive-ThroughA national fixture is enjoying a fresh surge as post-pandemic customers crave speed and solitude. And restaurants are responding with a raft of innovations.Jared Leto Climbed the Empire State Building to Promote a 30 Seconds to Mars Tour or SomethingActor-singer becomes first person to legally scale the Manhattan landmark in excessive promotional stuntWarner Bros shelves completed $70m Coyote vs Acme movieStudio decides to take $30m tax write-down by not releasing live-action/animation comedy starring John CenaTalking Heads Concert Film ‘Stop Making Sense’ Re-Release Surpasses Initial Box Office RunThe War on Charlie ChaplinHe was one of the world’s most celebrated and beloved stars. Then his adopted country turned against him.GUESTS:Shawn Murray:A stand-up comedian and writer and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastIrene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity College, and she’s the author ofThe Essays Only You Can WriteGene Seymour:A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/17/2023 • 49 minutes

COVID, by the way, is … still a thing.The new vaccines are here, andpeople mostly aren’t getting them. The new variants are here, and the people who’re getting COVIDare mostly getting them.Just this week, some new data seems to show that getting your COVID and flu shots together isn’t just safe —it might actually be the better thing to do.And it turns out that Paxlovid rebound probably is real andmore prevalent than we knew.Oh. And:Picking your nose maybe makes you more susceptible to a COVID infection.The more you know, and all that.GUESTS:Scott Roberts:Associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale Medicine and an assistant professor in infectious diseases at Yale School of MedicineMark Siedner:Associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious disease clinician and researcher in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General HospitalThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/16/2023 • 49 minutes

You likely know historian Heather Cox Richardson from her Substack, “Letters from an American,” where she puts the news of the day into historical context. Now Cox Richardson has a new book out,Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, where she looks at the crossroads we’re at as a country, how we got here, and where we could go from here. Today we spend the hour with Heather Cox Richardson as she helps us make sense of the latest news and the state of our democracy.GUESTS:Heather Cox Richardson:Historian, Professor of History at Boston College, and author of the “Letters from an American” Substack. Her new book is "Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America"Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/15/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour: bedtime stories. What can we learn from people who write and tell them? How can we all be more intentional and magical about the last things we think about before sleeping?GUESTS:Faith Adiele: Travel writer, speaker, teacher, and Thailand’s first Black Buddhist nun; she writes sleep stories for adults on theCalmappAdam Mansbach: Author, screenwriter, and cultural critic who wrote the famous not-for-children children’s book,Go the F**k to SleepThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Dylan Reyes, Catie Talarski, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 3, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/14/2023 • 50 minutes

Marching bands are now a staple at halftimes. But why? This hour, we discuss the art of the marching band. We’ll talk about all of the work that goes into coordinating them, and the evolution of marching band music and competitions. Plus, a look at the history of halftime.GUESTS:Justin McManus:Director of Athletic Bands at the University of ConnecticutDylan Reyes:Student at the University of Hartford who marched competitively through high school. He is a formerColin McEnroe Showintern, and he occasionally fills in on the boardMark Dyreson:Professor of Kinesiology and Affiliate Professor of History at Penn State, where he is also Co-Director of Research and Educational Programs for the Penn State Center for the Study of Sports in Society. He is the author of numerous books and articles about the history of sportJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/13/2023 • 49 minutes

Don't turn your nose up at it! This hour, we'll hear a defense of reality TV from some of its most fiery fans. Plus: an exploration into the show taking TV screens by storm,The Golden Bachelor.GUESTS:Danielle Lindemann:Sociologist and author of the book"True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us"Kay Brownis the host ofThe BetchelorpodcastMireille Silcoff:Regular essayist with the New York Times MagazineAndy Dehnart:Founder and editor ofrealityblurred.comCat Pastor:Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut PublicJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/10/2023 • 49 minutes

Let’s be honest, sometimes we all just read the headline of a story, and nothing more. After all, who has time to read every article? Headlines help us decide what to click on, and give us a sense of what’s going on in the world. But often the headline tells only a very small part of the story, or even the wrong story. This hour we talk about the art of the headline. We'll look at why headlines matter, and celebrate some of the best examples.GUESTS:Tom Jones:Poynter’s senior media writerZizi Papacharissi:Professor and Head of the Communication Department and Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois-Chicago. She is the editor ofTrump and The Media, and her newest book isAfter Democracy: Imagining Our Political FutureScott Dikkers:Founding Editor ofThe Onionand author ofHow to Write Funny, and other books about humor writingJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/9/2023 • 49 minutes

It's becoming easier every day to pay for things without cash. You can pay with your credit card, your phone, an app, or even your palm. So how does the move away from cash change how we think about our money? This hour, we look at our changing attitudes towards money, and what we gain and lose as we use less cash. Plus, we'll look at the history and future of ATMs.GUESTS:Jay Zagorsky:Clinical Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy, and Law at the Boston University Questrom School of BusinessUrsula Dalinghaus:Cultural anthropologist who specializes in economic anthropology and the anthropology of money. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ripon CollegeBernardo Batiz-Lazo:Professor in the Newcastle Business School at Northumbria UniversityJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/8/2023 • 49 minutes

Remote controls date all the way back to the 1800s, but they only entered most households in the 1950s or later. What impact did this have on how we watch television, and how we use other devices in our homes? This hour we look at the history and the impact of the remote control, and discuss what the remote control of the future will look like. And we'll take a look at buttons, and how they shape our interactions with the technology in our lives.GUESTS:Caetlin Benson-Allott:Professor of English, Director of Film and Media Studies at Georgetown University, and a member of the Program in American Studies. She is the author ofRemote Control, among other booksRachel Plotnick:Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in The Media School at Indiana University Bloomington, and author ofPower Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic and the Politics of PushingJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/7/2023 • 48 minutes, 56 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to Facebook scams, running,Multivac, local elections … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/6/2023 • 49 minutes

“Now and Then” is the first Beatles single of any kind in more than 27 years, and it may well be their last. It was released Thursday. “Now and Then” was originally written and recorded by John Lennon circa 1977. Usingmachine learning technologydeveloped for theGet Back documentary, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were able to isolate Lennon’s vocals, record new instrumentation and vocals, and combine all of that with vocals and guitar parts recorded by George Harrison in 1995. “Now and Then” is the lead single off new editions of the so-calledRedandBlue Albums, which come out November 10.And:Killers of the Flower Moonis the 26th scripted feature film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is written by Eric Roth and Scorsese and based onthe book by David Grann. It is Scorsese’s 10th feature film collaboration with Robert De Niro and his sixth with Leonardo DiCaprio.Killers of the Flower Moonis also the second-longest Scorsese movie at 206 minutes. He has now made two 200-minute picturesin a row.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Hall of Fame basketball coach Bobby Knight has died at 83‘Sarcasm’: The Sort of Wit That Defined Matthew Perry’s Career Has Ancient RootsThe actor’s trademark form of humor takes its name from Latin words for cutting into fleshTaylor Tomlinson Named Host of CBS’ ‘After Midnight,’ From Stephen ColbertDisney Says It Will Take Full Control of HuluThe company will pay at least $8.61 billion to Comcast, which owned a 33 percent stake of the popular streaming service.HBO Bosses Used ‘Secret’ Fake Accounts to Troll TV CriticsCasey Bloys ordered staffers to create fake accounts to fire back at critics, according to text conversations reviewed byRolling Stoneas part of a new lawsuitGet shorty! Why everyone needs to stop complaining about long filmsIt’s become voguish to sing the praises of 90-minute movies and bite-sized books and plays, writes Louis Chilton. With a run-time of almost four hours, Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ isn’t ‘too long’ — it’s part of an art form, from George Eliot to Bruce Springsteen, that demands patience and persistenceIt’s Time To Bring Back the Movie IntermissionBros Are Coming for BookTok. These TikTokers Aren’t Having It“If you’ve ever had a pea coat-wearing liberal arts student talk at you about the genius that is David Foster Wallace then you’d call Infinite Jest bro-lit too”Marvel Needs to Make ‘Less Films’ and Bad VFX Has ‘F—ed Up Everything,’ Says Matthew Vaughn: ‘Maybe We Need a Little Bit of Time Off’ From Superhero Films‘The Right Stuff’ at 40: Director Philip Kaufman on chasing demons in the sky to make a true American classicThe esteemed filmmaker recalls casting and shooting ‘The Right Stuff’ to celebrate its 40th anniversary.The Many Lives of Tomato PieIt may look a little different across cities in the Northeast, but this Italian American staple is always an exercise in restraint.Crisis at Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, ‘The Marvels’ Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers and More Issues RevealedGUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine:An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersJames Hanley:Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeIrene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity College, and she’s the author ofThe Essays Only You Can WriteThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/3/2023 • 49 minutes

"These boots are made for walking…" but instead, they sit by the door while you watch TV. This hour: Why is it often so hard to get walking? And what can our footsteps tell us about ourselves and the world?GUESTS:Jeff Speck:City planner and author of the book“Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time”Liam Satchell:Senior lecturer in Psychology at the University of WinchesterDr. I-Min Lee:Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s HospitalJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/2/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour, we talk about the election of the new House Speaker: Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana. We'll talk about Speaker Johnson, including the role of his faith in his politics, and what we can learn from how he dresses. Plus, we'll look at why we even have a House Speaker to begin with.GUESTS:Vanessa Friedman:Fashion Director and Chief Fashion Critic ofThe New York TimesKatherine Stewart:Investigative Reporter and author ofThe Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious NationalismLee Drutman:Senior Fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, and the author ofBreaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America. He is also co-host of the “Politics In Question” podcast, the co-founder of “Fix Our House,” a campaign for proportional representation, and author of the Substack “Undercurrent Events”Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/1/2023 • 49 minutes

What else besides an egg can give us human life, culinary delight, life-saving vaccines, jarping, the Clowns International Egg Registry, and a satisfying bit of schadenfreude, all wrapped in one small package? Making a great omelet is the tip of the eggshell for the versatility of the egg.This hour, a hard-boiled look at the ubiquitous, yet overlooked egg.GUESTS:John Portmann: Taught moral philosophy and ethics at the University of Virginia for several decades; he’s the author ofWhen Bad Things Happen To Other PeopleChris Prosperi: Chef and co-owner ofMetro Bisin Simsbury, Connecticut, and a former recipe columnist for the Hartford CourantLizzie Stark: The author ofEgg: A Dozen OvaturesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired April 27, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/30/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve done a Halloween special each year for the past five years. And each year, and for no particular reason, we’ve spent a chunk of the show covering a classic horror movie celebrating, specifically, its 40thanniversary.I’m a little sad to say that this year we’re breaking the tradition, partly because 1983 was a strikingly barren year for horror movies (notwithstanding, uh, Cujo, I guess? Psycho II?). And partly because, well, one of the greatest horror movies ever made happens to be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.So. This hour, our take on William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist. And a look at filmmaker David Gordon Green’s turn away from indie dramas and Hollywood comedies and toward horror legacy requels. His latest is The Exorcist: Believer.Plus: There sure are a lot of those crazy 12-foot skeleton things showing up on people’s lawns, aren’t there? We investigate the Skelly sensation.GUESTS:Aislinn Clarke: A screenwriter and director and a lecturer in film studies at Queen’s University BelfastBill Curry: Playing the part of Bill Curry playing the part of Standing Concerned ManJesse Hassenger: Associate editor of Paste Movies and co-host of theNew Fleshhorror movie podcastRachel Kurzius: A reporter for The Home You Own at The Washington PostThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/28/2023 • 50 minutes

Sometimes, we just love to hate. From reality TV shows like The Bachelor and The Real Housewives franchise to movies like The Room and Twilight, sometimes it’s so bad it’s good. The phenomenon of hate-watching has reached new audiences on social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube. Haters are more vocal than ever.In this episode we ask why we want to watch and suffer through movies and TV shows we extremely dislike. Do we get enjoyment from objectively bad content? Or from hating on things? Join us on this episode as we discuss the psychology and impacts of hate-watching.GUESTS:Jonathan Gray: Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of Dislike-Minded: Media, Audiences, and the Dynamics of TasteBrian Moylan: Writer, reality tv show recapper, and author of The New York Times bestseller The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real HousewivesAlex Meyers: A YouTuber who makes cartoons and video essays about movies and TV showsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Lizzie Van Arnam, Colin McEnroe, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 11, 2023. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/27/2023 • 48 minutes, 53 seconds

News outlets and opinion writers have called it: the traditional dinner party is dead. But are dinner parties really so bad? Or are we just bad at hosting them? This hour, the history of dinner parties and some advice from people who turn party-hosting into an art form.GUESTS:Rand Richards Cooper:Fiction writer, contributing editor atCommonweal, and the restaurant critic for theHartford CourantJulia Skinner:Culinary historian and food writer whose work includes the book“Our Fermented Lives”Nandita Godbole:Author of several cookbooks including“Masaleydaar: Classic Indian Spice Blends”. She also writes the blogCurry Cravings.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/26/2023 • 49 minutes

We've recently discovered, thanks to TikTok, that many more people are thinking about the Roman Empire than you might expect... including the host of this radio show. This hour, we talk about why people think about the Roman Empire, and we talk with the preeminent scholar of the Roman Empire, Mary Beard, about all the things you could think about if you wanted to think about the Roman Empire.GUESTS:Doug Boin:Professor of History at St. Louis University, and author ofAlaric the Goth: An Outsider’s History of the Fall of Rome, among other booksMary Beard:Historian of Ancient Rome. She is the author of bestselling books, includingSPQR, and her newest book isEmperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman WorldJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/25/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour is about the psychology of fandom. We look at how the mind of a fan operates. We talk with experts about the mental attachments and connections fans have with their favorite shows and fictional characters.Plus, there are many reasons why one becomes a fan. We’ll talk about that, and how fandoms have evolved over time. Finally, a look at the types of emotions fans feel and how they express them in fanfiction and other forms of transformative fandom.GUESTS:Lynn Zubernis:Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Professor at West Chester University, who has written 7 books based on her research on the psychology of fandomMaya Phillips: Author ofNerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse, and a critic atThe New York TimesJessica Hautsch: Teaching Assistant Professor of Humanities at the New York Institute of Technology, and author ofMind, Body, and Emotion in the Reception and Creation Practices of Fan CommunitiesJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Melody Rivera, Colin McEnroe, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 3, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/24/2023 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to uptalk, mortality, the zipper merge, the health of the baby boom generation, regionalizing cities, proving that you’re not a witch … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/23/2023 • 49 minutes

Taylor Swift: The Eras Touris the highest-grossing concert film ever made, and it’s only been in theaters for five days. It took in more than $100 million in global presales alone. The 169-minute, 41-song-long movie is nothing short of a phenomenon.Speaking of a phenomenon, you may have heard that Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are a couple. Swift and Kelce haven’t publicly commented on or even confirmed their romantic relationship (though they have been photographed holding hands), but the NFL and its broadcast partnershave certainlycapitalized on itanyway. Oh, and TSwift and TKelcewere both on SNLlast weekend, too.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Piper Laurie, Actress in ‘The Hustler,’ ‘Carrie’ and ‘Twin Peaks,’ Dies at 91The three-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner also starred in the original ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ and in ‘Children of a Lesser God.’Suzanne Somers, Star of ‘Three’s Company,’ Is Dead at 76She became famous for playing, as she put it, “one of the best dumb blondes that’s ever been done,” then became a sex-positive health and diet mogul.Louise Glück, 80, Nobel-Winning Poet Who Explored Trauma and Loss, DiesAcclaimed as one of America’s greatest living writers, she blended deeply personal material with themes of mythology and nature.Burt Young, Decorated Character Actor Of Rocky Fame, Has Died At 83Michael Caine Officially Announces Retirement From Acting: ‘You Don’t Have Leading Men at 90’Michael Jordan Is the First Pro Athlete to Rank Among the 400 Wealthiest AmericansThe former NBA star has an estimated net worth of $3 billion.Best Buy Is Ending DVD and Blu-Ray SalesNetflix plans to open brick and mortar locationsWill Smith Has Broken His Silence On Jada Pinkett Smith’s Memoir RevelationsAfter a week of bombshell details regarding Jada’s new memoir, Will has responded directly to his estranged wife.The Actors Are on Strike, But the Awards Shows Go OnHere is our (extremely early) forecast for the biggest Oscar races this (very uncertain) year.Why is movie candy sold in boxes?GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani:Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerSam Hadelman:Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynJacques Lamarre:A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz EngineThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/20/2023 • 49 minutes

A wealthy prince needs your help (via a wire transfer) to unfreeze his fortunes. He’ll reward you handsomely. While you’re sending him the money, listen to this show about scam emails.We'll talk about the surprising history and future of scam emails and what you can do to protect yourself. Plus: a conversation with an author who got caught up in an infamous email scam.GUESTS:Arun Vishwanath:Cybersecurity expert and author of the book,“The Weakest Link: How to Diagnose, Detect, and Defend Users from Phishing”Peter C. Baker:Author of the novel“Planes”Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/19/2023 • 49 minutes

What can we learn about ourselves from what we sit on? This hour, we talk about the history of chairs, their impact on our lifestyle and health, and what's in store for their future. Plus, we'll celebrate the joy of a well-designed chair, talk with a chair maker, and discuss some of our favorite examples.GUESTS:Witold Rybczynski:Architect, Emeritus Professor of Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania, and author ofNow I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History, among other books. His latest book isThe Story of ArchitectureGalen Cranz:Professor Emerita of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, and a founding member of the Association for Body Conscious Design. She is the author ofThe Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body and Design, among other books. She is a certified Teacher of the Alexander TechniqueAspen Golann:Artist andfurniture maker. She teaches in the furniture department at The Rhode Island School of Design, and founded “The Chairmaker Toolbox,” a project that provides free tools, education, and mentorship to increase equity and access in the field of chairmakingJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/18/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour: a conversation with novelist Emily St. John Mandel, about time travel, the simulation hypothesis, adapting her work to television, art and culture during times of crisis, autofiction, Wikipedia, and much more.GUEST:Emily St. John Mandel:Novelist, whose books includeSea of Tranquility,The Glass Hotel, andStation ElevenJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 30, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/17/2023 • 49 minutes

In 2018, Emily Wilson became internationally known for her translation of Homer’sThe Odyssey, which was called “a revelation” and “a cultural landmark.” This hour, Wilson joins us to talk about her new translation of Homer’s other great surviving work,The Iliad.GUEST:Emily Wilson:Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her new translation of Homer’sThe Iliadis out now. She previously translatedThe Odyssey, in addition to works by Euripides, Seneca, and SophoclesJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/16/2023 • 48 minutes, 55 seconds

Illeana Douglas’ new book is Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia. It isn’t just an encyclopedia of appearances by and references to Connecticut in movies. But rather, it’s a history and theory of ‘Connecticut movies,’ something close to a genre unto itself with its own set of signs and meanings.This hour, Illeana Douglas and David Edelstein join us to take a Not Necessarily The Nose-style look at the Nutmeg State on the silver screen.GUESTS:Illeana Douglas: The Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe Show and the author, most recently, of Connecticut in the MoviesDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/13/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, a conversation about handling life’s hardships with philosopher Kieran Setiya, the author of Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way.GUESTS:Kieran Setiya: Professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author of Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our WayThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 17, 2023.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/12/2023 • 42 minutes

We imagine pirates to be the quintessential rule-breakers — but really, they had their own strictly-followed codes. How did 18th-century pirates dictate their own community standards? How did they create social mobility in an age when changing one's social status was nearly impossible? This hour, we join pirate historian Rebecca Simon to find out!GUEST:Rebecca Simon: Pirate historian with a PhD in History from King’s College London. She’s the author of several books about piracy, including “The Pirates' Code: Laws and Life Aboard Ship”Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/11/2023 • 41 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to Israel, fat bear week, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, the Roman Empire, dark coffee mugs, pirates … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/9/2023 • 41 minutes, 16 seconds

This week’s Nose has gotta be more like a rat than anything else in the world. Cleverer, even, than a rat, and that is not an easy thing to be, let me tell ya.The Nosereturns!On September 15,The New Yorkerrana story that reported out a number of embellishments / untruths / liesin Hasan Minhaj’s standup specials. Minhaj had reportedly been the frontrunner to become the new permanent host ofThe Daily Show. On September 27,Varietyreported thatComedy Central was going back to square one with their search for a host.And: In September, 2021, Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company for $686 million. Wes Anderson has written and directed adaptations of four Dahl short stories: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” “Poison,” “The Rat Catcher,” and “The Swan.” They’re the first projects released by Netflix as part of their ownership of Dahl’s work, and they star a repertory company of actors that includes Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, and Rupert Friend.GUESTS:Shawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastTracy Wu Fastenberg:Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/6/2023 • 42 minutes, 25 seconds

This hour, Yale Dean Tamar Gendler joins us to discuss her new course “Public Plato: Ancient Wisdom in the Digital Age.” We'll talk about how to make ancient philosophy relevant for a modern audience, questions of framing and form, and what we can all learn from concepts like alief, phronesis, and eudaimonia.GUEST:Tamar Gendler:Professor of Philosophy, Psychology and Cognitive Science, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, at Yale UniversityJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/5/2023 • 41 minutes, 27 seconds

In Yascha Mounk’s new book, he “traces the origin of a set of ideas about identity and social justice that is rapidly transforming America — and explains why it will fail to accomplish its noble goals.” This hour, Mounk joins us to talk about the future of democracy andThe Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.GUEST:Yascha Mounk:Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, the founder of the digital magazinePersuasion, and host of the podcastThe Good Fight. His new book isThe Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our TimeJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/4/2023 • 41 minutes

This hour we look at mis-speaks, mis-hearings, and mis-understandings, like malapropisms, mondegreens, eggcorns, and spoonerisms. We share our favorite examples and learn about what they can tell us about the English language and how our brains process language. And we celebrate the joy of playing with language.GUESTS:Emily Brewster: Senior Editor and lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, and host of the Word MatterspodcastMelissa Baese-Berk: Professor of language teaching studies and linguistics at the University of Oregon, where she is also director of the Speech Perception and Production LabBen Zimmer: Linguist, lexicographer, and the Word on the Street columnist for The Wall Street JournalThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Carolyn McCusker, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 29, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/3/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour, Colin and his guests look at why humans touch others with their lips (and often their tongues!). Join us as we overthink the simple act of kissing.GUESTS:Marcel Danesi:Professor Emeritus of Linguistic Anthropology at The University of Toronto and author ofThe History of the Kiss! The Birth of Popular CultureMatthew Longcore:Director of Membership and Outreach for the Human Relations Area Files at Yale University and an Adjunct Faculty Member in Anthropology at University of Connecticut StamfordAndréa Demirjian:Runs The Kissing Expert website, Instagram feed, and Facebook page. She’s the author of the bookKissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About One of Life’s Sweetest PleasuresJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Lily Tyson, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/2/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose got a couple other cans, ya know, and came back and switched the labels and the cans around.The Long Goodbye is a satirical neo-noir mystery feature film adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel. It is the eighth feature directed by Robert Altman and the second-to-last screenplay by the science fiction writer Leigh Brackett (who also wrote The Empire Strikes Back and the 1946 version of The Big Sleep, among others). It stars Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe in 1970s Los Angeles. This year is The Long Goodbye’s 50th anniversary.Plus: A look at the value and the art of rewatching and rewatchability.Raquel Benedict’s endorsem*nts:Helpmeetby Naben RuthnumNoceboon ShudderHelder Mira’s endorsem*nts:Hawkeye: L.A. Womanby Matt Fraction, Annie Wu, and Javier PulidoJury Dutyon FreeveeDocumentary Now! Season 4on NetflixGene Seymour’s endorsem*nts:Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouseby Ahmad JamalAin’t But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Storyedited by Willard JenkinsColin’s endorsem*nt:The Battered Bastards of Baseballon NetflixSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Michael Gambon, Dumbledore in the ‘Harry Potter’ Films, Dies at 82After he made his mark in London in the 1970s, he went on to play a wide range of roles, including Edward VII, Oscar Wilde and Winston Churchill.Golden Globes Adds Two New Categories: Blockbuster Movies and Stand-Up Comics Enter the RaceThe Definitive Guide to All Things Taylor Swift and Travis KelceWhether you’re a football fan, a Swiftie, or both, this helpful glossary will tell you everything you need to know about the budding relationship between the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the world’s biggest pop starKelce-Swift Is a Dream Pairing for the N.F.L.The romance between the Chiefs tight end and the world’s biggest pop star represents an alliance with the only cultural force in America bigger than the league itself.MAGA Goes to War Against the Swifties!Now they’ve picked a fight with the wrong people.Lying in Comedy Isn’t Always Wrong, but Hasan Minhaj Crossed a LineThe stand-up’s penchant for making up stories goes beyond embellishment. When real people and real stakes are involved, a different standard applies.Comedy Central Widens Search for ‘Daily Show’ Host Beyond Hasan MinhajThe Death of Netflix DVD Marks the Loss of Something Even BiggerIt’s the end of an era—and not just for plastic discs.‘Stop Making Sense’ Talks Up $800k Weekend, $1.4M Cume As 1984 Concert Film Draws Young CrowdThe Office Reboot In The Works, Original US Showrunner ReturningAfter years of speculation, a reboot of The Office is reportedly finally going to happen and the original US showrunner is attached to return.Inside Apple’s Plan to Change the Way We Watch Sports Longtime Apple executive Eddy Cue happens to be an enormous sports fan. And with Apple entering the wild west of broadcasting live sports, he’s ready to shake up the way we watch games on TV—with a little help from none other than Leo MGUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction and the host of theRite Gud podcastHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of theSo PretentiouspodcastGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired May 19, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/29/2023 • 50 minutes

Do you daydream? What do you daydream about? This hour: the art of daydreaming.We reflect on the value of daydreaming and why it can be so difficult to talk about our daydreams. Plus, a look at what daydreaming does to our brains and at maladaptive daydreaming.GUESTS:Leslie Jamison: Novelist, essayist and professor at Columbia University’s MFA ProgramJayne Rachel: An advocate for maladaptive daydreaming, who used to experience itJonathan Schooler: Distinguished professor of psychological and brain sciences and director of The Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential at the University of California, Santa BarbaraThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 15, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/28/2023 • 50 minutes

I’m so excited!!!The exclamation point is the only punctuation mark that can express (and evoke) strong emotion. You either love them or you hate them.Writers use the exclamation mark to express emotion that words can’t fully capture, politicians and advertisers can use it to manipulate and alarm, and authors and their editors often clash over its appropriate use. Our brains physically respond to the sight of it.This hour, a look at the history and culture of this most controversial mark.GUESTS:John Breunig: An editorial page editor with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupLan Samantha Chang: Director of the University of Iowa Writers’ WorkshopFlorence Hazrat: Author ofAn Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation MarkThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired March 9, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/27/2023 • 50 minutes

Have you noticed that voice assistants like Alexa and Siri default to female voices?This hour, we talk about how artificial intelligence is reinforcing gender biases.Plus, a look at how representations of artificial intelligence in pop culture have contributed to this model.GUESTS:Kerry McInerney: Research fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and co-host ofThe Good Robot PodcastDeborah Tannen: Distinguished university professor of linguistics at Georgetown University and author ofYou Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, among other booksLisa Yaszek: Regents professor of science fiction studies in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia TechThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lizzie Van Arnam contributed to this show, which originally aired March 6, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/26/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, the full measure of short stature, from personal health, professional discrimination, and environmental impact to Humphrey Bogart’s strap-on inch-adders.GUESTS:Arne Hendriks: Artist, researcher, and exhibition-maker based in Amsterdam who writes about height atThe Incredible Shrinking ManWilliam Mann: The author ofBogie & Bacall: The Surprising True Story of Hollywood’s Greatest Love AffairTanya Osensky: A lawyer and the author ofShortchanged: Height Discrimination and Strategies for Social ChangeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired March 2, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/25/2023 • 50 minutes

The Nose is off.In its stead: Country music dominated the charts for most of the summer. But the genre has also been the subject of controversy. This hour, we take stock of the state of country music.GUESTS:Jason Lipshutz: Executive director of music at BillboardAmanda Marie Martinez: Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who is currently working on a book project titled The Industry Is Playing the People Cheap: Race and the Country Music Business from Nixon to 9/11Chris Molanphy: Chart analyst and pop critic who writes about the intersection of culture and commerce in popular music; he is host of Slate’s Hit Parade podcast, writes Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, and he is author of the new book Old Town RoadThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/22/2023 • 50 minutes

There’s a theory that people are drawn to work that fits their name. This hour, an exploration of nominative determinism. Plus, a look at the different ways your name impacts your life.GUESTS:David Bird: Emeritus professor of wildlife biology and director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre of McGill UniversityBrett Pelham: Professor of psychology at Montgomery CollegeTess Terrible: Senior producer ofWhere We Liveon Connecticut PublicLaura Wattenberg: Naming expert, author ofThe Baby Name Wizard, and the creator ofNamerologyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 16, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/21/2023 • 50 minutes

From book bans to comics and the strange origins of fairy tales, this hour we look at children's literature and talk about who decides what is appropriate for children to read.GUESTS:Carol St. George:Professor of Teaching and Curriculum and Director of Reading and Literacy at the Warner School of Education at the University of RochesterAdam Gidwitz:Author ofA Tale Dark and Grimm, and its companions, as well asThe Inquisitor’s Tale, andThe Unicorn Rescue Society. He is also the creator of the podcast,Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest, and he produced the adaptation ofA Tale Dark and Grimmfor NetflixMaria Tatar:Research Professor of Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University. Her latest book isThe Heroine with 1001 FacesCarol Tilley:Comics historian, librarian, educator, and youth advocate. She is a Professor in the Faculty of the School of Information Sciences at the University of IllinoisJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/20/2023 • 49 minutes

What’s in your pockets right now? Phone, wallet, keys… maybe some discarded receipts or old gum? This show’s all about what we carry with us every day: from flashlights the size of a lip balm to a life-saving medicine.GUESTS:Bernard Capulong: Founder and Editor-in-Chief of everydaycarry.comHannah Carlson: Senior Lecturer in the Apparel Department at the Rhode Island School of Design. She’s also the author of “Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close”Dr. Mona Gohara: Private practice dermatologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine. She’s also an advocate around increasing inclusivity in dermatology.Peter Canning: Hartford paramedic and an EMS coordinator at John Dempsey hospital. He’s also the author of “Killing Season: A Paramedic’s Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Opioid Epidemic”Drew John Ladd: WriterJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/19/2023 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

This hour we talk about age in politics, from why our politicians skew older to the impacts of that. And, we’ll learn about how animals pick leaders, and the role age plays in those decisions.GUESTS:Eugene Scott:Senior Politics Reporter for AxiosLucy Schiller: Writer and professor of creative writing based in TexasKevin Munger:Assistant Professor of Political Science and Social Data Analytics at Penn State University, and author ofGeneration Gap: Why the Baby Boomers Still Dominate American Politics and CultureJennifer Smith:Studies the evolutionary ecology of social mammals at the University of Wisconsin EauClaireJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/18/2023 • 49 minutes

Political satire is alive and well in America today. And it turns out it might have an important role in educating the public and the health of our democracy. This hour, we look at the state and the art of political satire with comedian Samantha Bee and Sophia McClennen, a political scientist who studies satire.GUESTS:Samantha Bee: Comedian, host of the podcastChoice Words with Samantha Bee, and the former host ofFull Frontal with Samantha Bee. She is performing atThe Bushnellon Thursday, September 21Sophia McClennen:Professor of International Affairs and Comparative Literature at Penn State University and author of numerous books, includingTrump Was a Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn’tandIs Satire Saving Our Nation?Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/15/2023 • 49 minutes

Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of thrillers and mysteries probably best known for The Chainand the Sean Duffy series.On the dark and stormy night of September 9, McKinty talked to Colin on stage at The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford. It’s the first show we’ve done in front of a live audience since the before times.This hour, a lightly edited version of that conversation.GUEST:Adrian McKinty: The author of 20 novels, includingThe Chain, the Michael Forsythe trilogy, and the Sean Duffy series;The Detective Up Late, the seventh Duffy novel, is his latestThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/14/2023 • 50 minutes

Gone are the days when we’d browse a local store if we needed a new air purifier or oven mitt. Now, many people don’t dare make a purchase without first Googling “best kitchen mixer” and browsing lists of top-tens on recommendation sites.How did these sites come to dominate our shopping carts? And if you’re not a fan of that humidifier you got off a top-ten list, are there other ways to shop?GUESTS:Inger Stoleis a professor emerita at the University of IllinoisMichael Zhaowas the first employee and a former deputy editor at WirecutterMark Frauenfelderis a co-editor ofRecomendoJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/13/2023 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds

This hour, a look at misunderstood monsters, why humans create monsters in the first place, and the benefits of hearing a monster’s perspective.Plus, we learn more about Medusa and talk to a researcher who studied purported yeti samples to find the animal behind the myth.GUESTS:Natalie Haynes: A writer and broadcaster; her newest book isStone BlindCharlotte Lindqvist: Associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at BuffaloAsa Simon Mittman: Professor of art and art history at California State University, ChicoThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 8, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/12/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to the speed limit, the Great American Songbook, trucks on the Merritt Parkway, the state parks, police car chases. Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/11/2023 • 49 minutes

The Noseis off. In its place, a look at the No. 1 podcast in America,Strike Force Five, hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver as a way to pay the late night writing staffs during the strikes.Plus:New Yorkerfilm critic Richard Brody joins us to extolthe virtues of owning movies on physical media.And finally: endorsem*nts, Nose or no.During this little period of Noselessness, we’ve decided at least to entertain ideas around doing the show differently. And we want your input! If you’re familiar with The Nose, and you have a couple minutes,please take our survey. You might even win a life-alteringly great prize! (It’s a coffee mug. You might win a coffee mug.)GUESTS:Richard Brody:The movies editor for Goings On About Town atThe New YorkerMegan Fitzgerald:Senior project manager at Connecticut PublicSabrina Herrera:Community engagement and social media editor at Connecticut PublicJennifer LaRue:A writer, editor, and publicist and a contributing producer forThe Colin McEnroe ShowCat Pastor:Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut PublicJulia Pistell:A writer and comedian, a founding member of Sea Tea Improv, and a contributing producer forThe Colin McEnroe ShowNicholas Quah:The podcast critic forNew York MagazineandVulture, where he writes the weekly newsletter1.5× SpeedCatie Talarski:Senior director of storytelling and radio programming at Connecticut PublicChion Wolf:The host ofAudaciouson Connecticut PublicThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/8/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour, a look at the cultural significance of the apple, from Adam and Eve to keeping the doctor away. Plus: growing apples, the future of apples, and we compare apples and oranges.GUESTS:Martha Bayless:Director of Folklore and Public Culture and a Professor of English and Folklore at the University of Oregon. She is also the founder of the Early English Bread Project, which studies the role of bread in early medieval English cultureDavid Bedford:Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. His team is responsible for creating the Honeycrisp, SweeTango, Zestar, and Rave apple varieties, among othersDan Pashman:Creator and Host ofThe SporkfulpodcastJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/7/2023 • 49 minutes

What exactly is charisma? You know it when you see it, but is it possible to measure? Is it something you can learn, or just something you’re born with? This hour we look at the impact of charisma in our world, especially in politics. Plus, in the world of wildlife conservation there’s a term for those animals everyone cares about: “charismatic megafauna.” What are the impacts of decisions about conservation or leadership coming down to a nebulous trait like charisma?GUESTS:John Antonakis:Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne, SwitzerlandRuss Schriefer:Founding Partner of Strategic Partners & Media, a public affairs political consulting firm. He is Senior Strategist for the Tell It Like It Is SuperPac that supports Chris Christie for PresidentSophie Monsarrat:Rewilding Manager with Rewilding Europe, who used to be a researcher who studied charismatic megafauna, among other topicsJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/6/2023 • 49 minutes

Since we just spent a number of years thinking about viruses, here’s a question: Should we be pretty worried about funguses, too?This hour, a look at the real-life fungal infection of ants that inspired the video game and TV series The Last of Us. Plus we talk with a local mushroom farmer and an author who writes fungal fiction and look at the role of fungi in our world.GUESTS:William Beckerson: Post-doctoral research Fellow with the National Science FoundationPatricia Kaishian: Mycologist and visiting assistant professor of biology at Bard CollegeChris Pacheco: Owner ofSeacoast Mushroomsin Mystic, ConnecticutJeff VanderMeer: Author of a number of books, including the Southern Reach Trilogy, which includes Annihilation; he co-foundedThe Sunshine State Biodiversity GroupThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 6, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/5/2023 • 50 minutes

Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein. These, along with many others, are the sorts of songwriters we associate with the Great American Songbook, the amorphous canon of important 20th century pop songs, jazz standards, and show tunes from Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, and movie musicals.But there’s another important detail here. The songs we think of as the Songbook are from, more specifically, the 1920s through the 1950s. With some simple arithmetic, you can see that they’re, uh, getting on in years — which might (must?) mean that their devotees are, too.The Nose is off. In its place this hour, a look at and a listen to — and some concern for the future of — the Great American Songbook.GUESTS:Joelle Lurie: Vocalist, songwriter, voiceover artist, and bandleaderSteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the University of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/1/2023 • 49 minutes, 53 seconds

You may have heard that tick borne diseases are on the rise. But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. This hour, we’re taking you through three ways to defeat ticks. From tick-immune blood, to a tick-destroying robot and tried-and-true tweezers, this show is not for arachnids who are faint of heart.GUESTS:Rick Ostfeld: Distinguished senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesHolly Gaff: Professor of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion UniversityJen Wegner: Associate curator of the Egyptian section at the Penn MuseumBirnur Aral: Executive Director of the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping InstituteJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Stacey Addo, Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/31/2023 • 49 minutes

When we think of public health, we tend to think of things along the lines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, or even seatbelts and tobacco. But public health expands well beyond that, to realms like housing, climate change, access to the outdoors, and gun violence. This hour, we look broadly at the world of public health. And we ask what’s next for the field.GUESTS:Katelyn Jetelina:Epidemiologist and author of the “Your Local Epidemiologist” newsletterMegan Ranney:Emergency physician and Dean of the Yale School of Public HealthJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/30/2023 • 49 minutes

There’s more to narcissism than meets the eye.This hour, we reflect on narcissism — our misunderstandings about it, its pervasiveness in our culture, and the personal, public, and political damage it wreaks.GUESTS:Mark Ettensohn: Clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of narcissistsLee Hammock: “Self-aware” narcissist who shares his experience and insights on social mediaPete Hatemi: Distinguished professor of political science at Penn State UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired January 26, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/29/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to wild fires, riding bikes, Jay Silverheels, the Bronze Age Pervert, and … explaining the concept of Earth time to aliens. Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/28/2023 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off this week. In its place:Everyone loves a good band breakup story.But it’s far more unusual to find bands that manage to stay together for the long haul.This hour we explore the challenges musicians face as they seek band harmony and discuss what makes them succeed — or fail — together.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: Guitarist, producer, Emmy Award-winning composer, recording engineer, and an adjunct professor at the University of Hartford School of MusicHeather Ferguson: Psychotherapist and psychoanalyst and a member of the Music Industry Therapist CollectiveSteven Hyden: Cultural critic at UPROXX and the author ofLong Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a GenerationNerissa Nields: Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of The NieldsJay Russell: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist in The Split Coils; former member of Hot Rod CircuitThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 9, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/25/2023 • 50 minutes

Journalist and author Lisa Belkin, spent ten years retracing the ancestry of three families, over four generations, to understand how a series of random encounters between three men led to the 1960 murder of a Stamford, Connecticut, police officer.Genealogy of a Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night,looks at how family ‘truths’ passed down through the generations can influence the choices of the descendants that follow. How do family stories, happenstance, and the cultural ethos of the moment shape the people we become?GUESTS:Lisa Belkinis a journalist and the author of narrative non fiction, includingShow Me a Hero,which became an HBO miniseries, and most recently,Genealogy of a Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night.She has been a reporter at theNew York Timesfor more than 25 years.Doreen Troy Dolanis the daughter of David Troy.Kelsey Rose Dolanis the granddaughter of David Troy.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/24/2023 • 49 minutes

Earlier this month, somebody in Florida won a $1.58 billion lottery jackpot. It was the largest Mega Millions jackpot to date, although four other Mega Millions prizes over $1 billion have been won in the past five years. This hour, we’re talking about lotteries. How did this massive money redistribution game come to be? And we know that lotteries can randomly allocate cash prizes to ticket buyers – but could they also pick our political officials? Or the victims of our human sacrifice rituals to ensure that “corn be heavy soon”?GUESTS:Jonathan D. Cohen:Historian and author of“For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America”Alex Guerrero:Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University and author of the forthcoming book, “Lottocracy: The Case for Democracy without Elections”Ruth Franklin:Book critic and biography of Shirley JacksonJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/23/2023 • 49 minutes

You’ve likely heard the Greek myth of Cassandra, a woman given the gift of prophecy who was cursed never to be believed.This hour, a look at the Cassandra story and its relevance today, including some real-life Cassandras, like the diplomat who tried to stop World War II and the public health official who tried to warn us about the COVID-19 pandemic.GUESTS:Joel Christensen: Professor of classical studies at Brandeis University; his newest book isThe Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of EpicCharity Dean: CEO, founder, and chairman of the Public Health CompanySteve Kemper: Author ofOur Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl HarborAmanda Rees: Historian of science at the University of York and the author ofHumanThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 25, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/22/2023 • 50 minutes

Today "Luddite" is used as a derogatory term for someone who doesn't understand technology. But the original Luddites weren’t behind, they were technical workers who were concerned about the impact that technology would have on people. This hour, we look at the history of Luddites, how their philosophy applies today, and ask what our present would look like if they had won. Could we all gain something from thinking more like a Luddite?GUESTS:Brian Merchant:Technology Columnist at the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of the forthcoming bookBlood in the Machine: the Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech, which comes out next monthGavin Mueller:Assistant Professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam, and author ofBreaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your JobMiriam A. Cherry:Professor of Law at St. John’s University in New York City, and the Faculty Director of the Labor and Employment Law Center. She is the author ofWork in the Digital Age: A Coursebook on Labor, Technology, and RegulationJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/21/2023 • 49 minutes, 1 second

This hour, we grapple with the impact our ancestors have on our lives, and what our responsibility is if they did something we disagree with.GUESTS:Jenny Strauss: Great-granddaughter of Lewis StraussMaud Newton: Author ofAncestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a ReconciliationJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/17/2023 • 49 minutes

You’re probably familiar with the panicked rush that comes when you’re running around your house, looking for keys or a wallet you’ve misplaced. It’s an awful feeling. But maybe there’s some value in the process of searching for lost things — beyond the prize you may (or may not) find at the end. This hour, we’re talking to some professional “lookers” to find out: Is there joy, or hidden value, to be found in the search process? Can we learn to be better lookers?GUESTS:Chris Turner:CEO ofRing Finders, a global directory of metal detecting specialistsJames Renner:Journalist and authorWalter Wick:Photo-illustrator and picture puzzle designer known for the “I Spy” and “Can You See What I See?” seriesJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/16/2023 • 49 minutes

Scientists estimate that there are 20 quadrillion ants on Earth. But. How do we make sense of a number like that, like 20,000,000,000,000,000?This hour, how we relate to unimaginable numbers, both large and small.Plus: why our inability to conceptualize large numbers might have a real-world impact during times like a pandemic.GUESTS:Shabnam Mousavi: A scientist at theMax Planck Institute for Human Developmentand a senior scientist at the Center for Artificial IntelligenceSabine Nooten: An insect ecologist and a temporary principal investigator at the University of WürzburgElizabeth Toomarian: Director of theBrainwave Learning Center at Synapse Schooland an educational neuroscience Researcher at Stanford UniversityEdward Tufte: The author of five books on information design and data visualizationThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 12, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/15/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to our Jesse Thorn take off promo, the Roberts Sinners and Heinlein (and Heinlein’s short story “‘—All You Zombies—’” andthe movie adaptation of it), pronoun case agreement, rabbits and their feelings about carrots, mounted police, Jacques Cousteau … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/14/2023 • 49 minutes

Timothy Olyphant has been a regular presence on various TV shows every single year dating back to Damages in 2009, before the original Justified. And yet, it feels significant that he’s in no less than three new series this year. The Nose already covered the first, Daisy Jones & the Six. This week, we catch up with the other two:Full Circle is a Max Original limited series written and created by Ed Solomon and photographed, edited, and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Here’s Warner Bros.’s logline: “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” It stars an ensemble cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Jim Gaffigan, Timothy Olyphant, CCH Pounder, and Dennis Quaid.And: Justified: City Primeval is an FX limited series continuation of Justified, which ended in 2015 after six seasons and 78 episodes. It is based on the Elmore Leonard novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroitand short story “Fire in the Hole.” Olyphant reprises his role as U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:William Friedkin, Acclaimed Director of ‘The French Connection’ and ‘The Exorcist,’ Dies at 87The Oscar winner “never played by the rules, often to my own detriment,” he said.Robbie Robertson, Leader of The Band, Dies at 80Arthur Schmidt, Oscar-Winning ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Film Editor, Dies at 86DJ Casper, artist behind ‘Cha Cha Slide,’ has diedMcDonald’s New Meal Celebrates Its Pop Culture Cameos—Including ‘Loki,’ ‘Seinfeld’ and MoreThe As Featured In Meal is tied to the upcoming season of Loki and celebrates the chain’s past pop culture cameosThe Forgotten Former Meaning of “Jerk”The curious pop culture etymology of “jerk,” from 1979’s ‘The Jerk’ through today. (Or, “When did jerk stop meaning ‘stupid’?”)A Va. woman’s burp was louder than some motorcycles. It set a record.What to Stream: A Lost Seventies Classic About a (Rather Sympathetic) StalkerAlan Rudolph’s “Remember My Name” is an understated film noir—a drama of stark motives and delicate surfaces.GUESTS:Elizabeth Keifer: Professor emerita of English at Tunxis Community CollegeHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcastShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/11/2023 • 50 minutes

It seems like everything’s been turned into a story.You can see a company’s story on the packaging of juice, cereal, alternative milks. Politicians tell stories to rally support for policies. And social media helps us all tell the story that we want to tell about our lives.This hour, Peter Brooks on his book, Seduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrative, and a look at why storytelling isn’t always a good thing.GUESTS:Peter Brooks: Author of Seduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of NarrativeChris Knopf: A novelist and the retired CEO of Mintz & HokeElise Wang: Assistant professor in the Department of English, Comparative Literature, and Linguistics at California State University, FullertonThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 27, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/10/2023 • 50 minutes

Our lives are entrenched in secrets — the average person, apparently, keeps as many as 13 of them at any given time. They’re largely regarded as bad for us.But maybe secrets, like us, are more complex? Is there a time when a secret can be harmless, or even good? Can a secret save lives? And how many people can be involved in one before it all topples down?GUESTS:David Robert Grimes:Scientist and science writerRaneta Lawson Mack:Professor of law emerita at Creighton University School of LawMichael Slepian:Researcher who studies the psychology of secrecy, as well as an associate professor at Columbia Business School; he’s the author ofThe Secret Life of SecretsThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/9/2023 • 49 minutes

Rules are everywhere around us.This hour we talk about the history of rules and the power of unwritten rules.We wonder why some rules succeed while others fail. Plus: a game designer on how rules can facilitate play.GUESTS:Lorraine Daston: Author ofRules: A Short History of What We Live ByJason Turbow: Author ofThe Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America’s PastimeEric Zimmerman: Award-winning designer of board games and video games and the author ofThe Rules We Break: Lessons in Play, Thinking, and DesignThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 21, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/8/2023 • 50 minutes

When’s the last time you read a short story? This hour, we talk about why short stories are so popular in the classroom, but why adults don’t seem to read them much once they’re done with school. And we make the case for why you should. Plus, a look at the art of the short story with some masters of the craft.You can read Rebecca Makkai’s Substack post that inspired this show here.Here is the story that is discussed in the final segment, “How I Became a Vet” by Rivka Galchen.As part of this show we asked each of our guests to recommend a short story, a collection, or an author. Here are those recommendations:Rebecca Makkai: “The Dinner Party” by Joshua FerrisGeorge Saunders: “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault, “The Conventional Wisdom” by Stanley ElkinDeborah Treisman: Liberation Day by George Saunders, After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley, “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak” by Jamil Jan KochaiAmy Bloom: “The Dead” by James Joyce, stories by Edward P. Jones, essays by Samantha IrbyIrene Papoulis: “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ PackerBrian Slattery: “Hell is the Absence of God” by Ted ChiangColin McEnroe: “The Hole on the Corner” and “What’s the Name of That Town?” by R.A. LaffertyGUESTS:Rebecca Makkai: Author of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-finalist The Great Believers, among other books; her newest book is I Have Some Questions For You, and she is artistic director of StoryStudio ChicagoGeorge Saunders: Author of twelve books; his most recent is Liberation Day, a collection of short storiesDeborah Triesman: Fiction editor for The New Yorker and the host of their Fiction PodcastAmy Bloom: Author of four novels and three collections of short stories; her most recent book is the memoir In LoveIrene Papouli: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven IndependentJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/7/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose has been traveling 22 years to get here, and now it’s here, and it’s either heads or tails, and you have to say.Hollywood continuesits seeming slow-speed suicide. It’s hard to imagineit even really capitalizingon the huge and ongoingBarbenheimerphenomenon. The Nose continues to be concerned.But.The Meg 2is finally here! Actually, that exclamation point notwithstanding, The Nose doesn’t really care aboutThe Meg 2. But it does care about — and have various beefs with —thisMeg 2-pegged ranking of movie monsters.And finally:Hijackis a seven-part, real-time thriller limited series starring Idris Elba. The seventh part, the finale, hit Apple TV+ this week.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman Actor, Dies at 70 After Private Bout of CancerFinal Stephen Sondheim Musical ‘Here We Are’ Sets Cast; Joe Mantello-Directed Show Bows Off Broadway In SeptemberLin-Manuel Miranda to Adapt ‘The Warriors’ as Stage MusicalMeeting friends online is normal. Here’s how to do it.Move over, online dating. Online friend-making is having its day.Streaming has surpassed cable as America’s most-watched viewing platformAmid the first combined work stoppage involving writers and actors represented by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, some streaming platforms still scored some wins.‘Suits’ Sets Record for Library Shows on Streaming Charts‘The Bear’ has another strong week, becoming the second Hulu show to top a billion minutes of viewing.Shake it off: Taylor Swift concert triggers actual seismic activityX’s Subscription Service, Formerly Twitter Blue, Now Lets You Hide Your Blue Check MarkSo Many Women Have Dumped Their Boyfriends After “Barbie”, But This Woman’s Story HAS To Be The Wildest One YetI am so much more horrified than you can imagine!Max Is Bleeding Subscribers Following Its Boneheaded RebrandThe service lost 1.8 million subscribers as Warner Bros. Discovery announced a $10.3 million loss in total revenue for its second quarter.Apple TV+ Is on a Scripted-Series Hot Streak. Are People Paying Attention?Apple TV+ has amassed a rich library of original content in less than four years—with the awards season nominations to prove it. Can its dedication to curation help it overtake the top streamers, or will Apple lose its appetite for spending on prestige?GUESTS:Irene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversitySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/4/2023 • 49 minutes

Who am I? We’ve all wondered at some point. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality test based on Carl Jung’s psychological types, has offered many an answer.This hour, we delve into the history of the MBTI and contemporary applications of this test and explore its scientific validity. Plus, a look at a dating app that uses the 16 personality types to help people find love.GUESTS:Paul Tieger: A prolific author on MBTI; his books include Do What You Are, Nurture by Nature, and Just Your TypeAlexander Swan: Associate professor of psychology at Eureka College and host of the CinemaPsychpodcastJessica Alderson: Founder of So Syncd, a 16 Personalities-based dating appThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Carol Chen, Jonathan McNicol, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/3/2023 • 50 minutes

Today, the sea chantey is something people listen to while having a good time in bars or at festivals, but its roots are more complex, stretching into the hard labor performed by sailors on 19th century merchant vessels and having ties to Black work songs. During the first year of the pandemic, there was a sea chantey craze on TikTok as people found joy and connection in the songs. In this hour, we’ll treat you to the joy of the chantey form and some of the pain that lies behind it.Connecticut Public’s talk shows have teamed up to bring you a full week of stories exploring the state’s shoreline and beyond. You can find all of our NautiWeek coverage atctpublic.org/nautiweekGUESTS:The Jovial Crew:A group ofmusicians and historiansthat’s been performing chanteys, forebitters, and other traditional old songs in Essex, CT since its founding in 1986. On the show today is Joseph Morneault, Rick Spencer, Michael Hotkowski and the group’s founder, Cliff Haslam.Dr. Maya Angela Smith:Associate professor of French at University of Washington who wrote the essay“A People’s Song Upon the Waters”Join the conversation on FacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/2/2023 • 49 minutes

Searching for sunken treasure? Long Island Sound is hardly the place to look.But what can be found in its murky waters are ample remains of Connecticut’s once prominent shipping industry, and perhaps evidence of early Native American villages from around 20,000 years ago when the Sound was a glacial lake.This hour, we survey shipwrecks and other bits of history resting off Connecticut’s coast, as well as at the bottom of some lakes and rivers.From dugout canoes and mastodon molars to the more than two dozen ships set ablaze in Essex harborduring the War of 1812, it’s an underwater adventure not to be missed.GUESTS:Nicholas Bellantoni: Emeritus Connecticut state archaeologist who has investigated shipwrecks in Long Island Sound and the Connecticut RiverChristopher Goodwin: President and CEO ofR. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, which was contracted by the State Historic Preservation Office tosurvey shipwrecksalong the Connecticut coastKevin McBride: University of Connecticut archaeology professor specializing in the Native American history of Connecticut and former director of research at the Mashantucket Pequot MuseumThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Scott Brede, Betsy Kaplan, Carolyn McCusker, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Larry Roeming, Jesse Steinmetz, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 9, 2019.Connecticut Public’s talk shows have teamed up to bring you stories exploring Connecticut’s shoreline and beyond. You can find all of our NautiWeek show coverage at ctpublic.org/nautiweek.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/1/2023 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to ticks, sea shanties, classical music on our show, ice cream, artificial intelligence in sports … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/31/2023 • 49 minutes

According to Mattel, more than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold since they launched the toy in 1959. Barbie and Ken are said to be the two most popular dolls in the world. It would be hard to overstate the influence — for better and worse — that the Barbie toy line has had on our culture.And now, you may have heard, there’s a movie. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is the No. 1 movie in the country. Its opening last weekend was the largest ever for a movie based on a toy, and it’s expected to hold onto the No. 1 spot this weekend, too.So it’s not like Barbie’s influence is waning.This hour, a look at our relationship with Barbie (and Ken), the history of Barbie and the woman who invented her, and, yes, the new movie Barbie.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder ofQuiet Corner Communicationsand a freelance writerRand Richards Cooper: A fiction writer, contributing editor at Commonweal, and the restaurant critic for the Hartford CourantTheresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsRobin Gerber: The author of several books, includingBarbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created HerJames Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeRich Hollant: Principal atCO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordMichal Lev-Ram: Editor-at-large covering the technology and entertainment sectors for FortuneShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Josh Nilaya, Cat Pastor, Lily Tyson, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired June 30, 2017; May 21, 2019; and July 28, 2023, in a different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/29/2023 • 50 minutes

It looks like this beach was a little too much beach for this week’s Nose.The Barbenheimer Apocalypse is upon us.Barbieis the fourth film written and directed by Greta Gerwig and the second Gerwig has cowritten with Noah Baumbach. It is the first film released by Mattel Films and the first live-action film based on the dolls. Oh, and it’s the No. 1 movie in the country, having grossed $495 million worldwide so far. Its opening last weekend was the highest-grossing opening ever for a movie directed by a woman and the highest-grossing opening ever for a movie based on a toy.Barbieis the sixth-highest grossing movie of 2023 so far.And:Oppenheimeris the 12th film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is based on the biography of J. Robert OppenheimerAmerican Prometheusby Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, and it stars Cillian Murphy in the title role. It’s the No. 2 movie in the country. Its opening last weekend was the largest of Christopher Nolan’s career outside of his Batman films.Oppenheimeris three hours long, and IMAX prints of the film are reportedly 11 miles long and weigh 600 pounds.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani:Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerJames Hanley:Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeShawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine:An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/28/2023 • 49 minutes

J. Edgar Hoover served as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations under eight Presidents, and made the FBI into the organization it is today. This hour, Beverly Gage, Yale historian and author of a Pulitzer-prize winning biography of Hoover, joins us to talk about Hoover’s life and legacy. Plus, we’ll talk about the status of the FBI today, and the lessons we can learn from Hoover’s example.GUESTS:Beverly Gage:Professor of 20th-Century U.S. History at Yale University. Her newest book,G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for BiographyJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/27/2023 • 48 minutes, 50 seconds

It’s been more than a decade since Tom Cruise made a movie that did NOT make $100 million. The newest Mission: Impossible just opened at $235 million.And yet. Didn’t we all decide not to like Tom Cruise anymore a long time ago?This hour — in the fifth decade of his career, in the seventh (!) decade of his life, nearly two decades after Oprah’s couch — a look at the continued phenomenon that is Tom Cruise.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsJames Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeSam Hatch: Co-hostsThe Culture Dogson Sunday nights on WWUHRich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordJacques Lamarre: A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz EngineBen Lindbergh: Senior editor atThe RingerStephanie Merry: Book World editor forThe Washington PostBob Mondello: NPR’s senior arts criticCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceJulia Rosenblatt: A playwright, director, actor, theater educator, and co-founder of HartBeat EnsembleBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven IndependentPedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired April 27, 2017; August 3, 2018; March 6, 2019; January 15, 2021; August 26, 2022; and September 30, 2022, in a different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/26/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, novelist Joyce Maynard joins us again to talk about her latest novel, the blurring of life and fiction, and her new career running a hotel in Guatemala.GUEST:Joyce Maynard:Novelist whose latest book isThe Bird HotelSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/25/2023 • 49 minutes

Terms that started out in the therapist’s office have moved into the public discourse. This hour we talk about therapy-speak, armchair psychology, and how greater awareness of mental health terminology and diagnoses impacts the broader conversation around mental health, for better and worse. Plus, a look at how therapists are depicted on TV and how that’s impacted their work outside the screen.GUESTS:Lucy Foulkes:An academic psychologist at the University of Oxford and author of the bookLosing Our Minds: The Challenge of Defining Mental IllnessJessica Gold:Assistant Professor and the Director of Wellness, Engagement, and Outreach in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine. She works clinically as an outpatient psychiatrist, and writes about mental health for a variety of general audience publicationsInkoo Kang:The television critic atThe New YorkerJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/24/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose wants its own water working.Showing Upis the eighth feature film directed by Kelly Reichardt, and it’s Reichardt’s fourth collaboration with Michelle Williams. Williams plays a sculptor preparing to open a new show.Showing Upis a quintessential example of so-called “slow cinema.”And:The Whaleis the eighth feature film directed by Darren Aronofsky. Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as “a reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.”GUESTS:Susan Clinard:Owner ofClinard Sculpture Studioin Hamden, ConnecticutBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/21/2023 • 49 minutes

What if our ideas about how sleep should look are getting in the way of a good night's rest? This hour we talk about how we came to develop ideas of how, and how much, we should sleep. Plus, we'll compare how humans and animals sleep. And it turns out that some animals aren’t hibernating as well as they used to.GUESTS:Matthew Wolf-Meyer:Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He is author ofThe Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine, and Modern American Life, among other booksGandhi Yetish:Human evolutionary ecologist and anthropologist who studies sleep patterns among small-scale subsistence societiesCory Williams: Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Colorado State UniversityJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/20/2023 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to spongy moths, white baseball caps, Hiram Bingham, Gustav Mahler’sSymphony No. 6… Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/19/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour: recipes.We talk with someone who makes recipes found on gravestones, and we consider what makes an effective recipe, the history of the modern recipe, and the art of the recipe introduction.Plus, a look at the phenomenon of pop culture cookbooks.GUESTS:Dinah Bucholz: Author of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and The Unofficial Narnia CookbookRosie Grant: Posts gravestone recipes and cemetery stories on herTikTokandInstagramFrancis Lam: Host ofThe Splendid Tableand vice president and editor-in-chief at Clarkson PotterChandra Ram: Cookbook author, food writer, and associate editorial director of food for Food & WineHelen Zoe Veit: Associate professor of history at Michigan State UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired November 22, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/18/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour we get an update on the latest in the American conversation about the search for extraterrestrial life. This includes a conversation with journalist Leslie Kean, a check-in with the director of MUFON CT, and a discussion with astrophysicist Adam Frank about what we miss in space when we're focused on the objects we find here on earth.GUESTS:Leslie Kean: Investigative journalist and author of UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the RecordMichael Panicello: State Director of Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Connecticut ChapterAdam Frank: The Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Rochester. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Little Book of AliensJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/17/2023 • 49 minutes

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has joined the Writers Guild of America on strike. It’s the first SAG strike since 1980 (which strike was largely about the oncoming home video boom). And it’s the first dual actors-writers strike since 1960 (when Ronald Reagan was president of SAG and the strike was mostly about residuals for movies licensed to television).Also: The Emmy nominations are out.And: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the 32nd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second movie (of an expected seven) in the MCU’s Phase Five. It is written and directed by James Gunn, who has written and directed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and who was fired and rehired during preproduction of Vol. 3 in 2018. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the second-highest grossing movie of 2023 so far.Taneisha Duggan’s endorsem*nt:Liturgy|Order|Bridgeat Christ Church Cathedral in HartfordHelder Mira’s endorsem*nts:Secret Invasionon Disney+Connecticut’s state parksBill Yousman’s endorsem*nts:The Twittering Machineby Richard SeymourAntisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracyby Siva VaidhyanathanColin’s endorsem*nts:The Town with Matthew BelloniThe Watchthe audiobook ofSmall Merciesby Dennis Lehane, as narrated by Robin Milesthe audiobook ofDemon Copperheadby Barbara Kingsolver, as narrated by Charlie ThurstonSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:We Had Relationship Therapists React To The Alleged Jonah Hill Texts To His Ex-Girlfriend, Sarah Brady“[It’s] not simply like, ‘This is a thing that I feel,’ but ‘This is the thing that I feel plus therapy has condoned this way of feeling.’”The Twitter Watch Party Is OverTen years after “Sharknado” spun Twitter and TV together, the online water cooler is running dry.Kristen Bell Shared A Photo Of Her Friends Eating Dinner, And It’s The Most Intense Guest List Ever Thanks for the invite.Ryan Murphy Muse David Corenswet Is SupermanWait, Was Napoleon Hot?Ridley Scott’s new biopic certainly makes it seem like he was.How to Write Music for Rolling BouldersHarrison Ford and the Ravages of TimeGo Inside Stephen Sondheim’s $7M Manhattan TownhouseThe East Midtown home features a music studio on the second floor with a “music library, wood-burning fireplace and baby grand piano.”How Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon Straightened Out ‘Full Circle’Their new crime thriller for Max is loaded with twists and layers. But it is actually much simpler than what they originally conceived.Federal Reserve credits Taylor Swift with boosting hotel revenues through her blockbuster Eras Tour“Taylor Swift is a force to be reckoned with,” one local tourism official said, as the pop superstar draws legions of fans nationwide.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcastBill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/14/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour we look at the philosophy of humanism. We survey the history and evolution of the humanist tradition, and discuss what it means to practice humanism. Plus, how humanism can help us relate to technology.GUESTS:Sarah Bakewell:Author ofHumanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope, among other booksGreg Epstein: Author and Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is also Convener for Ethical Life at the MIT Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical LifeJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/13/2023 • 49 minutes

Loneliness: it’s often cited as an “epidemic” and can have a health impact comparable to smoking15 cigarettes a day.This hour, we’ll talk about what loneliness looks like in the brain and how public policy could affect our loneliness epidemic. Plus: a conversation with an expert on making friends as an adult!GUESTS:Chris Murphy:Democratic U.S. Senator for ConnecticutElisa Baek:Assistant Professor of Psychology at USC DornsifeKat Vellos:Speaker, connection coach, and author ofWe Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better FriendshipsJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/12/2023 • 49 minutes

Whether we love or loathe our butt is deeply influenced by race, gender, and whether the shape and size of our butt is in or out of style.This hour, a look “back” at the science, history, and culture of butts, including how they took on so much meaning beyond their basic function and why it’s so hard to find pants that fit.GUESTS:Alex Bartlett: Co-owner ofPlanet Pepperand a costume supervisor for television and theaterVincent Cuccia: Co-owner of Planet Pepper; he teaches public relations at the City University of New YorkShomara Garcia: CEO and founder of Muneca Private Care Recovery Services and a licensed massage therapistHeather Radke: Contributing editor and reporter atRadiolaband the author ofButts: A BackstoryThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired December 20, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/11/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, a look at what’s going on with Twitter, and why it matters, even if you don’t use the platform. Plus, we discuss what this all means for the future of social media and the human archive.GUESTS:Shannon McGregor: Associate professor at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, and a senior researcher with the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at the University of North Carolina, Chapel HillEthan Zuckerman: Associate professor of public policy, communication and information at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, author, and founder of the Initiative for Digital Public InfrastructureWilliam Kilbride:Executive Director of the Digital Preservation CoalitionSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/10/2023 • 49 minutes

Asteroid Cityis Wes Anderson’s 11th feature film. It’s written and directed by Anderson from a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola. It’s a comedy-drama, sort of sci-fi thing with a play-within-a-TV-show-within-a-movie structure. The ensemble cast is predictably ridiculous and includes the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, and Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, and Hope Davis. There are more. I didn’t even mention Willem Dafoe or Steve Carell or Margot Robbie. Or others.And: The OceanGate Titan disaster isn’t the sort of thing The Nose usually covers. But collective internet obsession is, and so The Nose is interested in the internet’s collective, dark, ongoing obsession with the OceanGate Titan disaster.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:America Is…What one piece of culture captures the true spirit of our country? We asked 17 columnists to find out.The Case Against TravelIt turns us into the worst version of ourselves while convincing us that we’re at our best.How Review-Bombing Can Tank a Book Before It’s PublishedThe website Goodreads has become an essential avenue for building readership, but the same features that help generate excitement can also backfire.If you love film, you should be worried about what’s going on at Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies Is a National TreasureThe channel has an astounding degree of control over a crucial part of American cinema. It should become a public resource available to all.Want to suffer Hollywood’s wrath? Mess with TCM, you dirty rats!Few things are sacrosanct in streaming TV’s chaotic revolution. But as Warner Bros. Discovery’s top exec recently learned, Turner Classic Movies is still zealously protected.This Broadcast TV Genre Continues to Thrive. (What Are Game Shows?)“Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!” and “Family Feud” continue to attract big audiences even as streaming upends viewing habits.Fifty Years of Hip-Hop in a World That Could Not Exist Without ItThe musical genre of sociopolitical change, cultural transformation, excess, and fabulousness enters its next half century.Virginia Woolf classic joins growing list with ‘ludicrous’ trigger warningsTo the Lighthousefrom 1927 now carries warning that the book ‘reflects the attitudes of its time’It’s Getting Hard to Stage a School Play Without Political DramaAt a time when lawmakers and parents are seeking to restrict what can and cannot be taught in classrooms, many teachers are seeing efforts to limit what can be staged in their auditoriums.A ‘Cage Match’ Between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg May Be No JokeTalks over a matchup between the two tech billionaires have progressed and the parameters of an event are taking shape.GQEditor Who Pulled Critical David Zaslav Story Is Producing Movie for Warner Bros.GUESTS:David Edelstein:America’s Greatest Living Film CriticSam Hadelman:Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynCarolyn Paine:An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/7/2023 • 49 minutes

Why do humans cry? This hour we look at the science of crying and discuss what it does for us, emotionally and culturally. We'll also talk with musician Dar Williams about why some songs make us cry. And we investigate "crocodile tears" with a crocodile biologist.GUESTS:Benjamin Perry:Minister at Middle Church, and author ofCry, Baby: Why Our Tears MatterDar Williams:Singer-songwriterKent Vliet:Recently retired from his position as Coordinator of Laboratories at the University of Florida. He is an expert in crocodilian biologyJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Stacey Addo, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/6/2023 • 49 minutes

What does reading sound like? Is it silent? Or does it make noise? This hour is all about reading out loud — we’ll hear about the history of the practice and talk to people who make reading expressive, communal, and loud.GUESTS:Alberto Manguel:Director of Lisbon’s Center for Research into the History of ReadingRobin Miles:Hall of Fame audiobook narrator who’s garnered the industry’s top honors, as well as a producer, director, teacher, and actor for theater, television, films, and museumsBrooke Steinhauser:Programs Director at the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, MA.Drew John Ladd:Blogger, activist, and the author of Wolfsong, BelovedDennis Dunan:Lecturer in English at University College LondonTaneisha Duggan:Director, producer, arts consultant, and an artist working at the crossroads of performance and creative leadershipChion Wolf:Host ofAudaciouson CT PublicJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/5/2023 • 48 minutes, 54 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing — calls about grammar, gardening, long-distance dialing, autotune. Anything. Everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour aboutwhatever you want to talk about.888–720–9677.‌ Or join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/3/2023 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off this week. In its place: Why do we have so much trouble remembering all the TV we watch?This hour, a look at why episode recaps are so popular, what makes them so useful, and what their prevalence can tell us about the current TV landscape.Plus: the evolution of the “previously on” television recap sequence.GUESTS:Wilma Bainbridge: Assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of ChicagoAlison Herman: Television critic for The RingerGenevieve Koski: Senior TV editor for New York magazineJason Mittell: Professor of film and media culture at Middlebury CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 5, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/30/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, we’re celebrating things that are so bad, they’re good — the underdog ideas that fail so hard, they become successes. We’ll talk about contests that give awards for bad writing, perfumes that smell like animal butts, and a happy marriage that started with a comically awful first date.Plus: a chance to vote on what "bad" show idea we should produce next!To enter our contest or vote on the upcoming episode, email [emailprotected].GUESTS:Adam Cadre:Writer in a wide variety of media who created theLyttle Lytton Contestin 2001Haldane King:Science writer and air quality researcherKaty Kelleher:Author ofThe Ugly History of Beautiful ThingsBetsy Kaplan:Senior producer emeritus forThe Colin McEnroe ShowJennifer LaRue:Freelance producer forThe Colin McEnroe ShowCarolyn McCusker:Producer of this very episode ofThe Colin McEnroe ShowJonathan McNicol:Producer forThe Colin McEnroe ShowLily Tyson:Senior producer forThe Colin McEnroe ShowColin McEnroe, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Thanks to scent consultantTracy Wan.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Amazon Music,TuneIn,Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/29/2023 • 49 minutes

Has everything original been done?It’s a question that’s been asked about storytelling, music, fine art, movies, and so much more.This hour, we attempt to answer that question and discover if everything has already been done.Along the way, we explore the idea of originality and our tolerance for novelty and talk to artists who are reckoning with these questions.GUESTS:Martha Buskirk: Professor of art history and criticism at Montserrat College of Art and author ofIs It Ours? Art, Copyright, and Public Interest, among other booksJill Magid: Artist, writer, and filmmakerKirby Ferguson: Filmmaker and a creator of theEverything Is a RemixseriesBrian Slattery: Arts editor for theNew Haven IndependentThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 8, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/28/2023 • 50 minutes

Ethics and the Supreme Court are back (still?) in the news and in question. This hour, we are revisiting a show we did just over a year ago around the leaked draft of the Dobbs decision. In it we look at how the Supreme Court got so much power, why we have nine justices, how journalists cover the court, and the viability of proposed potential reforms.GUESTS:Akhil Reed Amar: Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, and author ofThe Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, among other books.Emily Bazelon: Lecturer in Law, Senior Research Scholar in Law, and a Truman Capote Fellow at Yale Law School, a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, and a co-host of theSlate Political Gabfest.David Folkenflik: NPR’s media correspondent.Tara Leigh Grove: Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, who was a member of thePresidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States.Join the conversation onFacebookand Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/27/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour: spelling — what it is, why it matters, and why some of us actually find it fun.There will be a test.GUESTS:Deb Amlen: Crossword columnist and senior staff editor of the crossword column Wordplay for The New York TimesRichard Gentry: Education consultant and the author, most recently, of the Spelling ConnectionsseriesPeter Sokolowski: Editor at large at Merriam-Webster and a member of the Word Panel for the Scripps National Spelling BeeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired December 6, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/26/2023 • 50 minutes

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseis the second movie in the Spider-Verse film series and the 14th (not a typo) Spider-Man feature film. It has made more than half a billion dollars worldwide, and it is the fourth-highest grossing movie of 2023 so far. A third Spider-Verse movie,Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is expected to come out next year, and a Spider-Woman spinoff film is in development.And: “Whether you have spent the past decade and a half avoiding Marvel movies like scabies or are in so deep that you can expound on the Sokovia Accords, it is impossible to escape the films’ intergalactic reach,” according to Michael Schulman inThe New Yorker. And it’s hard to argue that he’s wrong. The Nose looks at “How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Swallowed Hollywood.”Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Sheldon Harnick, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Lyricist, Dies at 99His collaborations with the composer Jerry Bock also included “Fiorello!” — which, like “Fiddler,” was a Tony winner — and “She Loves Me.”Young People Have No Idea What We Used to Do After Work. Let Me Regale You.“I never knew what time it was, so I was constantly buying watches and losing them.”Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ Falls Flat, Adding to Worries About the BrandThe original animated film took in $29.5 million at the box office, by far the worst opening in Pixar’s three-decade history. “The Flash,” from Warner Bros., also struggled.The Troubling Pixar ParadoxRecent misses and low expectations for ‘Elemental’ beg the question: Has Pixar lost its magic touch? Perhaps the answer is that original animation is now a smaller business—one that can’t necessarily support the unique culture and $200 million budgets that made Pixar great in the first place.Pixar Boss Pete Docter Says the Studio ‘Trained’ Families to Expect Disney+ Debuts, ‘Elemental’ Buzz at Cannes Was ‘Confusing’Richard Kind Just Doesn’t Want to Be Left OutMaybe that’s why everyone in Hollywood has this master of comedy and tragedy on speed dial.Apple Is Taking On Apples in a Truly Weird Trademark BattleApple, the company, wants rights to the image of apples, the fruit, in Switzerland—one of dozens of countries where it’s flexing its legal muscles.The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All TimeNot “best.” Not “favorite.” Not “most likable.” Most significant. Some are obvious. Some obscure. A few will be controversial. Let the debate begin.Come for the Broadcast, Stay for the Mets GameSNY already had some of the best announcers in baseball. John DeMarsico, the network’s director, has made every game feel like a trip to the movies.GUESTS:Shawn Murray:A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastTracy Wu Fastenberg:Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman:Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/23/2023 • 49 minutes

Before Covid,Most Americans couldn’t imagine the staggering loss of life that earlier generations experienced during epidemics of smallpox, diphtheria, polio and other fatal infectious diseases. We’ve been living in a golden age since WWII, when widespread use of vaccines and antibiotics eradicated the biggest killers and doubled life expectancy. But the catch-22 of medical discovery is that over time, we collectively forget the horror of the diseases from which we were saved.Today, a look at our never-ending quest to escape contagion. We also talk about the myth of ‘Patient Zero’ and a lunar pandemic that never happened.GUESTS:Richard Conniffis a National Magazine Award-winning writer forSmithsonian magazine, National Geographic,and other publications. He’s also a former Guggenheim Fellow. His most recent book isEnding Epidemics: A History of Escape From Contagion.Leyla Meiis a New York City-basedwriter and medical historian. She has a PhD in American history and writes about disease, risk and race.Dagomar DeGrootis an associate professor of environmental history at Georgetown University.His workhas appeared inAeonmagazine,The Conversation, andTheWashington Post, among other outlets. His most recent book,Ripples in the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Humanity's Place in the Solar System,will be published in 2024.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/22/2023 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about. You can reach us by calling 888-720-9677.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omny.fm/listener for privacy information.

6/21/2023 • 40 minutes, 48 seconds

The botched Watergate break-in happened 51 years ago today, on June 17, 1972.Over the decades since, the whole Watergate story has been processed through our popular culture over and over again, from Alan J. Pakula’s classic movie of All the President’s Men through HBO’s recent limited series White House Plumbers.This hour, a look at both of those versions, plus we talk to writer Thomas Mallon about adapting the story as a novel and the late actor Hal Holbrook about playing Deep Throat.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersAnn Hornaday: Chief film critic for The Washington Post and the author ofTalking Pictures: How to Watch MoviesHal Holbrook: Was a film, television, and stage actorThomas Mallon: A critic and the author of many novels, includingWatergate: A NovelIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, Betsy Kaplan, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Lily Tyson, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired August 6, 2014; February 4, 2015; June 15, 2022; and June 2, 2023, in a different form.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/17/2023 • 42 minutes

This week’s Nose thinks that a semicolon is worth fighting a civil war about.Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottliebis a 2022 documentary directed by Lizzie Gottlieb. We decided late Monday or early Tuesday — kind of randomly, to be honest — that we wanted to talk about this movie this week. And thenRobert Gottlieb died on Wednesday. The Nose feels vaguely, cosmically responsible. On the other hand, we’re glad we get to talk about Gottlieb at length this hour.And: “The Binge Purge” is a nearly 6,000-wordNew Yorkmagazine feature on TV’s broken streaming model and what the hell Hollywood can possibly do about it. The Nose has thoughts.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Cormac McCarthy, Novelist of a Darker America, Is Dead at 89“All the Pretty Horses,” “The Road” and “No Country for Old Men” were among his acclaimed books that explore a bleak world of violence and outsiders.Glenda Jackson, Oscar-Winning Actress Turned Politician, Dies at 87She walked away from a successful acting career to enter the British Parliament, before returning to the stage as the title character in an acclaimed “King Lear.”Treat Williams, Actor Known for ‘Hair’ and ‘Everwood,’ Dies at 71His many other roles included a detective turned informant in “Prince of the City.” He was killed in a motorcycle accident in Vermont.Pat Sajak, host of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ says 41st season will be his last10 of the Most Valuable Cassette Tapes From the ‘80s and ‘90sThe Startling Intimacy of Taylor Swift’s Eras TourEven addressing a stadium of seventy thousand people, the singer seems to be speaking directly to you, confessing something urgent.Paul McCartney Used AI to Purify John Lennon’s Voice on Upcoming ‘Last Beatles Record’: AI ‘Is Kind of Scary, but Exciting Because It’s the Future’This alien ocean is the first known to have all elements crucial for lifeThe subsurface waters on an icy moon of Saturn appear to contain the ingredients needed for ‘habitability’GUESTS:Illeana Douglas:The Official Movie Star ofThe Colin McEnroe ShowGene Seymour:A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”Lindsay Lee Wallace:Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/16/2023 • 42 minutes, 57 seconds

We have so much on our minds that we couldn’t pick one topic for today — we’re going with three! Strap in.First: a failed bill from the 1900s that proposed hippopotamus ranching in the U.S.Then: an initiative to save humanity by storing poop in a vaultAnd finally: orcas teaching each other to sink boats.GUESTS:Dr. Shoshi Parks:freelance writerDr. Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello:Professor at Rutgers University and President ofThe Microbiota VaultMonika Wieland Shields:Co-founder and Director of theOrca Behavior Instituteand author ofEndangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern ResidentsSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/15/2023 • 42 minutes, 29 seconds

We’vedonethisshoweveryyear(except2012)since2011. (We maybe even did it in 2010. We probably did. I just can’t prove it.)So it’s a bit of a tradition. It’s a tradition that… makes some people angry, we realize.And that has a lot to do with how we define the term ‘song of the summer.’ We usethe Amanda Dobbins definition:Let’s be clear about how this works: There is no such thing as a ‘personal’ song of summer. We do not anoint multiple songs of summer. There can only be one; the Song of Summer, by its very definition, is a consensus choice. It is the song that wrecks wedding dance floors. It is the song that you and your mother begrudgingly agree on (even though your mom has no idea what rhymes with ‘hug me’ and won’t stop yelling it in public). It does not necessarily have to hit No. 1 on the charts, but it should probably be on the charts because it must be widely played. It must bring people together. It must be a shared enthusiasm.So it’s our job here to figure out what song from 2023 will get added to the long list of song of the summer classics like “Party Rock Anthem,” “Call Me Maybe,” “Despacito,” and “Blurred Lines.”And if we’re wrong, well, it really just won’t matter at all.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynBrendan Jay Sullivan: A writer, producer, and DJCassie Willson: A comedian and musicianThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/15/2023 • 49 minutes

Countless books, movies, and TV shows explore time travel. This hour, a look at the hold that time travel has on pop culture and the philosophy, ethics, and science of time travel.Plus, we hear from an author about how to create and utilize rules of time travel in fiction and the idea of memory as time travel.GUESTS:Sara Bernstein: The R.L. Canala College Professor of Philosophy at The University of Notre DameAmanda Gefter: MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow and the author ofTrespassing on Einstein’s LawnEmma Straub: The author ofThis Time Tomorrow, now out in paperbackThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired November 17, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/13/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/12/2023 • 49 minutes

Colin is off this week, so we decided to do a Nose without him — and a Nose all about stuff Colin doesn’t care about: video games and things video games-adjacent. Comedian Shawn Murray guest hosts.The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the highest-grossing movie of 2023, the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever made, and the third-highest-grossing animated movie of all-time. None of that, of course, means it’s particularly good.And: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Wild is the 20th entry in the main Legend of Zelda series of video games dating back to 1986. It is the second Zelda game for the Nintendo Switch, and a direct sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild. Tears of the Kingdom came out last month and reportedly sold 10 million copies in its first three days of release. It’s the fastest-selling Nintendo game in the Americas — ever. Oh, and it’s already showing up in discussions of the greatest video games ever made.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Taylor Swift And Matty Healy Have Reportedly Broken UpBest believe she’s still bejeweled.How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Swallowed HollywoodRobert Redford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Rudd, and Angela Bassett now disappear into movies whose plots can come down to “Keep glowy thing away from bad guy.”The Binge PurgeTV’s streaming model is broken. It’s also not going away. For Hollywood, figuring that out will be a horror show.Why Is Everyone Watching TV With the Subtitles On?It’s not just you.‘Perry Mason’ Canceled By HBO After 2 SeasonsA ‘Crown Jewel of Comedy’: The Joan Rivers Card Catalog of Jokes Finds a HomeTake a look at some of the artifacts from her archive, which includes 65,000 cross-referenced gags and is headed to the National Comedy Center.Kylie Jenner Casually Pulled Out A $40,000 Rolex During A “What’s In My Bag” Video, And People Have ThoughtsThe post just called me broke.How to Talk to Your Child About MinesweeperThis Sandwich Is Due to Go Viral Any SecondThe absurd moo yong sandwich is just what the internet craves. Why haven’t we heard more about it?GUESTS:Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven IndependentPedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesBill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Shawn Murray contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/9/2023 • 50 minutes

You must have heard the term “vibe” by now, right?We’ve heard about the vibe of the economy, the vibe of a music playlist, the vibe of a season, the vibe of a party … Plus there are vibe shifts and vibe checks.This hour: vibes. We learn what the word really means, where it comes from, and how the internet has given it new life.GUESTS:Kyle Chayka: Contributing writer for The New Yorker covering technology and culture on the InternetRobin James: Editor for philosophy and music at Palgrave MacmillanEda Uzunlar: Freelance journalist and student at Yale UniversityBen Zimmer: Linguist, lexicographer, and theWord on the Streetcolumnist for The Wall Street JournalThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired November 15, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/8/2023 • 50 minutes

From San Francisco’s iconic fog and COVID-related brain fog to a location-tracking program called Fog Reveal, this hour, we lift the fog on all kinds of fog.GUESTS:Travis O’Brien: Professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana UniversityJaveed Sukhera: Chair of psychiatry at the Institute of Living and chief of psychiatry at Hartford HospitalAnne Toomey McKenna: Visiting professor of law at the University of Richmond School of LawThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired November 1, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/7/2023 • 50 minutes

Mysteries have been popular for centuries. This hour we ask: Why are we drawn to this genre?Plus, a look at television detectives and true crime podcasts.GUESTS:Martin Edwards: Author ofThe Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their CreatorsAlexandra Petri: Columnist for The Washington Post and the author ofAlexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up)Nick Quah: Podcast critic forVultureand New York MagazineGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired October 18, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/6/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, humorist and The New Yorker columnist Andy Borowitz on his book Profiles in Ignorance, which explains how our nation’s elected leaders have grown dumb — and dumber.GUEST:Andy Borowitz: WritesThe Borowitz Report; his latest book is Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and DumberThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired September 13, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/5/2023 • 50 minutes

There’s been a changing of the guard, a succession, if you will, in prestige TV (or whatever). In the span of five days,The Marvelous Mrs. Maiselended after five seasons,Successionendedafter four seasons,Barryended after four seasons, andTed Lasso(maybe? probably? seemingly?) ended after three seasons. Those four shows have been nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy or Drama Series a total of 12 times, and they’ve won those top awards five times. So far. TV is different now, we think, is the point.And:White House Plumbersis a five-part HBO miniseries based on Egil “Bud” Krogh’s Watergate memoir. It tells the bumbling story of the bumbling lead up to the bumbled burglary and stars Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, Lena Headey, Domhnall Gleeson and an ensemble cast.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:The Matty Healy, Ice Spice (and Taylor Swift) drama, explainedHealy, who is rumored to be dating Swift, faced backlash over comments he made about the rapper Ice SpiceMax streaming service says it will restore writer and director credits after outcryBroadway Musicians Object to David Byrne’s ‘Here Lies Love’The show plans to use recorded music instead of a live band, but a labor union says its contract for the theater requires musicians for musicals.‘Oppenheimer’ Earns R Rating, Imax Film Prints Are 11 Miles Long and Weigh 600 PoundsHow to Hire a Pop Star for Your Private PartyFor the very rich, even the world’s biggest performers—Beyoncé, Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Andrea Bocelli—are available, at a price.We’re All Bored of CultureAnglo-Calvinist moralism has turned the American arts into something strenuously polite and deadly dullSoft Pants: The Postpandemic Benefit That’s Here to StayShould we know where our friends are at all times?“I love you, now let me watch your location 24/7.”Die-Hards Still Mailing Newspaper Clips to Family and FriendsSome people still deliver news, tips and the occasional obituary to their grown children using scissors, stamps and envelopes; ‘Sometimes they chuckle at me, which is fine’Searching for Meg WhiteIt’s been over a decade since we’ve heard from the elusive White Stripes drummer. Could renewed attention over a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination coax her back into the spotlight?Letterboxd Unboxed: How a Grassroots Social Network Is Revolutionizing Film Fandom‘The Larry Sanders Show’ was a sitcom that changed sitcomsActors, writers and directors remember the highs and lows of making the seminal ’90s series, which aired for the last time 25 years ago this weekGUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine:An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersSam Hadelman:Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis:Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJames Poniewozik:The chief television critic forThe New York TimesThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/2/2023 • 49 minutes

Romance novels have long had a reputation for being flimsy, sexist, trashy bodice-rippers. But there’s lots more to the genre than meets the eye. This hour, we look at what makes romance novels work – and why so many of us are devouring them.GUESTS:Olivia Waite:The New York Times Book Review’s romance fiction columnistwhowritesqueer and historical romance, fantasy, and critical essays on the genre’s history and futureJason Rogers:Olympic medalist, journalist covering masculinity, and the founder of a now-defunct romance book club for menTony Horvath:Creative director for the long-time romance-novel publisherHarlequin, where he oversees production of about 80 book covers a monthJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/1/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour: invisibility. We learn about the science of invisibility and whether we’re getting close to having the technology to turn invisible. We also talk about invisibility in pop culture and science fiction and debate questions we all have about what would happen if someone could turn invisible.GUESTS:Gregory Gbur:Author ofInvisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen, and a Professor of Physics and Optical Science at the University of North Carolina at CharlotteLisa Yaszek:Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia TechSophia Brueckner:Futurist artist, designer and engineer, Associate Professor at the School of Art and Design, and Co-Director of the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing at the University of MichiganJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/31/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour, an invention that transformed care for traumatic injuries. Charles Barber’s new book,In The Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took on the US Army, details how Frank Hursey discovered that a mineral called zeolite could help stop excessive bleeding, and the challenge he and his partner, Bart Gullong, faced in getting the invention to take hold in trauma care.GUESTS:Charles Barber:Nonfiction author, Writer in Residence at Wesleyan University, and Lecturer in Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. His new book isIn The Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took on the US ArmyBart Gullong:Co-founder and former CEO of Z-Medica, who worked to get QuickClot widely adoptedFrank Hursey:Founder of On-Site Gas, Co-Founder of Z-Medica, and the inventor of QuickClotJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/30/2023 • 49 minutes

For this week’s Nose, the straightness is the difficulty of the lack of a bend.Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against the Andy Warhol Foundation, saying that Warhol could not use a photographer’s portrait of Prince as the basis of his own image of Prince. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan writes that the ruling, “will impede new art and music and literature. It will thwart the expression of new ideas and the attainment of new knowledge. It will make our world poorer.”And: Jury Duty is “a documentary-style comedy series that chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror.” The catch is that that one particular juror doesn’t know that everyone else involved is an actor, and the whole trial is fake. Eight half-hour (!) episodes of Jury Dutyare available to stream on Amazon FreeVee.Carolyn Paine’s endorsem*nt:The Comebackon MaxMercy Quaye’s endorsem*nt:When the Heavens Went on Sale: Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reachby Ashlee VanceBill Yousman’s endorsem*nts:The Guestby Emma ClineSmall Merciesby Dennis LehaneColin’s endorsem*nt:Tina TurnerSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Tina Turner, Queen of Rock & Roll, Dead at 83Legendary singer “died peacefully” Wednesday after a long illnessHelmut Berger, Actor Known for His Work With Visconti, Dies at 78He first made his mark in “The Damned” as a character one critic said personified “the outright perversion” of Nazism. He and the director became lovers.I swear, our profane society is a disgrace‘Caligula’ Director Tinto Brass Slams ‘Caligula – The Ultimate Cut’ Screening in Cannes, Says He Is Taking Legal Action Against Penthouse FilmsThe looming existential crisis for cable newsThe number of cable subscribers, dropping for years, just took a record-breaking plunge. Sooner or later, it will hurt news channels’ bottom line.Is E.T. Eavesdropping on Our Phone Calls?Cell phone towers leak radio waves into space, but they’ll be tough for aliens to detectThe First Social-Media Babies Are Growing Up—And They’re HorrifiedHow would you feel if millions of people watched your childhood tantrums?Natalie Portman Called Out The Double Standards Women Face At Cannes A Day Before Jennifer Lawrence Was Critiqued For Wearing Flip Flops On The Red Carpet Instead Of Heels“The expectations are different on you all the time, and it affects how you behave — whether you’re buying into it, whether you’re rejecting it, or whether you’re doing something in between.”How Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Recreated A Nuclear Explosion Without Using CGIHow to Quit CarsThey crowd streets, belch carbon, bifurcate communities, and destroy the urban fabric. Will we ever overcome our addiction?Surgeon General Warns That Social Media May Harm Children and AdolescentsThe report by Dr. Vivek Murthy cited a “profound risk of harm” to adolescent mental health and urged families to set limits and governments to set tougher standards for use.Max Announces an Expanded Roster of 4K Programming Available To Stream on Its Ultimate Ad-Free Tier on May 23Netflix begins its password sharing crackdown in the US and global marketsBuzzFeed cooks up new AI-powered recipe generator, BotatouilleArtificial ‘culinary companion’ will suggest meals based on what you have in your refrigerator and has a chatbot featureAgainst the Cult of “Sticking the Landing”The ‘Succession’ finale may be great—or it may be deflating. But it likely doesn’t matter either way. A TV show is mostly remembered for what happens before the finale, not during it.Barbiemania! Margot Robbie Opens Up About the Movie Everyone’s Waiting ForPuritanism took over online fandom — and then came for the rest of the internetPuriteens, anti-fans, and the culture war’s most bonkers battleground.Where have all the Disney villains gone?The live-action Little Mermaid is a reminder of what movies like Encanto and Frozen II don’t have: a bad guy.GUESTS:Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceMercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectBill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/26/2023 • 49 minutes, 48 seconds

There’s currently a debate in America about what students should be learning about U.S. history. Some say we don’t revere American exceptionalism enough. Others say we're giving ourselves an A+ by excluding the tests we failed.HumoristAlexandra Petri says both sides are wrong. We just don’t know enough about the things we need to know, such as how inventor Nikola Tesla fell in love with his pigeon or about the secret tapes of Nixon yelling at his dog Checkers.This hour, an irreverent look at how we teach, learn and remember U.S. history.GUESTS:Alexandra Petriis a humorist, a columnist for the Washington Post and the author ofNothing Is Wrong and Here is Why,which was a Thurber Prize finalist. Her new book isAlexandra Petri’s US History: Important American DocumentsMike Pescais host of the podcastThe Gist,author of the Substack columnPesca Profundities, and the editor ofUpon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs In Sports HistoryJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Lily Tyson, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/25/2023 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

The writer and public intellectual Martin Amis died May 19. He was 73.Amis broke into the literary scene in the 1970s, and by the time his London trilogy — Money, London Fields, and The Information — came out in the 1980s and 1990s, people had started to think of him as “theauthor” and “the standard forauthorhood.”This hour, an appreciation of Martin Amis and a look back at his 2018 appearance on this show.GUESTS:Martin Amis:The author of 15 novels, two short story collections, a memoir, and seven books of nonfictionDan Kois:An editor and writer atSlateand cohost of the podcastThe Martin Chronicles; his most recent book is the novel Vintage ContemporariesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired in a different form March 8, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/24/2023 • 50 minutes

In record producer and neuroscientist Susan Rogers’s This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You, she writes, “The music that delivers the maximum gratification to you is determined by seven influential dimensions of musical listening.” Those seven dimensions are authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre.This hour, we talk with Rogers about some of those seven dimensions, the role of the listener in music, and why we are drawn to some songs and not others.GUEST:Susan Rogers: Multi-platinum record producer, cognitive neuroscientist, and co-author ofThis Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About YouThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 15, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/23/2023 • 50 minutes, 1 second

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to a bit of trivia about the John Wayne version ofTrue Grit, paupers and banking in the 1840s, the draft, job descriptions for politicians, prejudices against classic rock … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/22/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose got a couple other cans, ya know, and came back and switched the labels and the cans around.The Long Goodbye is a satirical neo-noir mystery feature film adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel. It is the eighth feature directed by Robert Altman and the second-to-last screenplay by the science fiction writer Leigh Brackett (who also wrote The Empire Strikes Back and the 1946 version of The Big Sleep, among others). It stars Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe in 1970s Los Angeles. This year is The Long Goodbye’s 50th anniversary.Plus: A look at the value and the art of rewatching and rewatchability.Raquel Benedict’s endorsem*nts:Helpmeetby Naben RuthnumNoceboon ShudderHelder Mira’s endorsem*nts:Hawkeyeby Fraction and AjaJury Dutyon FreeveeDocumentary Now! Season 4on NetflixGene Seymour’s endorsem*nts:Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouseby Ahmad JamalAin’t But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Storyedited by Willard JenkinsColin’s endorsem*nt:The Battered Bastards of Baseballon NetflixSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Doyle Brunson, the ‘Godfather of Poker,’ has died at 89End of a love affair: AM radio is being removed from many carsFord, BMW, Volkswagen, Tesla and other automakers are eliminating AM radio from some new vehicles, stirring protests against the loss of a medium that has shaped American life for a centuryTony Awards Broadcast Can Proceed After Striking Writers’ Union AgreesThe Tony Awards, a key marketing opportunity for Broadway, can go ahead in an altered form after the striking screenwriters’ union said it would not picket this year’s broadcast.TV Isn’t About to Get Worse. It Already Is.The problems that Hollywood’s writers are protesting can be seen on our screens.YouTube Bringing Unskippable 30-Second Ads To The Living RoomSupreme Court Rules Against Andy Warhol in Copyright CaseThe question for the justices was whether the artist was free to use elements of a rock photographer’s portrait of the musician Prince.ESPN Plans to Stream Flagship Channel, Eyeing Cable TV’s DemiseInternal project code-named ‘Flagship’ lays out shift in coming years, as talks with leagues and cable partners have begunAt 81, Martha Stewart lands ‘historic’ Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover“The whole aging thing is so boring," Stewart proclaimed.Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Released A Statement After Escaping A “Near Catastrophic Car Chase” With Paparazzi“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers."Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTokGreg Gianforte, the governor, signed legislation prohibiting mobile app stores from offering the video-sharing platform by next yearDisney’s Expensive ‘Star Wars’ Galactic Starcruiser Hotel to Close After Less Than Two YearsThe immersive and pricy hotel in Florida is being sent to a galaxy far, far away.Limiting what novelists can write about won’t help readersAn influencer’s AI clone will be your girlfriend for $1 a minuteCarynAI is the first AI companion product from a new startup called Forever Voices, allowing users to chat with a digital version of the fastest growing Snapchat starArnold Schwarzenegger Gets Candid on Career, Failures, Aging: “My Plan Is to Live Forever”The action icon — set to make his series TV debut in Netflix’s ‘FUBAR’ — sounds off on his ‘Terminator’ and ‘Conan’ futures, identity politics and why emotions are overrated: “We have to work our ass off and stop worrying about feelings.”The Dave Matthews Guide to Living and DyingThe troubadour of mellow vibes has been one of the biggest acts in music for three decades. Now 56, Matthews has been singing about mortality for a long time, and he’s confronting its specter in new and surprising ways.A Few Thoughts on Quentin Tarantino’s Plan to RetireThe director has said that his tenth film will be his last. What does this mean for his cinematic legacy?The 23 Best ’90s MoviesOnce is enough: 18 movies you’ll never want to rewatchThey may be beautifully shot, brilliantly acted, thought-provoking films, but you’re not going to reach for them again on movie nightHow to Spin Bad News, Featuring Jonathan Majors and Johnny DeppThis Viral Debate Over Young Al Pacino And Robert De Niro’s Hotness Has Caused Me To Rethink EverythingIf you’re on Twitter, you may have seen it; if you’re not, prepare for the most important debate of your life.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction and the host of theRite GudpodcastHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of theSo PretentiouspodcastGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/19/2023 • 49 minutes

At the beginning of the year, the company behind the public effort to de-extinct the wooly mammoth announced it will also be de-extincting the dodo. The announcement stirred up a lot of excitement and questions about whether we can – or should – bring back species once they’re gone.So this hour we're talking about de-extinction! We’ll hear about what it takes to bring back extinct animals, efforts to build a safety net for plants that might go extinct in the future, and walk through some fun de-extinction thought experiments.GUESTS:Helen Pilcher:a science and comedy writer with a PhD in cell biology who wroteBring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinctionBen Lamm:CEO of the de-extinction companyColossal, which he co-founded with George Church.Carlos de la Rosa:President and CEO of theCenter for Plant ConservationJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/18/2023 • 49 minutes

WithSuccession,Ted Lasso,The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, andBarryall coming to a close within the span of a week, it’s time for an hour on endings. We look at the art of the ending, wonder what makes a satisfying ending in literature and TV and music, and ponder how we know it’s time to let a thing come to an end.GUESTS:Jen Chaney:TV critic at Vulture and New York Magazine, and author ofAs If! The Oral History of CluelessGeoff Dyer:Author ofThe Last Days of Roger Federer: And Other Endings, among other booksRebecca Makkai:Author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award FinalistThe Great Believers, among other books. Her newest book isI Have Some Questions For You. She is Artistic Director of StoryStudio ChicagoSusan Rogers:Multi-platinum record producer, cognitive neuroscientist, professor at Berklee College of Music and co-author of the bookThis is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About YouSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/17/2023 • 49 minutes

The purpose of incarceration in America is supposed to be a balance between punishment and reform, with the scales tipping toward reforms that can lead to redemption and a second chance after release. But that’s not been the experience of many currently and formerly incarcerated people.Incarcerated influencers are sharing a view of prison life through TikTok videos, podcasts, and journalism that shows a more nuanced look at prison life, including the network of support, friendships, and mentors the incarcerated share with one another in the absence of significant reform.The content challenges misperceptions about incarceration that are often depicted in popular culture, and it exposes the lack of formal opportunities available to help the incarcerated prepare for life after release.GUESTS:Emily Bazelon: Staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and the co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest; she recently startedThe Prison Letters ProjectRobin Kaiser-Schatzlein: Afreelance writerwho writes about American life for numerous publications including The New York Times, The New Republic, and The BafflerJohn J. Lennon: An incarceratedjournalistwriting from Sullivan Correctional Facility; he is a contributing editor at Esquire magazine and a frequent contributor to The New York TimesJustin Paperny: A prison consultant, the co-founder of White Collar Advice andPrison Professors, and the author ofLessons from PrisonThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired September 26, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/16/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, we look at the idea of sacredness — in both religious and secular spaces — and ask how we can identify and make places for the sacred in our everyday lives, through reading, music, and even baseball.GUESTS:Mary-Jane Rubenstein: Professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan University. She is the author ofAstrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race, among other booksVanessa Zoltan: An atheist chaplain, co-host of the podcasts “Harry Potter and The Sacred Text,” “Hot & Bothered,” and “Should I Quit,” and author ofPraying with Jane Eyre: Reflections on Reading as a Sacred PracticeMark Miller: Lecturer in Sacred Music at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music and Divinity School. He is also Professor of Church Music, Director of Chapel, and Composer in Residence at Drew University, and the Minister of Music of Christ ChurchJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/15/2023 • 49 minutes

You don’t have to worry about this week’s Nose taking your phone and putting it in the bottom of a root beer float.On Sunday, The New York Times published an Amy Chozik profile of Elizabeth Holmes, who wants to go by Liz now, it turns out. The piece has been, let’s say, controversial.And: Bupkis is a somewhat autobiographical comedy series created by Pete Davidson with Judah Miller and Dave Sirus and executive produced by Lorne Michaels. Eight half-hour (!) episodes are available to stream on Peaco*ck.Rebecca Castellani’s endorsem*nt:Jury Dutyon FreeveeIrene Papoulis’s endorsem*nts:David O. Russell’sSpanking the Moneyon DVDUnmasking Narcissism: A Guide to Understanding the Narcissist in Your Lifeby Mark EttensohnPedro Soto’s endorsem*nt:Westville Artwalk 26in New HavenSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Heather Armstrong, who made it okay to say motherhood was hard, dead at 47The pioneering blogger behindDooce.comupended women’s media and laid the ground for the influencer industryThe Sad Dads of The NationalFor two decades, the band has written music about the kind of sadness that feels quotidian and incremental—the slow accumulation of ordinary losses.‘It’s Going to Be a While’: No End in Sight for Hollywood StrikeThe writers and entertainment companies remain far apart on several key issues, including money, and the standoff could last for months.There’s a ‘volume war’ happening in musicDrag business flourishes in state’s arts and entertainment sceneWhy are these groups so much more likely to wear glasses than any others?“After Breakfast Mom Would Kick Me Outside And Tell Me Not To Come Home Until The Street Lights Came On”: Gen X’ers Are Sharing The Laughably Bad Parenting Boomers Did To ThemApparently, Gen X grew up in cigarette smoke-filled rooms and never wore seatbelts.Pickleball is the worstParamount Can’t Say No to the Man Behind ‘Yellowstone’: $50,000 a Week for His Ranch, $25 Per CowTaylor Sheridan writes most of the company’s hits, giving him clout to dominate the big-budget productions through his network of commercial projects, pushing costs to among the highest in HollywoodI Really Didn’t Want to GoOn the Goop cruiseOn David Foster WallaceReconsidering the man, the meme, and the writingNotes from Prince Harry’s GhostwriterCollaborating on his memoir, “Spare,” meant spending hours together on Zoom, meeting his inner circle, and gaining a new perspective on the tabloids.Bill Hader Just Wants to Make Weird ThingsThe co-creator and star of the HBO comedy “Barry” on the end of the series, his film-nerd past, and why he has no desire to be part of “the conversation.”Shakira And Tom Cruise Were Spotted Together Amid Dating Rumors — Here’s How People ReactedRandomest couple.People Are Calling Ben Affleck The Unhappiest Husband In Hollywood After A Video Of Him Slamming A Car Door On Jennifer Lopez Sparked A Debate About Their MarriageSad Ben Affleck strikes again.Please stop using AI to make Wes Anderson parodiesA recent online trend has seen users mock up Harry Potter, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings in the director’s distinctive style but is he beyond parody?GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/12/2023 • 49 minutes

If you've spent time on the internet, you've probably experienced the feeling of going down a rabbit hole. This hour, we talk about that feeling, how Lewis Carroll invented such a powerful metaphor for the digital world, and, of course, real rabbit holes.GUESTS:Franziska Kohlt:Researcher in Science Communication and the History of Science and Literature. She is currently the LeverhulmeResearch Fellow at the University of Leeds and Inaugural CarrollianFellow at the University of Southern CaliforniaAnnie Rauwerda:Writer, comedian, and Wikipedia influencer, who created “Depths of Wikipedia.” She was named “Wikimedian of The Year” in the media category for 2022, and she is currently working on a book about WikipediaDominic Couzens:Award-winning nature writer, who’s just finished his 45th book on wildlifeSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/11/2023 • 49 minutes

Hotlines: whether you realize it or not, you’ve likely used one before. From emergency services to customer service and crisis lines, they often fly under the radar in our daily lives.This hour, we’ll look at the history of hotlines and then meet some people who have created innovative ways to talk to strangers on the phone: from a hotline for advice from elementary schoolers to an app that callsyouto talk.GUESTS:Dr. Lee Humphreys:Professor of Communication at Cornell UniversityJessica Martin:An artist who leads an art program for West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, California. She’s also the co-creator of the kids-advice hotline,PeptocDanielle Baskin:An artist who co-createdDialup, a voice-chat app that connects you to strangersMichelle Rorong:An architect in Indonesia whowrote about her experience using Dialupduring a COVID-19 quarantine periodSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/10/2023 • 48 minutes, 44 seconds

Well designed queues give you hope and feel fair, while poorly designed ones can ruin your day.Queues are everywhere around us, and not all are designed well.This hour, the art of the queue, the challenge of waiting in line, and when, if ever, cutting in line is appropriate.GUESTS:Jennifer Goff: Owner and founder ofSkip the LineMarie Helweg-Larsen: Professor of psychology at Dickinson CollegeRichard Larson: Professor of data, systems, and society at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySteven Soifer: President of theAmerican Restroom AssociationThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/9/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, we take your calls about whatever you want to talk about.Call us: 888-720-9677.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/8/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose force feeds hero’s journey to its network.The Writers Guild of America is on strike for the first time in 15 years. The film and television industry, you may have noticed, is very different from the way it was 15 years ago. And that’s a big part of why the WGA is striking and why it matters.And: Mrs. Davis is an eight-episode Peaco*ck miniseries created by Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof. It has been described as a “religious odyssey/thriller/comedy/drama/sci-fi epic,” which isn’t really much of a description at all. Here’s Peaco*ck’s synopsis, which isn’t really much of a synopsis at all: “Mrs. Davis is the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence. Simone is the nun devoted to destroying Her. Who ya got?”Taneisha Duggan’s endorsem*nts:Garden Answeron YouTubeGentle Bull Shopin HartfordRich Hollant’s endorsem*nts:Blessed Not Bitter: The Barbara McClane Journeyby Barbara McClaneThe Rembrandtat TheaterWorks in HartfordLindsay Lee Wallace’s endorsem*nts:The Fifth Seasonby N.K. JemisinAn Ordinary Age: Finding Your Way in a World That Expects Exceptionalby Rainesford StaufferSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Gordon Lightfoot, Hitmaking Singer-Songwriter, Is Dead at 84His rich baritone voice and songs like “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind” made him a top artist of the 1970s.Graphic designer Peter Good, creator of the Hartford Whalers logo, dies at 80Ask Amy: Is it offensive to refer to people as ‘ladies’ or ‘gentlemen’?Ed Sheeran Won His Copyright Trial. Here’s What to Know.The heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Marvin Gaye, had accused the pop star of copying it in “Thinking Out Loud.”Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson‘Yellowstone’ to End With Season 5, New Sequel Series to Debut in DecemberThe Stupefying Success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”Recycling old intellectual property is a default formula in today’s Hollywood. But few franchises have managed to yield so much by doing so little.The Best Songs of 2023 (So Far)A terrible decision on AI-made images hurts creatorsThe guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungryThe Speed BumpThose chipmunk-pitched songs you hear on TikTok are more than just a viral craze. They’re the latest big thing in the music biz. Here’s what their success says about remix culture, artists’ control over their own work, and why we want everything so fast these days.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsRich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordLindsay Lee Wallace: Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/5/2023 • 50 minutes

Note: This episode contains strong language.Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all recognize the big names or fall in love with a brand-new star — but what about that lady who killed it with her one line about the coffee? She's a professional actor, too! On this hour of The Colin McEnroe Show, we learn about the art of the smaller role: how they're cast, how to nail it, and what it's like to have a long resume of one-liners. And don't forget the extras and body-doubles, too! They'll be with us, for just a minute.GUESTS:Jenny Ravitz:Casting director based in New York. She has worked on over 500 episodes of television in addition to theater, film, and commercialsEzra Buzzington:Actor whose over 70 film credits and dozens of TV appearances range from "Weird Al the Waiter" inGhost Worldto a mutant inThe Hills Have Eyesand, most recently, as one of the leads in the South By Southwest hit filmBrooklyn 45. He has appeared in Academy Award-winning films alongside some of your favorite actorsVlad Perez:LA-based actor who has co-starred in television shows includingBrooklyn 99,Murderville,Friendsgiving, and many more. He’s also one of the founders of the Sea Tea Comedy Theater right here in HartfordHarriet Dobin:Former Hartford media maven now actor in PhiladelphiaAllie Rivera:Performer and teacher at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater in downtown Hartford, and is the creator and producer of the theater’s Improvised Hallmark & Lifetime showJoin the conversation on FacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/4/2023 • 49 minutes

Today on The Colin McEnroe Show, we're talking about bedtime stories. What can we learn from people who write and tell them? How can we all be more intentional and magical about the last things we think about before sleeping?GUESTS:Adam Mansbach:Author, screenwriter, and cultural critic who wrote the famous not-for-children children’s book,Go the F***k to SleepFaith Adiele:Travel writer, speaker, teacher and formerly Thailand’s first Black Buddhist nun. She writes sleep stories for adults on theCalmappJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Catie Talarski, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/3/2023 • 49 minutes

Have you heard the music of Connie Converse? She was a singer-songwriter in New York City in the middle of the 20th century, who, in her lifetime, never received widespread recognition. Then, at 50, she drove off, and was never heard from again. This hour, we talk about the life, music, and legacy of Connie Converse, and what her example can teach us about how we think about the role of art and artists in our society.GUEST:Howard Fishman:Musician, frequent contributor toThe New Yorker,and author ofTo Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie ConverseJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/2/2023 • 41 minutes

According to a cursory search of my email archive, we started working on rebranding The Colin McEnroe Show in the fall of 2021. It was probably actually longer ago than that.In any case, today, more than 18 months later, our new look and new logo and new tagline and new whatever elses are all ready for the world to see.And so, this hour, a look at rebranding, from Philip Morris and Facebook and Tronc and Prince and Madonna and the Washington Football Team to, yes, The Colin McEnroe Show.GUESTS:Patrick Dugan: Executive creative director atAdams and KnightChristopher King: Co-founder and creative director ofLVCK Design, a Beyer Blinder Belle studioIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeMike Pesca: Hosts the independent daily podcastThe GistBrendan Jay Sullivan: A writer, producer, and DJ and a food history TikTok personalityLaura Varacchi: Co-founder and creative strategist of LVCK DesignThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired in a different form November 9, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/1/2023 • 43 minutes, 6 seconds

This week’s Nose traded one fatted goose for ten radishes.The Diplomat is an eight-episode political thriller romantic-comedy (sort of?) Netflix limited series created by Debora Cahn. It stars Keri Russell as the title character and Rufus Sewell as her husband, who is also a diplomat, though a somewhat less diplomatic diplomat. Here’s Netflix’s logline: “In the midst of an international crisis, a career diplomat lands in a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.” The Diplomat is currently No. 2 in TV Shows Today on Netflix.And: Baby J is John Mulaney’s fifth comedy special, his fourth for Netflix, and his fourth standup special. It’s also his first special since his divorce, his time in rehab, and the birth of his son. As Mulaney says early on in Baby J, he has “kind of a different vibe now.” Baby J is currently No. 10 in TV Shows Today on Netflix.Sam Hadelman’s endorsem*nt:Hung Upby Hunter HarrisShawn Murray’s endorsem*nts:John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunchon NetflixSelected Poemsby Gwendolyn BrooksCarolyn Paine’s endorsem*nts:Celeste Barber: Fine, Thankson NetflixWellmaniaon NetflixColin’s endorsem*nt:financial literacyScott Galloway’s podcastsThe PivotandThe Prof G PodSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Harry Belafonte, 96, Dies; Barrier-Breaking Singer, Actor and ActivistIn the 1950s, when segregation was still widespread, his ascent to the upper echelon of show business was historic. But his primary focus was civil rights.Jerry Springer, Host of a Raucous TV Talk Show, Is Dead at 79The confrontational “Jerry Springer Show” ran for nearly three decades and became a cultural phenomenon. Mr. Springer also had a career in politics.The Future of Social Media Is a Lot Less SocialFacebook, TikTok and Twitter seem to be increasingly connecting users with brands and influencers. To restore a sense of community, some users are trying smaller social networks.It’s Okay to Like Good Art by Bad PeopleArt transcends the artist.The best television of 2023 so far‘Mrs. Davis,’ ‘Barry,’ ‘Yellowjackets,’ ‘Succession,’ ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘Poker Face’ all make our evolving critics’ list of 2023’s best TV showsThis Babysitter Sparked A Huge Debate After Asking Parents To Pay Half Of Their $840 Bill After They Canceled Last Minute“When I told Claudia, she definitely had sticker shock. But when I broke down the price and she shopped around, she realized I was the cheaper option.”Sylvester Stallone’s Best Sci-Fi Movie Is Smart Enough to Know Just How Stupid It IsGrab some Taco Bell and settle in.The Succession Timeline Kind of Makes Sense NowWhere to rent DVDs and Blu-rays as Netflix ends disc rentals‘Convicting A Murderer’ Series Acquired By DailyWire+ With Candace Owens Set To Front Response To Netflix True-Crime Hit19 Movie Moments From The ’90s That Aged Like Cow’s MilkWhy was every ’90s movie transphobic as heck?In Praise of the Long MovieIn the right hands, a three-hour-plus film expands the boundaries of cinematic possibilities.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/28/2023 • 49 minutes

What besides an egg can give us life, culinary delight, life-saving vaccines,egg jarping, an internationalclown egg registry,and a satisfying bit ofschadenfreude,all wrapped in one small package? Making a great omelet is the tip of the eggshell for the versatility of the egg.Today, we take a hard-boiled look at the ubiquitous, yet overlooked egg.GUESTS:Lizzie Starkis the author of two non-fiction books, includingPandora’s DNAandLeaving Mundania.Her new book isEgg: A Dozen Ovatures.Chris Prosperiis the chef and co-owner ofMetro Bisrestaurant in Simsbury and a former recipe columnist for the Hartford Courant.John Portmanntaught moral philosophy and ethics at the University of Virginia for several decades. He’s the author ofWhen Bad Things Happen To Other PeopleJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/27/2023 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

We all do some bad thinking sometimes, whether in relatively minor ways or relatively major ones.This hour, we look at why bad thinking happens, how reasoning errors are embedded in the way we think, and how we can all learn how to think better, through lessons from philosophy and psychology.GUESTS:Woo-kyoung Ahn: Director of The Thinking Lab at Yale University and the author ofThinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live BetterSteven Nadler: Co-author ofWhen Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselvesand a philosophy professor at the University of Wisconsin-MadisonLarry Shapiro: Co-author of When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves and a philosophy professor at the University of Wisconsin-MadisonThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 21, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/26/2023 • 50 minutes

Most of us have books that we just can’t finish, no matter how many times we try.This hour, a look at those books that we find unreadable, whether they’re too long, too difficult, too confusing, or too dated. What makes a book unreadable?Plus: The Voynich Manuscript, an unreadable and undeciphered book housed at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.We asked our listeners for their list of unreadable books. Here are those responses:The BibleMansfield Park by Jane AustenMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John BerendtRim by Alexander BesherThe Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsCollapse by Jared DiamondGreat Expectations by Charles DickensA Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensS. by JJ Abrams and Doug DorstThe Name of the Rose by Umberto EcoThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgeraldanything by William FaulknerCold Mountain by Charles FrazierA Brief History of Time by Stephen HawkingCatch-22 by Joseph HellerGödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas HofstadterLes Misérables by Victor HugoA Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving50 Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesThe Dubliners by James JoyceUlysses by James JoyceWicked by Gregory MaguireOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleFaithful by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen KingGravity’s Rainbow by Thomas PynchonHow to Write by Gertrude SteinGrapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckA Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy TooleInfinite Jest by David Foster WallaceGUESTS:Ray Clemens: Curator of early books and manuscripts at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript LibraryRand Richards Cooper: Fiction writer, contributing editor atCommonweal, and restaurant critic for The Hartford CourantDennis Duncan: Lecturer in English at University College London and the author ofIndex, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital AgeJuliet Lapidos: Ideas editor for The Atlantic and the author ofTalentThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 14, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/25/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to the inflation in our language, the Mario Pavone track “Colin Mac,”Tucker Carlson… Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/24/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is gonna make three 10X trades: 1K to 10K, 10K to a hundred, hundred to a million. Boom.On April 20, Twitter stripped its blue check marks from the accounts of public figures and others who weren’t paying for them. Including many celebrities, who then went on to drag Twitter about how much they don’t care. At the same time, there seems to be a growing feeling (again) that Twitter might be dying.And: Beef is a Netflix comedy-drama limited series created by Lee Sung Jin and starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. It “follows the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers.” Beef is currently the most popular TV series on Rotten Tomatoes and #2 in TV Shows Today on Netflix.Jacques Lamarre’s endorsem*nt:Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgersby Mary Rodgers and Jesse GreenTracy Wu Fastenberg’s endorsem*nts:The Charlesin Wethersfield, ConnecticutComstock, Ferre & Co. in Wethersfield, ConnecticutBill Yousman’s endorsem*ntsParks, Recreation, and Leisure Servicesin Bloomfield, ConnecticutKeep Your Courageby Natalie Merchantthe music ofPrinceColin’s endorsem*nts:apple blossomspoetrysleepSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Ahmad Jamal, Whose Spare Style Redefined Jazz Piano, Dies at 92He was known for his laid-back style and for his influence on, among others, Miles Davis, who once said, “All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.”Netflix Will End Its DVD Service, 5.2 Billion Discs LaterSending movies through the mail, in recognizable red-and-white envelopes, helped the company become a behemoth in Hollywood.Yes, People Will Pay $27,500 for an Old ‘Rocky’ Tape. Here’s Why.Collectors are finding that their childhood has a price — and it’s going up. When the future is frightening, it’s boom times at the nostalgia factory.Netflix’s Love Is Blind Live Failure Had Big ‘Game Servers Are Down’ EnergyThe streaming service tried its second-ever live broadcast for the highly anticipated Love Is Blind reunionHollywood Writers Approve of Strike as Shutdown LoomsThe writers have not gone on strike in 15 years, and the vote gives their unions the right to call for a walkout when their contract expires on May 1.What the death of a literary magazine says about our cultural decayBuzzFeed Shuts Down Its News DivisionBuzzFeed News, which won a Pulitzer Prize but never made money, is “beginning the process of closing,” the company’s founder, Jonah Peretti, said in a memo to employees.‘Air’ and the Argument for Letting the Talent Share in the ProfitsThe movie’s focus (how Michael Jordan got a cut from Nike) reflects what its filmmakers, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, are trying to do in their new venture.Fringe’s Finest Hour Is Sci-Fi’s Most Profound Exploration of Faith and Science“I’ve asked God for a sign of forgiveness. A specific one, a white tulip.”Scientists discovered a new ‘quasi-moon’ orbiting EarthMcDonald’s is upgrading its burgersThe Myth of the Broke MillennialAfter a rough start, the generation is thriving. Why doesn’t it feel that way?After he sold his company for over $1 billion, Ryan Reynolds’ investing spree continues with a fintech company that has ties to Binance and DraftKingsHot 100 First-Timers: Jack Black Scores First Solo Hit With ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Ballad ‘Peaches’ The song debuts at No. 83.An A.I. Hit of Fake ‘Drake’ and ‘The Weeknd’ Rattles the Music WorldA track like “Heart on My Sleeve,” which went viral before being taken down by streaming services this week, may be a novelty for now. But the legal and creative questions it raises are here to stay.GUESTS:Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz EngineTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/21/2023 • 43 minutes, 15 seconds

In April, 2010 — 13 years ago this month — we did a segment on the concept of the “mesofact,” a certain kind of data point thatfeelsfixed even though it’s actually always slowly changing. (I’d add a link to that show, but our archive doesn’t actually go back that far.) And we’ve gone back to the idea every now and again ever since.Think about things like the world population or the Periodic Table of the Elements. Or think about our understanding of the health and nutritional value of red wine. Or coffee. Or how Brussels sproutsare supposed to taste. Or what dinosaurs are supposed to look like.This hour, an update on a bunch of mesofacts that we’d probably all lost track of, includingthe myth of the alpha wolfandthe misconceptions around white gloves and antique books.GUESTS:Samuel Arbesman:A scientist and writer; he is the author ofOvercomplicated: Technology at the Limits of ComprehensionandThe Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration DateJennifer Schuessler:A culture reporter covering intellectual life and the world of ideas forThe New York TimesMaddy Witt:An educator at theInternational Wolf Centerin Ely, MinnesotaSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/20/2023 • 49 minutes

We have a complicated relationship with our food. We need food to live, yet we’ve become removed from the food we eat and how it’s grown and processed. Even with the best intentions, today’s ultra-processed foods make it hard for us to know exactly what we’re eating or how the methods used to mass produce our food affect our environment and health. And I haven’t even touched on how food has led to war, famine, poverty, and enslavement.This hour, we talk about the history of agriculture, where it went wrong, and how we might begin to cultivate food that is kinder to our bodies, our earth, and our fellow humans.GUEST:Mark Bittman: Author ofAnimal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food From Sustainable To Suicidal, among many other booksThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 3, 2021.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/19/2023 • 42 minutes

This hour, our new favorite way to communicate: emoji.We look at how emoji are created and how they change meaning and talk to the creator of Emojiland: The Musical.GUESTS:Keith Broni: Editor-in-chief ofEmojipediaKeith Harrison Dworkin: Composer and creator of Emojiland: The MusicalAlex King: Associate professor of philosophy at Simon Fraser University and editor-in-chief ofAesthetics for BirdsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 9, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/18/2023 • 42 minutes

This hour: a conversation about handling life’s hardships with Kieran Setiya, philosophy professor and author ofLife is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way.GUESTS:Kieran Setiya:Professor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the author ofMidlife: A Philosophical Guide. His new book isLife is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our WayJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/17/2023 • 41 minutes, 18 seconds

This week’s Nose could be some genetic switch that flipped. Something that was there, dormant, and it just…On April 8,The New York TimesOpinion published an interactive, “17 Pop Culture Moments That Define the COVID Era.” The Nose didn’t really have a choice but to start figuring out its own COVID canon.And:The Poweris a TV series adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s 2016 science fiction novel (whichThe Nose covered in 2018). It tells the story of a world where teenage girls suddenly develop the ability to produce electricity. It stars an ensemble cast that includes John Leguizamo, Halle Bush, Toheeb Jimoh, Eddie Marsan, and Toni Collette. Five ofThe Power’s expected nine episodes are available to stream on Prime Video.Rebecca Castellani’s endorsem*nts:Darkon Netflixthe books ofMargaret AtwoodRand Richards Cooper’s endorsem*nt:the books ofW.G. SebaldLindsay Lee Wallace’s endorsem*nts:Crushon HuluManhuntby Gretchen Felker-MartinColin’s endorsem*nt:the music ofConnie ConverseSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Al Jaffee,Madmagazine’s cartoon maestro, dies at 102He wasMadmagazine’s longest-serving contributor and proudly helped corrupt the minds of generations of young AmericansMary Quant, British Fashion Revolutionary, Dies at 93Known as the mother of the miniskirt, clad in her signature play clothes and boots, with huge painted eyes, fake freckles and a bob, she epitomized London’s Swinging Sixties.Food storage synonym Tupperware has ‘substantial doubt’ it can surviveTaylor Swift’s breakups defined her early stardom. Not anymore.The tone and reaction to Swift’s split with actor Joe Alwyn after six years is remarkably different from a decade agoSome People’s ‘Funny’ Is Other People’s ‘Offensive’A Resurfaced Clip Of Aubrey Plaza Recalling The Time A Director Instructed Her To masturbat* On Camera Has Left People Seriously Disturbed“The camera was mounted on the ceiling, I was in my underwear and a Clinton t-shirt, and there were a bunch of old men smoking — the crew guys. And then I went and touched myself.”Actor Jesse Metcalfe talks about dating in CT on podcastInside Donald Glover’s New Creative PlaygroundHe changed the course of television with Atlanta and laid out a blueprint for a whole era of dark comedy. And now, out in Ojai, California, the multihyphenate star is preparing for the next phase of his career, building something even bigger and more ambitious that only he could have imagined.‘Succession’ and ‘Dr. Pimple Popper’ Together in New Warner Streaming AppThe service, expected to be called Max, is meant to help the company compete more directly with Netflix and Disney.“The Body You’ve Been Comparing My Current Body To Was The Unhealthiest Version Of My Body”: Ariana Grande Addressed Speculation Around Her Body“I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my ‘healthy.’”How ‘Hud’ Began Texas’s Love Affair With the BastardPaul Newman plays a brutish, morally repugnant monster in the classic anti-western. So why do Texans admire him anyway?The Case of the Fake SherlockRichard Walter was hailed as a genius criminal profiler. How did he get away with his fraud for so long?NASA’s Webb Telescope Reveals Supernova in Unprecedented DetailA stunning new picture of an exploded star includes a “green monster” and other never-before-seen features.Brad Pitt and the Bizarre Charity Mess That’s Left Katrina Victims Stranded AgainOwners of faulty homes built by the star’s Make It Right Foundation in New Orleans were relieved when charity Global Green promised $20.5 million for repairs. The only problem: It never had the money.A Journey Inside the Updated James Bond NovelsBook Bond has long been obscured by his cinematic doppelgänger. Now, thanks to savvy edits, readers can finally have a serious discussion about the complicated man on the page.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani:Co-founder ofQuiet Corner Communicationsand a freelance writerRand Richards Cooper:A fiction writer, contributing editor atCommonweal, and the restaurant critic for theHartford CourantLindsay Lee Wallace:Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/14/2023 • 44 minutes, 10 seconds

Humans have always been interested in the sky, and astrology has been used as a tool for people in power for a long time.During times of stress, interest in astrology increases.But why are we so interested in something that is not considered a science?This hour, a look at the history of astrology, its relationship with astronomy, and the reasons why people love it so much.GUESTS:Julie Beck: Senior editor at The Atlantic, where she wrote “The New Age of Astrology”Darin Hayton: Associate professor of the history of science at Haverford College and the author ofThe Crown and the Cosmos: Astrology and the Politics of Maximilian IEmily Levesque: Professor in the University of Washington’s Astronomy Department and the author ofThe Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy’s Vanishing ExplorersThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This episode was produced by Sara Gasparatto.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 21, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/13/2023 • 42 minutes

Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief ofTabletMagazine, recently wrotean articlewhere she argued that the real divide currently is between those who think we can fix our institutions, and those who think they are broken beyond repair. Alana joins us for the hour to explore the divide between the “brokenists” and the “status-quoists,” and to explain what this framework means for the future.GUESTS:Alana Newhouse:Editor-in-Chief ofTablet Magazine, which she founded in 2009Join the conversation on FacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you.Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/12/2023 • 41 minutes

Sometimes, we just love to hate. From reality TV shows likeThe BachelorandThe Real Housewivesfranchise to movies likeThe RoomandTwilight, sometimes it’s so bad it’s good. The phenomenon of hate-watching has reached new audiences on social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube. Haters are more vocal than ever.In this episode we ask why we want to watch and suffer through movies and TV shows we extremely dislike. Do we get enjoyment from objectively bad content? Or from hating on things? Join us on this episode of The Colin McEnroe Show as we discuss the psychology and impacts of hate-watching.GUESTS:Jonathan Gray:Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author ofDislike-Minded: Media, Audiences, and the Dynamics of TasteBrian Moylan:Writer, reality tv show recapper, and author of The New York Times bestsellerThe Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real HousewivesAlex Meyers:A YouTuberwho makes cartoons and video essays about movies and TV showsJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Lizzie Van Arnam, Colin McEnroe, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/11/2023 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to the end of civilization and why we aren’t doing anything about it, roller derby, the music we use, litter, very fast cars … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/10/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is a redundancy in case the FBI needs to contact the president and other methods are compromised.The Night Agent is an espionage conspiracy thriller TV series created by Shawn Ryan and based on the 2019 novel by Matthew Quirk. It stars Gabriel Basso. All 10 first season episodes are available on Netflix. The Night Agent was renewed for a second season.And: Rabbit Hole is an espionage conspiracy thriller TV series created by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. It stars Kiefer Sutherland. The first three episodes are available on Paramount+.Sam Hadelman’s endorsem*nts:The New York Times crossword puzzleDid You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.by Lana Del ReyIrene Papoulis’s endorsem*nts:Bordertown(Sorjonen) from Finland on NetflixThe Bureau(Le Bureau des Légendes) from France on AMC+ and Sundance NowDeutschland 83,Deutschland 86, andDeutschland 89from Germany on HuluOccupied(Okkupert) from Norway on NetflixTracy Wu Fastenberg’s endorsem*nt:The spring flower arrangement sale this weekend at the Garmany Visitor center atElizabeth Parkin West HartfordColin’s endorsem*nts:“The Astronaught” by Carl Reiner & Mel BrooksMythologiesby Thomas BangalterSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Klaus Teuber, Creator of the Board Game Catan, Dies at 70He created the strategy game about settling a new land in 1995. Millions of copies have been sold since then, and it’s played all over the world.A Viral Video Of Tom Holland And Zendaya Being Hounded By Paparazzi Has Left People Super Uncomfortable“The look on her face…Can we just, idk, leave people alone?? Following their car is kinda creepy, no??”Bidens clarify national champ LSU’s White House invitationJames Gunn Explains Why ‘Superhero Fatigue’ Isn’t Really Superhero FatigueWhat Is Jeremy Renner’s Deal?The Marvel actor’s inexplicable new series might be the key to finally making sense of this avowedly strange man.Every Oscar Best Picture Winner Ranked: From Argo to The Life of Emile ZolaFeaturing some of film’s greatest achievements (and a few stinkers)Meghan Trainor Is Still Peeing With Her Husband On Their Side-By-Side Toilets, And Their Routine Is Really SomethingMeghan Trainor toilet talk is back, baby.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/7/2023 • 49 minutes

Bears, bobcats, coyotes, and deer are repopulating Connecticut, despite being hunted to near extinction by early settlers. Is the mountain lion among those returning?The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection thinks it’s unlikely. They investigate hundreds of mountain lion sightings every year without finding physical evidence of their presence. The sightings increased in 2011, after a driver hit and killed a mountain lion who was trying to cross the Merritt Parkway in Milford. But the mountain lion’s DNA was traced to South Dakota.Mountain lions in Connecticut are a lot like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster: elusive and spectacular creatures that are widely spotted but leave no trace.This hour, we talk about wildlife in Connecticut, including the Greenwich mountain lion and Buddy the Beefalo.GUESTS:Ed Benecchi: Retired police officerJason Hawley: A wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWilliam Stolzenburg: A screenwriter and journalist and the author ofHeart of a Lion: A Lone Cat’s Walk Across AmericaThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Megan Fitzgerald, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired August 23, 2022. Special thanks to Jennifer Ahrens, Julia Gill, Peter Herrmann, and Anna Huether for contributing stories.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/6/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, we investigate what it means to be a good citizen today.What are our responsibilities? What do we owe each other?GUESTS:Tamar Gendler: Professor of philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale UniversityAzar Nafisi: Author of six books, includingReading Lolita in Tehran; her newest isRead Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled TimesJohn Shattuck: Co-author ofHolding Together: The Hijacking of Rights in America and How to Reclaim Them for Everyoneand the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and LaborThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired June 14, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/5/2023 • 50 minutes

Ahead of NPR’s special coverage of the arraignment of former President Donald Trump, we look at the possible legal case and its broader implications.And we take your calls.GUEST:Ross Garber: A lawyer specializing in political investigations and impeachment and a legal analyst for CNNThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Carolyn McCusker, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/4/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour is about the psychology of fandom. We look at how the mind of a fan operates. We talk with experts about the mental attachments and connections fans have with their favorite shows and fictional characters.Plus, there are many reasons why one becomes a fan. We’ll talk about that, and how fandoms have evolved over time. Finally, a look at the types of emotions fans feel and how they express them in fanfiction and other forms of transformative fandom.GUESTS:Lynn Zubernis:Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Professor at West Chester University, who has written 7 books based on her research on the psychology of fandomMaya Phillips: Author ofNerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse, and a critic atThe New York TimesJessica Hautsch: Lecturer in the Program of Writing and Rhetoric at Stony Brook University. Her forthcoming book isMind, Body, and Emotion in the Reception and Creation Practices of Fan CommunitiesJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/3/2023 • 49 minutes

We believe this week’s Nose will be perceived as indigenous and will not trigger the immune response.Avatar: The Way of Water is the first of four planned sequels to 2009’s Avatar. It is the highest-grossing film of 2022, the highest-grossing film of the COVID era, and the third-highest grossing film ever made. The Way of Water is now available to purchase on iTunes/Amazon/etc., and it’s still in theaters.And: Daisy Jones & the Six is a musical drama docuseries limited series that tells the story of the fictional titular 1970s rock band. It is based on the 2019 novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and its 10 episodes are now available to stream on Prime Video.Jim Chapdelaine’s endorsem*nts:Lutheron Hulu andLuther: The Fallen Sunon NetflixTaneisha Duggan’s endorsem*nts:Heirloom Marketin Wethersfieldseeds fromBotanical InterestsShawn Murray’s endorsem*nts:The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolutionby C.L.R. JamesPraise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)by Yves TumorScaring the Hoesby JPEGMAFIA x Danny BrownColin’s endorsem*nts:PivotpodcastThe Glass Hotelby Emily St. John MandelSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Why Jonathan Majors’s assault arrest is so disturbing — and so complicatedThe Marvel star faces domestic assault charges, and now other allegations spanning years.Jury Finds Gwyneth Paltrow Not at Fault in Ski Crash TrialJurors found that a retired optometrist who sued the actress was “100 percent” at fault. The trial has combined celebrity culture and questions of skiing etiquette into a courtroom spectacle.Adnan Syed’s conviction reinstated by Maryland Appellate Court panelAfroman put home footage of a police raid in music videos. Now the cops are suing himPepsi’s new logo is a subliminal war on sugarPepsi launched a new logo and brand system that uses high contrast visuals to sell Zero Sugar products.For $18,500 (and Up), You, Too, Can Travel Like James BondWhen the (real) world is not enough, new luxury tours offer fans a chance to engage with their favorite film and TV worlds.The best musicals are the equal of great plays, so why the snobbery?The song ’n’ dance genre is everywhere, David Hare has bemoaned. He needs to watch more of these joyous showsIreland Asks: What if Artists Could Ditch Their Day Jobs?A government pilot program is giving 2,000 artists $350 a week with no strings attached, allowing them to concentrate on creative pursuits.Tyrannosaurus rex had lips over its teeth, research suggestsContrary to depiction in movies like Jurassic Park, scientists now believe T rexes were not ‘toothy lipless things’GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersBill Curry: Playing the part of Bill CurryTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/31/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour: a conversation with novelist Emily St. John Mandel, about time travel, the simulation hypothesis, adapting her work to television, art and culture during times of crisis, autofiction, Wikipedia, and much more.GUESTS:Emily St. John Mandel:Novelist, whose books includeSea of Tranquility,The Glass Hotel, andStation ElevenJoin the conversation on FacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/30/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour we look at mis-speaks, mis-hearings and mis-understandings, like malapropisms, mondegreens, eggcorns, and spoonerisms. We'll share our favorite examples and learn about what they can tell us about the English language, and how our brains process language. And we'll celebrate the joy of playing with language.GUESTS:Emily Brewster:Senior Editor and lexicographer atMerriam-Webster, and host of the“Word Matters” podcastMelissa Baese-Berk:Professor of language teaching studies and linguistics at the University of Oregon, where she is also director of the Speech Perception and Production LabBen Zimmer:Linguist, lexicographer, and the“Word on the Street” columnistforThe Wall Street JournalJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/29/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour: historical reenactments. We look at the role reenactments play in helping us understand or experience history. We talk with reenactors about what draws them to this and what their experiences are like.Plus, reenactments aren’t just about the acting but the costumes and the props. We hear from a tailor who creates custom clothing using traditional materials and methods to create true-to-history costuming.And: a look at experimental archeology and the stone-aged tools used by our predecessors. How were those tools made? And by recreating them, what can we learn about history, evolution, and psychology?GUESTS:Michelle Bebber: Co-director ofThe Kent State University Experimental Archaeology LaboratoryMetin Erin: Co-director of The Kent State University Experimental Archaeology LaboratoryIan Graves: Tailor and owner ofRoyal Blue Traders, specializing in American Revolutionary War clothingJ.R. Hardman: Associate producer at PBS Utah and a Civil War reenactor who is directing and producing the documentaryReenactressBrad Keefer: Professor of history at Kent State University and an active Civil War and colonial period living historianThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 8, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/28/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to John Donne and William Shakespeare, the age-old dilemma: to pay someone to plow your driveway or not to pay someone to plow your driveway,layoffs at NPR, a long-ago tabloid takedown of Burt Reynolds … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/27/2023 • 49 minutes

In his book From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy, Scott Meslow lays out two ways to tell if a given movie is a rom-com. First, his own definition: “A romantic comedy is a movie where (1) the central plot is focused on at least one romantic love story; and (2) the goal is to make you laugh at least as much as the goal is to make you cry.”And then, The Donald Petrie Test, named for the director of some rom-coms, like Mystic Pizza and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but also some edge cases, like Miss Congeniality and Grumpy Old Men: “If you removed the love story from this [comedy], would you still have a movie? If the answer is no, it’s a romantic comedy. […] If the answer is yes, it’s a comedy with a romantic subplot.”So those are the litmus tests. Now, does that make Broadcast News a rom-com, or no? What about Annie Hall? Or something like Grosse Pointe Blank? How about His Girl Friday? Or even, actually, Love Actually?The Nose is off this week. In its stead, a Not Necessarily The Nose-style deconstruction — and celebration — of the romantic comedy.Some favorite rom-coms from some of the people on this show:Illeana DouglasTheodora Goes Wild (1936)Bringing Up Baby (1938)Ninotchka (1939)Too Many Husbands (1940)The More the Merrier (1943)Christmas in Connecticut (1945)Cluny Brown (1946)Pillow Talk (1959)The Apartment (1960)What’s Up, Doc? (1972)Foul Play (1978)Arthur (1981)David EdelsteinTrouble in Paradise (1932)The Awful Truth (1937)Ninotchka (1939)Midnight (1939)The Lady Eve (1941)His Girl Friday (1940)The Philadelphia Story (1940)The Shop Around the Corner (1940)Cluny Brown (1946)Scott Meslow’s five recommended under-seen rom-coms from the past decadePopulaire (2012)A zippy, ultra-stylish French rom-com about the romance between a dapper boss and his secretary, set amid the long-forgotten craze for competitive speed typing.Sleeping with Other People (2015)Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are at the peak of their charms in this witty rom-com about two friends who reunite years after losing their virginities to each other — the rare rom-com to get the balance of raunchy and sweet just right.Man Up (2015)Ignore the lame title — this rom-com, in which Lake Bell plays an unlucky-in-love woman who pretends to be a man’s blind date, is pure, fizzy fun (and is also the only rom-com I’ve seen to borrow a plot point from The Silence of the Lambs).Destination Wedding (2018)Other critics weren’t as high on this extremely stripped down rom-com, in which Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves snark their way through a wedding they’d both prefer not to be attending — but in a genre in which so many characters have “negative” qualities that are actually just adorable, I appreciated this movie’s deliberately sour tone.Plus One (2019)A delightfully unapologetic throwback to the genre’s ’90s heyday, but with a modern touch, as two platonic friends (Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine) agree to be each other’s plus-ones for a packed wedding season before realizing they may actually have a spark after all.Colin’s 5 (or 6) favorite rom-comsHeaven Can Wait (1978)I realize this is assailable on the basis of Julie Christie not being an especially memorable character and getting less screen time than, say, Jack Warden. Warren Beatty is so vain, he probably thinks this movie is about him, and he’s sort of right. But it is very nearly perfect and enriched by an amazing ensemble of supporting players.Silver Linings Playbook (2012)I surprised myself by ranking SLP this high, but I love the frank and funny handling of mental illness and its indistinguishability from being an Eagles fan. I’ve seen it quite a few times, and I invariably cry at the end. I love what J-Law does with her part, and Chris Tucker and John Ortiz are standouts among the fine supporting cast. Shout out to Kevin Lowry for his work as dolly grip on the “A” camera.The Lady Eve (1941) / Intolerable Cruelty (2003)These are both “rom-cons” involving grifts by a femme fatale who is usually a few steps ahead of the male lead. Barbara Stanwyck actually generates more sexual heat than the smoldering Catherine Zeta-Jones. She was still doing that 42 years later, hitting on a rain-streaked, bare-chested priest played by Richard Chamberlain in The Thorn Birds. But I do love Intolerable Cruelty. I think it’s the only Coen brothers rom-com and definitely an homage to the ’30s and ’40s.Say Anything (1989)I loved John Cusack during this period. A few years later, I was seeing a psychotherapist who looked exactly like him. It was distracting. I’ve learned that Cusack didn’t really see himself as a rom-com person and even pushed back against the iconic boombox scene. That has something to do with why this movie works so well.Bringing Up Baby (1938)Grant. Hepburn. Two leopards. Thirty pounds of sirloin. What’s not to love?Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:And Now Let’s Review …A.O. Scott conducts his own exit interview as he moves to a new post after more than two decades of reviewing films.What if ‘The Daily Show’ Used Guest Hosts Permanently?Fill-ins for Trevor Noah have shown how exciting the lack of a permanent replacement could be. It’s an option with an illustrious history in television.David Letterman’s Retirement Beard Just Keeps Getting BetterAnd more from the week in celebrity grooming.The Oscars Aren’t Where Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans And West Side Story Needed To WinApple to Spend $1 Billion a Year on Films to Break Into CinemasParamount Sets Remake Of Hitchco*ck’s ‘Vertigo’ As Potential Robert Downey Jr-Starrer; Steven Knight To Write Script & Davis Entertainment To Produce With Team DowneyThe Movies Of The DCEU, RankedThe Rise of Gender-Neutral Names Isn’t What It SeemsThe desire of parents to be truly original has had a perhaps unintended effect.GUESTS:Illeana Douglas: The Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe ShowDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticScott Meslow: Author of From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic ComedyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 24, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/24/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour, we wrap our heads around clapping — its history, its varied permutations, and the kinds of occasions on which people applaud.GUESTS:Erin Elstner: Percussionist and professor of percussion at Webster UniversityFrank Rizzo: Theater critic forVarietyand other publicationsGavin Witt: Professor of theater history at Towson UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired August 30, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/23/2023 • 50 minutes

It could be that you’ve used online reviews to try new restaurants, dry cleaners, hotels or even movies.But what makes us trust the opinions of strangers on the internet?This hour, a look at the art and the etiquette of the online review.GUESTS:Tyler Anderson: Owner ofTanda HospitalityLauren Dragan: Senior staff writer atWirecutterXandy Schiefer: Co-host of the podcastBeach Too Sandy, Water Too WetCamilla Vásquez: Author ofThe Discourse of Online Consumer ReviewsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 25, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/22/2023 • 50 minutes

Tuberculosis has been around for thousands of years, and it still infects millions per year.This hour, we look back at how tuberculosis has shaped history and how it is still impacting health today.Plus, a look at the history of tuberculosis treatment, how tuberculosis has shaped modern architecture, and the impact of tuberculosis on art and artists.GUESTS:Heran Darwin: Professor in the Department of Microbiology at New York UniversityBeatriz Colomina: Author ofX-Ray ArchitectureCarolyn Day: Author ofConsumptive Chic: A History of Beauty, Fashion and DiseaseKyle Harper: Author ofPlagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human HistoryTara Knapp: Vice president of external affairs atGaylord Specialty HealthcareElizabeth Lee: Author ofThe Medicine of Art: Disease and the Aesthetic Object in Gilded Age AmericaThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 1, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/21/2023 • 50 minutes

How do you like to relax? Do you read a book? Go for a hike, maybe? How about grabbing dinner with friends? The list goes on, and we consider these activities leisure.This hour, we learn what leisure is and how to master it. We take a look at the importance of leisure for health, how the concept differs around the world, and what it means to value your free time. Finally, we examine what the future holds for leisure.In case you find some inspiration in this hour, here’s a list of leisure activities from our guests and The Colin McEnroe Show staff:Gardening.Finishing that old show you’ve been meaning to finish.Drawing yourself.Counting clouds.Staring at the wall.Laying down.Playing the closest instrument.Going bug collecting.Trying your hand at claymation.Trying to get the hiccups.Buying clay pigeons (biodegradable) and smashing them.Exploring the forest behind your home.Throwing rocks into the mysterious well you find in the forest.Summoning (accidentally) an eons-old forest spirit.Visiting a national park.GUESTS:Tom Hodgkinson: Founder ofIdlermagazine and the authorHow to Be Idle: A Loafer’s ManifestoandAn Idler’s Manual, among other booksSelin Malkoc: Behavioral scientist at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State UniversityKen Roberts: Professor of sociology, social policy, and criminology at The University of LiverpoolThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired August 11, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/20/2023 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose is being institutionally told that its personal expression is bad.This weekend, Adam Sandler receives the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Colin says it’s the end of Western civilization, or something like that. But is it?And: Seth Rogen has gone on the record about how “devastating” critiques of his work can be. It’s a topic this week’s Nose, which includes America’s Greatest Living Film Critic, couldn’t resist.And finally: Star Trek: Picard is the eighth Star Trek television series and the second series in the expanded Star Trek universe (I don’t really know what that is). It’s a sequel to the third Star Trek television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it starts 20 years after the last Next Generation movie, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). Its third and final season is streaming now.David Edelstein’s endorsem*nts:the 26th season of South Parkon Comedy CentralUnscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacyby James B. Stewart and Rachel AbramsMercy Quaye’s endorsem*nts:Daniel and Jorge Explain the UniverseHouston, We Have a Podcast’s Mars miniseriesStarTalkCarolyn Paine’s endorsem*nt:You Season 4on NetflixColin’s endorsem*nts:the music ofDeclan O’RourkeandSolasSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Bobby Caldwell, ‘Blue-Eyed Soul’ Singer, Dead at 71Al Jaffee, Now 102, Is Ready to Be Added to Mount RushmoreMAD’s longest-serving contributor on comedy, art, and the origins of the “Fold-in.”Marvel Is Looking For The Person Behind The Alleged Quantumania Script LeaksWarner Bros. Discovery Worried That ‘HBO’ Name Turns Off New SubscribersCEO David Zaslav is considering ”Max“ as the name for the service which combines the company’s flagship streamer and Discovery+Sesame Street to Launch First NFTs With VeVe, Starting With Cookie Monster Digital Collectibles at $60 EachNetflix Pulls Plug On Nancy Meyers’ New Project Over Budget IssueThe Fabulist in the WoodsIn Northampton with Kelly Link and her community of like-minded writers.The Cure tried to circumvent Ticketmaster’s price gouging. It didn’t work.While tickets went for as low as $20, Ticketmaster’s fees easily doubled the priceBad Projection Is Ruining the Movie Theater ExperienceMultiplexes are failing at their most basic function: delivering a bright, sharp image.Peak TV Is Over. Welcome to Trough TV.Streaming’s golden age has been ending for a while, but it’s only now become clear what’s replacing it.34 Things That Happened Almost Exactly 3 Years Ago Before The Pandemic That Will Make You Question RealityThe world really was such a different place, and I just hope Charlotte Awbery is slaying a subway platform somewhere again.20 Cringey And 9 Funny Things Celebrities Did At The Beginning Of The Pandemic That Are Wild To Look Back On NowIt’s weird looking back three years later, but I think all celebrities learned it’s just sometimes better not to post.It’s Time to Kill the Multiverse (at Least in This Timeline)Don’t let ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ and its Oscar front-runner status fool you: The supposedly limitless storytelling device has been pushed to its narrative limits. Just look to ‘Quantumania’ for proof.How Please Stopped Being PoliteThe phrase if it please you has been shortened and shortened over time—until it’s become more brusque than courteous.If You’re Reading This, Your Favorite Show Is CanceledBen Affleck on ‘Air,’ New CEO Gig and Those Memes: “I Am Who I Am”The actor, filmmaker and budding mogul on the disruptive production company he launched with Matt Damon, why he’s done with D.C., getting Michael Jordan’s blessing for his new film and the advice wife Jennifer Lopez gave him for this interview.We Spoke To The NYU Student Who Did Not Have Fun Studying Abroad In Florence And She Doesn’t Care That You’re MadEmily in Paris has nothing on Stacia in Florence.Why Are So Many People Rewatching ‘Girls’?Viewership of Lena Dunham’s HBO dramedy is surging as many millennials reassess their 20s and a show that defined them.Meg White’s Drumming Chops Are the Hot Topic of the Day, and Yes, It’s 2023GUESTS:David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceMercy Quaye: Founder and president of The Narrative Project and a columnist and editor at The Connecticut MirrorThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/17/2023 • 49 minutes

March Madness is upon us!And so the only logical thing to do is to get improv comedian Julia Pistell and the actual Bill Curry together to talk basketball for an hour on the radio.That may not be the only logical thing to do. It may be that that’s not actually a logical thing to do at all.But we’re doing it anyway.*It’s our 13th one of these unless it isn’t. Our thinking is that we’ve done this show every year from 2010 on, but for 2020. There’s a mention, in our 2013 edition of this show, of our having done a 2010 edition of this show. But no evidence of the 2010 edition of the show survives on the internet. And yet we’re still fairly confident it’s a thing that we did.GUESTS:Bill Curry: Playing the part of Bill CurryFrankie Graziano: Host ofThe Wheelhouseon Connecticut PublicAndrew Hsu: President of the College of Charleston in South CarolinaJulia Pistell: A founding member ofSea Tea Improv, a contributing producer on this show, and a number of other thingsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/16/2023 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Do you daydream? What do you daydream about? This hour is all about the art of daydreaming. We'll reflect on the value of daydreaming, and why it can be so difficult to talk about our daydreams. Plus, we’ll look at what daydreaming does to our brains, and we’ll learn about maladaptive daydreaming.GUESTS:Leslie Jamison:Novelist, essayist and professor at Columbia University’s MFA ProgramJonathan Schooler: Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of The Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential at the University of California, Santa BarbaraJayne Rachel:An advocate for maladaptive daydreaming, who used to experience itJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/15/2023 • 49 minutes

Food isn’t just a way to cure hunger. In food, we find identity, history, politics, and more.This hour, a look at the evolution of food and how our perception of different diets and lifestyles is changing.GUESTS:Anthony Jung: Executive chef of retail dining at UMass AmherstCathy Kaufman: Lecturer of food studies at The New School and chairwoman of the Oxford Symposium on Food and CookeryUma Naidoo: Director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and the author ofThis Is Your Brain on FoodThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 9, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/14/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to the statute of limitations on break room food, Ron DeSantis, (the lack of) motorcycle helmet laws in Connecticut, an ad running on our air about junking vehicles, state police cars … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/13/2023 • 49 minutes

Over the last year, The Nose has covered 14 of this year’s Academy Award-nominated movies, encompassing 64 nominations.So on this special edition of The Nose, we look back at our discussions of nominated movies, and we look ahead to Sunday’s Oscars ceremony with film and television star (and Oscars voter) Illeana Douglas.Some of the movies covered include: The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb, The Whale, Women Talking, and more.Note: This special two-part Oscars season finale edition of The Nose, airing over two days on the radio, is presented here as one double-length (or so) episode.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Tom Sizemore, Intense Actor With a Troubled Life, Dies at 61He earned praise for his work in films like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Hawk Down.” He also served prison time for drug possession and domestic abuse.Robert Blake, ‘Baretta’ Star Acquitted in Wife’s Murder, Dies at 89His film and TV career began with “Our Gang” comedies and was highlighted by his performance as a killer in “In Cold Blood.” But he led a tempestuous life.Topol, Star of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Onscreen and Onstage, Dies at 87Wide acclaim for his portrayal of Tevye helped make him, according to one newspaper, “Israel’s most famous export since the Jaffa orange.”Ricou Browning, Who Made the Black Lagoon Scary, Dies at 93He helped bring “Flipper” to the movies and TV but was best known for his plunge in a monster suit in “Creature From the Black Lagoon.”This is the most populist Oscars in a long timeSo why doesn’t it feel like it?The Stunt AwardsVulture’s inaugural celebration of stunt professionals is here. Because if the Oscars won’t recognize them, we will.Who Are You Rooting Against at the Oscars This Year?And the Oscar Goes to…The Guy Who Inspired Big League Chew?Todd Field is the Oscar-nominated director of ‘Tár.’ Major League Baseball players are more familiar with his shredded bubble gum.The Year the Movies Died (Over and Over and Over Again)Joseph Kosinski Doesn’t See Top Gun: Maverick As an Action MovieBad Projection Is Ruining the Movie Theater ExperienceMultiplexes are failing at their most basic function: delivering a bright, sharp image.Peak TV Is Over. Welcome to Trough TV.Streaming’s golden age has been ending for a while, but it’s only now become clear what’s replacing it.Seth Rogen Gets Brutally Honest About Negative Reviews: Film Critics Should Know ‘How Much It Hurts….It F—ing Sucks’Twenty Years Later, ‘Irreversible’ Still ShocksA look back at Gaspar Noé’s brutal told-in-reverse drama, which has been rereleased in a “Straight Cut” version.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction and the host of theRite GudpodcastRebecca Castellani: Co-founder ofQuiet Corner Communicationsand a freelance writerIlleana Douglas: The Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe Show and a real, live Oscars voterSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynJames Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeMercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant forThe Narrative ProjectGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”Pedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, parts of which have aired previously in different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/10/2023 • 1 hour, 36 minutes, 19 seconds

I’m so excited!!! The exclamation point is the only punctuation mark that can express (and evoke) strong emotion. You either love them or hate them.Writers use it to express emotion that words can’t fully capture, politicians and advertisers can use it to manipulate and alarm, and authors and their editors often clash over its appropriate use. Our brains physically respond to the sight of it.This hour, we look at the history and culture of this most controversial mark.GUESTS:Florence Hazrat: Author of An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation MarkLan Samantha Chang: Director of the University of Iowa Writers’ WorkshopJohn Breunig: An editorial page editor with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Lily Tyson, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/9/2023 • 49 minutes

Snacking on snacks, savory or sweet, has become a way of life.This hour, we sink our teeth into our snack-food obsessions.GUESTS:Andrea Hernández: Founder ofSnaxShotJulia Pistell: Freelance writer and co-founder ofSeaTea ImprovChris Prosperi: Chef and owner ofMetro BisMark Schatzker: Writer in residence at theModern Diet and Physiology Research Centerand the author ofThe Dorito EffectThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired July 25, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/8/2023 • 50 minutes

Jane Austen completed six full-length novels. And today, more than two centuries later, those novels are all still present in our culture.This hour, a look at Austen’s life and work, the world of Janeites, and the many film and television adaptations of her work.GUESTS:Devoney Looser: Author ofThe Making of Jane AustenandSister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters, Who Paved the Way for Austen and the BrontësDeborah Yaffe: Author ofAmong the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen FandomThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 28, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/7/2023 • 50 minutes

Have you noticed that voice assistants, like Alexa and Siri, default to having female voices? This hour we talk about how artificial intelligence is reinforcing gender biases. Plus, we’ll look at how representations of artificial intelligence in pop culture have contributed to this model.GUESTS:Kerry McInerney: Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and co-host of The Good Robot PodcastLisa Yaszek: Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia TechDeborah Tannen: Distinguished University Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University and author of You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, among other booksJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lizzie Van Arnam, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/6/2023 • 48 minutes, 50 seconds

This week’s Nose has never asked the men for anything. Not a single thing.Women Talking is an adaptation of Miriam Toews’s 2018 novel written and directed by Sarah Polley. It’s Polley’s fourth feature film as writer and director. Polley is nominated for the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the film is nominated for Best Picture. It’s the story of the women of an isolated religious community choosing their path forward: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. Women Talking stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, and more.And: The Consultant is, so far, an eight-episode comedy-thriller series from Prime Video. It is created for television by Tony Bagsallop based on the 2016 novel by Bentley Little. Christoph Waltz stars as Regus Patoff, who may be more than just the titular corporate consultant.Mercy Quaye’s endorsem*nts:Edge of Tomorrowon demand on HBO Max and available to rent on iTunes/Amazon/etc.The Tomorrow Waron Prime VideoLindsay Lee Wallace’s endorsem*nts:The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscarby Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. HarrisForce Majeureon demand on HBO Max and available to rent on iTunes/Amazon/etc.Bill Yousman’s endorsem*nt:the music ofWayne ShorterColin’s endorsem*nts:The Last of Uson HBOthe podcastThe WatchSome other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Wayne Shorter, Innovator During an Era of Change in Jazz, Dies at 89His career as an influential tenor saxophonist and composer reached across more than half a century, tracking jazz’s complex evolution during that span.‘The Idol’: How HBO’s Next ‘Euphoria’ Became Twisted ‘Torture p*rn’Thirteen sources tell Rolling Stone that The Idol — Sam Levinson’s new show with The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp — has gone wildly, disgustingly off the railsThis is the most populist Oscars in a long timeSo why doesn’t it feel like it?The Great MLB Jersey CaperWhen players’ jerseys mysteriously started to disappear three years ago, teams weren’t just worried about the laundry—they were spooked by what seemed like a startling security breach. What came next: an all-out search for the thief.The End of the English MajorEnrollment in the humanities is in free fall at colleges around the country. What happened?Chris Rock Is Finally Ready to Talk About Will Smith’s Oscar SlapThe stand-up comedian, going live with a new Netflix special a week before the Oscars, spent the past year on tour and working out material on the infamous Oscar slapStop Groping Celebrities, You CreepsThe New Black Film CanonFrom Touki Bouki to Friday, the 75 greatest movies by Black directors, as chosen by our special panel of filmmakers and critics.Why I Watch the Closing Credits of Every Movie I SeeOne look is enough to challenge the myth of the genius auteur calling all the shots.Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward Collection Will Be Auctioned in June by Sotheby’sA ‘Cool Hand Luke’ prop, Woodward’s wedding dress, one of Newman’s racing suits and a trove of 19th century American folk art are among the items offering “further insight into who they were beyond their glamorous Hollywood personas.”The Bidens ordered the same dish at a restaurant. Who does that?The Cult of DanielsHow the directors of the universe-hopping kung fu drama Everything Everywhere All at Once became unlikely Oscar front-runners.Two Sides of the HBO Apocalypse‘The Last of Us’ and ‘Station Eleven’ are a natural point of comparison, but what separates the series is ultimately more instructive than what lumps them togetherArtificial Digging: How Google’s AI Now Reveals What Producers SampledAre We Having Fun Yet?!: The Oral History of ‘Party Down’As the Starz comedy makes an unlikely return to air, its creators look back on creating a unique inside-Hollywood workplace sitcom, scrapping through a difficult development period, and getting gold from Adam Scott, Ken Marino, and Jane LynchNetflix Announces ‘Stranger Things’ Prequel — As a Stage ShowLord, We Are Doing the Double Down AgainKFC is bringing back its breadless fried chicken sandwich, and it’s 2010 all over againGUESTS:Mercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectLindsay Lee Wallace: Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/3/2023 • 50 minutes

Join Colin and his guests this hour as they take the measure of shortness, from personal health, professional discrimination, and environmental impact to Humphrey Bogart’s strap-on inch-adders.GUESTS:Arne Hendriks: Artist, researcher, and exhibition-maker based in Amsterdam who writes about height at The Incredible Shrinking ManTanya Osensky: Lawyer and author of the book Shortchanged: Height Discrimination and Strategies for Social ChangeWilliam Mann: Author and historian whose new book, Bogey and Bacall, comes out in JuneJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Subscribe toThe Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you byThe Colin McEnroe Show.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/2/2023 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

We’re now three years into the COVID-19 pandemic. This hour we look back at the past few years, and how we attempt to make sense of them. We’ll talk with the co-director of a COVID-19 oral history project, and an author who’s included the pandemic in her latest novel. Plus, we’ll get an update on the state of the virus.GUESTS:Dr. Saskia Popescu:Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, and an Assistant Professor in the Biodefense Program within the ScharSchool of Policy and Government at George Mason UniversityRyan Hagen:Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Columbia University, and Co-Director of the New York City COVID-19 Oral History Memory and Narrative ArchiveWeike Wang:An author whose latest novel isJoan Is OkaySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/1/2023 • 49 minutes

Malls are an important gathering place for people of all ages to shop, eat, be entertained, walk, and enjoy the controlled temperature.This hour, the history of malls in America, their unique design, and a look ahead to the future of those spaces, now that there are dead malls all over the country.Plus: the art of curating mall music.GUESTS:Michael Bise: A former Gap employee who runs theGap In-Store PlaylistsblogAlexandra Lange: Author ofMeet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the MallErik Pierson: Videographer of the YouTube channelRetail ArcheologyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Ray Hardman, Greg Hill, Tucker Ives, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Patrick Skahill, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 21, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/28/2023 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to tailgating in the snow, modern monetary theory, the left hemisphere of the human brain, cycling, raising guide dogs for the blind, UFOs … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/27/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose has every right to be consulted about your schemes and machinations regarding its property.To this point, The Nose has covered exactly one significantly animated movie that came out in 2022. (We did also tackle I Am Groot, thank you very much.) So we decided to devote this show to three of the Best Animated Feature nominees at this year’s Academy Awards.Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a stop-motion animated adaptation of the 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature, and it is nominated for nine awards at Saturday night’s Annie Awards for excellence in animation. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is available to stream on Netflix.Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a stop-motion animated and live action adaptation of the series of shorts. It is nominated for four Annie Awards. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is available to rent on Amazon/iTunes/etc.And: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a computer-animated sequel to Puss in Boots, itself a spinoff from Shrek 2. The Last Wish is the sixth film in the Shrek franchise, and the second-highest grossing animated movie of 2022. It is nominated for six Annie Awards. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will be available to rent on Amazon/iTunes/etc. on February 28.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Richard Belzer, Extraordinarily Smart-Ass as a Comic and a TV Cop, Dies at 78The stand-up legend and ‘Groove Tube’ actor played Det. John Munch on ‘Homicide: Life on the Street,’ ‘Law and Order: SVU’ and eight other shows.Every US president as a Pixar character: Baseball writer uses AI to generate America’s 46 leaders as cartoon charactersPete Docter Opens Up About the Past, Present and Future of PixarThe Annies honoree and Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer tells TheWrap about bringing more diverse voices to the studio, “Toy Story 5” and where “Lightyear” went wrongFilm Forum’s longtime director on why New York still needs movie theatersCarey Mulligan Was Mistakenly Announced As The Winner For Best Supporting Actress At The BAFTAs“This is a bad moment.”Titanic Is Still the Purest Expression of Who James Cameron IsCould Mediocre Movies Save Movie Theaters? ‘Ticket to Paradise,’ ‘A Man Called Otto’ and ‘80 for Brady’ Say YesMiami Vice’s Journey From Misfire to MasterpieceMindhunter Is Officially Dead; Long Live MindhunterDavid Fincher is closing the door on his perfect true-crime series, one of Netflix’s best offerings.The End Of TCM Underground Is A Huge LossThe End of “Succession” Is NearThe show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, explains why he has chosen to conclude the drama of the Roy family in its fourth season.New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movies Set at Warner Bros.Roald Dahl’s publisher responds to backlash by keeping ‘classic’ texts in printGUESTS:Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/24/2023 • 49 minutes, 2 seconds

Today is Curling is Cool Day, Digital Learning Day, Single-Tasking Day, National Chili Day, and Introduce a Girl To Engineering Day. And these are just a few of hundreds of examples of unusual holidays observed throughout the year. This hour we learn all about these unusual holidays and how they’re created. We discover why some people find joy in celebrating these days, and we talk with the creators of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, National Grammar Day, and Find Your Inner Nerd Day.GUESTS:Marlo Anderson:Founder of the National Day CalendarJohn Baur:Co-founder of International Talk Like a Pirate DayMartha Brockenbrough:Author, teacher, and creator of National Grammar DayHolly McGuire: Editor-in-chief ofChase’s Calendar of EventsBeth Ziesenis:Author, speaker, and founder of Find Your Inner Nerd DayJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/23/2023 • 49 minutes

UFOs are in the news again. This hour we look at how a once fringe interest in UFOs became mainstream. We discuss why so many Americans believe in extraterrestrial life, how our relationship to UFOs have changed over time, and how the government and pop culture contribute to these beliefs. Finally, we learn about the frequency illusion, and what that can teach us about the prevalence of unidentified objects in the sky.GUESTS:Greg Eghigian:Professor of History and Bioethics at Penn StateCarly Leonard:Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado DenverDiana Walsh Pasulka:Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion. She is the author ofAmerican Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, TechnologyJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/22/2023 • 49 minutes

Homer’s The Iliad is a literary classic.This hour, we look at some of the many ways the epic applies to life today, in our understanding of plague, death, politics, and anger.We look at the value of returning to the story over and over again and how it can be used as a framework for other stories.GUESTS:Emily Katz Anhalt: Professor of classical languages and literature at Sarah Lawrence College and the author ofEmbattled: How Ancient Greek Myths Empower Us To Resist TyrannyandEnraged: Why Violent Times Need Ancient Greek MythsJoel Christensen: Professor of classical studies and senior associate dean for faculty affairs at Brandeis University and the author ofThe Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of EpicMaya Deane: Author ofWrath Goddess SingThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 13, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/21/2023 • 50 minutes

If I say “Liam Neeson movie,” you picture, at this point, a pretty specific thing, right? It’s kind of an action-thriller. Neeson is avenging some wrong. It’s usually some wrong against his family. And it’s usually avenged with Neeson’s “particular set of skills.”Basically, the movie is some version of Taken, right?Well, Taken came out in 2008. Liam Neeson has been making these movies for 15 years now. He turned 70 last year, and he says he just made his 100th movie. (I’ve put a certain amount of effort into trying to figure out just what he’s counting to get to exactly 100, and I can’t quite do it. But I’ve decided we should just accept the guy’s count. Right?)The Nose is off this week. In its place, and with the release Wednesday of Marlowe, a Not Necessarily theNose-style look at late-career Liam Neeson, post-Taken Liam Neeson, doing-action-movies-into-his-70s Liam Neeson.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Raquel Welch, ‘One Million Years B.C.’ and ‘Three Musketeers’ Icon, Dies at 82Trugoy the Dove, founding member of De La Soul, dead at 54Cody Longo, ‘Days of Our Lives’ actor, dead at 34Penn Badgley Says He Wants to Put His Sex Scenes to BedHow Rihanna Pioneered a New Kind of Super Bowl PerformanceThe singer gave much of her halftime show performance atop seven suspended platforms. It was all in the name of protecting the grass.How the Oscars and Grammys Thrive on the Lie of MeritocracyDespite all the markers of excellence, contenders like Danielle Deadwyler, Viola Davis and Beyoncé weren’t recognized for the highest honors. Niche awards don’t suffice.Aliens And UFOs May Have Just Made Contact With Us, And Now Everyone’s Meme-ing About ItThey better pick me…John Wick 4’s Long Runtime Sets New Franchise RecordAn Ode to SwearingA well-turned curse can remind you of the power of language.The Wit and Wisdom of Regé-Jean PageThe former Bridgerton star (and possibly the next James Bond?) is awfully humble for someone named the most handsome man in the world.A new, old rhythm: How the pitch clock could be profoundly positiveThe Case for Hanging OutThere’s a growing crisis in our social lives. Could the cure be this simple?GUESTS:David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticNate Fisher: A writer and comedian and cohost of the podcastA Closer LookBen Lindbergh: Senior editor at The RingerStephen Marche: A novelist and essayist; his newest book, out this week, isOn Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a WriterThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 30, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/17/2023 • 50 minutes

There's a theory called 'nominative determinism' that people are drawn to work that fits their name. This hour we explore that theory. And we look at the different ways your name impacts your life.GUESTS:David Bird:Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology and Director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre of McGill University. He’s now retired, but in his career as an ornithologist he was president of the Raptor Research Foundation and the Society of Canadian OrnithologistsBrett Pelham:Professor of Psychology at Montgomery CollegeTess Terrible:Senior Producer ofWhere We LiveLaura Wattenberg:Naming expert, author ofThe Baby Name Wizard, and the creator ofnamerology.comJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/16/2023 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been surprising and compelling.This hour, the conversation focuses largely on right to die laws and mental health, while also winding around to a private high school closing in Uncasville, stuff that’s wrong with the human body, public disclosure of lottery winners (or not), and more.If you are or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, text or call 9-8-8, the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/15/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour, a look at how the pandemic shaped dating, long-term relationships, and love over its first two years.GUESTS:Philippa Found: An artist and writer and the creator ofLockdownlovestoriesHiwote Getaneh: A producer on theThis Is DatingpodcastLaura Kipnis: Author ofLove in the Time of Contagion: A DiagnosisThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 14, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/14/2023 • 50 minutes

Burt Bacharach was, simply put, one of the most important figures in popular music in the 20th century.He wrote 73 Top 40 hits, including songs like “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “That’s What Friends Are For,” and “Arthur’s Theme.”He was nominated for six Academy Awards, 21 Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, of which he won three Oscars, six Grammys, and an Emmy.His songs have been recorded by more than a thousand different artists.Bacharach died last week at age 94. This hour, a look back at his seven-decade-long songwriting career.GUESTS:Noah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album, with Henry Lugo, is Alter EgoIlleana Douglas: Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe ShowSteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the university of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”Paula West: A jazz and cabaret singerThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/13/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose needs food to live, so it begins to devour its host from within.The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic TV series adapted for HBO from the classic PlayStation game. It stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.And: Triangle of Sadness is a black comedy written and directed by Ruben Östlund. It’s his English-language feature film debut, and it won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Östlund and Best Motion Picture of the Year.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Burt Bacharach, Composer Who Added a High Gloss to the ’60s, Dies at 94His sophisticated collaborations with the lyricist Hal David — “The Look of Love,” “Walk On By,” “Alfie” and many more hits — evoked a sleek era of airy romance.Melinda Dillon, Actress in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and ‘A Christmas Story,’ Dies at 83A two-time Oscar nominee, she also appeared in ‘Bound for Glory,’ ‘Slap Shot’ and on Broadway in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’Charles Kimbrough, Actor Best Known for ‘Murphy Brown,’ Dies at 86In a career that included a Tony nomination for “Company,” he specialized in playing uptight characters, notably Candice Bergen’s stuffy straight man.In Memoriam: Austin Butler’s Elvis Voice (2019–2023)After three years of Method acting as the King, the “Elvis” actor has announced he’s “getting rid of” the accent that got him mocked at the Golden Globes.18 “Normal” Things In Our Society That Are Actually, Pretty Weird, Cruel, Damaging, Etc.“Only doing nice things for clout. I’m looking at all the influencers who film themselves giving food, blankets, money, etc., to homeless people. Tell me they’d do that if there wasn’t a camera filming them.”Jimmy Fallon Explains to Paul Shaffer Why All Comedians Laugh Like Him “Ahhhh!” (He’s got a point.)Armie Hammer Breaks His SilenceTwo years after some of the most shocking allegations of the#MeTooera lit up the Internet and destroyed his career, the actor has finally decided to tell his side of the story“2001: A Space Odyssey” directed by George Lucas?Avatar: The Way Of Water And Titanic Are About To Enter A Tight Race At The Box OfficeWhat’s the deal with this AI Seinfeld stream?White Men Can’t Jump Teaser Trailer: Sinqua Walls And Jack Harlow Are Ready To Play BallDave Chappelle Wins Grammy for Netflix Special Condemned for Being TransphobicFollowing its release in October 2021, ‘The Closer’ was criticized for the comedian’s material focused on the transgender community.18 Jokes Elon Musk Stole From His Fans On TwitterAMC Theatres to Change Movie Ticket Prices Based on Seat LocationDuluth 14-year-old has slept outside for 1,021 straight nights, and still counting‘Yellowstone’ Shocker: Kevin Costner Cowboy Drama Series Plots End As Taylor Sheridan Eyes Franchise Extension With Matthew McConaughey‘Get something that’s fun to play, then think about the story’: how Nintendo keeps levelling upBen Affleck’s Misery at the 2023 Grammys Became Twitter’s Favorite New MemeMike Schur Comedy Series Starring Ted Danson Based On ‘The Mole Agent’ Documentary Sparks Bidding War‘The Late Late Show With James Corden’ To Be Replaced With ‘@midnight’ Reboot Exec Produced By Stephen Colbert On CBSThe Mystery of the Dune FontPutting a name to the typeface that defined the visual identity of the science fiction series and its author, Frank HerbertGustavo Dudamel Will Take Over the New York PhilharmonicAnd the internet wants to replace him in Los Angeles with …Lydia Tár.Harrison Ford: “I Know Who the F*** I Am”The actor is busier than ever with ‘Shrinking,’ ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ and ‘1923.’ We tried to get the delightfully testy 80-year-old icon to open up about his life and latest projects. Here’s how that went.Steven Spielberg’s Oscar CurseInside nearly 50 years of frustration at the Academy Awards for the most popular director of all time.The unacceptable look on Madonna’s faceWe seem so horrified when women age, no matter how they try to do it.The Films Steven Soderbergh Watches on a LoopA conversation with the director about his inspirations for Magic Mike’s Last Dance‘It was a witch-burning’: Roseanne may forgive Hollywood, but she’ll never forgetGUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction and the host of the Rite GudpodcastRebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/10/2023 • 50 minutes

Everyone loves a good band breakup story. But it’s far more unusual to find bands that manage to stay together for the long haul. This hour we explore the challenges musicians face as they seek band harmony, and discuss what makes them succeed – or fail – together.GUESTS:Steven Hyden:Cultural critic at UPROXX and the author of several books on rock music, most recentlyLong Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a GenerationNerissa Nields:Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of The NieldsJim Chapdelaine:Guitarist, producer, Emmy Award-winning composer, recording engineer, and an adjunct professor at the University of Hartford School of MusicJay Russell:Singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Connecticut whose current band is The Split Coils; former member of Hot Rod CircuitHeather Ferguson:Psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and clinical supervisor in New York City, and a member of the Music Industry Therapist CollectiveJoin the conversation on FacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/9/2023 • 49 minutes, 5 seconds

This hour, we talk about what we can learn when we hear a story from a monster’s perspective. We discuss misunderstood monsters and why humans create monsters in the first place.Plus, we learn more about Medusa and talk to a researcher who studied purported yeti samples to find the animal behind the myth.GUESTS:Asa Simon Mittman: Professor of Art and Art History at California State University, ChicoNatalie Haynes: Writer, broadcaster, and author whose newest book is Stone BlindCharlotte Lindqvist: Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at BuffaloJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/8/2023 • 49 minutes

What counts as a robot? This hour, a look at what robots are and the latest in robot technology.Plus, how robots were used and thought about in medieval times and Ancient Greece and the role of robots in science fiction.GUESTS:Chris Atkeson: Professor at the Robotics Institute and the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon UniversityAdrienne Mayor: Author ofGods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other booksElly Truitt: Author ofMedieval Robots: Mechanism, Magic, Nature, and ArtDaniel H. Wilson: Author ofRobopocalypseandHow To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion, among other booksThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 12, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/7/2023 • 50 minutes

The HBO television adaptation of the video game,The Last of Us, takes place after a global pandemic caused by a fungal infection. Which sparked the question: how much should we be afraid of a fungal infections in our world today? This hour, we learn about the real-life fungal infection of ants that inspired the video game, and we discuss the role of fungi in our world. Plus, we talk with a local mushroom farmer, and an author who writes fungal fiction.GUESTS:William Beckerson:Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the National Science Foundation, who works in Dr. Charissa de Bekker’s lab, where they study zombie fungusPatricia Kaishian:Mycologist and Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Bard College.Chris Pacheco:Owner of Seacoast Mushrooms in Mystic, CTJeff VanderMeer:Author of a number of books, including “The Southern Reach Trilogy”, which includesAnnihilation. He recently co-founded The Sunshine State Biodiversity Group, an environmental non-profitSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/6/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose thanks you for your underwear concern.Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a sequel to 2018’s Black Panther. It is the seventh and final movie in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first phase of The Multiverse Saga. It is the 30th film overall in the MCU. I don’t really know what most of that stuff means, but here’s some stuff I do understand: Wakanda Forever is the fourth movie written and directed by Ryan Coogler. It’s the second-highest grossing movie of 2022 at the domestic box office. And it’s currently nominated for five Academy Awards.And: Poker Face is a howcatchem, case-of-the-week murder mystery series created by Rian Johnson. It follows Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, a woman who can always — always — tell when someone is lying. Five episodes are currently available on Peaco*ck.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Cindy Williams, Co-Star of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ Dies at 75From 1976 to 1983, she (Shirley) and Penny Marshall (Laverne) drew millions of viewers to a sitcom playing roommates who worked in a Milwaukee brewery.George P. Wilbur, Actor And Stunt Man Known For Halloween Movies, Has Died At 81‘Father of Peeps’ Bob Born, whose tech made popular candy chicks, dies at 98A Eulogy for Gawker, the Best and Worst Thing I Ever Made.Ozzy Osbourne cancels all shows, says his touring career is over2023 Grammy Awards: The full list of nomineesNetflix Unveils First Details of New Anti-Password Sharing MeasuresDo You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?How to text, tip, ghost, host, and generally exist in polite society today.Showtime and Paramount+ Merging, With Rebrand PlannedBoth the linear Showtime channel and the premium version of Paramount+ will be rebranded as CEO Bob Bakish acknowledges “uncertainty” for staff, and company seeks to focus on shows with “franchise” potential.The Last Of Us Is Giving Linda Ronstadt A Stranger Things-Style Soundtrack BoostWhat Became of the Oscar Streaker?After Robert Opel dashed naked across the stage in 1974, he ran for President and settled into the gay leather scene, in the orbit of Robert Mapplethorpe and Harvey Milk.Academy Won’t Revoke Andrea Riseborough’s ‘To Leslie’ Oscar Nom Despite Backlash, But “Tactics Are Being Addressed”GUESTS:Helder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of theSo PretentiouspodcastShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/3/2023 • 49 minutes

This hour we discuss the problem with pizza boxes and food expiration dates. Plus we look at the history of the donkey and what it can tell us about human history.GUESTS:Samantha Brooks:Associate Professor of Equine Physiology and a Member of the Genetics Institute at the University of FloridaBrian Roe:The Van Buren Professor in the Department of Agriculture, Environmental, and Development Economics at Ohio State University who leads the Ohio State Food Waste CollaborativeScott Wiener:New York Pizza-Tour Guide, Author ofViva la Pizza!: The Art of the Pizza Box, who maintains a Guinness World Record-winning collection of pizza boxesSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/2/2023 • 40 minutes, 43 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing — calls about grammar, gardening, long-distance dialing, autotune. Anything. Everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about whatever you want to talk about.888–720–9677.‌ Or join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/1/2023 • 40 minutes, 37 seconds

Redheads. They smell better. They’re better at sensing temperature changes. They can handle more pain. (Those things are apparently all true.)But. From being associated with witchcraft in the Middle Ages to being portrayed as hot-tempered or even soulless in our present popular culture, the red-haired continue to be seen as another kind of other.This hour, in the era of Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran and Jessica Chastain and Amy Adams, a look at the myths and reality surrounding red hair.GUESTS:Jacky Colliss Harvey: Author ofRed: A History of the RedheadErin La Rosa: Creator of the blogSide of Gingerand author ofThe Big Redhead Book: Inside the Secret Society of Red HairThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired in a different form January 16, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/31/2023 • 42 minutes

This hour: are too many documents classified in the U.S.? Plus, why the State Department is changing its default font. And, we'll look at the connection between exercise and spirituality.GUESTS:Matthew Connelly:Professor of International and Global History at Columbia University, author of the forthcoming bookThe Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets, and principal investigator ofHistory LabJuan Villanueva:Senior Type Designer at the Monotype Studio, and co-founder ofType Electives, an online school for type design educationCody Musselman:Postdoctoral Research Associate at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, who is working on a book calledSpiritual Exercises: Fitness and Religion in Modern AmericaJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/30/2023 • 41 minutes, 39 seconds

This week’s Nose never burns anything unless by design — to make delicious.This year’s Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning. Everything Everywhere All at Once leads the pack with 11. Steven Spielberg, nominated three times for The Fabelmans, earned his first-ever screenwriting nod in 45 years of nominations. Tom Cruise is nominated for the first time in 23 years (and for the first time as a producer). The Best Actor field is all first-time nominees (something that hadn’t happened since 1934), and the Best Actress category is among the hardest to predict in recent memory.Lots of good stories. And yet there’s plenty for the internet to get all riled up about, too. There are no women among the Best Director nominees. Jordan Peele and his Nope were completely ignored. Ryan Coogler didn’t get a Best Director nom for his blockbuster Black Panther sequel (though Coogler is actually nominated this year — for Best Original Song). In fact, there are zero movies by Black filmmakers nominated anywhere among the Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, or International Feature categories. The Oscars seem to have taken some steps backwards in certain ways.And: The Menu is a haute cuisine horror/thriller/comedy directed by Mark Mylod and produced by, among others, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. It stars Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy, who both earned leading actor nominations at the Golden Globes … but not at the Academy Awards.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Paul La Farge, Inventive Novelist, Is Dead at 52He played with history and narrative techniques whether writing about 19th-century France or H.P. Lovecraft.Panic! at the Disco Is Over, Brendon Urie SaysThe group’s last remaining original member is turning his attention toward family lifeM&M’s Ditches ‘Spokescandies’ After Tucker Carlson Complained About Their Sexiness‘SHOES CAN BE POLARIZING’Reading is precious – which is why I’ve been giving away my booksI’m donating my books to people who can most benefit from them. Why keep a novel that could delight someone else?Twitter Is Obsessed With A Rumor That Shakira Discovered Her Husband Cheated Because Of Strawberry Jam, And The Memes Are Very, Very, Very GoodApparently no one messes with Shakira and her strawberry jam.Ticketmaster Hearing Takeaways: After Taylor Swift Debacle, Some Senators Call Live Nation a ‘Monopoly’The Senate Judiciary Committee explored whether the merger of Live Nation, the giant concert company, and Ticketmaster, the leading ticket seller, has harmed consumers by stifling competition.Why we all need subtitles nowIt’s not you — TV dialogue has gotten harder to hear.How Many Peaches Can Justin Bieber Buy With $200 Million?Columbo and ChillHow the internet turned a boomer TV cop into a sex symbol and queer icon.We Think Rian Johnson’s Poker Face Is a Superhero Show, and He’s OK With ThatWe asked the Glass Onion director about the mysterious power at the center of his new Peaco*ck detective series.Rian Johnson Mastered the Whodunit. Now He’s on to the “Howcatchem.”In an interview with The Ringer, the ‘Glass Onion’ director discussed his new crime mystery series ‘Poker Face,’ his TV experience with ‘Breaking Bad,’ and why Natasha Lyonne is the perfect collaboratorA font feud brews after State Dept. picks Calibri over Times New RomanThe Times (New Roman) are a-Changin,’ read the subject line of a cable from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to U.S. embassies as part of an accessibility pushNCIS: Los Angeles Is Coming To An End After 14 Seasons And 322 EpisodesMy Husband Was Right About DVDs All AlongAvatar: The Way Of Water Becomes James Cameron’s Third $2 Billion Movie At The Worldwide Box Office25 Years Of Spice World And The Peak Of ’90s Girl PowerThere’s Snow on MarsAnd it would be strangely beautiful to behold.Beyoncé Was Paid Millions To Perform At A Hotel Grand Opening In Dubai, And Fans Aren’t Happy About ItBeyoncé was reportedly paid $24 million for her performance.Go Ahead And Cross The Streams With A Ghostbusters RewatchA Children’s Classic with a Refreshing Lack of Lessons“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” refuses explicit conclusions. That’s the source of its appeal.Syndicated Late-Night Talk Show With Craig Ferguson Shopped By Sony Pictures TV For Fall 2023A Radiohead fan has recreated the whole In Rainbows album using sounds from Mario 64On4word delivers his super Mario odyssey with a little help from the SoundFont formatNew owner of Astoria Goonies house wants to keep it open for movie fansAsteroid Measurements Make No SenseIs this space rock the size of a train car or 22 penguins?Jimmy Kimmel celebrates 20 years as a (reluctant) late night TV institutionFuture CringeOne day we’ll look back on this moment and wonder: What were we thinking?GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynLindsay Lee Wallace: Writes about culture, health care and health equity, and other stuff, tooBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/27/2023 • 50 minutes

There’s more to narcissism than meets the eye. This hour Colin and his guests reflect on narcissism: our misunderstandings about it, its pervasiveness in our culture, and the personal, public, and political damage it wreaks.GUESTS:Mark Ettensohn:Clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of narcissistsLee Hammock: “Self-aware” narcissist who shares his experience and insights on social mediaPete Hatemi: Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Penn State UniversitySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/26/2023 • 48 minutes, 55 seconds

You've likely heard the story from Greek mythology of Cassandra: a woman given the gift of prophecy who was cursed to never be believed. This hour we explore that myth, and its relevance. Plus, we'll talk about real-life Cassandras, including the diplomat who tried to stop World War II, and a public health official who tried to warn us about the COVID-19 pandemic.GUESTS:Joel Christensen:Professor of Classical Studies and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Brandeis University. His newest book isThe Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of EpicDr. Charity Dean:CEO, Co-Founder, and Chairman of the Public Health Company. She previously served as the Assistant Director for the California Department of Public HealthSteve Kemper:Freelance journalist and author ofOur Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl HarborAmanda Rees:Historian of Science based at the University of York who works on the history of the future. She is the author of the bookHumanSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/25/2023 • 50 minutes, 19 seconds

This hour we look at the landscape of monuments across the United States and explore how new monuments are created and how old ones are decommissioned.Plus, what could a COVID-19 memorial look like and represent?GUESTS:Sue Mobley: Director of research atMonument LabErin Thompson: Professor of art crime at John Jay College and the author ofSmashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public MonumentsKristin Urquiza: Co-founder and chief activist ofMarked by COVIDThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 7, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/24/2023 • 50 minutes

Talk of regulating gas stoves in the United States recently ignited a firestorm. This hour we talk about what sparked the debate, the health impacts of gas stoves, and why many have grown attached to them. Plus, we look at what this debate can teach us about climate communications and actions, and the history and culture of cooking.GUESTS:Daniel Cohan: Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University, and author of Confronting Climate GridlockMegan Elias: Historian, Director of the Gastronomy Program, and Associate Professor at Boston UniversityRebecca Leber: Senior Climate Reporter for VoxJoin the conversation onFacebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/23/2023 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose has no prince autopilot button that you can press and it just takes you away.The English-language edition of Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex’s Spare reportedly sold 1.43 million copies on the day it was published and 3.2 million copies in its first week. It is now the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever published.And then there’s Harry & Meghan, the six-part docuseries about Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, The duch*ess of Sussex. Its December debut was the biggest ever for a Netflix documentary, with a total of 81.6 million hours watched, amounting to more than 28 million households, over its first four days, according to Netflix.And there’s the 60 Minutes interview and the Late Show interview and the ITV interview and all their attendant outsized audience numbers.This week’s Nose looks at the present Prince Harry moment.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:David Crosby, Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Co-Founder, Dies at 81Gina Lollobrigida, Italian Bombshell Movie Star, Dies at 95Brian Tufano, British Cinematographer Known For Trainspotting And Billy Elliot, Has Died At 83Alec Baldwin Will Be Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in ‘Rust’ KillingA gun that Mr. Baldwin was rehearsing with went off, killing the film’s cinematographer. The armorer responsible for weapons on set also faces manslaughter charges.Wikipedia’s Redesign Is Barely Noticeable. That’s the Point.A decade on, the ‘This is fine’ creator wants to put the famous dog to restThis Film Does Not ExistParamount+ Pivots ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Marketing to Remove Wounds From Jeremy Renner’s Face“It’s good of the network,” co-creator Hugh Dillon says, adding: “Everybody is sensitive to Jeremy" following his snowplow accident.Channing Tatum Is Back for Magic Mike’s Last DanceAnd ready to talk about life, love, and learning to be a feminist.‘The SNL of Sabermetrics’: How a group of message-board misfits changed baseball“Hater” doesn’t have to be a dirty wordMeet the influencers who won’t “let people enjoy things.”Sunrise Is The Only Best Picture Oscar Winner The Academy Doesn’t RecognizeThe Mindy Kaling Backlash Has Lost All NuanceRecent criticism of the comedian’s artistic laziness has fans reexamining her whole career.‘Night Court’ Is NBC’s Best Comedy Debut in Five YearsThe update of the 1980s sitcom also has the best 18–49 rating this season for any network entertainment show without an NFL lead-in.In the fight against slowing growth, Netflix and its rivals are all in this togetherSexbots Are Liking People’s Instagram Stories And It’s Getting Weird Now“them IG sex bots was there when you weren’t”GUESTS:Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder ofQuiet Corner CommunicationsTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/20/2023 • 49 minutes

Thanks to rapid COVID-19 tests, most of us have gotten comfortable taking medical tests at home. But why aren't there home tests for more diseases? This hour, we look at the phenomenon of home medical tests, explore what's in store for their future, and discuss their impact on the medical world. Plus, we'll dig into the history and the cultural impact of home pregnancy tests.GUESTS:Dr. Michael Mina: The Chief Science Officer of eMedDr. Catherine Klapperich: Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University, and Scientific Director of the Design, Automation, Manufacturing, and Processes Laboratory at Boston UniversityKaren Weingarten: Associate Professor of English at Queens College of the City University of New York, and author of the forthcoming book Pregnancy TestJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/19/2023 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to aging and independent living, printers and their upkeep, leaving the TV on for your pets, the dangers of deflated balloons to cattle and otherwise … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/18/2023 • 49 minutes

The concept of the hero’s journey was popularized by Joseph Campbell and outlined in his 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell based the hero’s journey framework off of myths from around the world. Since then, the idea of the hero’s journey has been used in popular books and movies from Star Wars through Harry Potter to The Hunger Games and beyond.But, despite its popularity, Campbell’s hero’s journey framework has faced a number of criticisms, including that he left women out of the story. Maria Tatar’s new book, The Heroine with 1,001 Faces, changes that.This hour, a look at the impact of the hero’s journey — and at its limitations.GUESTS:Jeff Garvin: Co-host of theThe Hero’s JourneypodcastLev Grossman: Author of theMagicianstrilogy; his newest book isThe Golden SwiftMaria Tatar: Author of The Heroine with 1,001 FacesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 30, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/17/2023 • 50 minutes

Decision to Leave (헤어질 결심) is the eleventh feature film directed by Park Chan-wook. It deftly threads the police procedural, neo-noir, mystery, and, maybe, romance genres together. Decision to Leave was nominated for Best Non-English Language Film at the Golden Globe Awards, and it’s shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.Some other possible topics include:Jeff Beck, Guitarist With a Chapter in Rock History, Dies at 78His playing with the Yardbirds and as leader of his own bands brought a sense of adventure to their groundbreaking recordings.Lisa Marie Presley dies at 54 after hospitalizationThe World of Crackers Has Lost a GiantRest in power.The Winners and Losers of the 2023 Golden GlobesHollywood’s most tumultuous award show returned to television and offered a surprising number of pleasing moments—even if the play-off music almost stopped them from happeningI’m the Prince from ‘Two Princes,’ and I have also written a tell-allIn the age of anti-police sentiment, why do we still love detective stories so much?Despite increased distrust in policing, films about detective work have only become more popular, achieving both financial and critical acclaim.This Device Will Not Let You LOL Unless You Mean ItWhen you type “LOL” in a message to your friends, do you really laugh out loud? This device will hold you accountable.Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ in Peril Amid Ballooning Budget, Crew ExodusThe filmmaker is halfway through the movie in Atlanta, with one source describing the set as “absolute madness.”Spielberg, ‘Top Gun’ feted by National Board of ReviewPeople Are Calling Out Gwen Stefani After She Repeatedly Said She’s Japanese In An Interview“Gwen Stefani telling an Asian American interviewer that she identifies as Japanese is the kind of oblivion i’m trying to channel in this dark, cruel world.”Women Were Better Represented in Hollywood During the Silent Film Era, AFI Study ReportsGames Rule: Sports events account for all but six of the top 100 telecasts of 2022People Are Revealing The Beloved Celebrities They Actually Can’t Stand, And While Some Hurt My Heart, Others Are Spot-OnWhy Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski Should Be Nominated For Best DirectorI Ranked 133 Celeb’s Bathrooms From Best To Worst, And I’m Honestly SHOCKED By How Many Are Ugly And DysfunctionalMoney can’t buy you class, but it CAN help celebrities buy some truly horrific looking bathrooms 🤑🚽Matilda’s Trunchbull Is Still EvolvingHow Roald Dahl’s last great character went from misogynistic caricature to drag showstopper to Emma Thompson.GUESTS:James Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of theSo PretentiouspodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/13/2023 • 50 minutes

We recently heard that scientists are estimating that there are20 quadrillion ants on earth. Which made us wonder: how do we make sense of a number like that? This hour is all about how we relate to unimaginable numbers, both large and small. And, why our inability to conceptualize large numbers can have a real-world impact during times like a pandemic.GUESTS:Shabnam Mousavi:Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and a Senior Scientist at the Center for Artificial IntelligenceSabine Nooten:Insect Ecologist, and a Temporary Principal Investigator at the University of WürzburgElizabeth Toomarian:The Director of the Brainwave Learning Center at Synapse School, and an Educational Neuroscience Researcher at Stanford UniversityEdward Tufte:Wrote, designed, and self-published five books on information design and data visualization. He also designed and built Hopgen Hill Farms, a sculpture farm, in Woodbury, Connecticut. He was a Professor at Princeton and Yale for 32 yearsSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/12/2023 • 49 minutes

In just the last year, at least six different late night comedy shows have ended. Conan O’Brien left Conanon TBS, who also canceled Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Desus & Mero split up, ending their Showtime program. NBC canceled the very late A Little Late with Lilly Singh. Trevor Noah just left The Daily Show a few weeks ago, and James Corden has announced that he’ll leave The Late Late Show later this year. (And let’s not forget HBO Max’s currently disappeared The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo.)And then there’s Saturday Night Live. Eight cast members left the show before Season 48 premiered in October — including the likes of Kate McKinnon and Kyle Mooney and Pete Davidson. And then Cecily Strong left last month, too. SNL’s current cast includes four new featured players.So there’s a lot of churn and change in late night right now. Oh, and here’s one other new thing: The most-watched show in late night comedy at the moment is on, uh …Fox News? (This idea requires a liberal — you see what I did there — definition of “late night.” And maybe “comedy,” too. But still.)This hour, a look at the current state and possible future of late night.GUESTS:Eric Deggans: NPR’s television criticConstance Grady: Senior correspondent on the culture team for VoxThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/11/2023 • 50 minutes

Punk rock’s been around for a good half a century now.This hour, a deep dive into punk’s past and present.GUESTS:Legs McNeil: Co-founder ofPUNK Magazineand co-author ofPlease Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of PunkKelefa Sanneh: Author ofMajor Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genresand a staff writer at The New YorkerBen Social and Amy Wappel: Formed the Connecticut-based punk bandSadplantin 2007The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired June 29, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/10/2023 • 50 minutes

After 15 votes, Representative Kevin McCarthy is now speaker of the House of Representatives. This hour we talk about that election, its historical significance, and C-SPAN’s coverage of it.GUESTS:Joanne Freeman:The Class of 1954 Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University and the co-host of the American History and politics podcast “Now & Then.” Her most recent book isThe Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil WarBen O’Connell:C-SPAN’s Director of Editorial OperationsAaron Rupar:Independent journalist and publisher of the “Public Notice” newsletter, covering U.S. Politics and MediaJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/9/2023 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

This week’s Nose is like a shapeless, growing thing, a dark, black, breathing thing of smoke.White Noise is a movie adaptation of the landmark 1985 Don DeLillo novel written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle, and Driver is nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Netflix calls the movie, “At once hilarious and horrifying, lyrical and absurd, ordinary and apocalyptic.”And: The Recruit is an eight-episode espionage adventure/comedy/drama/thriller thing series on Netflix. It is created by Alexi Hawley, and Doug Liman directs its first two episodes. Noah Centineo stars as a new CIA lawyer who finds himself caught up in more actual international intrigue than he’s prepared for.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Henry Grossman, Photographer of Celebrities and Beatles, Dies at 86He was best known for his formal portraits of prominent politicians and entertainers. Less famously, he took thousands of candid shots of John, Paul, George and Ringo.Novelist Appears to Announce She’s Alive 2 Years After Faking Suicide: ‘Let the Fun Begin’“I debated on how to do this a million times,” Susan Meachen recently wrote on her Facebook page.The 200 Greatest Singers of All TimeFrom Sinatra to SZA, from R&B to salsa to alt-rock‘Glass Onion’ and ‘Babylon’ Have Broken People’s BrainsIt’s time to log off, folksSleazeballs are hot againMatty Healy, for when you’re ready to graduate from Harry Styles.More Networks Are Pulling Shows From Streaming — And This Trend Couldn’t Be More Dangerous‘Office Space’ Inspired Engineer’s Theft Scheme, Police SayThe authorities said a software engineer in Washington State stole more than $300,000 from his employer and named the scheme after the 1999 workplace comedy.Secret Meetings, Tequila and Black Adam vs. Superman: How Dwayne Johnson’s Bid for DC Power Flamed OutMartin Scorsese: The ‘Clouds Lifted’ for Cinema’s Future When I Saw ‘TÁR’Scorsese praised Todd Field’s “high-wire act” before bestowing upon him the Best Picture prize at Wednesday night’s New York Film Critics Circle awards.The Best Movie Posters of 2022GUESTS:Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and the chief communications officer at Buzz EngineIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/6/2023 • 50 minutes

This hour we discuss episode recaps and why we need them. We talk about why they're so popular, what makes them useful, and what their prevalence can tell us about the current TV landscape. Plus, we learn about why we have trouble remembering all the TV we watch, and we take a look at the evolution of the “previously on” television recap sequence.GUESTS:Dr. Wilma Bainbridge: Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Chicago.Alison Herman: Television critic for The RingerGenevieve Koski: Senior TV Editor for New York MagazineJason Mittell: Professor of Film and Media Culture at Middlebury College, who has written numerous books about American televisionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/5/2023 • 49 minutes

Translators help open up our worlds by bringing us stories from around the globe. But often they’re not given very much credit for their work.This hour, the art of translation. Plus, a look at the challenges of translating movies and TV shows through subtitles and dubbing for international audiences.GUESTS:Jennifer Croft: Writer and translator and the winner of the 2018 Booker International Prize for her translation of Olga Tokarczuk’sFlightsDenise Kripper: Translation editor forLatin American Literature Todayand an associate professor of Spanish at Lake Forest CollegeEmily Wilson: Chair of the program in comparative literature and literary theory at the University of Pennsylvania and translator of works such asThe OdysseyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 23, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/4/2023 • 50 minutes

Welcome to 2023. For our first show of the new year, we figured we’d see what’s on your minds.This hour, it’s book editors and learning foreign languages and The Cars tribute bands and the Oscar contenders and Damar Hamlin and the music streaming services on your minds. … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/3/2023 • 49 minutes

To round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year. We’ve done this every year for at least the last nine years.GUESTS:Jen Allen: A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her most recent album is Sifting GraceNoah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album, with Henry Lugo, isAlter EgoGene Seymour: A film, television, and music criticThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/29/2022 • 50 minutes

It’s been a long, strange year. Again. So how is our popular culture dealing with it all?The Nose is thinking about a few things.Our shared monoculture. Is there such a thing anymore?All the -verses. The MCU-verse. The DCEU-verse. The Star Wars-verse. The Sheridan-verse. The Waititi-verse.And all the -assances. The Jennifer Coolidge-assance. The Will Smith-assance? The Top Gun-assance. The Avatar-assance. The Brendan Fraser-assance. The Bennifer-assance. Beyoncé’s Renaissance. The renaissance-assance.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:The biggest pop culture moments of 2022The face-offs (both fictional and real), celebrity deaths, interviews, and other entertainment stories that dominated headlines this year.The 41 Most Defining Memes Of 2022Lea Michele, if you can read this, you’re #8.What Did Being Online Look Like for You in 2022?It’s High Noon in AmericaIn our popular culture and in our politics, we’re returning to the Old West.This Was the Year of the PrequelOnce in short supply, the indispensable prequel dominated screens both big and small in 2022, transcending the genre’s spotty track record and giving sequels a run for their money as conversation driversAre Cracks Beginning to Emerge in the Superhero Era?After 20 years and billions in box office earnings, early signs suggest that the tides are turning against superheroes as the most dominant force in pop cultureIt’s Time to Accept That Millennials and Gen Z Are the Same GenerationThough discourse in 2021 tried to deepen the distinctions, it’s clear that young people today are forged from the same digital monocultureWaking Up From the American DreamHow the TV of 2022 depicted the weird, warping pressures of work and ambition in a boom-and-bust economy.What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year?Bill Cosby Considering Return to Touring in 2023Getting back on the comedy stage would follow Cosby’s sexual assault conviction being overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.The 10 most bizarre celebrity apologies of 2022GUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastRebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerJim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynRich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/29/2022 • 50 minutes

Lists feel especially suited to the digital age, but humans have been creating lists for a long time.So why are we drawn to lists?This hour, the art and the utility of the list.GUESTS:Matthew Dicks: A West Hartford elementary school teacher and the author ofTwenty-One Truths About LoveDan Kois: Editor and writer at Slate, where he recently wrote the list “The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time”Ann Powers: NPR Music’s critic and correspondentLiam Young: Author ofList Cultures: Knowledge and Poetics from Mesopotamia to BuzzFeedThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 4, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/28/2022 • 50 minutes

It seems like everything's been turned into a story lately. You can see a company's story on the packaging of juice, cereal, and alternative milks. Politicians tell stories to rally support for policies. And social media helps us all tell the story that we want to tell about our lives. This hour we talk with Peter Brooks about his new bookSeduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrative, and we discover why storytelling isn't always positive.GUESTS:Peter Brooks:Author ofSeduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrativeand Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at Yale UniversityChris Knopf:Retired CEO of Mintz & Hoke who is currently a full-time novelistElise Wang:Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Comparative Literature, and Linguistics at California State University, FullertonSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/27/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose wants you to stop runnin’ away like some fool of a moody school child.Could it be that the market for highbrow movies is drying up? Some of the numbers ain’t great. Could it be that the golden age of streaming is coming to an end? Well, maybe. But it’s not like we’ll be starved for prestige TV next year.And: The Banshees of Inisherin is the fourth feature film written and directed by Martin McDonagh. It’s nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture — Comedy or Musical, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It’s the most nominations for any movie (or TV show, for that matter). The Banshees of Inisherin stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Terry Hall, Lead Singer of the Specials, Dies at 63The ska vocalist and two-tone icon died following a “brief illness”Mike Hodges, British Director of ‘Get Carter,’ ‘Croupier,’ Dies at 90Cecily Strong says farewell to Saturday Night LiveAn All But Definitive Guide to the Hollywood Nepo-Verse Actors, singers, directors who just happen to be the children of actors, singers, directors.Here Are the Nepo Babies We LoveThe term gets thrown around like it’s a bad thing, but the world runs on nepo babiesNetflix’s Film Chief on Glass Onion and the Future of TheatersNetflix’s film chief Scott Stuber says the company expects the sequel to Knives Out will reach more than 80 million accounts.The Seeds Of Avatar: The Way Of Water Were Planted In James Cameron’s First FilmJames Cameron aims to finally put that ‘Titanic’ door debate to rest, 25 years laterEverything Is ‘30 Rock’ NowFrom politics to TV, we are living in Liz Lemon’s worldToward a unified theory of “millennial cringe”Remember when “epic bacon” was the height of comedy?An Unpublished Poem by Paul NewmanPreviously uncovered words from the eminent late actor, director, and philanthropist.Ana de Armas Fans’ Lawsuit Puts Studios at Risk Over Deceptive TrailersTelevision Academy Reveals Emmy Rule Changes for 2023, Including New Replacements for Variety Talk and Sketch CategoriesThe Christmas Movie That Became a Classic Because of a MistakeThe role of accidents, chance and serendipity can be crucial to success. It’s the reason people still watch a black-and-white film every year.Empire’s 50 Greatest Actors Of All Time List, Revealed[Ed. note: Just at first glance, this list, voted on by readers, omits the likes of James Cagney and Charlie Chaplin and Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda and Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn and Jack Lemmon and Steven McQueen and Spencer Tracy and Orson Welles. To name a few. I mean. Cary Grant! Charlie Chaplin!]The Best LGBTQ TV Shows and Movies of 2022And what a queer year it was!The 20 Best Home Video Releases of 2022You should buy a ticket at your local rep house for each title you buy, lest we run out of titles to laud here in the future.Best of Late Night 2022: A Rebuilding YearAfter a year of significant change, as hosts like Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee signed off, the future of late-night TV has never seemed more uncertain.The Best TV Title Sequences of 2022, RankedThe best movies and TV of 2022, picked for you by NPR criticsGUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/23/2022 • 49 minutes

Toward the end of every year since 2014, we’ve done a holiday special with “Big Al” Anderson and Jim Chapdelaine.In the beforetimes, we’d get them and a rhythm section and Colin in a room together with some special guests like Nekita Waller or the Dankosky Tabernacle Choir and sing some songs and tell some stories … But for three years running now, the “in a room together” part of that just isn’t happening.So we’ve gone through all eight of those past shows, added some previously unheard material, and put together an hour of joyous best-of nonsense for Christmas Eve Eve Eve.It’s an audio Happy Holidays from us to you.🎄GUESTS:Al Anderson: Vocals, guitar, songwriterJim Chapdelaine: Guitar, vocals, songwriter, mixer, engineer, producer, etc.Lorne Entress: Drums and vocalsPaul Kochanski: Bass guitar and vocalsNekita Waller: Connecticut’s 17th State TroubadourChion Wolf: Host ofAudacious with Chion Wolfon Connecticut Public RadioThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, Natalie Frascarelli, Betsy Kaplan, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/22/2022 • 50 minutes

Rules are everywhere around us. This hour we talk about the history of rules, the power of unwritten rules, and we'll look at why some rules succeed while others fail. Plus we’ll learn about baseball’s unwritten rules, and talk to a game designer about how rules can facilitate play.GUESTS:Lorraine Daston:Author ofRules: A Short History of What We Live By,Director Emerita of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, and a Regular Visiting Professor in the Committee on Social Thought at the University of ChicagoJason Turbow: Journalist and author ofThe Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America's Pastime, among other booksEric Zimmerman: Award-winning designer of board games and video games, an Arts Professor of Game Design at the NYU Game Center, and author ofThe Rules We Break: Lessons in Play, Thinking, and DesignJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/21/2022 • 49 minutes

Whether we love or loathe our butt is deeply influenced by race, gender, and whether the shape and size of our butt is in or out of style.This hour, a look ‘back’ at the science, history, and culture of butts, including how it took on so much meaning beyond its basic function and why it’s so hard to find pants that fit.GUESTS:Heather Radke: Contributing editor and reporter atRadiolaband the author ofButts: A BackstoryAlex Bartlett: Co-owner ofPlanet Pepperand a costume supervisor for television and theaterVincent Cuccia: Co-owner of Planet Pepper; he teaches public relations at the City University of New YorkShomara Garcia: CEO and founder of Muneca Private Care Recovery Services and a licensed massage therapistThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Lily Tyson, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/20/2022 • 50 minutes

The second season of Mike White’s The White Lotus concluded on HBO this week. Its first season won the most awards at the Emmys this year: 10, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The second season is now nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film. The White Lotus has been renewed for a third season.And: The Fabelmans is the 34th feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is written by Spielberg and Tony Kushner, and it’s Spielberg’s sixth feature film writing credit — his first in 21 years. The Fabelmanswas nominated, this week, for five Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture — Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Stephen Boss, Dancer and Reality TV Star Known as tWitch, Dies at 40Mr. Boss spent nine years with “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” as D.J., guest host and, eventually, an executive producer.Angelo Badalamenti, David Lynch’s Composer on ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ and More, Dies at 85He also wrote songs recorded by Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Bassey and Mel Tillis and themes for ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ and the Barcelona Summer Olympics.Lee Lorenz, 90, Cartoonist and Gatekeeper at The New Yorker, DiesOver 40 years at the magazine he drew hundreds of cartoons and covers and served as art and cartoon editor, recruiting new talent and deciding who got published.Gabrielle Beaumont, Pioneering TV Director, Dies at 80The prolific Emmy nominee helmed episodes of ‘Dynasty’ (and helped get Joan Collins on the show) and also worked on ‘Hill Street Blues,’ ‘MAS*H’ and three ‘Star Trek’ series.Richard Miller Dies: Sculptor Behind Princess Leia’s Gold Bikini Was 80Golden Globes 2023: Complete Nominations ListHighbrow Films Aimed at Winning Oscars Are Losing AudiencesThe kind of critically praised dramas that often dominate the awards season are falling flat at the box office, failing to justify the money it takes to make them.Steven Spielberg’s Movie Magic Has a Dark SideAnd no one knows it better than he does.Judd Hirsch Can Tell You a Story or Three. ‘The Fabelmans’ Is Just the Latest.The veteran actor has been singled out for his rousing performance in Steven Spielberg’s drama. It’s the latest chapter in a long career full of anecdotes.When Jewish Artists Wrestle With AntisemitismIn this unsettling moment, comedians, filmmakers, playwrights and others have been struggling against a long-ingrained American response to look away.‘Westworld’ & ‘The Nevers‘ Pulled Off HBO Max, Marking Victorian Drama’s Formal EndMariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Returns to No. 1The singer’s holiday anthem, first released in 1994, ends Taylor Swift’s six-week run atop the Hot 100 singles chart.Christopher Nolan Recreated a Nuclear Weapon Explosion Without CGI, Developed New IMAX Film for ‘Oppenheimer’: ‘A Huge Challenge’Elon Musk’s new Twitter Blue logo is perfectly awfulThe ’80s throwback logo is shiny, poorly kerned, and barely legible. But it’s also an accurate representation of what Twitter has become.Olivia Wilde Is Getting Backlash After People Actually Watched “Don’t Worry Darling” And Learned The Truth About Those “Female Pleasure” Sex ScenesIt appears that Miss Flo was right all along.The Intertwining History of the ‘Avatar’ Papyrus Font and the ‘SNL’ Sketch That Spoofed ItIt surely is odd that James Cameron chose to use such a ridiculed typeface for his 2009 mega-blockbuster, but he wasn’t exactly acting like a thoughtless child wandering by a garden, yanking leaves along the wayCNN Cancels ‘Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy’ as Part of Originals PullbackThe actor is still exec producing the spinoff ‘Searching for Mexico,’ and could be involved if the show is shopped elsewhere.‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your LikesWhen the only thing better than a flip phone is no phone at all.GUESTS:Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/16/2022 • 43 minutes, 57 seconds

Almost every week, at the end of the show, The Nose spends a segment on endorsem*nts, on recommendations of things from the world of pop culture.This hour — for the first time ever — a gift-idea themed, all-endorsem*nts show: The Nose’s holiday gift guide.GUESTS:John Dankosky: Director of news and radio forScience Fridayand cohost of the Connecticut Mirror’sUntoldpodcastIlleana Douglas: Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe ShowTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticXandra Ellin: A producer at Pineapple Street MediaSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynSabrina Herrera: Community engagement and social media editor at Connecticut PublicJacques Lamarre: A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz EngineJennifer LaRue: A freelance producer for The Colin McEnroe ShowCarlos Mejia: Manager of media insights and analytics for WWEShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNETIC DanceJessica Severin de Martinez: ProducesAudacious with Chion Wolfon Connecticut Public RadioChion Wolf: Hosts Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public RadioTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/15/2022 • 42 minutes

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 marks 10 years since 20 children and six educators were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. This hour on The Colin McEnroe Show we talk about the emotional impact of the day, and posttraumatic growth in its aftermath.If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.GUESTS:Dannel Malloy: Former Governor of the State of Connecticut. He is currently Chancellor of the University of Maine SystemScarlett Lewis: Founded the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement after her son, 6-year old Jesse Lewis, was murdered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootingJohn Woodall: Psychiatrist, Medical Director of Newtown TMS, and the Representative for the Baha’i Community to the Newtown Interfaith CouncilJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Colin McEnroe, Catie Talarski, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/14/2022 • 53 minutes

This hour: why timekeepers are getting rid of the leap second, how animism is misinterpreted, and whether we should have a spectrum of verdicts beyond “guilty” and “not guilty.”GUESTS:Judah Levine:Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado and a Physicist at theNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyJustine Buck Quijada:Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at Wesleyan UniversityBarry Lam:Philosophy Professor at the University of California, Riverside, and Executive Producer ofHi-Phi Nation, a philosophy podcastJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/13/2022 • 41 minutes, 24 seconds

The term “brainwashing” has been used throughout history by scientists, politicians, and journalists, as well as in movies and literature.This hour: a look at the history and science of brainwashing.GUESTS:Joel Dimsdale: Distinguished professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry at University of California San Diego and the author ofDark Persuasion: A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to Social MediaTimothy Melley: Professor of English at Miami UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 20, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/12/2022 • 42 minutes

She Said is a feature film adaptation of the book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and it follows their New York Times investigation of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct. It is directed by Maria Schrader and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Its $2.2 million domestic opening is among the worst ever for a movie showing in more than 2,000 theaters.And: Bone Valley is a true crime podcast that covers the 1987 murder of 18-year-old Michelle Schofield. Her husband, Leo, who has always proclaimed his innocence, was convicted for the murder and sentenced to life in prison. Recently, another man has given a detailed confession to the murder, but Leo remains incarcerated. Bone Valley is hosted by investigative journalist Gilbert King, the author of Devil in the Grove, which won the Pulitzer Prize.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Bob McGrath, Original, Longtime Resident of ‘Sesame Street,’ Dies at 90He performed on ‘Sing Along With Mitch’ and was a teenage idol in Japan before spending 46 years on the iconic kids TV program.Kirstie Alley, ‘Cheers’ and ‘Look Who’s Talking’ Star, Dies at 71Keke Palmer: I Have Sex, and Now I’m Pregnant!!!Big Reveal On ‘SNL’‘Goblin mode’: new Oxford word of the year speaks to the timesWe’re Out of Movie Stars. Whose Fault Is That?There are fewer films now that allow an actor to grow a persona and a Tom Cruise level of stardom. It’s a crisis, and the movies know it.Best Comedy of 2022Stand-up specials like “Rothaniel” pushed boundaries this year, and Netflix’s financial setbacks could mean that its dominance in comedy is slowing.BuzzFeed to Cut 12 Percent of Workforce Amid “Audience Shift to Vertical Video,” CEO SaysThe layoffs are expected to cost $8 million to $12 million in restructuring charges, the company said in an SEC filing.The College Essay Is DeadNobody is prepared for how AI will transform academia.The Grinchiest Cities in the U.S. (2022)The Goonies House Is on the Market‘Stomp’ to Close After Nearly Three Decades Off-BroadwayThe award-winning show’s North American and European tours will continue to run after the January closure.Box Office Bust: ‘Black Adam’ Faces Theatrical LossesEvery “chronically online” conversation is the sameAt what point does discourse become punishment?Why A Hard Reboot Is Probably The Best Choice For The New DC Movie UniverseGUESTS:Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder ofQuiet Corner CommunicationsTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/9/2022 • 42 minutes, 20 seconds

Has everything original been done? It’s a question that’s been asked about storytelling, music, fine art, movies, and so much more. This hour, we attempt to answer that question, and discover if everything has already been done. Along the way we’ll explore the idea of originality and our tolerance for novelty, and talk to artists who are reckoning with these questions.GUESTS:Brian Slattery: Arts Editor forThe New Haven IndependentKirby Ferguson: Filmmaker and a creator of the “Everything is a Remix” seriesMartha Buskirk: Professor of Art History and Criticism at Montserrat College of Art and author ofIs It Ours? Art, Copyright, and Public Interest, among other booksJill Magid:Artist, writer, and filmmakerJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/8/2022 • 49 minutes

COVID is on the rise again. The flu is setting all-time records, and is especially bad in Connecticut. Oh, and there’s still a respiratory syncytial virus situation going on.This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people “wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.” But it’s hard to imagine that very many people are about to actually do that.This hour, an update on the pandemic or the triple-demic or whatever we want to call this ongoing mess at this point.GUESTS:Gregg Gonsalves: Associate professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) at the Yale School of Public Health andthe public health correspondent for The NationEric Topol: A physician and scientist; he writes theGround TruthsSubstack, and he’s founder and director of theScripps Research Translational InstituteKatherine J. Wu: Astaff writer at The AtlanticThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/7/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour Colin and his guests school us on spelling – what it is, why it matters, and why some of us actually find it fun. There will be a test.GUESTS:Peter Sokolowski: Editor at large at Merriam-Webster. He contributed definitions to the brand-new Seventh Edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary and has just been made a member of the Word Panel for the Scripps National Spelling BeeRichard Gentry: Education consultant and a former university professor, reading center director, and elementary school teacher. He has most recently published the spelling-book series Spelling Connections: A Word Study Approach for grades 1-6Deb Amlen: Crossword columnist and senior staff editor of the crossword column “Wordplay” for The New York Times. She also writes the weekly “Diary of a Spelling Bee Fanatic” column.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/6/2022 • 53 minutes, 15 seconds

Humans have long been interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This hour, a look at why that interest has persisted.Plus, we talk to a scientist who is looking for extraterrestrial life and a linguist who is preparing in case we ever receive communications from extraterrestrials.GUESTS:Kate Dorsch: Historian, philosopher of science, and the associate director of the philosophy, politics, and economics program at the University of PennsylvaniaAmanda Rees: Historian of science based at the University of YorkSeth Shostak: Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and host of the radio show and podcastBig Picture ScienceSheri Wells-Jensen: Associate professor of English and linguistics at Bowling Green State University and a member of the board of directors ofMETI InternationalThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 2, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/5/2022 • 50 minutes

The Nose is off this week. In its place: The movie musical died a long, slow death a long time ago. Right?Well, except that there’s Spielberg’sWest Side Story. And Hamilton and In the Heights and Tick, Tick…Boom! And A Star Is Born and The Greatest Showman. And Annette and Cyrano. Oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman and Elvis. And Encanto.And those are just from the last five years. And I could keep going.This hour, a long look at the long-dead movie musical. Long live the movie musical.Some stuff that happened this week, give or take:Irene Cara, ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ Singer, Dies at 63Ms. Cara was a child star from the Bronx who gained fame in the 1980s as a singer of pop anthems and as the star of the movie “Fame.”Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 79The greatest film of all time: Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 BruxellesFor the first time in 70 years the Sight and Sound poll has been topped by a film directed by a woman — and one that takes a consciously, radically feminist approach to cinema. Things will never be the same.Glass Onion Is Expected To Gross $15 Million In Its One-Week Theatrical PreviewThis Was the Worst Thanksgiving Weekend in Box-Office History.Yes, Disney’s animated “Strange World” is a bomb — but without Netflix’s “Glass Onion,” the weekend would have been even worse.Was ‘Glass Onion’ a Success? Peeling Back the Layers on Netflix’s Box Office GambitTop Gun: Maverick Is Being Re-Released In Theaters Before Avatar Comes For The Box Office CrownIndiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Trailer Breakdown: Where There’s A Whip, There’s A Way‘Nasty, vile, want to unsee’: Mum sparks debate over multi-use of ‘family sick bowl’Social media is splitBrian Robinson’s BIG HAT deserves all caps because it’s a BIG HATIt’s BIG HAT world, and we’re living in it.Cocaine Bear: the trailer for 2023’s wildest film is everything and moreThe Elizabeth Banks-directed caper, based on a true story, looks to be exactly what the internet wants it to beThe 2023 Oscars Will Televise The Presentation Of All 23 Awards CategoriesA teary Will Smith opens up to Trevor Noah about the ‘rage’ behind his Oscar slapNicole Kidman Receives Standing Ovation at Broadway’s ‘The Music Man’ After Bidding $100,000 for Hugh Jackman’s Signed HatWhy has the internet invented a fake Martin Scorsese film?Thousands of Tumblr users have been making posters, soundtracks, drawings and fan fiction for a 1973 Scorsese film starring Robert De Niro — but it never existedA man won the legal right to not be ‘fun’ at work after refusing to embrace ‘excessive alcoholism’ and ‘promiscuity’Video games for dogs aim to help aging canine brainsAubrey Plaza Is Leveling Up—and Still Pranking Her CostarsThe famously deadpan Aubrey Plaza is reaching new heights with a star turn in the new season of The White Lotus and a mega Francis Ford Coppola project on the horizon.Helena Bonham Carter: Good on young men for finding middle-aged beauty sexyThe London Library’s first female president on why she thinks Johnny Depp has been ‘vindicated’ and the ‘horrendous’ treatment of JK Rowling‘Avatar’ and the Mystery of the Vanishing BlockbusterIt was the highest-grossing film in history, but for years it was remembered mainly for having been forgotten. Why?Rolling Stone:The 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs of All TimeFrom Seventies sitcoms with expository jams to modern prestige classics with experimental scores, from ‘Sanford and Son’ to ‘Succession,’ from ‘Match Game’ to ‘Game of Thrones’Poynter:We asked, you answered: Here are your favorite journalism moviesWe’ve published our own list before, but we wanted to hear from you.Legendary Entertainment Formalizes Sony Deal After Cutting Ties With Warner Bros.Adults Are Spending Big on Toys and Stuffed Animals—for ThemselvesThe Last Real American DictionaryScrabble’s new edition is full of delightful new words. But are there enough of them?Kylie Jenner’s Humongous Christmas Tree Has Pissed Off A Lot Of People, But I’m Just Trying To Figure Out What That Potato Sack Thing IsAnother day, another drama. This time about a Christmas tree.Planes, Trains and Automobiles at 35: An Oral History of One of the Most Beloved Road Movies Ever MadeStarring Steve Martin and John Candy, the John Hughes road trip comedy had a nearly four-hour runtime at one point. Hear from cast, crew, and Hughes’ family about the classic.‘Wednesday’ Summons Record-Breaking Debut Week On Netflix With 341.23M Hours ViewedNYC is hiring a rat czar. ‘General aura of badassery’ required.GUESTS:Jeanine Basinger: Founder of the Department of Film Studies at Wesleyan University and the author of many books on film; her latest isHollywood: The Oral HistorySteve Metcalf: Director of the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 5, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/2/2022 • 50 minutes

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can’t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own.This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies.GUESTS:Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of theMany MindspodcastJonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe ShowSile O’Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interactCarlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorksThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/1/2022 • 50 minutes

On the one hand, calling something “medieval” carries with it negative connotations of outdated times. But lately there has almost been a nostalgia for life in the Middle Ages.This hour, we look at what life was really like in that time period and why we remember it the way we do.Plus, a look at the medieval origin of environmental anxiety and student debt.GUESTS:Jenny Adams: Associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts AmherstCourtney Barajas: Author ofOld English Ecotheology: The Exeter BookMartha Bayless: Director of folklore and public culture at the University of Oregon; her books includeSin and Filth in Medieval Culture: The Devil in the LatrineandA Cultural History of Comedy in the Middle AgesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 23, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/30/2022 • 50 minutes

We use zippers all the time, whether on clothes, shoes, bags, tents … the list goes on.Zippers keep our belongings secure, they keep us warm, they help keep out the elements, and they make it easier to get dressed.This hour: the zipper — its history and significance, its role in fashion … and why so many zippers say “YKK.”GUESTS:Robert Friedel: Professor emeritus of history at the University of Maryland and the author ofZipper: An Exploration in NoveltyEmma McClendon: Fashion historian, curator, and authorJim Reed: President of YKK Corporation of AmericaThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 14, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/29/2022 • 41 minutes

The humble tambourine is the underrated, understated, unsung hero of contemporary music.This hour we shake our assumptions about this surprisingly enduring and ubiquitous instrument.GUESTS:Ira Elliot: Percussionist best known as the drummer for the bandNada SurfErin Elstner: Percussionist and professor of percussion at Webster UniversityTim Kubart: Musician, songwriter, and performer known world-wide asThe Tambourine GuyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Michayla Savitt, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 17, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/28/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose has enrolled itself as an ultrasonic epistemic dissident.Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story is a new memoir by Bono. It’s largely illustrated essays telling the stories of particular songs (40 of them, one imagines). It’s currently No. 2 on The New York Times Hardcover Best Sellers List. As such, Bono has been everywhere lately. As such, The Nose got to thinking about the tension between Bono, the actual big-deal important figure, and Bono, the guy who seems to mostly annoy everybody all the time.And: Tár is Todd Field’s third feature film as writer and director, his first in 16 years. It stars Cate Blanchett as the iconic fictional musician and conductor Lydia Tár, and it won Blanchett the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at this year’s Venice International Film Festival.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/23/2022 • 50 minutes

This hour is all about recipes. We'll talk with someone who makes recipes found on gravestones, consider what makes an effective recipe, the history of the modern recipe, and the art of the recipe introduction. Plus, we'll look at the phenomenon of pop culture cookbooks.GUESTS:Rosie Grant:Posts gravestone recipes and cemetery stories on herTikTokandInstagramaccountsHelen Zoe Veit: Associate Professor of History at Michigan State UniversityChandra Ram: Cookbook author, food writer, and the Associate Editorial Director of Food for “Food & Wine”Francis Lam: Host of “The Splendid Table,” and Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Clarkson PotterDinah Bucholz: Author ofThe Unofficial Harry Potter CookbookandThe Unofficial Narnia CookbookJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/22/2022 • 48 minutes, 45 seconds

On the long timeline of long-distance communication technology that starts with the telegraph and leads all the way to the iPhone and beyond, there’s a particular, once-ubiquitous device that seems to have left an indelible mark on the culture while also disappearing nearly completely from it.This hour, the history and present? (and future??) of the fax machine.GUESTS:Jonathan Coopersmith: Professor of history at Texas A & M University and the author ofFaxed: The Rise and Fall of the Fax MachineTroy Kreiner: Design director at Use All Five, the firm that organizedArtifaxKay Savetz: A tech historian; they co-hostAntic: The Atari 8-Bit Podcastand run a number of websites, includingFax ToyandFaxZeroThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 19, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/21/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose has been attending various dinners and functions and telling what it’s learned about banks and troop movements, so on and so forth.Last night, Elon Musk’s “hardcore” Twitter “long hours at high intensity” ultimatum deadline passed, and hundreds of Twitter employees seemingly decided to leave. And then Twitter closed all of its offices until next week. And now people ON Twitter are pretty sure it’s going to start failing at any moment. The Nose is worried.And: Amsterdam is the ninth film written and directed by David O. Russell, his first in seven years. It is based on the Business Plot, an alleged interwar political conspiracy in the U.S. And despite its writer/director pedigree and ridiculously stacked ensemble cast — which includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Rami Malek, Robert De Niro, and many others — Amsterdam is a box office bomb.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:David Davis, a Force Behind Game-Changing ’70s Sitcoms, Dies at 86A writer and producer, he worked with James Brooks and others on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and was a creator of “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Taxi.”Robert Clary, Corporal LeBeau on ‘Hogan’s Heroes,’ Dies at 96The French actor and singer spent 31 months in a concentration camp but said he had no reservations about starring in a TV comedy about the Nazis.Jay Leno Has Been Hospitalized With Serious Burn Injuries After A Car At His Garage Reportedly ExplodedThe comedian was scheduled to perform at an event at Las Vegas on Sunday evening but canceled due to “a very serious medical emergency.”Dave Chappelle Apparently Tricked “Saturday Night Live” Staff By Performing A “Fake” Monologue In The Dress Rehearsal Before Revealing New Antisemitic Material Live On AirChappelle’s 15-minute monologue included a number of jokes about the Jewish community and prompted accusations of him normalizing and popularizing antisemitism.Ticketmaster To Swifties: “It’s Me. Hi, I’m The Problem. It’s Me.”🎶 I THINK THERE’S BEEN A GLITCH 🎶Ticketmaster Cancels Sale of Taylor Swift Tickets After SnagsAfter a presale for the pop star’s Eras Tour ended in chaos earlier this week, the ticket broker canceled its plans to sell tickets to the general public on Friday.Here Are The Grammy Nominees For 2023Beyoncé led the way with nine nominations — and is now tied with husband Jay-Z as the most nominated artist of all time — but Kendrick Lamar, Adele, and Brandi Carlile were close behind.‘Grey’s Anatomy‘ Sets Date For Ellen Pompeo’s Farewell Episode As Full-Time Cast Member – What’s Next For Meredith & ABC Series?You’re one in 8 billionThe world population just hit a milestone. Here’s where you fit in.Here’s Every Person Pete Davidson Has Dated Ever Since He Became Famous — Like, I Was Not Expecting Some Of TheseIt’s kind of wild that Pete only dated Ariana for five months, because I felt that relationship ruled our lives for years.We Need to Talk About Your Nirvana ShirtYou can’t out-shoot a teenager: how to play first-person shooters if you’re over 30Reflexes start to decline in your 20s, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be competitive at first-person shooters any more. Keith Stuart shares some hard-won knowledgeFinally, a video game that lets you play as Jesus ChristTry not to develop a God complex.NASA’s Overshadowed Moon LaunchAfter a successful takeoff, a crewless capsule is on its way to the moon. Where’s the fanfare?Watch Michael Jackson’s THRILLER in 4KThe seminal music video has been restored, and the results are astonishing.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction … and she hosts theRite Gud podcastJames Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, a writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/18/2022 • 50 minutes

Countless books, movies, and TV shows explore time travel. This hour, we talk about the hold that time travel has on pop culture and the philosophy, ethics and science of time travel.And, we hear from an author about how to create and utilize rules of time travel in fiction and the idea of memory as time travel.GUESTS:Sara Bernstein: The R.L. Canala College Professor of Philosophy at The University of Notre DameAmanda Gefter: Science writer, MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow, and author of Trespassing on Einstein’s LawnEmma Straub: Novelist and bookstore owner, whose newest book is This Time TomorrowJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, Dylan Reyes, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/17/2022 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

This hour we investigate the ways words change when they enter our discourse and how they acquire new meanings, or sometimes even lose their meanings.We look at specific examples, discuss how the internet is influencing language, and learn about how dictionaries interact with the evolving nature of words.GUESTS:Sylvia Sierra: A linguist and the author ofMillennials Talking Media: Creating Intertextual Identities in Everyday ConversationPeter Sokolowski: Editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of theWord MatterspodcastKory Stamper: A lexicographer and the author ofWord by Word: The Secret Life of DictionariesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 16, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/16/2022 • 50 minutes

You must have heard the term “vibe” by now, right?We’ve heard about the vibe of the election, the vibe of the economy, the vibe of a music playlist, the vibe of a season, the vibe of a party … Plus there are vibe shifts and vibe checks.This hour: vibes. We learn what the word really means, where it comes from, and how the internet has given it new life.GUESTS:Kyle Chayka: Contributing writer for The New Yorker covering technology and culture on the InternetRobin James: Editor for philosophy and music at Palgrave MacmillanEda Uzunlar: Freelance journalist and student at Yale UniversityBen Zimmer: Linguist, lexicographer, and the “Word on the Street” columnist for The Wall Street JournalJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/15/2022 • 49 minutes

Ringtones went from uniform to a million dollar industry to the unconscious soundtrack of our lives. They’re pieces of music that are designed to get you to react. They’re sounds that often carry emotions and memories with them. But we tend not to give them much thought.This hour, the art of the ringtone. We look back at their history, investigate their rise and fall, discuss the appeal of a well-composed one, and talk to someone who designed his own.Warning:This show contains the default iPhone alarm tone.GUESTS:Sumanth Gopinath: Associate professor of music theory at the University of Minnesota and the author of The Ringtone Dialectic: Economy and Cultural FormSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynPaula Matthusen: Composer and a professor of music at Wesleyan UniversitySteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany Concert Series at the University of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolErnie Smith: Editor of Tedium and a contributor to Vice’s MotherboardBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired May 12, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/14/2022 • 52 minutes, 36 seconds

There’s no gentlemen where we are and none where we’re going. This week’s Nose is worried it’s not fair.Taylor Sheridan is an actor and film- and television-maker. You might recognize him from Sons of Anarchy or Veronica Mars. You might have seen some of his movies, like Sicario or Wind River or Hell or High Water.But it’s more likely you’ve seen some of the five TV series he’s created. This week’s Nose looks at three of them: Yellowstone, the most-watched scripted show on television; the Yellowstone prequel, 1883; and the standalone Mayor of Kingstown, starring Jeremy Renner.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Aaron Carter Has Died At 34Police were called to his home in Lancaster, California, Saturday.Gallagher, Watermelon-Smashing Comedian, Is Dead at 76He called himself “The Wizard of Odd” for his outrageous stage act, making him one of the most recognizable comedians of the 1980s.Douglas McGrath, Playwright, Filmmaker and Actor, Is Dead at 64His one-man Off Broadway show, “Everything’s Fine,” directed by John Lithgow, had opened just weeks ago.Mimi Parker, vocalist and drummer of the minimalist rock band Low, has diedHBO cancels the sci-fi series ‘Westworld’Stressed Out? Grab a Shovel and Dig a HoleScientists spend a lot of time unearthing what it all means, but park rangers say fill them in when you’re done, pleaseWhen Was HBO’s Best Sunday Night?HBO has owned Sunday for almost 25 years. But when did its Sunday lineup peak? The Ringer investigates.The Polymath Film Composer Known as “the Third Coen Brother”Carter Burwell’s spare, haunting scores make audiences uncomfortable.Judd Hirsch, in Medias ResThe eighty-seven-year-old actor, who plays Steven Spielberg’s great-uncle Boris in “The Fabelmans,” traipses around his old Bronx stomping grounds and recounts stories (Colin Powell! Robert Moses!) without beginnings or endings.A Mets Fan Grows in ItalyMy young son loves the Mets from afar, but does he understand baseball heartbreak?Rainn Wilson Changes Name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson to Highlight Melting ArcticAhead of the COP27 summit, the star of ‘The Office’ has changed his name to bring attention to the climate crisis, “which amplifies global risks, including extreme weather events around the globe.”‘Airplane!’ Director Says Hollywood Is ‘Destroying Comedy’: My James Bond Parody Got Dinged for ‘Mild’ Breast Reduction JokeNetflix Takes Bold Bet on Theatrical With ‘Knives Out’ Sequel — But Don’t Expect ‘Glass Onion’ Box Office NumbersGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerJim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersTaneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/11/2022 • 49 minutes

In the century since Russia’s “Mad Monk” was poisoned, we’ve come to believe a lot of things: he was mystical, he was evil, he was the world’s greatest lover.This hour: Rasputin — the all-too-human peasant who found his way to friendship with the Romanovs and the comical, absurd version of him that just won’t die.GUESTS:Chris Roberson: Co-writer of the Hellboy comicRasputin: Voice of the DragonDouglas Smith: Historian and author ofRasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the RomanovsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 3, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/10/2022 • 50 minutes

The one thing we knew for sure was that by the time we got to today, Election Day would be over.And it is.This hour, we regroup after a long night and try to figure out what we’ve figured out by today.And we do our best not to start immediately talking about 2024. Hopefully.Listen live Wednesday, November 9, at 1 p.m.GUESTS:Dan Barry: Longtime reporter and columnist for The New York Times; his most recent book isThis Land: America, Lost and FoundMatt Grossmann: Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and professor of political science at Michigan State University and he hostsThe Science of PoliticspodcastBethany Teachman: Professor of psychology and director of clinical training at the University of VirginiaThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/9/2022 • 49 minutes

On Election Day we do a show where we ask people across Connecticut to do a simple thing: Go vote in your town before 1 p.m. Then call us between 1 and 2 p.m. and tell us how it felt, what you saw, whom you spoke to. Say whatever you want to say about the experience of voting.This hour we hear from Citizen Observers about their experiences at the polls.GUESTS:Charlie Barber: Nonfiction author and Writer in Residence at Wesleyan UniversityBarry Blitt: Cartoonist and illustrator forThe New Yorkerand other publicationsSusan Clinard: Owner of Clinard Sculpture StudioJack French: Research Associate in the Yale Program for Financial Stability at the Yale School of ManagementLara Herscovitch: Singer-songwriter, poet, performer, advocate, former CT State Troubadour, and children’s book authorIman James: Competitive boxer and a New Haven Public School TeacherJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/8/2022 • 49 minutes

Some Americans are considering whether this country is a place where they want to live in the future.This hour is all about leaving the United States.We talk to someone who made the move about what inspired her and her new life in Portugal. Plus, we learn more about the process of actually moving out of the country. And we talk to someone who has considered leaving, but ultimately decided to stay here, for now at least.GUESTS:Wajahat Ali:The Daily Beastcolumnist, public speaker, and author ofGo Back To Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on Becoming American; he recently wrote “Is It Time for Me to Leave America?”DeNeen Brown: Local enterprise reporter atThe Washington Postand an associate professor at the University of Maryland; she recently wrote “The Case for Leaving America to Escape Racism”Caryl Hallberg: Moved from the United States to Portugal in 2020Jennifer Stevens:Executive editor ofInternational LivingJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jacob Gannon, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/7/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is energy unfocused, innovation hindered, hope strangled, greatness disguised.Taylor Swift currently occupies the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That’s the, uh, new record. She’s also got 10 other songs in other spots on the Hot 100. Fully one-fifth of the entire Hot 100 is Taylor Swift songs right now. Federal law requires that we cover this phenomenon. (No it doesn’t.)And: Don’t Worry Darling is the second movie directed by Olivia Wilde. It’s kind of a feature-length Black Mirror episode starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and Wilde. Its reportedly troubled production and promotion have been the focus of much scrutiny and spawned the word, uh, “spitgate.”Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Remembering Takeoff, The Best Rapper in MigosHe was “the quiet” member of the Atlanta rap group, but his demeanor belied a commanding presenceThe Decline of Etiquette and the Rise of ‘Boundaries’For centuries, strict social norms dictated what people could politely talk about. Now we have to figure it out for ourselves.Grading Taylor Swift’s ‘Karma’ With a Buddhist-Studies ProfessorA Mom Who Tweeted About Throwing Out Her Kids’ Halloween Candy Said She Was Accused Of Abuse After It “Escaped The Orbit” Of Her FollowersMeet this week’s Bean Dad.What do users want from their TV streaming? A new NPR/Ipsos poll has some answers‘Non-binary’ Romeo and Juliet set in Nazi Germany apologises for omitting Jews from casting callThe Icarus Theatre production shows the hero as being a member of the Hitler YouthPack Your Bags, We’re Moving to ‘Roku City’Instead of streaming a new TV show or movie, some Roku users are in it for the screen saver.The Eerie Comfort of Liminal SpacesWhy we’re compelled by images of abandoned shopping malls, waiting rooms, and corridorsThe Original E.T. Model From The Movie Is Going Up For Auction, And You’ll Just Need A Couple Million BucksMartin Luther King Jr. paid the bill for Julia Roberts’ birth. Here’s the backstoryProfessional Cornhole Has a Cheating Scandal Called BagGateOfficials talk of new regulations to root out illegally sized bags. Fans are reeling: ‘The dirty underbelly is being exposed.’Netflix’s ‘Blockbuster’ and Hollywood’s Greatest Spite ProjectsThe new workplace sitcom is the ultimate flex by Netflix after Blockbuster refused to buy the streamer in the early 2000s. But this isn’t the first time egos in Hollywood decided to be petty…Who Is Jennifer Lawrence Now?The Oscar-winning “Hunger Games” actress is free from her franchise commitments. But after a brief hiatus from acting, what will she do next?Aubrey Plaza and Joe Locke Are Conjuring a WandaVision SpinoffThe Best Movies of 2022 (So Far)Comedy’s Crowd-Work Clip Civil WarThe Best Comedy Specials of 2022 (So Far)Netflix has (probably) ordered a second season of Neil Gaiman’s The SandmanA since-deleted tweet from the official DC Comics account seemed to confirm that the Tom Sturridge-starring show would be coming back for a second seasonWWE Closes Book On Vince McMahon Investigation; Says Probe Complete, Special Committee DisbandedJeff Knows Bo…and Magic, and Sweetness, and the ‘86 Mets and pretty much every other legendary athlete and outrageous sports story you’ve ever heard of but were afraid to ask more about.NBC revives Golden Globes telecast after HFPA racial exclusion scandalThe network did not air a Golden Globes ceremony in 2022 as the HFPA attempted to rehabilitate its image and overhaul its membership.Academy promises ‘great legacy surprises’ in 2023 Oscars previewCEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang previewed the 95th Oscars ceremony at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.Adele, Florence Pugh, And 23 Other Celebs Whose Names You’ve Unknowingly Been ButcheringLittle did I know “Adele” could be pronounced any other way…GUESTS:Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder ofQuiet Corner CommunicationsSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/4/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour: Mark Leibovich on the past, present, and future of the Republican Party, and his new book, Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission.GUEST:Mark Leibovich: Author of Thank You For Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission and a staff writer at The AtlanticThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/3/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, we celebrate poetry with three contemporary poets.GUESTS:Margaret Gibson: The seventh poet laureate of Connecticut; her most recent collection isThe Glass GlobeYanyi: Writes the advice columnThe Readingfor creative writers; his most recent poetry collection isDream of the Divided FieldMatthew Zapruder: A poet, professor, and the author ofWhy Poetry; his most recent poetry collection isFather’s DayThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired April 28, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/2/2022 • 50 minutes

From San Francisco’s iconic fog and COVID-related brain fog to a location-tracking program called Fog Reveal, this hour, we lift the fog on all kinds of fog.GUESTS:Travis O’Brien: Professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana UniversityJaveed Sukhera: Chair of psychiatry at the Institute of Living and chief of psychiatry at Hartford HospitalAnne Toomey McKenna: Visiting professor of law at the University of Richmond School of LawJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/1/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to Halloween as the most educational holiday (or not), having Election Day on the weekend (or not), giving poll workers your license (or not), the oncoming civil war (or not) … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/31/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is, I don’t know, worrying about a volcano.The Watcher is a thriller/mystery miniseries on Netflix created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan and (very loosely) based on the New York magazine story “The Haunting of a Dream House.” It stars Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Mia Farrow, and others, and it’s currently the No. 2 TV show on Netflix in the U.S.And: Bros is a romantic comedy written by Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller and directed by Stoller. It stars Eichner and Luke Macfarlane, and it was a bit of a flop at the box office. It’s now available for rental on premium video on demand platforms.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Leslie Jordan, ‘Will & Grace’ and ‘American Horror Story’ Star, Dies at 67 in Car AccidentLenny Lipton, ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ Lyricist and 3-D Film Pioneer, 82, DiesHe used the royalties earned from the hit folk song, based on a poem he wrote in college, to fund decades of research into stereoscopic projection.Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye and use of one hand, says agentFull extent of injuries from ‘brutal attack’ on Satanic Verses author in New York state in August revealedAdidas cuts ties with Ye over antisemitic remarks that caused an uproarJames Corden Finally Responded To Being Banned From A NYC Restaurant, And It Only Made Things Waaay WorseI just need someone to pull the surveillance footage.James Corden and the Dangers of LikabilityNo one knows what an egg yolk omelet is, but we all know that TV hosts should be relatable. Or should they? That didn’t do Ellen DeGeneres any favors.This Woman Tweeted About Having Coffee Every Day With Her Husband — The Internet Tore Her Apart“I never thought someone could take what I said and turn it into something negative.”The Tale of the Racist Lesbian Emu Farmer is Shaking the InternetThe Pet-Name Trend Humans Can’t ResistWhy would anyone name their dog Kyle?A Secret Writers Room, a Rising Scribe and a Post-‘Skywalker’ Timeline: A Look Inside Damon Lindelof’s ’Star Wars’ MovieJustin Britt-Gibson is penning the script with Lindelof, with the film potentially bringing back some characters from the 2010s films.Kentucky man posed as a dead body on TikTok for 321 days. Now he’s going to be on ‘CSI’Relentless Angst and Uniformly Excellent Sex: How Colleen Hoover Became the Queen of BookTokNew Seasons Of Doctor Who To Premiere Globally On Disney+ In 2023Warner Bros. Discovery To Axe $2 Billion Worth Of Movies And Shows As Part Of Brutal Cost-Saving EffortsThe Fake Spirit Halloween meme shows the most frightening costume this year is a millennial clichéWe should all fear the upper-class influencer or east London sommelier, because nothing is darker than facing your own unoriginalityGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerJacques Lamarre: A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz EngineTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/28/2022 • 49 minutes

Why is the two-party system so entrenched here in the United States?This hour, we talk about third parties. We learn about a new third party, discuss the history and political viability of third parties, and talk with a third party candidate.GUESTS:Dr. Amy Chai: Independent Party candidate for Connecticut’s 3rd U.S. Congressional DistrictSeth Masket: Professor of political science and director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver; he is the author of The Inevitable Party: Why Attempts to Kill the Party System Fail and How they Weaken Democracy, among other booksAndrew Yang: Co-founder and co-chair of the new Forward Party; he previously ran as a Democratic candidate for president and for mayor of New York CityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jacob Gannon, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/27/2022 • 49 minutes

Note:This episode contains strong language.We realized four years ago now that The Nose doesn’t cover very much horror stuff. So we started doing an annual Halloween special that tackles horror head-on. This hour: the fifth one of those.We look at the indie studio that’s mostly taken over the elevated horror genre (and the not-so-elevated horror genre some, too): A24.Plus: the evolving relationship between queer and/or women-identified audiences and horror movies.And finally: We have a largely arbitrary tradition of spending a chunk of this show on a horror classic that’s celebrating, specifically, its 40th anniversary. Previously, it’s been Halloween, Alien, The Shining, An American Werewolf in London. This year: Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist.GUESTS:Nate Jones: Staff writer for VultureJacob Trussell: Author of the forthcoming Poltergeist fromDieDieBooksLindsay Lee Wallace: Writes about culture, digital spaces, health care inequity, and other stuff tooThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/26/2022 • 50 minutes, 1 second

This hour, we investigate the relationship between public opinion and policy.We explore to what extent public opinion impacts policy in the United States and discuss public opinion and Supreme Court decisions.Plus, a look at polling and how we understand public opinion.GUESTS:Jennifer Dineen: Associate professor in residence in the School of Public Policy and associate director of the Center for Advancing Research, Methods, and Scholarship in Gun Injury Prevention at the University of ConnecticutScott Keeter: Senior survey advisor at Pew Research CenterMaya Sen: Professor of public policy at Harvard University and the author ofThe Judicial Tug of War: How Lawyers, Politicians, and Ideological Incentives Shape the American JudiciaryJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Taylor Doyle, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/25/2022 • 49 minutes

Henry David Thoreau is a bit of a polarizing figure. He has been both celebrated and criticized for his writing. He’s considered an inspirational figure for retreating to the woods but mocked for his reliance on his mother during that same period.This hour, we look at the life and legacy of Henry David Thoreau and ask what his example can teach us about who is remembered and celebrated.GUESTS:Alex Beam: Author, journalist, and contributor to The Boston GlobeTracy Fullerton: Director of the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California and the designer and director ofWalden, A GameLaura Dassow Walls: Professor emeritus of English at the University of Notre Dame and the author ofHenry David Thoreau: A LifeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired April 27, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/24/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose wants to feel like it’s in the middle of a conversation … between inanimate objects.Confess, Fletch is the third movie in the Fletch series, the first in 33 years, and the first to star Jon Hamm, rather than Chevy Chase, in the title role. It premieres on Showtime on October 28.And: Athena is a French-language epic action tragedy directed by Romain Gavras, the son of the two-time Academy Award-winning Greek-French filmmaker Costa-Govras. Athena's opening shot, which runs more than 10 minutes without a (detectable, at least) cut, has been much discussed. It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Premio Arca Cinema Giovani — the Young Cinema Award — and it hit Netflix in September.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Taylor Swift Has Clocked In and Finally Released MidnightsKanye West to buy the conservative-friendly social site Parler1776’s Sara Porkalob Has Some NotesBakery Creates ‘Pan Solo,’ a 6-Foot Replica of ‘Star Wars’ Hero Made of BreadA California bakery made Han Solo frozen in carbonite out of bread. Passers-by “kind of don’t believe you that it’s made out of dough,” a baker said.New details emerge about Bill Murray’s alleged misconductProduction on Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut stalled months ago due to Murray’s behaviorHow Colleen Hoover Rose to Rule the Best-Seller ListWith legions of devoted fans and a knack for high-voltage emotional drama, Hoover has sold more than 20 million books. And she’s done it her way.‘Twisters’ Forecast For Spring Start As Universal, Amblin Finalize Director For Sequel‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ won’t be on TV this year. Here’s how to watchA raft of cancellations show a broken touring industry that’s linked to deeper #BrokenRecord crisis and why it needs to change!‘Family Means No One Gets Left Behind’An oral history of Lilo & Stitch, the Disney movie that almost brought hand-drawn animation back.Why My Favorite Character in The Breakfast Club Is the JanitorI used to idolize the teens in John Hughes movies — but I was so, so wrong.Everything You Need to Achieve the Twin Peaks AestheticLet the fog roll in, pour us a damn fine cup of coffee, and find us in the Black Lodge—it’s Twin Peaks season.Patti LuPone Isn‘t Retiring but Broadway Has ‘Dumbed Down the Audience’ by Turning Into ‘Disneyland, a Circus and Las Vegas’The Infinite Possibilities in a Tiny Smudge From Outer SpaceAstronomers have captured a poignant view of another planetary system in the making.Netflix Boards Untitled Adam Sandler-Safdie Brothers ProjectCriterion Lays Off 20 Percent of Staff in ‘Reorganization’ MoveCriterion Collection president Peter Becker told IndieWire the layoffs were “meant to prepare the company for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ ‘Blonde,’ and the Faux Feminism of 2022’s Most Debated Films“Brainwashed” documentarian Nina Menkes unpacks the botched messages behind this year’s “feminist” films with IndieWire.GUESTS:Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordMercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/21/2022 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

State politics are becoming increasingly nationalized as voters, and candidates, focus more on national issues, instead of local ones.This hour, we look at the impact of this nationalization, and we discuss how the loss of local news has impacted our awareness of state politics.Finally, how Americans have become increasingly politically segregated.GUESTS:Paul Bass: Editor of theNew Haven IndependentRyan Enos: Director for the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard UniversityDaniel Hopkins: Author ofThe Increasingly United States: How and Why American Political Behavior NationalizedMeghan Rubado: Associate professor in the Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/20/2022 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds

Mysteries have been popular for centuries. This hour we ask: why are we drawn to this genre? Plus, we look at the television detective and discuss true crime podcasts.GUESTS:Martin Edwards:Crime novelist and author of the new bookThe Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their CreatorsGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”Alexandra Petri:Columnist forThe Washington Postand the author ofNothing Is Wrong And Here Is WhyNick Quah: Podcast critic forVultureandNew York MagazineJoin the conversation on Facebookand Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/18/2022 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to driving culture in Connecticut, pet culture everywhere, the state cutting down trees on route 164, probate, direct registration of stocks … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/17/2022 • 50 minutes, 17 seconds

Record producer and neuroscientist Susan Rogers has a new book out, This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You. In it, she writes that “the music that delivers the maximum gratification to you is determined by seven influential dimensions of musical listening.” Those seven dimensions are authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre.This hour, we talk with Rogers about some of those seven dimensions, the role of the listener in music, and why we are drawn to some songs and not others.GUEST:Susan Rogers: Multi-platinum record producer, cognitive neuroscientist, professor at Berklee College of Music, and co-author of This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About YouJoin the conversation onFacebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/15/2022 • 50 minutes, 1 second

This week’s Nose clearly harassed a human with dark features and chose the wrong person to annoy.Andor is the fourth live-action Star Wars series from Disney+. It is a prequel to Rogue One, which is a prequel to Star Wars. Andor follows thief-turned-spy Cassian Andor during the five years leading up to Rogue One. It is created by Tony Gilroy, who wrote Rogue One, and written in part by Tony and his brother Dan Gilroy and edited in part by Dan’s twin brother John Gilroy.And: I Love You, You Hate Me is a two-part Peaco*ck docuseries about Barney the Purple Dinosaur.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Angela Lansbury, Broadway luminary and ‘Murder, She Wrote’ star, dies at 96She also excelled as the world’s most evil mother in the film ‘The Manchurian Candidate’Kanye West’s Posts Land Him in Trouble on Social MediaThe rapper, who now goes by Ye, made antisemitic remarks on Instagram and Twitter that were widely criticized. They came after he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week.Is There a Future for Late-Night Talk Shows?Big changes are coming to the longtime staple of television programming, as the genre struggles to make the leap to the streaming world.How the Glengarry Glen Ross “Coffee Is for Closers” Scene Got MadeAlec Baldwin, James Foley, and more reveal an oral history of one of the most quotable movie scenes ever.The Best TV Shows of 2022…So FarSeverance, The Rehearsal, Borgen, Tokyo Vice, and more series to catch up on before the next wave of television hits.Guillermo del Toro Defends Scorsese After ‘Cruel’ Essay Calls Him ‘Uneven Talent’: ‘This Article Baited Them Traffic, but At What Cost?’‘Amsterdam’ Stands To Lose Nearly $100 Million: What This Means For Upscale MoviesDunkin' Donuts Devalues Rewards Points, Enraging Customers: ‘I No Longer Run on Dunkin’“Don’t try to piss on me and tell me it’s raining,” said one longtime Dunkin' customer.Sorry, Gen X, the thumbs up emoji is actually hostileI’m too uncool to know which thumbs-up emoji is uncool so someone help me.New ‘Naked Gun’ Movie A Go At Paramount With Liam Neeson In Talks To Star And ‘Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer DirectingAustin Powers References Are Comedy’s Hottest Mini-TrendGUESTS:Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DancePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/14/2022 • 43 minutes, 54 seconds

We have a complicated relationship with our food. We need food to live, yet we’ve become removed from the food we eat and how it’s grown and processed. Even with the best of intentions, today’s ultra-processed foods make it hard for us to know exactly what we’re eating or how the methods used to mass produce our food are affecting our environment and our health. And I haven’t even touched on how food has led to war, famine, poverty, and enslavement.This hour, we talk about the history of agriculture, where it went wrong, and how we might begin to cultivate food that is kinder to our bodies, our earth, and our fellow humans.GUEST:Mark Bittman: Author ofAnimal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food From Sustainable To Suicidal, among many other booksThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 3, 2021.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/12/2022 • 42 minutes

This hour, we investigate what centrism means, and what the role of centrism is in U.S. politics and discourse today.GUESTS:Lee Drutman: Author ofBreaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America and co-host of thePolitics in QuestionpodcastYascha Mounk: Author ofThe Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endureand the founder ofPersuasionChristine Todd Whitman: Co-chair of the newForward Partyand former governor of New Jersey and administrator of the Environmental Protection AgencyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/11/2022 • 41 minutes, 8 seconds

Perfectionism is on the rise among young people.This hour, we look at the impact of perfectionism on mental health and how to deal with perfectionist tendencies.Plus: what the self-help industry can tell us about our interest in perfection.GUESTS:Thomas Curran: Assistant professor of psychological and behavioral science at the London School of Economics and Political ScienceTamar Gendler: Professor of philosophy, psychology and cognitive science at Yale UniversityKristen Meinzer: Host of theBy the BookpodcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired April 13, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/10/2022 • 42 minutes

This week’s Nose is like the trick you do with the wiggling, getting all the girls hipped up.Blonde is Andrew Dominik’s fourth feature film as writer and director, his first since Killing Them Softly in 2012. It’s an adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oates novel, and it stars Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe. Blonde is a Netflix release, and it’s said to be the first movie distributed by a streaming service to receive the NC-17 rating.And: Elvis is Baz Luhrmann’s sixth feature film as writer and director, his first since The Great Gatsby in 2013. It stars Austin Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. Its theatrical run this summer made it the second-highest grossing biopic (after Bohemian Rhapsody) ever made. Elvispremiered on HBO in September.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Loretta Lynn, ever a ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ dies at 90After a hardscrabble start, Ms. Lynn rose from poverty in Kentucky to the top of Billboard’s Nashville charts and brought a strong woman’s voice to country musicBilly Eichner says straight people ‘just didn’t show up for Bros’ at the box officeYouTuber Dream Revealed His Face And People Have Been Really Cruel About ItDream is faceless no more.‘House of the Dragon’ Viewers Outraged Over Scenes Too Dark to See, HBO Defends Them as ‘Intentional Creative Decision’Why Did This Week’s House of the Dragon Look So Bad?The Try Guys Release First Funny VideoThe three remaining survivors address the big controversy, and I’m feeling all the feelsYou shouldn’t high-five a child[Ed. note: Retweets ≠ endorsem*nts. Or whatever.]The ’90s Cartoon That Mattered? ‘Beavis and Butt-Head.’ (Fight Me.)It doesn’t make best-of lists, but the series, then and now, was always much smarter than its characters, and it didn’t try too hard. Sorry, Bart Simpson.Does it get any butter than this? The Butter board is the new viral food trend, and we are here for it.‘Rust’ Team Announces Settlement With Halyna Hutchins Estate, Will Resume Film Production in JanuaryFans cheer as Velma is shown crushing on a woman in the new Scooby-Doo movieAaron Judge Is Great—but Don’t Erase Barry BondsBarry Bonds is not regarded as the home run king, but he should be.A Saturday Night Live Charmin Bears sketch has become bizarrely controversialA skit where Miles Teller plays an artistic young Charmin has drawn criticism for possibly pilfered material and it’s placement directly ahead of a Charmin adYou Must Respect Candy CornEven in paradise, death lurks.Hollywood’s 50 Most Powerful TV Showrunners of 2022The series they couldn’t stop watching, the peers they most admire and the industry trends that keep them awake at night … THR’s annual survey of the most influential writer-producers in TV reveals these secrets and more.The Universe Is Not Locally Real, and the Physics Nobel Prize Winners Proved ItElegant experiments with entangled light have laid bare a profound mystery at the heart of realitySuper Mario Bros. Trailer: Chris Pratt Is Mario In Illumination’s Animated Take On The Video Game CharacterGUESTS:Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/7/2022 • 49 minutes

And, just like that, we’re in the midst of yet another election season. With news fatigue and election fatigue, it’s easy to feel jaded.This hour, we explore why we feel that way, talk about how to overcome those feelings, and discuss why we should care about politics.GUESTS:Gabe Fleisher: Author ofWake Up to Politicsand a student at Georgetown UniversityRoya Hakakian: Author and poet whose latest book isA Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the CuriousEitan Hersh: Author ofPolitics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real ChangeAmanda Ripley: Investigative journalist, author, and co-host of the podcastHow To!The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/6/2022 • 42 minutes, 2 seconds

Around the world, history is filled with men mistaken for gods.This hour we talk with Anna Della Subin, the author of Accidental Gods.She takes us through some notable examples of mortal men mistakenly deified and discusses why people look for their gods here on Earth.GUEST:Anna Della Subin- Author of Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned DivineThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 2, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/5/2022 • 42 minutes

Lists feel especially suited to the digital age, but humans have been creating lists for a long time.So why are we drawn to lists?This hour, we look at the art and the utility of the list. And we talk to people who have created some lists we’ve especially enjoyed.GUESTS:Matthew Dicks: A West Hartford elementary school teacher and the author ofTwenty-One Truths About LoveDan Kois: Editor and writer at Slate, where he recently wrote the list “The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time”Ann Powers: NPR Music’s critic and correspondentLiam Young: Author ofList Cultures: Knowledge and Poetics from Mesopotamia to BuzzFeedThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/4/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/3/2022 • 49 minutes

If I say “Liam Neeson movie,” you picture, at this point, a pretty specific thing, right? It’s kind of an action-thriller. Neeson is avenging some wrong. It’s usually some wrong against his family. And it’s usually avenged with Neeson’s “particular set of skills.”Basically, the movie is some version of Taken, right?Well, Taken came out in 2008. Liam Neeson has been making these movies for 15 years now. He just turned 70, and he says he just made his 100th movie. (I’ve put a certain amount of effort into trying to figure out just what he’s counting to get to exactly 100, and I can’t quite do it, but I’ve decided we should just accept the guy’s count. Right?)The Nose is off this week. In its place, a Not Necessarily the Nose-style look at late-career Liam Neeson, post-Taken Liam Neeson, doing-action-movies-into-his-70s Liam Neeson.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Louise Fletcher, 88, Dies; Oscar Winner for ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’She was largely unknown to the public when she was cast as what the American Film Institute called one of cinema’s most memorable villains.Trevor Noah Leaving ‘Daily Show’ After Seven YearsThe host, who took over for Jon Stewart in 2015, told the audience Thursday, “My time is up.”Lizzo Played A 200-Year-Old Crystal Flute In Concert, And Its History Is FascinatingThe rare crystal flute was rescued from the White House in 1814, and no one alive had heard its sound before.An Apology From the Missing Comma in Don’t Worry DarlingSorry, But Avatar Still RulesThe 100 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeA ranking of the most game-changing, side-splitting, tear-jerking, mind-blowing, world-building, genre-busting programs in television history, from the medium’s inception in the early 20th century through the ever-metastasizing era of Peak TVMaybe We Won’t End Up Like the DinosaursNASA has taken a major step toward protecting Earth from dangerous asteroids.Hannah Gadsby Has Signed A New Deal With Netflix To Hopefully Change The ‘Notoriously Transphobic Industry’We’re Witnessing the Birth of a New Artistic MediumExpect AI art to go the way of Warhol.It’s Official: Wife Guys Are OutNed Fulmer and Adam Levine are proof that nothing good comes from monetizing your role as a patriarchal monogamy doer — especially when you can’t even do the monogamy part.Where Does “Saturday Night Live” Go From Here?After its biggest cast shakeup in decades, the long-running sketch show enters a period of uncertaintyIn Praise of TK: Why the Handy Shorthand Has a Surprising Emotional Hold on MeDanny Boyle to Direct Dance Adaptation of ‘The Matrix’Actor Bruce Willis Becomes First Celebrity to Sell Rights to Deepfake FirmThe actor calls the technology “a great opportunity to go back in time.”GUESTS:David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticNate Fisher: A writer and comedian and cohost of the podcastA Closer LookBen Lindbergh: Senior editor at The RingerStephen Marche: A novelist and essayist; his most recent book isThe Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American FutureThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/30/2022 • 50 minutes

Azar Nafisi is the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, which spent 117 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list.Her newest book, Read Dangerously, argues that reading literature, reading challenging, dangerous literature is foundational and fundamental to continued democracy.Imagination, itself, she says, is a threat to autocracy and totalitarianism. Imagination is inherently, by definition, “free and wayward.”“It should be clear by now that when I talk about books,” Nafisi writes, “I am not talking about literature of resistance but literature as resistance.”Azar Nafisi joins us for the hour.GUEST:Azar Nafisi: The author of six books; her newest is Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled TimesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired April 7, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/29/2022 • 50 minutes

Note:This episode contains strong language and a number of things intended to be in bad taste.This hour, we shoot the, er, breeze with the filmmaker, author, and artist whose œuvre of campy, raunchy films ranges from the cult classics Pink Flamingos and Polyester to the musicals Hairspray and Cry-Baby— John Waters.On the occasion of Waters’ first novel, the “feel-bad romance” Liarmouth, a talk about everything from testicl* tanning and teabagging to Baltimore and becoming a legend.Be there or be square.Note also:This show is about as spoilery as we get. We use audio of the very last lines of Waters’ Pink Flamingos. And the ending of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood is just utterly revealed. (Colin will warn you when that one’s coming.) Now, neither of these movies is terribly recent — I mean, one of them is 50 years old — but it seems like we should mention it anyway. Please don’t send us angry emails. About the spoilers, at least.GUEST:John Waters:Writer, director, and actor; his first novel isLiarmouth … A Feel-Bad RomanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 4, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/28/2022 • 50 minutes

Harvey Fierstein has won four Tony Awards, for writing and acting in Torch Song Trilogy, for writing La Cage aux Folles, and for acting in Hairspray.He has appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire, Bullets Over Broadway, Independence Day, Death to Smoochy, and more. He has sung to Muppets, he has voiced Disney characters, and he’s been in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Armistead Maupin has called Fierstein “a true American original who has blazed his own trail through popular culture for half a century.”Harvey Fierstein joins us for the hour.GUEST:Harvey Fierstein: An actor on stage and screen, a playwright, and a screenwriter; he is the author ofI Was Better Last Night: A MemoirThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Michael Savitt contributed to this show, which originally aired March 10, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/27/2022 • 50 minutes

The purpose of incarceration in America is supposed to be a balance between punishment and reform, with the scales tipping toward reforms that can lead to redemption and a second chance after release. But that’s not been the experience of many currently and formerly incarcerated people.Incarcerated influencers are sharing a view of prison life through TikTok videos, podcasts, and journalism that shows a more nuanced look at prison life, including the network of support, friendships, and mentors the incarcerated share with one another in the absence of significant reform.The content challenges misperceptions about incarceration that are often depicted in popular culture, and it exposes the lack of formal opportunities available to help the incarcerated prepare for life after release.GUESTS:Emily Bazelon: Staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and the co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest; she recently startedThe Prison Letters ProjectRobin Kaiser-Schatzlein: Afreelance writerwho writes about American life for numerous publications including The New York Times, The New Republic, and The BafflerJohn J. Lennon: An incarceratedjournalistwriting from Sullivan Correctional Facility; he is a contributing editor at Esquire magazine and a frequent contributor to The New York TimesJustin Paperny: A prison consultant, the co-founder of White Collar Advice andPrison Professors, and the author ofLessons from PrisonThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/26/2022 • 49 minutes, 1 second

This week’s Nose uses the rug as its plan B.Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary sitcom that airs on ABC, created by and starring Quinta Brunson. Think The Office, but set in a Philadelphia elementary school. It won two Primetime Emmy Awards last week, and its second season premiered this week.And: Apple made a movie, Emancipation, that it expects will be worthy Oscar fodder. The only catch: It stars Will Smith, who is, ya know, banned from the Oscars and things. So now what?Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:24 Reactions To The “NyQuil Chicken Challenge” That Give Me A Spoonful Of Hope For HumanityFrom the same internet that brought you greatest hits like the “Tide pod” and “snorting condom” challenges comes a new, dangerously dumb trend that you must not attempt at all costs.Adam Levine’s (Alleged) Sexts Are Amazingly BadFamous people have never had to beg for a morsel of attention; it makes sense that their sexts might suck.The moment you’ve all been waiting for: The Space Force has unveiled its official songGen Z Never Learned to Read CursiveHow will they interpret the past?How Student Debt Killed the PlotFictional characters, too, are saddled with college loans, and struggling to keep the story of their lives moving forward.The Enduring Wisdom of ‘Goodnight Moon’It’s the first book many babies receive as a gift, and one of the few that parents will keep when their child is grown. Why does this 75-year-old story have such staying power?An Ode to Being Read ToBedtime stories aren’t just for children.Drew Barrymore challenges Andrew Garfield’s six-month celibacy with, “Yeah, so?”The Under The Banner Of Heaven star recently divulged details of his method acting processesMI6 Is Looking for a New Bond. I’ve Got Some Suggestions.Warner Bros. Discovery Has Bigger Problems Than Its DC SearchThe film studio’s hunt for its own Kevin Feige may be complicated by key questions about what’s next for the heavily indebted company — and whether another major deal is on the horizon.Chess Is Just Poker NowA cheating controversy involving two grandmasters shows how computers have transformed the game.Every Marilyn Monroe Movie, RankedWoody Allen Walks Back Claims, Says He Has ‘No Intention of Retiring’Mariah Carey says we should finally hear her secret 1995 grunge albumLife on Screen: A Reality Television Reading ListA Gnarly New Theory About Saturn’s RingsThe story of a long-lost moonThisIs Neptune?The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a mesmerizing view of the planet.The ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Leak Is Enormous News That May Not MatterA massive leak of footage from the next big Rockstar Games release recently shook the video game industry. What does it mean for ‘GTA,’ fans of the franchise, and the way games get made?Separating Sports by Sex Doesn’t Make SenseThough school sports are typically sex-segregated, a new generation of kids isn’t content to compete within traditional structures.Wait, Is Taylor Swift Just Giving Us Straight Answers?Preview the Art Show Entirely Inspired by Nicolas Cage and His CatGUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DanceGene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/23/2022 • 50 minutes

Well designed queues give you hope and feel fair, while poorly designed ones can ruin your day.Queues are everywhere around us, and not all are designed well.This hour, the art of the queue, the challenge of waiting in line, and when, if ever, cutting in line is appropriate.GUESTS:Jennifer Goff: Owner and founder ofSkip the LineMarie Helweg-Larsen: Professor of psychology at Dickinson CollegeRichard Larson: Professor of data, systems, and society at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySteven Soifer: President of theAmerican Restroom AssociationThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/22/2022 • 49 minutes

We all do some bad thinking sometimes, whether in relatively minor ways or relatively major ones.This hour, we look at why bad thinking happens, how reasoning errors are embedded in the way we think, and how we can all learn how to think better, through lessons from philosophy and psychology.GUESTS:Woo-kyoung Ahn: Director of The Thinking Lab at Yale University and the author ofThinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live BetterSteven Nadler: Co-author ofWhen Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselvesand a philosophy professor at the University of Wisconsin-MadisonLarry Shapiro: Co-author of When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves and a philosophy professor at the University of Wisconsin-MadisonThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/21/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, a look at the path to sainthood and how it’s changed over time.Plus: the local example of the Rev. Michael McGivney.GUESTS:Teresa Berger: Professor of liturgical studies and Catholic theology at Yale Divinity SchoolJoseph Layco*ck: Author ofThe Seer of Bayside: Veronica Lueken and the Struggle to Define CatholicismRachel McCleary: Lecturer in the Economics Department at Harvard University and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise InstituteJames Sullivan: Rector of theBasilica of the Immaculate Conceptionin Waterbury, ConnecticutThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Sara Gasparotto, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 31, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/20/2022 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to a number of whys: Why do people speed? Why do cigarettes come in packs of 20? Why do we say “beyond the pale?” Why did theHartford Courantleave the queen’s funeral off of today’s front page? Why do we still make pennies? Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/19/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose watches two recent comic book television adaptations:She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, from Disney+, and the recently canceledPaper Girls, from Prime Video.GUESTS:Rich Hollant:Principal at Co Lab, founder of Free Center, and Commissioner on Cultural Affairs for the city of HartfordJacques Lamarre:Playwright, and Chief Communications Officer at Buzz EngineTracy Wu Fastenberg:Development Officer at Connecticut Children’sSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/16/2022 • 49 minutes

Jill Sobule is back in town and in our studio.This hour: songs, seventh grade, fanny packs, the power of sad music, and much more.These are the songs featured in the show:“A Good Life”“Island of Lost Things”“Jetpack”“Rainy Day Parade”“Strawberry Gloss”Jill Sobule performs at The Mark Twain House on Friday, September 16, 2022.GUEST:Jill Sobule: Award-winning singer, songwriter, and guitaristThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/15/2022 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds

Most of us have books that we just can’t finish, no matter how many times we try.This hour, a look at those books that we find unreadable, whether they’re too long, too difficult, too confusing, or too dated. What makes a book unreadable?Plus: The Voynich Manuscript, an unreadable and undeciphered book, housed at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.We asked our listeners for their list of unreadable books. Here are those responses:The BibleMansfield Park by Jane AustenMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John BerendtRim by Alexander BesherThe Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsCollapse by Jared DiamondGreat Expectations by Charles DickensA Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensS. by JJ Abrams and Doug DorstThe Name of the Rose by Umberto EcoThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgeraldanything by William FaulknerCold Mountain by Charles FrazierA Brief History of Time by Stephen HawkingCatch-22 by Joseph HellerGödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas HofstadterLes Misérables by Victor HugoA Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving50 Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesThe Dubliners by James JoyceUlysses by James JoyceWicked by Gregory MaguireOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleFaithful by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen KingGravity’s Rainbow by Thomas PynchonHow to Write by Gertrude SteinGrapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckA Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy TooleInfinite Jest by David Foster WallaceGUESTS:Ray Clemens: Curator of early books and manuscripts at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript LibraryRand Richards Cooper: Fiction writer, contributing editor atCommonweal, and restaurant critic for The Hartford CourantDennis Duncan: Lecturer in English at University College London and the author ofIndex, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital AgeJuliet Lapidos: Ideas editor for The Atlantic and the author ofTalentThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/14/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, comedian and The New Yorker columnist Andy Borowitz on his new book, Profiles in Ignorance, which explains how our nation’s elected leaders have grown dumb — dumber.GUESTS:Andy Borowitz: WritesThe Borowitz Report; his new book is Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and DumberThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/13/2022 • 49 minutes

Bumper stickers are everywhere. They range from funny to informative to political to provocative and beyond.This hour: bumper stickers — the philosophy of bumper stickers, the evolution of political bumper stickers, and so much more.GUESTS:Jack Bowen: Author ofIf You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper StickersHenry Hoke: Author ofStickerClaire Jerry: Curator of political history for theSmithsonian National Museum of American HistoryThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 16, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/12/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose will not sit here and suffer crows that come to feast on their corpses.Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon is the second show in the Game of Thrones franchise and a prequel to the original series. It is based on parts of George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, and it starts about 200 years before the events of the original series. Its first episode was the most-watched series premiere in the history of HBO, according to HBO. House of the Dragon has been renewed for a second season.And: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the first television series in the Lord of the Ringsfranchise. It is a prequel to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings set thousands of years before them, during the Second Age of Middle-Earth. The Rings of Power is based mostly on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. Amazon has made a five-season production commitment worth at least $1 billion. This would make it the most expensive television series ever made.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Queen Elizabeth in Pop Culture: A HistoryThe long-reigning monarch has been referenced in everything from banned music videos and Beatles songs to Hannah Montana.21 Unexpected And Surprising Twitter Accounts Paying Tribute To The QueenFrom Legoland to Crazy Frog.Explaining Olivia Wilde’s celebrity dumpster fire ‘Don’t Worry Darling’SFGATE columnist Drew Magary parses the gossip of the dayWhat on Earth Happened With Barack Obama’s White House Portrait?[Ed. note: I completely disagree with Dan Kois’ take here. Completely.]Kids Yell “Poop” At Alexa, And These Musicians Profit“Alexa, play ‘Poopy Stupid Butt’ again.”‘Saturday Night Live’: Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor & Aristotle Athari Not Returning For Season 48If There’s Still Such a Thing as the ‘Song of Summer,’ This Year’s Would Be …How Sneakers Aged Better than Almost All Computer ThrillersGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder ofQuiet Corner Communicationsand a freelance writerSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/9/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour is all about historical reenactments. We look at the role reenactments play in helping us understand or experience history. We talk with reenactors about what draws them to this and what their experiences are like.Plus, reenactments aren’t just about the acting but the costumes and the props. We hear from a tailor who creates custom clothing using traditional materials and methods to create true-to-history costuming. We also talk about experimental archeology and the stone-aged tools used by our predecessors. How were those tools made? And by recreating them, what can we learn about history, evolution, and psychology?GUESTS:Brad Keefer: Professor of history at Kent State University, who is also an active Civil War and colonial period living historianMetin Erin: Associate professor in the department of anthropology at Kent State University and co-director of The Kent State University Experimental Archaeology LaboratoryMichelle Bebber: Associate professor in the department of anthropology at Kent State University and co-director of The Kent State University Experimental Archaeology LaboratoryIan Graves: Tailor and owner of Royal Blue Traders, who specializes in American Revolutionary War clothingJ.R. Hardman: Associate producer at PBS Utah, and a Civil War reenactor, who is directing and producing the documentary ReenactressJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/8/2022 • 49 minutes

Schadenfreude, the German idea for taking pleasure in others’ misfortune, seems like an ugly human emotion. But psychologists and philosophers argue that schadenfreude is baked into the human condition and actually is kind of good for us.This hour, we explore why it’s okay to laugh when someone slips on a banana peel.GUESTS:Scott Dikkers: Founding editor ofThe Onionand the author ofHow to Write FunnyLauren Ober: Hosted theSpectacular FailurespodcastJohn Portmann: Professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia and the author ofWhen Bad Things Happen to Other PeopleThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired March 7, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/7/2022 • 50 minutes

Welcome back from the long weekend and, in a way, from the summer!We figured you might have some things to say on a day like today, and we’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to commercial creep on public radio, “The Purple People Eater” and Nope, defenders and detractors of our new radio promos, the Cary Grant movie People Will Talk(which we carelessly left out of our rom-coms show), the circular economy (and Amazon taking its damn boxes back), legendary Connecticut broadcaster Bob Steele, and legendary march maker John Philip Sousa. Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/6/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose gets the Oprah shot.Britney is back. Over the last week, Britney Spears released a 22-minute ‘audio statement’ covering her conservatorship and its long-awaited ending, and she dropped her first new music since 2016, a single with Elton John.And: Nope is Jordan Peele’s third film as writer/director/producer, his followup to Get Out and Us. It’s a kind of mashup of horror, sci-fi, and neo-Western with some notes of Spielberg thrown in, too. Peele has acknowledged the influence of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jaws, but there’s clearly some War of the Worlds going on here as well. Domestically, Nope is the highest-grossing horror film of the year so far.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Richard Roat, Character Actor Known for Friends and Seinfeld, Dead at 89Why ‘She-Hulk’ is getting review bombed Fans and experts see a link between negative online reviews, primarily from male users, and the Marvel show’s exploration of gender.The Alarming Prospect of NBC Clocking Out at 10 p.m.Supporters Attempt to Redeem Legacy of Hollywood Legend Fredric March, Canceled Over Racism Allegations: “This Was a Rush to Judgment” As Turner Classic Movies gets ready to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Oscar winner’s birth, host Ben Mankiewicz is among those calling it a “misconception” that the long-time civil rights champion once supported the Ku Klux Klan. “He couldn’t have done what he’s accused of doing,” adds actor Glynn Turman.America Is Trying to Make the Moon Happen Again NASA is ready to give an ambitious lunar program its first real test.Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey — First Trailer Reveals the Horrors in 100 Acre Wood Oh, bother.Anti-Aging Ambassador Leonardo DiCaprio Breaks Up With 25-Year-Old Girlfriend Camila Morrone has hit the glass ceiling of being one-fourth of a century old and must now pack her bags.This Is How the Hollywood Comeback Cycle Works Johnny Depp’s appearance at MTV’s Video Music Awards was at once bizarre and frustratingly predictable.The Alleged Celeb Civil War Between Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, and Shia LaBeouf, ExplainedThe gossip includes conflicting accounts, a leaked video, and an on-set romance, but how much is just in fans’ imaginations?Taylor Swift Is The Queen Of Easter Eggs And Hidden Messages. Here’s Everything That Fans Have Theorized About “Midnights” So Far. As soon as Swifties had finished screaming, crying, and throwing up over the Midnights announcement on Sunday, they got to work.Did My Cat Just Hit On Me? An Adventure in Pet Translation Entrepreneurs are aiming to put A.I.-powered pet translation tools into our pockets.The Cult of A24 The iconoclastic studio has bred superfans, dropped swag, and perfected a house style. It’s also teetering on the verge of self-parody.Every A24 Movie, Ranked Neon lights, creepy birds, white people rapping — the studio spawned an aesthetic universe. Here are the good, bad, and vibe-y.Breaking Down That Infamous E.T./Star Wars Fan Theory2022 Fall Movie Preview: 34 Films to Watch Out For With the Venice Film Festival kicking off this week, the race is on to rule over the best season of the year for moviegoing.25 TV Shows We Can’t Wait to See This Fall Television’s signature season offers a bounty of new series and returning favorites.‘House of the Dragon’ Shake-Up: Co-Showrunner Miguel Sapochnik Leaving Hit Series Emmy-winning ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Alan Taylor will join the team for season two.The Guilt-Free Pleasure of Airplane Movies Amid the endless tiny indignities of air travel, only one true retreat remains.Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s Quest to Become America’s Favorite Superheroes Unpacking Kimye’s obsession, pre- and post-divorce, with Disney, “The Incredibles,” the nuclear family, and spandex.Getting Away From It All in Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse Reality reality was terrible. Would virtual reality be any better?You Don’t Really Want a Twitter Edit Button Our chaotic public square will lose a lot more than typos.Pumpkin spice won. It’s time to accept it and move on.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction (and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcast)Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian and writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/2/2022 • 49 minutes

Tuberculosis has been around for thousands of years and still infects millions per year.This hour, we look back at how tuberculosis has shaped history and how it is still impacting health today.Plus, a look at the history of tuberculosis treatment, how tuberculosis has shaped modern architecture, and the impact of tuberculosis on art and artists.GUESTS:Heran Darwin: Professor in the Department of Microbiology at New York University, whose lab studies Mycobacterium tuberculosisKyle Harper: Chair in the History of Liberty, professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma, and the author of Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human HistoryBeatriz Colomina: Professor of the history of architecture at Princeton University and the author of X-Ray ArchitectureTara Knapp: Vice president of external affairs at Gaylord Specialty HealthcareCarolyn Day: Associate professor of history at Furman University and the author of Consumptive Chic: A History of Beauty, Fashion and DiseaseElizabeth Lee: Associate professor of art history at Dickinson College and the author of The Medicine of Art: Disease and the Aesthetic Object in Gilded Age AmericaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/1/2022 • 48 minutes, 48 seconds

In his book, Seven Games, Oliver Roeder says that games are a “slice of life.”This hour we look at three games: chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly.We investigate why these games have endured in popularity through history, and we discuss what each one of them can teach us about life.GUESTS:Jenny Adams: Author ofPower Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle AgesMary Pilon: A journalist and screenwriter and the author ofThe Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board GameOliver Roeder: A journalist and the author ofSeven Games: A Human HistoryLindsay Shin: A competitive Scrabble player; she organizes an annual tournament in New OrleansThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 15, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/31/2022 • 50 minutes

This hour, we wrap our heads around clapping — its history, its varied permutations, and the kinds of occasions on which people applaud.GUESTS:Gavin Witt: Professor of theater history atTowson Universityand a long-time dramaturgErin Elstner:Percussionist and professor of percussion atWebster UniversityFrank Rizzo: Theater critic forVarietyand other publicationsSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/30/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to the old Hartford music venue Lloyd’s; the village of Bentonsport, Iowa, current population 44; the town of Provincetown, Massachusetts, current population 3,644; our impending, delayed, ongoing rebrand; and our world famous, award winning, but currently mothballed, Factoids segments. Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/29/2022 • 50 minutes, 10 seconds

This week’s Nose is one hell of a steep climb outta there.Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel 36 years in the making. It’s also the No. 1 movie of the year, both worldwide and domestically. It’s the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise’s long career. And it’s the highest-grossing domestic release in the history of Paramount Pictures. Top Gun: Maverick starts its fourth month in theaters this weekend, and it’s now available for sale on digital platforms.And: Val is a 2021 documentary written and photographed, from thousands of hours of videotapes and film reels documenting his life and career, by Val Kilmer, who plays Iceman in both Top Gun films. Val is, according to Kilmer in the movie, “A story about my life that is also not my life.”Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Leon Vitali, ‘Barry Lyndon’ Actor and Personal Assistant to Stanley Kubrick, Dies at 74The 102 Best Movie Sequels of All TimeWhether they come after, before, or between their predecessors, these films have their own indelible legacies.Thrones v. Rings: The Biggest Battle in TV History Is HereHouse of the Dragon [premiered] on HBO Max [last] weekend, The Rings of Power on Amazon two weeks later. The winner will set the course for fantasy—and streaming.The HGTV-ification of AmericaYou can’t escape gray floors.Yellowstone’s Brand of White Grievance Is Free-Range and OrganicLive Performance Is Back. But Audiences Have Been Slow to Return.Attendance lagged in the comeback season, as the challenges posed by the coronavirus persisted. Presenters hope it was just a blip.Vince Gilligan Wants to Write a Good GuyAfter fourteen years of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” the showrunner talks about how TV has changed, the sins of auteur theory, and the appeal of an old-fashioned hero.Why Rick And Morty Creator Justin Roiland Likes Mocking Their Own Jokes Within The Show ItselfResearch says that your 40s are your unhappiest age. It’s worse for millennialsI was already glum about soon turning 40. Then I learned that happiness is U-shaped — it bottoms out in your 40s, then starts to inch its way up again in your 50sI realised I would never be an actor — now I’m a big advocate of giving up on dreamsTo succeed you need self-belief and drive. But life forces us to give up all the time, and being able to let things go is also a skillYou Know Holden Caulfield Isn’t Real, Right?The Commodore 64 at 40: back to the future of video gamesThe bestselling computer made home gaming accessible for millions as it launched the industry toward the mainstream with classic titles such as Dropzone and The SentinelAn inside look at how the Girl Scouts chose their next cookie flavor, Raspberry RallyMoviePass Is Relaunching Next Month After Failing in 2019The company was driven out of business three years ago after offering customers a too-good-to-be-true subscription model.GUESTS:James Hanley: Co-founder ofCinestudioat Trinity CollegeCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DancePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/26/2022 • 49 minutes

Chances are you have used online reviews to try new restaurants, dry cleaners, hotels or even movies.But what makes us trust the opinions of strangers on the internet?This hour, a look at the art and the etiquette of online reviews.GUESTS:Camilla Vásquez: Author of The Discourse of Online Consumer ReviewsChef Tyler Anderson: Owner of Tanda HospitalityLauren Dragan: Senior staff writer at WirecutterXandy Schiefer: Co-host of the podcast Beach Too Sandy, Water Too WetJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/25/2022 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds

In his new book, From Hollywood with Love, critic Scott Meslow lays out two ways to tell if a given movie is a rom-com. First, his own definition: “A romantic comedy is a movie where (1) the central plot is focused on at least one romantic love story; and (2) the goal is to make you laugh at least as much as the goal is to make you cry.”And then, The Donald Petrie Test, named for the director of some rom-coms, like Mystic Pizza and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but also some edge cases, like Miss Congeniality and Grumpy Old Men: “If you removed the love story from this [comedy], would you still have a movie? If the answer is no, it’s a romantic comedy. […] If the answer is yes, it’s a comedy with a romantic subplot.”So those are the litmus tests. Now, does that make Broadcast News a rom-com, or no? What about Annie Hall? Or something like Grosse Pointe Blank? How about His Girl Friday? Or even, actually, Love Actually?This hour, a deconstruction — and celebration — of the romantic comedy.Some favorite rom-coms from some of the people on this show:Illeana DouglasTheodora Goes Wild (1936)Bringing Up Baby (1938)Ninotchka (1939)Too Many Husbands (1940)The More the Merrier (1943)Christmas in Connecticut (1945)Cluny Brown (1946)Pillow Talk (1959)The Apartment (1960)What’s Up, Doc? (1972)Foul Play (1978)Arthur (1981)David EdelsteinTrouble in Paradise (1932)The Awful Truth (1937)Ninotchka (1939)Midnight (1939)The Lady Eve (1941)His Girl Friday (1940)The Philadelphia Story (1940)The Shop Around the Corner (1940)Cluny Brown (1946)Scott Meslow’s five recommended under-seen rom-coms from the past decadePopulaire (2012)A zippy, ultra-stylish French rom-com about the romance between a dapper boss and his secretary, set amid the long-forgotten craze for competitive speed typing.Sleeping with Other People (2015)Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are at the peak of their charms in this witty rom-com about two friends who reunite years after losing their virginities to each other — the rare rom-com to get the balance of raunchy and sweet just right.Man Up (2015)Ignore the lame title — this rom-com, in which Lake Bell plays an unlucky-in-love woman who pretends to be a man’s blind date, is pure, fizzy fun (and is also the only rom-com I’ve seen to borrow a plot point from The Silence of the Lambs).Destination Wedding (2018)Other critics weren’t as high on this extremely stripped down rom-com, in which Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves snark their way through a wedding they’d both prefer not to be attending — but in a genre in which so many characters have “negative” qualities that are actually just adorable, I appreciated this movie’s deliberately sour tone.Plus One (2019)A delightfully unapologetic throwback to the genre’s ’90s heyday, but with a modern touch, as two platonic friends (Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine) agree to be each other’s plus-ones for a packed wedding season before realizing they may actually have a spark after all.Colin’s 5 (or 6) favorite rom-comsHeaven Can Wait (1978)I realize this is assailable on the basis of Julie Christie not being an especially memorable character and getting less screen time than, say, Jack Warden. Warren Beatty is so vain, he probably thinks this movie is about him, and he’s sort of right. But it is very nearly perfect and enriched by an amazing ensemble of supporting players.Silver Linings Playbook (2012)I surprised myself by ranking SLP this high, but I love the frank and funny handling of mental illness and its indistinguishability from being an Eagles fan. I’ve seen it quite a few times, and I invariably cry at the end. I love what J-Law does with her part, and Chris Tucker and John Ortiz are standouts among the fine supporting cast. Shout out to Kevin Lowry for his work as dolly grip on the “A” camera.The Lady Eve (1941) / Intolerable Cruelty (2003)These are both “rom-cons” involving grifts by a femme fatale who is usually a few steps ahead of the male lead. Barbara Stanwyck actually generates more sexual heat than the smoldering Catherine Zeta-Jones. She was still doing that 42 years later, hitting on a rain-streaked, bare-chested priest played by Richard Chamberlain in The Thorn Birds. But I do love Intolerable Cruelty. I think it’s the only Coen brothers rom-com and definitely an homage to the ’30s and ’40s.Say Anything (1989)I loved John Cusack during this period. A few years later, I was seeing a psychotherapist who looked exactly like him. It was distracting. I’ve learned that Cusack didn’t really see himself as a romcom person and even pushed back against the iconic boombox scene. That has something to do with why this movie works so well.Bringing Up Baby (1938)Grant. Hepburn. Two leopards. Thirty pounds of sirloin. What’s not to love?GUESTS:Illeana Douglas: A movie and television starDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticScott Meslow: The author of From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic ComedyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/24/2022 • 50 minutes

Bears, bobcats, coyotes, and deer are repopulating Connecticut, despite being hunted to near extinction by early settlers. Is the mountain lion among those returning?The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection thinks it’s unlikely. They investigate hundreds of mountain lion sightings every year without finding physical evidence of their presence. The sightings increased in 2011, after a driver hit and killed a mountain lion who was trying to cross the Merritt Parkway in Milford. But the mountain lion’s DNA was traced to South Dakota.Mountain lions in Connecticut are a lot like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster: elusive and spectacular creatures that are widely spotted but leave no trace.This hour, we talk about wildlife in Connecticut, including the Greenwich mountain lion and Buddy the beefalo.GUESTS:Jason Hawley: A wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWilliam Stolzenburg: A screenwriter and journalist and the author of Heart of Lion: a Lone Cat’s Walk Across AmericaEd Benecchi: Retired police officerThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Megan Fitzgerald, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Special thanks to Jennifer Ahrens, Julia Gill, Peter Herrmann, and Anna Huether for contributing stories.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/23/2022 • 49 minutes

Nobody ever died of a broken heart, right? Not true. A condition known as broken heart syndrome can be brought on by a sudden shock, such as grief from the death of a loved one or a divorce.You may not die of a broken heart, but it can alter your biology in ways that can increase your risk for disease. The good news is that it can be reversed if you can begin to mend your heart.Also this hour: We talk about how our language changes in the months leading up to a breakup — before either partner consciously realizes what’s happening — and why we’re so drawn to sad songs, particularly torch songs, when our hearts are breaking.GUESTS:Noah Baerman: A jazz pianist, composer, and educatorKate Blackburn: A data analyst at TikTokSarah Seraj: Chief technology officer atA Better ForceFlorence Williams: A science writer and the author ofHeartbreak: A Personal and Scientific JourneyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 24, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/22/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose is sittin’ here, moping, pigeon feeding.It’s the generational divide that’s been tearing the nation asunder for as long as we can remember: Should you use a top sheet or not? [Ed. note: You obviously should not. What is this, the 19th century?]And: The Sandman is a Netflix series adaptation of the DC/Vertigo comic book written by Neil Gaiman. Ten episodes dropped on August 5 and racked up 127.5 million hours of viewing in their first week of release, making The Sandman the most-watched show on Netflix. A surprise 11th episode was released early this morning.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Wolfgang Petersen, ‘Air Force One,’ ‘Das Boot’ Director, Dies at 81That’s It. You’re Dead to Me.Suddenly everyone is “toxic.”You Do Not Want to Be on Brad Pitt’s “sh*t List”According to his Bullet Train costar Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the Oscar winner has a “sh*t list” of actors he won’t work with.The 15 Best Episodes Of NewsRadio, RankedThe 100 Best Movies of the ’90s’90s Week: From “Close-Up” to “Clueless,” and from “The Thin Red Line” to “Perfect Blue,” these timeless movies prove that the ’90s never went away.The most-regretted baby names, and more!Seth Meyers Finally Got the Top Late-Night Emmy Nomination—Only After Breaking All the Rules of the FormatThe host of NBC’s Late Night looks back at how the pandemic changed his show, from turning the writing staff into recurring characters to ditching the suit forever.HBO/HBO Max Laying Off 70 Staffers as It Shuts Down Streamer’s Reality Unit and Restructures Other DepartmentsTop 50 Ben Affleck MomentsCongrats on the big 5–0, Benny!Academy Awards apologises to Sacheen Littlefeather for Oscars speech momentNearly 50 years after speech on behalf of Marlon Brando about depiction of Native Americans, Academy apologises for ‘unwarranted’ abuse she enduredAn Essay About Watching Brad Pitt Eat That Is Really About My Own sh*tThe 15 Best Laura Dern Movies, RankedLee Pace’s Body of WorkThe Bodies Bodies Bodies star has become the object of the Internet’s affection. He’d rather be working on his house.Willie Nelson’s Long EncoreAs he approaches 90, even brushes with death can’t keep him off the road — or dim a late-life creative burst.Addison Rae’s Dad Wants To Box The 26-Year-Old Rapper Hitting On Her Mom, And Honestly, I Can’t“You’ve got one of the most successful daughters in the world and you decide to act half her age to try to get some attention.”The Door Opened by “Gangnam Style”The global hit primed Western audiences for films and shows about South Korea as a dystopia.Why Serena Williams Has the Greatest Career in Sports HistoryThe 37-time Grand Slam champion’s accomplishments dwarf those of Tom Brady and LeBron James because of what she had to overcome.The Psychology of Cringe Comedy: Why We Love to Watch What Hurts UsFrom ‘Da Ali G Show’ to viral TikTok videos, cringe comedy persists within pop culture. And oftentimes, the genre’s appeal is as much about the way we perceive ourselves as the comics we watch performing it.The Powerful, Unlikely Force Shaping Modern TVIn a Hollywood-worthy plot twist, television writers are embracing fan theorists who try to “solve” their shows.Desus & Mero Brought the Block to Late-Night TVThe show’s cancellation is a loss not only for the duo’s avid fans but for television as a whole.All 13 Marx Brothers Comedies in the Order You Should Watch ThemN.B.A. Won’t Play on Election Day, in Hopes of Encouraging VotingDo spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humansGUESTS:Helder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of theSo PretentiouspodcastCat Pastor: Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut PublicTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/19/2022 • 49 minutes

In a recent Quinnipiac poll, people were asked the most urgent issue facing the country. COVID-19 came in dead last among 13 options.And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just relaxed its guidelines. Again.But more than 400 Americans are dying each day, and the long Omicron surge continues.There’s still a pandemic going on. This hour, we look at what’s going on with the pandemic.GUESTS:Rachel Gutman-Wei:Senior associate editor atThe AtlanticJonathan McNicol:The producer of this very episode of this very showSaad Omer:Professor of medicine and the epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale and director of the Yale Institute for Global HealthJulia Pistell:A freelance producer onThe Colin McEnroe Show, amonga number of other thingsCatie Talarski:Senior director of storytelling and radio programming at Connecticut PublicUlysses Wu:System director of infectious diseases and chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCareThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/18/2022 • 50 minutes, 27 seconds

Chances are you’ve used an index at the back of a book. But how much thought have you given to their creation, their function, their history?This hour: more than you ever thought to wonder about the role of indexes in our world.Plus, we get mixed up in the world of cookbook indexes.GUESTS:Paula Clarke Bain: Professional indexerDennis Duncan: Author ofIndex, A History of The: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital AgeElizabeth Parson: Professional indexerThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired March 2, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/17/2022 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.This hour, the conversation winds around to mountain lions, punctuation and pronunciation and grammar, the death of David McCullough, the big (“big”) digital vs. analog controversy swirling around Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, and hom*o sapiens and their dogs. Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/16/2022 • 49 minutes

What makes something tacky?This hour, a celebration of all things tacky. Plus, a look at why reality TV is sometimes tacky and at the tackiest home décor.GUESTS:Rax King: Author of Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer and co-host of the podcastLow Culture BoilJacques Lamarre: A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz EngineBrian Moylan: A writer and reality TV show recapper and the author ofThe Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real HousewivesCat Pastor: Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut PublicPeter York: A journalist and the author ofDictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful DespotsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 23, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/15/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose got the walls wet and on fire.We present here a podcast-only segment on I Am Groot, Marvel’s new Disney+ series of shorts (each episode is three minutes long plus credits and logos) following the adventures of Baby Groot during the period between Guardians of the Galaxy and a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 mid-credits sequence. (I’m not making this up, I swear.)I’d explain why we’re doing this special segment, but the reason is very, very dumb. Also, Colin explains it during the segment. Not that it’ll really make sense once he does.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/14/2022 • 17 minutes, 17 seconds

This week’s Nose got the walls wet and on fire.The producers of an upcoming biopic about Fidel Castro’s exiled daughter, Alina of Cuba, reportedly did extensive heraldry and skull-shape analysis and somehow came to the conclusion that … James Franco should play Castro. The internet doesn’t think that’s a good idea. (Also: It’s not.)And: The Rehearsal is Nathan Fielder’s new HBO docu-comedy series. The show “explores the lengths one man will go to reduce the uncertainties of everyday life. With a construction crew, a legion of actors, and seemingly unlimited resources, Fielder allows ordinary people to prepare for life’s biggest moments by ‘rehearsing’ them in carefully crafted simulations of his own design.”And finally, a podcast-only segment on I Am Groot, Marvel’s new Disney+ series of shorts (each episode is three minutes long plus credits and logos) following the adventures of Baby Groot during the period between Guardians of the Galaxy and a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 mid-credits sequence. (I’m not making this up, I swear.) I’d explain why we’re doing this special segment, but the reason is very, very dumb.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Olivia Newton-John, pop singer and ‘Grease’ star, dies at 73The sugary-sweet performer with a string of No. 1 hits was also an advocate for cancer researchOlivia Newton-John: That Headband Was a CrownWhen the singer smudged her classy image, she “unlocked something new that shot her to the top of pop’s Olympus,” our critic writes: “The vestal vamp.”David McCullough, Best-Selling Explorer of America’s Past, Dies at 89His research — on Adams, Truman and so much more — was deep, his writing was lively, and his narrator’s voice in documentary films was familiar to millions.Gene LeBell Dies: Stuntman, Actor And Wrestling Legend Who Fought Bruce Lee & Chuck Norris Onscreen Was 89Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own WordsBill Russell’s No. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend’s death last monthWhy’d That Movie Disappear? Welcome to Streaming’s Memory Hole EraIf ‘American Pickle’ doesn’t exist on HBO Max now, did it ever? Or: A new generation realizes that an endless stream of film titles can easily vanish into the online ether.The Great HBO Freak-out of 2022 Was Unwarranted, but UnderstandableIn light of what happened at Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings call, some of the rumors that flew ahead of the event look borderline histrionic—but consumers had good reason to fear for the worstDisney Now Has More Streaming Subscribers Than Netflix, But Makes Less Money From ThemThe End of Manual TransmissionStick shifts are dying. When they go, something bigger than driving will be lost.Taylor Swift files in Shake It Off copyright lawsuit: ‘The lyrics were written entirely by me’Singer had been sued by writers of 3LW’s 2000 song Playas Gon’ Play for alleged plagiarism, and the case is due to return to courtHow Catholicism became a memeOne of the world’s most powerful religions is now an alt status symbol.As Spider-Man turns 60, fans reflect on diverse appealTinder’s Fatphobia ProblemMike Judge’s Secret Art of SatireJudge has created some of the sharpest, most prophetic comedies of the past few decades. Now his first hit, “Beavis and Butt-Head,” is back on the air.Cat lovers can try cat-food inspired dishes at Fancy Feast’s Italian pop-upReviews, reappraised — Simran Hans on the rise of the critic-influencersGUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hostsThe Sam Hadelman Showat Radio Free BrooklynShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/12/2022 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 44 seconds

How do you like to relax? Do you read a book? Go for a hike, maybe? How about grabbing dinner with friends? The list goes on, and we consider these activities leisure.This hour, we learn what leisure is and how to master it. We take a look at the importance of leisure for health, how the concept differs around the world, and what it means to value your free time. Finally, we examine what the future holds for leisure.In case you find some inspiration in this hour, here’s a list of leisure activities from our guests andThe Colin McEnroe Showstaff:Gardening.Finishing that old show you’ve been meaning to finish.Drawing yourself.Counting clouds.Staring at the wall.Laying down.Playing the closest instrument.Going bug collecting.Trying your hand at claymation.Trying to get the hiccups.Buying clay pigeons (biodegradable) and smashing them.Exploring the forest behind your home.Throwing rocks into the mysterious well you find in the forest.Summoning (accidentally) an eons-old forest spirit.Visiting a national park.GUESTS:Tom Hodgkinson:Founder ofIdlermagazine and the author a number of books, includingHow to Be Idle: A Loafer’s ManifestoandAn Idler’s ManualSelin Malkoc:Behavioral scientist at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State UniversityKen Roberts:Professor of sociology, social policy, and criminology at The University of LiverpoolSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/11/2022 • 49 minutes

In her book Sandy Hook, Elizabeth Williamson investigates the conspiracy theories that arose following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut.GUEST:Elizabeth Williamson: Author ofSandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for TruthThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 18, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/10/2022 • 50 minutes

Food isn’t just a way to cure hunger. In food, we find identity, history, politics, and more.This hour, a look at the evolution of food and how our perception of different diets and lifestyles is changing.GUESTS:Anthony Jung: Executive chef of retail dining at UMass AmherstCathy Kaufman: Lecturer of food studies at The New School and chairwoman of the Oxford Symposium on Food and CookeryDr. Uma Naidoo: Psychiatrist, professional chef, trained nutrition specialist, and the author of This Is Your Brain On FoodThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/9/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to the R&B trioAKNU, calling everybody “guys” indiscriminately,force-field analysis, the writing of the U.S. Constitution, andthe Bloomfield aquifer project.There’s also a point in this show when Colin says, “No call isrecherché,” which may be simultaneously the mostandleast public radio thing anyone’s ever said on our air.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/8/2022 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off this week.In its place this hour, a look at why, more than half a century after they first came walking down the street, we’re still bananas for The Monkees.GUESTS:Mark Rozzo: Contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he published “The Most Influential Pop-Rock Band Ever? The Monkees!”Andrew Sandoval: Manager of The Monkees from 2011 to 2021 and host of the podcastCome to the SunshineRosanne Welch: Author ofWhy The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop CultureBrian Williams: Former anchor of the NBC Nightly NewsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 9, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/5/2022 • 50 minutes

Stickiness. We know it when we see it — or when we feel it under our feet at the movie theater. But what is stickiness, scientifically speaking?How do geckos climb? Why don’t Post-it Notes ruin our books?This hour, we talk to scientist Laurie Winkless about her book, Sticky, and figure out what holds it all together.GUESTS:Laurie Winkless: A science writer and physicist and the author ofSticky: The Secret Science of the SurfacesDr. Alyssa Stark: A professor at Villanova University; she runs a lab that studies biological adhesionWill Coldwell: A freelance writer; he published “Bursting the Bubble: How Gum Lost Its Cool” in The EconomistThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 17, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/4/2022 • 50 minutes

Think about it: When’s the last time you saw a brand-new instrument in a marching band?New instruments don’t come around too often — but it’s not for lack of trying. Getting a new sound off the ground involves design, production, music expertise, composition, and fans.It’s no easy task to invent the next best thing, but this hour we talk to inventors, composers, teachers, and the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition to learn about the future of sound.GUESTS:Jason Freeman: Professor of music at Georgia Tech and chair of the School of Music who leads the Guthman Musical Instrument CompetitionKyle Grimm: Composer who specializes in both acoustic and electronic mediums and a professor of music at the University of HartfordKeith Groover: The inventor ofThe Glideas well as a musician and music educatorBosko Kante: Grammy-winning producer and the inventor ofThe ElectroSpitThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Catie Talarski, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired January 26, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/3/2022 • 50 minutes

Humans have been trying for, well, forever to predict the future. But how helpful is predicting the future, really? And what factors determine whether someone is successful at doing it, or not?This hour, we try to predict whether predicting the future is useful, and understand why we’re so interested in doing so.GUESTS:Amanda Rees: A historian of science based at the University of York who works on the history of the future and coauthor of the bookHumanWarren Hatch: A superforecaster and CEO ofGood Judgment Inc.Allan Lichtman: A distinguished professor of history at American University; he is known for accurately predicting the outcome of presidential elections since 1984, and his most recent book isThirteen Cracks: Repairing American Democracy After TrumpThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 20, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/2/2022 • 50 minutes

Former Senator Joe Lieberman believes the center of Congress is the best place from which to legislate. It’s the sweet spot for negotiation and compromise and making the deals that move the country forward. He thinks Congress would get more done if members would shift closer to the center and away from the fringe.But how do you bring legislators in today’s Congress together when they don’t all share one set of facts? And at what point does centrism become opportunism and the bridge-builder an appeaser? Are there compromises not worth making?Joe Lieberman joins us to talk about his 24 years as a “centrist” legislator and his complicated relationship with Connecticut voters.GUEST:Joe Lieberman: Represented Connecticut in the U.S. Senate for 24 years; he is the author ofThe Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work AgainThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 7, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/1/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose poured gasoline on the tapes and lit them on fire.Armageddon and Deep Impact and Antz and A Bug’s Life in 1998. The Illusionist and The Prestige in 2006. Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down in 2013. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessand Everything Everywhere All at Once this year. What is the deal with Hollywood sometimes putting out multiple movies about the same thing at the same time?And: How do you organize your bookshelves? By subject? Author? Title? Color? Size? …Not at all?And finally: The Last Movie Stars is a six-part HBO docuseries directed by Ethan Hawke. It “chronicles Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s iconic careers and decades-long partnership” and features the voices of Laura Linney as Joanne Woodward, George Clooney as Paul Newman, Karen Allen as Frances Woodward, Brooks Ashmanskas as Gore Vidal, Bobby Cannavale as Elia Kazan, Vincent D’Onofrio as John Huston and Karl Malden, Oscar Isaac as Sydney Pollack, Tom McCarthy as Sidney Lumet, Sam Rockwell as Stuart Rosenberg, Mark Ruffalo as Meade Roberts, and many more.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Goodfellas,’ ‘Law & Order’ actor Paul Sorvino dies at 83David Warner, British Actor Known for ‘The Omen’ and ‘Tron,’ Dies at 80Bob Rafelson, Director of ‘Five Easy Pieces’ and Co-Creator of ‘The Monkees,’ Dies at 89The maverick filmmaker worked with Jack Nicholson on seven features, and his company produced ‘The Last Picture Show.’Tony Dow, Big Brother Wally on ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ Dies at 77He went on to a varied career as an actor, director, producer and sculptor, but he could never shake his association with the sitcom that brought him stardom. His death came a day after it was announced erroneously.Claes Oldenburg Dies at 93; Pop Artist Made the Everyday MonumentalTaking ordinary objects like hamburgers and household items, he sculpted them in unfamiliar, often imposing dimensions — what he called his “Colossal Monuments.”Shonka Dukureh, Who Played Big Mama Thornton in ‘Elvis,’ Dies at 44Janeane Garofalo Never Sold Out. What a Relief.That concept might be the reason her trailblazing stand-up career has been overshadowed; it may also be the reason she’s still so sharp, our critic argues.How fake accounts and a powder-keg fandom helped Zack Snyder restore his Justice LeagueIt might be hard to believe, but the#ReleaseTheSnyderCutmovement was even weirder than we thoughtJennifer Lopez Becomes Jennifer Affleck, Now Please Sign Up for Her NewsletterAnd other reflections on her recent wedding.Raving for Shrek, the Swamp Comes to BrooklynA party in East Williamsburg invited fans of the 2001 film to translate into reality their online obsessions with the titular ogre.Can’t Talk, I’m Busy Being HotA social media movement inspired by the rapper Megan Thee Stallion strikes back at the gatekeepers of beauty.The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All TimeThe most tearjerking, hilarious, satisfying, and shocking death scenes in 2,500 years of culture.Amazon Is Giving Prime Video Its Biggest Redesign In YearsNew navigation, a top 10 list, and a very familiar look and feelHow Did Yellowstone, America’s Most Popular Show, Get Totally Ignored by the Emmys?Taylor Sheridan’s universe of shows is a juggernaut, but awards still go to “stuff that appeals to the coastal elite.”Quidditch rebrands as quadball and further distances itself from Harry Potter author‘The Bear’ Is Why We Must End The Reign Of TV’s Vibes CartelCelebrities Continue to Be Richer Than YouTVs Are Too Good NowWhy does Home Alone look better than the latest Marvel fare on the most advanced displays?America’s Most Misunderstood MarsupialThe opossum might be snarly and a little bit scraggly, but she deserves our admiration.Velveeta Releases Cheese-Infused Martini That’s Garnished with Pasta ShellsThe brand teamed up with BLT Restaurant Group for the unconventional creationFive-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen says he will not defend his titleThis goat is all ears. REALLY! They may be the longest in goat historyTom Cruise Really Could Finally Win an Oscar for Top Gun: MaverickIt’s a long shot, sure. But with the legacy sequel the undeniable success story of the summer, it’s likely the best opportunity the Academy will ever have to give Cruise the gold.YouTube hit Channel 5 News is “reporting for people who don’t watch the news”“People who don’t watch the news watch me. People who watch the news don’t watch me.”A Minneapolis venue canceled a Dave Chappelle set hours before showtimeDave Chappelle Opens for Kevin Hart and Chris Rock at Madison Square GardenPeople Are Saying The TikTok Pink Sauce Is "Disgusting,” But The Way People Are Treating Its Creator Is Also Leaving A Bad Taste In My Mouth“I feel like Madonna or Beyoncé just tripped onstage and I woke up with their phone in my hand.”Ken Jennings Makes Circumcision Joke On ‘Jeopardy!’ And Fans Say It’s A Cut AboveThe host put some skin in the game in his return.The Choco Taco is gone for good‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’ is canceled by TBS after 7 seasonsThe series was one of the few late-night shows hosted by a womanThe Case of the $5,000 Springsteen TicketsTriumphant fans showed up in Ticketmaster’s queue with special codes, only to encounter its “dynamic pricing” system. Was the Boss OK with that?What’s the Deal With Water Bottles?GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder ofQuiet Corner Communicationsand a freelance writerIlleana Douglas: Movie and television starTaneisha Duggan: Director, producer, and arts consultantThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/29/2022 • 49 minutes

Jane Austen completed six full-length novels. And, more than two centuries later, those novels are still present in our culture today.This hour, a look at Austen’s life and work, the world of Janeites, and the many film and television adaptations of her work.GUESTS:Devoney Looser: Professor of English at Arizona State University and the author ofThe Making of Jane AustenDeborah Yaffe: Author ofAmong the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen FandomThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/28/2022 • 49 minutes

Joni Mitchell is a singer-songwriter from Alberta, Canada. In 1968, her debut album,Song to a Seagull, was released and since then, Mitchell has become one of the most influential and greatest recording artists. Mitchell has won nine Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and countless music awards, and her albums are considered among the best ever made.We're big fans. It turns out we're not alone.This hour, we talk to a few friends of the show to discuss Mitchell's influence on them while listening to their favorite Joni songs. Plus, we chat David Yaffe, the author ofReckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell.GUESTS:David Yaffe:Assistant professor of Humanities at Syracuse University and the author ofReckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni MitchellTaneisha Duggan:Director, producer, and arts consultantBrendan J. Sullivan:Producer and author ofRivington Was Ours: Lady Gaga, the Lower East Side, and the Prime of Our LivesLee Newton:Director of program promotion at Connecticut PublicJoin the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired April 4, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/27/2022 • 49 minutes, 58 seconds

We’ve all heard the generational stereotypes, and rolled our eyes at them.This hour: we investigate generational groupings to discover why we’re interested in separating people into generations, when it is useful, and when it is not.GUESTS:Ziad Ahmed: CEO and co-founder ofJUV ConsultingJustin Charity: Senior staff writer for The Ringer, where he published “It’s Time to Accept That Millennials and Gen Z Are the Same Generation”Bobby Duffy: Professor of public policy and director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, and the author ofThe Generation Myth: Why When You’re Born Matters Less Than You ThinkThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired January 27, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/26/2022 • 50 minutes

Snacking on snacks, savory or sweet, has become a way of life.This hour, a look at our snack-food obsessions.GUESTS:Andrea Hernández: Founder of SnaxShotJulia Pistell: Freelance writer and co-founder of SeaTea Improv in Hartford, ConnecticutChris Prosperi: Chef and owner of Metro Bis restaurant in Simsbury, ConnecticutMark Schatzker: Writer in residence at the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center affiliated with Yale University and the author of The End of Craving, The Dorito Effect, and SteakJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/25/2022 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off this week. In its place, a look at movie trailers.Maybe you wonder what a movie critic thinks of trailers. Actually, critics don’t see as many as you do because they often go to special screenings. Colin asked America’s Greatest Living Film Critic, David Edelstein, about trailers. Here’s what AGLFC said:“Actually, I avoid them like the plague. I don’t watch them online, and when I see movies in theaters, I often whip out my Kindle and plug my ears. If I’m on the aisle, I leave and get a Diet co*ke. Trailers give away everything. They give away jokes. More than that, they orient you to the narrative in a way I don’t like being oriented. (Of course, I have the luxury of going into a movie not knowing what it’s even about because I get paid to do so, but that’s my preferred way to work — to be left in the hands of the storyteller.) As for as awful ones I have seen… I remember Nebraska in particular as being terrible because the pace and tone of that movie are antithetical to the way mainstream trailers work. It said quirky. Offbeat. Lovable. Among the best, I recall Batman Returns as being so great. I thought the movie itself was an overrated shambles — a really terrible piece of storytelling — but even Tim Burton’s worst movies have so many good images and set-pieces that they really read in trailers.”For the rest of us, trailers are either a pain or a pleasure.Some stuff that happened this week, give or take:Claes Oldenburg Dies at 93; Pop Artist Made the Everyday MonumentalTaking ordinary objects like hamburgers and household items, he sculpted them in unfamiliar, often imposing dimensions — what he called his “Colossal Monuments.”Janeane Garofalo Never Sold Out. What a Relief.That concept might be the reason her trailblazing stand-up career has been overshadowed; it may also be the reason she’s still so sharp, our critic argues.Read this: How fake accounts and a powder-keg fandom helped Zack Snyder restore his Justice LeagueIt might be hard to believe, but the#ReleaseTheSnyderCutmovement was even weirder than we thoughtJennifer Lopez Becomes Jennifer Affleck, Now Please Sign Up for Her NewsletterAnd other reflections on her recent wedding.Raving for Shrek, the Swamp Comes to BrooklynA party in East Williamsburg invited fans of the 2001 film to translate into reality their online obsessions with the titular ogre.Can’t Talk, I’m Busy Being HotA social media movement inspired by the rapper Megan Thee Stallion strikes back at the gatekeepers of beauty.The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All TimeThe most tearjerking, hilarious, satisfying, and shocking death scenes in 2,500 years of culture.Ethan Hawke: I’m at ‘the Beginning of My Last Act’ as an ActorIn an extensive conversation with IndieWire, the actor explained the impulse behind his new docuseries “The Last Movie Stars” and his uneasy relationship to fame.Amazon Is Giving Prime Video Its Biggest Redesign In YearsNew navigation, a top 10 list, and a very familiar look and feelHow Did Yellowstone, America’s Most Popular Show, Get Totally Ignored by the Emmys?Taylor Sheridan’s universe of shows is a juggernaut, but awards still go to “stuff that appeals to the coastal elite.”Quidditch rebrands as quadball and further distances itself from Harry Potter author‘The Bear’ Is Why We Must End The Reign Of TV’s Vibes CartelCelebrities Continue to Be Richer Than YouTVs Are Too Good NowWhy does Home Alone look better than the latest Marvel fare on the most advanced displays?America’s Most Misunderstood MarsupialThe opossum might be snarly and a little bit scraggly, but she deserves our admiration.GUESTS:Allan Arkush: Contributor toTrailers from Hell; he worked in the trailer department for Roger CormanStephen Garrett: Founder ofJump CutSam Hatch: Co-hostsThe Culture Dogson WWUHKevin O’Toole: Co-hostsThe Culture Dogson WWUHThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Lydia Brown, John Dankosky, Greg Hill, Tucker Ives, Harriet Jones, Betsy Kaplan, Patrick Skahill, Catie Talarski, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 2, 2014.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/22/2022 • 50 minutes

Malls are an important gathering place for people of all ages to shop, eat, be entertained, walk, and enjoy the controlled temperature.This hour, the history of malls in America, their unique design, and a look ahead to the future of those spaces, now that there are dead malls all over the country.Plus: the art of curating mall music.GUESTS:Michael Bise: A former Gap employee who runsa blog where he collects Gap music playlistsAlexandra Lange: Author ofMeet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the MallErik Pierson: Videographer of the YouTube channelRetail ArcheologyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Ray Hardman, Greg Hill, Tucker Ives, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Patrick Skahill, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/21/2022 • 49 minutes

Baseball’s All-Star Game was Tuesday night. (The American League won for the ninth year in a row, which doesn’t matter at all.) As such, the sports calendar is basically empty today. So why not spend the hour talking about sports?And why not start with baseball? It’s how our conversation about this show started sometime last week. Me, a Yankees fan: “I do think the Yankees being historically great should be a topic.” Colin, a Red Sox fan: “In other words, you think I’ll be dead by showtime.”But: The New York Yankees are on pace for a 113-win season, and their star outfielder Aaron Judge is on pace for a 58-home run season in his free agent year. And, not for nothing, the New York Mets are also good! The Boston Red Sox, on the other hand, lost their last two games before the All-Star break by a combined score of 27-3. I can’t remember to which team. I’ll look that up.Plus: The New Yorker’s Sarah Larson wonders if pickleball can save America.And finally: A look at some enterprising Indians and the whole cricket league they fabricated to dupe some Russian gamblers.GUESTS:Kyle Barr: Breaking news reporter at GizmodoMichael Baumann: Staff writer at The Ringer covering sports, culture, and politicsSarah Larson: Staff writer at The New YorkerThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/20/2022 • 49 minutes

Conspirituality is a convergence of right-wing conspiracy, New Age spirituality, and grift.The throughline from a left-leaning yoga instructor to a right-wing QAnon conspiracist is skepticism of institutional authority and Western medicine.Skepticism within both groups accelerated during the pandemic, making wellness communities more vulnerable to the anti-vax, anti-COVID messaging QAnon packaged in softer tones and imagery that appealed to women concerned with health and wellness.This hour, we explore how conspirituality plays out in our current political climate. We also talk about how conspiracy theories can sometimes cover up real conspiracies.GUESTS:Derek Beres: Senior Editor at Eco a co-host of the podcast Conspirituality; he’s currently co-writing Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Public Health Threat with Matthew Remski and Julian WalkerJulian Walker: Co-host of the podcast Conspirituality; he has taught yoga in Los Angeles for 27 yearsSarah Kendzior: author of three books including The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America; her new book,They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent, will be published in September, and she’s the co-host of the podcast Gaslit NationJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/19/2022 • 49 minutes

Elvis left two legacies. Musically, he pulled several American musical traditions out of the shadows, braided them together, and made them mainstream. Personally, he created a far darker template for the way a musical celebrity could be devoured by the very fame he avidly sought.Recorded live in front of an audience — long before the pandemic — as part of Colin’s Freshly Squeezed series at Watkinson School, an hour about the artist who defined the birth of rock and roll and was the genre’s first superstar.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: Guitar and vocalsLatanya Farrell: VocalsSteve Metcalf: Piano and vocalsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This show originally aired February 20, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/18/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose shows no hails from the surface or sub-space chatter. No interplanetary traffic. Not one orbital dock.This week, NASA released the first images sent back from the James Webb Space Telescope. They are mind-boggling. They are meme inducing. They are … mouth watering?Sort of relatedly: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the 11th Star Trek television series and the fifth series in Alex Kurtzman’s expanded Star Trek universe. It tells the story of Christopher Pike’s time as captain of the USS Enterprise in the years before Captain Kirk. Its first season concluded last week on Paramount+. A second season is currently in production.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Sopranos’ actor Tony Sirico dies at 79Larry Storch of TV’s ‘F Troop’ dies at 99The Wild Bunch Star L.Q. Jones Has Died At 94Bond theme composer Monty Norman dies aged 94Norman was commissioned to create the score for the first Bond movie, Dr. No, and wrote one of the most iconic guitar riffs in the processThe Hottest Streamer (Right Now)The top three spots get a shake-up in our annual power ranking.Paul Rudd becomes a real-life hero for a bullied Colorado boy10 per cent chance falling rockets will hit someone in next decadeHumans are sending ever more rockets up into space – bits of them falling back to Earth could result in casualties, unless action is takenYes, Chef: How The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White Became the Breakout Star of SummerIn FX’s surprise hit, the 31-year-old actor plays a tormented culinary genius who returns home to run his family’s Chicago sandwich shop. We caught up with White in his native Brooklyn to learn what it took to get in the kitchen.A Hookup App for the Emotionally MatureModern romance can feel cold and alienating. Feeld, by encouraging open-mindedness and respect, suggests a way forward.Where the Crawdads Sing Author Wanted for Questioning in MurderA televised 1990s killing in Zambia has striking similarities to Delia Owens’s best-selling book turned movie.The Winners and Losers of the 2022 Emmy Nominations‘Squid Game’ and ‘Abbott Elementary’ defied the odds while sentimental favorites were snubbed, but in the end, maybe there’s just Too Much TVLeonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ Belongs to EveryoneWhat is it about the once virtually unknown song that inspires so many musicians to make it their own?BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a monthThe auto industry is racing towards a future full of microtransactionsElliot Page Brings His Misfit Characters to LifeEven before Page—and his character on “Umbrella Academy”—came out as trans, he had a gift for playing people who were restless in their identities.Hybrid Work Is DoomedOffice workers work in offices, for better or for worse.Bill Burr’s Exhausting, Frustrating, Fascinating Battle With HimselfHow to Successfully Smash Your Face Against a TreeA new study refutes the widespread idea that woodpeckers have shock-absorbing heads.Leonard Bernstein movie ‘Maestro’ starring Bradley Cooper filming in Fairfield this week‘Bada-Bing’: Improvised Nonsense Turned Mobster ArgotThe late James Caan slipped a few syllables of gibberish into ‘The Godfather.’ Now they have their own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersMercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant forThe Narrative Projectand the cohost of theUntoldpodcast with John DankoskyBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityColin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/15/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing — calls about grammar, gardening, long-distance dialing, autotune. Anything. Everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour aboutwhatever you want to talk about.888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/14/2022 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Homer’s The Iliad is a literary classic.This hour, we look at some of the many ways the epic applies to life today, from our understanding of plague, death, politics, and anger. We discuss the value of returning to the story over and over again and learn about how it can be used as a framework for other stories.GUESTS:Emily Katz Anhalt: Professor of classical languages and literature at Sarah Lawrence College and the author of Embattled: How Ancient Greek Myths Empower Us To Resist Tyranny and Enraged: Why Violent Times Need Ancient Greek MythsJoel Christensen: Professor of classical studies and senior associate dean for faculty affairs at Brandeis University and the author of The Many-Minded Man: ‘The Odyssey,’ Psychology, and the Therapy of EpicMaya Deane: Author of Wrath Goddess SingJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/13/2022 • 49 minutes

What counts as a robot? This hour, a look at what robots are and the latest in robot technology.Plus, how robots were used and thought about in medieval times and Ancient Greece and the role of robots in science fiction.GUESTS:Chris Atkeson: Professor at the Robotics Institute and the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon UniversityAdrienne Mayor: Author ofGods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other booksElly Truitt: Author ofMedieval Robots: Mechanism, Magic, Nature, and ArtDaniel H. Wilson: Author ofRobopocalypse,Robogenesis, and other novels; his latest isThe Andromeda EvolutionThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/12/2022 • 49 minutes

Recent scientific discoveries have shown just how much we’ve previously underestimated Neanderthals. It turns out that their lives were very similar to those of our ancestors.This hour, a look at Neanderthals and at why humans have dismissed them for decades.GUESTS:Ella Al-Shamahi: A National Geographic Explorer, TV presenter, palaeo-anthropologist, evolutionary biologist, and standup comicClaire Cameron: Author ofThe Last Neanderthal, among other booksAnna Goldfield: An archeologist and the host of the podcastThe DirtBruce Hardy: Professor of anthropology at Kenyon CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 5, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/11/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose wants Sollozzo. If not, it’s all out war.James Caan was nominated for an Academy Award for playing Sonny in The Godfather. Early in his career, he worked with Billy Wilder and Howard Hawks and Olivia de Havilland, and he went on to star in movies like Brian’s Song, The Gambler, Freebie and the Bean, Funny Lady, Rollerball, Thief, Misery, and Elf. Caan died on Wednesday. He was 82.And: The Old Man is a spy thiller series on FX based on the 2017 novel by Thomas Perry. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, and Amy Brenneman. Five of its seven first season episodes have aired, and it has been renewed for a second season.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Joe Turkel, the Bartender in ‘The Shining,’ Dies at 94Stanley Kubrick also employed him for ‘The Killing’ and ‘Paths of Glory,’ and he was unforgettable as the god-like Tyrell in ‘Blade Runner.’Bette Midler Faces Backlash for Claiming Trans-Inclusive Language “Erases” WomenThe actor complained about women being “stripped of our name” due to the use of terms like “menstruators” and “people with vagin*s.”Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter defends trans women and says to “focus on the real war on women”“I cannot think of anything that helps women’s rights less than pinning the blame on trans women,” tweeted the actorHappy Birthday Tom: A Tom Cruise Reading ListTom Cruise is about to turn 60 — time for a look back at the life of a master maverick.Brad Pitt Opens Up His Dream WorldWe know him as a legendary leading man, a Hollywood power broker, maybe the greatest heartthrob of all time. But Brad Pitt isn’t attached to any of those old conceptions. And, as Ottessa Moshfegh discovers, his ambitions for the rest of his life are more mystical than we ever could have imagined.James Cameron Tells Off ‘Avatar’ Haters, Defends Three-Hour ‘Avatar 2’ Runtime: ‘Get Up and Go Pee’What Is #Gentleminions? Why Teens Are Wearing Suits to Minions: The Rise of GruCredit Tiktok for inspiring young men everywhere to go semi-formal at movie theaters last weekend.When Spider-Man Teamed Up With Planned Parenthood to Stop a Forced Pregnancy AlienThe 1976 special issue, “The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Prodigy,” sought to teach teens about safe sex and contraception in order to curb the country’s teen-pregnancy problem.People bank blood. Why not faeces?Storing your stools when you are young may help you later in lifeJessica Jones Has A New (Old) Title On Disney+Nathan Fielder Is Out of His Mind (and Inside Yours)The comedian’s new show, The Rehearsal, is his grandest experiment yet.Wimbledon’s all-white clothing bothers some, delights othersRubber ducky watches that don’t tell time clock in TikTok viewsOutdoor Tennis Could Be Sports’ First Big Climate Change CasualtyFields Medals in Mathematics Won by Four Under Age 40The prize has gone to a woman for the second time in its history. One recipient didn’t start working on complex math problems until he was 23.NBA 2K23 cover star Diana Taurasi on the legacy of 2K covers“How Would You Like a Lap Dance?”: The Oral History of ‘Magic Mike’Ten years ago, Channing Tatum turned his past as a male stripper into movie gold with the help of Steven Soderbergh—and tapped into a thirst in a way Hollywood never had beforeNo, Armie Hammer Isn’t Working as a Hotel Concierge in the CaymansJeff Sagansky Says New Streaming Business Model “Has To Be Relegated To The Dust Bin” NowHow Does a Hulk Smash?A close look at the sex lives of She-Hulks and He-Hulks.The Octopus Dreams of CrabsWhat do we know about how animals think, see, and feel? And should that change how we treat them?‘I Don’t Know How My Show Is Doing’Streamers run on data, but that doesn’t mean they’re sharing it with showrunners.We’ve Never Seen Mars Quite Like ThisThe planet is looking extra sharp in photo dispatches from NASA’s newest rover.Light & Magic Trailer: This Disney+ Series Shows How Industrial Light & Magic Changed Movies Forever“Atari Was Very, Very Hard” Nolan Bushnell on Atari, 50 Years LaterGoodbye to ‘Joe Pera Talks With You,’ the Sweetest Show on TVThe Adult Swim series “Joe Pera Talks With You” was a salve for its devoted fans. Now that it’s been canceled after three seasons, one such fan remembers what made it so special.GUESTS:Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/8/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour we look at the landscape of monuments across the United States and explore how new monuments are created and how old ones are decommissioned.Plus, we discuss what a COVID-19 memorial could look like and represent.GUESTS:Sue Mobley: Director of research at Monument LabErin Thompson: Professor of art crime at John Jay College and the author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public MonumentsKristin Urquiza: Co-founder and chief activist of Marked By COVIDJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/7/2022 • 49 minutes

The hearings put on by theSelect Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitolhave been produced and presented less like congressional hearings and more like an episodic HBO docuseries, with committee members — mostly Republican Rep. Liz Cheney — as the narrators, with witness testimony as the expert talking heads, with footage of depositions and speeches and the January 6 riot itself as the documentary actualities.The hearings have been compared to true-crime podcasts,the true-scandal limited series, and prime-time news specials.This hour, we look at the hearingsas television.GUESTS:James Poniewozik:Chief television critic forThe New York Timesand the author ofAudience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of AmericaFrank Rich:Writer-at-large forNew Yorkmagazine and executive producer of HBO’sSuccessionThe Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/6/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to the Jorō spider, the now-retired fartrepreneur, the last linotype newspaper, a poetry recitation. Anything. (Seemingly) everything.These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be for you, too. So we did another one.Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/5/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is more just like a regular, chill-archy.The Bear is a new half-hour foodie dramedy series from FX and Hulu. Here’s some of FX’s synopsis: “The Bear follows Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto, a young chef from the fine dining world, who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop — The Original Beef of Chicagoland — after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he’s used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide. As Carmy fights to transform both The Original Beef of Chicagoland and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.”And: Kim’s Convenience is a half-hour sitcom that aired on the CBC for five seasons, from 2016 until last year. It depicts a Korean-Canadian family, the Kims, who run a convenience store in the Moss Park neighborhood of Toronto. Kim’s Convenience is based on Ins Choi’s 2011 stage play, which runs this month at Westport Country Playhouse.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:When Lil Nas X calls out BET, it means somethingThe Golden Age of the Aging ActorTom Cruise in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ isn’t the exception—he’s the rule. There’s long been anecdotal evidence that top-line actors and actresses are getting older. Now, The Ringer has the data to back it up.Taco Bell’s newest food uses an oversized Cheez-ItNo, RadioShack’s Twitter wasn’t hacked. It sells cryptocurrency now.Internet marketer Tai Lopez bought RadioShack. This is the (edgelord) result.‘No Aliens, No Spaceships, No Invasion of Earth’An oral history of Contact, the sci-fi movie that defied Hollywood norms and made it big anyway.After DJ Layoffs, a Radio Station Has Been Playing Rage Against the Machine Over and Over and OverVancouver’s KISS-FM has “Killing in the Name” on repeat after radio hosts were laid off on Tuesday‘Mystery rocket’ that crashed into the Moon baffles NASA scientistsSo far, no space exploring nations have claimed responsibility for the rocket.The Confessions of a Conscious Rap FanA personal essay that traces the complicated legacy of conscious rap, from the era’s turn-of-the-century heyday to new albums by Kendrick Lamar and Black Star.Why the new PBS Kids logo got rid of the kidAn exciting new logo for PBS Kids expands the network’s take on inclusivity, but the channel mascot Dash disappears from the limelight.GUESTS:Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of theNobody Asked ShawnpodcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer ofCONNetic DancePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/1/2022 • 49 minutes

The concept of the hero’s journey was popularized by Joseph Campbell and outlined in his 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell based the hero’s journey framework off of myths from around the world. Since then, the idea of the hero’s journey has been used in popular books and movies from Star Wars through Harry Potter to The Hunger Games and beyond.But, despite its popularity, Campbell’s hero’s journey framework has faced a number of criticisms, including that he left women out of the story. Maria Tatar’s new book, The Heroine with 1,001 Faces, changes that.This hour, a look at the impact of the hero’s journey — and at its limitations.GUESTS:Jeff Garvin: Co-host of theThe Hero’s JourneypodcastLev Grossman: Author of theMagicianstrilogy; his newest book isThe Golden SwiftMaria Tatar: Author of The Heroine with 1,001 FacesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/30/2022 • 49 minutes, 19 seconds

Punk rock’s been around for a good half a century, but we’ve never devoted a show to it.This hour, a deep dive into punk’s past and present.GUESTS:Legs McNeil: Co-founder of PUNK Magazine and co-author of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of PunkKelefa Sanneh: Author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres and a staff writer at The New YorkerAmy Wappel and Ben Social: Formed the Connecticut-based punk band Sadplant in 2007The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/29/2022 • 50 minutes

Should people use the Oxford comma? Is there a correct number of exclamation points per email? If someone ends a casual text with a period, does that mean they’re mad at you?This hour: punctuation and how we use it. We talk about the history of punctuation marks, timeless punctuation debates, and how writing for texts and emails has changed the way we use punctuation.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict: Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction; she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastClaire co*ck-Starkey: Author ofHyphens and Hashtags: The Stories Behind The Symbols On Our KeyboardJulia Pistell: Founding member of Sea Tea Improv, one of the hosts of the Literary Disco podcast, and a producer freelancing with usThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 3, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/27/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose is ’bout to explode, take off this load.“Break My Soul” is the lead single from Beyoncé’s forthcoming album, Renaissance. The song dropped on Monday, and by the end of the week, its “You won’t break my soul” repeated refrain has taken on a whole new weight.And: The actor Chris Pratt is taking his 9-year-old son on a 10-day camping trip. During an appearance on the Smartless podcast, he rattled off a list of 10 “coming of age” movies Pratt plans to watch with his son on the trip. The list caused a dumb, mini-controversy as it includes some R-rated movies and things (also just some good old garbage movies).And finally: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a meta action-comedy starring Nicolas Cage as… Nick Cage. Here’s Lionsgate’s synopsis: “Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalized version of Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones. With a career built for this very moment, the seminal award-winning actor must take on the role of a lifetime: Nick Cage.”Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Tony Siragusa, a Defensive Lineman Known as Goose, Dies at 55Siragusa won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in the 2000 season and worked as a broadcaster after his playing career.John Williams, 90, steps away from film, but not musicDirector Paul Haggis Arrested in Italy for Sexual AssaultHaggis had been accused of rape in 2018, with the resulting lawsuit prompting three other women to come forward with their own allegations of misconduct.Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Judy Huth in 1975Rowan Atkinson Says Comedy’s Job Is to Offend and That Can’t Be Stopped: ‘Every Joke Has a Victim’This Viral Video of Justin Timberlake Dancing in Khakis Is Peak Cringe21 Hilarious “She’s A 10 But” Tweets That Will Make You Feel Called Out“She’s a 10 but her gay awakening was Marceline from Adventure Time.”Sacheen Littlefeather Talks About What Really Happened Before, During And After Rejecting Marlon Brando’s OscarKellogg is splitting into 3 companies: Here’s what each one will focus onThe cereal giant will become three distinct companies in a deal that is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.Alan Alda Is Still AwesomeThe actor and director talks about his podcast, the comedic chops of Volodymyr Zelensky, and being called an “honorary woman.”How BTS Became One of the Most Popular Bands in HistoryIn an age of despair and division, a boy band from South Korea remixed the rules of pop and created a fandom bigger than Beatlemania.Kevin Costner’s New Movie, Horizon, Is Being Split Into Four 2 Hour And 45 Minute MoviesStephen Colbert Addresses Arrest of Triumph and Crew at U.S. Capitol: “This Was First-Degree Puppetry”Seven members of the ‘Late Show’ team, including comedian and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog actor Robert Smigel, were charged with unlawful entry last week.Westminster Dog Show: Trumpet the Bloodhound Wins Best in ShowAfter winning the hound group, Trumpet emerged from a tough group of fellow champions to become the first of his breed to claim the top prize.John Carpenter’s Masterpiece The Thing Is Back In The Box Office Top 10 After Four DecadesAmazon’s Alexa could soon speak in a dead relative’s voice, making some feel uneasyGUESTS:Raquel Benedict: Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/24/2022 • 49 minutes

Translators help open up our worlds by bringing us stories from around the globe. But often they’re not given very much credit for their work.This hour, the art of translation. Plus, a look at the challenges of translating movies and TV shows through subtitles and dubbing for international audiences.GUESTS:Jennifer Croft: Writer and translator and the winner of the 2018 Booker International Prize for her translation ofFlightsby the Polish writer Olga TokarczukDenise Kripper: Translation editor forLatin American Literature Todayand an associate professor of Spanish at Lake Forest CollegeEmily Wilson: Chair of the program in comparative literature and literary theory at the University of Pennsylvania and translator of works such asThe OdysseyThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/23/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all.888–720–9677.‌ Or join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.The Colin McEnroe Showis available as a podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts,Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/22/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose gave an idiot a machete.Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a hybrid live-action and animated sequel to and reboot of the 1989 Disney Channel series. It’s a metafictional comedy that might really be less for kids and more for their parents. The Lonely Island production stars Andy Samberg, John Mulaney, KiKi Layne, and many others.Old Enough! is a reality TV show that has aired intermittently on Nippon Television since 1991. Twenty short episodes hit Netflix in March. Here’s their synopsis: “This long-running Japanese reality show follows along as young children leave the house to run errands by themselves for the very first time.” By “young,” they mean very young.And: Is It Cake? is a game show-style baking competition reality TV Netflix original series thing. Bakers compete for $5,000 by trying to fool judges into thinking that their cake — styled to look like a bowling ball or a hamburger or a chess set, etc. — isn’t actually a cake. The winner of each episode can then win a second $5,000 by correctly identifying which bag of cash is actually a cake.That may be the dumbest paragraph I’ve ever typed. Is It Cake? was renewed for a second season early this month.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Philip Baker Hall, ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Magnolia’ Actor, Dead at 90Jennifer Hudson becomes an EGOT as a co-producer of the winning musical, ‘A Strange Loop.’BTS Says It’s Taking a Break, but Promises It’s Not Permanent Members of the K-pop juggernaut said in a video conversation that they wanted time to explore their individual artistic identities.Internet Explorer, the love-to-hate-it web browser, has died at 26After Seeing Our First Look Of Ryan Gosling As Ken In “Barbie,” It’s Safe To Say This Was The Role He Was Born To Play It’s now a Ken world and we’re just living in it.Vince McMahon Steps Down as Head of W.W.E. During Misconduct Investigation Mr. McMahon, the pro wrestling company’s chairman and chief executive, agreed to pay a secret settlement to an employee with whom he was said to have had an affair, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.Tom Hanks Explains It AllNo more Mr. Nice Guy: Tom Hanks drops F-bomb on fans who nearly toppled Rita WilsonPeople are using DALL-E mini to make meme abominations — like pug Pikachu ‘Pug-a-choo’ isn’t real, ‘Pug-a-choo’ can’t hurt youThe Google engineer who thinks the company’s AI has come to life AI ethicists warned Google not to impersonate humans. Now one of Google’s own thinks there’s a ghost in the machine.One Weird Trick To Make Humans Think An AI Is “Sentient” Vulnerability.I made mistakes over Rebel Wilson, and will learn from themThe Numbing Rise of I.P. TV Whereas golden-age television aspired to bring viewers something unexpected, a new glut of ripped-from-the-headlines content gives them exactly what they’ve had before.She Wrote a Dystopian Novel. What Happened Next Was Pretty Dystopian.Sarah Polley: ‘It took me years to see how responsible Terry Gilliam was for my terror’The Books Swallowed by the Black Hole of the Coronavirus Some spectacular titles had the terrible luck of being released in early 2020. They still deserve our attention.‘Squid Game’ is being turned into a reality TV show — minus the deathA Frog So Small, It Could Not Frog Most frogs can jump and land with the precision and grace of an Olympic gymnast. And then there’s the pumpkin toadlet.What the BLEEP? Maine Is Cracking Down on Obscene License Plates. End of vanity-plate free-for-all likely to cause recall of hundreds of vulgar tags, but not in time for summer vacationsJerrod Carmichael’s 12-Step Truth Program The very private comedian-writer-director made his personal life very public with his recent HBO special, Rothaniel. Now he shares what happens when you have nothing to hide.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersTaneisha Duggan: A director, producer, and arts consultantCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/17/2022 • 49 minutes

Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the Watergate burglary.This hour, we look back at the events surrounding Watergate, discuss how we remember them, and explore the parallels between that event and the January 6 hearings.Plus, a look at the making, and the legacy, of the 1976 film All The President’s Men.GUESTS:Garrett Graff: Author of Watergate: A New HistoryAnn Hornaday: The Washington Post’s chief film critic and the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch MoviesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, Jonathan McNicol, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/15/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, we investigate what it means to be a good citizen today.What are our responsibilities? What do we owe each other?GUESTS:Tamar Gendler: Professor of philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale UniversityAzar Nafisi: Author of six books, includingReading Lolita in Tehran; her newest isRead Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled TimesJohn Shattuck: Co-author of the new bookHolding Together: The Hijacking of Rights in America and How to Reclaim Them for Everyoneand the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and LaborThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/14/2022 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

For a period of about 50 years, many of America’s top cartoonists and illustrators lived within a stone’s throw of one another in the southwestern corner of Connecticut.Comic strips and gag cartoons read by hundreds of millions were created in this tight-knit group — Prince Valiant, Superman, Beetle Bailey, Hägar the Horrible, Hi and Lois, Nancy, The Wizard of Id, Family Circus … I could keep going.This hour, a look at the funny pages, and at Connecticut’s cartoon county.GUESTS:Bill Griffith: The creator and author of the daily comic strip ZippyHenry McNulty: A writer and editor who worked for the Hartford Courant for more than 25 yearsCullen Murphy: Editor-at-large for Vanity Fair and the author of Cartoon County: My Father and His Friends in the Golden Age of Make-BelieveThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Kevin MacDermott, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 11, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/13/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose is one bubble floating in the cosmic foam of existence.Everything Everywhere All at Once is the second feature film written and directed by Daniels (the filmmaking duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). New York Times film critic A.O. Scott called it a “swirl of genre anarchy.” It has recently become indie auteur studio A24’s highest-grossing release to date. Here’s their synopsis: “Everything Everywhere All at Once is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman who can’t seem to finish her taxes.”And: It’s Pride Month. Which means, among other things, that corporations and other institutions will hamfistedly shoehorn rainbows and other tokens of “inclusion” into their logos and advertising, a phenomenon known as “rainbow capitalism.”Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill,” and the End of Music Charts As We Knew Them Thanks to ‘Stranger Things,’ one of art pop’s most reclusive figures has almost inadvertently found herself with a top-10 charting hit. Is it a fluke or a sign of the times?Popeye is getting a makeover at age 93Paramount Pictures faces copyright lawsuit over ‘Top Gun: Maverick’‘Die Hard’ On a Pedestal: Why John McTiernan’s Action Classic Is Such an Ode to Joy‘Creem’ Once Made Journalism a ‘Contact Sport.’ Three Decades Later, the Rock Mag Is Back The legendary rag returns, unveiling a free online archive and brand new contentDavid Cronenberg’s Dreams and Nightmares “People will say, ‘Oh, he’s back to body horror,’ ” the director of the new film “Crimes of the Future” says. “But it’s never changed for me.”‘Dear Evan Hansen’ to End Broadway Run‘White Noise’: Details Surface About Noah Baumbach’s Catastrophic 9-Month, $140 Million ShootThe Transformations of Pinocchio How Carlo Collodi’s puppet took on a life of his own.We Don’t Know Neptune at All You know, the planet?Matthew McConaughey Gives Emotional White House Speech, Accused of ‘Grandstanding’ by Newsmax Reporter His wife Camila Alves held the green Converse sneakers that were the only way to identify a 10-year-old victim.Madonna Biopic Will (Probably) Star Julia GarnerThe Short-Lived Reign of MTV’s Best Kiss Award In a time before gratuitous red-carpet makeouts, one category at the MTV Movie Awards became ground zero for celebrity spontaneity and PDAWhat’s Up With Lil Nas X and BET?Disney fires Peter Rice, its top TV content executive. Some in the entertainment business had seen him as a possible candidate to succeed Bob Chapek as Disney’s chief executive.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerJames Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeMercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/10/2022 • 43 minutes

This hour we look at our new favorite way to communicate: emoji. We'll learn about how emoji are created, discuss how emoji change meaning, and talk to the creator of "Emojiland: The Musical."GUESTS:Keith Broni: Editor and Chief of EmojipediaAlex King: Associate Professor of Philosophy at Simon Fraser University, who runs “Aesthetics for Birds,” an aesthetics and philosophy of art websiteKeith Harrison Dworkin: Composer and creator of “Emojiland: The Musical”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/9/2022 • 41 minutes

We’ve done this show every year (except 2012) since 2011. (We maybe even did it in 2010. We probably did.) It’s a bit of a tradition. It’s a tradition that… makes some people angry, we realize.And that has a lot to do with how we define the term ‘song of the summer.’ We use the Amanda Dobbins definition:Let’s be clear about how this works: There is no such thing as a ‘personal’ song of summer. We do not anoint multiple songs of summer. There can only be one; the Song of Summer, by its very definition, is a consensus choice. It is the song that wrecks wedding dance floors. It is the song that you and your mother begrudgingly agree on (even though your mom has no idea what rhymes with ‘hug me’ and won’t stop yelling it in public). It does not necessarily have to hit No. 1 on the charts, but it should probably be on the charts because it must be widely played. It must bring people together. It must be a shared enthusiasm.And so, our job here is to try to predict a thing that you and your mom will agree on like three months from now.Try not to get too annoyed by the whole thing.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynBrendan Jay Sullivan: A writer, producer, and DJ best known for his work with Lady GagaCassie Willson: A New York-based comedian and musicianOur programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/8/2022 • 40 minutes, 51 seconds

You know Michael Schur from the shows he’s created, like The Good Place, Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.This hour we talk with Schur about his latest project, his book, How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question.Through the conversation we discuss moral philosophy, and big moral questions like “should you return your shopping cart to the cart corral?”GUEST:Michael Schur: TV writer and producer and the author of How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral QuestionThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 3, 2022.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/7/2022 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/6/2022 • 40 minutes, 55 seconds

This week’s Nose thinks the less it says, the less it gives away. But, really, it’s the opposite.Obi-Wan Kenobi is a six-part Disney+ limited series. It’s mostly set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, with the Empire in power and Kenobi in exile on Tatooine. Three episodes are available so far.And: A recent Reddit thread on the ways different cultures handle feeding their houseguests has spilled out onto the wider internet and caused a bit of a discussion.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:LARPing Goes to Disney WorldAmber Heard Defamed Johnny Depp, Jury Decides The jury decided Amber Heard’s statement in her Washington Post op-ed was false and defamatory, and that Heard intended to defame Depp.Behind Netflix’s Leaner Movie Mandate: Bigger, Fewer and Better The Scott Stuber-run division is adjusting to a new set of realities as it readies a $200 million-plus ‘The Gray Man’ from the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ helmers and a pricey set of ‘Knives Out’ sequels.Donald Trump’s Media Company Plans “Non-Woke Alternative” To Netflix And Disney+; Streaming Slate To Feature “Cancelled Shows”Does a Comedian Really Need an Audience? Filmed during lockdown, a new Netflix special from Norm Macdonald and outtakes from Bo Burnham’s “Inside” suggest that crowd laughter can be limiting.We Must Defend Thanos’s Constitutional Right To Snap His Fingers and Make Half of the Universe DisappearThe BuzzFeed App Is Now 100% Kardashian-Free (If You Want It To Be) One click to mute them all.DeLorean is back (to the future) with an electric car, and some caveatsNew Haven, Conn.: More Than Just Academics and Mozzarella After decades of crime, the city is ‘coming up’ — with the cuisine and culture of a major metropolis, but the laid-back vibe of a smaller place.“It Really Wasn’t What They Said It Was”: LeVar Burton Opens Up About ‘Jeopardy!’ and Hosting the National Spelling Bee What really happened with Burton’s ‘Jeopardy!’ host audition? What’s the latest with his Trivial Pursuit show? And is spelling a sport? The ‘Roots,’ ‘Star Trek,’ and ‘Reading Rainbow’ legend has the answers.With Cameras on Every Phone, Will Broadway’s Nude Scenes Survive? Audiences are increasingly asked to lock their phones in pouches at comedy shows, concerts and some plays. But what happens onstage doesn’t always stay onstage.The Mona Lisa was attacked again … this time with a slice of cake A man, who’s since been arrested, created an elaborate disguise in order to get close enough to the masterpieceHow Love Island Became a TV Reality of Sex, Fame, and Sometimes Tragedy Starring swimsuit-clad cast members plucked from obscurity, the reboot of Britain’s Love Island promised to be the dating show for our self-made, self-aware era. After a series of high-profile suicides, including that of former host Caroline Flack, a darker reality set in. Ahead of the new season, here’s a look inside the highly produced machine.Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary team up for The Video Archives Podcast The two friends, filmmakers, and former co-workers will watch and discuss movies from the VHS archivesThe Woes of Being Addicted to Streaming After a decade under the influence of music algorithms, a look at what streaming services afford the most engaged fans and what lingers below the surface.GUESTS:Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz EnginePedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/3/2022 • 49 minutes

Humans have long been interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This hour, a look at why that interest has persisted.Plus, we talk to a scientist who is looking for extraterrestrial life and a linguist who is preparing in case we ever receive communications from extraterrestrials.GUESTS:Kate Dorsch: Historian, philosopher of science, and the associate director of the philosophy, politics, and economics program at the University of PennsylvaniaAmanda Rees: Historian of science based at the University of YorkSeth Shostak: Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and host of the radio show and podcast Big Picture ScienceSheri Wells-Jensen: Associate professor of English and linguistics at Bowling Green State University who is on the board of directors of METI InternationalJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/2/2022 • 49 minutes

When was the last time you had fun? I mean the kind of fun where you lost track of time, you didn’t care what others were thinking of you, and you felt connected to the people you were having fun with. We all know what fun feels like, so why don’t we make time for it?We tend to think of fun as a side dish, something to eat if you’re not too full. That’s wrong. Fun should be the main course. Fun nourishes our mind and body as much as healthy food and productive work.This hour, we talk about fun, including why we’re not having it, why we need more of it, and how to have it.GUESTS:Liliana DeLeo: A certified laughter yoga master trainer and the founder of Living LaughterJulia Pistell: Founding member of Sea Tea ImprovCatherine Price: A science journalist and the author of The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive AgainThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 21, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/1/2022 • 50 minutes

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can't they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own. In this hour, we talk about the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for DreamWorks.GUESTS:Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the podcast Many MindsJonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe ShowSile O'Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interactCarlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorksJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/31/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is the first one to say it’s a great country, but it’s a strange culture.George Carlin’s American Dream is a new, two-part, nearly-four-hour HBO documentary directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. At 225 minutes, it actually runs 45 minutes shorter than Apatow’s previous HBO doc, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.And: Brigsby Bear is a 2017 comedy-drama written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney from a story by Mooney and directed by Dave McCary. Mooney is one of four major departures from the cast of Saturday Night Live last weekend. Brigsby Bear stars Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, and Matt Walsh.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Goodfellas’ Star Ray Liotta Dies at 67Colin Cantwell, The Concept Artist Who Designed The Death Star, Dies At 90Andy “Fletch” Fletcher Dies: Depeche Mode Keyboard Player, Founding Member Was 60Ricky Gervais’ Netflix Special Draws Criticism for Graphic Jokes Mocking Trans PeopleI Watched the New Ricky Gervais Stand-up Special So You Don’t Have ToJohn Mulaney Draws Criticism for Having Dave Chappelle Open, Tell ‘Transphobic Jokes’ at Ohio ShowThe Kids in the Hall Have Gotten Old. Their Comedy Hasn’t. A new documentary explains the undersung Canadian troupe’s brilliance, and a new season of its sketch show confirms it.The 100 Greatest Stools in Stand-up Special HistoryA ‘Jaws’ actor is named police chief in the town where the iconic movie was filmedBroadcast TV’s reduced role made clear in fall presentationsHow Wordle brought us back together Spelling Bee, too, and Words With Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?Why the Depp-Heard trial is so much worse than you realize Amber Heard is just the first target of a new extremist playbook.As Frank Langella Defies His Firing, More Details About Inappropriate Behavior Claims On Set Of Netflix Series EmergeRita Moreno to Play Vin Diesel’s Grandmother in ‘Fast X’Conan O’Brien’s Podcast Company Sells to SiriusXM in Deal Valued Around $150 Million The sale of Team Coco comes as audio companies make deals with podcasters with large followingsHow Reality TV Stars Conquered Your BookshelvesHas Time Passed ‘Stranger Things’ By? In 2016, the Netflix hit became a zeitgeist-driving sensation. But in a streaming landscape that’s much more competitive, the supersized and long-awaited Season 4 may have a harder time standing out.‘50% sweet, 50% salty’: Oreo, Ritz team up to make limited edition cookie-cracker snackA Brief History of the Cheez-It America’s iconic orange cracker turns 100 this yearHow Top Gun Became A Gay ClassicInside the Ambient Music Streaming Boom As more people turn to ambient playlists for sleeping, meditating, and growing houseplants, what does it mean for the artists behind the serene soundscapes?LARPing Goes to Disney World On a “Star Wars” spaceship, the company has taken live-action role-play to a lavish extreme. Guests spend days eating, scheming, and assembling lightsabres in character.‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ Director Teases Slasher Film Plot: ‘Pooh and Piglet Go on a Rampage’GUEST:Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and the founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversitySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/27/2022 • 49 minutes

You probably know when you’re feeling happy, sad, or angry. But our range of emotions stretch beyond the language we have for them.This hour, we learn what emotions are and give names to ones you’ve probably felt without ever having had a word for them.GUESTS:Edgar Gerrard Hughes: The editor of How Do You Feel? A Spectacular Compendium of Ideas, Interactive Games, Provocations, Tests, and Tricks that Explore the World of What You Feel and Why and a researcher at the University of London’s Queen Mary Centre for the History of the EmotionsJohn Koenig: Author of The Dictionary of Obscure SorrowsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 10, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/26/2022 • 50 minutes

There’s something almost romantic about airships. The image of a giant, floating aircraft feels both nostalgic and futuristic.In the early 20th century, airships were on the leading edge of aviation; today, they mostly live on in the domain of steampunk art and speculative fiction.But a number of companies are betting they can bring airships out of the history books and into modern real-world applications like cargo transport and military uses.This hour, the past and future of airships, both real and imagined.GUESTS:Nick Allman: Chief operating officer of Hybrid Air VehiclesJeanne Marie Laskas: A journalist and the author of eight books; in 2016 she published “Helium Dreams” in The New YorkerKen Liu: A futurist and author of speculative fiction, including The Dandelion Dynasty, an epic fantasy series featuring airshipsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 1, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/25/2022 • 50 minutes

This hour, we’re joined by Kelefa Sanneh, author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres. We talk about music genres and look back at the history of music.GUESTS:Kelefa Sanneh: Staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven GenresThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 25, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/24/2022 • 50 minutes

On the one hand, calling something “medieval” carries with it negative connotations of outdated times. But lately there has almost been a nostalgia for life in the Middle Ages.This hour, we look at what life was really like in that time period and why we remember it the way we do.Plus, a look at the medieval origin of environmental anxiety and student debt.GUESTS:Jenny Adams: Associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts AmherstCourtney Barajas: Author of Old English Ecotheology: The Exeter BookMartha Bayless: Director of folklore and public culture at the University of Oregon; her books include Sin and Filth in Medieval Culture: The Devil in the Latrine and A Cultural History of Comedy in the Middle AgesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/23/2022 • 49 minutes

Your strength breaks men’s bones. This week’s Nose has the cunning to break their minds.We Own This City is a six-part HBO miniseries developed by David Simon and George Pelecanos and based on the book by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton. It chronicles the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force and corruption within and around it. Simon told NPR’s Eric Deggans that “this is the closest thing you’re going to get to a sequel” to The Wire.And: The Northman is director Robert Eggers’s third feature and his first big-budget film. It is based on the Viking legend of Amleth, a prince who tries to avenge the murder of his father.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:John Aylward Dies: ‘ER’ & ‘The West Wing’ Actor Was 75Hannah Gadsby Stays Sunny by Any Means NecessaryGeorge Carlin narrator edits make Thomas The Tank Engine even more blue Genius editor combines Carlin’s Thomas & Friends narration with foul-mouthed clips from his audiobook readingsHollywood Has No Idea What to Do With the Erotic Thriller Streamers are struggling to reboot a genre that died too young.The Untold Story of the White House’s Weirdly Hip Record Collection Jimmy Carter’s grandson is unlocking its mysteriesAttack of the Clones is underrated — and it’s crucial to the current state of Star Wars George Lucas’ maligned prequel chapter deserves reconsideration as it sets up the Obi-Wan series [Ed. note: Links ≠ endorsem*nt.]The Believer, a Beloved Literary Magazine, Goes Home After a Risqué Detour The magazine, bought by a marketing company, briefly hosted clickbait content. Scandal ensued. After a flurry of negotiation, it is now back with its first publisher, McSweeney’s.Can You Remember the Plot of Avatar? We asked a semi-random assortment of smart and funny people who were alive in 2009—from Broti Gupta to Brandon Wardell to Marianne Williamson—if they could recall the plot of the highest-grossing movie ever.The Puzzle That Will Outlast the World One move down, 1,298,074,214,633,706,907,132,624,082,305,022 to go.Star Wars: The Rebellion Will Be Televised An exclusive look at the master plan for Obi-Wan Kenobi with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, Andor with Diego Luna, Ahsoka with Rosario Dawson—and a fleet of new shows.Squid Game Season 2 Likely Won’t Release Until End Of 2023 Or 2024Taylor Swift’s NYU Commencement Speech Was About Cats, Cringe, And Getting Canceled The star’s NYU commencement speech was completely apolitical.Marvel Studios is licensing Stan Lee’s likeness from the company he sued before his death Lee sued POW! Entertainment in 2018Tom Cruise Is Being Boring at Cannes‘Doctor Who’ has its first Black lead. Will the show contend with race?GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan: A director, producer, and arts consultantSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis: teaches writing at Trinity CollegeSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/20/2022 • 49 minutes

On the long timeline of long-distance communication technology that starts with the telegraph and leads all the way to the iPhone and beyond, there’s a particular, once-ubiquitous device that seems to have left an indelible mark on the culture while also disappearing nearly completely from it.This hour, the history and present? (and future??) of the fax machine.GUESTS:Jonathan Coopersmith: Professor of history at Texas A & M University and the author of Faxed: The Rise and Fall of the Fax MachineTroy Kreiner: Design director at Use All Five, the firm that organized ArtifaxKay Savetz: A tech historian; they co-host Antic: The Atari 8-Bit Podcast and run a number of websites, including Fax Toy and FaxZeroSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/19/2022 • 49 minutes

Francisco Goldman made a big choice as a young man. He chose to spend a year in Guatemala living with his uncle instead of pursuing the master’s degree he could have had from a prestigious school offering him a full scholarship. It turned out to be one of the most consequential decisions of his early life.This hour, Colin talks with Goldman about his novel Monkey Boy, a story about the legacy of violence on a family and much more, including how his decision to go to Guatemala has shaped his life.GUEST:Francisco Goldman: Author of seven books; his most recent, the novel Monkey Boy, is now out in paperbackThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 27, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/18/2022 • 50 minutes

The humble tambourine is the underrated, understated, unsung hero of contemporary music. This hour we shake our assumptions about this surprisingly enduring and ubiquitous instrument.GUESTS:Erin Elstner: Percussionist and Professor of Percussion at Webster UniversityIra Elliot: Percussionist best known as the drummer for the band Nada SurfTim Kubart: Musician, songwriter, and performer known world-wide as “The Tambourine Guy” for his performances with Postmodern JukeboxSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/17/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour we investigate the ways in which words change when they enter our discourse and how they acquire new meanings, or sometimes even lose their meanings.We look at specific examples, discuss how the internet is influencing language, and learn about how dictionaries interact with the evolving nature of words.GUESTS:Sylvia Sierra: A linguist and the author ofMillennials Talking Media: Creating Intertextual Identities in Everyday ConversationPeter Sokolowski: Editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of theWord MatterspodcastKory Stamper: A lexicographer and the author ofWord by Word: The Secret Life of DictionariesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/16/2022 • 49 minutes

It’s the end of an era. Apple announced this week that it has ended production of the last iPod-only device it was still making, the iPod Touch. Apple debuted the original iPod in October, 2001, and has sold an estimated 450 million iPods since. Existing stock of the iPod Touch is available while supplies last.And: The Staircase is an HBO Max miniseries based on the 2004 French docuseries of the same name and the true story it tells. Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson, a man accused of murdering his wife.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:George Pérez, Who Gave New Life to Wonder Woman, Dies at 67 Working for both Marvel and DC, he created comic book series that brought superheroes together, and was co-creator of The New Teen Titans.Ric Parnell, Real Drummer in a Famous Fake Band, Dies at 70 The central characters in the mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” were comic actors, but Mr. Parnell was an actual professional musician.In Conversation: John C. Reilly The actor thinks audiences just want to be surprised. He’d do (almost) anything to oblige.Fred Savage is fired from ‘The Wonder Years’ over allegations of misconduct‘Sex Education’ actor Ncuti Gatwa will be the first Black lead in ‘Doctor Who’‘A Strange Loop’ earns a leading 11 Tony Award nominationsWarhol’s ‘Marilyn,’ at $195 Million, Shatters Auction Record for an American Artist At Christie’s sale for charity, the glamorous silk-screen beat out Basquiat’s skull painting that had set a record in 2017.Elizabeth Olsen: ‘Throwing Marvel under the bus takes away from the talented crew’ The reluctant star is returning as the witchy Wanda in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. She talks to Jacob Stolworthy about superhero film flak, her famous sisters’ advice, and why she rarely watches herself on screenMarty Friedman on why streaming listeners are skipping guitar solos: “Solos often have an obligatory existence – they must be there for a deeper reason” The former Megadeth man says guitar solos are often included to meet a quota, rather than because the song actually requires oneFIFA and EA Sports End Decades-Long Video Game Partnership The demise of a relationship that produced one of the most popular games of all time will mean risks for soccer’s governing body but few changes for consumers.“Succession” actor James Cromwell super-glued himself to a Starbucks counter as part of PETA’s vegan milk protestThe PG-13 Rating Has Become MeaninglessMarcelo dropped from Lyon first team for “farting and laughing” in dressing room - sourcesI Toot, Therefore I Am A new philosophy paper attempts to answer a crucial question: What makes a fart a fart?Bad Special Effects Are A ChoicePercy Jackson creator Rick Riordan rips complaints about casting the TV seriesThe Strange Afterlife of George Carlin Nearly 14 years after his death, his provocative humor has been embraced by people across the political spectrum. What happens when comedy outlasts the era it was made for?New York Times Changes Today’s Wordle #324 Answer Amid Abortion ControversyWhat might reverse late-night TV’s decline? “If someone’s already watching something on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, why would they set their DVRs for 1:30 a.m.?”Traipsing Through the Vaster Wasteland On Netflix, HBO Max, and thirst in the desert.Christopher Walken To Play The Emperor In Dune 2Disney Copyrights Targeted in Bill Proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley The company would lose its copyright to the original design of Mickey Mouse if the law is passed.This Is Spinal Tap sequel confirmed for 2024 with original cast Double ’Tap! Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls are set to return to cinema screens for one final showGUESTS:Raquel Benedict: Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/13/2022 • 49 minutes

Phone ringtones went from uniform, to a million dollar industry, to the unconscious soundtrack of our lives. They’re pieces of music that are designed to get you to react. They’re sounds that often carry emotions and memories with them. But we don’t often give them much thought.This hour, the art of the ringtone. We look back at their history, investigate their rise and fall, discuss the appeal of a well-composed one, and talk to someone who designed his own.Warning:This show contains the default iPhone alarm tone.GUESTS:Sumanth Gopinath: Associate professor of music theory at the University of Minnesota and the author of The Ringtone Dialectic: Economy and Cultural FormSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynPaula Matthusen: Composer and a professor of music at Wesleyan UniversitySteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany Concert Series at the University of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolErnie Smith: Editor of Tedium and a contributor to Vice’s MotherboardBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/12/2022 • 52 minutes, 36 seconds

Occam’s razor states that “entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”This hour is all about Occam’s razor: where the principle came from, how it impacts science, its role in medicine, and how it shapes our daily lives.GUESTS:Kurt Andersen: Co-founder of Spy magazine, the host and co-creator of Studio 360, and the author of Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire — A 500-Year HistoryJohnjoe McFadden: Author of Life Is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the UniverseLisa Sanders: Clinician educator in the Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Yale School of Medicine and the author of the Diagnosis column for The New York Times MagazineThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 17, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/11/2022 • 50 minutes

This hour we look back at the history of the Supreme Court and the rules surrounding it. Plus, we discuss how the Supreme Court shares information with the public, and we talk about ideas for reforming the Court.GUESTS:Akhil Reed Amar: Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, and author of The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, among other books.David Folkenflik: NPR’s media correspondent.Emily Bazelon: Lecturer in Law, Senior Research Scholar in Law, and a Truman Capote Fellow at Yale Law School, a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, and a co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest. Tara Leigh Grove: Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, who was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/10/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/9/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is short. $6,950. But it is not, it’s not a problem.Our original plan for this week was to look at the final seasons of Better Call Saul and Ozark. But it turns out that, among our full stable of nostrils — this is a group of more than 20 people who are, by definition, dialed into the mass market popular culture, mind you — there’s not a single person who watches both shows.In discovering that, we got to thinking about how it just isn’t possible to keep up with all the TV there is anymore. How, in fact, it just isn’t possible to keep up with all of anything anymore. And how, even with the things that you specifically try to keep up with, by the time the new bits come out, you’ve forgotten all the details about the old bits.So The Nose gets into some or all of that. And then we do look at the final season, the final part of the final season, “Season Four, Part Two” of Ozark. This bit almost certainly, almost necessarily gets spoilery. If you’re worried about that sort of thing, you might want to duck out at the first break.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Neal Adams, Comic Book Artist Who Revitalized Batman and Fought for Creators’ Rights, Dies at 80 He influenced multiple generations with his style and co-created such characters as Ra’s al Ghul, the Man-Bat and one of DC’s first Black superheroes, Green Lantern John Stewart.Naomi Judd, country music matriarch of The Judds, is dead at 76Ron Galella, Celebrity-Hounding Photographer, Dies at 91 He personified the paparazzi — brazen and relentless in chasing the famous, particularly Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. But his pictures also came to be admired.Dave Chappelle was physically attacked in the middle of his performance in LADave Chappelle Issues Statement On Attack, Refuses “To Allow Last Night’s Incident To Overshadow The Magic” Of The MomentSneakers, elastic pants: People alter office wear amid COVIDThe Office Beckons. Time for Your Sharpest ‘Power Casual.’ Work wear reflects how people feel about their jobs and the economy as a whole. So it makes sense that dressing for the office is all over the place.A24’s ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Hits Impressive Box Office MilestoneFast 10 Reportedly Costs Over $300 Million, With The Largest Chunk Spent On Actor SalariesThe Controversy Brewing on Elon Musk’s Wikipedia PageAmber Heard accuses Johnny Depp of physical abuse on her first day of testimonyThe Assassination of Amber HeardSPACE NUDES: NASA to launch naked pictures of humans to space in hope of ‘attracting aliens’A New Wave of Shows Cares About a Group of Women the Rest of TV Has Ignored Sure, their characters are privileged, but they’re also dealing with unsteady marriages, ambition, and family.Golden-Con Threw a Party, Invited Every ‘Golden Girls’ Fan It Knew Thousands gathered in Chicago to celebrate the beloved sitcom, whose fan base has only expanded since its original run and made the Girls into L.G.B.T.Q. icons.The Pandemic Reminded Us That Most Women Still Don’t Have a Room of Their Own The past two years have shown us that we need to open our eyes to the biases built into our homes.A former Gap employee embarks on a quest to collect every in-store playlistIt’s time for a non-white host of ‘The Late Late Show’. Here’s our critic’s shortlistThe Biggest Challenge for ‘Jeopardy!’ Super Champions? Talking About Themselves. Mattea Roach is the latest ‘Jeopardy!’ champ to rattle off a long and impressive winning streak. But her success has an unintended side effect: She’s running out of personal fun facts to share after the first commercial break.Attention Girls, Gays, And Theys: Taylor Swift Is Dropping “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” Tonight!!!!! I guess 1989 is coming?!?!?!??!‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Picked Up To Series By NBCGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerJacques Lamarre: A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz EngineBrian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/6/2022 • 49 minutes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has hired an advisor to review the agency. This comes as the CDC faces scrutiny for its pandemic response and communications. This hour, we ask what the CDC should, and could, look like into the future.GUESTS:Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo: The inaugural Director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown School of Public Health, and a Professor of Epidemiology.Dr. Saad Omer: Professor of Medicine and the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale University, where he is also Director of the Yale Institute for Global Health.Dr. Jennifer Bacani McKenney: A family physician, based in Kansas, who is also the Wilson County and Fredonia City Health Officer. Lori Freeman: Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/5/2022 • 50 minutes, 20 seconds

Note: This episode contains strong language and a number of things intended to be in bad taste.This hour, we shoot the, er, breeze with John Waters, the filmmaker, author, and artist whose œuvre of campy, raunchy films ranges from the cult classics Pink Flamingos and Polyester to the musicals Hairspray and Cry-Baby.On the occasion of his first novel, the “feel-bad romance” Liarmouth, we talk to Waters about everything from testicl* tanning and teabagging to Baltimore and becoming a legend.Be there or be square.Note also: This show is about as spoilery as we get. We use audio of the very last lines of Waters’ Pink Flamingos. And the ending of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is just utterly revealed. (Colin will warn you when that one’s coming.) Now, neither of these movies is terribly recent — I mean, one of them is 50 years old — but it seems like we should mention it anyway. Please don’t send us angry emails. About the spoilers, at least.GUEST:John Waters: Writer, director, and actor; his first novel is Liarmouth … A Feel-Bad RomanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/4/2022 • 50 minutes

In the century since Russia’s “Mad Monk” was poisoned, we've come to believe a lot of things: he was mystical, he was evil, he was the world’s greatest lover.This hour: Rasputin — the all-too-human peasant who found his way to friendship with the Romanovs, and the comical, absurd version that just won’t die.GUESTS:Douglas Smith: Historian and author of Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the RomanovsChris Roberson: Co-writer of the Hellboy comic Rasputin: Voice of the DragonJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/3/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, we’re joined by novelist Ruth Ozeki. Her latest novel is The Book of Form and Emptiness. We talk about animism, hearing voices, and how Zen Buddhism informs her writing.GUESTS:Ruth Ozeki: Novelist, filmmaker, and professor of English language and literature at Smith CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 29, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/2/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose would come straight to your home and do it on the weekends too.This week was week three of John C. Depp II v. Amber Laura Heard, Johnny Depp’s $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard (in which she’s countersued for $100 million). It is nothing if not a sordid tale where no one looks particularly innocent. But it certainly seems like the entire internet is Team Johnny Depp.And: Slow Horses is a darkly funny espionage thriller series based on the novel by Mark Herron and starring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Its first season finale hit Apple TV+ today.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Cinema Paradiso’ actor Jacques Perrin dies at 80HBO reminds Jerry West that Winning Time is “not a documentary” Last week, the Lakers legend sent out a letter demanding a legal retraction by the companyWhy There’s So Much Unsexy Sex on TVHow to Use (or Not Use) a Hyphen Plus: a brief digression into why The New Yorker hyphenates “teen-ager.”Jon Stewart says the ‘fragility of leaders’ is the real threat to humorThe Avengers have been with us for 10 years. Have they made movies better or worse?Production on Bill Murray film ‘Being Mortal’ is halted after a behavior complaintIt Is Still a Bad Idea to Antagonize Mike Tyson Yet people keep on trying‘The Northman’ Was #4 Over the Weekend, Then #1 on Monday: Why the Uptick? This could be one of the most encouraging grosses of late — and a sign of great word of mouth.A rattlesnake bit Cary Elwes. Here’s what to do if it happens to youMegan Fox Appeared To Confirm That She And Machine Gun Kelly Are In A Consensual BDSM Relationship After Facing Intense Backlash Over Her Engagement Ring That He Designed To Cause Pain “I feel sexual power in that way, by experiencing it that way… I was being celebrated as being a feminist until I had the nerve to call my boyfriend, ‘Daddy.’”“Guardians Of The Galaxy” Director James Gunn Defended Chris Pratt On Twitter And Said He Will “Never” Be Replaced “I know the church he currently goes to. Do you?”The Return of Coachella and a Glimpse Into Our New Abnormal The most famous music festival in America returned this past weekend, providing a preview of the strange, not-so-distant futureBillboard’s Newest No. 1 Hits Reiterate One Important Rule More pop stars have an oddball, ultimately forgotten big single than you might think.Disney announces Avatar 2 title, premieres teaser trailer At CinemaCon, Avatar producer Jon Landau discussed the “separate, but cohesive” strategy of the franchiseGene Kelly’s widow looks back on 70 years of Singin’ In The Rain Kelly’s widow Patricia offers some insights about the classic musical, Gene’s best moments, and the modern filmmaker she thinks he would have worked well withThe Coastal Grandmother Aesthetic Is a Lifestyle, Not Just a TikTok Trend Coastal grandmother heralds a new kind of hot girl summer—with fresh produce, strong co*cktails, and light linens.Mission: Impossible 7 Is Now Called Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part OneHumans Can’t Quit a Basic Myth About Dog Breeds Breed doesn’t have that big an effect on a dog’s personality.How Elisabeth Moss Became the Dark Lady of the Small Screen The actor—who is also a director, a rom-com fan, and a Scientologist—likes to swim in the weird.Viola Davis says critics ‘serve no purpose’ but we do – and it’s not to sell tickets The actor’s response to criticism of The First Lady is astonishingly thin-skinned and misses our role in building dialogue and serving readersJames Corden Says He’ll Leave His CBS Show Next Year The British-born host, who was a successful actor and comedian before joining the network’s late-night lineup, has been signaling for some time that he was considering leaving.GUESTS:David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and the founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/29/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, as National Poetry Month comes to a close, we celebrate the form with three contemporary poets.GUESTS:Matthew Zapruder: Professor, poet, whose most recent collection is Father’s Day, and author of the book Why Poetry.Margaret Gibson: Poet laureate of Connecticut, whose most recent collection is The Glass Globe. Yanyi: Poet, whose most recent collection is Dream of the Divided Field, and writer of the advice column “The Reading,” for creative writers.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/28/2022 • 49 minutes

Henry David Thoreau is a bit of a polarizing figure. He has been both celebrated and criticized for his writing. He’s considered an inspirational figure for retreating to the woods, but mocked for his reliance on his mother during that same period.This hour, we look at the life and legacy of Henry David Thoreau, and ask what his example can teach us about who is remembered and celebrated.GUESTS:Laura Dassow Walls: Professor emeritus of English at the University of Notre Dame and the author of Henry David Thoreau: A LifeAlex Beam: Author, journalist, and contributor to The Boston GlobeTracy Fullerton: Director of the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California and the designer and director of Walden, A GameJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/27/2022 • 49 minutes

Mimes have been gesticulating their way into our hearts (or nightmares) nearly for forever. It may be that the legendary Marcel Marceau popularized the mime, but people have been communicating through movement since the very beginning.Today, characters in big-budget Hollywood movies and television shows routinely rely on pantomime techniques to create the on-screen characters we love.This hour, the past, present, and future of mimes.GUESTS:Doug Jones: A trained mime, contortionist, and award-winning actor known for his roles in The Shape of Water, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hocus Pocus, Star Trek: Discovery, and moreRichard Knight: Author of Mime the Gap: Techniques in Mime and MovementShawn Wen: Author of A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by ApplauseThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 30, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/26/2022 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/25/2022 • 49 minutes

When this week’s Nose hits the sky, it’s not just a call. It’s a warning.Matt Reeves’ The Batman is the highest-grossing film of 2022 so far by a fairly wide margin. It stars Robert Pattinson in the title role, and it’s the first entry in a new Batman shared universe. Two sequels are expected and two HBO Max television series are planned. Pattinson’s Batman exists alongside the DC Extended Universe, in which Ben Affleck plays Batman, and, it turns out, alongside a universe where Michael Keaton is still Batman. It’s a shared multiverse that I’m talking about, I guess. Pattinson is Batman in what is apparently called ‘Earth-2.’ I am not making any of this up. I could not make any of this up.Anyway, The Batman premieres on HBO on April 23. It is available to stream on HBO Max and for digital rental and purchase now. Oh, and it’s still in theaters, too.And: Netflix announced this week that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of the year and that it expects to lose another 2 million this quarter. And its animation department is kind of falling apart. And it’s now going to crack down on password sharing. And then its market value dropped more than $50 billion over night. Yikes.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Robert Morse, Impish Tony-Winning Comedy Star, Is Dead at 90 He dazzled as a charming corporate schemer in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” His later triumphs included a memorable role on “Mad Men.”Liz Sheridan, ‘Seinfeld’ actress, dead at 93Radu Lupu, celebrated Romanian pianist, dies at age 76In Cleveland, Some Fans Are Guardians Only of the Past Cleveland’s baseball team adopted a new nickname, and their home opener was the first in years without Native American protests. That doesn’t mean everyone was happy.The Artful, Subdued Translations of Modern Pop Young artists like Latto, Vince Staples, and Doechii are subtly persuading listeners to rethink the way music genres can be interpreted.Rachel Zegler Is Finding Her Voice Cast in starring roles in West Side Story and Snow White, a high schooler became an overnight celebrity. What comes next?Johnny Depp in court says he has never struck any woman in his lifeTaylor Swift was the inspiration for the name of a new millipede speciesGen X Was Right About Everything. Here’s Proof Album anniversary tours are just our generation’s cultural victory lapA 4-year-old can run errands alone … and not just on reality TVWhat Happened to Jon Stewart? He is comedy royalty. But the world has changed since he was at the height of his powers.Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid It’s not just a phase.Elon Musk says he has secured the money to buy TwitterFlorida legislature passes bill repealing Disney special tax statusMartin McDonagh Isn’t Done Talking After a two-year delay that spanned a pandemic and his 50th birthday, McDonagh is back on Broadway with his new play, Hangmen—no longer the enfant terrible of the theater world, but still turning heads.Crap music isn’t as good as it used to be What is 2022’s equivalent to The Ketchup Song? Where are the tunes that teach us how to “Cha cha real smooth”?GUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynJames Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/22/2022 • 40 minutes, 35 seconds

Humans have always been interested in the sky, and astrology has been used as a tool for people in power for a long time. During times of stress, interest in astrology increases. But why are we so interested in something that is not considered a science? During this hour we explore the history of astrology, its relationship with astronomy, and the reasons why people love it so much.GUESTS:Darin Hayton: Associate Professor of History of Science at Haverford College, and author of The Crown and the Cosmos. Astrology and the Politics of Maximilian I. Julie Beck: Senior editor at The Atlantic, and author of the article “The New Age of Astrology.”Emily Levesque: Professor in the University of Washington’s Astronomy Department, and author of The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/21/2022 • 41 minutes, 3 seconds

The term “brainwashing” has been used throughout history by scientists, politicians, and journalists, as well as in movies and literature.This hour: a look at the history and science of brainwashing.GUESTS:Joel Dimsdale: Distinguished professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry at University of California San Diego and the author ofDark Persuasion: A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov to Social MediaTimothy Melley: Professor of English at Miami UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/20/2022 • 41 minutes, 1 second

André Gregory has directed and acted in the theater for more than 50 years. He has appeared in a number of movies, including Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ, Woody Allen’s Celebrity, Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities, Peter Weir’s The Mosquito Coast, and many more. He has starred in three movies about the theater with the playwright, actor, and comedian Wallace Shawn: A Master Builder, Vanya on 42nd Street, and the iconic My Dinner with Andre.Gregory’s memoir is This Is Not My Memoir. He joins us for the hour.Note: I apologize for the flagrant hackiness of the “joke” of the headline here. I feel your scorn and must suffer through my shame. There are times when a work is so iconic one doesn’t have a choice but to make reference to it. And so here we are.GUEST:André Gregory: An actor, writer, director, teacher, and painter; he is the author, with Todd London, of This Is Not My MemoirThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 27, 2021.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/19/2022 • 42 minutes

In her new book, Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth, Elizabeth Williamson investigates the conspiracy theories that arose following the shooting on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.GUEST:Elizabeth Williamson: Author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy And The Battle For TruthThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation onFacebookandTwitter.Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/18/2022 • 49 minutes, 30 seconds

This week’s Nose will be able to tell this story at a conference wearing flip-flops.The Dropout is an eight-part Hulu Original limited series that tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. It’s based on the ABC News podcast and stars Amanda Seyfried.And Inventing Anna is a nine-part Netflix Original limited series created by Shonda Rhimes that tells the story of Anna Sorokin. It’s inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York magazine story “Maybe She Had So Much Money She Just Lost Track of It,” and it stars Anna Chlumsky and Julia Garner.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Gilbert Gottfried Dies: Beloved Comedian and Voice Icon Was 67 The passing of the actor best known for his voice talents and stand-up comic gifts was announced Tuesday by his family.A secret plan, a bombshell lawsuit, and a soccer match: Inside Tom Brady’s un-retirementWomen are now TAPING their foreheads for a ‘wrinkle-free’ complexion in a bizarre new TikTok trend — so does it actually work?How swearing became a weapon of resistance for Ukrainians Their enthusiastic use of bad language contrasts with Putin’s linguistic prissiness — and shows that Russia doesn’t own RussianThe “Pity Me!” Personal Essay A recent trend in writing brings us a whole lot of dramatics and zero perspectiveThe Kids In The Hall Trailer: The Sketch Comedy Revival Arrives In MaySure Elon Musk Might Buy Twitter Oh why not.Will Elon Musk Go Full Future-of-Civilization on Twitter? Of all the things Musk says are good for humanity, this one is not like the others.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus TheatricalsMercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/15/2022 • 42 minutes, 38 seconds

We use zippers all the time: whether on clothes, shoes, bags, tents… the list goes on. Zippers keep our belongings secure, they keep us warm, they help keep out the elements, and they make it easier to get dressed. This hour is all about the zipper. We’ll learn about its history and significance, plus the role of zippers in fashion, and why so many zippers say “YKK.”GUESTS:Robert Friedel: Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Maryland and author of Zipper: An Exploration in Novelty, among other books. Emma McClendon: Fashion historian, curator, and author. Jim Reed: President of YKK Corporation of America. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/14/2022 • 41 minutes, 15 seconds

Perfectionism is on the rise among young people. This hour, we look at the impact of perfectionism on mental health, and how to deal with perfectionist tendencies. Plus, what the self-help industry can tell us about our interest in perfection.GUESTS:Thomas Curran: Assistant professor of psychological and behavioral science at the London School of Economics and Political ScienceTamar Gendler: Professor of philosophy, psychology and cognitive science at Yale UniversityKristen Meinzer: Host of the By the Book podcastJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/13/2022 • 40 minutes, 49 seconds

For decades, we didn’t take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as “chewing gum for the eyes,” as, literally, furniture.And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television.This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker’s television critic.GUEST:Emily Nussbaum: Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV RevolutionThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2020.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/12/2022 • 42 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/11/2022 • 40 minutes, 50 seconds

This week’s Nose is all gettin’ flushed.Rothaniel is Jerrod Carmichael’s third HBO comedy special. The previous two, 2014’s Love at the Storeand 2017’s 8, were directed by Spike Lee and Bo Burnham, respectively. Rothaniel was taped in February at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, and it, too, is directed by Burnham. This is the fourthdirecting project in a row of Burnham’s that The Nose has covered.And: The Outlaws is a BBC One series created by Stephen Merchant. It’s now available Stateside on Amazon Prime, and Amazon’s synopsis calls it “a comedy thriller about a disparate group of lawbreakers thrown together to complete a community service sentence.” It stars Merchant, Christopher Walken, and an ensemble cast.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Estelle Harris Dies: ‘Seinfeld’s Estelle Costanza, ‘Toy Story’ Franchise’s Mrs. Potato Head Was 93Los Lobos founding member Francisco González has died at 68Louis C.K.’s Grammy, After ‘Global Amounts of Trouble,’ Draws Backlash Some comedians are questioning how the Recording Academy saw fit to bestow an award to someone who had admitted to sexual misconduct.Why We Can’t Quit the Guitar SoloElon Musk becomes Twitter’s largest shareholder. The Tesla chief executive, who has been critical of Twitter’s content moderation policies, has bought 9.2 percent of the social media company.Film Of Prince At Age 11 Discovered In Archival Footage Of 1970 Mpls. Teachers StrikeMad Magazine’s Most Significant Cultural Moments 2022 marks MAD magazine’s 70th Anniversary. We celebrate a publication that’s been dumbing down America for decades.How Everyone Got So Lonely The recent decline in rates of sexual activity has been attributed variously to sexism, neoliberalism, and women’s increased economic independence. How fair are those claims—and will we be saved by the advent of the sex robot?Inside the BBC Staff Exodus: Women of Color Are ‘Exhausted’ From Fighting a Broken SystemJapan’s Monkey Queen Made It Through Mating Season With Her Reign Intact Yakei, the 9-year-old macaque who seized power at a preserve, played the field and mated with at least one male, all while managing to maintain her status as her troop’s alpha.Newly Measured Particle Seems Heavy Enough to Break Known Physics A new analysis of W bosons suggests these particles are significantly heavier than predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics.If you want original movies to survive, get to a theater this AprilIt’s Time To Revive the Nuclear Disaster Film With the U.S. and Russia Each Edging Towards Possible Atomkrieg, We’re Overdue for a Cinematic Reminder of the Horrors of Nuclear WarGUESTS:Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynRich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/8/2022 • 49 minutes

Azar Nafisi is the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, which spent 117 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list.Her new book, Read Dangerously, argues that reading literature, reading challenging, dangerousliterature is foundational and fundamental to continued democracy.Imagination, itself, she says, is a threat to autocracy and totalitarianism. Imagination is inherently, by definition, “free and wayward.”“It should be clear by now that when I talk about books,” Nafisi writes, “I am not talking about literature of resistance but literature as resistance.”Azar Nafisi joins us for the hour.GUEST:Azar Nafisi: The author of six books; her newest is Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled TimesThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/7/2022 • 50 minutes

In the past two years, we've all turned into preppers. Whether dealing with a pandemic, supply chain disruptions, or natural disasters, we've learned the value of being prepared to be self-sufficient for a few days, weeks, or even months. This hour, we look at prepping, and talk about how it has become a part of our everyday lives.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/6/2022 • 49 minutes

Gossiping is considered a bad habit. But, when done well, it can actually have social benefits.This hour, what gossip is, its benefits and drawbacks, and why we’re interested in celebrity gossip.GUESTS:Amanda Kehrberg: Adjunct media studies faculty at Arizona State UniversityShayla Love: Senior staff writer of features at ViceFrank McAndrew: Psychology professor at Knox CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 16, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/5/2022 • 50 minutes

There are thought to be about 17 million living flies for every human alive on Earth.They’re predators and parasites and pests, but they’re pollinators too. They help us solve crimes, heal wounds, and understand genetics and evolution. And they literally help at least one artist paint his paintings.Also this hour: A look at David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of, you guessed it: The Fly.GUESTS:Jonathan Balcombe: Author of Super Fly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most Successful InsectsJohn Knuth: An artistGale Ridge: Associate scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationJacob Trussell: Author of The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone; he published the piece “Only Jeff Goldblum Could Make Us Fall in Love with ‘The Fly.’” at Film School RejectsThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 19, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/4/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose is always moving, it’s rhythmic, it’s up close and personal, there’s no pads or helmets for protection.On Wednesday, Demi Moore announced on Instagram that Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from his career after being diagnosed with aphasia. Willis turned 67 last month.And: Last Friday, before last weekend’s Academy Awards ceremonies, Ross Douthat published an opinion piece in The New York Times: “We Aren’t Just Watching the Decline of the Oscars. We’re Watching the End of the Movies.”And finally: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is an HBO series chronicling the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers and starring John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, and an ensemble cast. It is created by Max Borenstein and executive produced by Adam McKay.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters’ Drummer, Dies at 50 Hard-hitting and charismatic, he was direct about his hopes for the group’s future, even after two decades. “I want to be the biggest band in the world,” he said.Paul Herman, The Sopranos Actor, Dies At 76Nicolas Cage Can Explain It All He is one of our great actors. Also one of our most inscrutable, most eccentric, and most misunderstood. But as Cage makes his case here, every extraordinary thing about his wild work and life actually makes perfect ordinary sense.The Real Mission Impossible: Saying “No” to Tom Cruise How the franchise superstar lawyered-up and out-gunned Paramount execs over costs, COVID and a last-minute submarine.Ryan Reynolds Is a Great Brand but an Increasingly Boring ActorAre You the Most Boring Person Alive? A recent study details the dull jobs, hobbies and personality traits that make someone a boring personDoes Every Geek TV Series Need To Require Hours Of Homework?Even Before Will Smith, It Was a Strange and Awkward Oscars 2022 V.F.’s chief critic reviews the 94th Academy Awards ceremony.Both teams assured of a possession in playoff overtime with rules change approved by NFL ownersGUESTS:Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastCarolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and the founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/1/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, a look at the path to sainthood and how it’s changed over time.Plus: the local example of the Rev. Michael McGivney.GUESTS:Teresa Berger: Professor of Liturgical Studies and Catholic Theology at Yale Divinity SchoolJoseph Layco*ck: Author of The Seer of Bayside: Veronica Lueken and the Struggle to Define CatholicismRachel McCleary: Lecturer in the Economics Department at Harvard University and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise InstituteJames Sullivan: Rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in WaterburyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Sara Gasparotto, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/31/2022 • 48 minutes, 55 seconds

We tend to associate arguing with destructive actions like quarreling or fighting. Argument is a different animal. It may be fueled by the passion that drives fights and quarrels, but effective arguing requires factual evidence and logic to support why one idea might work better than another idea.At its finest, argument opens our world to ideas and solutions we hadn’t considered, whereas the passion and clashing egos of a fight often send us sulking to our respective corners.This hour, we argue that arguing can be good for us, but one could argue that we’re wrong.GUESTS: Lee Siegel: A cultural critic and the author of seven books; his latest is Why Argument MattersAgnes Callard: An associate professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago and the author of Aspiration: The Agency of BecomingDavid Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film CriticThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/30/2022 • 49 minutes

Glass is all around us: from windows and mirrors, to phone screens and fiber optic cables.This hour, we learn how glass helped shape our world, efforts to create different types of glasses, and what it's like to make art out of glass.GUESTS:John Garrison: Professor at Grinnell College, and author of the book Glass.Alexis Clare: Professor of Glass Science at Alfred University. Eric Meek: Senior Manager of Hot Glass Programs at the Corning Museum of Glass.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/29/2022 • 49 minutes

Note: This episode contains strong language.You may have seen that Sunday night, on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith went up on stage and whacked Rock in the face, and then a few minutes later, Will Smith won the Best Actor award.A more Noseish confluence of events we may never have seen been before. And so we assembled an emergency, podcast-only, shortish Nose to deal with it.GUESTS:Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz EngineShawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastVivian Nabeta: Director of marketing and public relations for Capital Community College and the cohost of the So Pretentious podcastThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/28/2022 • 29 minutes, 30 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888–720–9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/28/2022 • 49 minutes

Over the last eight months, The Nose has covered 11 of this year’s Academy Award-nominated movies, encompassing 54 nominations.So on this special edition of The Nose, we look back at our discussions of nominated movies, and we look ahead to Sunday’s Oscars ceremony with film and television star (and Oscars voter) Illeana Douglas.Some of the movies covered include: Being the Ricardos, Coda, Drive My Car, Dune, House of Gucci, King Richard, Last Night in Soho, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, No Time To Die, The Power of the Dog,Spencer, West Side Story, The Worst Person in the World, and more.Note: This special two-part Oscars season finale edition of The Nose, airing over two days on the radio, is presented here as one double-length (or so) episode.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Stephen Wilhite, creator of the GIF, has died It’s pronounced ‘jif’ [Ed. note: It’s really not.]World No. 1 Ash Barty, 25, announces retirement from tennis: ‘I’m so happy and I’m so ready’It Looks Like Rachel Zegler Is Going To The Oscars … As A PresenterBrutally Honest Oscar Ballot #1: ‘Don’t Look Up’ Is a “One-Joke Movie,” ‘CODA’ Is “Excellent in Every Way” A member of the Academy’s producers branch, granted anonymity to speak freely, shares which films earned his precious vote (and why).What’s going on with Ye — and why does it matter?Rent-a-stranger: This Japanese man makes a living showing up and doing nothingA Manifesto Against Sex PositivityGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerTheresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsIlleana Douglas: A movie and television star and an Academy Awards voterTaneisha Duggan: A director, producer, and arts consultantBill Griffith: Created the syndicated daily comic strip Zippy, and he’s the author of Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Schlitzie the PinheadSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynJames Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeSteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the university of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolHelder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcastIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, parts of which have aired previously in different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/24/2022 • 1 hour, 35 minutes, 28 seconds

“Animals, which were in the service of man, could be arrested, tried, convicted and executed,” according to Edmund P. Evans in his book The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, published in 1906. They could also be excommunicated from the church.Our relationship to our pets and wildlife has mellowed over the centuries, but we still can’t figure out how to share space and food with the wildlife that lives among us without conflict, especially when resources get tight.We can’t translocate, trap, tase, laser, bomb, and euthanize our way toward a good solution. And aren’t we part of the problem? So, how do we coexist when humans make all the rules?GUESTS:Mary Roach: The author, most recently, of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the LawBen Kilham: Founder of the Kilham Bear Center in New Hampshire and the author of two books, Among the Bears: Raising Orphan Cubs in the Wild and In the Company of BearsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 20, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/21/2022 • 50 minutes

In the 21 years since Christopher Nolan’s Memento hit theaters, his movies have grossed more than $5 billion, earned 36 Academy Award nominations, and won 11 Oscars.His Dark Knight films helped spark the comic book movie renaissance we’re still experiencing, and his seventh feature, Inception, is the highest-grossing totally standalone live action movie ever made.This hour, a look at the filmmaker behind Batman Begins, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Tenet, and more: Christopher Nolan.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Emilio Delgado, ‘Luis’ for 44 years on ‘Sesame Street,’ dies at 81Jane Campion apologizes for comments made about Venus and Serena WilliamsPete Davidson headed to space on Blue Origin craftSenate Unanimously Passes Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent The draft law still needs to pass the House.Netflix Will Prompt Subscribers to Pay for Users Outside Their Households in New Test to Address Unauthorized Password SharingWhy bad driving habits from the pandemic might be here to stayKanye West Suspended From Instagram For Violating Harassment, Bullying Policy The rapper has targeted his ex Kim Kardashian, her new boyfriend Pete Davidson and comedian Trevor Noah in recent posts.An Educator Read ‘I Need a New Butt!’ to Children. Then He Was Fired. Toby Price, an assistant principal at an elementary school in Mississippi, read the book to a class of second graders over Zoom. “I am a firm believer that reluctant readers need the silly, funny books to hook them in,” he said.The Age of Everything Culture Is Here When anything on social media can become A Thing, trends take on an unnerving shape and velocity.It’s Time To Rebuild the Fourth Wall Characters in film and television must stop speaking directly to us.‘John Carter’ Changed Hollywood, but Not in the Way Disney Hoped Ten years ago, the property that inspired ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Avatar’ bombed — and now both those franchises are in the Disney family.The Things I’m Afraid to Write About Fear of professional exile has kept me from taking on certain topics. What gets lost when a writer mutes herself?GUESTS:Kayleigh Donaldson: A pop culture writer and criticJames Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeTom Shone: Author of The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher NolanThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 2, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/18/2022 • 50 minutes

The NCAA’s March Madness is back!And so the only logical thing to do is to get improv comedian Julia Pistell and the actual Bill Curry together to talk basketball for an hour on the radio.That may not be the only logical thing to do. It may be that that’s not actually a logical thing to do at all.But we’re doing it anyway.*It’s our 12th one of these unless it isn’t. Our thinking is that we’ve done this show every year from 2010 on, but for 2020. Though, in 2012, we used our brackets to pick a new Connecticut state bird. But we’re counting it.GUESTS:Eugene J. Cornacchia: President of Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New JerseyBill Curry: Playing the part of Bill CurryFrankie Graziano: A reporter for Connecticut PublicJulia Pistell: A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, among a number of other thingsSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/17/2022 • 49 minutes

Bumper stickers are everywhere. And they range from funny to informative to political to provocative. This hour is all about bumper stickers. We talk about the philosophy of bumper stickers, the evolution of political bumper stickers, and so much more.GUESTS:Henry Hoke: Writer and the author of the memoir Sticker, among other booksJack Bowen: A philosophy teacher and author of If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers, among other books. Claire Jerry: Curator of political history for the Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/16/2022 • 49 minutes

Author Oliver Roeder says that games are a “slice of life.” This hour we look at three games: chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly. We investigate why these games have endured in popularity through history, and we discuss what each one of them can teach us about life.GUESTS:Oliver Roeder: journalist and author of Seven Games: A Human HistoryJenny Adams: Associate Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of Power Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages, among other booksLindsay Shin: A competitive Scrabble player who’s been playing competitively for around 20 years; she organizes an annual Scrabble tournament in New OrleansMary Pilon: A journalist, screenwriter, and the author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game, among other books Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/15/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/14/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose doesn’t need you to tell it whether it’s cool or not, old lady.Licorice Pizza is the ninth feature film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The movie and Anderson are nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It is a coming-of-age story set in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s and starring Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in their film debuts. Its ensemble supporting cast includes Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie, Maya Rudolph, and John C. Reilly.And Drive My Car is an adaptation of the Haruki Murakami short story written by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe and directed by Hamaguchi. It is the first Japanese film ever nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and just the sixth movie ever to win Best Picture from all three major U.S. critics’ groups after Goodfellas, Schindler’s List, L. A. Confidential, The Hurt Locker, and The Social Network.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Mitchell Ryan, Lethal Weapon And Grosse Pointe Blank Actor, Dies At 88If the Lockout Makes Baseball Better, It Will Have Been Worth It After tense negotiations, Major League Baseball and the players’ union both made gains in their desired areas. But more important, they avoided losses — of games and, potentially, their standing.Netflix Suspends Service in Russia Amid Invasion of UkraineMoonfall Has Bombed Its Way Into The Record Books, And That’s Concerning‘Black Panther’ Director Ryan Coogler Mistaken for Bank Robber “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler,” Bank of America told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement about the January incident in Atlanta.Disney Censors ‘Overtly Gay Affection’ In Movies, According To Pixar EmployeesDenzel Washington tackles Shakespeare and life’s fourth quarter with grace‘We can’t afford to lose them’: the fight to bring missing movies back Films such as The Heartbreak Kid and I Shot Andy Warhol remain unavailable on any platform but a new initiative is aiming to change thatWhy Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story in the Country?GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan: A director, producer, and arts consultantJames Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeTracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’sThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/11/2022 • 50 minutes

Harvey Fierstein has won four Tony Awards, for writing and acting in Torch Song Trilogy, for writing La Cage aux Folles, and for acting in Hairspray.He has appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire, Bullets Over Broadway, Independence Day, Death to Smoochy, and more. He has sung to Muppets, he has voiced Disney characters, and he’s been in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Armistead Maupin has called Fierstein “a true American original who has blazed his own trail through popular culture for half a century.”Harvey Fierstein joins us for the hour.GUEST:Harvey Fierstein: An actor on stage and screen, a playwright, and a screenwriter; he is the author of I Was Better Last Night: A MemoirThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Michayla Savitt contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/10/2022 • 50 minutes

Over 500 years ago, Sir Thomas More wrote about utopia. Since then, countless communities around the world have worked to create their own versions of a perfect world. This hour, we look at examples of utopian communities from around the world.GUESTS:Avery Trufelman: Host of the podcast Nice Try!Akash Kapur: Author of Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in AurovilleSamir Patel: Editor-in-chief of Atlas ObscuraJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 18, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/9/2022 • 50 minutes

Between all we know to be true and all we know to be false lies a world of woo. “Woo-woo,” to use the full term, refers to ideas considered irrational or based on extremely flimsy evidence or that appeal to mysterious occult forces or powers.But who decides what’s woo-woo, and what gets accepted into the hallowed halls of scientific truth?The easy answer is that scientists decide. But the answer becomes harder when we remember that it was scientists who once deemed the world to be flat, light to be transmitted through “aether,” and a mysterious element called “phlogiston” to be responsible for combustion.On any given day in history, one person’s science is another person’s woo-woo.This hour, we bring together both skeptics and believers in an attempt to pin down exactly what constitutes “woo-woo.”GUESTS:Stuart Hameroff: Anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona known for theories on quantum consciousnessMichael Shermer: Founder of The Skeptics Society and the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths and The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better PeopleJess Tomlinson: Creator of Radiant & RiseThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/8/2022 • 49 minutes

“Schadenfreude,” the German word for taking pleasure in others’ misfortune, seems like an ugly human emotion. But psychologists and philosophers argue that schadenfreude is baked into the human condition and actually is kind of good for us.This hour, we explore why it’s okay to laugh when someone slips on a banana peel.GUESTS:Scott Dikkers: Founding editor of The Onion and the author of How to Write FunnyLauren Ober: Hosted the Spectacular Failures podcastJohn Portmann: Professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia and the author of When Bad Things Happen to Other PeopleJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/7/2022 • 49 minutes, 8 seconds

This week’s NoseMay come cannonballing down through the sky,Gleam in its eye,Bright as a rose!Who knows?As of Wednesday, Kim Kardashian is legally single and officially no longer named West. Meanwhile, Kanye West (who is also officially no longer named West, nor Kanye — he legally changed his named to just Ye last year) dropped a new video — also on Wednesday — in which he buries Pete Davidson alive. Davidson and Kardashian have reportedly been dating since November.On Monday, it took three Wheel of Fortune contestants 10 guesses to solve a phrase in which 19 of the 23 letters had been revealed: ANOTHER FEATHER _N YO_R _AP. It has since been called the “worst two minutes in Wheel of Fortune history.”And finally: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It is the second film adaptation of the 1957 stage musical and one of two movie adaptations of Shakespeare (along with The Tragedy of Macbeth) nominated for Oscars this year.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Alan Ladd Jr., ‘Star Wars’ Savior and Oscar Winner for ‘Braveheart,’ Dies at 84 A longtime studio exec and son of a movie icon, he also had a hand in such films as ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘The Turning Point,’ ‘Alien’ and ‘Thelma & Louise.’Oscars: Academy Infighting Mounting Over Categories Controversy The Hollywood Reporter’s awards columnist Scott Feinberg provides an update on the firestorm over the decision to present eight awards prior to the live Oscars telecast.The Lords of Baseball Think You’re Stupid The MLB lockout displays a breathtaking level of cynicism.AMC Theatres is charging more for The Batman tickets as a little experiment Tickets will be “slightly higher” for the Robert Pattinson-led superhero film says AMC CEODesigning Gotham Batman and his city are inextricably linked, and in developing their Dark Knight movies, filmmakers from Tim Burton to Matt Reeves have always paid special attention to how that city looksWarner Bros. Pulls ‘The Batman’ Russia Release Sony quickly followed suit in pausing the release of Jared Leto’s ‘Morbius.’EA Sports Dumps Russian Squads from FIFA 22Amazon to shut its bookstores and other shops as its grocery chain expandsPeople Online Are Saying We’re In The Midst Of The “Lohanaissance,” And Hallelujah, What A Time To Be Alive! I’ve been waiting for years.Epic Games buys Bandcamp proving, once again, we can’t have nice things Too much is never enough as the multi-billion dollar gaming behemoth buys the only good music streaming and purchasing serviceEvan Rachel Wood Cast As Madonna (in Weird Al Biopic)GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani: The co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerSam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynSteve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the university of Hartford’s Hartt SchoolThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/4/2022 • 49 minutes

Mike Pesca’s The Gist — with more than 1,700 episodes dating back to 2014 — is said to be the longest-running daily news podcast.After a controversial split from Slate, Pesca relaunched The Gist as an independent podcast this January.Mike Pesca joins Colin for the hour.GUEST:Mike Pesca: Host of The GistThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/3/2022 • 50 minutes

Chances are you’ve probably used an index at the back of the book at some point in your life. But how much thought have you given to their creation, their function, and their history?Our guest this hour has written a whole book on the topic. Dennis Duncan, author of Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age, joins us, along with a professional indexer, to tell you more than you ever thought to wonder about the role of indexes in our world.Plus, we get mixed up in the world of cookbook indexes.GUESTS:Dennis Duncan: Author of Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age and a lecturer in English at University College LondonPaula Clarke Bain: Professional indexerElizabeth Parson: Professional indexerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/2/2022 • 50 minutes

Treasure hunts are prolific across literature, film, and history.This hour we talk about treasure hunts, including what happens when you drop one in the present day.GUESTS:Dan Barbarisi - Author of Chasing The Thrill: Obsession, Death and Glory In America’s Most Extraordinary Treasure HuntMarcellus Cadd - Writes the blog Geocaching While BlackJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 4, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/1/2022 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/28/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose wants to be found out, same as everybody else.Guillermo del Toro’s sideshow noir, Nightmare Alley, is nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, and Richard Jenkins, among others. It’s based on the 1946 novel, of which it’s the second film adaptation, after Edmund Goulding’s 1947 version starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.And The Trojan Horse Affair is the fifth podcast from Serial Productions. It’s hosted by Brian Reed (host of S·Town) and newcomer Hamza Syed, and it’s billed as “a mystery in eight parts.”Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:A Prominent Regional Theater Will Exit Its Stage to Explore Its City Long Wharf Theater, a regional nonprofit on New Haven’s waterfront, is ending a long, bumpy chapter there, hoping to expand access and reduce costs.Hiatus brain: When your favorite show returns, but you can’t remember a thingFamous, but wanting to be forgottenThe Problem With the Pandemic Plot Literary novelists are struggling with whether, and how, to incorporate Covid into their fiction.Idris Elba on Plumbing the “Dark Side of Human Beings” and Making Room for Music With a far-reaching slate of movies ahead, including a big-screen adaptation of Luther, the actor is riding high—and ready to take risks.Academy Won’t Air All Categories Live for 94th Oscars TelecastJerry Lewis’s Costars Speak Out: “He Grabbed Me. He Began to Fondle Me. I Was Dumbstruck”Women first interviewed by the directors behind Allen v. Farrow say the comedy icon sexually harassed—and in at least one case, sexually assaulted—them with impunity. A special collaboration, including a mini doc, between V.F. and the filmmakers.Hugh Jackman’s The Music Man Removes the Classic Show’s Racist Subtext. What’s Left? Harold Hill was a Trumpian figure—but not anymore.Self-loathing Will Kill the OscarsHave We Forgotten How to Forgive? The internet preserves our worst moments so they can’t be forgotten. Social media’s insatiable appetite for punishment ensures that they can never be forgiven. Is this really what anyone wants?Colin Farrell’s Penguin Banned From Smoking in ‘The Batman’: ‘I Fought Valiantly for a Cigar’Still Tickets Left For The Louis CK Show In Kyiv [Tonight] Some may call stand-up comedy the biggest security risk of all…GUESTS:Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsBill Griffith: Created the syndicated daily comic strip Zippy, and he’s the author of Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Schlitzie the PinheadIrene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeThe Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/25/2022 • 49 minutes, 59 seconds

Nobody ever died of a broken heart, right? Not true. A condition known as broken heart syndrome can be brought on by a sudden shock, such as grief from the death of a loved one or a divorce.You may not die of a broken heart but it can alter your biology in ways that can increase your risk for disease. The good news is that it can be reversed if you can begin to mend your heart.Also this hour: We talk about how our language changes in the months leading up to a breakup — before either partner consciously realizes what’s happening — and why we’re so drawn to sad songs, particularly torch songs, when our hearts are breaking.GUESTS: Florence Williams: A science writer and the author of three books, most recently Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific JourneyKate Blackburn: A data analyst at TikTokSarah Seraj: Chief Technology Officer at A Better Force Noah Baerman: A jazz pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album is Love RightJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/24/2022 • 59 minutes, 30 seconds

What makes something tacky? This hour is a celebration of all things "tacky" with Rax King, author of the new book, "Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer." Plus, we look at why reality tv is sometimes tacky, and discuss the tackiest home décor.GUESTS:Rax King - Author of “Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer,” and co-host of the podcast “Low Culture Boil.” Brian Moylan - A writer, reality tv show recapper, and author of “The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives.”Peter York - A journalist and author of “Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful Despots,” among other books. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/23/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is concerned with problematic male comedians born in the mid-1930s.Showtime describes We Need To Talk About Cosby as “writer/director W. Kamau Bell’s exploration of Bill Cosby’s descent from ‘America’s Dad’ to alleged sexual predator. Comedians, journalists and Cosby survivors have a candid, first of its kind conversation about the man, his career and his crimes.” The fourth part of the four-part docuseries airs Sunday.And Rifkin’s Festival is the 49th feature film written and directed by Woody Allen. It was released internationally in 2020 and domestically in theaters and for rental on January 28. It stars Wallace Shawn in the Allen-proxy role along with Gina Gershon, Elena Anaya, Christoph Waltz, Richard King, Steven Guttenberg, and more.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Ivan Reitman, producer, ‘Ghostbusters’ director, dies at 75P.J. O’Rourke, Conservative Political Satirist, Dies at 74 In articles, in best sellers and as a talk show regular he was a voice from the right skewering whatever in government or culture he thought needed it.Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall will host this year’s OscarsThe Oscars will require tests for all and vaccines for most. Vaccine mandates and P.C.R. tests for the event, set for March 27 in Los Angeles.A Vibe Shift Is Coming Will any of us survive it?Is It Funny for the Jews? For a cultural critic, a sense of humor is integral to his Jewish identity. But these dark times raise existential questions about comedy and its uses.Network sitcoms are actually good againThe Sex Scene Is Dead. Long Live the Sex Scene Four critics discuss erotic thrillers, prosthetic penises, “Euphoria,” and the state of desire onscreen.Yes, Some Musicals Are Unwoke. That’s Not a Writ to Rewrite Them.The Semiotics of a 1999 Toyota Corolla The YouTube channel Regular Car Reviews delights in cultural critiques of boring automobiles.Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, World of Women Partner to Adapt NFTs Into Movies, TV ShowsFrancis Ford Coppola’s $100 Million Bet Fifty years after he gave us The Godfather, the iconic director is chasing his grandest project yet—and putting up over $100 million of his own money to prove his best work is still ahead of him.GUESTS:Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz EngineMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/18/2022 • 49 minutes

Stickiness: we know it when we see it-- or when we feel it under our feet at the movie theater. But what is stickiness, scientifically speaking? How do geckos climb? Why don't post-it notes ruin our books? On today's show we'll ask scientist Laurie Winkless about her new book, "Sticky," and figure out what holds it all together.GUESTS:Laurie Winkless - A science writer, physicist, and author of the new book, “Sticky: the Secret Science of Stickiness”Dr. Alyssa Stark - A professor at Villanova University. She runs a lab that studies biological adhesion.Will Coldwell - A freelance writer and regular contributor to the Guardian, Economist and Financial Times. He is the writer of the Economist article “Bursting the Bubble: How Gum Lost Its Cool.”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/17/2022 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds

Why is dieting such an enduring idea when it has such mixed results? This hour we investigate that question by looking back at diets through history, talking about the latest science, and discussing portrayals of dieting through pop culture.GUESTS:Virginia Sole-Smith - Author of “The Eating Instinct” and a journalist who covers diet culture and weight stigma, and who writes the “Burnt Toast” newsletter, and hosts the “Burnt Toast” podcast.Louise Foxcroft - A historian and author of “Calories and Corsets: A History of Dieting Over 2000 Years,” among other books. Evan Forman - Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Director of the Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science at Drexel University. Constance Grady - A senior reporter for Vox, and author of the recent article “Looking back at the ’90s has meant reexamining the decade’s toxic diet culture.”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/16/2022 • 49 minutes

Scrolling through online real estate listings, a practice known as “Zillow surfing,” has become a popular pastime.And it’s not just for people who are actually looking to buy houses… It’s also for snooping on the value of other people’s homes, imagining different lives for yourself, or just finding unusual houses to make fun of and share with friends.This hour, a look at the appeal of Zillow surfing.GUESTS:Ariel Norling - Author of the I Know a Spot NewsletterDana Bull - Realtor with Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty, based in MassachusettsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 1, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/15/2022 • 49 minutes, 5 seconds

This hour, we look at how the pandemic shaped dating, long-term relationships, and love over the past two years.GUESTS:Laura Kipnis: Author of Love in the Time of Contagion: A Diagnosis, among other booksHiwote Getaneh: A producer on the This Is Dating podcastPhilippa Found: An artist and writer and the creator of LockdownlovestoriesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/14/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose discusses “The Power of a Good Cry,” watches Super Bowl ads, and talks about HBO’s new comedy Somebody Somewhere.GUESTS:Sam Hadelman - Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/11/2022 • 49 minutes

Several high-profile NPR hosts recently left the station to work in other media organizations. Why?Some think NPR has become less innovative and unaware of the competitive opportunities that are now available for talented journalists and producers. Others dislike NPR’s recent hyperfocus on race and gender or blame its “woke ideology” as too inhospitable to its employees of color. But it’s not just people of color who are leaving.NPR may or may not have a race problem, but it’s just the tip of an iceberg that’s hiding a wider danger beneath the surface.Today, we take a deep dive into what’s going on at NPR.GUESTS: Matt Taibbi investigative reporter, the co-host of the podcast “Useful Idiots” and the publisher of the TK newsletter on Substack.  He’s the author of several books, most recently, Hate Inc.Nikki Usher is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her third book is News for the Rich, White, and Blue: How Place and Power Distort American Journalism.Jenna Weiss-Berman is the co-founder of Pineapple Street Studios, which has produced podcasts like “Missing Richard Simmons” and "Still Processing." Before starting Pineapple Street, Jenna worked in public radio for a decade and started the podcast department at BuzzFeed. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/10/2022 • 58 minutes, 4 seconds

More than half a century after they first came walking down the street, we’re still bananas for The Monkees. This hour, Colin and his guests help us figure out why.GUESTS:Mark Rozzo - Contributing editor at Vanity Fair and author of the August 2021 Vanity Fair story “The Most Influential Pop-Rock Band Ever? The Monkees!”Brian Williams - Former MSNBC anchor, lifelong Monkees fanDr. Rosanne Welch - Executive director of the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting and author of the book “Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture”Andrew Sandoval - Manager of The Monkees from 2011 to 2021 and host of the 60s-music podcast “Come to the Sunshine”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/9/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of A Clockwork Orange — the 50th anniversary of its wide release in the U.S., that is, on February 2, 1972 — our first full, show-length look at the work of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick.Our original go at this, about six months into the pandemic, was my worst experience producing live radio remotely, with Colin hosting from home and Zoom guests and all the rest. Because of various technical issues, we spent many minutes during that live hour trying to make it so that Colin and the guests could, um, hear each other. That doesn’t usually make for very good radio, and it left us with a much shorter conversation about Kubrick than we’d planned. I’m still scarred by it.But by some strange miracle, we’d also planned to record an extra, intentionally shorter conversation — also about Kubrick, also with those same guests — after that day’s show for a future day’s show. And somewhere in all that, there was the material for a whole show.So finally, we present this full-length careful consideration of the filmmaker behind 2001, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Spartacus, Eyes Wide Shut, A Clockwork Orange… the filmmaker Steven Spielberg called “the best in history”: Stanley Kubrick.GUESTS:James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeDavid Mikics - Author of Stanley Kubrick: American FilmmakerLila Shapiro - Senior reporter at New York magazine and Vulture, where she published “What I Learned After Watching Eyes Wide Shut 100 Times”Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired September 2 and October 28, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/8/2022 • 50 minutes

This hour, an assortment of topics.First up: why future COVID-19 boosters may be administered through the nose.Next, we learn all about masks.Finally: we get up to speed on the Winter Olympics.GUESTS:Dr. Akiko Iwasaki - The Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Iwasaki is on a team studying nasal COVID-19 boosters. Aaron Collins - A mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science, who tests and evaluates masks on his YouTube channel, and publishes all the data in a Google doc.Ben Waterworth - An Australian journalist, radio host, and host of many podcasts, including “Off The Podium,” a podcast about the Olympics. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/7/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose believes that everything happens for a reason. Call it luck. Call it fate. Call it karma.On the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated February 5, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s song score for Encanto, becomes the No. 1 song in the country. It’s the second song ever from a Disney animated movie to get to No. 1, after “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, 30 years ago. The Encanto Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is also No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It’s the first Disney animated movie ever to top both charts at once.On a slightly different note: The Build-a-Bear Workshop, this week, launched a new ‘After Dark’ line of, uh, adult-themed bears. I don’t know what to say about that. I just report the news here, folks.And finally: Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the first Ghostbusters sequel in more than 30 years and the fourth movie in the franchise. It’s directed by Jason Reitman, whose father, Ivan Reitman, directed the original movies in the 1980s. It stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, with appearances by many of the old favorites from the Ghostbusters universe.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:The Washington Commanders name is perfectly designed to be instantly forgotten SFGATE columnist Drew Magary on the NFL franchise that’s clumsily begging for anonymityThe New York Times Buys Wordle The word game, released in October, has millions of daily users.ABC suspends Whoopi Goldberg over Holocaust race remarksAziz Ansari’s Nostalgic New Comedy Special In “Nightclub Comedian,” Ansari fixates on how the Internet shapes our lives and longs for the pre-digital past.Why Do I Always Tweet and Delete? Psychologists and tweet-deleters help explain my favorite pastime (that weirdly makes me feel a little guilty).The Name of This Interviewee Is David Byrne In advance of a show of his drawings at New York’s Pace Gallery, the polymathic performer answered T’s Artist’s Questionnaire.The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees include Dolly Parton and A Tribe Called QuestOur Solar System in True Color Is Really Something Else Venus is white. So is the sun. They’re beautiful anyway.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine - An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceTracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children’sJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/4/2022 • 41 minutes, 10 seconds

You know Michael Schur from the shows he’s created, like The Good Place, Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine This hour we talk with Schur about his latest project: his new book How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question. Through the conversation we discuss moral philosophy, and big moral questions like “should you return your shopping cart to the cart corral?”GUEST:Michael Schur - TV writer, producer, and creator of Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place; his new book is How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral QuestionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/3/2022 • 49 minutes, 4 seconds

History is filled with men who were mistaken for gods around the world.This hour, we talk with the author of a new book on that topic: Anna Della Subin, author of Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine. She takes us through some notable examples of men mistaken for gods, and discusses why people look for gods on earth.GUESTS:Anna Della Subin - Author of Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/2/2022 • 46 minutes, 47 seconds

Nat Love was born a slave but died a free cowboy and a legend of the Old West. After the Civil War freed Love from slavery, he walked to Dodge City, Kansas, and got a job breaking horses — after he could prove that he could rope a bucking horse, climb on its back without a saddle, and ride him without falling off. Thus began Nat’s life as a cowboy.We don’t typically include Black cowboys as part of the American story of the West, even though 1 in 4 American cowboys is Black. Black cowboys are as American as baseball.GUESTS:Zaron Burnett III - Host and creator of the podcast Black CowboysPatricia Kelly - An African-American cowgirl and the founder of Ebony Horsewomen; she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2015Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 7, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/1/2022 • 42 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/31/2022 • 40 minutes, 59 seconds

This week’s Nose isn’t going to point out our houses, landmarks, or major highways during takeoff.It’s not every ad campaign that can boast its own group of devoted fans, but Progressive’s Un-Becoming Your Parents television commercials seem to have staked out their own space in the popular culture.And: Neil Young gave Spotify an ultimatum — you “can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.” Spotify chose Rogan.And finally: The Book of Boba Fett is a Disney+ limited series created by Jon Favreau. It is a spinoff from Favreau’s The Mandalorian, a direct sequel to Return of the Jedi, and a direct prequel and sequel to The Mandalorian.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Hannibal’ actor Gaspard Ulliel has died in a ski accident at age 37Peter Robbins, who voiced Charlie Brown in the 1960s, has died“Bambi” Is Even Bleaker Than You Thought The original book is far more grisly than the beloved Disney classic—and has an unsettling message about humanity.The Tao of Wee Man His world was radically altered by “Jackass.” But now, Jason Acuña has harnessed his fame to live the life of his dreams.Is Old Music Killing New Music? Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market. Even worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking.Cult Classic ‘Fight Club’ Gets a Very Different Ending in China Someone tried very hard to please Chinese movie censors.The people deciding to ditch their smartphonesThe rise of the post-credits scene, explained Marvel turned its post-credits scenes into a pop culture phenomenon.A ‘The Batman’ Controversy Unsettles a Portion of Fandom A vocal minority of fans took issue with comments from star Robert Pattinson, who confirmed his Dark Knight does not kill, yet such a rule has existed for decades in the comics.My Bologna Has a Face Mask Oscar Mayer’s latest gimmick is just thatMcminn County Bans “Maus,” Pulitzer Prize-Winning Holocaust BookAmy Schneider’s ‘Jeopardy!’ run has come to an end after 40 gamesThe Internet Is Eating Wordle Alive Nothing should be easier to ignore than the game and its fans. And yet, here we are.Twitter boots a bot that revealed Wordle’s upcoming words to the game’s players2022 DGA And WGA Award Nominations For Feature Films Include Dune, Licorice Pizza & MoreGUESTS:Pedro Soto - President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/28/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve all heard the generational stereotypes, and rolled our eyes at them.This hour: we investigate generational groupings to discover why we’re interested in separating people into generations, when it is useful, and when it is not.GUESTS:Bobby Duffy - Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, and author of The Generation Myth: Why When You’re Born Matters Less Than You Think Justin Charity - Senior Staff Writer for The Ringer, who wrote the recent article “It’s Time to Accept That Millennials and Gen Z Are the Same Generation”Ziad Ahmed - The CEO/Co-Founder of JUV ConsultingJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Gene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/27/2022 • 50 minutes

Think about it. When’s the last time you saw a brand-new instrument in a marching band?New instruments don’t come around too often — but it’s not for lack of trying. Getting a new sound off the ground involves design, production, music expertise, composition, and fans.It’s no easy task to invent the next best thing, but this hour we talk to inventors, composers, teachers, and the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition to learn about the future of sound.GUESTS:Jason Freeman - Professor of Music at Georgia Tech and Chair of the School of Music who leads the Guthman Musical Instrument CompetitionKyle Grimm - Composer who specializes in both acoustic and electronic mediums and a Professor of Music at the University of HartfordKeith Groover - The inventor of The Glide as well as a musician and music educator.Bosko Kante - Grammy-winning producer and inventor of The ElectroSpitJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Catie Talarski, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/26/2022 • 50 minutes

When we think of unicorns, many of us picture idyllic white horses with a single horn, surrounded by rainbows. But that’s not how unicorns have always been depicted.This hour, a look at the history of unicorns and their enduring popularity.GUESTS:Martha Bayless - The Director of Folklore and Public Culture and a professor of English at the University of OregonAdam Gidwitz - Author of The Unicorn Rescue Society series, among other books, and the creator of the podcast Grimm, Grimmer and GrimmestSarah Laskow - Author of The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns and senior editor for science at The AtlanticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/25/2022 • 50 minutes

This hour, we discuss the latest on COVID-19, learn about how books can be used in therapy, and hear about a controversial football rule surrounding a coin toss.GUESTS:Vincent Racaniello - Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at Columbia University, host of the podcast “This Week in Virology” Katrya Bolger - A journalist who works for Future of Good, and author of the recent article “Textual Healing: The Novel World of Bibliotherapy” for The WalrusJosh Levin - Slate’s national editor, co-host of the sports podcast “Hang Up and Listen,” and host of the podcast “One Year: 1995”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/24/2022 • 49 minutes, 1 second

This week’s Nose is a five-letter word.Wordle is the newish online word game that, either, you’re already addicted to or you’re already sick of everybody else posting about. It’s browser-based, free and ad-free, deceptively simple, and exceedingly popular.And: The Tragedy of Macbeth is a new movie adaptation of the Shakespeare play written, directed, produced, and co-edited by Joel Coen. It’s the Coen brother’s (that’s a little apostrophe humor there) solo writing and directing debut after making 18 features and parts of two anthology films with Ethan Coen. It stars Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Meat Loaf, ‘Bat Out of Hell’ rock superstar, dies at 74Louie Anderson, Emmy-winning comedian, dies at 68Fred Parris, co-founder of the Five Satins, dies at 85 after brief illness, band announces FridayAndre Leon Talley Dead at 73Howard Alexander Dumble, legendary designer of Dumble Amps, has died Dumble created some of the most iconic amps of all time, and personally built amps for John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robben Ford, Carlos Santana, Eric Johnson and Kenny Wayne ShepherdThe Undoing of Joss Whedon The Buffy creator, once an icon of Hollywood feminism, is now an outcast accused of misogyny. How did he get here?The Dumbledore of Clowning The French master teacher Philippe Gaulier has worked with stars like Sacha Baron Cohen. But at 78, are his methods, which include insults, outdated?The Best Book Covers of 2021Microsoft set to acquire the gaming company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billionA Creative Disagreement Saved A Major Star Wars Planet From Destruction‘King of the Hill’ to Return in Series From Original Creators’ New Animation Company It’s time to go back to ArlenKathy Griffin Is Trying to Get Back on the D-List Ever since her Trump joke went wrong in 2017, Griffin has been seeking a professional rebirth, and wondering who among the canceled gets a second chance.Now You Can Pay Money to Use Instagram Popular Instagrammers will be able to charge you to subscriptions to exclusive Stories.M&Ms characters to become more inclusive‘The Batman’ Runtime Revealed: 2 Hours and 47 Minutes, Without CreditsGUESTS:Tom Breen - Managing editor of The New Haven IndependentTaneisha Duggan - A director, producer, and arts consultantSam Hadelman - Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/21/2022 • 49 minutes

Humans have been trying for, well, forever to predict the future. But how helpful is predicting the future, really? And what factors determine whether someone is successful at doing it, or not?This hour, we try to predict whether predicting the future is useful, and understand why we’re so interested in doing so.GUESTS:Amanda Rees - A historian of science based at the University of York who works on the history of the future, and author of the book “Human.”Warren Hatch - A superforecaster, and CEO of the Good Judgment Project. Allan Lichtman - A distinguished professor of history at American University, his most recent book is “Thirteen Cracks: Repairing American Democracy After Trump.” He is known for accurately predicting the outcome of presidential elections since 1984. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/20/2022 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too.So we did that again.From my post screening the calls, it’s kind of hard to know what’s going on on the actual show a lot of the time, but here’s some stuff that I’m fairly confident comes up during this hour:a new flavor of Girl Scout Cookiesthe end of French dressing regulationthe (subliminal) arrow in the FedEx logothe (not-at-all-subliminal-as-far-as-I-can-tell) eagle in the U.S. Postal Service logonot just rebranding our show, but renaming it tooColin interviewing Terry Gross (not a thing that’s happening, as far as we know)a future show on the Knights of Columbus (not a thing we’re working on, as far as we know)veterinarians as first respondersUFOs and UAPsconverting our system to a direct democracythe correct pronunciation of “Tonga”We also got a call complaining about “a grown man calling them the ‘damn Girl Scouts.’” I’m assuming the grown man in question is Colin, though I didn’t hear him say that, and that caller wouldn’t go on the air.But be forewarned about all the potential profanity, I guess?Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/19/2022 • 49 minutes

Drinking alcohol has a number of negative impacts. But humans have been doing it for thousands of years and show no signs of stopping.This hour, a look at why we drink, why more people are moving towards sobriety through the “sober curious” movement, and the rise of nonalcoholic co*cktails.GUESTS:Elva Ramirez - A journalist and media consultant and the author of Zero Proof co*cktails: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful DrinkingHilary Sheinbaum - A journalist and the author of The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free MonthEdward Slingerland - Author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilizationand a professor of philosophy at the University of British ColumbiaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 18, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/18/2022 • 50 minutes

This week’s Nose is a crushing responsibility.The Lost Daughter is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s debut as a writer and director, and it’s made her a Golden Globe-nominated director and a Golden Osella-winning screenwriter so far. It’s an adaptation of the Elena Ferrante’s 2006 novel, and it’s available to stream on Netflix. The Lost Daughter stars Olivia Colman (in a Globe-nominated performance), Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, and Peter Sarsgaard.And: Station Eleven is an HBO Max limited series adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel. It tells the story of a world during and after a devastating, flu-like pandemic (sound familiar?). Station Eleven stars Mackenzie Davi, Himesh Patel, Lori Petty, Gael García Bernal, Caitlin FitzGerald, David Cross, and others. Its 10th and final episode hit HBOMax yesterday.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Ronnie Spector, ’60s icon who sang ‘Be My Baby,’ dies at 78Bob Saget Dead at 65Marilyn Bergman, Oscar-winning composer, dies at age 93Ultima Online: The Assassination of Lord British Remains Gaming’s MOST Infamous Event The events of Ultima Online have become legendary in the gaming community, in ways no one could have ever imagined. Time for a history lesson.Box Office Report: No Flops in This MultiverseHow the Potato Chip Took Over America A fussy magnate, a miffed chef and the curious roots of the comfort food we hate to loveSAG Nominations: ‘House of Gucci’ and ‘Power of the Dog’ Score Big; ‘Succession’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ Lead TVWNBA Star Sue Bird at Center of New Doc From Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw ProductionsInto the Belly of the Whale With Sjón The Icelandic novelist, poet and Bjork collaborator is a surrealist for our time.FX Reviving ‘Justified’ Starring Timothy Olyphant for New Limited Series The actor is set to return as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens in ‘Justified: City Primeval’ miniseries.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerTaneisha Duggan - A director, producer, and arts consultantIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/14/2022 • 49 minutes

As the pandemic marches on, the “Great Resignation” is a sign that a lot of us are feeling overworked. More than 745,000 people died in 2016 alone from overwork that resulted in stroke and heart disease, a problem so common in Japan they have a word for it: Karoshi.This hour, our guests unpack the looming threat of overwork. We look at how we got here, why we idolize overwork, why the game development industry has such a troubled relationship with creative individuals, and what we can do to ensure better workplace conditions.GUESTS:Anat Lechner - Clinical Associate Professor of Management and Organisations at Stern School of Business NYU, and a specialist in change managementKeith Fuller - Consultant for game development companies on leadership and culture, and the founder of All About EXAlex Soojung-Kim Pang - Author of the books “Shorter”, “Rest”, and “The Distraction Addiction”, and the founder of Strategy & RestSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/14/2022 • 49 minutes

This hour, we discuss COVID-19: from the latest science, to communication about the virus, and its depiction on television.GUESTS:Brianne Barker - Associate Professor of Biology at Drew University and a co-host on the podcast “This Week in Virology.”Aaron Blake - Senior political reporter writing for The Fix at The Washington Post. James Poniewozik - Chief television critic for The New York Times, and author of “Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America.”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/12/2022 • 49 minutes

Plum Island sits less than 7 miles off the coast of Connecticut in Long Island Sound. It is completely owned by the federal government and controlled by the Department of Homeland Security. Since 1954, it has been the site of the soon-to-be-decommissioned Plum Island Animal Disease Center.“All islands carry a certain mystery, but Plum Island has more than its share of stories and secrets,” according to Marian Lindberg.This hour, a look at the place Dr. Hannibal Lecter calls “Anthrax Island”: Plum Island, New York.GUESTS:Ellen Killoran - Staff reporter and editor at Crime OnlineMarian Lindberg - Conservation specialist for The Nature Conservancy and the author of Scandal On Plum Island: A Commander Becomes the AccusedGeoff Manaugh - Co-author of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of QuarantineJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 14, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/11/2022 • 50 minutes

You probably know when you’re feeling happy, sad, or angry. But our range of emotions stretch beyond the language we have for them.This hour, we learn about what emotions are, and give names to ones you’ve probably felt, but never knew what to call.GUESTS:Edgar Gerrard Hughes - Researcher at London's Queen Mary Centre for the History of the Emotions and editor of “The Book of Emotions”John Koenig - Author of “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/10/2022 • 49 minutes

This week’s Nose is a willow hamper containing umpteen pins, plaques, and official citations of the highest order.In this week’s newest nonsense news: Jon Stewart says he does not think the Harry Potter movies are antisemitic. The Pope says people who have pets instead of kids are selfish. And Connecticut’s own fart bottling “fartrepreneur” says she has retired.And: The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun is Wes Anderson’s new anthology film. It tells five different stories in three different aspect ratios and in black and white and color, and it stars many of Anderson’s usual stable of actors: Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, etc.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Sidney Poitier, Oscar-Winning Icon, Dies at 94 The first black actor to win a best-actor Oscar, and the first to become America’s top box-office draw, Poitier leaves behind a singular legacy.Peter Bogdanovich, Iconic Director of ‘Last Picture Show’ and ‘Paper Moon,’ Dies at 82Max Julien, star of Blaxploitation classic ‘The Mack,’ has died at 88‘Sesame Street’ composer Stephen Lawrence has died at 82Pabst Blue Ribbon Deletes Tweets About ‘Eating Ass,’ Saying They Were ‘in Poor Judgment’ The brand tried making cracks at Dry January’s expenseHumans would probably start eating each other in spaceDon’t Look Up Is Netflix’s 3rd Most-Viewed Film Ever In 11 Days The Netflix feature Don’t Look Up from director Adam McKay starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, has become a massive success in 11 days.Late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers test positive for COVID-19The Grammys are postponed and Sundance is moved online because of omicron surgeNovak Djokovic Is Refused Entry Into Australia Over Vaccine Exemption The No. 1 men’s tennis player was told to leave the country following a 10-hour standoff with government officials at a Melbourne airport, ending his chance to defend his Australian Open title.What the Success of Spider-Man Means for Hollywood in 2022 Spider-Man: No Way Home bodes well for cinemas. Yet smaller-budget films might get left behind.Rated “G” for “Globalization” How the Drive for Easily Marketable, Mass-Consumable Children’s Media Stifles Complexity and CreativityCelebrity-obsessed people are less intelligent, new study boldly claimsMost Of The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of All Time Were Made After 2010Elmo is right about Rocco and it’s time we acknowledge that Elmo has been beefing with a rock since 1999The Nonexistent Cancellation of Norman Mailer Junior staffers at Penguin Random House scoff at the idea that one of their own was powerful enough to derail a new collection of the author’s work.Nicolas Cage says actors need to know how to use a gun Asked if firearms should be banned from film sets after the fatal shooting involving Alec Baldwin last year, Cage said they are ‘part of the job profile’GUESTS:Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsSam Hadelman - Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynTracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children’sJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/7/2022 • 49 minutes

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat knew he was sick, but none of the doctors he visited in the early days of his illness could tell him what he had. He was treated for Lyme disease but he didn’t get better. So he took matters into his own hands.Ross joins us to share his personal story of what it’s like to feel sick when few believe you and how his pain led him to seek answers in the controversial world of chronic Lyme disease.His story is about living with chronic illness and his frustration with a medical community that can disregard that which it doesn’t understand. His story is also about the desperate measures one becomes capable of taking to fight an invisible foe while under the influence of pain, a desperation for proof of illness, and an internet filled with conflicting information.GUEST:Ross Douthat - New York Times columnist and a film critic for National Review; he’s the author of several books including The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success and, most recently, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and DiscoveryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/6/2022 • 50 minutes

Recent scientific discoveries have shown just how much we’ve previously underestimated Neanderthals. It turns out that their lives were very similar to those of our ancestors.This hour: we learn about Neanderthals, and discuss why humans have dismissed them for decades.GUESTS:Ella Al-Shamahi - National Geographic Explorer, a TV presenter, palaeo-anthropologist, evolutionary biologist, and a stand-up comic. Her latest book is "The Handshake: A Gripping History."Anna Goldfield - Host of the podcast “The Dirt” and an archeologist.Bruce Hardy - Professor of Anthropology at Kenyon College.Claire Cameron - Author of “The Last Neanderthal,” among other books.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/5/2022 • 49 minutes

It’s a brand new year, baby! The holidays are over, the winter is upon us… 2022 is upon us. So we figured you might want to talk.In other words: We’ve got no guests today, just Colin and you. Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/4/2022 • 49 minutes

It’s been a long, strange year. (Aren’t they all at this point?) And so, how is our popular culture dealing with it all?The Nose has a number of questions.Will movies and TV ever really deal with COVID? Whatever happened to sympathetic characters? Whatever happened to comedies? Did anybody watch any standup comedy this year that wasn’t Bo Burnham or Dave Chappelle? Why do we cry at everything we watch? Isn’t Don’t Look Up great? Isn’t Don’t Look Up terrible? Why are we so stuck on old music? Do we even share a common popular culture anymore? Why are there so many good music documentaries all of sudden? Why don’t ALL the movies come directly to our houses now? Will we ever go back to movie theaters for real?And other ones.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:The 50 Wildest Pop Culture Moments of 2021 Literally how did this all happen in one year.Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Soars to Record $260M U.S. Opening, $600.8M Globally The superhero pic scored the No. 2 domestic debut of all time as moviegoing returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time despite omicron. But not all are celebrating: ‘Nightmare Alley’ found coal in its Christmas stocking.The Oscars Shortlist Contenders Have Been Announced, And Palme d’Or Winner Titane Was Left OutHollywood Tests the Limit of Marquee Names a Single Film Can Hold Boldface names have always mattered at the movies, but a number of recent casts have been full of them. That hasn’t always helped at the box office.The Best Music of 2021: Lil Nas X is the boundary-smashing pop revolutionary of 2021Winnie-the-Pooh and more works will enter the public domain tomorrowGUESTS:Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction; she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastRebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerSam Hadelman - Hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynJames Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversitySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/31/2021 • 49 minutes, 1 second

To round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year. We’ve done this every year for at least the last eightyears.Here are our 2021 picks:“Dark Blue Residue” from Afrika Loveby Alchemy Sound Project“Homeward Bound (for Ana Grace)” from Homeward Bound by Johnathan Blake“Movement 6” from Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, and The London Symphony Orchestra“It Come ’Round ’Gin” from The Democracy! Suite by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Septet with Wynton Marsalis“Relentless Mind” by Jihye Lee Orchestra featuring Sean Jones and Alan Ferber from Daring Mind by Jihye Lee Orchestra“Leone” from Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World, Volumes 1–10 by The Music of William Parker“Shortie’s Portion” from Raise Up Off Me by Ralph Peterson“Gotham” by Andrew Renfroe featuring Marquis Hill, Braxton Cook, Taber Gable, Rick Rosato, and Curtis Nowosad from Run in the Storm by Andrew Renfroe“Wings” by Scott Robinson and Elan Mehler from Kimbrough by various artists“White Out” from Two Takes, Vol. 1: Quintet by Jared Schonig“The Sports Page” from This Bitter Earth by Veronica Swift“Up North” from Reverso: Live by Frank Woeste, Ryan Keberle, and Vincent CourtoisGUESTS:Jen Allen - A pianist, composer, arranger, and educatorNoah Baerman - A pianist, composer, and educatorGene Seymour - A film, television, and music criticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/30/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 14 seconds

Have you ever considered lifting lipstick from Sephora, only to wonder why? Did you feel the rush of valor when Indiana Jones breached Russian defenses to nab an enchanted skull for the sake of humanity? This hour on the Colin McEnroe Show, our guests invite our inner thieves to reveal themselves and shine light on why we steal.We look at thefts through history and culture, discuss how a common villain gets made in times of uncertainty, and talk about the push for museums to restore ties between Native communities and their sacred belongings through artifact repatriation.GUESTS:Robert Tyminski - Psychologist and psychoanalyst in the Jungian tradition, author of “The Psychology of Theft” and “Loss: Stolen and Fleeced” Lisa Feldman Barrett - Neuroscientist and psychologist at Northeastern’s College of Science, and author of “Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain” Chip Colwell - Founder of Sapiens magazine and podcast, anthropologist, former senior curator at the Denver Museum of Earth and Science, and author of “Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits” Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/29/2021 • 49 minutes

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters 20 years ago this month, on December 19, 2001.This hour, a look back at the Lord of the Rings books and movies and their impact.GUESTS:John Garth - Author of The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth and Tolkien and the Great War, among other booksMolly Ostertag - Graphic novelist, TV writer, and author of the article “Queer Readings of The Lord of the Rings are Not Accidents”Susana Polo - Entertainment editor for PolygonJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 12, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/28/2021 • 50 minutes

We’re back from the holiday weekend. We’re looking forward to the holiday weekend. As we start this holiday interregnum week, we figured you might want to talk.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour… about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/27/2021 • 49 minutes

On this special Christmas Eve Eve edition, The Nose is not pretending to be any age.And Just Like That… is an HBO Max original limited series revival of Sex and the City. Set 11 years after the events of the 2010 movie Sex and the City 2, the series is said to have had the most-watched debut on HBO Max to date.And: Yellowjackets is an hour-long Showtime drama created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Here’s how Showtime describes it: “Wildly talented high school girls’ soccer players descend into savage clans after their plane crashes in the remote northern wilderness. Twenty-five years later, they discover that what began in the wild is far from over.” This month, Yellowjackets was renewed for a second season.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - A director, producer, and arts consultantCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/23/2021 • 49 minutes

Every year since 2014, we’ve done some version of this show. Ideally, we’d do it in person, but these aren’t ideal times.But our holiday spirit remains, dauntless. “Big Al” Anderson and Jim Chapdelaine and the band are back together over at Jim’s studio. Colin’s hermetically sealed up in our studio. We sing some songs, tell some stories, have some surprise celebrity cameos, and somehow we wind up with a holiday special.It’s an hour of joyous nonsense for Christmas Eve Eve Eve, an audio Happy Holidays from us to you.GUESTS:“Big Al” Anderson - Vocals, guitar, songwriterJim Chapdelaine - Guitar, vocals, songwriter, mixer, engineer, producer, etc.Illeana Douglas - Movie and TV starLorne Entress - Drums and vocalsPaul Kochanski - Bass guitar and vocalsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, Natalie Frascarelli, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/22/2021 • 52 minutes

When was the last time you had fun? I mean the kind of fun where you lost track of time, you didn’t care what others were thinking of you, and you felt connected to the people you were having fun with. We all know what fun feels like, so why don't we make time for it?We tend to think of fun as a side dish, something to eat if you’re not too full. That’s wrong. Fun should be the main course. Fun nourishes our mind and body as much as healthy food and productive work.This hour, we talk about fun, including why we’re not having it, why we need more of it, and how to have it.GUESTS:Catherine Price - Science journalist and the author of several books including The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive AgainJulia Pistell - Founding member of Sea Tea Improv, host of the Literary Disco podcast, a freelance producer at Connecticut Public, and a freelance writerLiliana DeLeo - A certified laughter yoga master trainer and the founder of Living LaughterJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/21/2021 • 49 minutes

At 10 years old, M. Leona Godin began losing her vision. Her experience with sight and blindness is detailed in her new book, There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness. In it she also explores blindness throughout literature, and through key figures and inventions throughout history.This hour, we’re joined by Godin to discuss “the vast, dappled regions between seeing and not-seeing, blindness and sight, darkness and light.”GUEST:M. Leona Godin - Author of There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of BlindnessJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 8, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/20/2021 • 49 minutes

The Nose is off this week. In its place, America’s Greatest Living Film Critic, David Edelstein, joins Colin to talk about the year in movies and television and, well, everything.GUEST:David Edelstein - America’s Greatest Living Film CriticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/17/2021 • 46 minutes, 53 seconds

With the New Britain Museum of American Art staging two concurrent exhibitions of Sol LeWitt’s prints, we listen back to our 2019 hour on the Hartford native, one of the giants of conceptualist and minimalist art.As an artist, LeWitt abandoned the long histories of painting and drawing and sculpture in favor of his Wall Drawings and Structures.And as an art figure, he abandoned the conventions of celebrity and resisted ever even having his picture taken.This hour, a look at Connecticut’s own Sol LeWitt.GUESTS:David Areford - Associate professor of art history at the University of Massachusetts Boston and curator of Strict Beauty: Sol LeWitt Prints for the New Britain Museum of American ArtLary Bloom - The author of Sol LeWitt: A Life of IdeasAndrea Miller-Keller - Was the Emily Hall Tremaine Curator of Contemporary Art at the Wadsworth Atheneum from 1968 to 1998Cary Smith - An artist who makes abstract paintingsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired May 9, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/16/2021 • 42 minutes

In their new book, Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home, Anne Helen Petersen and Charlie Warzel argue that “whatever you were doing during the pandemic and its stilted aftermath, it was not working from home,” but instead “doing your job from home.”This hour: Charlie Warzel joins us for a conversation about remote work, our relationship to work in general, and how to make work better for everyone.GUESTS:Charlie Warzel - Author of the newsletter Galaxy Brain and contributing writer at The Atlantic; his new book with Anne Helen Petersen is Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/15/2021 • 50 minutes, 4 seconds

The 18-year wait is nearly over, and the fourth Matrix movie, The Matrix Resurrections, is almost here.This hour, we look back at the original film and its continued influence across the culture with bullet time and red pills and the “woah” meme and so much more.We take the question of whether we’re living in a simulation much more seriously than we did when The Matrix came out. We’re much more attuned to the allegory for the trans experience that The Matrix might well have been.And The Matrix Resurrections is just the latest iteration of the ongoing #Keanussance, from Duke Caboom to Bill & Ted Face the Music to John Wick: Chapter 4 next year.GUESTS:River Donaghey - An associate editor at Vice, where he published the piece “Give Keanu Reeves Some Space, Everybody”David Sims - A staff writer at The Atlantic and the cohost of Blank Check with Griffin and DavidEmily VanDerWerff - The critic at large for Vox, where she published “How The Matrix universalized a trans experience — and helped me accept my own”Rizwan Virk - Executive director of Play Labs at M.I.T. and the author of The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video GameJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired June 19, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/14/2021 • 43 minutes, 7 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows most weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/13/2021 • 40 minutes, 23 seconds

This week, The Nose might mind if you come to the table without a washup.The 1970s are back. Again. For the nth time. But maybe it’s different this time? That said, the ’70s weren’t all that bad.And, the age-old question: Should movies have intermissions?And finally: The Power of the Dog is a Western written and directed by Jane Campion and based on the 1967 novel. It’s Campion’s first movie in 12 years, and it won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival. The movie is an early Oscar favorite, with special notice going to performances by Kodi Smit-McPhee and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Power of the Dog is available to stream worldwide on Netflix.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Michael Nesmith, Monkees Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 78 “With Infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes,” his family said in a statementGreg Tate, Groundbreaking Cultural Critic and Black Rock Coalition Co-Founder, Has Died Tate was a challenging and authoritative voice on everything from hip-hop to hardcore, and also made his own significant musical impact with projects like Burnt SugarRobbie Shakespeare, ‘Wickedest Bass’ in Reggae, Dead at 68 Alongside his Riddim Twins counterpart Sly Dunbar, the bassist played with everyone from Black Uhuru to Bob Dylan across more than four decadesMaking of ‘Dune’: How Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Epic Is the Culmination of a Childhood Dream The filmmaker mined his boyhood obsession with Frank Herbert’s classic novel to create the big-screen adaptation he always wanted to see: “I said to myself, ‘I would love if I could make a movie for the teenager I was back then.’”Inside Wheel of Time, Amazon’s Huge Gamble on the Next Game of Thrones As legend has it, a few years back, Jeff Bezos demanded that his team at Amazon Studios create a fantasy epic that would put Game of Thrones to shame. Turns out, that kind of thing is even harder to do than it sounds. And more expensive than you can imagine. Inside the epic quest to bring Wheel of Time to life—and maybe change the face of global television forever.On “Succession,” Jeremy Strong Doesn’t Get the Joke “I take him as seriously as I take my own life,” he says of his character, Kendall Roy.2021 Is the Year of Adam DriverIt’s a Great Time To Start a Show That Aired 10 Years Ago The key to happiness is embracing something at the absolute nadir of its cultural relevanceWe Still Love 30 Rock, but Its Foundation Is Shaky The author of a new book about Tina Fey’s magnum opus on celebrating 30 Rock’s triumphs without skirting over the troubling way it handled race.Longreads Best of 2021 Our year-end collection includes staff and community picks for the best essays, features, profiles, and investigations published in 2021.The 20 Best TV Shows of 2021 From dark social satires to quirky comedies, twisty superhero tales, uplifting sci-fi, and more, this year’s small-screen gems were bold, surprising, and 100 percent satisfyingThe Best Books of 2021 The 10 I most enjoyed this year.The Best Movies of 2021 It was a year of octogenarian high jinks, long yet revealing documentaries, and masters reasserting themselvesThe best movie trailers of 2021 Our list of the year’s best movie advertising campaigns includes Licorice Pizza, Last Night In Soho, and TitaneDebt collectors can now text, email and DM you on social mediaWhy Biopics Are Bad For ActingWhy the Year’s Most Popular Song Never Went to No. 1 Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” is Billboard’s top song of 2021, even though it never topped the Hot 100.Stephen Sondheim Didn’t Just Change Musicals. He Changed Crosswords. The musical genius also helped introduce the U.S. to a tricky new kind of puzzle.A Charlie Brown Christmas’ soundtrack captures the holiday spirit by not defining it The classic special is one of the last perennial strongholds for two very American art forms: the comic strip and jazzAn Exhaustive List of Directors Who Swear They Won’t Make a Superhero Movie There’s no more reliable way to elicit clicks and outrage in Hollywood.The Joy Of Hating Stuff For No Good Reason It’s okay, you don’t always need oneThe Rebrand Trend of 2021? Acting Your Age This year, heritage brands looked to their pasts to create visual identities for the multi-platform eraBros., Lecce: We Eat at The Worst Michelin Starred Restaurant, EverSaudi camel beauty pageant cracks down on cosmetic enhancementsOscar’s Penis Problem: Why Does the Academy Ignore Actors Doing Full Frontal?GUESTS:James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeTracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children’sJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/10/2021 • 49 minutes

Newsletters have become a great way for journalists and others to dive deep into less-covered topics and engage directly with their readers in ways not always possible in the mainstream media ecosystem.The platform Substack is making it easy for them. The subscription-based model offers writers more editorial control and the ability to offer free content and earn a sustainable salary at a time when public trust in media is low, local news is thinning and media content is often driven by social-media algorithms.We talk about email newsletters with people who write them and critique them.GUESTS:Heather Cox Richardson - Professor of history at Boston College; she writes the Letters from an American newsletterGabe Fleisher - Student at Georgetown University and the author of the Wake Up To Politics newsletterIsaac Saul - A journalist and the author of the Tangle newsletterBen Smith - Media columnist for The New York Times and the founder and former editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed NewsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 5, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/9/2021 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows most weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/8/2021 • 49 minutes

Former Senator Joe Lieberman believes the center of Congress is the best place from which to legislate. It’s the sweet spot for negotiation and compromise and making the deals that move the country forward. He thinks Congress would get more done if members would shift closer to the center and away from the fringe.But how do you bring legislators in today’s Congress together when they don’t all share one set of facts? And at what point does centrism become opportunism and the bridge-builder an appeaser? Are there compromises not worth making?Joe Lieberman joins us to talk about his 24 years as a “centrist” legislator and his complicated relationship with Connecticut voters.GUEST:  Joe Lieberman - Represented Connecticut in the U.S. Senate for 24 years; he is currently the national co-chair of the political group No Labels, and his new book is The Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work AgainJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/7/2021 • 49 minutes

This hour, we talk about an assortment of topics.First, the omicron variant has been found in at least 16 states. We’ll learn about the latest with COVID-19 and this new variant.Then, we’ll get tips for how to think critically.Finally, why cute cat videos have been used to spread misinformation online.GUESTS:Dr. Leana Wen - An emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. She is a CNN medical analyst and contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Her new book is “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.”Joe Árvai - The Dana and David Dornsife Professor of Psychology and Director of The Wrigley Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California. His recent article for The Conversation is “Aaron Rodgers dropped the ball on critical thinking -- with a little practice you can do better.”Davey Alba - A technology reporter for The New York Times whose recent article is “Those Cute Cats Online? They Help Spread Misinformation.”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/6/2021 • 49 minutes

This week, The Nose was a frying pan.The Beatles: Get Back is a three-part Disney+ docuseries produced and directed by Peter Jackson. It’s made from material originally captured for a 1970 documentary of the making of Let It Be. Jackson has called it “a documentary about a documentary.”Originally conceived as a feature film, The Beatles: Get Back was ultimately released last weekend as three episodes totaling nearly eight hours.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Renowned fashion designer Virgil Abloh dies at 41 after a private battle with cancerEx-Child Actor in ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Shot and Killed Police said Jonshel Alexander and a man were shot inside a vehicle Saturday in New Orleans.Did Taylor Swift Just Make Billboard Chart History? She’s given The Beatles and Don McLean a 10-minute run for their money.‘Home Alone’ House For Rent On Airbnb, Kevin Not IncludedWhich Films Lead the Biggest Best-Picture Race in Years? With epics like “West Side Story” and biopics like “King Richard” in contention, Oscar voters have plenty of choices in a category that’s now set at 10 slots.The Best Movies of 2021 This year’s releases, augmented by movies postponed from last year, offer exceptional artistry amid the industry’s commercial difficulties.Here’s Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult To Understand (And Three Ways To Fix It)The 10 most outrageous moments from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia The A.V. Club breaks down some of the wildest moments of the FXX comedy, which kicks off its 15th season on December 1The New Yorker: The Best Music of 2021NPR: Best Music Of 2021Adele convinces Spotify to remove the shuffle button from album pages: “our stories should be listened to as we intended” Streaming giant makes it less easy on you if you want to mess with an album’s running orderGen Z Pop Stars Made Their Mark in 2021. Beware, Millennial Forebears. Upstarts including Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Chloe Bailey and the Kid Laroi grew up on the internet, admiring the artists who are now their contemporaries.More Like Spotify Wrecked (I Use Apple Music) Here’s to the worst day of the yearM.L.B. Lockout: ‘We Understand It’s Bad for Our Business’ As the league and its players’ union settle in for a fight that the union called “unnecessary and provocative,” both sides went public to state their cases.How Leisure Time Became Work The rise of the attention economy has accelerated our habit of engaging with our hobbies in a data-driven way.The Package Is the Message American consumers can’t resist the lure of a well-designed container.Cancel Mel Gibson Why is Hollywood still hiring this raging anti-Semite?GUESTS:Steve Metcalf - Director emeritus of the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ CollegeIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/3/2021 • 49 minutes

From toilet paper shortages, to delayed shipping and low product inventories, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on our global supply chains.This hour we look at what’s going on, and how supply chain disruptions have impacted truck drivers and secondhand stores. Plus, why you don’t have to worry about maple syrup shortages any time soon, thanks to a Canadian maple syrup reserve.GUESTS:Terry Esper - Associate Professor of Logistics in the Department of Marketing and Logistics at the Fisher College of Business of The Ohio State University. He is also on the Board of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Keith Trosell - Truck driver and owner/operator of Boba Freight, which is based in Columbia, CT.   Jeff Wieser - President and CEO of Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut.Pascal Thériault - Director of the Farm Management and Technology program at McGill University. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/2/2021 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows most weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/1/2021 • 49 minutes

In 1959, Soviet geneticist Dmitri Belyaev started an ambitious experiment to study the origins of domestication: he would attempt to breed domesticated wild foxes by selecting on their behavior alone, a process he imagined our ancestors carried out with dogs thousands of years before.This hour, a look at the history and progress of this still-ongoing experiment: What can it tell us about our animal companions — and ourselves?Plus, we catch up with some domesticated fox owners and find out if foxes are good pets in real life.GUESTS:Amy and David Bassett - Founders of the Judith A. Bassett Canid Education and Conservation Center and the owners of several Russian domesticated foxesLee Dugatkin - Author of How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started EvolutionJacob Mikanowski - Writes about science, history, and artJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 26, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/30/2021 • 50 minutes

Stephen Sondheim was, put simply, among the most important figures in the history of musical theater.His major works include West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods.Sondheim won eight Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, eight Grammy Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.Stephen Sondheim died November 26 in Roxbury, Connecticut. He was 91.GUESTS:Steve Metcalf - Director emeritus of the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ CollegeAlexandra Petri - Columnist for the Washington Post and the author of Nothing Is Wrong And Here Is WhyGene Seymour - A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek”Howard Sherman - Theater administrator, writer, and advocate; author of Another Day’s Begun: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the 21st CenturyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/29/2021 • 49 minutes

Bob Dylan turned 80 years old in May. His first album, 1962’s Bob Dylan, is in its 60th year on record store shelves.We’re at a point where, for most of us, there has simply never been a popular culture in which Dylan wasn’t a towering figure whose influence seems to touch, well, everything.This hour, a look at Bob Dylan at 80.GUESTS:Noah Baerman - A pianist, composer, and educatorFred Bals - Hosted the Dreamtime podcast, covering Theme Time Radio Hour with Your Host, Bob DylanSean Latham - Director of the Institute for Bob Dylan Studies, editor of The World of Bob Dylan, and the writer and narrator of It Ain’t Me You’re Looking For: Bob Dylan at 80Gayle Wald - Professor of American studies at George Washington University; her most recent book is It’s Been Beautiful: Soul! and Black Power TelevisionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 20, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/24/2021 • 50 minutes

From New Kids on the Block to *NSYNC to One Direction, boy bands have been a staple of popular music for decades.This hour, a look at the history — and future — of boy bands.GUESTS:Brad Fischetti - The surviving member of LFOAja Romano - A culture staff writer for VoxMaria Sherman - Author of Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTSJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 1, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/23/2021 • 50 minutes

Joni Mitchell’s album Blue turned 50 this year. It may not have the artistic sophistication of her later albums, but Mitchell’s vulnerability endeared her to fans, if not early critics unused to such intimate storytelling. That was okay with Mitchell. She said her “music is not designed to grab instantly. It’s designed to wear for a lifetime, to hold up like a fine cloth.”She was right. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Blue the third-greatest album on its 2020 list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” a move up from No. 33 in 2017.We talk with musicians and critics about the album Blue and more.GUESTS:Peter Kaminsky - Professor of music theory at the University of ConnecticutSteve Metcalf - Director emeritus of Presidents’ College at the University of HartfordCarolann Solebello - Singer-songwriterJoin us on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired April 8, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/22/2021 • 50 minutes

This week, The Nose is lightning with the blam blams.First: Taylor Swift’s new 15-minute film for the new 10-minute version of her old five-minute song “All Too Well.” Swift played all of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” in front of some of the film live on Saturday night. It is now the longest song anyone has ever performed on SNL.And then: The Problem with Jon Stewart is a “late night” show that “airs” every other Thursday on AppleTV+. It marks Stewart’s return to television hosting after leaving The Daily Show in 2015. Each episode is an hour long and focuses on one issue. Four episodes are available so far.And finally: The Harder They Fall is a revisionist Western co-written and directed by the British singer-songwriter and music producer Jeymes Samuel, in his feature film debut. The movie, streamable now on Netflix, opens with title cards: “While the events of this story are fictional… These. People. Existed.” and nearly every character of any import is Black.Some other stuff that happened in the last couple weeks, give or take:Dean Stockwell, Actor Known for ‘Quantum Leap,’ ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Married to the Mob,’ Dies at 85Ed Bullins, Leading Playwright of the Black Arts Movement, Dies at 86 He wrote not for white or middle-class audiences, but for the strivers, hustlers and quiet sufferers whose struggles he sought to capture in searing works.Rapper Young Dolph Was Killed In A Shooting In Memphis The 36-year-old rapper had survived shooting attacks in the past, incorporating his experiences into the music he released over the years.Heath Freeman, ‘NCIS’ and ‘Bones’ actor, dead at 41Paul Rudd Is PEOPLE’s 2021 Sexiest Man Alive: ‘I’m Getting Business Cards Made’ “I’m going to lean into it hard,” the actor says of earning the crown. “I’m going to own this"What The Sexiest Man Alive Has Looked Like Every Year Since 1985 And What They Look Like NowSome of these are so random.Inside Ivy Getty’s Fantasy Wedding Weekend in San FranciscoBig Bird got ‘vaccinated’ against COVID-19, drawing outrage from RepublicansThe Metaverse Is Already Here — It’s Minecraft Blocky game-worlds are decentralized, thriving, hackable, and have produced a vibrant economyDisney Plus to Launch 13 Marvel Movies in Imax Expanded Aspect RatioStar Wars Spin-Off Rogue Squadron Delayed, Director Patty Jenkins Still AttachedThis West Side Story Teaser Wants To Pretend This Movie Isn’t A Musical For Some ReasonAmerica’s Dad Is Lonelier Than Ever In recent movies like Finch, Tom Hanks’ once-genial everyman doesn’t have much use for humanity.Disney+ Growth Slows, Stock Takes Big Hit Ahead Of Disney+ DayAaron Sorkin Defends ‘Being the Ricardos’ Casting Decisions The writer-director opens up about controversies in casting Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, the parallels between McCarthy-era Hollywood and cancel culture today, and the all-important endorsem*nt of Lucy and Desi’s daughter.What happened to Eric Clapton? The guitar legend has long been inscrutable, but his covid turn has friends and fans puzzled like never before.‘Party Down’ Revival Gets Starz Greenlight With Six Of Original Series’ Seven Stars ReturningJane Campion Will Never Direct a Superhero Movie: ‘I Hate Them’Dubbing ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ to spread the Navajo languageGrandma mistakenly invited a stranger to Thanksgiving. Six years later, they still celebrate the holiday together. The Internet is still swooning over their feel-good friendshipGUESTS:Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordShawn Murray - A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/19/2021 • 49 minutes

It’s a smorgaspourri of disparate topics this hour.First: Who will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2024? President Biden says he’ll run, and being that he’s supposed to still be president in 2024, that would make sense. But not everyone believes him. So then you’d have to figure Vice President Harris, right? Well, there are some questions about that theory too.And then: Why isn’t there a COVID vaccine for pets? Dogs and cats both get COVID from people. Lots of animals can. And lots of animals are getting vaccinated. Minks. Jaguars. Orangutans, otters, ferrets, lions, tigers… All getting vaccinated. So why not cats and dogs?And finally: What happened to Eric Clapton? The legendary blues guitarist and singer hadn’t released a protest song in his 56 years of recording, until last year, when he and Van Morrison started putting out songs protesting… COVID lockdowns? And now Clapton won’t play places where there are vaccine mandates, and he gives interviews to anti-vax YouTube channels. Just what is going on there, exactly?GUESTS:Emily Anthes - Science and health reporter for The New York TimesGeoff Edgers - National arts reporter for The Washington PostAlex Thompson - White House correspondent for POLITICOSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/18/2021 • 49 minutes

Occam's razor states that "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”This hour is all about Occam’s razor: where the principle came from, how it impacts science, its role in medicine, and how it shapes our daily lives.GUESTS:Johnjoe McFadden - Author of “Life Is Simple: How Occam's Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe.”Kurt Andersen - Co-founder of Spy Magazine and he was the host and co-creator of Studio 360; his newest book is “Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America -- A Recent History.”Dr. Lisa Sanders - A Clinician Educator in the Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Yale School of Medicine. She is also the author of the “Diagnosis” column for “The New York Times Magazine,” and is behind the Netflix show “Diagnosis.” She was also a technical advisor for the TV show “House,” which was based on her column.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/17/2021 • 49 minutes, 57 seconds

Between all we know to be true and all we know to be false lies a world of woo. “Woo-woo,” to use the full term, refers to ideas considered irrational or based on extremely flimsy evidence or that appeal to mysterious occult forces or powers.But who decides what’s woo-woo, and what gets accepted into the hallowed halls of scientific truth?The easy answer is that scientists decide. But the answer becomes harder when we remember that it was scientists who once deemed the world to be flat, light to be transmitted through “aether,” and a mysterious element called “phlogiston” to be responsible for combustion.On any given day in history, one person’s science is another person’s woo-woo.This hour, we bring together both skeptics and believers in an attempt to pin down exactly what constitutes “woo-woo.”GUESTS:Stuart Hameroff - Anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona known for theories on quantum consciousnessMichael Shermer - Founder of The Skeptics Society and the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths and The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better PeopleJess Tomlinson - Creator of Radiant & RiseJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/16/2021 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows most weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/15/2021 • 49 minutes

Dragons have captured our imagination going back to the Greek and Roman Empires when the skeletal bones of dinosaurs fed the myths we still believe today.And those myths show up in our most popular popular culture today – in the Harry Potter books and movies, in Tolkien’s Middle-earth books and movies, in George R. R. Martin’s Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.This hour, a look at dragons from the ancients through Game of Thrones.GUESTS:Cressida Cowell - Author of the How to Train Your Dragon seriesAdrienne Mayor - Author of The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times and Fossil Legends of the First AmericansWilliam O’Connor - The late author and illustrator of the Dracopedia book trilogyMatthew Reilly - Author The Great Zoo of China, among many other novelsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, Chion Wolf, and Alan Yu contributed to this show, which originally aired June 4, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/12/2021 • 50 minutes

Toad’s Place and The Shaboo Inn were part of a magical era for music in Connecticut in the 1970s and ’80s. It was a time when small music venues had a symbiotic relationship with fans and could lure thousands of rock, blues, and hip-hop superstars like Bruce Springsteen, Muddy Waters, and Cardi B to their stages.Local arts papers, FM radio, two huge coliseums, a less fragmented music industry, and plenty of college students from places like Yale and UConn who wanted cheap drinks and great music, provided a pipeline for local and national artists who wanted the intimacy of a smaller venue.This hour, the past and future of Toad’s and the Shaboo.GUESTS:Randall Beach - A columnist for Connecticut magazine and a former reporter, columnist, and rock music critic for the New Haven Register; he’s the co-author of The Legendary Toad’s Place: Stories from New Haven’s Famed Music VenueBrian Phelps - Owner of Toad’s Place and the co-author of The Legendary Toad’s Place: Stories from New Haven’s Famed Music VenueDavid Foster - Former co-owner of the Shaboo Inn, founder of the Shaboo and Mohegan Sun All-Stars, and current owner of Shaboo ProductionsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/11/2021 • 49 minutes

The inconic inventor and pitchman Ron Popeil died July 28. He was 86 years old. This hour, we listen back to the 2016 show we did with Popeil on the form he perfected: the infomercial.The Thighmaster, the Chop-O-Matic, the George Foreman Grill, and the Clapper… products which are all part of American consumer culture and which were all introduced through infomercials.But as online shopping increases and traditional television watching decreases, what will become of celebrity pitchmen like Tony Little and Richard Simmons?GUESTS:Kevin Harrington - Author of Key Person of Influence: The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your IndustryRon Popeil - The late inventor and infomercial pitchmanRemy Stern - Author of But Wait… There’s More! Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen SinkJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Lydia Brown, Ray Hardman, Greg Hill, Betsy Kaplan, Ross Levin, Stephanie Riefe, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired March 7, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/10/2021 • 49 minutes, 53 seconds

Philip Morris became Altria. Apple Computer became Apple. Radio Shack became The Shack (and then went bankrupt). The New Britain Rock Cats moved to Hartford and became the Yard Goats. Tribune Publishing Co. became Tronc (and then became the Tribune Publishing Co. again). Dunkin’ Donuts became Dunkin’. The Washington Redskins became the Washington Football Team. Last month, Facebook became Meta. And next year, the Cleveland Indians will become the Cleveland Guardians and the Washington Football Team will become… something else.And that’s all just this century, and it’s all just companies and sports teams.Let’s not forget Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/Puffy or Snoop Doggy Dogg/Snoop Lion/Snoop Dogg or John Mellencamp/Johnny Cougar/John Cougar Mellencamp. Or His Royal Badness, The Artist Formerly Known as an Unpronounceable and Untypable Symbol. Or, just, David Bowie. Or, just, Madonna.Sometimes a logo gets old or an identity gets stale or a color scheme gets out of date. Sometimes a company or a sports team needs to put its past behind it. Sometimes people go to a doughnut shop mostly for coffee. Sometimes a computer company mostly sells iPods and iPhones and iPads.Sometimes rebranding is the only solution. Or a terrible mistake. Or even just an interesting challenge.This hour: rebranding, from Google to Kanye to, yes, The Colin McEnroe Show.GUESTS:Patrick Dugan - Creative director and chief copywriter at Adams and KnightIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeMike Pesca - Host of the independent podcast The GistGarett Sloane - Technology, digital, and media reporter for Ad AgeBrendan Jay Sullivan - A writer, producer, DJ, and food history TikTokkerJoin the conversation on Facebook (or whatever it’s called) and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/9/2021 • 50 minutes, 4 seconds

Over the past few weeks, there has been a debate surrounding Munger Hall, a dorm designed by billionaire Charles Munger to house over 4,000 students on the University of California, Santa Barbara’s campus. The design has been criticized because of the lack of windows in most rooms, and concerns over fire safety.This hour, inspired by that debate, we discuss architecture that makes humans feel bad, and the ethics of architecture.GUESTS:Mark Pasnik - Architect at OverUnder, Professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology, and author of Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New BostonJoseph Heathcott - Chair of Urban and Environmental Studies at The New SchoolShalini Agrawal - Associate Professor in the Critical Ethnic Studies Program at the California College for the Arts, Director and Co-Founder of Pathways to Equity, and Founder and Principal of Public Design For EquityJulio Bermudez - Director of the Sacred Space and Cultural Studies graduate concentration program of The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and PlanningSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/8/2021 • 49 minutes

Voyage is ABBA’s ninth studio album and their first album of new material in 40 years. Its 10 tracks dropped early this morning. A concert residency, ABBA Voyage, is scheduled to run next year in London. The band will not appear in person for these concerts. Instead, digital “ABBAtars” will perform in their place. It was announced that ABBA would officially break up after the release of Voyage.And: Succession is an hour-long, satirical comedy-drama series on HBO. It was created by Jesse Armstrong and originally debuted in 2018. We’re three episodes into its third season, and 23 episodes have aired overall. Its first two seasons won nine Emmys between them, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2020. Succession was renewed for a fourth season in October.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Halloween and the Anatomy of the Sitcom Holiday Episode Over eight seasons on two networks, the recurring Halloween heists established a model template for one of TV’s underappreciated art formsThe 1970s sitcom divide that still secretly rules American TV comedy Though less and less of it with every yearWe Asked Gen Z to Review Millennial Subculture Fashion From emo to nu-rave, nobody is safe.This Man Moved Several States Away, Not Realizing He Had Accepted A Job At NASA, And TikTok Can’t Get Enough Of The Story I signed the paperwork and they measured me for my spacesuit.Can We Separate the Art From the Artist?GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerSam Hadelman - Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/5/2021 • 49 minutes, 52 seconds

We’ve been doing these shows most weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/4/2021 • 49 minutes

Should people use Oxford commas? Is there a correct number of exclamation points per email? If someone ends a casual text with a period, does that mean they're mad at you?This hour is all about punctuation and how we use it. We talk about the history of punctuation marks, timeless punctuation debates, and how writing for texts and emails has changed the way we use punctuation.GUESTS:Claire co*ck-Starkey - Author of Hyphens and Hashtags: The Stories Behind The Symbols On Our Keyboard  Julia Pistell - Founding member of Sea Tea Improv, one of the hosts of the Literary Disco podcast, and a producer freelancing with usRaquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction; she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/3/2021 • 49 minutes

Why is there something rather than nothing? This has been described as perhaps the most sublime philosophical question of all. This hour, we try to answer it. But as we do, we realize that it’s not just a philosophical quandary; it’s a scientific, cultural, and theological one as well.Indeed, to the extent that “nothing” is even understood, it is understood so differently across different domains that one person’s nothing truly is another person’s something.Confused? You’re not alone. The concept has vexed, distressed, and seduced all manner of folk, from Aristotle to Einstein, and remains no less mysterious to today’s brightest minds.GUESTS:Ronald Green - Author of Nothing Matters: A Book About NothingJim Holt - Author of Why Does The World Exist? An Existential Detective StoryJames Owen Weatherall - Author of Void: The Strange Physics of NothingJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 6, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/2/2021 • 50 minutes

There's something almost romantic about airships--from zeppelins to dirigibles to little Goodyear Blimps. The image of a giant, floating aircraft feels both nostalgic and futuristic. In the early 20th century, airships were on the leading edge of aviation; today, they mostly live on in the domain of steampunk art and speculative fiction.But a number of companies are betting they can bring airships out of the history books and into modern real-world applications like cargo transport and military uses.This hour, we talk with speculative fiction author Ken Liu, as well as a journalist and the leader of a modern hybrid airship company about airships, real and imagined.GUESTS:Ken Liu - Speculative fiction author and futurist, the author of the Dandelion Dynasty, an epic fantasy featuring airshipsJeanne Marie Laskas - Journalist; she wrote a piece for The New Yorker in 2016 on modern airshipsNick Allman - Chief Operating Officer of Hybrid Air VehiclesSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/1/2021 • 49 minutes

Facebook announced Thursday that its umbrella company will rebrand as “Meta.” Mark Zuckerberg said that the new name reflects the full breadth of the future the company wants to help build: “Now we have a new North Star: to help bring the Metaverse to life. From now on, we’re going to be Metaverse first, not Facebook first.”And: Do we want TV shows (and movies and books, etc.) to acknowledge the pandemic? It’s an odd conundrum. When shows deal with it, it seems intrusive. When they don’t, it seems unrealistic.And finally: Dune: Part One is the fourth screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s book series that dates back to the 1960s. It is directed and co-written by Denis Villeneuve, and it debuted in theaters and on HBOMax on October 22. A sequel was officially greenlit this week.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Mort Sahl, Whose Biting Commentary Redefined Stand-Up, Dies at 94 A self-appointed warrior against hypocrisy, he revolutionized comedy in the 1950s by addressing political and social issues.There’s No Dave Chappelle or Hannah Gadsby Without Mort Sahl Before Sahl, who died at 94 on Tuesday, intellectual arguments and controversial stances were off-limits to stand-ups seeking mass acceptance.James Michael Tyler death: ‘Friends’ star who played Gunther dies from cancer, aged 59 ‘If you met him once you made a friend for life,’ family says of actorThe First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Leaf BlowersPhotos Are Too Flattering Now An ode to the bygone days of blurry, poorly lit imagesWhat happens when your favorite thing goes viral? A 2002 song by the Mountain Goats about a doomed divorce is suddenly big on TikTok. Why?Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, And Jeff Lowe’s Complicated Saga Continues In The First Trailer For “Tiger King 2” The big cat owners and their bigger rivalries will return to Netflix next month.There is a consistency to the debate over book censorship: Distress about changeThe Alec Baldwin shooting has some people calling for only computer-generated gunshots. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Creating a realistic muzzle flash is a key part of the problemGwyneth Paltrow, Jada Pinkett Smith Declare p*rn ‘Harmful to Women’Chappelle is unapologetic in his first public statement on ‘The Closer’ controversyThe 37-Year-Olds Are Afraid of the 23-Year-Olds Who Work for Them Twenty-somethings rolling their eyes at the habits of their elders is a longstanding trend, but many employers said there’s a new boldness in the way Gen Z dictates taste.GUESTS:Helder Mira - Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcastIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook (I’m pretty sure it’s still called that) and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/29/2021 • 49 minutes

We realized a few years ago that — basically because Colin and I are fraidy cats — The Nose doesn’t cover very much horror stuff. So we started doing an annual Halloween special that tackles horror head-on, in a vaguely Nose-ish way.This year: Could it be that the one genre with a certain amount of immunity from the Disneyfication, the cinematic universeification of everything… is horror?And: There’s an ongoing renaissance in Black horror dating back to Jordan Peele’s Get Out in 2017. This year’s best example is probably Nia DaCosta’s Candyman reboot/remake/sequel (co-written by DaCosta and Peele). But horror’s creeping (you see what I did there) reckoning with racism is having its share of ups and downs, too.And finally: We have a largely arbitrary tradition of spending a chunk of this show on a horror classic that’s celebrating, specifically, its 40th anniversary. Previously, it’s been Halloween, Alien, The Shining. This year: An American Werewolf in London.GUESTS:Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction; she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastDavid Jesudason - A freelance writer and journalistRich Johnson - Writes about movies; he’s the host of two movie podcasts: Film & and Mondo MoviehouseJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/28/2021 • 50 minutes

An entrenched anxiety is taking hold throughout America. You can feel it in the air and see it in the rise of guns, doomsday preppers, and mask wars. The deep economic and social insecurity at the root of our anxiety comes from political decisions made since 9/11 that starve the public to benefit the private.The elections of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the Black Lives Matter movement, the global pandemic, and our endless war on terror have exposed our failures and electrified our anxiety.Today, we talk about the cost of our public discontent and endless war.GUESTS: Evan Osnos - A staff writer at The New Yorker, a CNN contributor, and a senior fellow at Brookings Institution; his most recent book is Wildland: The Making of America’s FurySamuel Moyn - Teaches law and history at Yale; his most recent book is Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented WarJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Cat Pastor and Colin McEnroe contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/27/2021 • 49 minutes

From ancient scrolls to modern toner cartridges, ink (in one form or another) has been around for millennia. And while we may take it for granted now, for much of that time, it was a precious and coveted substance.Ink makers closely guarded their recipes; spy agencies developed secret, invisible ink formulations; and even now, billions are spent to create the perfect printer inks.This hour, we look back at the history of ink and ask whether its heyday might be coming to a close.GUESTS:Ted Bishop - Author of Ink: Culture, Wonder And Our Relationship With The Written WordKristie Macrakis - Author of Prisoners, Lovers, & Spies: The Story of Invisible Ink from Herodotus to al QaedaKyle Wiens - Founder of iFixitJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 9, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/26/2021 • 50 minutes

This hour, we’re joined by Kelefa Sanneh, author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres. We talk about music genres and look back at the history of music.GUESTS:Kelefa Sanneh - Author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres and a staff writer at The New Yorker Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/25/2021 • 49 minutes

This week, BBC Culture dropped its list of “The 100 Greatest TV series of the 21st Century.” No. 1 is exactly what you’d think it’d be, but below that, there’s plenty to argue about. (Deadwood at 18?! Horse pucky.) The Nose, over the years, has covered many of the shows on the list, by the way: Atlanta, Black Mirror, Fleabag, Game of Thrones, The Good Place, I May Destroy You, Mindhunter, OJ: Made in America, The Queen’s Gambit, Schitt’s Creek, Stranger Things, The Underground Railroad, Watchmen… to name a few.And, speaking of shows: Maid is a Netflix limited series inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, and created by Molly Smith Metzler. Netflix describes it this way: “After fleeing an abusive relationship, a young mother finds a job cleaning houses as she fights to provide for her child and build them a better future.” Its 10 episodes dropped on October 1.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Alec Baldwin Fired Prop Gun That Killed Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Injured DirectorHartford names city’s first troubadour and flow artist; Khaiim Kelly and Lael Marie Saez will serve three-year termsThe Many Decades of Bond “How has someone who is a borderline rapist, murderer, and potential sociopath, endured through all these decades?”Michael Caine Says His Latest Film Is His Last, but He’s Not Retired The 88-year-old screen legend says he’s transitioning to writing, while his representatives walk back his remarks.Americans Are Overworked And Over Work “As I’ve gotten older, work is definitely [still] really important, but I think I’ve started to see it less as my identity.”​​It’s Quitting Season‘I Screwed Up’: Netflix’s Ted Sarandos Addresses Dave Chappelle FalloutNetflix Staff Raised Concerns About Chappelle Special Before Its Release The company is dealing with an internal outcry unprecedented in its history.Dave Chappelle’s views on gender are problematic and hurtfulAddison Rae Was Permanently Banned From TikTok For Literally Like A Day, So I Guess She Can Go Back To Dancing Now “Time to get a job.”Why ‘Y: The Last Man’ Was Abruptly Canceled Six years after landing at FX for development, the drama based on the beloved comic series was axed before it could even finish its first and (possibly) only season.Y: The Last Man Might Get Resurrected On HBO MaxThe Huge Box Office For Halloween Kills Seemingly Says A Lot About Peaco*ckSuccession at Scholastic Seemed to Be a Shock, Even to the New Chairwoman The powerhouse children’s publisher, known for Harry Potter, had been passed from father to son until Iole Lucchese, a top executive, was given control.Top 40 New Wave AlbumsThe Believer Literary Magazine Shutting Down Issue No. 139, due out in February 2022, will be its lastKanye West is now officially ‘Ye’‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Author Margaret Atwood Faces Backlash for Gender Neutrality TweetMLB Just Tried a Bunch of Experimental Rules in the Minors. How Well Did They Work? Several minor leagues served as the guinea pig for ideas that could improve the pace of play, including robo umps, pushing the mound back, and bigger bases. Were they effective?‘The Sopranos’: WarnerMedia In Talks With David Chase About HBO Max Prequel SeriesWhy Groundhog Day Left Harold Ramis And Bill Murray’s Friendship In ShamblesRoyal Caribbean to offer 274-night cruise — the world’s longestGUESTS:Rand Richards Cooper - A fiction writer, contributing editor at Commonweal, and the restaurant critic for the Hartford CourantMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/22/2021 • 49 minutes

Rust is all around us. It’s in our cars, our homes, our infrastructure. It’s also the subject of Jonathan Waldman’s book Rust: The Longest War, which introduces us to the people who fight it.This hour, Waldman joins us, and we hear from a visual artist who has found a way to incorporate rust into her work.GUESTS:Esther Solondz - A Rhode Island-based visual artistJonathan Waldman - Author of Rust: The Longest WarJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired March 25, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/21/2021 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these shows most weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/20/2021 • 49 minutes

Jews have a long history of resistance against antisemitism that has sought to eradicate their literal existence. The power of their resistance lies in Jewish cultural and spiritual unity and the resulting close-knit communities that have survived and thrived in response to hate.This hour, we talk about how Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood came together in 2018 after a shooter killed eleven Jewish worshippers in a synagogue as they were preparing for their Saturday morning services.We also talk about the thousands of Jewish ‘family camps’ and partisan fighters who survived and triumphed in the forests of Eastern Europe during World War II. Some of their descendants settled in Connecticut.Resistance can take many forms beyond warfare.Photo Courtesy Of The Langerman And Lazowski FamiliesBeryl Sakier, Tania, Miriam, Rochel, Morris, and Luba Rabinowitz after arriving in Santa Maria di Leuca, ItalyGUESTS: Mark Oppenheimer - Senior Editor at Tablet, where he hosts the podcast Unorthodox; he is the author of five books including, most recently, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a NeighborhoodRebecca Frankel - A journalist and author; her most recent book is Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and LoveJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Drinking alcohol has a number of negative impacts. But humans have been doing it for thousands of years, and show no signs of stopping.This hour, we discuss why we drink, why more people are moving towards sobriety through the “sober curious” movement, and the rise of nonalcoholic co*cktails.GUESTS:Edward Slingerland - Author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization, and a professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia Hilary Sheinbaum - Journalist and author of The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free MonthElva Ramirez - Journalist, media consultant and author of Zero Proof co*cktails: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful DrinkingSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/18/2021 • 49 minutes

This hour, The Nose talks about Netflix’s hit show Squid Game.Plus: the viral New York Times Magazine article “Who Is The Bad Art Friend?”GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerTaneisha Duggan - A director, producer, arts consultant, and an artist working at the crossroads of performance and creative leadershipJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/15/2021 • 41 minutes

Human beings are wired to hate pain, even in the form of a teeny tiny needle delivering life-saving elixir. Needle phobia, or trypanophobia, ranges from slight discomfort to crippling anxiety—and these fears can cause serious harm for people who avoid medical care.Despite this, we’ve been using syringes and needles forever. The ancient Greeks were using syringes to drain wounds, acupuncture was developed in China thousands of years ago, and tattoos can be found on mummies and bodies preserved in 5,000 year old ice. Yet your expected lifespan is probably a lot longer due to one invention: the hypodermic syringe.This hour we look at the history of needles, their stigma and controversies, and figure out how to get through fear of shots without judgement.GUESTS:Dr. Jeremy Greene - Professor of Science, Technology, and Medicine at Johns Hopkins UniversityDr. Meghan McMurtry - Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph, and a Psychologist at McMaster Children's HospitalJohanna Korson - A graduate student working towards licensure as a clinical mental health counselor, and a person who has struggled with needle phobia herselfSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/14/2021 • 40 minutes, 56 seconds

This hour, a potpourri of topics: the Senate parliamentarian, local news, and wheelie suitcases.First, we talk about the Senate parliamentarian.And then: we discuss the value of local news, through the case study of The Hartford Courant.Finally, we learn about the invention of the wheelie suitcase.GUESTS:Elana Schor - Congress editor at PoliticoDavid Folkenflik - NPR’s media correspondentKatrine Marçal - Author of Mother Of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored In An Economy Built For MenSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/13/2021 • 40 minutes, 31 seconds

Everybody loves a bulldozer. In fact, we all grew up loving bulldozers, didn't we? From Benny the Bulldozer to Katy and her big snow, from all the Tonka toys to all the die cast model Caterpillars, the bulldozer is more of an icon in American popular culture than we maybe realize.But the first scholarly "biography of the bulldozer" argues that there's a darker side to the demolition and clearance that gives these big machines purpose. And then, maybe there is a certain violence inherent here too.This hour, the history of bulldozing, the future of bulldozers, and a look at heavy construction equipment as adventure destination.GUESTS:Francesca Russell Ammon - Author of Bulldozer: Demolition and Clearance of the Postwar LandscapeJason Anetsburger - Project manager for Komatsu America's Intelligent Machine Control line of bulldozers and excavatorsKate McMullan - Children's book author and executive producer of The Stinky and Dirty ShowRandy Stenger - Founder and CEO of Extreme SandboxJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Alex Ingberg, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired April 21, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/12/2021 • 42 minutes

We’ve been doing these almost weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.This hour, we do it again.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/11/2021 • 40 minutes, 55 seconds

The Many Saints of Newark is a film prequel to The Sopranos. It takes place in the 1960s and ’70s, and part of Tony Soprano’s origin story is one of its secondary narratives. It opened in theaters last weekend and will run on HBOMax through October.And: The Closer is Dave Chappelle’s sixth and final (for now, at least) feature-length standup special for Netflix. It is, let’s say, provocative. (The Nose has previously covered three of Chappelle’s other Netflix specials: Equanimity and The Bird Revelation in 2017 and Sticks & Stones in 2019.)Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Alan Kalter, ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ Announcer, Dies at 78Who Is the Bad Art Friend? Art often draws inspiration from life — but what happens when it’s your life? Inside the curious case of Dawn Dorland v. Sonya Larson.Hell Is the New York Times Publishing Your Group ChatA Botched Circumcision and Its Aftermath The constant discomfort of a genital injury creates a covenant of pain. It is impossible to think about anything else.People Are Arguing Over Whether It’s OK For A 30-Year-Old To Date A 19-Year-Old, And It’s Very Controversial “It’s not the age gap, it’s the mind gap.”How Silence Became a Luxury ProductUpcoming HBO Max Movies To Keep An Eye OnWilliam Shatner Reveals Feelings Ahead Of Space Flight: “I’m Captain Kirk And I’m Terrified”Marvel’s What If…? Writer Explains A Presumed Infinity Stone Plot HoleIs it time to hire a chief metaverse officer? Brands are entering the metaverse through virtual stores, AR, gaming and digital fashion shows. While many have relied on external partnerships, an internal expert or team might be on the horizon.No Time To Die Costume Designer Shares How You Dress The Most Stylish Spy In Movie HistoryGUESTS:Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/8/2021 • 49 minutes

From our favorite songs and movies, to Shakespeare and Maya Angelou, we regularly quote others in our daily lives. This hour, we talk about famous quotations and misquotations, and discover why some quotations endure through history, while others don’t. Plus, why is Mark Twain misquoted so often?GUESTS:Elizabeth Knowles - Editor of The Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsFred Shapiro - Editor of The New Yale Book of Quotations, and associate director for collections and special projects at the Yale Law LibraryKent Rasmussen - Editor of The Quotable Mark Twain and Mark Twain A to Z, among other booksSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/7/2021 • 49 minutes

COVID is no match for the enduring power of the handshake. It has survived cholera, the 1918 pandemic, and Donald Trump’s lengthy grip. It has thrived when other shakes, snaps, and pats have failed, such as the penis handshake and the beard-and-pat.The handshake is our most enduring symbol of egalitarianism and brotherhood. It has helped elect politicians to office, to seal the deal on contracts, and grease the wheels of women’s suffrage.The handshake has been around for seven million years, says Ella Al-Shamahi, author of The Handshake: A Gripping History. Scientists trace it to chimps, our closest living relatives, and the Neanderthals. COVID is no match for something so deeply ingrained into our DNA. The handshake is here to stay.This hour, the history and symbolism of the handshake, including the “dap.”GUESTS: Ella Al-Shamahi - A National Geographic Explorer, a TV presenter, palaeo-anthropologist, evolutionary biologist, and a stand-up comic, who has taken four shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; her latest book is The Handshake: A Gripping HistoryTyler D. Parry - Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies within the Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies Department, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; he’s the author of Jumping the Broom: The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding RitualSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/7/2021 • 49 minutes

During his remarkable career with the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams earned many nicknames: The Kid, The Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame… but the only nickname that he ever wanted was “the greatest hitter who ever lived.”And maybe he really was? He’s baseball’s all-time leader in on-base percentage, and he’s second behind only Babe Ruth in both slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages. He’s the last guy to hit .400, and that was 80 years ago. And on top of all that, he lost close to five full seasons (and three of them in the prime of his career) to serve in two different wars.This hour, a look at the man, the hitter, and the pitchman (you see what I did there) that was Ted Williams.GUESTS:Jim Baumer - A Maine-based writer and the author of Moxie: Maine in a BottleNick Davis - Produced and directed Ted Williams: “The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived”; his newest film, about the 1986 New York Mets, is Once Upon a Time in QueensSam Miller - National baseball writer at ESPNJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired July 19, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/5/2021 • 42 minutes

We’ve been doing these almost weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing that again.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888–720–9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/4/2021 • 49 minutes

So you get home from a long day of work, and then you spend a long evening dealing with the family and the dinner and the house and the pets. And then you finally get some time to yourself to… play stupid Candy Crush on your phone. Or watch hours of HGTV that you don’t even like. Or whatever. While you should be sleeping so you can be well-rested for your long day of work tomorrow. There’s a term for that: revenge bedtime procrastination.Plus: A look at the vocal minority of vaccine refusers in the NBA, of all places.And: Cry Macho is a neo-Western drama directed by, produced by, and starring Clint Eastwood. It’s in theaters and on HBOMax. Eastwood, 91, takes his 39th turn directing, and it’s his 53rd credited acting role in a motion picture career dating back to the Eisenhower administration.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Tommy Kirk, Old Yeller And The Shaggy Dog Star, Has Died At 79Joel Coen: Streaming Is Reason ‘Risky’ Films Like ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ Can Still Exist “The worst nightmare as a filmmaker is that someone watched your film on an airplane,” Coen said at NYFF, while acquiescing that streaming is how movies like “Macbeth” get made.How does a comedy outsider make sense of Norm Macdonald? What I found valuable after hearing about Norm Macdonald’s death was not watching his old greatest hits on Youtube. It was reading the eulogies written for him by people who appreciated his genius.The Complicated Legacy of Norm Macdonald Norm Macdonald, who passed away at 61 from cancer, was a comedy legend. But these women say he sexually harassed them, and comedy clubs took measures to protect women from him.‘Law & Order’ Revived By NBC For Season 21 From Dick Wolf & Rick EidBeck Bennett Leaves ‘SNL’ as Cast Veterans Set to Return, Three New Featured Players Join for Season 47For Al Franken, a Comeback Attempt Goes Through Comedy Clubs Onstage, the ex-senator and “S.N.L.” star doesn’t exactly address his fall from grace. But he doesn’t not address it either. Asked if he’ll run again, he is noncommittal.America as an Internet Aesthetic TikTok’s Americancore meme critiques cultural appropriation by exoticizing the familiar. Who has the last laugh?For $84,000, An Artist Painted Two Blank Canvasses Titled ‘Take The Money And Run’Why Is Every Young Person in America Watching ‘The Sopranos’? The show’s new audience is also seeing something different in it: a parable about a country in terminal decline.Why Are People Nostalgic for Early-Pandemic Life? Pandemic fatigue is fueling a bizarre sense of longing.The Best Movies Of 2021 So FarYou Can Spend The Night In The House From Scream This HalloweenScientists created the world’s whitest paint. It could eliminate the need for air conditioning.Marvel’s What If…? Episode 8 Appears To Enter The Star Wars UniverseShakira Was Attacked By Wild Boars “They’ve destroyed everything.”The Melting Face Emoji Has Already Won Us Over Of the 37 new emojis approved this year, one has stood out as a visual proxy for our collective malaise.Super Bowl 2022 Halftime Performers Revealed: Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg‘Drunk’ man reported missing joins his own search partyMen weaponize incompetence to avoid housework, caring for kidsGUESTS:Tracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children’sBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/1/2021 • 49 minutes

It’s been a while since we’ve done a math show. So this hour, some discussion of just what mathematics even is in the first place.Plus, some news from the world of math: A look at three landmark papers bridging the gap between quantum physics and formal mathematics.And: the low-dimensional topology of… knitting.GUESTS:Sabetta Matsumoto - A theoretical physicist and applied mathematician at Georgia Tech, where she leads The Matsumoto Group studying the geometry of materialsAlec Wilkinson - Staff writer at The New YorkerCharlie Wood - Contributing writer to Quanta MagazineSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/30/2021 • 49 minutes

This hour, we’re joined by novelist Ruth Ozeki. Her latest novel is The Book of Form and Emptiness. We talk about animism, hearing voices, and how Zen Buddhism informs her writing.GUESTS:Ruth Ozeki - Novelist, filmmaker, and professor of English language and literature at Smith CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/29/2021 • 49 minutes

This hour, we talk about movie trailers. Maybe you wonder what a movie critic thinks of them. Actually, critics don’t see as many as you do because they often go to special screenings.I asked America’s Greatest Living Film Critic, David Edelstein, about trailers. He answered, “Actually, I avoid them like the plague. I don’t watch them online, and when I see movies in theaters, I often whip out my Kindle and plug my ears. If I’m on the aisle, I leave and get a Diet co*ke. Trailers give away everything. They give away jokes. More than that, they orient you to the narrative in a way I don’t like being oriented. (Of course, I have the luxury of going into a movie not knowing what it’s even about because I get paid to do so, but that’s my preferred way to work – to be left in the hands of the storyteller.) As for as awful ones I have seen… I remember Nebraska in particular as being terrible because the pace and tone of that movie are antithetical to the way mainstream trailers work. It said quirky. Offbeat. Lovable. Among the best, I recall Batman Returns as being so great. I thought the movie itself was an overrated shambles – a really terrible piece of storytelling – but even Tim Burton’s worst movies have so many good images and set-pieces that they really read in trailers.”For the rest of us, trailers are either a pain or a pleasure.GUESTS:Allan Arkush - Contributor to Trailers from Hell; he worked in the trailer department for Roger CormanStephen Garrett - Founder of Jump CutSam Hatch - Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on WWUHKevin O’Toole - Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on WWUHJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Lydia Brown, John Dankosky, Greg Hill, Tucker Ives, Harriet Jones, Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, Patrick Skahill, Catie Talarski, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 2, 2014.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/28/2021 • 50 minutes

Francisco Goldman made a big choice as a young man. He chose to spend a year in Guatemala living with his uncle instead of pursuing the master’s degree he could have had from a prestigious school offering him a full scholarship. It turned out to be one of the most consequential decisions of his early life.This hour, Colin talks with Goldman about his novel Monkey Boy, a story about the legacy of violence on a family and much more, including how his decision to go to Guatemala has shaped his life.GUEST:Francisco Goldman - Author of seven books; his most recent is the novel Monkey BoyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 27, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/27/2021 • 50 minutes

Y: The Last Man is an FX on Hulu television series (whatever that means) based on the DC comics series. It stars Diane Lane as President Jennifer Brown and Ben Schnetzer as Yorick Brown, the last living person with a Y chromosome.And: Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie were (at least aspiring) #vanlife influencers. Tragedy, and our culture around this particular sort of tragedy, has turned them into pop culture figures of an entirely different kind.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Melvin Van Peebles, Godfather of Black Cinema, Dies at 89 He directed ‘Watermelon Man,’ did everything on ‘Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song’ and wrote a pair of Broadway musicals.Beloved ‘Sex And The City’ Actor Willie Garson Dies At 57Chris Rock says he has COVID-19, urges vaccinationThe Song That Never Ends: Why Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘September’ SustainsThe Man Behind Those Annual ‘Sept. 21’ Videos Has Made His Last MasterpieceNot Enough Has Changed Since Sanford and Son The unwritten rules of Black TVJames Corden Is Getting Called Out For Making An Ageist Joke About BTS Fans And…Yikes When will celebs learn not to come for the fandoms?!Johnny Depp Says Cancel Culture Is “So Far Out Of Hand” & “No One Is Safe”, Asks People To “Stand Up” Against “Injustice”The Emmys Underlined the Paradox of Too Much TV The people handing out the awards were a diverse lot. The ones receiving them, much less so.Japanese school students sent a message in a bottle. 37 years later, it washed up in HawaiiNo sign of £4.8m golden toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace, two years onWorld’s first 108-key concert grand piano built by Australia’s only piano makerNetflix now owns the screen rights to Roald Dahl’s entire catalog The acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company follows three years of partnershipEddie Murphy Signs Three-Picture & First-Look Film Deal With Amazon StudiosReading a Novel Set Entirely in Slack In “Several People Are Typing,” Calvin Kasulke takes office agony to its outer limits.Elon Musk and Grimes break up after three years togetherGUESTS:Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction; hosts the Rite Gud podcastBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/24/2021 • 49 minutes

Radiation is everywhere. It’s emitted by our sun, by cat litter, by bananas, and occasionally by nuclear bombs. It’s even emitted by you and by me and by every living (and dead) person in the world. So why are we so scared of something so prevalent in our everyday lives?While certain types of radiation can be very harmful in high doses, our fears may have more to do with how radiation is portrayed than it does with the actual danger of exposure. This hour, we talk with experts about the benefits, risks, and oftentimes misguided fears of radiation.GUESTS:Francis Cucinotta - Professor for the department of health physics and diagnostic sciences at the University of NevadaTim J. Jorgenson - Author of Strange Glow: The Story of RadiationDavid Ropeik - Author of How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don’t Match The FactsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Ray Hardman, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 21, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/23/2021 • 50 minutes

Glass is all around us: from windows and mirrors, to phone screens and fiber optic cables.This hour, we learn how glass helped shape our world, about efforts to create different types of glasses, and what it's like to make art out of glass.GUESTS:John Garrison - Professor at Grinnell College, and author of the book GlassAlexis Clare - Professor of Glass Science at Alfred University Eric Meek - Senior Manager of Hot Glass Programs at the Corning Museum of GlassJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/22/2021 • 49 minutes

Seventeen AFC East championships. Nine Super Bowl appearances. Six Lombardi trophies. Twenty seasons pairing maybe the greatest head coach in the history of the NFL with maybe the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL.At the same time, there are words like “spygate.” “Deflategate.” And even “solicitation in Florida.”This hour, a look at one of the all-time great (and all-time most divisive) sports dynasties: the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick/Robert Kraft New England Patriots.GUEST:Jeff Benedict - Special features writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of 16 books; his latest is The DynastyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired December 9, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/21/2021 • 50 minutes

“Animals, which were in the service of man, could be arrested, tried, convicted and executed,” according to Edmund P. Evans in his book The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, published in 1906. They could also be excommunicated from the church.Our relationship to our pets and wildlife has mellowed over the centuries, but we still can’t figure out how to share space and food with the wildlife that lives among us without conflict, especially when resources get tight.We can’t translocate, trap, tase, laser, bomb, and euthanize our way toward a good solution. And aren’t we part of the problem? So, how do we coexist when humans make all the rules?GUESTS: Mary Roach - The author, most recently, of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the LawBen Kilham - Founder of the Kilham Bear Center in New Hampshire and the author of two books, Among the Bears: Raising Orphan Cubs in the Wild and In the Company of BearsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/20/2021 • 49 minutes

Only Murders in the Building is a half-hour-ish (!) mystery-comedy series on Hulu. It stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, and Amy Ryan. Five first-season episodes have dropped so far, and it was renewed for a second season this week.And: Small Engine Repair is a film adaption written by, directed by, and starring John Pollono and based on his black comedy drama (black dramedy?) stage play of the same name. It is the first movie showing exclusively in theaters that the Nose has covered since January, 2020.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Norm Macdonald Dies: Influential Comedian & Former ‘SNL’ Weekend Update Anchor Was 61Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time For the first time in 17 years, we’ve completely remade our list of the best songs ever. More than 250 artists, writers, and industry figures helped us choose a brand-new list full of historic favorites, world-changing anthems, and new classicsEmpire: The 50 Best Animated MoviesJohn Mulaney was performing a role all along Parasocial relationships aren’t to blame for the John Mulaney/Olivia Munn pregnancy discourse.Twitter Has a Parasocial Relationship with the Word ParasocialEpic v. Apple judge rules Fortnite’s Peely can appear naked in court Peely’s ‘just a banana man,’ after allp*rno Hustlers Of The Atari Age The newly unearthed history behind one of the most offensive video games ever madeOwen Wilson Is Doing Great, Thanks The veteran actor has a cold, but that’s nothing a few avocado pancakes, some hydration therapy, a bike ride, hot tea, half a slice of Key-lime pie, and the magic of life can’t fix. Three days with the star of Loki, The French Dispatch, and all those movies you know by heart.Drake And Kanye Owe Us More Than This The collision of Certified Lover Boy and Donda should have been a thrilling moment. Instead, it’s petty, frustrating, and lacking in high stakes.Welcome to Dunkin’ World With streetwear-style drops and a shrewd embrace of social media, New England’s favorite purveyor of extremely normal coffee has turned itself into a lifestyle brand.Why “Jeopardy!” Might Not Survive The Mike Richards Debacle “Many people saw it basically as kind of like Dick Cheney conducting a search for the vice president…and then deciding that he would be the best vice president.”Christopher Nolan Exits Warner Bros. After Nearly Two Decades, New Film Set Up at Universal Nolan’s follow-up to “Tenet” will reportedly begin production in the first quarter of 2022.‘Necessary Roughness’ Made Texas Football Into a Joke. But It Also Moved the Chains. Kick off the football season with this underappreciated, Denton-filmed comedy, which captured some truths about Texas football that later, more-serious movies would expand on.Emmys 2021: Who Will Win, Who Should Win Ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony, we place our bets on likely winners and shout out those shows and stars poised to get robbedNicki Minaj isn’t anti-vax, exactly. That’s why her vaccine resistance is so concerning. Minaj, under the guise of urging vaccine caution, is helping mainstream a dangerous form of anti-science.Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Is Not A Fan Of Marvel Movies, SorryThe once-sedate astronomy world is quarreling over whether ’Oumuamua was an alien craft Alien probe or a “chunk of Pluto”? The scientific debate over ’Oumuamua continuesDiarrhea incident continues to spell problems for Ultimate Slip ’N Slide The Bobby Moynihan/Ron Funches-hosted reality series finds itself stuck without an ending, and pulled from its plum post-Olympics timeslotGUESTS:Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/17/2021 • 49 minutes

Gossiping is considered a bad habit. But, when done well, it can actually have social benefits. This hour on the Colin McEnroe Show, we’ll discuss what gossip is, its benefits and drawbacks, and why we’re interested in celebrity gossip.GUESTS:Frank McAndrew - Psychology professor at Knox CollegeShayla Love - Senior staff writer of features at Vice Amanda Kehrberg - Adjunct media studies faculty at Arizona State UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/16/2021 • 49 minutes

This hour, a smorgasbord of disparate topics: mandates, mammoths, and merch.First, a look at the state of America’s patchwork of COVID vaccine requirements.And then: New England’s own Dunkin' has started doing limited-edition merchandise drops. Can normie coffee make itself into a lifestyle brand?Finally: Scientists are trying to genetically resurrect the woolly mammoth. “Life, uh, finds a way,” and all that.GUESTS:Debbie Kaminer - Professor of law at the CUNY Baruch CollegeLora Kelley - A contributor to GQCarl Zimmer - The science columnist for The New York TimesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/15/2021 • 49 minutes

Fire imagery abounds in music, literature, art, and scripture. It thrives at the center of ceremony and ritual around the world. We associate fire with sentiments of passion, anger, transformation, purity, and even evil itself.Some say our fascination with fire is owed to the fact that, of all creatures, we alone possess the ability to create and control it.They say at its center, fire burns hottest. So stand back and listen close, for this hour, we journey straight to its core. It’s one heck of a hot topic, and we’re guessing it’ll spark your interest.GUESTS:Steve Pyne - Author of Moved by Fire: History’s Promethean Moment and Fire: A Brief HistoryEric Rabkin - Professor emeritus of English language and literature and of art & design at the University of Michigan, Ann ArborGary Snyder - PoetChristian Tryon - Assistant professor of anthropology at HarvardCharles Wright - The 50th Poet Laureate of the United StatesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 14, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/14/2021 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.A few times, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing it again this week.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/13/2021 • 49 minutes

Mimes have been gesticulating their way into our hearts (or nightmares) nearly for forever. It may be that the legendary Marcel Marceau popularized the mime, but people have been communicating through movement since the very beginning.Today, characters in big-budget Hollywood movies and television shows routinely rely on pantomime techniques to create the on-screen characters we love.This hour, the past, present, and future of mimes.GUESTS:Doug Jones - A trained mime, contortionist, and award-winning actor known for his roles in The Shape of Water, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hocus Pocus, Star Trek: Discovery, and moreRichard Knight - Author of Mime the Gap: Techniques in Mime and MovementShawn Wen - Author of A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by ApplauseJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 30, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/10/2021 • 50 minutes

B. F. Skinner thought pigeons were so smart they could be used to guide missiles during World War II. He proposed a system in which pigeons would essentially pilot a missile. Skinner said pigeons could be trained to peck at a screen to adjust the trajectory of the missile toward its target. Project Pigeon was funded but never used.In 2013, New York conceptual artist Duke Reilly trained half his flock of pigeons to carry contraband cigars from Cuba to Florida and the other half to carry tiny video cameras documenting the smuggling flight of their comrades.Another group of researchers trained pigeons to reliably distinguish between the paintings of Picasso and Monet, even if they had never seen a particular painting before.This hour, everything you ever wanted to know about pigeons but were afraid to ask.GUESTS:Yoni Applebaum - A social and cultural historianAndrew Blechman - Author of Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled BirdWanda Corn - The Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor Emerita in the department of art and art history at Stanford UniversityPatrick Skahill - Senior reporter at Connecticut PublicJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 12, 2013.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/9/2021 • 50 minutes

At 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 8, 1966, NBC aired the premiere of a new series called Star Trek. The episode was “The Man Trap.” The star date was 1513.1, in case you’re interested in that kind of thing.I am not interested in that kind of thing.The Star Trek canon encompasses 10 television shows — 811 episodes, so far — and 13 movies. I’ve just never been into it. I tried to get into it for this show, but it didn’t work.But here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter. “Beam me up.” “Live long and prosper.” “Redshirt.” “Vulcan.” “Klingon.” The English language’s best known split infinitive. Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of Star Trek, Star Trek is a big damn deal, with nearly boundless influence.“Star Trek is more than pop culture; it’s 20th century mythology,” according to The AV Club’s Caroline Siede. This hour, a look at some of the more than 36,000 minutes — more than 25 days — of television and movies that is Star Trek.GUESTS:Sam Hatch - Co-host of The Culture Dogs on WWUHTimothy Sandefur - Author of The Permission Society: How the Ruling Class Turns Our Freedoms Into Privileges and What We Can Do About It; he wrote an essay on the politics of Star TrekCaroline Siede - Freelance writerLinda Wetzel - Associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Rebecca Castellani, Greg Hill, Chion Wolf, and Alan Yu contributed to this show, which originally aired September 8, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/8/2021 • 50 minutes

The word “bastard” hasn’t always been meant to offend. Used simply as an indication of illegitimate birth at first, the label “bastard” didn’t bring with it shame or stigma until long after it first appeared in the Middle Ages.Today, while its original meaning has not been forgotten, its use is largely reserved for insult. Yet, ironically, the underdog status once associated with a person of illegitimate birth is now something our modern culture celebrates.From Alexander Hamilton to Game of Thrones’s Jon Snow, the bastard’s ability to rise above his or her unfortunate circ*mstances to achieve greatness has become something to root for.This hour, a look at the origin, evolution, and pop culture triumph of the bastard!GUESTS:Scott Andrews - Science fiction reviewer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, columnist for Winter Is Coming, and the author of The Guild Leader’s HandbookJoanne Freeman - Professor of history and American studies at Yale University and the editor of The Essential Hamilton: Letters & Other WritingsSara McDougall - Associate professor of history at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the author of Royal Bastards: The Birth of Illegitimacy, 800–1230Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 18, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/7/2021 • 50 minutes

According to Vulture, TV’s white guys are in crisis, and specifically on a bunch of shows The Nose has covered: Kevin Can F**k Himself, The White Lotus, The Chair, Ted Lasso… Oh, and Jeopardy!And speaking of TV’s white guys, Seinfeld is coming to Netflix next month. Eric Deggans wonders why it hasn’t caught on with young people the way shows like The Office and Friends have.And finally: The Chair is a Netflix miniseries about the English department at fictional Pembroke University. It stars Sandra Oh, Jay Duplass, Bob Balaban, Holland Taylor, and more.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:How MLB pushed back the Atlantic League mound and pushed fed-up players to the brink of a work stoppageLady Gaga’s Dog Walker Is Finally Ready to Talk Ryan Fischer took a bullet trying to save the pop star’s French bulldogs from being dognapped. He knows you have questionsInside the Weird World of Out-of-Office Messages‘Jeopardy!’ Had To Clarify Its Rules Because A Very Good Champion Has A Very Annoying Answering HabitJoe Rogan, a podcasting giant who has been dismissive of vaccination, has Covid.Al Leiter, John Smoltz won’t appear at MLB Network studios after refusing vaccineAfter Pink criticized the parents of a 14-year-old YouTuber who was pictured in a bikini, the girl said the swimsuits aren’t sexual unless you ‘view us that way’Who asked for this? We don’t know. But Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew is here anyway.The People Who Make Ted Lasso Can See Your Tweets, You KnowABBA Reunite for First Time in 40 Years, Announce New Album and Digital Concert Swedish pop group finally releases singles “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”A Dishonest Study on Dishonesty Puts a Prominent Researcher on the Hot SeatA complete timeline of how Bishop Sycamore fooled ESPNMcDonald’s Mascot Grimace Is a What Now?!? Truly did not need this information in my life.GUESTS:Elizabeth Keifer - Professor emerita of English at Tunxis Community CollegeIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/3/2021 • 49 minutes

In the 20 years since Christopher Nolan’s Memento hit theaters, his movies have grossed more than $5 billion, earned 36 Academy Award nominations, and won 11 Oscars.His Dark Knight films helped spark the comic book movie renaissance we’re still experiencing, and his seventh feature, Inception, is the highest-grossing totally standalone live action movie ever made.This hour, a look at the filmmaker behind Batman Begins, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Tenet, and more: Christopher Nolan.GUESTS:Kayleigh Donaldson - A pop culture writer and criticJames Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeTom Shone - Author of The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher NolanJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/2/2021 • 49 minutes

From New Kids on the Block to *NSYNC to One Direction, boy bands have been a staple of popular music for decades.This hour, a look back at the history — and future — of boy bands.GUESTS:Maria Sherman - Author of Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTSAja Romano - A culture staff writer for Vox Brad Fischetti - The surviving member of LFO Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/1/2021 • 49 minutes

“Life is a self-sustained chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution.”That’s the so-called “NASA definition of life.”Or there’s Russian-born geneticist Edward Trifonov’s take: Life is “self-reproduction with variations.”Or there’s “Life is an expected, collectively self-organized property of catalytic polymers.” Or “Life is a metabolic network within a boundary.”It’s said that, “There are as many definitions of life as there are people trying to define it.” And yet, none of those definitions is quite right.Science writer Carl Zimmer says that’s strange behavior for scientists: “It is as if astronomers kept coming up with new ways to define stars.”Plus: Linguist Ben Zimmer (no relation to Carl*) on what it means to be human. Or, at least, as much as we can tell about what it means to be human by looking at Dr. Fill, the artificial intelligence that won a national crossword puzzle tournament.*No relation beyond that they’re brothers, I mean.GUESTS:Ben Zimmer - A linguist, lexicographer, and the language columnist for The Wall Street JournalCarl Zimmer - The science columnist for The New York Times; his newest book is Life’s Edge: The Search for What It Means To Be AliveJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 26, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/31/2021 • 50 minutes

We’ve been doing these weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.The last couple weeks, we haven’t even started with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. And those shows have been fun. So we’re doing it again this week.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888–720–9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/30/2021 • 49 minutes

There is a longstanding tendency among tech CEOs to be sort of performatively photographed with bare feet. Also: It’s gross.And: Washington Post humorist Gene Weingarten got himself into a bit of trouble this week for saying that Indian cuisine is based entirely on one spice. And and: Pumpkin spice lattes are back. Already. (Also: It’s 90 degrees outside.)And finally: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is, well, a documentary film about Anthony Bourdain. It’s available as a $20 rental right now, and it’ll hit HBO Max and air on CNN in the future.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Don Everly, Older Brother in Groundbreaking Rock Duo, Dies at 84 The Everly Brothers, Don and Phil, were the most successful rock act to emerge from Nashville in the 1950s, rivaling Elvis Presley for radio airplay.Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones’ Drummer and Inimitable Backbone, Dead at 80 Rock & roll legend “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier [Tuesday] surrounded by his family,” according to publicist‘Never Call Me Your Drummer Again’ The full story of the time Charlie Watts punched Mick Jagger, excerpted from Sympathy for the Drummer.Man Photographed As A Baby On ‘Nevermind’ Cover Sues Nirvana For Sexual ExploitationOnlyFans Is Reversing Its Ban On Adult Content, But Sex Workers Say It’s Already Cost Them Followers And Money “Every single dime that company has made has revolved around p*rn whether they want to admit it or not … I think it’s hilarious now watching them try to pick up the pieces from a vase they threw at the wall.”25 Tweets That Prove No One Was Emotionally Prepared For The “Spider-Man: No Way Home” TrailerThe Karate Kid Stage Musical To Wax On In A Pre-Broadway Run In 2022Sean Penn still has more to say He’s supposed to be talking about his new movie. But there’s so much else.Tom Hanks Sells 4 Vehicles From His Collection His marquee item in the auction, an Airstream trailer bought in the “Sleepless in Seattle” era, brought in over $200,000.Looking Back On 15 Years Of ‘Idiocracy,’ One The Most Memorable And Sadly Relevant Comedies Of The 21st CenturyParents Are Not Okay We’re not even at a breaking point anymore. We’re broken.Even Billy Joel Mocked ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire.’ I Loved It. As a 4-year-old, our critic couldn’t get enough of this manic 1989 hit, a crash course in U.S. history. Now the song lives on in parodies and memes.Ted Lasso Is a Perfect Show If You Hate Laughing This “balm for the soul” is supposed to be a comedy?Tom Cruise Performed 13,000 Motorbike Jumps To Prep For A Mission: Impossible 7 StuntHe’s No Longer Host. But Mike Richards Is Still Running ‘Jeopardy!’ Defying a backlash over sexist and crude comments, a top Sony TV executive told the show’s staff that the studio stood behind Mr. Richards as the executive producer.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative ProjectJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/27/2021 • 49 minutes

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released a report detailing the latest scientific understanding about climate change. This hour, we learn about what’s included in that report. And, we’ll discuss some climate solutions, including carbon capture, oysters, and granting rights to rivers and lakes.GUESTS:Rebecca Leber - Climate reporter at VoxDavid Bercovici - The co-director of the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture and a professor in Yale’s Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesDanielle Bissett - Director of Restoration for the Billion Oyster ProjectKelsey Leonard - Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Waters, Climate, and Sustainability, and a citizen of the Shinneco*ck NationSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/26/2021 • 49 minutes

Profanity used to be about someone swearing insincerely to God. Then the Reformation came along and made profanity about sex and the body.Today, our most unspeakable words are are slurs against other groups at a time when Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and cancel culture are driving our cultural narrative.This hour: the past, present, and future of profanity.GUEST:John McWhorter - Author of Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter — Then, Now, and Forever and host of Slate’s Lexicon Valley podcastJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 13, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/25/2021 • 50 minutes

This hour, a potpourri of topics.First, some new thinking around dental cavities — are they really an oral microbiome problem?And, as we endure another record-setting fire season, scientists are wondering, does Smokey Bear need a makeover?Finally, what happens if we look at Earth as an exoplanet?GUESTS:Jaime Green - Associate editor of Future TenseMaggie Koerth - Senior science writer for FiveThirtyEightJennifer Oldham - Pulitzer Prize-winning reporterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/24/2021 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.This week, we aren’t even starting with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Gene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/23/2021 • 49 minutes, 59 seconds

The Nose had planned to discuss all the scandals around Jeopardy! executive-producer-turned-incoming-host Mike Richards. But then he quit this morning, so The Nose discusses that instead.And: Larry David (the real guy, not the TV character — as much as those are two different things) went off on Alan Dershowitz in a Martha’s Vineyard grocery store.And finally: FBOY Island is HBO Max’s first reality TV dating show. It’s not the sort of thing The Nose would normally cover, which is exactly why The Nose is covering it.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Chuck Close, Artist of Outsized Reality, Dies at 81 He found success with his large-scale Photorealist portraits, becoming one of the leading artists of his generation. Late in life he faced allegations of sexual harassment.Sean Lock Dies: ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats’ Comedian Was 58; Tributes From Ricky Gervais, Bill Bailey, David Baddiel & MoreLawsuit Alleges Sexual Abuse By Bob DylanBritney Spears Is Under Investigation For Battery After A Dispute With A Staff Member No one was injured in the alleged altercation between Spears and a member of her staff.New pictures show Wally the Walrus relaxing on a small boat in Crookhaven Wally the walrus is set to get a ‘floating couch’ in an effort to prevent him from sinking more boats.Carrie Underwood Faced Backlash Online After She Liked An Anti-Mask Video On TwitterMr. McFeely’s son, a real-life mail carrier, to deliver in Daniel Tiger’s neighborhoodWhy Country Music Was (Finally) Ready to Come Out “It was like, ‘I can be comfortable and out and gay, or I can do country music, but I definitely can’t do both,’” says one artist. Now that dichotomy appears to be falling apartThe Coen Brother If Ethan Coen is done making movies with his brother Joel, what might that mean for projects from each Coen Brother going forward?OnlyFans Says It Will Ban Sexually Explicit Content The new policy takes effect Oct. 1.GUESTS:Xandra Ellin - Associate producer at Pineapple Street Media, and she writes the On the Media newsletterCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceCat Pastor - Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut PublicJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/20/2021 • 49 minutes

There are thought to be about 17 quadrillion flies alive on Earth at any one time. That’s 17 million for every living human.They’re predators and parasites and pests, but they’re pollinators too. They help us solve crimes, heal wounds, and understand genetics and evolution. And they literally help at least one artist paint his paintings.Also this hour: A look at David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly on the week of its 35th anniversary.GUESTS:Jonathan Balcombe - Author of Super Fly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most Successful InsectsJohn Knuth - An artist; his work is part of Reunion, A Group Exhibition at Hollis Taggart in Southport, Conn., showing until September 4Gale Ridge - Associate scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationJacob Trussel - Author of The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone; his latest piece for Film School Rejects is “Only Jeff Goldblum Could Make Us Fall in Love with ‘The Fly.’”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Over 500 years ago, Sir Thomas More wrote about utopia. Since then, countless communities around the world have worked to create their own versions of a perfect world. This hour on the Colin McEnroe Show, we look at examples of utopian communities from around the world.GUESTS:Avery Trufelman - Host of the podcast Nice Try!Akash Kapur - Author of Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in AurovilleSamir Patel - Editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/18/2021 • 49 minutes

We’ve been doing these weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls.This week, our plan was to forgo even starting with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. Just to see what would happen.But the situation in Afghanistan has drawn focus, and we should probably at least vaguely start there.But still: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/17/2021 • 49 minutes

This show originally aired July 26, 2017.In 1959, Soviet geneticist Dmitri Belyaev started an ambitious experiment to study the origins of domestication: he would attempt to breed domesticated wild foxes by selecting on their behavior alone, a process he imagined our ancestors carried out with dogs thousands of years before.This hour, a look at the history and progress of this still-ongoing experiment: What can it tell us about our animal companions — and ourselves?Plus, we catch up with some domesticated fox owners and find out if foxes are good pets in real life.GUESTS:Amy and David Bassett - Founders of the Judith A. Bassett Canid Education and Conservation Center and the owners of several Russian domesticated foxesLee Dugatkin - Author of How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started EvolutionJacob Mikanowski - Writes about science, history, and artJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/16/2021 • 50 minutes

Welcome 2 America is a brand new, never-before-released full studio album of Prince material. And it’s the first one of those released after his death. That fact seems to complicate things a bit.And: It’s not often that The Nose reads a book, but it has happened before, and it is happening again. T.J. Newman’s debut novel, Falling, has been a bit of a publishing phenomenon, having instantly entered the New York Times best sellers list at No. 2. The book is an airplane thriller, and Newman was a flight attendant until earlier this year.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Kool & The Gang Co-Founder Dennis ‘Dee Tee’ Thomas Has Died At Age 70Markie Post, ‘Night Court’ Actress, Dies at 70 Ms. Post played a bail bondswoman on the show “The Fall Guy” in the 1980s and starred opposite John Ritter in the sitcom “Hearts Afire” in the 1990s.16 Recent Books Reddit Thinks Will Be ClassicsWhat Bobby Mcilvaine Left Behind Grief, conspiracy theories, and one family’s search for meaning in the two decades since 9/11ABA CEO Allison Hill’s Letter to MembersGhosts I didn’t know how to write about my sister’s death—so I had AI do it for me.Can culture degenerate? Tempting it might be, but the idea that culture has become vacuous and banal comes with unsavoury implications‘Jeopardy!’ Announces Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik as New Hosts The long-running game show decided to turn to its own executive producer in succeeding Alex Trebek, who died last year, as the show’s regular host.Ryan Adams: ‘I Felt Like They Were Asking Me to Die’ Two years after a series of #MeToo allegations turned him into a pariah, the struggling singer is finally breaking his silence. But does anyone want to hear what he has to say?SpaceX and a Canadian startup plan to launch a satellite that will beam adverts into space. Anyone can buy pixels on the satellite’s screen with dogecoin.NASA Wants You To Spend A Year Simulating Life On Mars, For ScienceMatt Damon used to escape controversy, while Ben Affleck used to be the punchline. What changed?Michael Stipe Wants to Make MistakesLong before Jungle Cruise, Hollywood mastered the adventure romance genre The African Queen, Romancing The Stone, and The Mummy mix action, romance, and comedy in perfect measureThe Last Jedi let the past die—and pissed off a galaxy of overprotective fans in the process Rian Johnson dared to make an anti-nostalgic Star Wars. The diehards were not pleased.Marvel and DC face backlash over pay: ‘They sent a thank you note and $5,000 – the movie made $1bn’HBO Investigating Theroux and Harrelson Series Over ‘Alleged Unprofessional Behavior’ on Set The incident on “The White House Plumbers” is said to involve director/executive producer David Mandel and a member of the props department.A Guide to Each Hollywood Studio’s Theatrical WindowsOh hell yes: At long last, De La Soul’s entire catalogue will be available digitally One of the best and most influential groups in hip-hop history will finally see its deep well of music hit streaming services in 2021“I Got a Second Chance”: From Puff Daddy to Diddy to Love Sean Combs was the original influencer. Now the artist and mogul is defining his next era—and launching a record label.12 Celebrities With Questionable Bathing Habits And 12 Celebrities With Exemplary Bathing Habits Apparently this is a divisive topic!David Schwimmer Responded To The Rumors That He And Jennifer Aniston Are Now Dating In Real Life After Admitting To Having “Major" Crushes On Each Other During The “Friends” Reunion “We were crushing hard on each other, but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship.”It Makes Total Sense That Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer Would Be DatingOpinion: Why not pay college actors like college athletes?I Was Powerless Over Diet co*ke After almost 40 years as a diet-soda addict, my body suddenly started to reject my favorite feel-good companion.I Am Also Powerless Over Diet co*ke, and It RulesEither Wirecutter Or I Are Doing Toilet Brush Ownership EXTREMELY WrongNestflix Creator Lynn Fisher Shares the Inspiration for Her Website Devoted to Fake MoviesGUESTS:Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz EngineJulia Pistell - A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, a co-host of the Literary Disco podcast, and other thingsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Matt Farley, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/13/2021 • 49 minutes

It has been almost 20 years since the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie was released.This hour, a look back at the The Lord of the Rings books and movies and their impact.GUESTS:John Garth - Author of The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth and Tolkien and the Great War, among other booksSusana Polo - Entertainment editor for PolygonMolly Ostertag - Graphic novelist, TV writer, and author of the article “Queer Readings of the Lord of the Rings are Not Accidents”  Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/12/2021 • 49 minutes

Semiotics is the study of sign process, which is to say: it’s the science of the search for meaning.And then, part of the underlying premise of semiotics — which just happens to be part of the underlying premise of The Colin McEnroe Show, itself — is that there’s meaning… everywhere.Why do people smoke cigarettes even though everyone knows they’re terribly harmful? Why do women wear terribly uncomfortable high-heeled shoes? Could it simply be because those things are… interesting?This hour: a crash course in the study of meaning-making, in the science of semiotics.GUEST:Marcel Danesi - The author of Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things: An Introduction to SemioticsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 6, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/11/2021 • 50 minutes

It’s a magazine show — which is to say, it’s a show covering a number of disparate topics linked only by the fact that we’ve decided to cover them together.This hour, the too-big-to-be-a-planet, too-small-to-be-a-proper-star celestial body dubbed ‘The Accident.’And: A look at the overwhelming hype, and precipitous fall (pardon the pun) of the Segway.Plus: squirrel parkour.GUESTS:Steve Kemper - The author of several books, including Reinventing the Wheel: A Story of Genius, Innovation, and Grand AmbitionDan Kois - An editor and writer at SlateLucia Jacobs - Principal investigator at The Jacobs Lab of Cognitive Biology at the University of California, BerkeleyJonathan O’Callaghan - A freelance space and science journalistJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/10/2021 • 49 minutes

As compared to two weeks ago, new COVID case counts are up 112%, hospitalizations are up 90%, and deaths are up 92%. This would seem to be driven by the extra-contagious delta variant and a population that’s just 50% fully vaccinated.And so: What do we need to change about ourselves? And what do we want government to change for us? Do we need to get off the honor system?Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour: 860-275-7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/9/2021 • 49 minutes

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have publicly admitted that they rarely bathe. Kutcher, in fact, went as far as to say he washes his “armpits and my crotch daily and nothing else ever.” This all makes me incredibly uncomfortable, but it turns out that maybe not everyone feels that way.And: A look at the etiquette of the text tapback, as saluted in this week’s New York Times Magazine.And finally: The White Lotus is a six-part miniseries currently running on HBO. It follows the staff and guests at a Hawaiian resort over the course of a week, and while it starts off as a sort of drama/thriller, it evolves into more of a satire as it goes.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:How TV Went From David Brent to Ted LassoDisney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal wrestle with balancing the value of cable networks and streaming servicesDaBaby Was Dropped From Two More Music Festivals For His Anti-Gay CommentsSilver LiningsMeet the Dommes Who Are Demanding Their Submissives Get VaxxedLight detected behind a black hole for the first timeCoen Bros. Split Because ‘Ethan Didn’t Want to Make Movies Anymore,’ Says Carter BurwellLorne Michaels Can’t Quit SNL, So He Hopes Nobody Else Will, EitherLionel Messi is Not Renewing His Contract with FC BarcelonaMike Richards in Advanced Negotiations to Become Permanent Host of ‘Jeopardy!’Who Owns My Name? by Amanda KnoxThe Washington Football Team Has Banned Native American Headdresses From Its StadiumThe Rolling Stones to perform private concert for Robert Kraft and friendsGUESTS:Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/6/2021 • 49 minutes

The Three Music Musketeers return!Are you bored with your playlist? We’ve reunited our trio of music mavens — novelist Wally Lamb, critic Eric Danton, and not-killed-by-video radio star Joan Holliday — to freshen up your music choices with great recommendations.Warning: This program includes banter.The songs in this show include some or all of these ones:“I NEED YOU” by Jon Batiste“Pigeons” by Bill Callahan“Brando” by Lucy Dacus“Jazz on the Autobahn” by The Felice Brothers“Northsiders” by Christian Lee Hutson“Waxahachie” by Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall“Hard Drive” by Cassandra Jenkins“Sometimes” by Bessie Jones“Washing Machine” by Kings of Convenience“The King of All Birds” by Aoife O’Donovan“Trap Life” by SAULT“Chaise Longue” by Wet LegGUESTS:Eric Danton - A reporter and criticJoan Holliday - Host of The Riversound Café with Joan Holliday weekday afternoons on 93.9 and 101.5 The RiverWally Lamb - The author of nine books; his most recent novel is I’ll Take You ThereJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/5/2021 • 49 minutes

Treasure hunts are prolific across literature, film, and history.This hour we talk about treasure hunts, including what happens when you drop one in the present day.GUESTS:Dan Barbarisi - Author of Chasing The Thrill: Obsession, Death and Glory In America’s Most Extraordinary Treasure HuntMarcellus Cadd - Writes the blog Geocaching While BlackJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/4/2021 • 49 minutes

humor = tragedy + timeOK, but then the logical next question is: How much time?If it’s OK, at this point, to joke about, say, The Spanish Inquisition… what about, for instance, the Holocaust? Or AIDS? September 11th? The MeToo movement?…The delta variant?There’s a line there somewhere, right?Or are some topics just never going to be funny?GUESTS:Mike Bent - Teaches writing in the Comedic Arts program at Emerson College, and he’s a performing comedian and magicianShawn Murray - Shawn Murray is a comedian, writer, and the host of Nobody Asked ShawnCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancerFerne Pearlstein - A documentary filmmaker who directed The Last LaughCaleb Warren - Assistant professor of marketing at the University of ArizonaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Catie Talarski, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 21, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/3/2021 • 50 minutes

This hour, a conversation not exactly about the recent anti-CRT hysteria on the right and not exactly about extreme wokeness on the left, but about how we talk and write and think and teach so that we acknowledge the wrongs of the past and how they show up in the present. Without driving each other nuts.Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour: 860-275-7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/2/2021 • 49 minutes

Schmigadoon! is a musical comedy series on Apple TV+ starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key. In it, the couple gets stuck in a musical town, and can’t leave until they find true love.Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), on Hulu, is about The Harlem Cultural Festival, which occurred over six weeks in the summer of 1969, and featured artists like Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Artistic Producer at Theater WorksSteve Metcalf - Director Emeritus of the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ CollegeSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/30/2021 • 49 minutes

This hour, we take your calls about Olympian Simone Biles. She withdrew from competition on Tuesday to focus on her mental health, just weeks after tennis star Naomi Osaka also stepped back due to mental health struggles.And we want your reaction to the House selection committee hearing on the January 6th Capitol attack, happening this week.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/29/2021 • 49 minutes

Criminal Minds. Mindhunter and Manhunt. Cracker and Profiler. Nearly the whole of the Hannibal Lecter universe: Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal (the movie and the TV series), Red Dragon… It goes on.It seems we’re fascinated by forensic psychology, by mindhunting, by criminal profiling.This hour, we look at three different criminal profilers: James Brussel, the psychologist who helped catch the Mad Bomber of New York in 1957; James Fitzgerald, the forensic linguist who caught the Unabomber; and Bill James, the father of sabermetrics, turns his data analysis on a century-old serial killer mystery that no one had even realized was a serial killer mystery before he and his daughter figured it out.GUESTS:Michael Cannell - Author of Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal ProfilingJames Fitzgerald - Retired FBI agent, criminal profiler, and forensic linguist; he’s the author of a series of memoirs, A Journey to the Center of the MindBill James - Former Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox; co-author of The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer MysteryRachel McCarthy James - Co-author of The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer MysteryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 7, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/28/2021 • 50 minutes

On the one hand, obituaries are an amalgam of a bunch of different kinds of journalism: they’re feature stories, they’re profile pieces, they cover history, and they’re hard news too.On the other hand, the subject is always… dead.This hour, a look at the art of obituaries and obituarists.GUESTS:Kate Cimini - A reporter for The Salinas Californian and CalMattersVanessa Gould - Produced and directed the documentary Obit.Heather Lende - Obituarist for the Chilkat Valley News in Alaska and the author of Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary WriterBruce Weber - Retired New York Times obituaristJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 24, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/27/2021 • 50 minutes

The 2020 Olympics began late last week in Tokyo, Japan. This hour: we look back at the opening weekend, and ahead at the rest of the games.GUESTS:Ben Waterworth - Australian journalist and radio host, and host of many podcasts, including "Off The Podium," a podcast about the OlympicsRebecca Schuman - Writer who is covering Olympic gymnastics for SlateEmily VanDerWerff - Critic at Large for VoxSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/26/2021 • 49 minutes

The disclosure that a new documentary about Anthony Bourdain uses an artificial intelligence-generated version of his voice for three lines of its dialogue has raised a number of questions of ethics. Are documentaries journalism in the first place?And: A profile of the Black Rifle Coffee Company in The New York Times Magazine has started some new conversations about consumption as political spectacle and more.And finally, this paragraph will take a bit of a turn at the end: Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasy drama series on Netflix. It is mostly set following a devastating viral pandemic, and the main character is a 10-year-old boy who is half deer.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Trans model makes Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover history: ‘If you don’t like it, you can go somewhere else’How Shakespeare Became an American IconWill We Ever See a ‘Star Wars’–MCU Crossover?The Spirit of the ’80s Is Alive and Crying on John Mayer’s New AlbumIn second Honors this year, Kennedy Center to recognize Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Lorne Michaels, Berry Gordy and Justino DíazAn increasingly popular way to be buried: Become part of an artificial reefWith ‘Black Widow’ ticket buying suddenly drying up, growing questions for Disney’s Marvel about what did it inBlaming Disney+ for the ‘Black Widow’ Drop Was Not a Smart ArgumentWhy I Still Love the OfficeWhere Have All the Sports Movies Gone?The Resurgent Appeal of Guinness World RecordsWhy Does Jeff Bezos’ Rocket Look So Much Like a Penis? We Asked a Rocket Scientist.Eric Clapton Will Not Play Shows Where Proof of Vaccine Is RequiredNetflix’s Subscriber Base is Growing, But Not In North AmericaSean Penn Line In Sand: Won’t Return To Watergate Series ‘Gaslit’ Unless All Cast & Crew Get Mandatory Covid VaccinationsNeckties Are the New Bow TiesPack It In, Everyone, Dolly Parton Now Owns Hot Girl SummerGUESTS:Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/23/2021 • 49 minutes

There’s a theory that ours isn’t the only universe. That there are, actually, infinitely many universes.That there are, then, infinitely many yous.That there are infinitely many different yous reading infinitely many different versions of this show synopsis. That there are infinitely many universes that don’t even bother to include you. Or this show synopsis. Or even reading.Also, there’s a theory that The Berenstain Bears prove the theory that ours isn’t the only universe.So, this hour, in this universe, a show about all that. Or (at least) one version of a show about all that.GUESTS:Amanda Gefter - A physics and cosmology writer and the author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn: A Father, a Daughter, the Meaning of Nothing and the Beginning of EverythingMack Lamoureux - Night editor at Vice CanadaEugene Lim - Senior lecturer in theoretical physics at King’s College LondonAlicia Lutes - Managing editor of The NerdistJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Katie Glass, Cat Pastor, Chion Wolf, and Alan Yu contributed to this show, which originally aired December 8, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/22/2021 • 50 minutes

For many, meetings at work can feel like they get in the way of actual work. This hour, we talk about the history of meetings, why we meet, and how to meet better. Plus, how our meeting culture might change due to the pandemic.GUESTS:Liana Kreamer - PhD Student in Organizational Science at the University of North CarolinaCaitlin Rosenthal - Associate Professor of History at the University of California BerkeleyRachel Sugar - Staff writer for GrubstreetSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/21/2021 • 49 minutes

How far would you go? How far would you go, for instance, to convince people to get vaccinated?Vaccination is, in a way, a test run. It’s a test run for some of the other big challenges we face. Like, for instance, climate change.How far would you go?Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour at 860-275-7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/20/2021 • 49 minutes

For decades, Christian evangelicals were the fastest-growing religious group in this country. Now, some young evangelicals are abandoning the faith.And: There’s a new competitive edge in pro sports — the COVID vaccines.And finally: Tomorrow, July 20, Wally Funk will become the oldest person ever to fly to space. So today, our conversation with Funk on her last day as a non-astronaut.GUESTS:Wally Funk - An American aviator with nearly 20,000 flight hours and a former member of the Mercury 13 programAlex Kirshner - A writer and editor; he co-hosts the Split Zone Duo podcast and co-writes the Moon Crew newsletterTerry Shoemaker - A lecturer on religious studies and American studies at Arizona State UniversitySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Black Widow is the 24th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the ninth, and final, one to feature Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, and it’s the first film in Phase Four of the M.C.U. I don’t know what a lot of that stuff means, but Black Widow has already set a number of pandemic box office records. It has grossed more than $200 million worldwide so far.And: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is Robinson’s Netflix sketch comedy series. Its six second season episodes debuted on July 6. The episodes are all less than 20 minutes long (!).Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Charlie Robinson, Who Played Mac on ‘Night Court,’ Dies at 75Mj Rodriguez Just Became The First Transgender Person To Be Nominated For A Major Lead Acting EmmyThe Emmys Have Gone Mildly WildBest Actor Or Actress? Gender-Expansive Performers Are Forced To ChooseJason Sudeikis Is Having One Hell of a YearThom Yorke and Radiohead Release Music Video for “Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)”Olivia Rodrigo Went To The White House To Talk About VaccinationsMint condition Super Mario 64 game sells for record $1.5mThis Insect Drinks Your MilkshakeMan fuels his personal fart-cycle with gas from a swampThe newest clip from Netflix’s Sexy Beasts dating show offers fresh nightmare fuelThe Only ‘New’ Thing About Cross-Cultural Casting Is Who’s Getting The RolesGUESTS:Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcastTom Breen - Managing editor of The New Haven Independent, and he hosted Deep Focus on WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/16/2021 • 49 minutes

When we think of unicorns, many of us picture idyllic white horses with a single horn, surrounded by rainbows. But that’s not how unicorns have always been depicted.This hour, we discuss the history of unicorns, and their enduring popularity.GUESTS:Martha Bayless - The Director of Folklore and Public Culture and a professor of English at the University of OregonAdam Gidwitz - Author of The Unicorn Rescue Society series, among other books, and the creator of the podcast Grimm, Grimmer and GrimmestSarah Laskow - Author of The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns and senior editor for science at The AtlanticSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/15/2021 • 49 minutes

Plum Island sits less than 7 miles off the coast of Connecticut in Long Island Sound. It is completely owned by the federal government and controlled by the Department of Homeland Security. Since 1954, it has been the site of the soon-to-be-decommissioned Plum Island Animal Disease Center.“All islands carry a certain mystery, but Plum Island has more than its share of stories and secrets,” according to Marian Lindberg.This hour, a look at the place Dr. Hannibal Lecter calls “Anthrax Island”: Plum Island, New York.GUESTS:Ellen Killoran - Staff reporter and editor at Crime OnlineMarian Lindberg - Conservation specialist for The Nature Conservancy and the author of Scandal On Plum Island: A Commander Becomes the AccusedGeoff Manaugh - Co-author of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of QuarantineJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/14/2021 • 49 minutes

On the one hand, it kind of feels like the pandemic is winding down, right? On the other hand, the daily caseload in the U.S. is 23,000, up 94% versus two weeks ago.At the same time, the Teletubbies are all vaccinated, so that’s a welcome relief.How are you handling this strange gray area in which we find ourselves?Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour: 860–275–7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/13/2021 • 49 minutes

Most of the Western world is organized by alphabetical order, which is so much more than the 26 letters that make up the alphabet. Alphabetical order is an organizing principle that allows us to save, order, and access thousands of years of humankind's most precious documents and ideas. Without it, we'd never know what came before us or how to pass on what's with us. It's ubiquitous, yet invisible in daily life.This hour, a conversation about how we order our world and why we do it.GUESTS:Nicholson Baker - A novelist and essayist; he's the author of 17 books, including, most recently, Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information ActJudith Flanders - Author of A Place For Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical OrderPeter Sokolowski - A lexicographer and editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of the podcast Word MattersJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 21, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/12/2021 • 50 minutes

The Nose is all TV all the time this week.First: Is the era of the unifying television hit already over? And: Has Netflix already lost its cool?And then: Kevin Can F**k Himself is both a multi-camera sitcom and a single-camera drama at the same time. It airs on AMC and stars Annie Murphy.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Richard Donner, Director of 'Superman,' 'The Goonies' and 'Lethal Weapon,' Dies at 91R.I.P. filmmaker and actor Robert Downey Sr.His son, actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed the news on InstagramWhat Deadlines Do to LifetimesCan we find a balance between structuring our time and squandering it?Brace yourself for the Bill Cosby media redemption tourIn the comedy world he may still be persona non grata. But can TV news divisions resist the ratings he'd pull in?2021 Miss Nevada Will Be The First Openly Transgender Miss USA ContestantEveryone is praising Selena Gomez's unedited swimsuit and bikini pictures"Seeing Selena Gomez's stomach & body WITHOUT PHOTOSHOP is fire"The Pop Music You Listen to Really Does MatterThe story of Dr. Luke and Doja Cat shows how the industry relies on consumer passivity. But audiences can still stand against alleged abusers.Future Lord of the Rings films should acknowledge the book's queer leaningsNobody wants to see a horny Gollum or Orcs with raging hard-ons – but why shouldn't some of Middle-earth's denizens be gay?If they won't let Zack Snyder make a stupid Star Wars, he'll just make his own stupid Star WarsZack Snyder is making an Akira Kurosawa-inspired sci-fi epic for NetflixHow Disney Mismanaged the Star Wars UniverseAnd how The Mandalorian can restore the true power of George Lucas's galaxyThe Urge to Destroy a ViolinAn Instagram account reveals both our reverence for and our loathing of classical instruments.The Games Done Quick Marathon Is More Important Than EverFor years, GDQ has brought together gamers to speedrun for charity. After a year of loss and loneliness, the event means so much more.Returnal and Why Games Need More Badass Middle-Aged WomenWomen in video games are either young and sexy or old and wise. But a character who’s built up the strength and confidence of experience? Sign me up.How "The Print Shop" Turned People into Banner Wizards in the 1980sMathematicians Prove 2D Version of Quantum Gravity Really WorksIn three towering papers, a team of mathematicians has worked out the details of Liouville quantum field theory, a two-dimensional model of quantum gravity.What Gets Lost as Little Leagues Get SmallerTown leagues, unprofessionalized and open to all, knit neighborhoods together in ways that intensive and competitive travel teams do not.How "Rick and Morty" and "Loki" built thoughtful altars to apathy for everything we hold dearBoth shows acknowledge that gods exist. But each questions the zealotry with which we follow them'Legally Blonde' Oral History: From Raunchy Script to Feminist ClassicAlong the way, adult zingers were edited out, Jennifer Coolidge struggled with the "bend and snap" and the ending was changed at least three times.You Really Need to Quit TwitterHow could I have succumbed to this common, embarrassing habit that just about everyone on Earth knows is a scourge?Why Is Everyone Talking About the "Cat Person" Short Story Again?"Cat Person" and MeKristen Roupenian's viral story draws specific details from my own life. I've spent the years since it published wondering: How did she know?Nicholas Braun is going to be the Cat Person asshole in the viral story's movie adaptationEmilia Jones will play Margot, the 20-year-old who goes on a bad date with the Cat PersonAdmit it: Grilling is badGUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/9/2021 • 49 minutes

At 10 years old, M. Leona Godin began losing her vision. Her experience with sight and blindness is detailed in her new book, There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness. In it she also explores blindness throughout literature, and through key figures and inventions throughout history.This hour, we’re joined by Godin to discuss "the vast, dappled regions between seeing and not-seeing, blindness and sight, darkness and light." GUEST:M. Leona Godin - Author of There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of BlindnessJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/8/2021 • 49 minutes

John McPhee is a writer's writer. He's thought of as one of the progenitors of the New Journalism, of creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction, along with people like Gay Talese and Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson. But his style is... quiter than those folks'. His writing is transparent. He tends to keep himself out of the narrative. He doesn't even, in fact, have an author photo.McPhee has written for The New Yorker since 1963, and he's taught writing at Princeton University since 1975. He is the author of 32 books, including Coming Into the Country, A Sense of Where You Are, Oranges, and Annals of the Former World, which won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction.GUEST:John McPhee - Staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of 33 books; his latest are Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process and The PatchJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired September 28, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/7/2021 • 49 minutes, 30 seconds

The impending doom of an asteroid (or comet or whatever) colliding with the Earth is the premise of any number of movies and books and such. But what would we really do to stop such a thing from happening, if we had to? One solution might be to try to nudge the asteroid off its collision course with us, and NASA is about to test a way to do just that.And: A few points about baseball's two-way phenom, Shohei Ohtani. He might be having the best season anyone's ever had, "it's almost inarguable that he's the most physically talented all-around athlete ever to play the game," and, also according to Ben Lindbergh, "if you can't get into Ohtani, maybe baseball isn't for you." But are we maybe not appreciating Ohtani enough?And finally: If I say "shark," you think of Jaws, right? But there are two major problems with the shark-as-villain stereotype. First, sharks are fascinating and awe-inspiring more than they're scary. And second, we need to be more afraid for sharks than afraid of them.GUESTS:Ben Lindbergh - Staff writer at The Ringer and co-host of Effectively WildMelissa Cristina Márquez - A marine biologist and shark scientistAndrew Rivkin - A planetary astronomer and the DART Investigation Team Lead at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics LaboratoryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/6/2021 • 49 minutes

Bo Burnham: Inside is a Netflix standup comedy concert play documentary thing written, shot, edited, directed, and performed by Bo Burnham. Burnham made it by himself, with no audience and no crew, during pandemic lockdowns.And: No Sudden Move is Steven Soderbergh's sixth movie in the four years since he returned from retirement, and his second for HBOMax. It's a neo-noir crime thriller set in 1950s Detroit, and it's got an all-star enemble cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Brendan Fraser, and more.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Bill Cosby's sex assault conviction overturned by courtCollege Athletes May Earn Money From Their Fame, N.C.A.A. RulesHere's a breakdown of why the N.C.A.A. finally relented to pressure to allow athletes to make money beyond the cost of attending their universities.Does the Job of Talk-Show Sidekick Even Make Sense Anymore?Andy Richter reinvigorated the thankless, tired role, but now that "Conan" is going off the air, it's time to re-evaluate work that was often mired in stereotypes.Why 'Fast & Furious' Is Our Best -- And Worst -- FranchiseF9 Makes Dom Toretto Canonically TallThe Life and Death of Pete Davidson's ChadDavidson and the creators of Saturday Night Live's monosyllabic icon chart his improbable rise and explosive fall.Bullsh*tting Is Actually a Sign of Intelligence, Study FindsThis is not BS.NPR's Joy GeneratorA Food Critic Reviews the Swedish Chef's New RestaurantWhat Gets Lost as Little Leagues Get SmallerTown leagues, unprofessionalized and open to all, knit neighborhoods together in ways that intensive and competitive travel teams do not.It's Not Easy Being GreenspeopleTransforming winter into spring or creating faux forests and fanciful estates is all in a day's work for these behind-the-scenes masters of foliage on movie and TV sets.When A City-Size Star Becomes A Black Hole's Lunch, The Universe RoilsWith gift from David Geffen, Yale's drama school goes tuition-freeElvis Costello dismisses claims Olivia Rodrigo plagiarized his music, saying that's rock and rollThe Tin Man Gets His Heart: An Oral History of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'Three decades ago, James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Linda Hamilton joined forces again to make the biggest, baddest, most eye-popping sequel ever. Here's the story of how the machines took over Hollywood.Judge Denies Britney Spears' Request To Have Her Father Removed From ConservatorshipHow Twitter can ruin a lifeIsabel Fall's sci-fi story "I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter" drew the ire of the internet. This is what happened next.GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications, Marketing and Events Manager at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center, and a freelance writerJames Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/2/2021 • 49 minutes

Scrolling through online real estate listings, a practice known as "Zillow surfing," has become a popular pastime this past year. And it's not just for people who are actually looking to buy houses... It's also for snooping on the value of other people's homes, imagining different lives for yourself, or just finding unusual houses to make fun of and share with friends.This hour, a look at the appeal of Zillow surfing.GUESTS:Ariel Norling - Author of the "I Know A Spot" NewsletterDana Bull - Realtor with Sagan Harborside Sotheby's International Realty, based in MassachusettsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/1/2021 • 49 minutes

The Thighmaster, the Chop-O-Matic, the George Foreman Grill, and the Clapper... products which are all part of American consumer culture and which were all introduced through infomercials. But as online shopping increases and traditional television watching decreases, are we beginning to see the end of these high-energy, late-night shows?What will become of iconic pitchmen like Ron Popeil, Tony Little, and Richard Simmons in an age where consumerism is changing by the day?This hour, we look back at some of the most memorable infomercials of all time and ask if they still have a place in our national media landscape.GUESTS:Kevin Harrington - The unofficial "King of Infomercials" and the author of Key Person of Influence: The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your IndustryRon Popeil - Inventor and iconic infomercial pitchmanRemy Stern - Author of But Wait… There's More! Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen SinkJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Lydia Brown, Ray Hardman, Greg Hill, Betsy Kaplan, Ross Levin, Jonathan McNicol, Stephanie Riefe, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired March 7, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/30/2021 • 50 minutes

Dragons have captured our imagination going back to the Greek and Roman Empires when the skeletal bones of dinosaurs fed the myths we still believe today.And those myths show up in our most popular popular culture today -- in the Harry Potter books and movies, in Tolkien's Middle-earth books and movies, in George R. R. Martin's Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.This hour, a look at dragons from the ancients through Game of Thrones.GUESTS:Cressida Cowell - Author of the How to Train Your Dragon seriesAdrienne Mayor - Author of The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times and Fossil Legends of the First Americans‌William O'Connor - Author and illustrator of the Dracopedia book trilogyMatthew Reilly - Author The Great Zoo of China, among many other novelsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, Chion Wolf, and Alan Yu contributed to this show, which originally aired June 4, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/29/2021 • 50 minutes

Why is there something rather than nothing? This has been described as perhaps the most sublime philosophical question of all. This our, we try to answer it. But as we do, we realize that it's not just a philosophical quandary; it's a scientific, cultural, and theological one as well.Indeed, to the extent that "nothing" is even understood, it is understood so differently across different domains that one person's nothing truly is another person's something.Confused? You're not alone. The concept has vexed, distressed, and seduced all manner of folk, from Aristotle to Einstein, and remains no less mysterious to today's brightest minds.GUESTS:Ronald Green - Author of Nothing Matters: A Book About NothingJim Holt - Author of Why Does The World Exist? An Existential Detective StoryJames Owen Weatherall - Author of Void: The Strange Physics of NothingJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 6, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/28/2021 • 50 minutes

In March, Lou Ottens died in Duizel in the Netherlands. He was 94. I don't think I had ever heard of Ottens before, but the news of his death quickly filled my social media feeds. Ottens, you see, invented the compact cassette in the 1960s.There's a certain romance to the cassette tape, right? They're more fun than mp3s, for sure. And it turns out they're having a little mini resurgence right now.Last year, cassette sales hit their highest mark since 2003. Some old, hard to find tapes sell for crazy prices. Blank tapes still sell well. There are cassette-only record labels. There are even podcast episodes out on tape.This hour, a look at the long past and surprising present of the cassette tape.GUESTS:Joe Carlough - Runs This And That TapesLory Gil - A writer in the tech industrySommer McCoy - Founder of The Mixtape MuseumZack Taylor - Director of Cassette: A Documentary MixtapeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 24, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/25/2021 • 50 minutes

From ancient scrolls to modern toner cartridges, ink (in one form or another) has been around for millennia. And while we may take it for granted now, for much of that time, it was a precious and coveted substance.Ink makers closely guarded their recipes; spy agencies developed secret, invisible ink formulations; and even now, billions are spent to create the perfect printer inks.This hour, we look back at the history of ink and ask whether its heyday might be coming to a close.GUESTS:Ted Bishop - Author of Ink: Culture, Wonder And Our Relationship With The Written WordKristie Macrakis - Author of Prisoners, Lovers, & Spies: The Story of Invisible Ink from Herodotus to al QaedaKyle Wiens - Founder of iFixitJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 9, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/24/2021 • 50 minutes

Rust is all around us. It's in our cars, our homes, our infrastructure. It's also the subject of Jonathan Waldman's book Rust: The Longest War, which introduces us to the people who fight it.This hour, Waldman joins us, and we hear from a visual artist who has found a way to incorporate rust into her work.GUESTS:Esther Solondz - A Rhode Island-based visual artistJonathan Waldman - Author of Rust: The Longest WarJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired March 25, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/23/2021 • 50 minutes

Radiation is everywhere. It's emitted by our sun, by cat litter, by bananas, and occasionally by nuclear bombs. It's even emitted by you and by me and by every living (and dead) person in the world. So why are we so scared of something so prevalent in our everyday lives?While certain types of radiation can be very harmful in high doses, our fears may have more to do with how radiation is portrayed than it does with the actual danger of exposure. This hour, we talk with experts about the benefits, risks, and oftentimes misguided fears of radiation.GUESTS:Francis Cucinotta - Professor for the department of health physics and diagnostic sciences at the University of NevadaTim J. Jorgenson - Author of Strange Glow: The Story of RadiationDavid Ropeik - Author of How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don't Match The FactsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 21, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/22/2021 • 50 minutes

Fire imagery abounds in music, literature, art, and scripture. It thrives at the center of ceremony and ritual around the world. We associate fire with sentiments of passion, anger, transformation, purity, and even evil itself.Some say our fascination with fire is owed to the fact that, of all creatures, we alone possess the ability to create and control it.They say at its center, fire burns hottest. So stand back and listen close, for this hour, we journey straight to its core. It's one heck of a hot topic, and we're guessing it'll spark your interest.GUESTS:Steve Pyne - Author of Moved by Fire: History's Promethean Moment and Fire: A Brief HistoryEric Rabkin - Professor emeritus of English language and literature and of art & design at the University of Michigan, Ann ArborGary Snyder - PoetChristian Tryon - Assistant professor of anthropology at HarvardCharles Wright - The 50th Poet Laureate of the United StatesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 14, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/21/2021 • 50 minutes

It's a special, Juneteenth (observed)-observing, Thursday edition of The Nose.First: The lack of Afro-Latinx actors in the movie version of In the Heights has caused some controversy. Lin-Manuel Miranda has apologized.And: High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America is a four-part docuseries hosted by Stephen Satterfield. All four episodes hit Netflix on May 26.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Congress Has Made Juneteenth A National Holiday. Just Don't Talk About The Legacy Of Slavery.As conservatives seek to ban critical race theory from schools, many Black Americans wonder if children will fully understand the new holiday marking the end of slavery.Ned Beatty, titanic character actor of 'Network,' dies at 83Opinion: Tom Hanks Is A Non-Racist. It's Time For Him To Be Anti-RacistJames Corden Is Facing Backlash For His "Spill Your Guts" Segment"It's blatant racism."How 'WandaVision,' 'The Umbrella Academy,' 'Harley Quinn' Subvert the Superhero GenreTina Fey Looks Back at Problematic '90s Trends During 'Girls5Eva' Tribeca Panel: 'We All Cosigned That?'The Girl Scouts Have Unsold Cookies Left. 15 Million Boxes!How Working From Home Has Changed EmployeesThey are used to far greater independence. And they may value personal time more. Bosses better be ready to adapt.An Oral History Of 'Freddy Got Fingered,' Tom Green's Glorious Broadside Against The Fame Industry That Made HimCristiano Ronaldo snub sees Coca-Cola market value fall by $4bn'The Cable Guy' Turns 25: How Jim Carrey’s $20 Million Salary Shook Up HollywoodA David Bowie Painting That Sold For $4 At A Thrift Store Is Now Up For AuctionRobert Altman's 20 best films -- ranked!From The Long Goodbye to Short Cuts, Altman's innovative movies have influenced a generation of film-makers. With the re-release of Nashville and a BFI tribute, we rank the work of one of America’s greatest directorsGUESTS:Rand Richards Cooper - A fiction writer, contributing editor at Commonweal, and the restaurant critic for the Hartford CourantShawn Murray - A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcastSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/17/2021 • 49 minutes

We don't do grief very well in this country. We don't talk about, we get uncomfortable around it, and in some mind-twisting way, we hope grief will leave us alone if we pretend it doesn't exist. But that's not how grief works.Even professionals trained in grief tend to pathologize it when the grieving don't 'get over it' or 'recover ' from it fast enough. Today, a hard look at what is grief, including how to survive it and how we can all better support those who are living in it.GUESTS:Nelba Marquez-Greene is the Director for Community Advancement at Central CT State University, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and the founder of the Ana Grace Project. (@Nelba_MG)Megan Devine is a psychotherapist, writer, and grief advocate. She’s the founder of Refuge in Grief and the author of It’s OK That You’re Not Okay: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand and most recently, How To Carry What Can’t Be Fixed @refugeingriefSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/14/2021 • 49 minutes

Betsy Kaplan has been producing episodes of The Colin McEnroe Show for a decade. Today is her last day. (Ostensibly, anyway. She's producing our show next Monday, which isn't really how last days are supposed to work. But it's very much how Betsy Kaplan works.) The Nose is crestfallen.And: In the Heights is the big (and/or small) screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's multiple Tony Award-winning musical. It is directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Anthony Ramos. It debuted in theaters and on HBOMax on Thursday.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Those Descriptions on the Inside of Book Covers Are Full of ItThey've become meaningless mush -- but they don't have to be.Bogus Social Media Outrage Is Making Authors Change Lines in Their Books NowThe silly idea that a fictional character's statements reflect an author's actual beliefs is spreading.'Raiders of the Lost Ark': Why the "Indy Doesn't Matter" Criticism Needs to Be Put in the GroundHere's what an often-cited "plot hole" completely misunderstands about storytelling.Actress Karen Allen addresses her character's underage relationship with Indiana Jones: 'I don't think of him as a pedophile'Grown-ups, it's okay to love pop culture for kids. Stop being embarrassed about it.Chris Harrison Is Officially Out As Host Of The "Bachelor" FranchiseDeadline reported that Harrison, who hosted the franchise for nearly two decades, will receive an eight-figure payout.Dove Cameron Just Got So Real About Coming Out, And We Need To Talk About ItWe stan a bi queen!GUESTS:Carmen Baskauf - Produces Where We Live on Connecticut Public RadioLydia Brown - Managing producer of Vermont Public Radio's Vermont EditionJohn Dankosky - Host The CT Mirror's Steady Habits podcast, and he is news and special projects editor for Science FridayRobyn Doyon-Aitken - Senior producer for Seasoned on Connecticut PublicTaneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksJacques Lamarre - A playwright, and director of client services at Buzz EngineJonathan McNicol - Hasn't quit his job producing The Colin McEnroe ShowAli Oshinskie - A corps member with Report for America covering the Naugatuck River Valley for Connecticut PublicPatrick Skahill - A reporter at Connecticut Public Radio, and he was the founding producer of The Colin McEnroe ShowChion Wolf - Hosts Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public RadioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/11/2021 • 49 minutes

Many people are reassessing how they view their work after a year of Covid. The pandemic magnified everything we don’t like about modern work - too many hours for too little pay in the context of a loosely woven national safety net. Some people are switching jobs, others are dropping out of the workforce entirely.The reasons why people are leaving work vary, but it gets to a bigger societal question that asks what kind of work we value and how that value is rewarded. Jobs no longer provide the economic security, pension and room for advancement that helped build the middle class after World War II. And we all learned this past year that the workers who were "essential" during the pandemic have historically been undervalued.  Today, are we getting what we need from work?GUESTS:Katie Heaney is a senior writer at "The Cut" and the author of several books including the her YA novels Girl Crushed and the forthcoming The Year I Stopped Trying Erin Cech is an assistant professor of Sociology and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her new book, The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality will be published in October. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/10/2021 • 49 minutes

We've done this show every year since 2013. We almost certainly didn't do it 2012. But we did in 2011. And there's good circ*mstantial evidence that we did it in 2010 too, but no actual record of that possibly inaugural episode survives.Point is: Our song of the summer show is a bit of a tradition. It's a tradition that... makes some people angry, we realize. It's a tradition that we're not sure has ever made anyone happy.And that all has to do with how we define the term. We use the Amanda Dobbins definition:Let's be clear about how this works: There is no such thing as a 'personal' song of summer. We do not anoint multiple songs of summer. There can only be one; the Song of Summer, by its very definition, is a consensus choice. It is the song that wrecks wedding dance floors. It is the song that you and your mother begrudgingly agree on (even though your mom has no idea what rhymes with 'hug me' and won't stop yelling it in public). It does not necessarily have to hit No. 1 on the charts, but it should probably be on the charts because it must be widely played. It must bring people together. It must be a shared enthusiasm.And so, our job here is to try to predict a thing that you and your mom will agree on like three months from now.Try not to get too annoyed with us.GUESTS:Abby Govindan - A standup comedian based in New York CitySam Hadelman - Host of The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn and the editor-in-chief of Cut/Break MagazineBrendan Jay Sullivan - A writer, producer, and DJ best known for his work with Lady GagaSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/9/2021 • 40 minutes, 47 seconds

Everybody loves a bulldozer. In fact, we all grew up loving bulldozers, didn't we? From Benny the Bulldozer to Katy and her big snow, from all the Tonka toys to all the die cast model Caterpillars, the bulldozer is more of an icon in American popular culture than we maybe realize.But the first scholarly "biography of the bulldozer" argues that there's a darker side to the demolition and clearance that gives these big machines purpose. And then, maybe there is a certain violence inherent here too.This hour, the history of bulldozing, the future of bulldozers, and a look at heavy construction equipment as adventure destination.GUESTS:Francesca Russell Ammon - Author of Bulldozer: Demolition and Clearance of the Postwar LandscapeJason Anetsburger - Project manager for Komatsu America's Intelligent Machine Control line of bulldozers and excavatorsKate McMullan - Children's book author and executive producer of the animated television series The Stinky and Dirty ShowRandy Stenger - Founder and CEO of Extreme SandboxJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Alex Ingberg, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired April 21, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/8/2021 • 42 minutes

Nat Love was born a slave, but died a free cowboy and a legend of the Old West. After the Civil War freed Love from slavery, he walked to Dodge City, Kansas, and got a job breaking horses - after he could prove that he could rope a bucking horse, climb on its back without a saddle, and ride him without falling off. He got the job. Thus began Nat's life as a cowboy.We don't typically include Black cowboys as part of the American story of the West,  even though one in four American cowboys are Black. Black cowboys are as American as baseball. GUESTS:Zaron Burnett III is an investigative reporter and longform feature writer for MEL Magazine. He’s the host and creator of the iHeartRadio podcast “Black Cowboys” (@zaron3) Patricia Kelly is U.S. Marine Corp Vietnam-era veteran, an African-American cowgirl, and the founder of Ebony Horsewomen. She was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2015. (@ebonyhorsewomen)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/7/2021 • 49 minutes

Over just six years, from 1954 to 1960, Alfred Hitchco*ck made four movies -- Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960) -- that are routinely mentioned among the very best movies ever made. It's maybe an unparalleled run in the history of cinema.And that's just those four movies. Hitchco*ck's filmography is full of classics: Notorious (1946), Strangers on a Train (1951), The 39 Steps (1935), The Wrong Man (1956), The Birds (1963). The list goes on.At the same time, Hitchco*ck's relationship with his actors has been the subject of much discussion and debate for many decades. He's said to have thought of them as "cattle" and "animated props." He's said to have sexually harassed at least one of them.At the same time as that, Hitchco*ck's films earned eight of his actors nine Academy Award nominations and produced many more all-time-great screen performances, from Joan Fontaine in Rebecca (1940) to Tippi Hedren in Marnie (1964) and many others.This hour: a look at the work of Alfred Hitchco*ck... and his actors.GUESTS:Tom Breen - Managing editor of the New Haven Independent and the host of Deep Focus on WNHH radioDan Callahan - Author of The Camera Lies: Acting for Hitchco*ckJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 3, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/4/2021 • 50 minutes

Dust is everywhere, but we rarely see it. We shed it from our skin, hair, and nails, leaving little bits of DNA wherever we roam.  More than 100 tons of cosmic dust fall to Earth each day, leaving an archive of every "geochemical" substance that has fallen - at least some of it into our homes.All of history is recorded in the dust we create: the pollution we make, the fires we start, the chemicals we use, the volcanos that erupt. Scientists can learn about the Roman Empire through the dust that has been compressed each year for thousands of years into layers of ice sheets in Greenland. Today, we talk about the science, politics and ephemeral nature of dust.GUESTS: Jay Owens - Geographer and research director at Pulsar Platform. She writes a newsletter about dust she calls, “Disturbances.” (@hautepop)Jolie Kerr - Cleaning expert and advice columnist for The Inventory and the host of the podcast “Ask a Clean Person.” She’s also the author of My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag...and Other Things You Can't Ask Martha. She’s the resident cleaning expert for the New York Times. (@joliekerr)Suzanne Proulx - Artist, sculpture and Assistant Professor, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.This show first aired on January 15, 2019Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/3/2021 • 48 minutes, 53 seconds

The word "bastard" hasn't always been meant to offend. Used simply as an indication of illegitimate birth at first, the label "bastard" didn't bring with it shame or stigma until long after it first appeared in the Middle Ages.Today, while its original meaning has not been forgotten, its use is largely reserved for insult. Yet, ironically, the underdog status once associated with a person of illegitimate birth is now something our modern culture celebrates.From Alexander Hamilton to Game of Thrones's Jon Snow, the bastard's ability to rise above his or her unfortunate circ*mstances to achieve greatness has become something to root for.This hour, a look at the origin, evolution, and pop culture triumph of the bastard!GUESTS:Scott Andrews - Science fiction reviewer for The Philadelphia Enquirer, columnist for Winter Is Coming, and the author of The Guild Leader's HandbookJoanne Freeman - Professor of history and American studies at Yale University and the editor of The Essential Hamilton: Letters & Other WritingsSara McDougall - Associate professor of history at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the author of Royal Bastards: The Birth of Illegitimacy, 800-1230Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 18, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/2/2021 • 50 minutes

Beavers build sophisticated dams and deep-water ponds that slow erosion of riverbanks, create cooler deep-water pools for temperature-sensitive plant and fish species, and increase the water table, a big deal for Western states coping with drought. And they're social animals who have mates, kits, and an active social life. But centuries-old myths and fables about the beaver have led to their destruction and prevented us from recognizing their charms and value to the ecosystem. We fear them, dislike them, and use them for all the wrong reasons, like killing them for their pelts.Let's celebrate the beaver!GUESTS:Jim Robbins - freelance journalist based in Montana and a frequent contributor to the New York Times. He’s the author of several books including, “The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and An Urge To Save the Planet.”Rachel Poliquin - freelance writer and curator. She’s the author of “The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing,” and “Beaver,” for the Reaktion Books’ Animal Series.Heidi Perryman - child psychologist and the founder of Worth-A-DamSherri Tippie - the top live-trapper of Beaver in North America. She rescues beaver in Colorado and rehabilitates and relocates them to areas where there ponds are needed.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/1/2021 • 49 minutes, 1 second

Adrian Lopez is a high school kid from East Vale, California. He had planned a high school kid's birthday party at some fire pits for last weekend. But then the TikTok flyer for the party went viral, thousands of people showed up to two different locations, and the whole thing has been described as a "zombie apocalypse" of "17 to 19 year olds."And: Hacks is a half-hour sitcom from HBO Max. It stars Jean Smart as a late-career Vegas comedian, and it's written and created by three people who wrote for Broad City on Comedy Central.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Eric Carle, Author of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar,' Dies at 91A self-described "picture writer," he wrote and illustrated more than 70 books for young children, selling more than 170 million copies.Samuel E. Wright, The Voice Behind The Beloved "Little Mermaid" Character Sebastian, Has DiedThe actor was also nominated for two Tony awards for his performances in The Tap Dance Kid and The Lion King.'Simpsons' writer (opinion): Why I love to make fun of ConnecticutHow Girls5Eva Is Making Up for 30 Rock's PastThe Tina Fey-verse has finally outgrown Liz Lemon.This Was the Week That Movie Studios Finally Lost Control of the IndustryIn a world where the theatrical release is an option, not a necessity, movie studios are no longer in charge of Hollywood.Fresh Off A Viral Library Gig, The Linda Lindas Get A Record DealThe Whole Parade: On the Incomparable Career of Nicolas CageJohnny Knoxville's Last RodeoAs he prepares to release his final Jackass film, the stuntman takes stock of a surprisingly long, hilariously painful, and unusually influential career.J.J. Abrams Reflects on 'Star Wars' and When It's Critical to Have a Plan"I do think that there's nothing more important than knowing where you're going."Broadway's Tony Awards, Delayed by Pandemic, Set for SeptemberMost of the prizes will be announced on the Paramount+ streaming service, followed by a starry concert celebrating Broadway on CBS television.James Bond, Meet Jeff Bezos: Amazon Makes $8.45 Billion Deal for MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while diminished, commanded a premium price, with Amazon seeking to bolster its crucial Prime membership offering.Streaming TV Costs Add Up as Americans Add More ServicesVanessa Redgrave no longer set to appear in Kevin Spacey filmActor had been linked to her husband Franco Nero's Italian drama, set to be Spacey's comeback after sexual misconduct accusationsNew York's Hyphenated HistoryIn Pardis Mahdavi's new book Hyphen, she explores the way hyphenation became not only a copyediting quirk but a complex issue of identity, assimilation, and xenophobia amid anti-immigration movements at the turn of the twentieth century. In the excerpt below, Mahdavi gives the little-known history of New York's hyphenation debate.The Mesmerizing Pull of Plastic Surgery VideosProcedures used to be done in secret, but in the post-Kardashian world, transparency is just part of the process.GUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/28/2021 • 49 minutes

Francisco Goldman made a big choice as a young man. He chose to spend a year in Guatemala living with his uncle instead of pursuing the master’s degree he could have had from a prestigious school offering him a full scholarship. It turned out to be one of the most consequential decisions of his early life.This hour, Colin talks with Goldman about his new novel, Monkey Boy, a story about the legacy of violence on a family and much more, including how his decision to go to Guatemala has shaped his life.GUEST:Francisco Goldman - Author of seven books; his most recent is the novel Monkey BoyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/27/2021 • 49 minutes

"Life is a self-sustained chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution."That's the so-called "NASA definition of life."Or there's Russian-born geneticist Edward Trifonov's take: Life is "self-reproduction with variations."Or there's "Life is an expected, collectively self-organized property of catalytic polymers." Or "Life is a metabolic network within a boundary."It's said that, "There are as many definitions of life as there are people trying to define it." And yet, none of those definitions is quite right.Science writer Carl Zimmer says that's strange behavior for scientists: "It is as if astronomers kept coming up with new ways to define stars."Plus: Linguist Ben Zimmer (no relation to Carl*) on what it means to be human. Or, at least, as much as we can tell about what it means to be human by looking at Dr. Fill, the artificial intelligence that just won a national crossword puzzle tournament.*No relation beyond that they're brothers, I mean.GUESTS:Ben Zimmer - A linguist, lexicographer, and the language columnist for The Wall Street JournalCarl Zimmer - The science columnist for The New York Times; his new book is Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means To Be AliveJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/26/2021 • 49 minutes

Thornton Wilder's Our Town debuted more than 80 years ago. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and, over the decades since, it has continuously been one of the most produced of American plays.It is known for its spare set -- just some chairs and tables, perhaps some ladders -- and lack of props and sometimes even costumes. It's known for its metatheatricality and its Stage Manager character, who addresses the audience directly and rarely participates in the action of the play, as much as there really is any.It is known as old-fashioned, sentimental, nostalgic and, simultaneously, obviously and intentionally not old-fashioned, sentimental, and nostalgic.This hour, a look at perhaps the quintessential American play: Our Town.GUESTS:Howard Sherman - The author of Another Day's Begun: Thornton Wilder's Our Town in the 21st CenturyKate Powers - A stage director and the founder of The Redeeming Time Project; in 2013, she directed a production of Our Town at Sing Sing Correctional FacilityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 24, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/25/2021 • 50 minutes

'Cancel culture' has become a phrase that means so much that it means nothing at all. It originated in Black culture as a way to hold the powerful accountable, but was eventually appropriated as a political weapon for (mostly White) conservatives and liberal progressives, each group using it in very different ways.Cancel culture has brought much-needed attention to societal inequities, but also toppled careers - some justifiably, others more questionably. In the end, the most powerful scalawags seem too big to cancel.We parse out the nuance of 'cancel culture' with three thoughtful people, including one who has been canceled and who now counsels the canceled. GUESTS:Gene Seymour is a film and jazz critic and a cultural critic for CNN.com, the New Republic, and the Nation. Clyde McGrady is a Style features writer for the Washington Post focusing on race and identity.Alice Dreger is a writer, historian, journalist, and local news publisher with Ph.D in History of Science. Her best known book is Galileo’s Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and One Scholar’s Search for Justice, and her bylines include the New York Times, WIRED Magazine, and the Atlantic.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/24/2021 • 49 minutes

After a long absence from Twitter, Donald Glover last week, in a series of since-deleted tweets, blamed boring culture on cancel culture.After a long absence from the popular culture, Sinéad O'Connor has a memoir coming out.And: The Underground Railroad is a 10-part limited series on Amazon Prime. It's Barry Jenkins's adaptation of Colson Whitehead's 2016 novel.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Paul Mooney Dies: Trailblazing Comedian, Writing Partner Of Richard Pryor Was 79Charles Grodin, Star of 'Beethoven' and 'Heartbreak Kid,' Dies at 86A familiar face who was especially adept at deadpan comedy, he also appeared on Broadway in "Same Time, Next Year," wrote books and had his own talk show.Inside the All-hands Meeting That Led to a Third of Basecamp Employees QuittingThe company's senior leadership wanted to quell employees' concerns, and only made things much, much worseJon Bon Jovi, Don Henley Called Antitrust "Co-Conspirators"An outfit representing some 10,000 radio stations wants to depose star musicians in a heavyweight legal battle.Oregon Trail Gets A Makeover With More Accurate Native American RepresentationEllen DeGeneres' Farewell Tour Is Already a Whiny, Tone-Deaf DisasterWhile DeGeneres complains about the reports of her behavior and toxic workplace, it's even harder to remember what it was about the show that changed history -- and was so good.I'll Take 'White Supremacist Hand Gestures' for $1,000How hundreds of "Jeopardy!" contestants talked themselves into a baseless conspiracy theory -- and won't be talked out of it.Only Shooting Stars Break the Mold: The Massive Musical Footprint of 'Shrek'Thanks to 'All Star' to 'Hallelujah,' the animated blockbuster’s soundtrack has maintained a quietly rich legacy. The people behind the film -- and musicians behind its songs -- break down how it came together and why it still matters, even as the years started coming and didn’t stop coming.The New 'Right Stuff' Is Money and LuckRich people are heading to space, and they're changing what it means to be an astronaut.Goop Responds to "Frivolous" Lawsuit Claiming That Its vagin* Candles Explode After LightingThis class action filing comes after another customer claimed at the beginning of the year that the candle turned her living room into an "inferno."How a Review Changed Both Sarah Silverman and Our CriticA.O. Scott critiqued her approach to comedy in a 2005 movie. Now they sit down to talk about what he got right and wrong, and why owning up to mistakes is freeing.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/21/2021 • 49 minutes

Bob Dylan turns 80 years old on May 24. His first album, 1962's Bob Dylan, is in its 60th year on record store shelves.We're at a point where, for most of us, there has simply never been a popular culture in which Dylan wasn't a towering figure whose influence seems to touch, well, everything.This hour, a look at Bob Dylan at 80.GUESTS:Noah Baerman - A pianist, composer, and educatorFred Bals - Hosted the Dreamtime podcast, covering Theme Time Radio Hour with Your Host, Bob DylanSean Latham - Director of the Institute for Bob Dylan Studies, editor of The World of Bob Dylan, and the writer and narrator of It Ain't Me You're Looking For: Bob Dylan at 80Gayle Wald - Professor of American studies at George Washington University; her most recent book is It's Been Beautiful: Soul! and Black Power TelevisionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/20/2021 • 49 minutes

Using our private bathrooms while working from home opened our eyes to how uncomfortable it can be to use public bathrooms at the office - especially when you have a digestive issue.Also this hour: "Familect" are the invented nicknames, references, and jokes shared by people who live together. For example, my husband calls me "diller," because I remind him of the hard-headed armadillo that kept crashing into our tent on our honeymoon. Lastly, the semiotics of unmasking. GUESTS: Angela Lashbrook is a health, tech, and books writer. Her work has appeared in OneZero, Refinery29, The Atlantic, Vice, Vox, The Outline, and other places.  Dr. Neil Parikh is a gastroenterologist for Hartford Healthcare and Connecticut GI  Kathryn Hymes is a computational linguist and the co-founder of Thorny Games, a game studio out of Washington DCMignon Fogarty is the founder of the Quick and Dirty Tips network and creator of the Grammar Girl website and podcast. She’s the author of Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.Glynnis MacNicol is a writer and the author of No One Tells You This: A Memoir. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Cut, and the New York Daily News among others. Emily Gardner Xu Hall is a musical theatre writer, composer and actor. Born in Tokyo and raised in London, she now lives in Harlem, New York City. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Who's afraid of the Bix bad Beiderbecke?Hartford has an amazing jazz history, and Colin has a lot of jazz musician friends. This hour, a little onstage jazz party recorded in front of a live audience long before the pandemic put a pause on live audiences as a thing.Colin and the panel look to make jazz accessible to mere mortals. They talk about what makes jazz jazz, invite the audience to sing, and teach the audience to scat.GUESTS:Steve Davis - TromboneAtla DeChamplain - VocalsMatt DeChamplain - PianoHenry Lugo - BassJocelyn Pleasant - DrumsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This show originally aired February 8, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/18/2021 • 50 minutes

The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. Artists like Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, LL Cool J, Kraftwerk, and Gil Scott-Heron got in. Folks like Iron Maiden, Chaka Kahn, Rage Against the Machine, Devo, and Dionne Warwick did not.And: Mare of Easttown is a seven-episode HBO limited series starring Kate Winslet. The fifth episode airs Sunday.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Norman Lloyd, Associate of Welles, Hitchco*ck and Others, Dies at 106He was seen in movies and on TV shows like "St. Elsewhere" and worked with some of the biggest names in show business, even though his own name was little known.1980s siren Tawny Kitaen of music videos and 'Bachelor Party' dies at 59Ellen DeGeneres to End Talk Show: "I Need Something New to Challenge Me"DeGeneres gets candid about her decision to wrap up the show in 2022, the allegations that nearly sent her packing and the parts that she'll miss most -- and least -- about her daily platform.NBC Will Not Air Golden Globes in 2022 Due To Ongoing HFPA ControversyUmmm, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Were Spotted Hanging Out Together at a Resort in MontanaGen Z Is Bringing Emo Back, But This Time It's Not Just A Bunch Of White DudesThe Jean War between millennials and Gen Z cannot be wonThe Squandered Promise of Chet Hanks's White-Boy SummerPerhaps, in the end, we weren't nearly as ready for it as we might have wanted to be.Cinemark Signs Deals With 5 Major Hollywood Studios for Shorter Theatrical WindowsSTAR WARS Answers the Mystery of Luke's Missing HandReddit just realized that Jerry Seinfeld's TV apartment defies the laws of scienceIs rewatching old TV good for the soul?Andrew McCarthy Revisits the Brat PackIn a new memoir, the actor reflects on being typecast in his twenties, his struggles with addiction, and learning to like John Hughes movies.David Chase and The Sopranos writers break down 'Pine Barrens', 20 years onThe Sopranos creator and two of his closest collaborators, Terence Winter and Tim Van Patten, discuss the origin of 'Pine Barrens' -- the greatest TV episode of all time -- and why the glorious ambiguity that permeated the show keeps it relevant todayThe State of Baseball: Inside the biggest questions MLB is facing with the future of the sport at stakeGal Gadot Confirmed Reports That Joss Whedon "Threatened" Her While Shooting "Justice League""I handled it on the spot."Cut the intermission, please. Why I hope the pandemic ends a theatrical traditionWho Should John Mulaney Be Now?Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research ShowsGUESTS:Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/14/2021 • 49 minutes

Profanity used to be about someone swearing insincerely to God. Then the Reformation came along and made profanity about sex and the body. Today, our most unspeakable words are slurs against other groups at a time when BLM, #MeToo, and cancel culture are driving our cultural narrative.We talk about the past, present, and future of profanity. GUEST:John McWhorter teaches linguistics, American studies, and music history at Columbia University. He’s a contributing editor to The Atlantic and host of Slate’s Lexicon Valley podcast. His new book is Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and ForeverSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/13/2021 • 49 minutes

In 2017, The New York Times uncovered a program at the Defense Department which investigated unidentified flying objects.This year, the former chair of Harvard's astronomy department published a book arguing that we may recently have been "visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star."This week, The New Yorker has a long piece on changing attitudes and fading taboos around UFOs.What does this all mean? Does it matter that these acknowledgements are coming from The New York Times, The New Yorker... the astronomy department at Harvard?Could it be that the concept of UFOs has finally escaped the crackpot fringe?GUESTS:Leslie Kean - An investigative journalist and the author of UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the RecordAvi Loeb - Former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University and the author of Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond the EarthMike Panicello - Mutual UFO Network CT state directorJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired June 6, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/12/2021 • 50 minutes

Semiotics is the study of sign process, which is to say: it's the science of the search for meaning.And then, part of the underlying premise of semiotics -- which just happens to be part of the underlying premise of The Colin McEnroe Show, itself -- is that there's meaning... everywhere.Why do people smoke cigarettes even though everyone knows they're terribly harmful? Why do women wear terribly uncomfortable high-heeled shoes? Could it simply be because those things are... interesting?This hour: a crash course in the study of meaning-making, in the science of semiotics.GUEST:Marcel Danesi - The author of Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things: An Introduction to SemioticsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 6, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/11/2021 • 50 minutes

Alex Trebek’s imprint as the host of "Jeopardy" looms large over the show, making it hard for anyone else to live up to the impeccable standard he demanded during his 37 seasons as the show's iconic host. But more than a dozen guest hosts have tried, from big winner Ken Jennings to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Who will the next host be and what will the next iteration look like?Also this hour: two-time Grammy Award winner Van Morrison is best known for the volumes of soulful love songs he's written over his five decade career. So, why did the 75-year-old musician release a 28-song album filled with paranoia, antisemitic rants, and grievance against well, just about everyone.  Lastly, people are showering less during the pandemic - and loving it!  GUESTS:Amanda Hess is a critic-at-large for the New York Times. She writes about the internet and culture. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN the Magazine, and Wired, among others.Louis Keene is a staff reporter at The ForwardMaria Cramer is a breaking news reporter for The New York Times. She previously covered legal affairs for The Boston GlobeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/10/2021 • 49 minutes

Elon Musk will host tomorrow night's Saturday Night Live. It is, if nothing else, an odd choice.Speaking of choices, Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Sitcoms of All Time is out this week.Finally, This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist is a four-part Netflix docuseries about the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The burglary was the largest museum heist in history in terms of value (thought to be as much as $600 million) until 2019.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Jeff Goldblum's a movie star, jazz pianist and an inescapable meme. What's behind his enduring appeal?On That Bombshell Billie Eilish Cover for British VogueThe pop star known for defying gender stereotypes got a glamour makeover with a corset. Not everyone is happy about it.Broadway Is Reopening. But Not Until September.Even as New York City begins to reopen this summer, Broadway will not resume performances until Sept. 14. Here's why.I'm Not Ready to PerformA great rock-and-roll show means openness, confrontation, and a kind of danger, and those ideas right now feel too heavy to lift.Jason Concepcion Is Still Working Through His Early-Pandemic Pasta Purchase"I've always had an affinity for the cuisine of the Italians"Eww, That's Gross. And We Like It That Way.Why the tasteless humor of "Bad Trip," starring Eric Andre, is a feat to be celebrated. Few can pull off transgression so skillfully.German Gymnasts Cover Their Legs In Stand Against SexualizationPrince's epic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" guitar solo has a new director's cutEthan Hawke Waits for Godot, or for the Zoom Screen to UnfreezeAfter a rehearsal for a virtual production of the play, Hawke and his co-star John Leguizamo ponder how all dialogue now sounds like Beckett.Prancer, the 'demonic' Chihuahua who went viral, finds his forever homePrancer has adjusted to both his new life and his viral celebrity status quite well.Here Are The First Official Photos From HBO's "House Of The Dragon"The show will debut on HBO and on its streaming platform HBO Max in 2022.Heads Up! A Used Chinese Rocket Is Tumbling Back to Earth This Weekend.The chances of it hitting a populated area are small, but not zero. That has raised questions about how the country’s space program designs its missions.GUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/7/2021 • 49 minutes

Numbers are so fundamental to our understanding of the world around us that we maybe tend to think of them as an intrinsic part of the world around us. But they aren't. Humans invented numbers just as much as we invented all of language.This hour, we look at the anthropological, psychological, and linguistical ramifications of the concept of numbers.And we look at one philosophical question too: Are numbers even real in the first place?GUESTS:Brian Clegg - Author of Are Numbers Real? The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical WorldCaleb Everett - Professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Miami and the author of Numbers and the Making of Us: Counting and the Course of Human CulturesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 12, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/6/2021 • 50 minutes

Newsletters have become a great way for journalists and others to dive deep into less-covered topics and engage directly with their readers in ways not always possible in the mainstream media ecosystem.The platform Substack is making it easy for them. The subscription-based model offers writers more editorial control and the ability to offer free content and earn a sustainable salary at a time when public trust in media is low, local news is thinning and media content is often driven by social-media algorithms.We talk about newsletters with people who write them and critique them.GUESTS:Heather Cox Richardson - Professor of history at Boston College; she writes the Letters from an American newsletterGabe Fleisher - Student at Georgetown University and the author of the Wake Up To Politics newsletterIsaac Saul - A journalist and the author of the Tangle newsletterBen Smith - Media columnist for The New York Times and the founder and former editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed NewsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/5/2021 • 49 minutes

to help. They chose to be nurses at a time when the risk to their own health was never greater. Why are some people willing to run toward the fire when others are running away from it?Most of us fall somewhere on a spectrum of altruistic behavior. We might adopt a stray pet, donate a liter of blood, or check on an older neighbor. Others pursue a career based on helping others, and, at the extreme end of the spectrum, some choose to donate their kidney to a stranger or rush into traffic to save a stranger's life.We talk to two nurses, a kidney donor, and a psychologist about nursing and the nature of altruism.GUEST:Kelly Chevalier - Interim director of emergency services at Trinity Health of New England/St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center Tracy Gordon Fox - A former journalist for the Hartford Courant; she’s currently a staff nurse on the general surgery floor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical CenterLauren Herschel - An anonymous kidney donor who lives in Calgary, AlbertaAbigail Marsh - A professor of psychology and a neuroscientist in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University; she directs their Lab on Social & Affective Neuroscience, and she’s the author of The Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Psychopaths, Altruists, and Everyone In Between Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/4/2021 • 48 minutes

Aaron Rodgers leaked his dissatisfaction with the Green Bay Packers just before last week's NFL opening round. The NFL draft drew about 2 million people and has become something of a cultural event. In essence, he made himself the story within the story. So, what's going on with Aaron Rodgers? Does he have a future with the Packers, another NFL team, or will he head to Jeopardy and date Shailene Woodley?Also this hour: a story about cows who love classical music.Lastly, an ode to the reviled wasp. It's time we learn to love the wasp. GUESTS: Ben Shpigel is a sports reporter for The New York Times, covering the NFL since 2011. (@benshpigel)Lisa Abend is a journalist based in Copenhagen and the author of The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season in the Kitchen at Adria's Elbulli. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, TIME magazine, and The Atlantic, among other publications. (@LisaAbend)Seirian Sumner is professor of Behavioral Ecology at University College London. She's the co-founder of Soapbox Science and The Big Wasp Survey. (@WaspWoman)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/3/2021 • 49 minutes

As we were preparing for our show on underdogs, I kept saying that we shouldn’t overlook the fact that, often, to be an underdog in the first place, you have to be relatively bad at the thing you’re an underdog about.The more we talked about it, the more I found myself making the case that losers and losing are fascinating.And they are. There’s a whole podcast about political candidates who lost. We romanticize losers in movies and TV and songs and stories.And think just about the phrase “lovable losers.” In a culture where we focus seemingly entirely on the positive half of the zero sum, where we endlessly exalt WINNING, it’s kind of interesting that we love the losers too, isn’t it?This hour, a long look at losers and losing.GUESTS:Jason Cherkis - Political reporter for The Huffington Post and the co-host of Candidate ConfessionalJosh Keefe - An investigative reporter at the Bangor Daily News; in a piece for Slate’s Sports Nut, he claimed that he was the worst high school quarterback everJonathan McNicol - Producer at Connecticut Public RadioIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show, which originally aired August 1, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/30/2021 • 50 minutes

Seriously: a show about towels.There's the history of towels, towels in Christianity, Terrible Towels, Towel Day.Oh, and there are actual towels too.Because when has a bad idea ever stopped us before?GUESTS:Marcel Danesi - The author of Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things: An Introduction to SemioticsJohn Dankosky - Host of The CT Mirror's Steady Habits podcast and news and special projects editor for Science FridayJackie Reeve - Bed and bath writer for Wirecutter; her blog about quilting and crafting and cooking and traveling and things is The Orange RoomJem Roberts - Comedy historian and the author of The Frood: The Authorised and Very Official History of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 6, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/29/2021 • 50 minutes

We're so caught up in fetishizing (mostly) female breasts in film, literature, art, and in the anatomy-defying breasts of comic book heroines, that we overlook the breast as a vital source of food and and as a body part vulnerable to cancer, including young women under forty. How often should we get that mammogram? To breastfeed - or not?Lastly, how come men can go topless in America but women can't?Florence Williams - Author of Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History and The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, which will be published in February and her Audible podcast Breasts Unbound, debuts in December Dr. Christine Rizk - Breast surgeon, director of the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical CenterLina Esco - Actress, producer, activist, director of the documentary, Free the Nipple and leader of the Free the Nipple movement.You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show. This show originally aired on October 4, 2016. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/28/2021 • 48 minutes, 31 seconds

No one likes a cloudy sky. A cloud on the horizon is seen as a harbinger of doom. We feel like clouds need to have silver linings.But here's our thesis: Clouds are unfairly maligned.Consider this: From almost any vantage point (literally -- any vantage point in the universe), clouds are planet Earth's defining characteristic.They're what changes, what moves. They're what's going on on our pale blue dot.Clouds are, after all, the vehicle that spreads the sun's energy across the planet, an "expression of the atmosphere's moods."This hour, an appreciation of clouds.GUESTS:Gavin Pretor-Pinney - Founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society, author of The Cloudspotter's Guide and The Cloud Collector's HandbookDavid Romps - Assistant professor of Earth & Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley; runs The Romps Group, which studies clouds and climateKarolina Sobecka - An interdisciplinary artist and designer whose work has focused repeatedly on cloudsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show, which originally aired July 6, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/27/2021 • 50 minutes

André Gregory has directed and acted in the theater for more than 50 years. He has appeared in a number of movies, including Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, Woody Allen's Celebrity, Brian De Palma's The Bonfire of the Vanities, Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast, and many more. He has starred in three movies about the theater with the playwright, actor, and comedian Wallace Shawn: A Master Builder, Vanya on 42nd Street, and the iconic My Dinner with Andre.Gregory's memoir is This Is Not My Memoir. He joins us for the hour.Note: I apologize for the flagrant hackiness of the "joke" of the headline here. I feel your scorn and must suffer through my shame. There are times when a work is so iconic one doesn't have a choice but to make reference to it. And so here we are.GUEST:André Gregory - An actor, writer, director, teacher, and painter; his new book, written with Todd London, is This Is Not My MemoirJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/23/2021 • 42 minutes

We're not the same people today that we were before covid upended our lives last spring. We found ways to survive a deadly and invisible virus, even as it threatened our survival. We learned to work from home, sew masks, Zoom, and create new words to describe our unique situation. And scientists developed vaccines so we could adapt faster than the virus could mutate. Now, we're realizing that we don't want to leave behind all of our new "normal" as we prepare to return to the routines of our pre-pandemic "normal."We talk about that and play some of your essays. GUESTS: Devon Powers is an associate professor at the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University and the author of On Trend: The Business of Forecasting the Future. (@devjpow)Olga Khazan is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World. (@olgakhazan)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/22/2021 • 49 minutes

Hartford native Sol LeWitt was one of the giants of conceptualist and minimalist art.As an artist, he abandoned the long histories of painting and drawing and sculpture in favor of his Wall Drawings and Structures.And as an art figure, he abandoned the conventions of celebrity and resisted ever even having his picture taken.This hour, a look at Connecticut's own Sol LeWitt.GUESTS:David Areford - Associate professor of art history at the University of Massachusetts BostonLary Bloom - The author of Sol LeWitt: A Life of IdeasAndrea Miller-Keller - Was the Emily Hall Tremaine Curator of Contemporary Art at the Wadsworth Atheneum from 1968 to 1998Cary Smith - An artist who makes abstract paintingsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired May 9, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/21/2021 • 41 minutes

Americans like to believe we live in a meritocracy but the odds are stacked in favor of the already lucky and fortunate. We congratulate the "winners" and humiliate the "losers," who are told to better themselves or carry the burden of their failure. The 2016 election of Donald Trump was decades in the making.  Like other populist leaders around the world, Trump gave voice to the resentment directed toward “elites” who devalue the hard work and dignity of workers without college degrees.Ronald Reagan was the first president to tell every American they could "go just as far as their dreams and hard work will take them." Yet, his administration's economic policies made it hard for those without college degrees to get ahead, no matter how hard they worked. Little has changed.  GUEST: Michael Sandel teaches philosophy at Harvard University. His most recent book is The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? His BBC Radio 4 series, The Public Philosopher, explores the philosophical ideas behind the headlines.You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 8, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/20/2021 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds

The jury will begin deliberations later today on whether George Floyd's death was caused by his inability to breathe under the weight of Derek Chauvin. Breathing is so automatic that we don't think about it until lung disease, dirty air, poor breathing habits and, now, COVID-19 and police brutality make it hard to do.We take breathing for granted; we don't breathe deep enough, we breathe too much, and we often breathe through our mouths instead of our noses. We can't take all the blame. The tradeoff of humans evolving to have bigger brains is that our larger brains squeezed our noses, sinuses, tongues, and jaws into smaller spaces. That's why humans are the only species of 5,400 mammals to have misaligned jaws, overbites, underbites, and crooked teeth. This hour, the science, art, and politics of breathing.GUESTS:James Nestor - A journalist and author; his most recent book is Breath: The New Science of a Lost ArtDahlia Lithwick - A senior editor for Slate and the host of AmicusJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 18, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Taylor Swift has announced plans to re-record six of her previous albums in order to own master recordings of her older catalogue. Fearless (Taylor’s Version), which came out last Friday, is the first of these six re-recordings to be released. Fittingly, this would appear to be the sixth Nose that is substantively about Taylor Swift.And: If you're socially anxious (and who isn't, really?), you're gonna miss Zoom when it's gone. Oh, and speaking of social anxiety, meet Prancer, the Chihuahua who hates almost everyone.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Frank Jacobs, Mad Magazine Writer With a Lyrical Touch, Dies at 91He deftly mocked pop culture, politics and more for 57 years. He also wrote new lyrics for familiar songs, which led to a lawsuit from Irving Berlin and others.Phoebe Bridgers' smashed 'Saturday Night Live' guitar is up for auctionOrganised by the 2021 GLAAD Media Awards, which had nominated Bridgers as Outstanding Breakthrough Music ArtistLeVar Burton steps up his Jeopardy! campaign: "It just makes sense"Catherine Zeta-Jones Is Enjoying HerselfHollywood loves making excuses for bullies. Here are some of the most damagingGeorge Clooney did some of his best work in Steven Soderbergh's reviled SolarisAdam McKay on How To Be Political and Entertaining and Not Destroy the World'Dune' Director Denis Villeneuve Blasts HBO Max DealArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres to CloseWhy Are Women on TikTok Asking to Get Peed On?On PissTok, memes about golden showers and accidental-on-purpose jellyfish stings aboundYou Can Be a Different Person After the PandemicOur personalities are not set in stone. They are more like sand dunes.Pure perfection: North Texas pitcher Hope Trautwein strikes out all 21 batters in perfect gameIn the minors, a major change as the Atlantic League plans to move the mound back a footThe Long Tail of Aphex Twin's 'Avril 14th'A song released 20 years ago continues to inspire curiosity and covers by classical, experimental and pop artists.'NCIS' Renewed for Season 19 With Mark Harmon to ReturnColorful coffins lighten mood at New Zealand funeralsGUESTS:Gorman Bechard - Novelist and filmmakerRebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writerSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/16/2021 • 40 minutes, 40 seconds

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently wrote a column proclaiming that "America Is Not Made for People Who Pee." It hit a nerve. People responded with stories that all seemed to agree with him.So, why don't we complain about locked doors, long lines (for women), or the lack of a public toilet where one should be? Lezlie Lowe might say that we don't like to talk about bodily functions that are perceived as kind of, well, gross.This hour, we talk about public toilets, including one that people like.GUESTS:Lezlie Lowe - Teaches journalism at the University of King's College and is the author of No Place To Go: How Public Toilets Fail Our Private NeedsEvan Madden - Sales manager for The Portland LooJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/15/2021 • 49 minutes

Popeye. The World According to Garp. Good Morning, Vietnam. Dead Poets Society. Awakenings. The Fisher King. Aladdin. Mrs. Doubtfire. Jumanji. The Birdcage. Good Will Hunting. What Dreams May Come. One Hour Photo. Death to Smoochy. Insomnia. Night at the Museum.And that's just a super-abbreviated version of Robin Williams's filmography. And it completely ignores his career as one of the all-time great standup comedians. And it ignores Mork & Mindy. And Comic Relief. And so much more.This hour: A look at Robin Williams, who would've turned 70 this year.GUESTS:Dave Itzkoff - A culture reporter for The New York Times and the author of RobinCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is the founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired in a different form June 21, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/14/2021 • 42 minutes

During his remarkable career with the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams earned many nicknames: The Kid, The Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame... but the only nickname that he ever wanted was "the greatest hitter who ever lived."And maybe he really was? He's baseball's all-time leader in on-base percentage, and he's second behind only Babe Ruth in both slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages. He's the last guy to hit .400, and that was 80 years ago. And on top of all that, he lost close to five full seasons (and three of them in the prime of his career) to serve in two different wars.This hour, a look at the man, the hitter, and the pitchman (you see what I did there) that was Ted Williams.GUESTS:Jim Baumer - A Maine-based writer and the author of Moxie: Maine in a BottleNick Davis - Produced and directed Ted Williams: "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived"Sam Miller - National baseball writer at ESPNJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired July 19, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/13/2021 • 42 minutes

Fox News broadcast the first episode of Greg Gutfeld's new late-night show, Gutfeld!, earlier this month. They're betting that Gutfeld can turn his talk show format into a successful late-night comedy show for conservatives. The problem is that conservatives don't do political satire any better than liberals do opinion talk radio.Dannagal Young believes that opinion talk is political satire for the right and political satire is opinion programming for the left. They serve the same purpose; both formats are responses to a lack of trust in mainstream media. Which one appeals to each of us depends less on how "smart" we are and more on how we process information.GUEST:Dannagal Young - Professor of communication and political science at the University of Delaware and the author of Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Fear, Outrage and Comedy in the United StatesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/12/2021 • 41 minutes

At Connecticut Public, there's a smallish corner conference room thing that we think of as The Crying Room. I, personally, haven't ever seen anyone cry in there, but I've had my suspicions. In any case, where people go to cry is part of the essential geography of the modern office. On the other hand, do we even have offices anymore?And: Hemingway is a three-part PBS documentary directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. It premiered this week, and all 5½ hours are streamable now.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Gary Bimonte, owner of Pepe's Pizza in New Haven has diedR.I.P. SNL writer and Square Pegs creator Anne BeattsPrince Philip, Husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Is Dead at 99The Duke of Edinburgh, who married the future queen in 1947, brought the monarchy into the 20th century, but his occasional frank comments hurt his image.What Will Happen to Friendships When We Crawl Out of Our Pandemic Hidey Holes?A year of isolation has left our lives strewn with carcasses of friendships once held sacred -- but can reopening revive them?In Computero: Hear How AI Software Wrote a 'New' Nirvana SongComputer-generated artificial tracks by Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse and Jim Morrison highlight a new project that helps bring attention to mental illnessYahoo Answers Is Ending, So Here Are 31 Of The Funniest Posts To Ever Exist ThereYahoo Answers, you will be missed.'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' has ruined Marvel movies forever -- and that's a good thingLow-rise jeans are back. Don't panic.Millennials are terrified of the return of low-rise jeans and Y2K fashion. But what if they looked different this time around?Long-Awaited Muon Measurement Boosts Evidence for New PhysicsInitial data from the Muon g-2 experiment have excited particle physicists searching for undiscovered subatomic particles and forcesAn Interview With the Man Who Keeps Uploading My Feet to WikiFeetTaylor Swift Drops 'Mr. Perfectly Fine'From the Vault: Why Fans Think It's About Joe Jonas or Jake GyllenhaalWith "Mr. Perfectly Fine," Taylor Swift Got Ahead Of Her Least Original CriticsThere doesn't have to be drama. There can just be bops.Pino Palladino, pop's greatest bassist: 'I felt like a performing monkey!'One of the world's most celebrated bass players has worked with everyone from Adele to Elton John, the Who and D'Angelo. But the Welsh musician has hidden from the spotlight -- until nowWhy Are Furio's Shirts So Good on The Sopranos?An appreciation of the most intoxicating silk tops to hit prestige TV.An Interview With the Guy Who Yells "Mortal Kombat" in the Theme for Mortal KombatNearly three decades later, he's still got it.I Work in a Bookstore. Why Am I Still Shelving "Mein Kampf"?There are historical and scholarly reasons to preserve Hitler's manifesto -- but that doesn't mean anyone needs to own itAaron Rodgers Could Actually Be the Next Host of Jeopardy!He has no right to be as good at this as he is."Everyone Just Knows He's an Absolute Monster": Scott Rudin's Ex-Staffers Speak Out on Abusive BehaviorEven as other Hollywood bullies are being sidelined, the uber-producer behind 'The Social Network' and Broadway’s 'To  Kill a Mockingbird' has been given a pass for his volcanic temper. Now, former employees open up about a boss who left many traumatized: "It was a new level of unhinged."This man is looking for the friends who shipped him overseas in a crateThe book The Crate Escape details how Brian Robson's scheme almost killed himAmerica is facing a ketchup packet shortageGUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/9/2021 • 49 minutes

Joni Mitchell's album Blue turns 50 this year. It may not have the artistic sophistication of her later albums, but Mitchell's vulnerability endeared her to fans, if not early critics unused to such intimate storytelling. That was okay with Mitchell. She said her "music is not designed to grab instantly. It's designed to wear for a lifetime, to hold up like a fine cloth."She was right. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Blue the third-greatest album on its 2020 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time," a move up from No. 33 in 2017.We talk with musicians and critics about the album Blue and more.GUESTS:Peter Kaminsky - Professor of music theory and associate department head of undergraduate studies at the University of ConnecticutSteve Metcalf - A journalist, music critic, pianist, and composer, and director emeritus of Presidents' College at the University of HartfordCarolann Solebello - A singer-songwriter, a founding member of the Americana trio Red Molly, and a member of the Jack Hardy Songwriters Exchange; she tours with the folk quartet No Fuss and FeathersJoin us on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/8/2021 • 49 minutes

Elvis left two legacies. Musically, he pulled several American musical traditions out of the shadows, braided them together, and made them mainstream. Personally, he created a far darker template for the way a musical celebrity could be devoured by the very fame he avidly sought.Recorded live in front of an audience -- long before the pandemic hit -- as part of Colin's Freshly Squeezed series at Watkinson School, an hour about the artist who defined the birth of rock and roll and was the genre's first superstar.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine - Guitar and vocalsLatanya Farrell - VocalsSteve Metcalf - Piano and vocalsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This show originally aired February 20, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/7/2021 • 50 minutes

humor = tragedy + timeOK, but then the logical next question is: How much time?If it's OK, at this point, to joke about, say, The Spanish Inquisition... what about, for instance, the Holocaust? Or AIDS? September 11th? The #MeToo movement?...Derek Chauvin?There's a line there somewhere, right?Or are some topics just never going to be funny?GUESTS:Mike Bent - Teaches writing in the Comedic Arts program at Emerson College, and he’s a performing comedian and magicianShawn Murray - A stand up comedian and writer and a host of Fantasy FilmballCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancerFerne Pearlstein - A documentary filmmaker who directed The Last LaughCaleb Warren - Assistant professor of marketing at the University of ArizonaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Catie Talarski, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 21, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/6/2021 • 50 minutes

We'll be taking your calls during this hour -- and during more of our Monday shows moving forward. We'll still invite guests when we think it's important. Otherwise, we want to talk to you. Call us today at 888-720-9677 between 1 and 2 p.m. EDT.I'm not sure what you want to talk about today, but consider this: Nicholas Kristof, opinion writer for The New York Times, complained that "America Is Not Made for People Who Pee." It's great that President Biden wants to rebuild highways, fix aging schools, and upgrade our electrical grid, but what about public toilets? Have you had to search for a public toilet, especially during the pandemic? If so, you're not alone.Talk to you soon.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/5/2021 • 49 minutes

So celebrities and their giant water bottles: It's a thing, I guess. And then there's the ABC Carpet couches email thread. Plus: Netflix's dwindling, dying DVD library.And then: Godzilla vs. Kong is the fourth movie in Legendary's MonsterVerse. It's a direct sequel to both Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and it's the 12th King Kong movie and the 36th Godzilla movie, overall. Godzilla vs. Kong's theatrical opening (both internationally and domestically) has been the largest of any movie's during the pandemic.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Lil Nas X, Clapback ChampThe rapper's new single, video and sneaker were merely the prelude to a brilliantly orchestrated main event: a virtuosic performance on Twitter.Unpacking Chet Hanks' Complex 'White Boy Summer' TaxonomyHe calls out prejudicial beliefs against anyone from a different background than you, while encouraging his viewers to "keep suck-a-duckin."G. Gordon Liddy, undercover operative convicted in Watergate scandal, dies at 90'Game of Thrones' Play in the Works for Broadway, Will Revive Iconic CharactersGeorge R.R. Martin is developing a live stage spectacular for Broadway, West End and Australia that will bring fan-favorites like Ned Stark and Jaime Lannister back to life while dramatizing a legendary event in Westeros historyVolkswagen of America lied about rebranding to 'Voltswagen'From the company that brought you Dieselgate...The Timeless Fantasy of Stanley Tucci Eating Italian FoodIn CNN's culinary travel series, Italy is beautiful and the food of Italy is beautiful. Not insignificantly, Tucci is beautiful, too.Comic-Con Unveils Fall Dates For In-Person Convention; Confab Returns To San Diego For First Time Since 2019I Like That The Boat Is StuckIt's bad that the boat is stuck. It's bad for lots of people and for lots of reasons. I know that. Please don't think that me liking the stuck boat is an ideological stance. This is not an opinion I have about boats, or about canals, or about things generally being stuck.How "A Drive Into Deep Left Field by Castellanos" Became the Perfect Meme for These Strange TimesThe infamous on-air apology derailed by a Nick Castellanos home run has found life beyond Weird Baseball Twitter -- and it may be here to stayA new energy drink will debut in New Haven. It was developed by 3 Yale students.I Am Obsessed With Anthony Hopkins' Truly Bizarre Social Media PresenceI love him?Nickelodeon Removes SpongeBob Panty-Raid Episode for Being Too Horny for KidsGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner CommunicationsSam Hatch - Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on Sunday nights on WWUHJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/2/2021 • 49 minutes

John Dunton started the first advice column in 1690. He called it the Athenian Mercury. John, a bookseller, and his four "experts" wanted to answer "all the most Nice and Curious Questions proposed by the Ingenious of Either Sex." One person wondered why they would trouble themselves "and the world with answering so many silly questions." But it was a hit.People have always been drawn to advice columns. They're a public forum for private thoughts; they're communal, yet anonymous; they reveal human strength, yet vulnerability. Despite their popularity, until recently, most readers in the recent decades have been white women. That's changing.Are you an advice junkie? Join us.GUESTS:Jamie Fisher - A writer and researcher with The New York TimesDanny M. Lavery - Slate's Dear Prudence, co-founder of The Toast, and the author of Texts From Jane Eyre, The Merry Spinster, and Something That May Shock and Discredit YouChristine Pride - A writer, book editor, and content consultant; her advice column, Race Matters, is on A Cup of Jo, and her debut novel, We Are Not Like Them, is available for preorderJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/1/2021 • 49 minutes

Did you get enough sleep last night? If you're like most Americans, probably not. You might feel pretty good after six hours of sleep and a strong cup of coffee, but the physical and mental toll of sleep deprivation is high.We become more impulsive and less mentally agile, and we make more mistakes. Long term, lack of sleep (six hours or less per night) can mess with mood, hormones, and immune systems, and it can increase our risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.There are lots of things we can't control that keep us up too late, such as crying babies and shift work. But there are lots of things we can control, like how much caffeine we consume and whether we take our phone to bed.But somewhere along the way, our culture made less sleep a matter of personal virtue and moral judgement. Even naps are frowned upon for all but the youngest and the oldest among us.GUESTS:Maria Konnikova - A journalist, professional poker player, and the author of The Confidence Game and Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock HolmesDan McNally - A doctor with the Sleep Disorders Center at UConn HealthTodd Pitock - JournalistJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show, which originally aired March 18, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/31/2021 • 47 minutes, 30 seconds

For a period of about 50 years, many of America's top cartoonists and illustrators lived within a stone's throw of one another in the southwestern corner of Connecticut.Comic strips and gag cartoons read by hundreds of millions were created in this tight-knit group -- Prince Valiant, Superman, Beetle Bailey, Hägar the Horrible, Hi and Lois, Nancy, The Wizard of Id, Family Circus... I could keep going.This hour, a look at the funny pages, and at Connecticut's cartoon county.GUESTS:Bill Griffith - The creator and author of the daily comic strip ZippyHenry McNulty - A writer and editor who worked for the Hartford Courant for more than 25 yearsCullen Murphy - Editor-at-large for Vanity Fair and the author of Cartoon County: My Father and His Friends in the Golden Age of Make-BelieveJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Kevin MacDermott, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 11, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/30/2021 • 49 minutes

A number of media critics gave poor grades to reporters questioning President Biden at his first formal press conference last week. Is there a disconnect between what the media cares about, such as the filibuster and the 2024 election, and what people care about?Also this hour: An Amazon executive set off a firestorm after boasting on Twitter that Amazon was the "Bernie Sanders of employers." Workers weighed in on whether a company was progressive if workers felt they had to urinate in a bottle in order to meet production quotas. How will all this attention influence whether workers at an Alabama Amazon warehouse decide to unionize?Lastly, the first dogs are home, sweet home.GUESTS:Dan Froomkin - The editor of Press WatchKen Klippenstein - An investigative reporter for The Intercept focusing on national securityRachel Treisman - A production assistant on NPR's Digital News DeskJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/29/2021 • 49 minutes

As with all weeks, it's been a strange week.First there were the Cinnamon Toast Crunch shrimp tails. And then an enormous container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal. And now there might be another toilet paper shortage. Which would be bad for the Amazon drivers who have to poop in their trucks.Maybe it's been an especially strange week.Separate from all that: For All Mankind is Ronald D. Moore's alternate history of a world where the space race never ended. It's six episodes into Season Two on AppleTV+.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:George Segal, Veteran of Drama and TV Comedy, Is Dead at 87He is best remembered for his Oscar-nominated dramatic role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and was later a familiar comic actor."Arrested Development" Star Jessica Walter Has Died At 80Walter was best known for playing Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development and voicing Malory Archer in Archer.R.I.P. Talladega Nights actor Houston TumlinRonnee Sass, Veteran Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Publicist, Dies at 72The Extended Universe: What the Snyder Cut Means for the Future of FandomThe campaign demanding the release of Zack Snyder's 'Justice League' got its payoff with the release of the four-hour movie last weekend. Does it mean anything for similar movements for 'Suicide Squad' and 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'?Justice League's Epilogue Is Its Messiest, Most Dangerous Indulgence5 widescreen videos to watch instead of the 4:3 Snyder Cut of Justice League'That's no moon'High school baseball: How Juab beat Provo 29-28 in the highest-scoring game in state historyDr. Oz is hosting Jeopardy! and everyone hates itEvery DC Comics Movie, RankedHow Beeple Crashed the Art WorldAn N.F.T., or "non-fungible token," of the digital artist's work sold for sixty-nine million dollars in a Christie's auction. It's good news for crypto-optimists, but what about for art?'Black Widow' Will Hit Disney+ and Theaters on July 9, 'Shang-Chi' Delayed, and More Disney Release Date ChangesAn Interview With Mike Birbiglia About Pizza And Only Pizza'Superstore' Was the Perfect Comedy for Less-Than-Funny TimesThis week's series finale closes out a delightful sitcom that didn't shy from the challenges faced by America's low-wage workers, including the current pandemic.Dave Chappelle to perform at Foxwoods with rapid COVID testing at the doorThe Definitive Ranking of DucksBeyond Peak TVIt's no longer enough to flood the zone with new television in general. Now, the zone is flooded with specific individual brands -- over and over again.Oscar Producers Facing Backlash And Logistical Headaches After Requiring Nominees To Attend Ceremony In Person, Not On ZoomNot-So-Special Characters: The Biggest Grifters, Frauds, and Outright Nobodies on Today's Typographical SceneJohnny Depp denied appeal in case that found 'wife beater' article about him 'substantially true'Here's Why Taylor Swift Is Re-Releasing Her Old AlbumsIs the guitar solo dead in the 21st century?GUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DancePedro Soto - President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesCoach Catie Talarski - Senior director of storytelling for Connecticut PublicJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/26/2021 • 49 minutes

On March 6, Lou Ottens died in Duizel in the Netherlands. He was 94. I don't think I had ever heard of Ottens before, but the news of his death quickly filled my social media feeds. Ottens, you see, invented the compact cassette in the 1960s.There's a certain romance to the cassette tape, right? They're more fun than mp3s, for sure. And it turns out they're having a little mini resurgence right now.Last year, cassette sales hit their highest mark since 2003. Some old, hard to find tapes sell for crazy prices. Blank tapes still sell well. There are cassette-only record labels. There are even podcast episodes out on tape.This hour, a look at the long past and surprising present of the cassette tape.GUESTS:Joe Carlough - Runs This And That TapesLory Gil - A writer in the tech industrySommer McCoy - Founder of The Mixtape MuseumZack Taylor - Director of Cassette: A Documentary MixtapeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/24/2021 • 49 minutes

After a year of pandemic, we're all itching to break from the restrictions of the pandemic. We want to travel and explore. It makes sense; we're hard-wired to explore. Our ancestors would not have survived absent the drive to seek food and safety from the dangers of the day. Safe and satiated, they later sought new lands to conquer and later still, to escape the constraints and cruelties of rapid industrialization.If the recent pandemic left you yearning to explore, you might be inspired by this show we first aired in 2017. GUESTS:David Grann - Staff writer for The New Yorker, author of The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon and most recently, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBIHugh Thomson - Writer, filmmaker and author of many books including The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland and A Sacred Landscape: The Search for Ancient PeruKathryn Schulz - Staff writer for The New Yorker and author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of ErrorSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/23/2021 • 49 minutes

Last week's violence at three spas in Georgia, followed a year of escalating violence against Asian Americans, some of it captured on videos that went viral. Despite visual evidence, New Yorker writer Hua Hsu, writes that this current moment stresses the "in-between space Asian Americans inhabit." It's hard to prove bias when we lack a historical understanding of what Asian American racism looks like. The 21-year-old man who killed eight people last week, six of whom were Asian women, told investigators that he attacked the spas because he was struggling with a “sex addiction” and wanted to eliminate the “temptation” of buying sex. Psychologist Joshua Grubbs writes that religion is deeply intertwined with perceptions of sexual behavior and moral beliefs about sexuality. GUESTS: Hua Hsu is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of A Floating Chinaman: Fantasy and Failure Across the Pacific. He is an associate professor of English at Vassar College (@huahsu)Joshua Grubbs is an assistant professor of psychology at Bowling State University. His research is primarily concerned with the scientific study of addiction, personality, and morality (@joshuagrubbsphd)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/22/2021 • 49 minutes

It might just be that the pandemic is starting to wind down. Advertisers are anxious to act like it is. We're all maybe anxious to get some hugs back into our lives, or maybe we'll all just always be anxious about hugs. And: How does this all work for half-vaccinated couples? Plus: The Nose sees some parallels in the sexlessness of superheroes.And: Promising Young Woman is Emerald Fennell's feature-film debut as a writer, director, and producer, and it's made her an Academy Award-nominated writer, director, and producer. The movie is nominated for five Oscars overall, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Carey Mulligan.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Yaphet Kotto, Bond Villain and 'Alien' Star, Dies at 81Well known for playing hardened personalities, he was also seen in movies like "Midnight Run" and the TV show "Homicide: Life on the Street."Boxing great Marvelous Marvin Hagler dies at 66Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Announce They Are Still TogetherLess than a day after E! News confirmed reports that Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were going their separate ways, the music superstar and actress and retired MLB star issued a joint statementHow Hollywood Is Complicit in the Violence Against Asians in AmericaReducing Asians, women and sex workers to flat punchlines isn't just degrading -- it's dangerous'Avatar' Overtakes 'Avengers: Endgame' As All-Time Highest-Grossing Film Worldwide; Rises To $2.8B Amid China Reissue2021 Oscar Stats: Two Female Filmmakers Are Up for Best Director for the First Time; Plus Historic Nods for Viola Davis, Riz Ahmed, Steven Yeun, MoreThe Winners and Losers of the 2021 Oscar NominationsThe good: 'Minari' and 'Nomadland' leading a far less local slate. The bad: Delroy Lindo getting snubbed.Razzie Awards 2021: Robert Downey Jr., Adam Sandler, Anne Hathaway Among NomineesMovies That Would Have Been Better with Richard Kind in ThemThe Mound Is Too Damn CloseFor nearly 130 years, the distance between pitchers and batters has remained the same. But as pitchers get better and bigger -- and balls in play become increasingly rare -- MLB could benefit from giving hitters some space.Prominent NCAA tournament players launch '#NotNCAAProperty' protest as March Madness beginsWhy Channel 37 Doesn't Exist (And What It Has to Do With Aliens)Since the advent of analog TVs, channel 37 has always been static. Here's why.'60 Songs That Explain the '90s': The Ugly Beauty of ToolUp next on our trek through the decade: "Stinkfist," one of the hardest, crudest songs from one of rock's hardest, crudest bandsSanitary CultureExperts brightly offer to help create a society so safe, clean, inoffensive, and nontoxic art disappears. Show them the door.Teen Vogue Editor Resigns After Fury Over Racist TweetsThe hiring of Alexi McCammond, who was supposed to start at the Condé Nast publication next week, drew complaints because of racist and hom*ophobic tweets she had posted a decade ago.Topps removes Garbage Pail Kids collectible sticker card featuring bruised BTS after backlashNYC man sells fart for $85, cashing in on NFT crazeIf You Look at Your Phone While Walking, You're an Agent of ChaosAn experiment by Japanese researchers revealed how just a few distracted walkers really can throw off the movements of a whole crowd.Is This Going To Be The hornie*st Summer Of All Time?GUESTS:Tracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children'sBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Writer and essayist Lauren Oyler, joins Colin to talk about Fake Accounts, her new novel on internet culture. They'll also talk about literary fiction, cultural criticism, ghostwriting, and her staunch defense of semicolons, among other things.Lauren Oyler will be at the Mark Twain House & Museum, Tuesday, March 23, 7-8 pm. The event is free. You can register at marktwainhouse.orgGUEST:Lauren Oyler’s essays have appeared in the London Review of Books, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, Bookforum, New York Magazine’s The Cut, and elsewhere. Her first novel is Fake Accounts. (@laurenoyler)Find us on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Gene Amatruda contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/18/2021 • 49 minutes

Every year around this time, there's a big-old college basketball tournament. So every* year around this time, for every* year that this show has been on the air, we've put together a big-old hour of radio about said big-old college basketball tournament.Until last year, of course.Last year, we were right in the middle of getting this show together when quarantines started, when we closed our building to the outside world, when sports seasons were suspended and canceled, when we all suddenly switched to working remotely.Last year, the NCAA basketball tournaments were canceled, so we had to cancel this show.And so we're very excited to be doing this show again this year. We're still working from home, but that's no reason not to do an hour of radio about basketball with an improv comic and an ex-politican-turned-political-pundit.There are a bunch of other reasons not to do that, but we don't care about any of them very much.*Our best guess is that this is the 11th version of this show we've done. It might be the 10th, maybe the ninth. But we're going with 11th. It could be that one of the 11 was a show more about birds than it's about basketball, but whatever.GUESTS:Bill Curry - Playing the part of Bill CurryJulia Pistell - A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, among a number of other thingsGregory S. Woodward - President of the University of HartfordJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/17/2021 • 49 minutes

On the one hand, obituaries are an amalgam of a bunch of different kinds of journalism: they're feature stories, they're profile pieces, they cover history, and they're hard news too.On the other hand, the subject is always... dead.This hour, a look at the art of obituaries and obituarists.GUESTS:Kate Cimini - A reporter for The Salinas Californian and CalMattersVanessa Gould - Produced and directed the documentary Obit.Heather Lende - Obituarist for the Chilkat Valley News in Alaska and the author of Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary WriterBruce Weber - Retired New York Times obituaristJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 24, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/16/2021 • 50 minutes

Jeopardy! has been part of the fabric of American TV, in a couple different forms and across a couple different breaks, since 1964. It is the longest-running nationally-televised game show in U.S. television history.At the 2015 Emmys, John Oliver quipped, "The sun could burn out, humanity could flee to another galaxy, time as we know it could cease to exist, but Alex Trebek will still be there scolding librarians from Ames, Iowa, to answer in the form of a question."Except, of course, Alex Trebek died last year. And before that, Jeopardy!'s long-time executive producer and its long-time contestant coordinator both left at the end of last season.So what's in store for this quiz show institution?The Nose is off, but that doesn't mean some other stuff didn't happen this week, give or take:'Phantom Tollbooth' Author Norton Juster Dies At 91The Best Movie Performances of the Century So Far'Nomadland,' 'Rocks' Lead 2021 BAFTA Awards NominationsSteven Spielberg to Direct a Movie About His Own Childhood; Michelle Williams to StarPeople are Using Dating Apps to Find Doctors, Drugs, and ProtestersAs the world gets weirder, dating apps are expanding from attracting horny singles to even being a marketplace for everything but love.The Internet Is Making Lots Of Jokes At The News That Instagram Is Launching A "Lite" Version Of Its App"Does Instagram Lite have less calories than the other competitors?"GUESTS:Sherri Cohen - Former Jeopardy! contestantClaire McNear - Staff writer at The Ringer and the author of Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy!Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 18, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/12/2021 • 50 minutes

Criminal Minds. Mindhunter and Manhunt. Cracker and Profiler. Nearly the whole of the Hannibal Lecter universe: Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal (the movie and the TV series), Red Dragon, and now Clarice.It seems we're fascinated by forensic psychology, by criminal profiling, by... mindhunting.This hour, we look at three different criminal profilers: James Brussel, the psychologist who helped catch the Mad Bomber of New York in 1957; James Fitzgerald, the forensic linguist who caught the Unabomber; and Bill James, the father of sabermetrics, turns his data analysis on a century-old serial killer mystery that no one had even realized was a serial killer mystery before he and his daughter figured it out.GUESTS:Michael Cannell - Author of Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal ProfilingJames Fitzgerald - Retired FBI agent, criminal profiler, and forensic linguist; he's the author of a series of memoirs, A Journey to the Center of the MindBill James - Former Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox; co-author of The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer MysteryRachel McCarthy James - Co-author of The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer MysteryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 7, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/11/2021 • 50 minutes

The southeastern part of our state conjures images of casinos, submarines, and a blue-collar vibe that's just a little different from the rest of the state's image of leafy suburbs, clapboard homes, and town greens that show off Connecticut's colonial past.The southeastern corner has its own allure, challenging writers and artists mystified by this place that time left alone. It's quirky, a little unruly, and special in ways we can't fully define. Wally Lamb describes it as "more feisty than fashionable, more liverwurst than pate."We talk to three writers, including Wally Lamb, who have tried to capture the essence of this unique region of Connecticut.GUESTS:Wally Lamb - The author of I Know This Much is True, She's Come Undone, We Are Water, and I'll Take You ThereJohn-Manuel Andriote - A reporter and the author of Victory Deferred, Wilhelmina Goes Wandering, and Tough Love: A Washington Reporter Finds Resilience, Ruin, and Zombies in his ‘Other Connecticut' HometownStephen Dobyns - Poet of 13 volumes including Winter's Journey and Velocities and the author of Is Fat Bob Dead Yet?Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 29, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/10/2021 • 47 minutes, 30 seconds

This hour, we talk about two Connecticut dance halls, each springing from the vision of two very different men who took their respective dance halls down very different paths. One's dream soared, bringing thousands of concert-goers to over 3,000 acts over an 11-year history. The other's dream stalled, his elaborate dance hall sitting idle for decades.Thrall Hall in East Windsor is a lot of things. By most accounts, it's a fascinating example of vernacular or folk architecture. Ed Thrall built the dance hall from materials he recovered from demolition projects, sometimes salvaging pieces of historical interest. He built it his own way following his own idiosyncratic ideas about architecture. Thrall Hall contains some engineering marvels including the use of recycled tractor trailer tires under the dance floor to give it adjustable bounce.What Thrall Hall is not is usable. Ed is a peculiar and troubled man. He didn't work and play well with others, and you'll hear today an occasionally hair-raising account of his battles with the town. Catie Talarski shares this heartbreaking story of lost dreams, betrayal, and redemption.Thrall Hall was just about the only thing that could make the wild 11-year run of the Shaboo Inn in Mansfield seem pale by comparison. That's the second story we tell today. Connecticut’s Shaboo Inn, a legendary 1970s and 1980s blues and rock concert dance hall, attracted over 100 top artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Miles Davis, The Police, Aerosmith, and Tom Waits, to the former silk mill in Mansfield.David "Lefty" Foster started Shaboo at the age of 19 when he wasn't yet old enough to be inside the building. He joins us to share stories from this long and storied Connecticut icon. Read and listen to Catie Talarski's feature here.GUEST:David Foster - Co-founder of Shaboo Productions and the leader of the Mohegan Sun Shaboo All-Stars; he was inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame in October, 2020Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Betsy Kaplan, Catie Talarski, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 30, 2014.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/9/2021 • 49 minutes, 1 second

We reair Colin's 2016 interview with Patti Smith at the Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford when she was in town for a Mark Twain House event. The church was filled to the rafters with a capacity crowd of 700 people who remained enraptured by her presence throughout the entire evening. If you don't know her, you may come to love her after hearing this very funny and endearing interview. She looked back over her life as an artist, a lover of Robert Mapplethorpe, a wife and a mother, and as a person she says is a better friend in the abstract than in reality. Again, she's really funny. GUEST:Patti Smith - Singer, songwriter, poet, and visual artist; she's released almost a dozen albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007; she won a National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids; her second memoir is M TrainJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 10, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/7/2021 • 49 minutes, 1 second

This Week (or so) in Reassessing Not-Necessarily-Current Bits of Culture: Seuss enterprises pulled six mostly early Dr. Seuss books from future publication. Disney+ added content warnings to certain episodes of The Muppet Show. Amazon tweaked its app logo to look less like, uh, Hitler. Turner Classic Movies launched a new series called Reframed Classics that will, well, frame movies like Gone with the Wind and Breakfast at Tiffany's with discussions of their problematic aspects.And: Allen v. Farrow is a four-part HBO documentary series that chronicles the sexual assault allegation against Woody Allen by Dylan Farrow.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:"Degrassi" Actor Jahmil French Has Died At 29, And The Cast Is Sharing Emotional Memories Of Him"Bhandurner forever in my heart."Bunny Wailer, Reggae Pioneer With the Wailers, Dies at 73He was the last surviving original member of the group, which also featured Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Together they helped spread the music of Jamaica worldwide.Inside Joss Whedon's 'Cutting' and 'Toxic' World of 'Buffy' and 'Angel'The Marilyn Manson ReckoningFrom Britney Spears to Janet Jackson, the Era of the Celebrity ReappraisalMonica Lewinsky. Janet Jackson. Lindsay Lohan. Whitney Houston. We are living in an era of reappraisals.Opinion: Do we even need the Golden Globes?Rosamund Pike Says Body Was Photoshopped for Johnny English PosterThe "I Care a Lot" star said she was photoshopped on the poster for "Johnny English."The 101 Greatest Endings in Movies HistoryGood finales offer catharsis. The best deny us closure altogether.Critics Poll: 'Do the Right Thing' Named Best Film of the 1980s By Over 200 Critics, Filmmakers and ProgrammersE-mail Is Making Us MiserableIn an attempt to work more effectively, we've accidentally deployed an inhumane way to collaborate.First-ever space hotel slated to be operational by 2027Disney CEO Bob Chapek Thinks Shorter Theatrical Windows May Be Here to Stay'Soul' and 'Wolfwalkers' Lead the 2021 Annie Awards With 10 Nominations EachReese's New Peanut Butter Cup Is (Almost) All Peanut ButterAfter decades of touting the taste of two flavors together, Hershey's will release a version without chocolate.'Playing With Power' Tackles the Unique Enigma That Is NintendoGUESTS:Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz EngineIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/5/2021 • 49 minutes

We produced our first show on masks in the spring of 2020. It was when most of us were isolated at home to sidestep the life-threatening illness we've come to call "COVID." The show was about how rapidly masks had become a statement of political identity.The intensity of the mask battles has begun to calm as we've acclimated to the pervasiveness of masks in our lives. Like them or not, they're here to stay, and they've begun to leave a lasting imprint on our culture.This hour, we take a longer view of how these objects that cover half of our faces have changed the way we perceive ourselves, how we interact with others -- and what masks might look like in the future.GUESTS:Kim Adrian is the author of Sock, The 27th Letter of the Alphabet, and, most recently, Dear KnausgaardHenry Alford is a humorist, journalist, and author; his most recent book is And Then We Danced: A Voyage Into the GrooveMollie Ruben is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of MaineElizabeth Segran is a senior staff writer at Fast Company and the author of The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch the Rest of Your LifeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/4/2021 • 48 minutes, 1 second

Over just six years, from 1954 to 1960, Alfred Hitchco*ck made four movies -- Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960) -- that are routinely mentioned among the very best movies ever made. It's maybe an unparalleled run in the history of cinema.And that's just those four movies. Hitchco*ck's filmography is full of classics: Notorious (1946), Strangers on a Train (1951), The 39 Steps (1935), The Wrong Man (1956), The Birds (1963). The list goes on.At the same time, Hitchco*ck's relationship with his actors has been the subject of much discussion and debate for many decades. He's said to have thought of them as "cattle" and "animated props." He's said to have sexually harassed at least one of them.At the same time as that, Hitchco*ck's films earned eight of his actors nine Academy Award nominations and produced many more all-time-great screen performances, from Joan Fontaine in Rebecca (1940) to Tippi Hedren in Marnie (1964) and many others.This hour: a look at the work of Alfred Hitchco*ck... and his actors.GUESTS:Tom Breen - Managing editor of the New Haven Independent and the host of Deep Focus on WNHH radioDan Callahan - Author of The Camera Lies: Acting for Hitchco*ckJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/3/2021 • 49 minutes

There's a theory that ours isn't the only universe. That there are, actually, infinitely many universes.That there are, then, infinitely many yous.That there are infinitely many different yous reading infinitely many different versions of this show synopsis. That there are infinitely many universes that don't even bother to include you. Or this show synopsis. Or even reading.Also, there's a theory that The Berenstain Bears prove the theory that ours isn't the only universe.So, this hour, in this universe, a show about all that. Or (at least) one version of a show about all that.GUESTS:Amanda Gefter - A physics and cosmology writer and the author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn: A Father, a Daughter, the Meaning of Nothing and the Beginning of EverythingMack Lamoureux - Night editor at Vice CanadaEugene Lim - Senior lecturer in theoretical physics at King's College LondonAlicia Lutes - Managing editor of The NerdistJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Katie Glass, Cat Pastor, Chion Wolf, and Alan Yu contributed to this show, which originally aired December 8, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/2/2021 • 50 minutes

The theme of election fraud ran through this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference. We talk about how "The Big Lie" is becoming a way for Republican leaders to rationalize the voter suppression measures making their way through state legislatures.Also this hour: In the short term, there seems to be a mortality gap between wealthier and poorer countries when it comes to COVID-19, with wealthier countries, such as the U.S., experiencing significantly more deaths than the least developed countries. But the long-term economic and public health toll on poorer countries could get much worse if wealthier countries don't step in to help.Lastly, what Rep. Deb Haaland's nomination to lead the Department of the Interior means to the Native American community.GUESTS:Ari Berman - A senior reporter at Mother Jones covering voting rights and the author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in AmericaMushfiq Mobarak - Professor of economics at Yale University with concurrent appointments in the Department of Economics and in the School of Management; he’s the founder and faculty director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and ScaleJenni Monet - A journalist and media critic reporting on indigenous affairs; she's the founder of the weekly newsletter IndigenouslyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/1/2021 • 49 minutes

On Thursday, Hasbro announced that its Mr. Potato Head brand would drop the "Mr." in a move toward inclusiveness. But they also made clear, in a move toward not being yelled at by the internet, that the Mr. Potato Head character (and the Mrs. Potato Head character, for that matter) would continue.Also this week, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a new design for its mail trucks. The internet yelled about that some, too.And: Nomadland is Chloé Zhao's third film as writer and director. It is nominated for four awards at this weekend's Golden Globes, including two for Zhao (Best Director and Best Screenplay) and one for Frances McDormand (Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama).Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Daft Punk Break UpThe legendary dance duo has called it quits 28 years after forming in ParisLawrence Ferlinghetti, Poet Who Nurtured the Beats, Dies at 101An unapologetic proponent of "poetry as insurgent art," he was also a publisher and the owner of the celebrated San Francisco bookstore City Lights.Kim Kardashian Broke Her Social Media Silence After Officially Filing For Divorce From Kanye WestAfter two days of radio silence, Kim returned to Instagram on Sunday night.Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Is The New Longest-Running No. 1 Hit On The Global Chart, Beating BTS And Mariah CareyJustice League: The Shocking, Exhilarating, Heartbreaking True Story of #TheSnyderCutA demoralizing battle with Warner Bros. A devastating personal tragedy. A fan base he couldn't control. Zack Snyder tells V.F. why he quit Justice League, and why he’s returned to complete a cut that’s reached near-mythical status.Farewell Cinefex, you unlocked the magic of VFX for everyoneAfter 40 years, the legendary journal is shutting down.How Hollywood Is Beating Its Final Boss: Video Game AdaptationsWith 'Mortal Kombat,' 'Uncharted,' 'Halo,' and 'The Last of Us' leading an adaptation deluge, video game IP has finally leveled upLook upon Chuck's works, E. mighty, and Cheesepair8 Comedians Break Down Their Favorite Stand-up Closers EverParamount+ TV Shows: 'The Italian Job,' 'Fatal Attraction,' and More Are Becoming Streaming SeriesPost Malone Covers Hootie and the Blowfish for Pokémon Day CelebrationArtist will perform his rendition at Pokémon anniversary virtual concert this Saturday'Baseball Bugs' at 75: How a Looney Tunes classic wham-bammed America's pastimeI found the Bay Area hill in Windows XP's iconic wallpaperBiden Revokes Trump-Era Executive Order On Brutalist Federal ArchitectureGUESTS:James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeElizabeth Keifer - Professor emerita of English at Tunxis Community CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/26/2021 • 49 minutes

Ghostwriting evokes an image of the writer who toils away in obscurity, secretly penning books credited to another. In reality, ghostwriters are just good at turning someone's undeveloped vision into a story that others want to read. Their services are in demand from people wanting help writing everything from celebrity memoirs to Instagram captions and online dating profiles.Self-publishing is on the rise as our fixation on the solitary author and the stigma of ghostwriting recedes. Even rap and hip hop artists are getting on board.This hour, we pull back the curtain on ghostwriting.GUESTS:Lisa Dickey - A book collaborator and the ghostwriter for 20 books, nine of which became New York Times bestsellers; she's the author of Bears in the Streets: Three Journeys Across a Changing Russia and a storyteller on stage, appearing at The Moth's GrandSLAM, among other showsDan Gerstein - The founder and CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters; he was a speechwriter and communications director for former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, and he has been a contributing columnist to several publications including Forbes and Politico*khaiim the RapOet (also known as Self Suffice) - Performs internationally, is co-host of the SoundMinds podcast, and leads Make It Full Time, career coaching for professional artists; his use of hip Hop to educate was awarded by President Obama and recognized by The New York Times and NPR, among othersJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/25/2021 • 49 minutes

Thornton Wilder's Our Town debuted more than 80 years ago. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and, over the decades since, it has continuously been one of the most produced of American plays.It is known for its spare set -- just some chairs and tables, perhaps some ladders -- and lack of props and sometimes even costumes. It's known for its metatheatricality and its Stage Manager character, who addresses the audience directly and rarely participates in the action of the play, as much as there really is any.It is known as old-fashioned, sentimental, nostalgic and, simultaneously, obviously and intentionally not old-fashioned, sentimental, and nostalgic.This hour, a look at perhaps the quintessential American play: Our Town.GUESTS:Howard Sherman - The author of Another Day's Begun: Thornton Wilder's Our Town in the 21st CenturyKate Powers - A stage director and the founder of The Redeeming Time Project; in 2013, she directed a production of Our Town at Sing Sing Correctional FacilityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/24/2021 • 49 minutes

The octopus has always been the stuff of spine-tingling legend, like that of the kraken, the many-armed sea monster believed to drag ships to the bottom of the sea after dining on the crew. Or Gertie the Pus, the giant Pacific octopus that lives under the Narrows Bridge connecting Tacoma, Washington, to Gig Harbor.In reality, the octopus is more benign but equally fascinating. Did you know the octopus has two-thirds of its brain neurons distributed throughout its eight arms? Or that the severed arm of an octopus can walk independently toward a food source and move it to where its mouth should be?The octopus was the only invertebrate included in The Cambridge Decision of Consciousness, a 2012 declaration by scientists expressing consensus on animal consciousness. But what does consciousness mean in an octopus and how does it drive the relationships Sy Montgomery and Dr. David Schell have with these alien beings?Scientists wonder if humans can even begin to understand the intellect and mystery of the octopus.So, should we be eating octopus?GUESTS:Sy Montgomery - The author of nearly 20 books for adults and children, including The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of ConsciousnessDavid Scheel - A marine biologist and behavioral ecologist at Alaska Pacific University; he has a forthcoming book on the behavioral ecology of marine animalsSilvia Killingsworth - Managing editor at The New YorkerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 26, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/23/2021 • 48 minutes

The U.S. is about to surpass 500,000 deaths from COVID-19. That said, new cases are declining, hospitalizations and deaths are trending down, and vaccination rates are picking up, though inequities remain. We talk vaccines, variants, messaging, and more.Also this hour: A new study finds that House members who hold extreme views receive far more airtime on cable and broadcast news than their moderate counterparts. Changes in the media have incentivized elected officials such as Marjorie Taylor Greene to build a national brand at the expense of legislating for their local constituents.Last, welcome to Elizabeth Ann, a baby black-footed ferret cloned from Willa, who died more than 30 years ago.GUESTS:Leana Wen - An emergency room physician and visiting professor at George Washington University School of Public Health; she's a contributing columnist at The Washington Post and a medical analyst for CNNJoshua Darr - An assistant professor of political communication at Louisiana State University; his book is Home Style Opinion: How Local Newspapers Can Slow Polarization co-authored with Matthew P. Hitt and Johanna L. DunawayBen Novak - A de-extinction biologist and the lead scientist at Revive and Restore; he leads The Great Passenger Pigeon ComebackJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/22/2021 • 49 minutes

In a new essay for Harper's, filmmaker Martin Scorsese criticizes the current state of the movie business and all these new fangled streaming platforms and their algorithms. "We can’t depend on the movie business, such as it is, to take care of cinema," Scorsese says.And: Judas and the Black Messiah is a biopic of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton. It is director Shaka King's studio feature film debut, and it's nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. It is one of two movies nominated for Golden Globes this year that portray Hampton (along with The Trial of the Chicago 7).Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:If you use this emoji, Gen Z will call you oldThe First "Cruella" Trailer Is Here, And The Internet Already Has A Ton Of ThoughtsIs this Disney's Joker???Failing Britney SpearsIt shouldn't have taken ten years to realize the discourse about her had been a hurtful, unhealthy constant.Buffy Deserves Better Than Joss WhedonHe wasn't the only person who made Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he shouldn't be the one to take it down.Taylor Swift Misses the Old Taylor Swift, TooThe artist's first release from her re-recording project is much more than a nostalgia play. It's a love letter.Hockey Has a Gigantic-Goalie ProblemNever before in the NHL's history has the tail so wagged the dog.Why Is Everyone Talking About Clubhouse?The new social media app is tapping into the public's desperate need to connect -- and it's becoming a flashpoint in the culture warsSo, you’ve been subtweeted by Turner Classic Movies. What do you do next?'Paddington 3' Officially in the WorksThe Story of the DuckTales Theme, History's Catchiest Single Minute of MusicA woo-hoo heard around the world.'You can smell the sweat and hair gel': the best nightclub scenes from cultureWriters and artists including Róisín Murphy, Tiffany Calver and Sigala on the art that transports them to the dancefloor during lockdownI have an important pop culture theoryYou will now read it and share it with others online as you see fitGUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksLucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen SyncJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/19/2021 • 49 minutes

Cartoonist Bill Griffith based his legendary character Zippy the Pinhead on Schlitzie, a real life sideshow 'pinhead' who appeared in Todd Browning's 1932 film Freaks. Early audiences were appalled by Browning's use of real sideshow characters to seek revenge on those who treated them cruelly.Griffith's graphic novel is his effort to understand Schlitzie and the sideshow family who cared for him. We talk to Griffith and a member of Schlitzie's sideshow family.Also this hour: the man who saved thousands of premature infants by exhibiting them in incubators at the Coney Island sideshow.GUESTS:Bill Griffith - Creator of the syndicated daily comic strip Zippy and author of two graphic memoirs, including, Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Schlitzie the PinheadWolf Krakowski - Yiddish singer whose CDs are on Tzadik Records; Wolf has videotaped testimonies of Holocaust survivors for the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History FoundationClaire Prentice - Freelance journalist, editor, and writer; She's the author of two non-fiction books, including Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American MedicineJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired May 2, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/17/2021 • 48 minutes, 31 seconds

We live in an "Everything Should Take Twenty Minutes" world. Movies are too long. SundanceTV has a show that airs in 10-minute episodes. Tierra Whack has a 15-minute album made of fifteen 60-second songs. Todd Rundgren's memoir has 183 one-page, three-paragraph chapters.So today, we turn our hour over to five short, little shows about short, little things.Here's a Spotify playlist of the albums reviewed on today's short, little episode of The Sam Hadelman Show.GUESTS:Carmen Baskauf - Produces Where We Live on Connecticut Public RadioTaneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksSam Hadelman - Host of The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynBrandy Jensen - An advice columnist and editor at The OutlineJacques Lamarre - A playwright, and director of client services at Buzz EngineVince Mancini - Senior film and culture writer for UproxxChion Wolf - Host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public RadioBill Yousman - Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Matt Farley contributed to this show, which originally aired July 18, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/17/2021 • 50 minutes

The Senate voted to aquit Donald Trump Saturday after falling shy of the two-thirds majority required to convict him. Fifty-seven senators, including seven Republicans, voted to convict him for "incitement of insurrection" and 43 Republicans voted to acquit Trump for a variety of reasons. Reliving the January 6 insurrection during last week's Senate impeachment trial has left many of us sorting through a gamut of emotions along with a lack of closure on the last four years.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/16/2021 • 49 minutes

As of Monday morning, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are still working out the details for the Senate impeachment trial scheduled to begin this Tuesday, February 9. Forty-five senators say it's not constitutional. Conservative lawyer Charles Cooper says it is. We talk to Connecticut U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on impeachment, intelligence, and more. Also this hour: Fox News has been scared into silencing popular commentator Lou Dobbs, after Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion defamation suit against Fox News over election fraud claims made on their shows. Fox News Media hosts Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro were named, along with lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. Will it take a massive lawsuit to force them to confront the lies and harm perpetuated on their broadcasts?Lastly, a quick look at the tone of this weekend's Super Bowl ads. GUESTS:Richard Blumenthal is a US senator from ConnecticutDavid Folkenflik is NPR’s media correspondent and the author of Murdoch’s World: The Last of the Old Media Empires Melinda Fakuade is a fellow for The Goods by Vox, covering culture and entertainmentJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/8/2021 • 49 minutes

WandaVision is a Disney+ miniseries that's part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that's set, like, inside the history of television? It follows Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision as they try to conceal their superhero powers and blend into a generic sitcom neighborhood. Episodes so far have taken on the look and feel of American sitcoms from the 1950s, '60s, '70s, and '80s.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Hal Holbrook, Actor Who Channeled Mark Twain, Is Dead at 95He carved out a substantial career in television and film but achieved the widest acclaim with his one-man stage show, playing Twain for more than six decades.Dustin Diamond, 'Saved by the Bell' star, dead at 44Jamie Tarses, Pioneering Television Executive, Dies at 56Tony Bennett Reveals Alzheimer's BattleGolden Globes 2021: A Full List of NomineesHere are the films, television shows, actors and directors chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.Ella Emhoff Isn't a Nontraditional Model!Please stop praising her for having armpit hair and tattoos.Evan Rachel Wood Alleged Her Ex-Fiancé Marilyn Manson "Horrifically Abused" And "Manipulated" Her"He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission."Of course the GameStop stock market frenzy is already being turned into a movieSteven Spielberg Writes For Empire About Why Cinema Will Never DieThe Wayne's World Super Bowl Ad Is Even More Depressing Than That Wonder Years TweetThe Generation X staple vanishes a little more each yearEven Jodie Foster Is Still Trying to Figure Jodie Foster OutSix arrested after changing Hollywood sign to 'Hollyboob'Outlander star Sam Heughan hints he will be next James Bond on Instagram postThe Accidental Sex Couch Tearing Facebook Mom Groups ApartSarah Silverman just wants to make things rightThe potty-mouthed comic isn't done talking trash, but it's no longer her first instinct, or her job.GUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksBill Yousman - Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/5/2021 • 41 minutes, 24 seconds

Who's afraid of the Bix bad Beiderbecke?Hartford has an amazing jazz history, and Colin has a lot of jazz musician friends. This hour, a little onstage jazz party recorded in front of a live audience long before the pandemic put a pause on live audiences as a thing.Colin and the panel look to make jazz accessible to mere mortals. They talk about what makes jazz jazz, invite the audience to sing, and teach the audience to scat.GUESTS:Steve Davis - TromboneAtla DeChamplain - VocalsMatt DeChamplain - PianoHenry Lugo - BassJocelyn Pleasant - DrumsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This show originally aired February 8, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/4/2021 • 50 minutes

We have a complicated relationship with our food. We need food to live; yet, we've become removed from the food we eat and how it's grown and processed.  Even with the best of intentions, today's ultra-processed foods make it hard for us to know exactly what we're eating or how the methods used to mass produce our food are affecting our environment and our health. And I haven't even touched on how food has led to war, famine, poverty, and enslavement.    Today, we talk about the history of agriculture, where it went wrong, and how we might begin to cultivate food that is kinder to our bodies, our earth, and our fellow humans.  GUEST: Mark Bittman is the author of 30 books, most recently, Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food From Sustainable To Suicidal. He was a food columnist and writer at the New York Times for 30 years. He’s currently Special Advisor on Food Policy at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/3/2021 • 41 minutes

Colin interviewed Hal Holbrook on February 3, 2015, in advance of Holbrook's performance of Mark Twain Tonight in Hartford on his 90th birthday on February 17, 2015. Colin wrote at the time that Holbrook was one of the most remarkable people he's encountered of all the remarkable people he's interviewed over the years.Holbrook was so passionate and fun to speak with that Colin never got to ask him all the many questions about the love of his life, his difficult childhood, or his time spent at Suffield Academy. He hoped for a second interview.Holbrook died on January 23. This hour, we reair our 2015 interview with him.GUEST:Hal Holbrook was an American film, television, and stage actor famous for his portrayal of Mark Twain in the solo show he created, Mark Twain Tonight, for which he won a Tony Award. His movies include All the President's Men, Lincoln, and Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for an Oscar in 2008. He won five Primetime Emmy Awards, and he's the subject of a documentary by Scott Teems and Laura D. Smith, Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired February 4, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/2/2021 • 49 minutes, 15 seconds

Some say the press continues to portray the Republican Party as a "mainstream, center-right entity," long after their words and deeds reflect something more ominous. Is the media failing to convey the extreme behavior of the GOP out of fear they will be accused of liberal bias? It's not the first time the media has been accused of bias or been too slow to see something for what it is instead of what they want it to be.Also this hour: Five members of former President Trump's impeachment team departed Saturday, a little over a week before the Senate trial is set to begin on February 9. On Sunday, Trump hired lawyers David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr. to take over. Will they be ready by next week?GUESTS:Eric Boehlert - A media critic and the founder and editor of Press Run; he has been a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a media critic at Daily Kos, and a staff writer at Rolling Stone, and he's the author of three books, including Lapdogs: How The Press Rolled Over For Bush (@EricBoehlert)Ross Garber - Principal at The Garber Group, specializing in political investigations and impeachment; he's also a legal analyst for CNN, and he teaches at Tulane Law School (@rossgarber)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2/1/2021 • 41 minutes

Olivia Rodrigo's "drivers license" is in its second week as the No. 1 song in the country, having debuted there last week. It is the first debut single by any artist to hit the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 in history.And: Pretend It's a City is Martin Scorsese's seven-part Netflix documentary series about Fran Liebowitz that's actually also kind of about New York City.And finally: How To with John Wilson is John Wilson's six-part HBO documentary series of advice and tutorials that's actually also kind of about New York City.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Cicely Tyson, groundbreaking award-winning actor, dead at 96Cloris Leachman, Emmy and Oscar Winner, Dies at 94Bruce Kirby, Veteran Character Actor and 'Columbo' Cop, Dies at 95Walter Bernstein, Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter on 'The Front,' Dies at 101Freddy the Great Dane, the world's largest dog, has diedThe Jokes About GameStop And The Stock Market Keep Coming, So Here Are The 50 Funniest Ones"Siri, what is a 'stock'?"There's a Metallica/Huey Lewis Mashup Now, Because San FranciscoThe Oscars Are a Mess. Let's Make Them Messier.Nothing has been normal about the last year, including the movies. The academy shouldn’t try to pretend otherwise. It should see this as an opportunity.These are the movies to watch before Oscars nightThe 50 Best Cult MoviesFrom 'The Room' to 'Eraserhead' to 'Rocky Horror,' these are the best movies to ever inspire deep obsession'Tenet' Is Destined to Become a Cult MovieWith a failed release due to the pandemic, a muted critical reception, and a twisty narrative that demands multiple viewings, Christopher Nolan's 2020 film has all of the elements that eventually lead to niche fandom2021 BBWAA Voting Results Yield No ElecteesKraft Is Releasing A Pink Candy-Flavored Mac And Cheese For Valentine's Day, And The Internet Is Losing Its MindThe Pandemic Has Erased Entire Categories of FriendshipThere's a reason you miss the people you didn't even know that well.Here's What It Was Really Like to Work at a Women's WebsiteI felt nothing. So I headed to my desk for another busy day of browsing online sales and waiting to die.Carey Mulligan Responds to Variety's Apology for 'Promising Young Woman' ReviewSubway's tuna is not tuna, but a 'mixture of various concoctions,' a lawsuit allegesA Reformed Late Person's Guide to Being on TimeTime has become fluid in the pandemic. Except when there's a Zoom meeting.GUESTS:Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz EngineIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/29/2021 • 49 minutes

Applications to nursing schools spiked during the pandemic from those who wanted to help. They chose to be nurses at a time when the risk to their own health was never greater. Why are some people willing to run toward the fire when others are running away from it?Most of us fall somewhere on a spectrum of altruistic behavior. We might adopt a stray pet, donate a liter of blood, or check on an older neighbor. Others pursue a career based on helping others, and, at the extreme end of the spectrum, some choose to donate their kidney to a stranger. We talk to two nurses, a kidney donor, and a psychologist about the nature of altruism.GUEST:Kelly Chevalier - Interim director of emergency services at Trinity Health of New England/St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center Tracy Gordon Fox - A former journalist for the Hartford Courant; she’s currently a staff nurse on the general surgery floor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical CenterLauren Herschel - An anonymous kidney donor who lives in Calgary, AlbertaAbigail Marsh - A professor of psychology and a neuroscientist in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University; she directs their Lab on Social & Affective Neuroscience, and she’s the author of The Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Psychopaths, Altruists, and Everyone In Between Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/28/2021 • 49 minutes

André Gregory has directed and acted in the theater for more than 50 years. He has appeared in a number of movies, including Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, Woody Allen's Celebrity, Brian De Palma's The Bonfire of the Vanities, Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast, and many more. He has starred in three movies about the theater with the playwright, actor, and comedian Wallace Shawn: A Master Builder, Vanya on 42nd Street, and the iconic My Dinner with Andre.Gregory's memoir is This Is Not My Memoir. He joins us for the hour.Note: I apologize for the flagrant hackiness of the "joke" of the headline here. I feel your scorn and must suffer through my shame. There are times when a work is so iconic one doesn't have a choice but to make reference to it. And so here we are.GUEST:André Gregory - An actor, writer, director, teacher, and painter; his new book, written with Todd London, is This Is Not My MemoirJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/27/2021 • 50 minutes

Moderna announced today they were making new versions of their vaccine that can be used as boosters against variants seen in South Africa, Brazil, and the U.K. The vaccine should be effective against variants but it seems to create fewer antibodies against the one that has emerged in South Africa. Either way, vaccines alone will not be enough. We talk about mutations and vaccines. Also this hour: The Biden inauguration was the most Catholic inauguration in history. Is a more liberal Christianity on the rise? Lastly, a tribute to John McDonough, actor, singer, and a Connecticut native.GUESTS: Paul Turner - An evolutionary biologist and virologist; he’s the Rachel Carson Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University and a microbiology faculty member at Yale School of MedicineMichael Sean Winters - Writes the Distinctly Catholic blog for the National Catholic Reporter, and he is the author of two books including Left At the Altar: How Democrats Lost The Catholics And How Catholics Can Save The DemocratsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/25/2021 • 49 minutes

The House will transmit its Article of Impeachment charging former President Trump with "incitement of insurrection" to the Senate on Monday.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell asked the House to wait two weeks to let the former president work on his defense. The House chose not to wait any longer , possibly influenced by more than a dozen Republican senators trying to dismiss the impeachment trial before it begins, based on the disputed claim that it's unconstitutional to try an ex-president. And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's walking back his prior claim that Trump incited the riot at the Capitol.Today, we look at what's required to prove "incitement" and we look back on the fashion legacy of Trump. We also bring you factoids with Chion Wolf and our first second-season AccuFrankie dispatch from reporter Frankie Graziano.GUESTS:Vanessa Friedman - Fashion director for The New York TimesFrankie Graziano - A reporter for Connecticut Public RadioCatherine J. Ross - Professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and the author of a forthcoming book, Presidential Lies, The First Amendment, and DemocracyChion Wolf - The host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public RadioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/22/2021 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds

Most of the Western world is organized by alphabetical order, which is so much more than the 26 letters that make up the alphabet. Alphabetical order is an organizing principle that allows us to save, order, and access thousands of years of humankind's most precious documents and ideas. Without it, we'd never know what came before us or how to pass on what's with us. It's ubiquitous, yet invisible in daily life.This hour, a conversation about how we order our world and why we do it. GUESTS:Nicholson Baker - A novelist and essayist; he's the author of 17 books, including, most recently, Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act; he's currently the Jennifer Jahrling Forese Writer-in-Residence in Creative Writing at Colby CollegeJudith Flanders - A social historian and senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham; her new book is A Place For Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical OrderPeter Sokolowski - A lexicographer and editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of the podcast Word Matters; he's also a musician and public radio jazz host at NEPR and the author of a chapter in The Whole World in a BookJoin us on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/21/2021 • 49 minutes

Yale University's Dr. Nicholas Christakis explores what it means to live in a time of pandemic. He looks at historical epidemics and current medical and social research to help us understand the potential long-term impact COVID-19 will have on people and culture. Greek mythology holds that the arrows of plague Apollo shot down upon the Greeks led to great death and suffering. The plague that has brought death and pain over this past year was not brought by an angry god, but an infinitesimal virus that has wreaked global havoc and exposed the best and worst of human behavior. We spend an informative and insightful hour with Nicholas Christakis. GUEST:Nicholas Christakis - A physician and sociologist; he directs the Human Nature Lab at Yale where he is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science, and he's the author of Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We LiveJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/19/2021 • 49 minutes, 1 second

Tom Cruise's seventh Mission: Impossible installment has been one of the few huge Hollywood productions trying to to figure out how to film during the pandemic. Cruise has been in the news lately for blowing up at his crew for breaking COVID protocols, and now he's back in the news for… buying COVID enforcement robots?And: Could front porches be just the right "magical intermediate zone" to keep communities connecting during a time of social distancing?And finally: Nicolas Cage is hosting a documentary series on Netflix called History of Swear Words. Normally I'd try to give you a little more context here, but I feel like that first sentence pretty much covers it.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Michael Apted, 'Coal Miner's Daughter' Director and 'Seven Up' Documentarian, Dies at 79Jessica Campbell, 'Election' and 'Freaks and Geeks' Actor, Dies at 38Oscars' International Feature Race: Has 'Parasite' Ushered in a Broader Acceptance of Genre in the Category?Why a Vogue Cover Created an Uproar Over Kamala HarrisThe vice president-elect is on the cover of the U.S. fashion magazine. Many people were not happy with the result.Are Armie Hammer's leaked DMs fake? Actor's alleged 'cannibal sex fantasy' shocks Internet: 'This can't be real'The actor allegedly stated 'I am 100% a cannibal' to a woman who shared the Instagram DMs and the Internet is shockedArmie Hammer calls online attacks 'spurious,' will still exit Jennifer Lopez rom-comSex And The City revived at HBO Max—yes, without Kim CattrallWelcome to ZollywoodAt 24 she's already conquered the Disney thing—and Marvel. She even won an Emmy for Euphoria. Next up for Zendaya? Figuring out who she really is when the cameras aren't rolling.Alec Baldwin Delivers Final Trump Performance With Spoof 'Farewell Address' AudiobookBill Belichick says he won't accept Presidential Medal of Freedom from TrumpHollywood Prepares to Delay Another Slew of BlockbustersNetflix teases massive 2021 film slate with plans to release new movies every weekGov. Cuomo outlines plan to accelerate return of theater and the artsChuck Norris' Manager Insists Actor Wasn't at the Capitol InsurrectionThe Case for Ted Danson As the TV GOATNearly 40 years after he stepped behind a Boston bar, Danson is still going. And by the time he's finished, no one may be able to top his run.Chris Rock Re-Edits a Special, and the Result Is FascinatingWith "Total Blackout: The Tamborine Extended Cut," the comic effectively erases the stamp of the original director, Bo Burnham, and turns in a less intimate show.Bruce Willis asked to leave store for 'refusing' to wear a mask'The Office' Was by Far the Most-Streamed TV Show in 2020, Nielsen SaysDavid Fincher: The Rolling Stone InterviewThe boundary-pushing filmmaker behind 'Mank' reflects on his career, his journey into Hollywood's past and the industry's uncertain futureNoah Baumbach Adapting Don DeLillo's White Noise; Adam Driver & Greta Gerwig to StarA History of the Trump Era Through Stories About Toilets'Human foot' in Gateshead field turns out to be potatoGUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/15/2021 • 49 minutes

Previously on Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?): House Democrats voted to impeach President Trump on two Articles of Impeachment: "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress." He was later acquitted promptly after Senate Republicans voted against calling witnesses or admitting new evidence.Now (less than 48 weeks later), on Season Two of Pardon Me: House Democrats, along with 10 Republicans, voted to impeach President Trump Wednesday on one Article of Impeachment: "incitement of insurrection." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promptly responded that there'll be no trial while he's Senate leader.The more things change, the more they stay the same.This hour, we talk about the constitutional gray zone of impeaching a president no longer in office, co-opting historically significant language, and a musical response to this political moment. And, we bring back Factoids with Chion Wolf.GUESTS:Joanne Freeman - The Class of 1954 Professor of History & American Studies at Yale University and the co-host of the American History podcast Backstory; her most recent book is The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil WarMichael Gerhardt - The Burton Craige University Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill and the author of seven books; his most recent is Lincoln's Mentors: The Education of a LeaderJill Sobule - An award-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist; her most recent album is Nostalgia KillsChion Wolf - The host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public RadioCat Pastor contributed to this show.Pardon Me is a production of The Colin McEnroe Show on Connecticut Public Radio.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/14/2021 • 46 minutes, 27 seconds

Do you talk to yourself? Is it a silent inter-narrative or do you talk aloud? What form of address to you use to yourself?When I'm mad at myself I sometimes address myself as Colin. But, I sense that when LeBron speaks to himself as LeBron, it's more affirming. I talk aloud quite a bit. A hangover, I think, from growing up as an only child.The Spanish and Argentine novelist Andres Neumann has a new work, "Talking to Ourselves," in which he explores the solitary inner narrative that each of us conducts either silently, aloud, or writing a diary. Some form of talking to ourselves is universal. You could argue that without it life would be unsupportable, would be lived unconsciously. So, let me ask you again, do you talk to yourself? Yes, you do. GUESTS:Professor Ethan Kross is Director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory at the University of MichiganAndres Neuman is an author of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and criticism. He’s the author of several award-winning novels including “Traveler of the Century” and most recently, “Talking To  Ourselves”Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Jon Franois produced this show with help from Betsy Kaplan and Chion WolfSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/12/2021 • 48 minutes

Wednesday's insurrection by Trump supporters at the Capitol was the culmination of months of Trump perpetuating the lie that the election was stolen from him. The fire he built might have sputtered without oxygen from Republican colleagues and right-wing media intent on capitalizing on his lies.House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday. It charges President Trump with "inciting violence against the government of the United States," after House Republicans objected to a resolution calling on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. The House will consider the impeachment resolution on the floor if the vice president refuses to intervene "within 24 hours" or if the president refuses to resign.The boundaries between democracy, autocracy, and fascism have blurred in America over the last four years. Is impeachment or the 25th Amendment the best way to put out the fire of Trumpism?We want to hear from you. Call us at 888-720-9677.GUEST:Yascha Mounk - A contributing editor at The Atlantic, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and a senior adviser at Protect Democracy; his most recent book is The People Vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is In Danger and How To Save It, and he recently founded the newsletter PersuasionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/11/2021 • 49 minutes

Last weekend, a little girl asked her father for help opening a can of beans. Rather than help her, Bean Dad left his daughter to figure it out for herself. For six hours (supposedly). And tweeted about it. It was peak internet.Also: This will come as a shock (it probably won't), but Kim Kardashian is rumored to be divorcing Kanye West. Or she's rumored to be about to be divorcing Kanye West. Or she's rumored to be considering divorcing Kanye West. Or something.And finally: Bridgerton is a period drama series on Netflix produced by Shonda Rhimes. It's set in Regency London during "the social season," and you're either super interested in a show with that premise or you aren't.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:The Nirvana of Ben AffleckWe want our stars to be just like us, but ultimately, we want them to be themselves even moreInfluencers Feuding After Both Naming Their Babies 'Baby'We Need to Bring Back Clowning On Some GuyWhat's Entering the Public Domain in 2021: The Great Gatsby & Mrs. Dalloway, Music by Irving Berlin & Duke Ellington, Comedies by Buster Keaton, and More'Calvin and Hobbes' said goodbye 25 years ago. Here's why Bill Watterson's masterwork enchants us still.McDonald's will debut new chicken sandwich Feb. 24New platform will be offered in three versions: crispy, spicy and deluxeWhat On Earth Happened Here?Grammys Postpone 2021 Ceremony Over COVID-19 ConcernsOrganizers set March 14th as new date, citing "thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear"Rapper Dr. Dre hospitalized after brain aneurysm"I will be out of the hospital and back home soon," the 55-year-old Beats co-founder posted on Instagram.The Forever Legacy of Alex TrebekThe longtime 'Jeopardy!' host’s final episodes are airing this week. They're a testament to Trebek's profound impact -- on the show he defined, the world it created, and the lives of those who crossed his path.Simon & Schuster Cancels Plans for Senator Hawley's BookThe publisher faced calls to drop the Missouri Republican's upcoming book, "The Tyranny of Big Tech," following criticism of his efforts to overturn the presidential election.Shakespeare, Swing and Louis Armstrong. So What Went Wrong?Three theaters are exploring "Swingin' the Dream," which tanked on Broadway in 1939, but opens a window on the racial and artistic dynamics of its time.Wrestler Mick Foley asks Vince McMahon to boot Donald Trump from the WWE Hall Of FameGUESTS:Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/8/2021 • 49 minutes

President Trump has gotten away with bad behavior since long before he was elected to the presidency. When faced with an election loss that he couldn't change, he instigated his followers to fight for him. They obeyed his command. He may not be able to get out of the consequences of the actions they took on his behalf. We talk about the implications of what happened yesterday. And we take your calls. You can reach us at 888-720-9677.GUEST:Ruth Ben-Ghiat - Professor of history and Italian studies at New York University and a frequent contributor to CNN opinion; her new book is Strongmen: Mussolini to the PresentJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/7/2021 • 49 minutes

As our show starts today, the U.S. Congress will begin the process of officially tallying the Electoral College votes in the 2020 elections for president and vice president.President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received 306 votes, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence received 232 votes, and this should be a pretty pro forma exercise.Should be. Instead, scores of congressional Republicans are expected to object to the certified votes from a number of swing states. The president thinks the vice president has the power to pick and choose which votes to count. The vice president reportedly disagrees. In any case, the objections are expected to gum up the works -- probably for hours.All this while House Democrats consider censuring the president, while there are rumors the president is planning to travel to Scotland on the eve of Inauguration Day, while the countdown to Inauguration Day has ticked down to t-minus just two weeks. Oh. And there were two runoff elections in Georgia yesterday to decide control of the U.S. Senate.In other words, all kinds of craziness going on all at once.And so: We want your calls. Join us during the 1 p.m. ET hour.888-720-WNPR. 888-720-9677.GUEST:Ross Garber - A lawyer specializing in political investigations and impeachment and a legal analyst for CNNSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/6/2021 • 49 minutes

Nietzsche called Richard Wagner "a volcanic eruption of the total undivided artistic capacity of nature itself," and Thomas Mann said he was "probably the greatest talent in the entire history of art."More than a thousand movies have Wagner on their soundtracks, including classic scenes from Apocalypse Now, The Blues Brothers, Bugs Bunny cartoons, and Charlie Chaplin.But, there's a reason Woody Allen says too much of Wagner's music gives him "the urge to conquer Poland." Wagner is nothing if not a problematic figure. As the new book Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music puts it, "An artist who might have rivaled Shakespeare in universal reach is undone by an ideology of hate."This hour, a look at Wagnerism with New Yorker music critic Alex Ross.GUESTS:Steve Metcalf - Director emeritus of the University of Hartford's Presidents' CollegeAlex Ross - Music critic at The New Yorker and the author of Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of MusicJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 30, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/5/2021 • 50 minutes

President Trump kept Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on the phone for an hour Saturday, using a combination of cajoling, lies, and threats to encourage him to “find” enough votes to overturn the election.  All 10 living former defense secretaries stressed in an op-ed for the Washington Post published yesterday that: “The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed in the Constitution and statute, has arrived.”Yet, eleven Republican senators and senators-elect and 140 House Republicans plan to vote against the joint session of Congress scheduled for Wednesday where President-elect Joe Biden’s victory is expected to be certified.Has the Republican Party lost its soul? Lastly, how will the political power dynamics in Washington play out in 2021?GUESTS:Peter Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a contributing writer at The Atlantic and The New York Times. He’s the author of The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump. He served in the three previous Republican Administrations. John Harris is the co-founder of Politico and the author of The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House. He writes the Altitude column for Politico.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1/4/2021 • 49 minutes

To round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year. We've done this every year for at least the last seven years.Here are our 2020 picks:"Kurinji" by Jen Allen featuring Kris Allen, Marty Jaffe, and Kush Abadey, from Sifting Grace"The Sidewinder" by Artemis, from Artemis"Dream Without Me" by Noah Baerman & Friends, from Love Right"Inner Child" by Chris Dingman featuring Linda May Han Oh and Tim Keiper, from Embrace"The Well" by Endless Field, from Alive in the Wilderness"AKA Reggie" by Wayne Escoffery, from The Humble Warrior"I Can't Remember Love" by Anna Hauss, Robert Wienröder & William Horberg, from Music from the Netflix Limited Series The Queen's Gambit"La Mesha" by Jimmy Heath featuring Wynton Marsalis, from Love Letter"Spiral" by Dan Liparini, from Tessellations"Data Lords" by Maria Schneider Orchestra, from Data Lords"More?" by Joel Ross, from Who Are You?"Piggy Bank for Charity" by Sax & Taps, from Intersplosion! (Live at Dizzy’s Club)GUESTS:Jen Allen - A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her new album is Sifting GraceNoah Baerman - A pianist, composer, and educator; his new album is Love RightGene Seymour - A film, television, and music criticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/31/2020 • 50 minutes

2020 was … not great.But, from a pop culture point of view, it wasn't so bad either. I mean, we got the Hamilton movie, The Queen's Gambit, the final season of Schitt's Creek, David Byrne's American Utopia, the Borat sequel, "WAP," I May Destroy You, Tiger King, two new Taylor Swift albums, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom…The list goes on.This hour, The Nose looks back at the year in pop culture that was 2020.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:French designer Pierre Cardin, licensing pioneer, dies at 98What the Hole Is Going On?The very real, totally bizarre bucatini shortage of 2020.This Lawsuit Goes to 11The creators of This is Spinal Tap, the most influential mockumentary ever made, have been paid almost nothing. The rock gods are angry.Wait, What's Going on With Hilaria Baldwin?The 16 Best Ambient Albums of 2020Whether offering solace, transport, or simple numbness, these albums perfectly suited a year of lockdown.The 15 Best Crime Movies of 2020Heists, embezzlement attempts, and temporally-warped espionage will help end the year on a good note.The 39 Most Anticipated Movies of 2021GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner CommunicationsTaneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorksSam Hadelman - Host of The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeMercy Quaye- Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/30/2020 • 49 minutes

We tend not to think much about that pat of butter we put on our morning toast, including how the store-bought sweet cream butter we're eating likely pales in comparison to the rich, nutty flavor of  the cultured butter not found in many stores.Nor, do we think about butter sculpture, butter bogs, pleasure dairies, or the dairymaids, those once respected and well-paid artisans and economic powerhouses of our nations earliest days. We definitely don't think about the nationwide 'war' between butter-loving dairy farmers and the margarine industry. It led to smear campaigns, state laws against margarine, and a ruling by the Supreme Court that led to pink margarine.You may not even know it's okay to eat butter again after decades of being told to stay away from the death-inducing fats found in butter. So, go ahead and eat that toast with butter. Today, a show about butter. GUESTS:Elaine Khosrova - Author of Butter: A Rich History, a former pastry student at Culinary Institute of America and a former test kitchen editor at Country Living magazineDoug Moe - Wisconsin-based author and journalist who has written for newspapers and magazines for almost 40 yearsAdeline Druart - President of Vermont Creamery. Adeline brings her knowledge of butter-making to Vermont from her home country of FranceYou can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/27/2020 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds

Toward the end of every year since 2014, we've picked a day and put "Big Al" Anderson, Jim Chapdelaine, and Colin in a room together, sung some songs, told some stories, and wound up with some sort of a holiday special.The "in a room together" part of that is essential… and just not going to happen in 2020.So, in lieu of doing a new show with Al and Jim, this year we've gone through all six of the previous shows we've done and pulled out some of the best songs -- 11 of them, no less -- and some of the best guest appearances and some of the other best bits and bobs and we've added a brand-new version of an age-old Big Al song that Al and Jim sent along special. And we've wound up with this sort of best-of edition of our annual holiday spectacular.Just 'cause we can't all get in a room together doesn't mean you can't have an hour of our nonsense to put on in the background on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve or whatever Eve you want.Happy holidays from us to you.GUESTS:Al Anderson - Vocals, guitar, songwriterJim Chapdelaine - Guitar and vocalsLorne Entress - Drums and vocalsPaul Kochanski - Bass guitar and vocalsNekita Waller - Connecticut's 17th state troubadourChion Wolf - Host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public RadioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, Betsy Kaplan, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/24/2020 • 50 minutes

Primary tabsView(active tab) EditThe Nose Hasn't Happened Yet: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' And 'Tenet'By JONATHAN MCNICOL • 1 HOUR AGOThe Colin McEnroe ShowShareTweetEmailChadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Viola Davis, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.'NETFLIX, INC.Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is George C. Wolfe's film adaptation of the August Wilson play. It stars Viola Davis in the title role and Chadwick Boseman in his final film performance, and it's available to stream on Netflix.Christopher Nolan's Tenet was the first tentpole movie to be released in theaters during the pandemic. It did okay business (it's currently the third-highest grossing film of 2020), but nothing like what Warner Bros. would've hoped for in a normal time. It's still in theaters, and it's now available to buy on physical disc or from digital platforms. It will be available to rent digitally in January.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:John le Carré, Best-Selling Author of Cold War Thrillers, Dies at 89Breaking from the James Bond mold, he turned the spy novel into high art as he explored the moral compromises of agents on both sides of the Iron curtain.Charley Pride, Country Music's First Black Superstar, Dies at 86He began his career amid the racial unrest of the 1960s and cemented his place in the country pantheon with hits like "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'."Ann Reinking, Tony Winner and Star of Broadway's 'Chicago,' Dies at 71Pantone Picks Two Colors of the Year for 2021It's all about the messaging. Get ready for a brighter future.Here's a Complete List of Updated Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney Animation Release DatesSnoop Dogg Doesn't Agree With Cardi B's "Wap," Encourages Women to Have Privacy and Leave Things to the ImaginationJon Bon Jovi's sappy cover of a Pogues' holiday classic just 'ruined' Christmas, says the PoguesAmerican Master Bedrooms Should Just Split Up AlreadyNo, I Am Not Getting Rid of My Thousands of CDsOur chief classical music critic writes in praise of going to a shelf, pulling out a recording and sitting down to listen.Cleveland's Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team NameThe decision comes amid a wider push for sports teams to stop using Native American names and imagery as team names and mascots.MLB Is Finally Recognizing the Negro Leagues as the Major Leagues They Always WereNegro League statistics from 1920 to 1948 will now be officially classified as "major league," marking a long-overdue acknowledgment of the accomplishments of players who didn't have the opportunity to play in the American or National LeaguesEvery Steven Soderbergh Movie, RankedTaylor Swift's deeply affecting evermore continues folklore's rich universe-buildingChristopher Walken Says He's Never Owned a Computer or Cell PhoneTOM CURSE: Raging Tom Cruise warns Mission: Impossible crew they're 'f***ing gone' if they break COVID rules on setTom Cruise rant dubbed into classic 'Rudolph' clip on TwitterLin-Manuel Miranda Is Hopeful for Broadway's Return'Heroes' Was Supposed to Be Leonard Roberts' Big Break. Instead, It Nearly Broke Him.Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened?Nearly a decade of hype led to a troubled release riddled with glitches, a livid fan base, refunds for potentially millions of players and a possible class-action lawsuit.John Mulaney Checks Into RehabThe Journalist and the Pharma BroWhy did Christie Smythe upend her life and stability for Martin Shkreli, one of the least-liked men in the world?It Took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting LoveSorry Boomers and Too Bad Millennials -- Only One Generation Stands Out as Social Distancing ProsA Close Reading of Ariana Grande's Engagement AnnouncementIn an extremely 2020 move, Ms. Grande got quarantine-engaged and announced it in an Instagram photo dump.MGM Is Exploring a Sale of Its StudioTrump Sets 'Beautiful' as the New Standard for Federal BuildingsGolden Globes Switch 'Promising Young Woman' to Drama, Maria Bakalova Moved to Lead for 'Borat'Other HFPA changes include the men of "One Night in Miami" and "Hamilton" accepted into the film categories.GUESTS:Tom Breen - A film critic and reporter for the New Haven Independent and host of WNHH radio's Deep FocusMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/23/2020 • 49 minutes

Kurt Andersen's last book, Fantasyland, looks at America's "centuries-old weakness for the untrue and irrational, and its spontaneous and dangerous flowering since the 1960s" and how it got us where we are today.His new book, Evil Geniuses, is a kind of sequel, a companion. It's a parallel history, really, that looks more closely at "the quite deliberate reengineering of our economy and society since the 1960s."This hour, public radio great Kurt Andersen on "the unmaking of America."GUEST:Kurt Andersen - Co-founded Spy magazine and he was the host and co-creator of Studio 360; his newest book is Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America — A Recent HistoryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 23, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/22/2020 • 50 minutes

It could be months or years before the US government knows the full extent of last week's sophisticated cyberattack that targeted private tech and security companies and federal agencies like the Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration.President Trump dismissed the significance of the attack, tweeting that "everything was under control." He refused to criticize Russia for the attack, claimed without evidence that it could be China, and contradicted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's acknowledgement of Russian involvement. Yet, the President continues to fight the election results and has considered declaring martial law to overturn the election.  Also this hour: The FDA says it's time to deregulate the ingredients in French dressing and frozen cherry pies. GUESTS:Josphine Wolff is assistant professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She's the author of, You'll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches.Lawrence Douglas is the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College. He’s the author of seven books; his most recent is Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Electoral Meltdown in 2020Michael Levenson reports for The New York Times, Express Desk.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/21/2020 • 49 minutes

For decades, we didn't take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as "chewing gum for the eyes," as, literally, furniture.And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television.This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker's television critic.GUEST:Emily Nussbaum - Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV RevolutionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/18/2020 • 42 minutes

Native Americans exerted their political power in the 2020 election. A record-breaking six Native-Americans were elected to Congress and Native American votes tipped the scales in Arizona - which went blue for only the second time in seventy years. And U.S. Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) is on President-elect Biden's short list to be Secretary of the Interior. Native Americans made big gains in the 2020 election. Yet, Native Peoples are still largely invisible in American culture. Centuries of "colonialism" that separated Indigenous People from their families, their culture, and their land, led to intergenerational trauma from which they are still recovering. Yet, they remain resilient against continued attacks on their land and a trail of broken promises. Today, we look at the emerging power of Native Americans in the context of centuries of systemic racism and cultural erasure. GUESTS: Sara Sinclair is an oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa descent. She is the editor of the Voice of Witness oral history collection How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America. Sara teaches in the Oral History Masters Program at Columbia University.Robert Ornelas is T/ijua Apache. He worked at the New York City Ballet and as a substance abuse counselorTara Benally is of Hopi descent. Her family was raised by Navajo. She is a field director at Utah Rural ProjectSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/17/2020 • 49 minutes

2001: A Space Odyssey. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. A Clockwork Orange. The Shining. Full Metal Jacket. Spartacus. Eyes Wide Shut.This hour, a careful consideration of the filmmaker Steven Spielberg called "the best in history": Stanley Kubrick.GUESTS:James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeDavid Mikics - Author of Stanley Kubrick: American FilmmakerLila Shapiro - Senior reporter at New York magazine and Vulture, where she published "What I Learned After Watching Eyes Wide Shut 100 Times"Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired in a different form September 2, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/16/2020 • 42 minutes

What is yodeling, anyway? Some consider it singing, some say it's an ululation, and still others consider it merely a means to herd animals. Whatever yodeling is, one's thing clear: Yodeling has been around for thousands of years and shows no signs of disappearing.This hour we speak with a musicologist, a DJ, and a professional singer about this age-old vocal practice. We'll trace yodeling's history from its humble, utilitarian roots to its place in modern day pop music and beyond.GUESTS:Bart Plantenga - Amsterdam based writer, radio DJ, and expert on yodeling; author of several books including Yodel in Hi-Fi: From Kitsch Folk to Contemporary ElectronicaTimothy Wise - Senior lecturer in musicology at the University of Salford, England; author of Yodeling and Meaning in American MusicRoger Tincknell - Massachusetts-based cowboy yodeler, musician, and traveling performerChion Wolf - Host of WNPR's Audacious with Chion WolfJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired October 10, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/15/2020 • 47 minutes, 56 seconds

Each state's slate of electors will cast their votes for president and vice-president today. President Trump won't win today. Nor will he win in the final Congressional certification on January 6, despite talk among some Republican legislators about plans for some type of electoral coup during the final vote count. Trump and his supporters are retreating deeper and deeper into an alternate reality where they can collectively will things to be the way they want them to be. At some point, Americans will have to start sharing the same reality again or reckon with the outcome. If we downplay anti-democratic behavior by a sitting president and leaders of a major political party, even if they didn't pull it off, we normalize it and invite future attempts by someone more competent. Also this hour: the ongoing assault against Voice of America.GUESTS:Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus.Margaret Sullivan is a media columnist for The Washington Post and the author of Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy @sulliviewSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/14/2020 • 49 minutes, 3 seconds

Mank is David Fincher's feature film portrayal of the writing of Citizen Kane. Gary Oldman plays the title character and Kane screenwriter, Herman J. Mankiewicz. Mank hit Netflix last Friday, and it's already got lots of Oscar buzz.The Godfather: Part III is a movie that was actually nominated for seven Oscars 30 years ago (it didn't win any), and it's the third film in a series that had already won nine Academy Awards, including two Best Pictures. Part III, though, has always been thought of relatively poorly. And so, for its 30th anniversary this month, Francis Ford Coppola has rejiggered it and rereleased it as The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. This new version is four minutes shorter, starts with a different scene, ends slightly differently ... and is ultimately the same movie.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Stream Taylor Swift's New Album, 'Evermore'Taylor Swift Had A Powerful Message For People Who "Don't Care" About Following COVID Guidelines"If they make it out of this, if they see the other side of it, there's going to be a lot of trauma that comes with that."Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog in Blockbuster DealUniversal Music purchased his entire songwriting catalog of more than 600 songs in what may be the biggest acquisition ever of a single act's publishing rights.Harrison Ford to reprise Indiana Jones role for fifth and final movieDisney Just Announced So Much More 'Star Wars'Breaking down the many Force-related developments from Thursday's Investor DaySteven Soderbergh Teases Plans for Limited-Edition Box Set Featuring Seven Remastered FilmsAnd it could be released sooner than you think.GUESTS:Nick Davis - A filmmaker and the author of the forthcoming Competing with Idiots: Herman and Joe Mankiewicz, a Dual PortraitTaneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorksJames Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/11/2020 • 50 minutes

Are we on the verge of societal collapse? We tend to worry about the big explosive stuff like nuclear war, asteroids, and solar flares when we consider end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenarios. The reality is that most "fallen" civilizations gradually decline over many decades with a banality that can barely register. We often remember the decline of civilizations as the fault of poor leaders or natural disasters but it's more like death from a thousand cuts from conditions like inequality, corruption, and political dysfunction. That's (partly) what happened to the Roman Empire. And most civilizations don't "collapse." They adapt and transform and take their culture with them. The Maya civilization is the archetype of a “collapsed” civilization, ingrained through popular and scholarly literature. That's not really what happened and millions of Maya descendants are alive to talk about it. Today, we talk about societal collapse and whether we'll know if we're in it.  GUESTS:Martin Rees is the Astronomer Royal and a member of the House of Lords.  He’s the co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. His latest book is On the Future: Prospects for Humanity. Patrick Wyman is the host of the “Tides of History,” and the former host of “The Fall of Rome,” podcasts. His book, The Verge, will be published in 2021. Patricia McAnany is a Maya archaeologist and the Keenan eminent professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the co-editor with Norman Yoffe, of Questioning Collapse: Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability, and the Aftermath of EmpireSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/10/2020 • 49 minutes

Seventeen AFC East championships. Nine Super Bowl appearances. Six Lombardi trophies. Twenty seasons pairing maybe the greatest head coach in the history of the NFL with maybe the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL.At the same time, there are words like "spygate." "Deflategate." And even "solicitation in Florida."This hour, a look at one of the all-time great (and all-time most divisive) sports dynasties: the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick/Robert Kraft New England Patriots.GUEST:Jeff Benedict - Special features writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of 16 books; his latest is The DynastyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/9/2020 • 49 minutes

In May, I discovered (along with the rest of the internet) a video on YouTube of a guy in his loft in Surrey, England ... solving a Sudoku puzzle. It was intense, a roller-coaster ride, and, ultimately, sublime.Those are not words you might expect someone to use to describe watching a stranger solve a little number puzzle, but here we are.Since I found that video, I've watched that YouTube channel, Cracking the Cryptic, practically every day. Sometimes the videos are riveting. The rest of the time, they're soothing.The channel's 300,000 subscribers and 50 million cumulative views would seem to indicate that I'm not alone in using it as a way to both exercise and relax my mind during this pandemic period.This hour, a look at Sudoku, specifically, and logic puzzles more generally.GUESTS:Simon Anthony - A former U.K. team member in the World Sudoku and World Puzzle Championships and a host of Cracking the CrypticJason Rosenhouse - Professor of mathematics at James Madison University and the author of a number of books about math and related topics, including Games for Your Mind: The History and Future of Logic PuzzlesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 26, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/8/2020 • 50 minutes

Roger Cohen, a former columnist and current Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, longs for a return to decency - a moral shift away from a Trump Presidency characterized by retreat, self-obsession, and a lack of respect for truth or decency.He welcomes the tenor he anticipates President-elect Biden will bring to the White House, but cautions against a return to the status quo. Too much has changed that still threatens liberalism and the Western alliance. Also this hour: The Trump Administration is not happy that the FDA failed to approve a coronavirus vaccine before the UK did it first. The President's prior interference in FDA decisions led to public resistance against any vaccine they feared was tainted by politics. Are they doing it again? Lastly, there's a national run on Christmas trees this year akin to the run on toilet paper in the spring. Even people who don't usually purchase a real tree seem to want one this year. GUESTS: Roger Cohen runs the Paris bureau for The New York Times. He's also the author of several books, including his family memoir, "The Girl From Human Street: Ghosts of Memory in a Jewish Family."Dan Diamond investigates health care politics and policy for Politico. He co-authors “Politico Pulse,” and hosts Politico’s “Pulse Check” podcast.  Kathy Kogut is president of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers AssociationJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/7/2020 • 49 minutes

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that all of its movies for all of 2021 will be available to stream on HBO Max the same day they debut in cinemas. The movie theater chains see this as "doomsday for the theatrical experience."And: Three strange, metal monoliths having been discovered in recent weeks, one each in Utah, Romania, and California. The ones in Utah and Romania have since disappeared, and the one in Utah had stood undiscovered for at least four years before it was found.Finally: The Undoing is a six-part HBO miniseries starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Its finale aired Sunday.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:David Prowse, Man Behind the Darth Vader Mask, Dies at 85'Juno' and 'Umbrella Academy' Actor Elliot Page Comes Out as Transgender in Heartfelt Letter"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer," Page writes.Elliot Page Will Continue to Star in 'Umbrella Academy,' Netflix Changes Credits on His Past FilmsJohn Cleese Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Tweets in Defense of J.K. RowlingHarry Styles Clapping Back At Candace Owens Is The Content I Needed TodayMusic Legends Eric Clapton, Van Morrison Team for Anti-Lockdown Single 'Stand and Deliver'Disney+ redesigns Black Panther's opening logo in honor of Chadwick Boseman's birthdayI raised my kids on Pixar -- and it has ruined classic cinema for themHaving grown up on Toy Story and Up, this generation has zero tolerance for slow pacing or only mild amusem*nt"Look At What We Love. It's on Fire": Stephen Colbert on Trump Trauma, Leadership, and LossThe late-night host is ready for a little less excitement: "If Joe Biden is a pair of khaki pants inside a manila envelope, that would be great."GUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner CommunicationsCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/4/2020 • 49 minutes

The Trump presidency has exposed many vulnerabilities in the laws and norms that govern presidential behavior. His brazen disrespect demands action to protect against a future president who might build on Trump's playbook. President Trump has flouted norms against conflicts-of-interest and courting foreign interference, abused his pardon power, threatened nuclear war, used the office to attack political foes, the press, and the judiciary, and refused to concede an election that he lost.He's not the first president to abuse presidential power and he's not the only problem. Congress has abdicated too much of the power they once used to better oversee and constrain presidential power. The good news is that we now have an opportunity to codify certain norms most vulnerable to abuse. Do we have the political will?  GUEST: Jack Goldsmith is a professor at Harvard Law School, co-founder of Lawfare, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He served as the head of the Office of Legal Counsel during the George W. Bush Administration. Administration. He’s the co-author, with Bob Bauer, of After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency (@jacklgoldsmith)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/3/2020 • 49 minutes

How we define what it means to be a hero depends a lot on the values shared by the group that's in power at any given time.We're seeing it today in the push and pull over the statues of men whose values no longer reflect the values of a changing community. And time tends to wash away the nuance and complexity of heroes that stand as a symbol of a prior generation.Yet, America loves its heroes, even if only for a time. But ​we have a way of using the language of "heroism" to sacrifice the very heroes we admire. Many of the essential workers we deemed heroes of the pandemic had to choose between their health and a paycheck. They didn't choose to be heroes. Some didn't want to be. Others were silenced or shamed for speaking out about unsafe conditions.This hour, we talk about what it means to be a hero, and we consider some Connecticut heroes you may not know about. ​Also, a look at the unlikely hero driven to heroic acts to avoid being labeled a coward.GUESTS:Dahlia Lithwick - Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast AmicusChris Walsh - Director of the college of arts and sciences writing program at Boston University and the author of Cowardice: A Brief HistoryWalter Woodward - State historian of Connecticut, the author of Creating Connecticut, and the host of the Grating the Nutmeg podcastJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 28, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/2/2020 • 50 minutes

Almost everybody has a favorite donut - even if you don't eat a lot of donuts. It's not so much about the donut as it is about how donuts bring people together - to celebrate, to mourn, to share.Donuts have been part of cultures around the world for more than a thousand years, first as a festival special-occasion food, later as an everyday treat.  Later still, as a "weapon" in World War I. They're in movies, music, and Twin Peaks.  In the words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmm donuts.What's your favorite donut?GUESTS: Michael Krondl - Food writer, culinary historian, artist, and the author of many books including The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to BerlinMiranda Popkey - Freelance writer whose work appears in numerous publications including The Hairpin, New York Magazine, and The New YorkerCollin Sanford - Dentist at Avon Family Dentistry in Avon and the son of Luke Sanford, former owner of Luke’s Donuts in Avon Freda Love Smith - Drummer and founding member of the Blake Babies, lecturer at Northwestern University and the author of her food memoir, Red Velvet UndergroundJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/1/2020 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds

Almost everybody has a favorite donut - even if you don't eat a lot of donuts. It's not so much about the donut as it is about how donuts bring people together - to celebrate, to mourn, to share.Donuts have been part of cultures around the world for more than a thousand years, first as a festival special-occasion food, later as an everyday treat.  Later still, as a "weapon" in World War I. They're in movies, music, and Twin Peaks.  In the words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmm donuts.GUESTS: Michael Krondl - Food writer, culinary historian, artist, and the author of many books including The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to BerlinMiranda Popkey - Freelance writer whose work appears in numerous publications including The Hairpin, New York Magazine, and The New YorkerCollin Sanford - Dentist at Avon Family Dentistry in Avon and the son of Luke Sanford, former owner of Luke’s Donuts in Avon Freda Love Smith - Drummer and founding member of the Blake Babies, lecturer at Northwestern University and the author of her food memoir, Red Velvet UndergroundJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12/1/2020 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds

We are still living in two different realities. President Trump lost the election but still can't concede or admit it, and a high percentage of Republicans say they doubt the results -  even though courts have found no evidence to support their claims of fraud. Meanwhile, President-Elect Joe Biden is moving forward with his transition - including talking with foreign leaders, choosing Cabinet members, and planning his first 100 days in office. Can Biden unite us?On a related note: Pope Francis elevated Archbishop Wilton Gregory to be a cardinal for the archdiocese of Washington. He'll be the first African American cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church. The archdiocese of Washington sits the heart of our government and Cardinal Gregory will work with the incoming Biden administration to advance the social justice causes important to both.  Lastly, the virus is wreaking havoc on the NFL. GUESTS: Frank Rich is Writer-at-Large for New York magazine and Executive Producer for the HBO series "Succession." (@frankrichny) Michael Sean Winters is a columnist at National Catholic Reporter and a fellow at the Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Hartford. (@MichaelSWinters)  Ken Belson covers the NFL for The New York Times (@el_belson)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/30/2020 • 48 minutes, 50 seconds

Last week, President Obama twittered a list of "memorable songs" from his administration. The list was, let's just say, not necessarily well received.Vaguely relatedly: Incoming secretary of state nominee Antony Blinken… has his own "wonk rock" tunes up on Spotify?And: The Liberator is a sort of animated, four-part Netflix miniseries that tells the story of the 157th Infantry in World War II.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Fred Hills, Editor of Nabokov and Many Others, Dies at 85A longtime editor at Simon & Schuster, he brought to market both commercial hits and literary prizewinners and edited more than 50 New York Times best sellers.David Maas, Half of 'Quick Change' Magic Act, Dies of COVID-19Mr. Maas and his wife, who performed lightning-fast costume changes, often appeared on television and were a halftime fixture at N.B.A. and college basketball arenas.Conan O'Brien's Nightly Late-Night Show to End Its Run in 2021Here's The Deal, Folks: A POTUS Impression Is Harder Than It LooksBaby Yoda Canceled Amid Accusations of GenocideLast week's egg-eating episode of The Mandalorian has led to a disturbance in the Force. For real.Howard Stern: If Trump starts a TV network, it'll fail within a yearThe Art That Defied the Last Four, Terrible YearsMy mind has slipped anxiously off books and movies since 2016. But as the credits roll on 2020, I'm ready to look back.George Clooney When We Need Him MostThe actor, director, and GQ Icon of the Year is the one thing we can all agree on -- at a time when we can’t agree on anything.Jason Isaacs: 'I'd like to apologise to anyone who met me before I was 30 -- I was a drug addict'David Fincher's Impossible EyeWith 'Mank,' America's most famously exacting director tackles the movie he's been waiting his entire career to make.98 Million TikTok Followers Can't Be WrongHow a 16-year-old from suburban Connecticut became the most famous teen in AmericaHelicopter pilot finds 'strange' monolith in remote part of UtahState employee spotted mysterious metal structure amid red rocks while counting bighorn sheepJohn Boyega Had A "Transparent, Honest" Phone Call With Kathleen Kennedy After 'Star Wars' Race CommentsColumbus-Free Wooster Square Takes ShapeBeyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa Dominate 2021 Grammy NominationsThe major categories include some surprising, lesser-known names and notable absences as a Recording Academy in transition plans its pandemic awards show.'Chappelle's Show' Removed From Netflix at Dave Chappelle's RequestThe 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (So Far)Chameleons or beauties, star turns or character roles -- these are the performers who have outshone all others on the big screen in the last 20 years.GUESTS:Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen SyncRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/25/2020 • 49 minutes

As we were preparing for our show on underdogs, I kept saying that we shouldn't overlook the fact that, often, to be an underdog in the first place, you have to be relatively bad at the thing you're an underdog about.The more we talked about it, the more I found myself making the case that losers and losing are fascinating.And they are. There's a whole podcast about political candidates who lost. We romanticize losers in movies and TV and songs and stories.And think just about the phrase "lovable losers." In a culture where we focus seemingly entirely on the positive half of the zero sum, where we endlessly exalt WINNING, it's kind of interesting that we love the losers too, isn't it?This hour, a long look at losers and losing.GUESTS:Jason Cherkis - Political reporter for The Huffington Post and the co-host of Candidate ConfessionalJosh Keefe - An investigative reporter at the Bangor Daily News; in a piece for Slate's Sports Nut, he claimed that he was the worst high school quarterback everIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show, which originally aired August 1, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/24/2020 • 50 minutes

We're almost three weeks past Election Day. Yet, President Trump and his evolving legal team continue to spew conspiracy theories intended to delegitimize the voting process, sow confusion, and delay the transition of power to incoming President-elect Joe Biden. Meanwhile, most Senate Republicans remain silent and Trump's most fervent supporters ignore our post-election reality in favor of conspiracy theories that run unchecked on platforms like Parler. Lastly, is it too late to cancel Thanksgiving? Many people are already traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday despite CDC pleas to please stay home. GUESTS:James Surowiecki is a journalist who has written about business and finance for The New Yorker and Slate. He now writes a business column for Marker on Medium. He's the author of The Wisdom of Crowds (@jamessurowiecki)Tina Nguyen reports on the White House for Politico (@tina_nguyen)James Hamblin is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is preventive medicine physician and a lecturer at Yale School of Public Health. He's the co-host of the podcast "Social Distance," and author of Clean: The New Science of Skin. (@jameshamblin)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/23/2020 • 49 minutes

A hard-boiled private eye, a glamorous blond, and a hapless drifter all sit at a bar on the seamy side of town. It's night, the streets are wet, the shadows are long. They each nurse a drink to the notes of a mournful saxophone and a lonely piano. Smoke from the cigarettes swirls in the darkness.We all know classic noir when we see it and hear it and read it; yet, we don't really know how to define the dark plots that expose humanity in all its moral ambiguity and loneliness.Noir arrived in America with German emigres escaping the Nazis and fit well with the bleakness of Americans reeling from a depression, two world wars, and, later, the threat of nuclear annihilation. It continues to resonate and has transposed its style across genres. ​This hour, a deeper look at noir -- then and now.GUESTS:Amy Bloom - A novelist and the editor of New Haven NoirColin Harrison - The author, most recently, of You Belong To MeSheri Chinen Biesen - Professor of film history at Rowan University and the author of Blackout: World War II and the Origins of Film Noir and Music in the Shadows: Noir Musical FilmsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Kevin MacDermott, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 24, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/20/2020 • 50 minutes

Many of the poll results that drove headlines this election season missed the mark, even after pollsters spent the previous four years correcting for the errors of 2016.They shouldn't feel too bad. Even George Gallup got it wrong. But Gallup had it easier. Almost ninety percent of people answered polls in his day. Today, about six percent of people answer polls - and the ones that do tend to have more social trust in other people and institutions.Pollsters will be dissecting the hits and misses in their predictions for some time. Could it be that not enough people participate any longer for them to get a diverse enough sample of viewpoints to reflect our political reality? Should we consider whether polls advance or hinder democracy? We talk about the history and current state of polling, including how pollsters misread the Latino vote.GUESTS:David Shor is an independent data analyst who formerly worked for the 2012 Obama campaign and Civis Analytics. (@davidshor)David Greenberg is a professor of History, and of Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University, and a contributing editor to Politico Magazine. He is currently working on a biography of the late congressman John Lewis. (@republicofspin)Arelis Hernandez covers the U.S. Southern border, immigration, and Texas for The Washington Post (arelisrhdz)Join the conversation on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/19/2020 • 49 minutes

Jeopardy! has been part of the fabric of American TV, in a couple different forms and across a couple different breaks, since 1964. It is the longest-running nationally-televised game show in U.S. television history.At the 2015 Emmys, John Oliver quipped, "The sun could burn out, humanity could flee to another galaxy, time as we know it could cease to exist, but Alex Trebek will still be there scolding librarians from Ames, Iowa, to answer in the form of a question."Except, of course, Alex Trebek died last week. And before that, Jeopardy!'s long-time executive producer and its long-time contestant coordinator both left at the end of last season.So what's in store for this quiz show institution?GUESTS:Sherri Cohen - Former Jeopardy! contestantClaire McNear - Staff writer at The Ringer and the author of Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy!Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/18/2020 • 49 minutes

The number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 is rising in almost every state. America averaged over 100,000 new cases every day over the last seven days and 1,000 deaths every day over the same period. The positivity rate is more than 50 percent in some states, straining hospital systems and front line staff. Have we normalized the pandemic to the point where we're no longer taking it seriously enough? Also this hour: President Trump will no longer be protected from federal and state prosecution for questionable business and tax dealings when he exits the office of the presidency. There are also several civil lawsuits, including from two women who have filed separate civil suits for defamation after he denied their allegations of sexual assault. How legally vulnerable is President Trump?GUESTS:Dr. Angela Rasmussen is a virologist and an affiliate at the Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security. She’s a contributor to Slate (@angie_rasmussen) Ross Garber is a lawyer specializing in political investigations and impeachment and a legal analyst for CNN. He teaches at Tulane Law School. (@rossgarber)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/16/2020 • 49 minutes

t's been eight days since Election Day. It's been four days since Joe Biden was projected to become President-elect Joe Biden.But we've still got the secretary of state saying, "There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration." We've still got any number of lawsuits flailing their way through the courts in various states.Are we really going to reject democratic elections to soothe Trump's ego?And: The Washington Post's Pulitzer-winning nonfiction book critic takes a look at the Trump years through the lens of all the Trump books.GUESTS:Philip Bump - A correspondent for The Washington Post based in New YorkJeannie Suk Gersen - A contributing writer to The New Yorker and a professor at Harvard Law SchoolCarlos Lozada - The nonfiction book critic of The Washington Post and the author of What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump EraJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/15/2020 • 49 minutes

Benedict Arnold's reputation as a traitor instead of a skilled warrior and confidante of George Washington has become accepted history in the minds of many Americans living hundreds of years removed from our founding. But that's too simple a story.  The Revolution was a chaotic time. Congress was in constant battle with the military and feelings ran high over whether power should reside in the states or the federal government.The war took a toll on the men who fought this bloody and protracted war. Leadership was often ineffective, greed was rampant, and militias fought without pay, few provisions, and little training. Family farms  were looted and destroyed,  the economy collapsed, and the Native Americans usually fought for the British. Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country, fighting against friends and former comrades. He was impetuous and quick to anger. He also fought valiantly for the Revolution, often turning the tide toward America in decisive battles. Yet, he got little respect, less pay, and was a target of a politicized Congress.Is it time to take another look at Benedict Arnold and the Revolution that birthed America?  GUESTS:Nathaniel Philbrick - Author of In the Heart of the Sea; Mayflower; and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American RevolutionEric Lehman - Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at University of Bridgeport; author of Homegrown Terror: Benedict Arnold and the Burning of New LondonBrad Meltzer - Author of The Inner Circle; The Book of Fate; and The House of SecretsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Chion Wolf, and Greg Hill contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/14/2020 • 48 minutes

The world has an Alex Trebek-shaped hole in it. Which raises a question: Who should fill said hole?Billie Eilish has a new single out this week, which got The Nose thinking about her now-in-limbo James Bond theme song, which got The Nose thinking about James Bond theme songs in general.And: Ted Lasso is a half-hour comedy series on AppleTV+. It stars Jason Sudeikis as the title character, and it's based on a character Sudeikis developed in 2013 for a series of promos for NBC Sports's Premier League coverage, of all things.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine - An Emmy-winning musician, producer, composer, and recording engineer, and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/13/2020 • 49 minutes

On the surface, a flag is a piece of cloth with pretty colors and designs. That's the thing with flags. They're often judged on their aesthetics, but their power lies in how well their design captures the culture, religion, politics, and history of a place and its people. We have flags for everything - nations, states, cities, sports teams, schools, micronations - you can even make your own flag with advice on how to do it. Keep it simple with 2-3 basic colors and skip the lettering.How can a flag unite a group around a single identity when people are unique and cultures change? Today, we talk about flags. Check out the website of the North American Vexillological Association. It's filled with lots of good stuff.GUESTS:Mike Pesca is the host of the Slate daily podcast The Gist and a frequent contributor to NPRAlexandra Petrie is a columnist for the Washington Post and the author of A Field Guide to Awkward SilencesScot Guenter is a laureate of the International Federation of the Vexillological Association  and professor of American Studies at San Jose State University. He’s the author of The American Flag 1777-1924: Cultural Shifts from Creation to Codification and the founder of “Raven: A Journal of VexillologyYou can join us on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/12/2020 • 49 minutes

On most Mondays, we scramble around trying to put together a show reacting to the weekend's news.But being that nothing much happened over this weekend, we decided just to take your calls this hour.860-275-7266. Call in and talk to Colin about how you're feeling at the start of this new day, this new week -- this new era.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/9/2020 • 49 minutes

Laszlo Ratesic is a nineteen-year veteran of the Speculative Service. He lives in the Golden State, the only place left in what was once America. Laszlo's job is to bring the worst criminals to justice, those who tell lies. In his new novel, Ben Winters creates a world which might sound Eden-esque in our era of misinformation.   It's getting more difficult to distinguish real from fake news, AI-assisted technology allows a bad actor to splice celebrity heads onto the faces of actors in a p*rnographic video, and major news organizations need to keep track of how often America's president lies. Yet, we should be careful what we wish for. Philosophers like Derrida have long questioned the nature of truth; can there be one truth? If so, whose truth is it?While few of us want to return to the pre-internet days when everyone got their news from Walter Cronkite, we need to understand how to recognize when information is false and how it is spread. It's too easy to blame ignorance or a willful repudiation of the truth for the spread of misinformation. It's a lot more about who we trust. For those who fear a Golden State could be our future, there's hope on the horizon if we're willing to pay attention. GUESTS:Ben Winters - Author of ten novels including Underground Airlines, the award-winning Last Policeman trilogy, and most recently Golden State: A NovelJames Owen Weatherall  - Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of California, Irvine and the author of three books. His most recent is The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread, co-authored with Cailin O’Connor Aviv Ovadya - Founder of the Thoughtful Technology Project, set to launch soon, and a non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democrac (@metaviv)Join the conversation on Facebook and TwitterColin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this showSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/9/2020 • 48 minutes, 1 second

Since nothing has really been going on lately, we figured we'd do an hour about the week in pop culture, as usual.The Nose is sad to see Sean Connery go. But it's glad to see John Mulaney on SNL again.And: The Queen's Gambit is Netflix's new limited series adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel of the same name.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Billy Joe Shaver, Seminal Outlaw-Country Songwriter, Dead at 81Best known as the songwriter of Waylon Jennings' 1973 album 'Honky Tonk Heroes,' the colorful Texas raconteur had his songs recorded by Willie Nelson, Elvis PresleyThe Crock-Pot Facebook group drama, explainedThe admin of the group said she goes into "full mama bear mode" when members are treated unkindly.50 Best Movie Posters of the 2010sTyra Banks Lands in Hot Water Over Takeout OrderThe Most-Watched Streaming Movies of 2020 Include 'Hamilton', 'Borat 2', 'My Spy', and MoreRobert Zemeckis Helped Revolutionize Visual Effects -- and Then Visual Effects Ruined Robert ZemeckisWhy Johnny Depp's career is finishedGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner CommunicationsDavid Edelstein - America's Greatest Living Film CriticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/6/2020 • 49 minutes

The Trump campaign threatened legal challenges Wednesday, to force four states to stop counting ballots after Joe Biden's wins in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin narrowed the President's path to reelection. How bad must an American president behave before a majority of voters repudiate him for his actions? We want to hear from you. How are you coping with this current moment? Are you still proud to be an American? What do you want from your government and the next President? Call us at (888) 720-9677 with your questions, comments, concerns.GUEST:Bill Curry was White House counselor to President Bill Clinton and a two-time Democratic nominee for governor of Connecticut.Join us on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/5/2020 • 49 minutes

The one thing we knew for sure was that by the time we got to today, yesterday would be over.And it is.And we don't quite know what actually happened yet.This hour, we look at today and start to think about tomorrow... and the rest of the week... and maybe the weeks after that.GUESTS:David Folkenflik - NPR's media correspondentMichael Lynch - Professor of philosophy and director of the Humanities Institute at the University of Connecticut; the author of Know-It-All Society: Truth and Arrogance in Political CultureChris Murphy - The junior U.S. senator from ConnecticutSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/4/2020 • 49 minutes

The Colin McEnroe Show has an Election Day tradition of celebrating voters by inviting "citizen observers" from around the state to share their experience with voting. An ongoing pandemic and tensions stemming from a deeply divided electorate make this a year like no other.People nationwide are working hard to make sure their vote is counted. They're voting early, they're waiting hours in line, and some are flying "home" to vote in-person to ensure their vote is counted. Election Day still has the power to inspire and make me hopeful that we're more united than some would have us believe. Call us today at (888) 720-9677 with your Election Day stories. We'll take as many calls as we can.  GUESTS: Alicia Cobb is a visual artist and art instructor in Bridgeport.Madi Csejka is a 23-year-old voter living in Orange.Susan Clinard is the owner of Clinard Sculpture Studio in Hamden.John Dlugosz works in information  technology services at Trinity College.Ben Freund is the owner and operator of Freund's Farm, and Cow Pots, in East Canaan. Lara Herscovitch is a singer-songwriter-poet, performer, and a former CT State Troubadour. Her latest album is "Highway Philosophers."Sarah Kaufold is a choral conductor and founder and artistic director of Consonare Choral CommunityMichael Moschen is a world-renowned juggler, performance artist, and recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant.George Noujaim is the owner of Noujaim's Bistro in Winsted.Kate Rushin is a poet, writer, and educator.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/3/2020 • 49 minutes

Most of us are approaching Election Day with a mix of excitement, hope, and fear, as we live with surging numbers of coronavirus cases, threats of civil unrest, and uncertainty over when the election will be decided -- and who will get to decide. We want to hear from you.  Call us at 888-720-9677 or 888-720-WNPR to share your hopes and concerns about Election Day and for a post-election America.GUEST:Alan Greenblatt - Senior staff writer covering politics and policy issues for Governing magazine; his work has been published in the New Republic, Vox, and American Conservative, among other publications (@alangreenblatt)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/2/2020 • 49 minutes

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (on Amazon Prime) is a sequel to 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Sacha Baron Cohen returns as the titular character.And: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (on Netflix) is Aaron Sorkin's film depiction of the 1969 trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale. Here, Baron Cohen plays Hoffman.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Pioneering drummer Viola Smith has died, aged 107The original 'hep girl' played a big part in the acceptance of female musiciansJerry Jeff Walker, a Trailblazer of the Cosmic Cowboy Sound, Passes Away at 78The country icon was, as fellow musician Lucinda Williams put it, an "American treasure."Mutiny! Prince Andrew 'could be sacked' as Commodore of Britain's most famous yacht club over his links to Jeffrey Epstein -- and be replaced by duch*ess of CambridgeA Glance at Daily Life Among the Caretakers of Britain's Small IslandsStationed off the coast of Britain, island wardens manage preservation of their small speck of land -- while coping with extreme weather and limited access to the mainland15 Years On, The Lonely Legacy Of 'Shadow Of The Colossus'Time Magazine replaces its name on cover for first time in 100 yearsEditors replaced "TIME" with the word of the moment: "VOTE."This Election, David Duchovny Wants to Go on Record"Sadly, it's a little prophetic at this point," actor-musician says of his new anti-Trump song "Layin' on the Tracks"What was fun?As we adjust to the "new normal," something's missing.Beethoven Has a First NameIt's time to "fullname" all composers in classical music.F*ck SlidersAn East Dallas Home's Halloween Decorations Prompt Multiple Police VisitsAnd Now, a Sinkhole Full of RatsHollywood's Masked Killers Want You to Know How Hard Their Job IsThe actors who played Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Leatherface discuss the misconceptions around playing Hollywood's masked bogeymen.American Accident​: All the Presidents' MoviesGUESTS:Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz EngineMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/30/2020 • 49 minutes

A lot of people are wondering if it's time to look at "court packing," and other court reforms, to address judiciary dysfunction that we can see playing out during this election and in the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Look at what's happening with voting rights. The Supreme Court had been asked to intervene in several state decisions that would allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to be accepted in the first days after the election due to the high volume of mail-in ballots cast during a pandemic.  On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin mail-in ballots could not be accepted after Election Day. On Wednesday, they refused to hear a fast-tracked plea from Pennsylvania Republicans looking to block a three-day extension, and refused to block rulings allowing North Carolina to extend their deadlines. In addition, voter suppression or intimidation tactics are happening in states like Nevada, Texas, and Michigan. And one week before the election, the mail is still slow. Lastly, states led primarily by Republicans, have been trying to pack their state supreme courts for a decade, mostly for partisan advantage.  Do we need a new amendment to the Constitution that would protect against a minority no longer accountable to the people they serve?GUESTS: Marin K Levy is a professor of law at Duke University and author of "Packing and Unpacking State Courts," published in the William & Mary Law Review earlier this year. (@marinklevy)Ian Millhiser is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he focuses on the Supreme Court and the Constitution. He’s the author of Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted. (@imillhiser)Julie Suk is a Florence Rogatz Visiting Professor of Law at Yale Law School and Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Liberal Studies at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Her new book is We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment (@JulieCSuk)Join the conversation on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/29/2020 • 49 minutes

It's our annual Halloween special! For this year, the script kind of wrote itself. We look at the way our current, actual horror is likely to affect our future fictional horror through the lens of the genre's past distinct historical eras.Plus: A new study that seems to say that horror fans were better prepared for the pandemic than the wimpy rest of us were.And: Every year on this show, for no particular reason, we look specifically at some classic horror movie that's celebrating its 40th anniversary. Two years ago, it was Halloween. Last year, it was Alien. This year, it's Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.And finally: The always-spooky staff endorsem*nts.Note: This podcast version of the show is nearly four full minutes longer than the show as it's airing on WNPR. We couldn't fit all the good stuff into the constraints of radio, so we present to you here the show as we really wanted to make it.GUESTS:Carmen Baskauf - A producer for Where We Live on Connecticut Public RadioJames Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeBetsy Kaplan - Our senior producerRyan Caron King - Visuals journalist for Connecticut PublicMegan McCluskey - A reporter for Time magazineCarlos Mejia - Digital audience manager for Connecticut PublicDavid Mikics - The author of Stanley Kubrick: American FilmmakerAli Oshinskie - A reporter covering the Naugatuck River Valley for Connecticut Public RadioColtan Scrivner - A PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Human Development at The University of ChicagoCatie Talarski - Senior director of storytelling and radio programming for Connecticut PublicJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/28/2020 • 53 minutes, 54 seconds

We wake up to coffee from a pod, listen to music through our EarPods from our iPods, drive our Smart cars and Fiats and other increasingly pod-shaped vehicles, wash our clothes using Tide pods, and while we wait for the clothes to dry, we listen to our favorite podcast through our AirPods from our HomePod. Sound about right?What is it about pods that we're so drawn to? And why do an increasing number of our products and services all feature the word "pod" in their name?Is it possible the pod's slick, liminal aesthetic or the allure of its Pandorian promise holds some sway over our subconscious? Might Freud have something to say about its curvature or its role in nature as a place of transformation, emergence, and ultimately independence?Perhaps it's the pod's minimalism and symmetry which appeal to us as we negotiate an increasingly chaotic world. Or is it simply an efficient design suited to meet the needs of our busy lives?This hour, we speak with experts and discuss the mystery of the pod in consumer- and pop-culture. We'll also look back over recent history and explore the possibility that we are, and always have been, pod people!GUESTS:Blanka Domagalska - Lecturer at Otis College of Art and Design teaching courses on product design with expertise in art history, media and cultural theory, philosophy, and aesthetic liminalityElvina Beck - Co-founder and CEO of PodshareKotaro Aoki - Former philosophy major at Wesleyan UniversityJim Knipfel - A novelist and memoirist; he wrote the feature "The Legacy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers" for Den of GeekJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 26, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/27/2020 • 50 minutes

The Trump Administration continues to downplay the pandemic, Vice-President Mike Pence campaigns even as staff members in his inner circle test positive for SARS-CoV-2, and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," that the Administration is no longer going to control the pandemic.Some Americans are beginning to fear a dark post-election America if the other side wins. Fear of the "other" candidate winning is felt by Biden and Trump supporters. Americans usually fear foreign threats, not each other. Does the pandemic have us on edge or is something deeper going on in America?Also this hour: The Trump Administration is counting on a vaccine by the end of the year. But approval of a vaccine may signal the beginning of a long year tracking the safety of potentially multiple vaccines in the absence of a vaccine safety office dedicated solely to leading the effort. GUESTS: Yascha Mounk is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Persuasion, an associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. His latest book is "The People Vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is In Danger and How To Save It." @yascha_mounk  Carl Zimmer is the author of thirteen books about science. His next book, “Life’s Edge: The Search For What It Means To Be Alive,” will be published in March 2021. He writes the "Matter" column for The New York Times, and is an adjunct professor at Yale. (@carlzimmer)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/26/2020 • 49 minutes

It has come to The Nose's attention that you can rent an entire movie theater out for just $99 and have yourself a slightly less pandemic-panicky moviegoing experience. Which got us thinking about, just, going to the movies. Remember going to the movies?And then: "Which of the Hollywood Chrises is the worst Hollywood Chris?" is a question the internet has been grappling with recently. As with all things internet, there's now a bit of a controversy.And: David Byrne's American Utopia is Spike Lee's HBO movie version of Byrne's American Utopia Broadway show, which is a theater version of Byrne's American Utopia tour, which Byrne did in support of his album, American Utopia.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:A Disturbing Twinkie That Has, So Far, Defied ScienceAlan Arkin on Hollywood success: 'I was miserable pretty much all of the time'In his mid-30s, the actor was living the dream, but was far from happy. As he publishes his memoir Out of My Mind, he talks about turning his life around -- and the disgraced guru he pinned his hopes onLast Week Tonight - The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant is Here!Mike 'Doc' Emrick retiring from legendary NHL broadcasting careerActor Jeff Bridges Tweets That He Has Been Diagnosed With LymphomaThe Pandemic Lessons From MLB's Surprisingly Successful SeasonCOVID-19 Pauses Production On Joe Rogan's PodcastThe Outfield Frontman Tony Lewis Dead at 62Tom Lehrer Is Releasing His Lyrics and Music Into the Public DomainApple Launches 'Apple Music TV,' a 24-Hour Music Video LivestreamKeith Jarrett Confronts a Future Without the PianoThe pathbreaking musician reveals the health issues that make it unlikely he will ever again perform in public.'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' won't air on ABC this year, moves to Apple TV+The popular Halloween special, which premiered on CBS in 1966, will instead air on demand on AppleTV+ for free from Oct. 30-Nov. 1.NASA To Make Major Announcement Of 'Exciting News' About The MoonFlying observatory that made new discovery is able to 'pick up phenomenon impossible to see with visible light', space agency notesThe 50 Best Movie and TV Show Twists of All TimeFrom 'Fight Club' to 'Game of Thrones,' from 'The Sixth Sense' to 'Lost,' nothing hits quite as hard as a shocking revealRethinking Appropriation and Wokeness in Pop MusicOver the last decade, the language and aesthetics of social justice have become the social currency of the music industry (and pop culture at large), ultimately yielding the myth that representation solves everything. This is one story of how we got there, and where we carefully go from here.Artist In Residence Creates Portraits Of Reform At The District Attorney's OfficeAOC's debut Twitch stream is one of the biggest everAnd she's genuinely pretty good at Among UsScientists have found a rare half-male, half-female songbirdGUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorksBill Yousman - Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/23/2020 • 49 minutes, 59 seconds

Secession is in the air. Britain withdrew from the European Union, Scotland wants out of the U.K., Catalonia from Spain, and, wait for it, California from the U.S. Yes, the days of our country's states being united may soon come to an end.In fact, not only is California home to active secessionist and separatist movements, but so are Texas, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Vermont, and several other states. And with the degree to which our nation seems divided, one wonders if this isn't long overdue.This hour, we speak with legal experts and advocates about the growing calls for secession both here and abroad. Would nations be better off if they allowed their citizens to secede, forming smaller, more like-minded sovereign territories? Would the citizens be better off? And, to be quite frank, would any of this even be legal?GUESTS:Francis H. Buckley - Foundation professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, senior editor at The American Spectator, and the author of American Secession: The Looming Threat of a National BreakupMarcus Ruiz Evans - Co-founder of the Yes California movement and author of California's Next CenturyErica Frankenberg - Professor of education and demography in the College of Education at Penn State University and co-author of several books including Educational Delusions?: Why Choice Can Deepen Inequality and How to Make Schools FairJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 27, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/22/2020 • 50 minutes

In the 1990's, the Southport Sockmen, otherwise known as Steven Bain and Steven Gawthrop, paid drunk people in Liverpool bars and clubs to give them the socks they were wearing. The Sockmen took photos of each “donor,” before placing each sock and its matching donor photo in a plastic bag. The police found 4,000 pairs of socks piled 18 inches deep when they arrived to arrest the pair for "acts of gross indecency." The socks were also hanging from the furniture and lampshades - and some were in the microwave. Most of us put on a pair of clean socks every morning. Beyond what color and style we choose, we don't give much thought to the history, craft, or fashion of socks. Nor do we think about the intimacy of the sock. Almost half of sexual fetishes are for feet, shoes, or socks. This seemingly boring object that we wear on our feet every day, is really quite interesting.GUESTS:Kim Adrian is the author of the memoir 'The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet.' Her most recent book, 'Dear Knausgaard,' was published in September. She teaches at Grub Street in downtown Boston.Kara Mavros is a writer based in New York.Chloe Bryan is the deputy editor for Mashable’s shopping section, covering tech and lifestyle products. Previously, she was a culture reporter for Mashable. (@chloebryan)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/21/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Our ancestors viewed sleep as a highly sensual and transcendent experience. Today, about a third of adults have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or feeling rested. We're becoming a nation of insomniacs.We live in what Rubin Naiman calls, a "wake-centric era,” where sleeping and dreaming are viewed as less important than being awake and on the go. It's hard to come down from the hyperaroused state we whip ourselves into by the end of a day.  It's not surprising that we can't sleep. Insomnia can be miserable when all we want to do is sleep. But it's more a human condition than a medical condition to be solved by sleeping pills and tech gadgets. Plus, insomnia can have its upside. Our minds can be more open to insights and new possibilities in the dark quiet of night when our thoughts can wander to unknown places that the conscious mind can’t see. GUESTS: Marina Benjamin is a writer and Senior Editor at Aeon magazine. She’s written five books. Her latest memoir is Insomnia. She’s also the author of The Middlepause and Garden Among Fires: A Lockdown Anthology. (@marinab52)Rubin Naiman is a psychologist, clinical assistant professor of medicine and the sleep and dream specialist at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (@drnaiman)Charlotte Jee is a writer and reporter for MIT Technology Review, where she also writes The Download newsletter (@charlottejee)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/20/2020 • 48 minutes

Donald Trump asked journalist Tony Schwartz to ghostwrite his memoir, "The Art of the Deal," because Trump liked the unflattering story Schwartz wrote for New York magazine, about Trump's effort to evict rent-controlled tenants from his Manhattan apartment building. Schwartz agreed and has been atoning for that decision ever since. Also this hour: The Covid Tracking Project shows the US may be entering a third surge of coronavirus infections that is more widespread than the regional spikes we saw last spring and summer. We still don't have a national plan to manage it and Trump officials continue to downplay the risk and spread misinformation about herd immunity.  GUESTS:Tony Schwartz is a journalist and political commentator. His most recent book is Dealing with the Devil: My Mother, Trump, and Me. He’s also the ghostwriter for Donald Trump’s 1987 memoir, The Art of the Deal. He’s the founder and CEO of The Energy Project (@tonyschwartz)Jeremy Konyndyk is a senior policy fellow and pandemic preparedness expert at the Center for Global Development. He was the director of USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance 2013-2016. (@JeremyKonyndyk)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/19/2020 • 49 minutes

Bill Burr hosted Saturday Night Live last weekend, and his monologue -- which included bits about wearing masks, cancel culture, white women in the "woke" movement, Pride Month, and more -- has drawn some criticism. It has The Nose thinking about "How President Trump Ruined Political Comedy."And: The West Wing ran for seven seasons and 156 episodes and ended more than 14 years ago. A new reunion special debuted yesterday, and it's got The Nose wondering how the classic show -- with its Capraesque, idealized vision of American politics -- plays against our present reality.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Joe Morgan, driving force of Big Red Machine, dies at 77NY Philharmonic cancels entire concert season for the first time in its 178-year history20 Notable UConn Alumni Who Changed the WorldKate McKinnon breaks character, addresses viewers during 'SNL': 'Such a crazy time'The fourth-wall busting moment summed up this year pretty well.Woman says Southwest wouldn't let her on plane due to 'inappropriate' outfitKayla Eubanks said Southwest Airlines employees told her that she needed to wear a shirt over her outfit in order to board one of their planes.Inside Gravity's daring mission to make jetpacks a realityInventors like Richard Browning have been trying to build jetpacks for a century. Now they're here, what do we do with them?Dying swan or lame duck? Why 'Fatima' the ballerina's next job was tripping up the governmentA new advert suggesting a ballerina retrain for a job in 'cyber' has faced a backlash. What were they thinking?The rise and fall and rise of Kevin Smith's MallratsThe writer-director recalls making his ribald comedy, whose cast includes Jeremy London, Jason Lee, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, and Ben Affleck.Cardi B Breaks Her Silence After Accidentally Posting Private Pic: 'Lord,Why Did You Make Me So Stupid?''Jagged Little Pill' leads Tony Awards nominations with 15J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Mariska Hargitay Among 100 Top Hollywood Players Protesting NBC's Trump Town HallThe DC Universe is taking a giant leap into the futureDC Comics' next event, Future State, launches in JanuaryTab, Coca-Cola's Diet-Soda Pioneer and a '70s Icon, Is Going AwayThe beverage maker had held on to the fading brand to appease its loyal fan base, but the coronavirus pandemic prompted a culling of the company's productsGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner CommunicationsTheresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner CommunicationsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/16/2020 • 40 minutes, 38 seconds

The pandemic, coupled with Black Lives Matter protests, and incendiary rhetoric from President Trump, has riled up anti-government militias across the US, most evident in the recent foiled plot by militia groups in Michigan, to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Anti-government movements emerged in the 1990's, in response to the government's deadly siege at Ruby Ridge, the Waco standoff with the Branch Davidians, former President Bill Clinton's passage of  NAFTA, and two new gun control laws, one of which banned assault weapons. The FBI took these groups more seriously after anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in 1995, that killed 168 people, including 19 children. It used to be hard for people with extreme ideologies to find one another. Now, groups across the country are networking, posting hate speech, and planning events on Facebook. Hate speech goes against Facebook policy but the posts are rarely removed.   GUESTS:Amy Cooter is a senior lecturer in Sociology at Vanderbilt University (@AmyCooter)Andrew Marantz is a staff writer for The New Yorker. He writes about technology, social media, and the alt-right. He’s the author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (@andrewmarantz)Mark Pitcavage is a historian and senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Prior to joining ADL in 2000, Dr. Pitcavage trained law enforcement officers on domestic terrorism in a Justice Department anti-terrorism program created after the Oklahoma City bombing. (@egavactip)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/15/2020 • 38 minutes, 10 seconds

Undoubtedly, the thing that will most be remembered from Wednesday night's vice presidential debate is the fly that landed on Mike Pence's hair... and then stay there for more than two minutes. The Nose isn't sure what to make of that, exactly, but things are definitely being made of it.And: Fargo is an anthology that premiered on FX in 2014. It's inspired by the Coen brothers' 1996 film. The fourth season, which is airing now, stars Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, and Jason Schwartzman, and it's set in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1950.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65His outpouring of riffs, runs and solos was hyperactive and athletic, making deeper or darker emotions feel irrelevant. The band he led was one of the most popular of all time.Mac Davis, Country Singer and Elvis Presley Songwriter, Dead at 78Singer-songwriter wrote Elvis Presley's indelible "In the Ghetto" alongside solo hits like "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" and "Stop and Smell the Roses"'GLOW' Canceled By Netflix; Won't Proceed With Fourth & Final Season Due To COVID-19Why Is Mainstream Media Choosing to Silence Us?An article published by The New York Times discussing the "comeback" of the guitar propels our investigation into the dangers of mainstream narratives.Super-Concierge Doctors, High-Design Home Classrooms, and Catered Backyard Dinners: Lifestyles of the Rich and QuarantinedThis is what a luxe lockdown in Washington looks like.People Are Calling Out Chris Pratt For Making An "Insensitive" Joke About Voting And Yikes"Read the room."Led Zeppelin Emerges Victor in 'Stairway to Heaven' Plagiarism CaseSorry, But The Yankees Are The Good GuysRobert Downey Jr. Is Developing a 'Sherlock Holmes' Cinematic Universe to Follow the Next SequelCineworld Closing Theater Venues Following 'No Time to Die' DelayMost of Scottish Wikipedia Written By American in Mangled EnglishScots is an official language of Scotland. An administrator of the Scots Wikipedia page is an American who doesn't speak Scots but simply tries to write in a Scottish accent.Why Are Pandemic Sports Ratings So Terrible?People Are Just Finding Out Chris Evans Is Covered In Tattoos After He Posted A Video Doing A Backflip Into A PoolThis was a major oversight on my part.What Is the Best Adam Sandler Movie?What is an "Adam Sandler movie," for that matter?Danbury City Council passes vote to rename sewage plant after HBO's John OliverGUESTS:Shawn Murray - A stand up comedian and writerIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/9/2020 • 42 minutes, 25 seconds

The populist backlash that led to the election of President Trump was decades in the making.  Like other populist leaders around the world, Trump gave voice to the resentment directed toward “elites” who devalue the hard work and dignity of workers without college degrees.Ronald Reagan was the first president to tell every American they could "go just as far as their dreams and hard work will take them." He used those words to enact policies that led to economic inequality and a global economy that advantaged a professional class over those without college degrees.  These policies were continued by subsequent administrations, regardless of party.  Americans like to believe we live in a meritocracy but the odds are stacked in favor of the already lucky and fortunate. We congratulate the "winners" and humiliate the "losers," who are told to better themselves or carry the burden of their failure. GUEST: Michael Sandel teaches philosophy at Harvard University. His most recent book is The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? His BBC Radio 4 series “The Public Philosopher,” explores the philosophical ideas lying behind the headlines.You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/8/2020 • 41 minutes

For decades, we didn't take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as "chewing gum for the eyes," as, literally, furniture.And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television.This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker's television critic.GUEST:Emily Nussbaum - Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV RevolutionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/7/2020 • 42 minutes

President Trump was quick to downplay the pandemic upon his return from Walter Reed in a tweeted video encouraging people not to let the virus dominate or scare them. He said they would beat the virus, just as he's convinced himself that he's got his licked.The president's attitude reflects a reality that denies the 209,000 (and counting) people who have already died from the virus and a stunning inability to admit weakness. Unfortunately, the nation has to pay for it.We still don't know when he was first infected or when he learned he was contagious. We do know that he is one of 25 (and counting) people in his orbit who have tested positive in recent days and that he traveled to a campaign rally in Minnesota and a fundraiser in New Jersey -- sans mask -- after learning he was infected.How much sympathy should we have for a president who has actively withheld or misconstrued information that could have prevented deaths from COVID? Yet, what does it say about who we are becoming as people and as a culture if we can't offer a morsel of sympathy?Also this hour: A group of data specialists developed a White House COVID Tracker to chart the impact of COVID on political leaders and those they come in contact with. Unfortunately, the White House refuses to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to trace exposures that could save lives.GUESTS:John F. Harris is the co-founder of Politico and the author of The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House; he writes "Altitude," a weekly column for Politico) (@harrispolitico)Peter Walker leads the White House COVID Tracker, a crowd-sourced database for the White House COVID outbreak, and is head of growth at Public Relay (@PeterJ_Walker)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/6/2020 • 41 minutes, 6 seconds

It's been over 100 years since the first cartoons were drawn by hand. Since then, the form has delved into everything from sex and drugs to racial inequality and war crimes. Even the tamest, G-rated cartoons have often found ways of slipping in adult humor past the eyes of younger viewers.Cartoons have been the vehicle for government propaganda, social change, and political satire. Some have been boycotted and even banned for their content while others have been deemed masterpieces and praised by critics for their bold message and style.Today, cartoons continue to find ways of subverting the status quo in surprising (sometimes shocking) new ways. This hour, we speak with animators, animation experts, and historians about what makes cartoons so well suited for the exploration of, well, everything.GUESTS:Maureen Furniss - Program director of experimental animation at California Institute of the Arts, founding editor of Animation Journal, and the author of A New History of AnimationPaul Wells - Director of the Animation Academy at Loughborough University in England and the author of several books including Animation, Sport and CultureRalph Bakshi - Animator, writer, and director of animated and live-action films and TV shows including Fritz The Cat, Coonskin, and Heavy TrafficLisa Hanawalt - Producer and production designer of the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman, which ended in JanuaryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired April 18, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/5/2020 • 42 minutes

The Nose had planned to discuss The Danish Girl star Eddie Redmayne standing up for J.K. Rowling and Rolling Stone updating their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.But then some news broke overnight.Perhaps fittingly, though, The Nose watched Showtime's new miniseries, The Comey Rule, this week.GUESTS:Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen SyncMike Pesca - The host of Slate's daily podcast, The GistJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/2/2020 • 49 minutes

A 2019 YouGov survey says that 20 percent of American adults "definitely" believe in ghosts; another twenty-five percent believe they "probably exist."And, while no data yet proves it, there's a good chance that quarantining at home during the pandemic has led more people to wonder where those nighttime creaks and groans are coming from.  Some skeptics say that seeing ghosts is part of the human experience and far too common an occurrence for everyone who thinks they see a ghost to be crazy. But there are a lot of reasons to explain why we sincerely believe we're seeing a ghost. Yet, it's hard to convince people otherwise - even when confronted with evidence to the contrary.In the end, psychologists can offer explanations but no one can definitively prove ghosts don't exist. GUESTS: “Danielle” is a lawyer in British Columbia. She chose not to have her full name used.Chris French is a professor of psychology and head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He’s a former editor of The Skeptic Magazine (@chriscfrench)Deborah Hyde is a cultural anthropologist, and a fellow of “The Committee of Skeptical Inquiry.” She recently retired as editor of The Skeptic Magazine. (@jourdemayne)Elizabeth Saint is an electrical engineer, paranormal researcher, and president of the streaming platform VidiSpace. She was a researcher on Discovery’s “Ghosts of Shepherdstown” (@ElizabethSaint)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10/1/2020 • 49 minutes

Nietzsche called Richard Wagner "a volcanic eruption of the total undivided artistic capacity of nature itself," and Thomas Mann said he was "probably the greatest talent in the entire history of art."More than a thousand movies have Wagner on their soundtracks, including classic scenes from Apocalypse Now, The Blues Brothers, Bugs Bunny cartoons, and Charlie Chaplin.But, there's a reason Woody Allen says too much of Wagner's music gives him "the urge to conquer Poland." Wagner is nothing if not a problematic figure. As the new book Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music puts it, "An artist who might have rivaled Shakespeare in universal reach is undone by an ideology of hate."This hour, a look at Wagnerism with New Yorker music critic Alex Ross.GUESTS:Steve Metcalf - Director emeritus of the University of Hartford's Presidents' CollegeAlex Ross - Music critic at The New Yorker and the author of Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of MusicJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/30/2020 • 49 minutes

We tend to focus on the physical ailments that can arise from being fat more than how fat shaming can affect the mental health of people who are fat.Nor do we think of how our culture (and the media) perpetuate the notion that fat people aren't desirable enough for love and intimacy. That's flat-out wrong. Sex is a physical act that is deeply influenced by how our mind perceives desire.We first aired this show in 2014, so you'll hear some outdated references to Lena Dunham and Louis C.K. The references are dated; the message is not.GUESTS:Sarah Varney is the author of XL Love: How the Obesity Crisis is Complicating America's Love LifeLaura Bogart is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in Salon, The Rumpus, and The Nervous BreakdownDan Weiss is a music critic, he's the author of the blog Ask A Guy Who Likes Fat Chicks, and he plays in the band Dan Ex MachinaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 27, 2014.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/29/2020 • 48 minutes

At a news briefing last week, President Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition. Now, we're all talking about it. Atlantic writer Barton Gellman, gamed out worst case scenarios, the  military discussed how they would deal with his refusal, and Republican colleagues pushed back on his comments. Has anyone told the President that it's not his choice? Today, we talk about presidential dysfunction, Amy Coney Barrett and the Supreme Court, and Tuesday's presidential debate.Also this hour: Matt Lieberman is running as a Democrat for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. He's currently positioned to be the spoiler that could hand the race to the Republicans. This, in a state where Black Americans suffer higher levels of voter disenfranchisem*nt, maternal death, and poverty. Did I mention he's the son of former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman?GUESTS:Molly Jong Fast is editor-at-large for The Daily Beast and co-host of the podcast “The New Abnormal.” She’s the author of two novels, Normal Girl and The Social Climber's Handbook, and a memoir, Girl [Maladjusted]. (@mollyjongfast)Anjali Enjeti is an award-winning Atlanta-based journalist. Her essay collection about activism and debut novel will be published in the spring of 2021. She is the co-founder of the Georgia chapter of They See Blue, an organization for South Asian Democrats. (@anjalienjeti)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/28/2020 • 49 minutes

Listen live Friday at 1 p.m.The Nose has been contemplating covering the controversy around the The Ellen DeGeneres Show literally for months now. The show returned with a new season of new episodes this week, and Ellen addressed allegations of a toxic work environment in her monologue.And: The CBC series Schitt's Creek has been endorsed on any number of Noses over the years, but we've never actually covered it. But then, after it won literally ever Emmy in the comedy category on Sunday (a feat no show has ever before achieved), we decided that this week had to be the week.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Randall Kenan, Southern Writer of Magical Realism, Dies at 57His upbringing in North Carolina helped him create a fictional hamlet, Tims Creek, where a 3-year-old clairvoyant scares the neighbors and a pig talks.Michael Lonsdale, 'Day of the Jackal' Star & James Bond Villain Hugo Drax, Dies at 89Jackie Stallone Sylvester's Mom Dead At 98Michael Chapman, 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull' Cinematographer, Dies at 84Ron Cobb, Designer of the 'Alien' Ship and the 'Back to the Future' DeLorean, Dies at 83Tommy DeVito, a founding member of The Four Seasons, dies from Covid-19 complicationsWinston Groom, Author of 'Forrest Gump,' Dies at 77He wrote the 1986 novel that inspired the Oscar-winning film starring Tom Hanks. Another book was a finalist for a Pulitzer.RBG and the empty triumph of liberal pop culture"This Is the Best Part I've Ever Had": Chris Rock Talks 'Fargo,' Aging and Why He's Spending 7 Hours a Week in TherapySomeday Our Kids Will Not Believe Us About Any of ThisOklahoma woman tells cops 'I have to poop so bad' before high-speed chaseMTA board to formally ban pooping in subways and busesThe Most Underrated Movies of 2020 (So Far)Don't sleep on these overlooked gems.After 7 weeks on the lam, the latest on 'Buddy the Beefalo'CDC's Halloween Guidelines Warn Against Typical Trick-Or-TreatingToo much candy: Man dies from eating bags of black licoriceBTS Fans Are Donating to Public Radio StationsThe day after the K-pop group performed a Tiny Desk concert, its fans are sharing screenshots of their donations.'Lord of the Rings' TV Crew Size Is So 'Mind-Blowing' It's Someone's Job to Study How Dust MovesMorfydd Clark takes on the role of young Galadriel and says of the show, "I don't think things could get much bigger than this."The Metropolitan Opera Won't Reopen for Another YearThe nation's largest performing arts organization, shut by the coronavirus pandemic, sends a chilling signal that American cultural life is still far from resuming.Nobody wants to bone LuigiThe Problem With Calling Tenet a FlopI'm an On-Set 'COVID Person,' Whatever That MeansAs production resumes amid the pandemic, a new role is causing confusion and consternation.The Weirdest Thing About the Pandemic Emmys Was How Normal They FeltCOVID jokes and a few moments of protest aside, this was an awards show devoted to the idea that TV should make you feel good.We Talked to the Hot Firefighter About Debunking Conspiracy Theories, Viral Fame, and Thirsty DMsThe Rise and Fall of the Quaker Rice Cake, America's One-Time Favorite Health SnackWhere did they come from and where did they go?Ranch NationHow one creamy, peppery salad dressing became America's favorite flavor.GUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/25/2020 • 49 minutes

One of the few silver linings of the pandemic has been a resurgence of interest in motels and RV life from a diverse group of millennials who want safe and less expensive options to travel and work during a pandemic.And motels and RV companies are trying to meet the demand with upgrades and amenities like flat-screen TVs, memory-foam mattresses, and free Wi-Fi.Some are turning to RV life permanently to travel, live, and work from where they want instead of being tethered to a desk and real estate. The pandemic has shown us that millennials who have never known the security of stable jobs or home ownership feel more "at home" outside traditional places.The existential nature of the pandemic has made many of us think about what's important to each of us, how we spend our time, and who we want to spend it with. And the freedom of the open road sounds like a pretty good way to start figuring those questions out.GUESTS:Foram Mehta - A journalist, editor, and content developer; her personal essays, op-eds, and articles have appeared in HuffPost, The New York Times, and The Bold Italic, among othersAlex Temblador - A novelist and freelance writer who focuses on diversity and inclusion in travel, arts, and culture; she's the author of Secrets of the Casa RosadaArunan Arulampalam - The deputy commissioner at the Connecticut Department of Consumer ProtectionLiza Butler Arulampalam - Co-lead pastor of the Riverfront Community ChurchJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/24/2020 • 49 minutes

Kurt Andersen's last book, Fantasyland, looks at America's "centuries-old weakness for the untrue and irrational, and its spontaneous and dangerous flowering since the 1960s" and how it got us where we are today.His new book, Evil Geniuses, is a kind of sequel, a companion. It's a parallel history, really, that looks more closely at "the quite deliberate reengineering of our economy and society since the 1960s."This hour, public radio great Kurt Andersen on "the unmaking of America."GUEST:Kurt Andersen - Co-founded Spy magazine and he was the host and co-creator of Studio 360; his newest book is Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America -- A Recent HistoryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/23/2020 • 49 minutes

Bill Murray has starred in some of our favorite movies of the last few decades: Caddyshack, Stripes, Tootsie, Ghostbusters, Scrooged, What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Ed Wood, Space Jam, Lost in Translation, all the Wes Anderson films, and so many more.He doesn't like managers or agents, and, rumor has it, he once agreed to play Garfield because he thought it was a Coen brothers film. (It wasn't.)And now, Bill Murray is 70 (!) years old.This hour, we talk with Robert Schnakenberg, author of The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray: A Critical Appreciation of the World's Finest Actor, to find out what makes the famed comedian unique. We also hear some favorite Bill Murray stories from local celebrities and members of Sea Tea Improv.GUEST:Robert Schnakenberg - Author of The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray: A Critical Appreciation of the World's Finest ActorJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, Julia Pistell, Dan Schulz, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 14, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/22/2020 • 50 minutes

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday evening, breaking the hearts of generations of women -- and men -- who have benefited from her work guaranteeing our rights to equal treatment under the law.That same evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that a Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg would receive a vote on the floor of the Senate. By Saturday, President Trump was claiming he had an "obligation" to replace her, "without delay." The loss is larger than either man could understand.We talk about the political ramifications of her death and what it might mean for the upcoming election. We also continue our weekly check-in with an epidemiologist to help us make sense of news on the pandemic.GUESTS:Richard Blumenthal is the senior U.S. senator from ConnecticutKate Grabowski is an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University; she leads researchers at the Novel Coronavirus Research CompendiumJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/21/2020 • 49 minutes

Kim Kardashian and other celebrities "froze" their Facebook and Instagram accounts for one day this week "to protest the spread of hate speech and misinformation on those platforms." Meanwhile, Kardashian's husband had the strange sort of week that we've maybe grown to expect from him, but seemingly with more public peeing in it than we're maybe used to.And: Cuties (Mignonnes in the original French) is the feature film debut of Senegalese-French writer and director Maïmouna Doucouré. The movie's release on Netflix has been controversial, to say the least.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:New promenade at West Hartford park to be named after Parks & Rec character Leslie KnopeLife on Venus? Astronomers See a Signal in Its CloudsThe detection of a gas in the planet's atmosphere could turn scientists' gaze to a planet long overlooked in the search for extraterrestrial life.His Girl Friday redefined the screwball comedy at 240 words per minuteJohn Boyega Drops Jo Malone Ambassador Title After Brand Removes 'Star Wars' Actor From China Ad'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' mansion is added to Airbnb -- for just $30Jason Momoa Slams Warner Bros. Amid 'Justice League' Investigation: 'This S--- Has to Stop'Movie Theaters That Opened For Tenet Are Now Worse Off Than BeforeThings aren't looking too good for the movie theaters that are currently open, even with the release of Christopher Nolan's Tenet.Ethan Hawke Directing Documentary About Paul Newman And Joanne WoodwardCBS All Access to Rebrand as Paramount Plus Early Next Year'Godfather'-inspired drama 'The Offer' and reboot of 'The Game' among new original series in worksStanley Crouch, combative writer, intellectual and authority on jazz, dies at 74'Colourful, vibrant, sensual!' Stars on Jimi Hendrix, 50 years goneIn awe of everything from his raunchiness to his skill with sheer volume, members of Pixies, Yes, Parliament-Funkadelic, Thin Lizzy and more celebrate the guitar god, who died 50 years ago today'I Don’t Want to Be an Oracle.' Baseball Writer Roger Angell at 100.Talking extra innings -- and a milestone birthday -- with the celebrated chronicler of the summer game7 movies to celebrate Bill Murray's 70th birthdayBus passenger uses live snake as a face maskGUESTS:Theresa Cramer - A writer and the editor of E Content MagazineRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/18/2020 • 49 minutes

We produced our first show on masks in the spring of 2020. It was when most of us were isolated at home to sidestep the life-threatening illness we've come to call "COVID." The show was about how rapidly masks had become a statement of political identity.The intensity of the mask battles has begun to calm as we've acclimated to the pervasiveness of masks in our lives. Like them or not, they're here to stay, and they've begun to leave a lasting imprint on our culture.This hour, we take a longer view of how these objects that cover half of our faces have changed the way we perceive ourselves and interact with others -- and what they might look like in the future.GUESTS:Kim Adrian is the author of Sock, The 27th Letter of the Alphabet, and, most recently, Dear KnausgaardHenry Alford is a humorist, journalist, and author; his most recent book is And Then We Danced: A Voyage Into the GrooveMollie Ruben is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of MaineElizabeth Segran is a senior staff writer at Fast Company and the author of The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch the Rest of Your LifeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/17/2020 • 49 minutes

Bob Woodward is 77 years old. He's in his 50th year at The Washington Post. And he just yesterday published his 20th book.Rage is Woodward's second book about the Trump presidency. Two years ago, on the day after the first one came out, we did a show about it.So we've gotten that band mostly back together again, and we've spent the last 30 or so hours cramming.This hour, a look at Rage as a chronicling of our current history and as a publishing phenomenon.GUESTS:David Adams - Reviews editor at Publishers WeeklySusan Campbell - A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author, most recently, of Frog Hollow: Stories from an American NeighborhoodJacques Lamarre - A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz EngineJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/16/2020 • 49 minutes

Black Americans are more likely to be infected from COVID-19, be incarcerated, live in poverty, and/or be killed by the police than white Americans. It took a pandemic and the killing of George Floyd to crystallize those facts.Historian and New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb looks at race, policing, and the difficulty of holding police departments accountable in Frontline's "Policing the Police 2020," a documentary that will air on CPTV on Tuesday, Sept. 15. It follows Cobb's 2016 Frontline, "Policing the Police."On another front: Trump administration officials have been interfering since (at least) August with the data that are included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports." These reports are used to help doctors and researchers understand how COVID-19 is spreading and who is at risk. Up to now, scientists wrote the reports without political interference. This is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to censor information intended to protect us.GUESTS:Jennifer Nuzzo is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; she is the lead epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins Testing Insights Initiative (@JenniferNuzzo)Jelani Cobb is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a professor of journalism in Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism; his most recent book is The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress (@jelani9)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/14/2020 • 49 minutes

It's been a week of ending things, really. Keeping Up with the Kardashians is ending after 20 seasons. Diana Rigg -- Emma Peel on The Avengers and Lady Olenna on Game of Thrones, among many other things -- died at 82. And, of course, people are trying to end the whole world with their gender reveal parties.And then there's I'm Thinking of Ending Things. It's Charlie Kaufman's first movie for Netflix, and it stars Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley. It's based on Iain Reid's novel of the same name, which makes it the first movie Kaufman's ever directed not from his own original screenplay.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Plymouth police closing in on Buddy, the beefalo who has been on the run since escaping from a local slaughter houseESPN Scraps Hank Williams Jr. From "MNF" Open'Saturday Night Live' Promotes Ego Nwodim To Main Cast Member For Season 46Ryan Reynolds Brings Rick Moranis Out of Retirement for Mint Mobile CommercialFender has sold more guitars in 2020 than any other year in its historyGibson, Taylor, Martin and others also report pandemic sales booms, with new users turning to the guitar as "six-string therapy"Film Academy Sets Inclusion Requirements for Oscars, Will Take Full Effect in 2024Kirstie Alley slams new Oscars inclusion rules: 'This is a disgrace to artists everywhere''Tenet' Will Play at a Southern California Drive-In Despite Indoor Theaters Being Closed, Ignoring WB's Previous MandateKate Winslet, Unfiltered: "Because Life Is F--king Short"The Oscar winner, whose powerful love story Ammonite debuts at the Toronto Film Festival this week, knows the industry can do better -- and that she can too: "What the f--k was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski?"Why Disney's new 'Mulan' is a scandalGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner CommunicationsDavid Edelstein - America's Greatest Living Film CriticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.TAGS: Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/11/2020 • 49 minutes, 32 seconds

In the wake of resistance to Black Lives Matter protests against racial injustice in cities like Portland, Oregon; Kenosha, Wisconsin; and others, we decided to take a look at race relations in the small towns and suburbs of Connecticut. What we found was disturbing. In some ways, the show feels inadequate. I wish we could have included more of the many people who have experienced racist behavior in our small towns of Connecticut. We won't get to talk to a woman from Farmington who received a threatening note at her home for hanging a Black Lives Matter banner, a student from Killingly who experienced racial bullying, a young BLM organizer in Durham, or a woman angry that Confederate flags are still sold at the Durham fair. I know about these. Most incidents never make the news.This hour, what’s it like to be black and living in a small town or suburb in Connecticut? How do we begin to change the structures that keep racism alive? GUESTS: Gary Greenberg is a psychotherapist, the author of The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmasking of Psychiatry, and the first selectman of Scotland, ConnecticutDrew John Ladd is a blogger, activist, and the author of Wolfsong, BelovedLeah Ralls is the president of the Windham/Willimantic NAACP and a social worker for Connecticut’s Division of Public Defender ServicesAl Robinson is a blogger, activist, and the publisher of My Left NutmegJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/10/2020 • 49 minutes

Tracking, rewinding, ejecting, collecting -- VHS broke ground in home entertainment like never before. The culture of VHS and its enormous best friend, the VCR, were kings of consumer media for decades. Despite the last VCR and VHS being manufactured just four years ago, videotapes are still consumed, collected, and in some cases, sold(!) across the country. But why?With streaming service giants like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney, giving us on-demand content with the push of a button and with Blu-ray and 4K players displaying movies and TV shows at crystal clear resolutions, videotapes offer a simple, analog experience that will just not go away.This hour, a look inside the impact, history, and legacy of VHS.Plus: the video store! It was the place to get your VHS rental and consume the content you couldn't get anywhere else. A look at life owning and working at a video store.GUESTS:Caetlin Benson-Allott - Distinguished Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Georgetown University and the author of Killer Tapes and Shattered Screens Video Spectatorship From VHS to File SharingSam Hatch - Co-host of The Culture Dogs on Sunday nights on WWUHHank Paper - The former owner of Best Video in Hamden, Conn., and a professor of Film, Television, and Media Arts at Quinnipiac UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired May 16, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/9/2020 • 50 minutes

In November, 2016, we did a show about all the problems presented by, well, a-holes. And so it seems only logical to expand our scope a bit and do a show about all the problems presented by, well, a hole.For instance: How many holes are there in a straw? Did you say one? Okay, cool. Then how many holes are there in a sock? (A relatively new sock, I mean.) You said one again, right? But how can both of those things be true at the same time?Or, put another way: What happens to the hole in the donut as you eat the donut around it? This gets into mereology, the theory of parthood relations -- for our purposes, the parts and wholes of holes and the wholes the holes are parts of.Your head hurts a little, right?And then there's trypophobia, an irrational fear of clusters of holes and cracks.And finally: We've just found a black hole right in our cosmic backyard.GUESTS:Chrissie Giles - A science writer and the global health editor at The Bureau of Investigative JournalismMarina Koren - Staff writer at The AtlanticAchille Varzi - Professor of philosophy at Columbia University and the coauthor of Holes and Other SuperficialitiesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 12, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/8/2020 • 50 minutes

Carole Baskin is going to appear on Dancing with the Stars. And with that, I've typed the least surprising opening sentence in the history of Nose posts.And: When Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure came out in 1989, Alex Winter (Bill) was 23 and Keanu Reeves (Ted) was 24. Winter and Reeves are now 55 and 56, respectively, but that seems to be no reason not to put out a third Bill & Ted movie, 29 years after the second one. Bill & Ted Face the Music is now available on all your video-on-demand platforms.And speaking of sequels to classic 1980s teen movies, the first two seasons of Cobra Kai have moved from YouTube to Netflix (who will produce a third season) and they've found a new audience.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Do Your Bowels Suddenly Spring to Life in Bookstores? You're Not Alone -- and the Japanese Even Have a Term for It: Mariko AokiParents of young 'Black Panther' fans struggle with telling children of actor's deathTwitter says Chadwick Boseman's final post is the most liked tweet everIt's a bittersweet achievement.Brad Pitt's girlfriend reportedly is married but in an 'open' relationshipAndrew Lloyd Webber dropped a 'Phantom of the WAPera' Cardi B remix and we regret to inform you music is cancelledJohn Oliver throws sludge back at Danbury officials, demands sewage plant be named in his honorMariah Carey Just Addressed Her "Uncomfortable" Resurfaced Interview On "The Ellen DeGeneres Show""I wasn't ready to tell anyone."How Pop Music's Teenage Dream EndedA decade ago, Katy Perry's sound was ubiquitous. Today, it's niche. How did a genre defined by popularity become unpopular?'I Like to Move It' DJ, Erick Morillo, Dead at 49WFSB Cleans House -- But At What Cost?Alarmed pilot tells LAX tower: 'We just passed a guy in a jet pack'; FBI now investigatingRobert Pattinson Has COVID-19, Halting The Batman ProductionVanity Fair has learned the star came down with the virus just days after shooting resumed.How a Praying Mantis Says 'Boo!'A study of startle displays hints at why provoked creatures have such a wide range of reactions.GUESTS:Helder Mira - Multimedia producer at Trinity College and a Cinestudio board memberCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/4/2020 • 49 minutes

Hillary Clinton has spent a lot of time in the spotlight. We know her as a First Lady, a U.S. Senator from New York, President Obama's Secretary of State, a candidate in the 2016 presidential election, and as the wife of former President Bill Clinton. Yet most everything we know about Hillary as an individual separate from Bill has been filtered through the media, through President Trump's Twitter feed, and through the many conspiracy theories linked to her name. But after all the years of Hillary at Bill's side and after her loss in the 2016 election, didn't you wonder how Hillary Clinton's life might have been different if she never married Bill? Would she have broken the "glass ceiling" if she hadn't been married to Bill?We talk to a writer who imagined Hillary's life without Bill. GUEST:  Curtis Sittenfeld is the author of a collection of short stories, You Think It, I’ll Say It, as well as six novels, including Prep and Eligible. Her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and NPR’s This American Life, among others. Her new novel is Rodham.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/3/2020 • 49 minutes

2001: A Space Odyssey. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. A Clockwork Orange. The Shining. Full Metal Jacket. Spartacus. Eyes Wide Shut.This hour, a careful consideration of the filmmaker Steven Spielberg called "the best in history": Stanley Kubrick.GUESTS:James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeDavid Mikics - Author of Stanley Kubrick: American FilmmakerLila Shapiro - Senior reporter at New York magazine and Vulture, where she published "What I Learned After Watching Eyes Wide Shut 100 Times"Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/2/2020 • 42 minutes, 56 seconds

Officials in the Trump Administration last week videotaped both a naturalization ceremony held at the White House and an HUD official's interview with four New York City tenants on housing conditions. They then  played selected parts from each video at the Republican National Convention without the knowledge of the participants. The CDC updated testing guidelines last week to say that people who have been exposed to the virus but who don’t have symptoms or underlying risk factors, don't necessarily need to be tested. After public health officials complained that asymptomatic carriers are more likely to spread the virus, we learned that the recommendations came from the White House Coronavirus Task Force.  Today, politics and Covid. Guests:Saskia Popescu is an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona (@SaskiaPopescu)Gail Collins is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times and the author of When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present and most recently, No Stopping Us Now: The Adventures of Older Women in American History (@gailcollins)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/31/2020 • 49 minutes

This week, the NBA, the WBNA, MLB, MLS, tennis, and eventually the NHL all postponed games and matches in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.And: A Tweet listing the "Top 7 Warning Signs In a Man's Bookshelf" -- including "Too Much Hemingway," you see -- caused a bit of a fuss on the Twitter.And finally: Atlantics is the directorial debut of actress and writer Mati Diop. It premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it was the first movie directed by a Black woman ever to compete at the festival. It won the Grand Prix. It is available to stream on Netflix, and The Guardian wrote about it this week in their "My Streaming Gem" column.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Justin Townes Earle, Americana Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 38Nashville native, known for his mix of old-timey roots music and modern folk-rock, was the son of Steve EarleRiley Gale, Power Trip Vocalist, Dead At 34One of metal's true rising stars has left us too earlyDanbury Mayor Names Sewage Plant After John Oliver Following 'Last Week Tonight's Story On Jury Selection In ConnecticutJerry Seinfeld: So You Think New York Is 'Dead'(It's not.)The Batman: is Robert Pattinson set to play the superhero as an emo?In the latest film version of the vigilante's adventures, Batman/Bruce Wayne unexpectedly brings back the eyeliner and My Chemical Romance fringe of early 00s youth cultureFans Already Solved The Riddler's Cryptic Puzzle In 'The Batman' TeaserThe bigger question is why Batman doesn't just check the internet.How the Criterion Collection Crops Out African-American DirectorsThe prestigious line is coveted by cinephiles and taught in film schools. The company's president blames his "blind spots" for largely shutting out Black Americans.'Tenet' May Not Be Playing at Your Local Drive-In Theater'Drunk History' Canceled After Six Seasons at Comedy CentralBleacher Report Shuttering B/R Mag Long-form Storytelling UnitChris Evans Responds To Backlash Over That Ted Cruz PhotoThe "Avengers" actor explained things on "The Daily Show."Live Comedy Is Back in New York! But Outdoors. Is This a Good Thing?The club Stand Up NY is staging 40 shows a week across the city. Performing in parks raises the stakes for comedians and audiences alike.Steven Soderbergh Reedited Three of His Movies in Quarantine While Producing 'Bill and Ted Face the Music'The filmmaker discussed how he's been spending quarantine, exploring safety guidelines for film productions, and why he helped get a long-dormant sequel finally get made.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine - An Emmy-winning musician, producer, composer, and recording engineer, and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersTaneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorksJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/28/2020 • 49 minutes

Placebo treatments have been making people feel better for a long time. They've been working since long before Franz Mesmer was run out of 18th-century Vienna for "mesmerizing" a young pianist into regaining her eyesight, after all hope for a medical cure had been lost.  Doctors have long dismissed the placebo effect as inferior to conventional medical treatments that sometimes fail where placebo works well, including in surgical procedures like arthroscopy, a popular procedure that relieves the pain of arthritic knees. The placebo effect is triggered not by a magic pill, but through a combination of expectation, hope, and the strength of the doctor-patient relationship. Placebo is real; it's on the rise in America, and technology is allowing researchers to link placebo with physiological and psychological changes and genetic predisposition that could change the way we treat illness.GUESTS:Gary Greenberg - Psychotherapist and the author of The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmasking of PsychiatryTed Kaptchuk - Professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Director, Program of Placebo Studies and Therapeutic Encounter at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital  Bruce Moseley - Orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, former team physician to the Houston Rockets, first to perform placebo surgeryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/28/2020 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds

America has long been attracted to charismatic demagogues who master the media of their time to tap into America’s insecurities. Long before Donald Trump descended a golden escalator in 2015 to announce he was running for president, anti-communist zealot Joseph McCarthy took America by storm.The parallels many writers see between President Trump and Senator Joe McCarthy are not coincidental. There's a flesh-and-blood throughline that connects the two. President Trump's former attorney Roy Cohn taught him everything he learned from McCarthy's playbook when the served as McCarthy's chief council during his second term as a Wisconsin senator.  Demagogues are often charasmatic men of limited ability who bully their way to the top and threaten reluctant enablers to go along. The good news is that they fall faster than they rise once people see that the emperor wears no clothes.  What can we learn from McCarthyism as we consider our upcoming election? GUEST:Larry Tye is the author of eight books. His latest is Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy. He’s also a Nieman fellow at Harvard and a former award-winning reporter for The Boston Globe. His next book will be, The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Satchmo Armstrong and Count Basie Transformed America.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/27/2020 • 49 minutes

In May, I discovered (along with the rest of the internet) a video on YouTube of a guy in his loft in Surrey, England... solving a Sudoku puzzle. It was intense, a rollercoaster ride, and, ultimately, sublime.Those are not words you might expect someone to use to describe watching a stranger solve a little number puzzle, but here we are.Since I found that video, I've watched that YouTube channel, Cracking the Cryptic, practically every day. Sometimes the videos are riveting. The rest of the time, they're soothing.The channel's 250,000 subscribers and 40 million cumulative views would seem to indicate that I'm not alone in using it as a way to both exercise and relax my mind during this pandemic period.This hour, a look at Sudoku, specifically, and logic puzzles more generally.GUESTS:Simon Anthony - A former U.K. team member in the World Sudoku and World Puzzle Championships and a host of Cracking the CrypticJason Rosenhouse - Professor of mathematics at James Madison University and the author of a number of books about math and related topics, including the forthcoming Games for Your Mind: The History and Future of Logic PuzzlesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/26/2020 • 49 minutes

Numbers are so fundamental to our understanding of the world around us that we maybe tend to think of them as an intrinsic part of the world around us. But they aren't. Humans invented numbers just as much as we invented all of language.This hour, we look at the anthropological, psychological, and linguistical ramifications of the concept of numbers.And we look at one philosophical question too: Are numbers even real in the first place?GUESTS:Brian Clegg - Author of Are Numbers Real? The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical WorldCaleb Everett - Professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Miami and the author of Numbers and the Making of Us: Counting and the Course of Human CulturesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 12, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/25/2020 • 50 minutes

The Food and Drug Administration on Sunday authorized the emergency use of convalescent blood to treat people hospitalized with Covid-19. Sunday's decision comes on the heels of a presidential tweet that may have put pressure on the FDA to authorize it prematurely. We talk about this and more news on Covid. Also this hour:  The Republican National Convention begins this week, a few days after former Vice-President Joe Biden accepted the nomination to represent Democrats in November's election. We talk about last week's convention, how this week's convention might play out, and other political news from the weekend.  GUESTS: Angela Rasmussen is a virologist and associate research scientist at the Center of Infection and Immunity at Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. She is a contributing writer to Forbes magazine. (@angie_rasmussen)Annie Linskey is a national political reporter focused on the 2020 presidential campaign for The Washington Post. (@AnnieLinskey)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/24/2020 • 49 minutes

The No. 1 song in the country -- "WAP" by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion -- seems to make just one concession to commercial decorum: its acronym title, which I won't be spelling out for you here. It's being called the "gloriously filthy song of the summer" and subversive "in almost every way, even as it plays with the limits of explicit expression."Speaking of troublesome songs: Does The Band's classic "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" belong in the same category as bits of culture like Song of the South and Gone with the Wind?And finally: Has it turned out that Kevin Costner's 1997 box office bomb, The Postman, is "the most accurate dystopian movie?"Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:CAROLE BASKIN Debunks Facebook Group's Theory ... MISSING HUBBY'S NOT IN SEPTIC TANK!!!Second City Is Trying Not To Be Racist. Will It Work This Time?For more than 60 years, the premier home for improv was a bastion of whiteness where performers of color were consistently demeaned. Now it is trying to remake itself entirely.An Airline Employee On TikTok Is Calling Out All The Celebs Who Were Rude (And Nice) To Her, And It's Wild"She wouldn't get off the aircraft until everybody else got off."Two men charged with the 2002 killing of Run-DMC legend Jam Master JayOn Percival Everett's Almost Secret Experiment in a Novel in ThreesDavid Lerner Schwartz on the Tripartite Puzzle That is TelephoneHow the Criterion Collection Crops Out African-American DirectorsThe prestigious line is coveted by cinephiles and taught in film schools. The company's president blames his "blind spots" for largely shutting out Black Americans.GUESTS:Cara McDonough - A freelance writer; you can read her blog at caramcduna.comBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/21/2020 • 49 minutes

The pandemic has led to national shortages in testing supplies, PPE, and now, coins. We've been predicting a cashless society and the demise of the penny for so long that we may be underestimating how much people still use coins in places like laundromats and coffeeshops, and the occasional parking meter. And about eight million households are "unbanked," and rely on money orders, pawn shops, or payday loans, instead of banks. So, where are all the coins?Also this hour: The world's earliest coins date back to ancient Greek and Roman culture. And each coin contains information often not found anywhere else in surviving relics of the ancient world. Some numismatists consider ancient coins one of the most important discoveries to fuel the renaissance. Lastly, how a North Carolina aquarium used coins from their waterfall to care for thousands of their animals during the pandemic.  GUESTS:Molly Olmstead is a staff writer at SlateBrian Wallace is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Coin Laundry Association David Vagi is Director, Ancient Coins at the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and the author of Coinage and History of the Roman Empire  Liz Baird is the director of the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll ShoresJoin the conversation on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/20/2020 • 49 minutes

The FDA on Saturday authorized emergency use of a rapid and inexpensive saliva test that could increase testing capacity. It’s quick, less expensive, and doesn't need the chemical reagents that are in short supply. It's also less sensitive than PCR tests. But public health experts believe the tradeoff will save lives. We talk about that and more Covid-related news.  "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from their appointed rounds," remains the motto of the United States Postal Service, despite changes by  the new Postmaster General to slow down mail delivery, remove sorting machines, and make it more difficult for voters to receive and return mail-in ballots on time. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democratic principles. The postal service led our first communications revolution by forging transportation networks that spread national and international news - even to those living in the most remote areas - to encourage an informed citizenry. Isn't it worth protecting?GUESTS: Vincent Racaniello is a professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He’s the host of the podcast, “This Week in Virology.” (@profvrr)Margaret Sullivan is the media columnist at the Washington Post and the author of Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy. (@sulliview)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/17/2020 • 49 minutes

The Nose is worried about movie theaters. The pandemic has done such damage to the industry that Hollywood has started treating the U.S. as a second-run market. And now the Paramount Consent Decrees have ended. (We're not exactly sure what that means, but it's not good.) Is the future of movie theaters... Walmart drive-ins?And: She Dies Tomorrow is a horror-comedy-thriller written and directed by Amy Seimetz. It was supposed to premiere at this year's South by Southwest, which was canceled. She Dies Tomorrow is out now on video on demand platforms.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:RZA unveils new ice cream truck jingle to replace problematic 'Turkey in the Straw'Trini Lopez, Singing Star Who Mixed Musical Styles, Dies at 83His blend of American folk, Latin and rockabilly music captivated listeners worldwide. His secret: arrangements that people could dance to. He died of COVID-19.Kurt Luedtke, Newspaperman Turned Screenwriter, Dies at 80He led The Detroit Free Press at 33, then gave up journalism for Hollywood. "Absence of Malice" was one result; an Oscar for "Out of Africa" was another.The Best Movies Eligible for the 2021 Oscars Right NowFrom "The Assistant" to "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," the first half of 2020 boasts more than a few titles worthy of Oscar buzz.Alan Dershowitz claims a fictional lawyer defamed him. The implications for novelists are very real.Kelly Ripa claps back after troll criticizes her 'lack of personal grooming'Martin Scorsese Makes Apple First-Look Film & Television Deal For His Sikelia Productions BannerYale scientists restore cellular function in 32 dead pig brainsResearchers hope the technology will further our understanding of the brain, but lawmakers may not be ready for the ethical challenges.Can You Hack the Jeopardy! Buzzer?Different schools of thought have emerged.Oh, to be a cat in a plastic container sailing around a bathtubThe Shark Week SuperlativesDiscovery Channel's much-hyped annual programming package has become increasingly ahistorical and fantastical over the years. Yet, it remains popular. So, our two resident shark experts dove in to discuss the best and worst that the week has to offer."Weird and Strange Doesn't Even Begin to Describe It": What It’s Like to Be the Phillie Phanatic Right NowA brave mascot reveals what it's like to fill the crushing emptiness of an MLB stadium.A 'Socially Distanced' Venue Held Its First Concert, And It's An Introvert's DreamAs it Celebrates the Centennial of the Negro Leagues, MLB May Undo a "Major" MistakeBecause of a prejudiced decision made more than 50 years ago, the segregation-era circuits that featured Black players have never been counted among the official major leagues. For the first time, MLB is considering righting that wrong.GUESTS:James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity CollegeCarolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/14/2020 • 49 minutes

As President Trump talks about draining the swamp in Washington D.C., we turn our attention to actual swamps. Associated with death and decay, while also celebrated for their beauty and biodiversity, few landscapes evoke such contradictory sentiments as swamps.This hour we speak with experts about the surprising history, culture, nature, and politics associated with America's wetlands. We'll also talk with a woman who spent eight years of her life living in these inhospitable environments on a makeshift houseboat.GUESTS:Michael Grunwald - Senior writer for Politico Magazine, and Editor-at-Large of POLITICO’s new public policy site, The Agenda; author of The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise (@MikeGrunwald)Dr. Anthony Wilson - Professor of English at LaGrange College, GA; author of  Swamp: Nature and Culture, and Shadow and Shelter: The Swamp in Southern CultureGwen Roland - Writer, and former full-time resident of the Atchafalaya river basin swamp; author of Atchafalaya Houseboat: My Years in the Louisiana Swamp, and Postmark Bayou CheneJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/13/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

"It is the rare person who doesn't own a pair of sweatpants." I am, it turns out, that rare person. Sweatpants are just too warm, is my take. But I do own a number of pairs of cotton pajama pants. They're my sweatpants proxy.Back before the pandemic became the central preoccupation of our existence, back when we made our radio show in, ya know, a radio studio, I would always get a little dressed up on my show days. I'd wear a jacket. Or a tie. Or a jacket and a tie.Now that we're all working from home all the time, I spend the great majority of my work hours in pajama pants and stocking feet and a bathrobe. But when it comes time for one of my shows -- like this one, for instance -- I change out of my PJ pants into jeans or chinos. That's what "a little dressed up" means these days: putting real pants on. (Or even "hard pants," as they're now known.)For we are living in the age of sweatpants. Question is: Are we ever going back? Or should we go back right now and start dressing like grownups again? What if we got, like, some fancy pants sweatpants? Would that be grown up enough?This hour, from The Bad Ideas Dept.: a show about sweatpants.GUESTS:Tim Chan - Lifestyle and market editor at Rolling StoneRebecca Jennings - A reporter covering pop and internet culture at The Goods by VoxRachel Tashjian - Style writer for GQAdam Tschorn - Deputy fashion editor at the Los Angeles TimesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 6, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/12/2020 • 50 minutes

It's been 25 years since Bob Ross died and 26 years since his The Joy of Painting went off the air. But there are 52 episodes of the show available to stream on Netflix. Bob Ross and Chill is a thing. The 403 full episodes available on YouTube have accumulated something approaching 250 million views. And last summer, The New York Times did a big Bob Ross investigation.This hour: a look at the undying force for permed hair and puffy little clouds and happy little trees that is Bob Ross.Plus: Could we do a show about Bob Ross without also talking Thomas Kinkade? No we could not. And so no we do not.GUESTS:Nathan Badley - Cohost of the Nothing But a Bob Thang podcastAlexis Boylan - Associate professor of art history at UConn and the editor of Thomas Kinkade, The Artist in the MallJustin Croft - Cohost of the Nothing But a Bob Thang podcastEmily Rhyne - Cinematographer at The New York TimesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 26, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/11/2020 • 50 minutes

As of this weekend, the number of people in the U.S. infected with SARS-CoV-2 topped five million, just sixteen days after passing the four million mark on July 23. This weekend's motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota portends that those numbers will continue to rise. Three potential vaccines against the virus have entered phase III clinical trials, in which safety and effectiveness is tested on thousands of healthy people. This stage can take months or years depending on how quickly researchers can detect a difference between the two groups, but some doctors believe that we'll have a vaccine sooner than later. Are we expecting too much from a vaccine? And, what about the expanding group of people afraid to trust any vaccine developed at "warp speed"? Is it time for another lockdown to get things under control until a vaccine is ready?Also this hour: Sending troops into U.S. cities and the recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service are two recent examples of what writer Adam Gopnik sees as an emboldened and authoritarian right encroaching on democratic premises. Meanwhile, he says the rage of an out-of-power left makes liberalism look indifferent. Incremental reform is not enough. GUESTS:Tim Schacker is an infectious disease physician and vice dean for research at the University of Minnesota Medical School  Adam Gopnik is an author and a staff writer for The New Yorker. The paperback edition of his most recent book, A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventures of Liberalism, was published in July. He is also a lyricist and libretto writer. With composer David Shire, he wrote the book and lyrics for the musical comedy TABLE, produced in 2016 at the Long Wharf TheaterJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/10/2020 • 49 minutes

The Federal Communications Commission requires that The Nose cover each and every new Taylor Swift release*. Folklore is Swift's seventh number-one album, and it's become, in just two weeks, the highest-selling album of 2020 so far. But rather than just spending a segment talking about the album... We came across a term that's new to us: cottagecore. Folklore is, apparently, cottagecore. We're not entirely convinced that cottagecore is a thing, but we're covering it anyway, and we'll get to Folklore that way.And: When You Finish Saving the World is an audiobook/podcast/radio play/thing written by and co-directed by and starring Jesse Eisenberg. It's a five-hour, three-act, three-monologue, audio-only Audible original that also stars Kaitlyn Dever and Finn Wolfhard as the wife and son of Eisenberg's character, respectively.*No, it doesn't.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Will White People Forget About George Floyd?A parable embedded in The Maltese Falcon offers a cautionary tale.The Reconciliation Must Be TelevisedWhat is the next step as America confronts its racism? A broadcast spectacle, our critic writes, that could look like court, a telethon, therapy, an Oprah show -- and more.Wilford Brimley, 'Cocoon' Star and Quaker Oats Pitchman, Is Dead at 85The Mind Behind Japan's Legendary Batmanga, Jiro Kuwata, Has Passed AwayThe End of the Fictional CopTelevision and film helped naturalize police violence. Noir offers a way out.Brad Garrett, Lea Thompson declare Ellen staff mistreatment "common knowledge"Hollywood Is Finally Admitting That the U.S. Is a Lost CauseThe country's sluggish pandemic response has forced movie studios to release big movies, such as Christopher Nolan's Tenet, abroad first -- a highly unusual move for the industry.Netflix is rolling out video speed controlsZelda recipe appears in serious novel by serious author after rushed Google searchA bad day for literature, a great day for Polygon's SEOGUESTS:Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen SyncBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversitySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/7/2020 • 49 minutes

Jimmy Webb was possibly the most successful songwriter of the 1960s and 1970s. Classics like "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman," "Up, Up, and Away," and "MacArthur Park" were recorded by hundreds of artists from Glen Campbell to Donna Summer. Webb wrote the songs that others made famous.Our team made the trek to Glen Cove, New York, in the summer of 2019 to meet Jimmy Webb and his wife, Laura Savini, at a recording studio near their home. Our adventure was well worth the trip. What we took home from our day were the sweet remains of time spent with friends, great music, and a spectacular sunset. For the first time in Colin McEnroe Show history, we decided to create two shows from our time with Jimmy Webb. Today, we bring you part two of our two-hour show with Jimmy Webb.Listen to Part One. GUEST: Jimmy Webb - Songwriter, pianist, composer, storyteller. He's won Grammy Awards for his music, lyrics and orchestration. His songs include "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman," and "MacArthur Park." He's the author of Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting and his 2017 memoir, The Cake and the Rain. His latest album is Slipcover.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/5/2020 • 49 minutes

Laura Nyro's most famous compositions -- "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Stoney End," "When I Die," "Wedding Bell Blues," "Eli's Coming" -- are jewels of mainstream music, and her covers of songs like "Jimmy Mack" and "Gonna Take a Miracle" are legendary.But she was uncomfortable under the spotlight and withdrew from it to become the Belle of Danbury.This hour: a night of singing, reflecting, and celebrating recorded in front of a live audience on January 29, 2020, as part of Colin's Freshly Squeezed series at Watkinson School.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine - Guitar and vocalsLatanya Farrell - Vocals and tambourineSteve Metcalf - Piano and vocalsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.This show originally aired February 21, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/4/2020 • 50 minutes

We're reairing this show from September, 2019, when our team traveled to Glen Cove, New York, to interview legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb. We waited a long time for this interview and it was worth every minute of the wait. It was a special day. We broke bread together, met kind people, and enjoyed a day of music and stories from Jimmy Webb's decades of making music. The day was not without adversity. A flat tire forced us to miss our ferry back home to Connecticut (and our dinner). We were hungry and tired. But none of that mattered when the late ferry pulled into Bridgeport against a spectacular sunset of orange, red, and purple. We would never have seen it had the day gone as planned.  A lot has changed in America since that day last September. But not our human need for music and kinship. We made two shows from our time with Jimmy Webb. There was too much music not to share all of it. This is part one. You can hear part two on Thursday, August 6. GUEST:Jimmy Webb - Songwriter, pianist, composer, storyteller. He’s won Grammy Awards for his music, lyrics, and orchestration. His songs include “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “MacArthur Park.” He’s the author of Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting and his 2017 memoir, The Cake and the Rain. His latest album is Slipcover.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/4/2020 • 49 minutes

Sports! There are sports!Baseball's back. At least for now. With almost all of the teams playing games. And only, ya know, two of them having big COVID outbreaks.The NBA exists in a Disney World "bubble," and it hasn't had a single test come back positive yet.The NHL is doing two different kinds of tournaments at once in two different "bubbles" in Canada.The arenas and stadiums are empty and quiet, but for the cardboard cutout fans and the piped-in crowd sounds. And the whole thing may well be a bad idea anyway...But there are sports! At least for now.GUESTS:Ben Cohen - Sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the author of The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of StreaksJeff Tracy - Sports reporter for AxiosJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8/3/2020 • 49 minutes

This New or Second or Third Golden Age of Television has been going on for 20 or 25 or 30 years now. Peak TV just won't stop peaking. For decades, there's just been no way to keep up. But then… suddenly we've all got a lot more time on our hands in our houses. And instead of finally watching The Wire and The Americans and Homeland and whatever else, we're all just rewatching Parks and Rec for the eleventeenth time.And, hey, whoa: The New York Times bought Serial productions.And finally: I May Destroy You is a BBC One and HBO show starring and written and created by Michaela Coel. Set in London, the series is a comedy-drama about consent and, ultimately, trauma.Some other stuff that happened in the last couple weeks, give or take:Alan Parker, British Director of 'Fame', 'Midnight Express' and 'Mississippi Burning,' Dies at 76Malik B., Founding Member of the Roots, Dead at 47The rapper departed the group following the the release of Things Fall Apart in 1999Regis Philbin, TV's Enduring Everyman, Dies at 88With patience, determination and folksy, spontaneous wit, Mr. Philbin climbed to pre-eminence relatively late in life on talk and game shows.David Letterman On Regis Philbin's Death: "Best Guest We Ever Had"As a Teenager, I Hated Johnny Carson. Then Came the Pandemic.As a teenager, I thought his 'Tonight Show' was a bland, uncool relic. Now I appreciate his deadpan humor and the loose weirdness of his interviews.'Saturday Night Live' Wants to Resume Filming in PersonOlivia de Havilland, a Star of 'Gone With the Wind,' Dies at 104She built an illustrious Hollywood career punctuated by a successful fight to loosen the studios' grip on actors.Billy Eichner To Play Paul Lynde In 'Man In The Box,' About Gifted Actor Stigmatized For Being Gay: Why Eichner Feels Things Haven't Changed, Gay Actors Still Excluded From Straight Roles & Even Playing Gay IconsThe Force Is Still Strong with John WilliamsWashington NFL team to use 'Washington Football Team' for 2020 seasonMulan falls off Disney's schedule, takes Avatar and Star Wars with it"The Far Side" Returns to a Weird WorldBest Cinematography Oscar Winners of the 21st Century, RankedTom Hanks lending voice as vendor at Oakland A's games'Metal Gear Solid V' Players Achieve the Impossible: Nuclear Disarmament'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain' players briefly got rid of all nuclear weapons and triggered a secret cutscene.Wild Star Wars Rumor Claims Disney Will Erase the Sequel Trilogy and Reset CanonAn unsubstantiated Star Wars rumor claims that Disney is ready to junk everything that happened in The Force Awakens and its sequels.Breonna Taylor Is On The Cover Of O Magazine -- The First One Ever Without Oprah"Breonna Taylor had dreams," Oprah Winfrey said. "They all died with her the night five bullets shattered her body and her future."GUESTS:Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/31/2020 • 49 minutes

Native Americans have been getting forced off their land for a long time. Although Thomas Jefferson promised they shall know the United States as only "friends and benefactors," he forced them from their ancestral home in 1804 after he signed the Louisiana Purchase.  Assured by the government that Kansas territory would be theirs forever, they were soon forced from their new home by white settlers (including the Wilder family of Little House fame) who plundered their burial sites and squatted on their land until they felt little choice but to sell to them.The Osage finally settled on territory in Oklahoma that most whites found "unfit for cultivation," at least until they found oil underneath those rocks. Then it became attractive to powerful white men who hatched a plot to kill the Osage obtain and obtain mineral rights to the land. This is the chilling story of the systematic murder of one group of native people. It's the bigger story of how the United States government has betrayed and controlled the sovereignty of a nation of people who lived here first.This story never seems to end. In 2019,  Attorney General William Barr announced a plan to address the crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans. I wonder whether anything has changed. GUESTS:David Grann - Staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of The Lost City of Z: Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon and Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBIDenny McAuliffe - Editor at The Washington Post, adjunct professor in journalism at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and the author of The Deaths of Sybil Bolton: An American HistoryJim Gray - Former Principal Chief of the Osage Nation and current Tribal Administrator for the Sac and Fox NationJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 10, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/31/2020 • 49 minutes

Colin McEnroe Show alum Chion Wolf has a new show: Audacious. Hear this guest episode from her series!Last year, a 28-year-old guy in Mumbai tried to sue his parents -- who are both lawyers -- for having brought him into the world. He claims his parents didn’t get his consent to live. In addition to being a very bold person, he is an anti-natalist. That is, he believes that it is morally wrong to bring sentient life into this world -- no matter how charmed or how troubled that life is -- and that humanity should stop reproducing, full stop.Anti-natalism is not a novel concept. You can trace it as far back as some interpretations of the teachings of Buddah, and in ancient religious sects. Nowadays, the subreddit dedicated to anti-natalism has 70,000 members, and there are 15,000 people following the Facebook group the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. You'll hear from one of its leaders in this show.The screenwriter for the HBO series True Detective says that that the antinatalist beliefs of one of the main characters was inspired by the book Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence by the philosopher David Benatar. You'll meet him too and learn a lot more about the belief that this world would have been better had none us been here in the first place.GUESTS:David Benatar - A professor and the head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, the author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence and The Human Predicament: A Candid Guide to Life's Biggest QuestionsLes Knight - A volunteer with the Voluntary Human Extinction MovementJoin the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and email.Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/29/2020 • 50 minutes

How we define what it means to be a hero depends a lot on the values shared by the group that's in power at any given time.We're seeing it today in the push and pull over the statues of men whose values no longer reflect the values of a changing community. And time tends to wash away the nuance and complexity of heroes that stand as a symbol of a prior generation.Yet, America loves its heroes, even if only for a time. But ​we have a way of using the language of "heroism" to sacrifice the very heroes we admire. Many of the essential workers we deemed heroes of the pandemic had to choose between their health and a paycheck. They didn't choose to be heroes. Some didn't want to be. Others were silenced or shamed for speaking out about unsafe conditions.This hour, we talk about what it means to be a hero, and we consider some Connecticut heroes you may not know about. ​Also, a look at the unlikely hero driven to heroic acts to avoid being labeled a coward.GUESTS:Dahlia Lithwick - Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast AmicusChris Walsh - Director of the college of arts and sciences writing program at Boston University and the author of Cowardice: A Brief HistoryWalter Woodward - State historian of Connecticut, the author of Creating Connecticut, and the host of the Grating the Nutmeg podcastJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/28/2020 • 49 minutes

Race is a myth; racism is not. I'm stealing this line from Gene Seymour, one of our guests on our show today. We're reairing a show with three people who discuss what it's like to be Black in America. The show was originally in 2017.We chose to reair it today to coincide with the memorials this week for Congressman John Lewis, who will be the first Black congressman to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, after fighting his entire life for social justice. And because the recent police brutality, along with a pandemic that disproportionately affected minority communities, exposed how little has changed for Black Americans since we first aired this show in 2017.Many of us hoped the election of Barack Obama in 2008 was a sign that we were finally entering a time when America was ready to recognize that racial inequality is the direct result of systemic discrimination going back to the founding of this country.  That did not happen. Congressman Lewis fought for civil rights and dignity for all black Americans. We should all think about that as we honor his legacy this week.  This show originally aired on July 12, 2017 and was reaired on January 15, 2018. GUESTS: Gene Seymour - Cultural critic, writer, jazz aficionado, and contributor for CNN Opinion, The Baffler, Book Forum and The NationBruce Haynes - Professor of sociology at U.C. Davis and co-author of Down the Up Staircase Kris Marsh - Demographer and associate professor of sociology at the University of Maryland and a 2017 Fulbright Scholar in South AfricaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/27/2020 • 49 minutes

My son, Simon, is a year old. His mother and his grandmother are both librarians. His father is, well, me. Simon is, predictably, obsessed with books.Back before everything changed, we'd gotten into a pretty good reading routine. Every morning before Simon went to his grandparents', we'd read a big pile of books. Every evening when I got home from work, we'd read a big pile of books.We'd read Goodnight Moon. We'd read Little Blue Truck. We'd read Peek-a Who? and Peek-a Moo! and Peek-a Zoo! We'd read Who Hoots? and Who Hops? We'd read Dear Zoo and Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and Each Peach Pear Plum and Spooky, Spooky, Little Bat and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? And then we'd probably read them all again.Now that our whole family stays home all day every day, we still do all the reading. What's lost is the routine. What's lost is any sort of limit at all. From Simon's point of view, there's nothing to stop us from reading all day every day, from when he jams me in the back with his copy of The Mixed-Up Chameleon too early in the morning until he falls asleep wearing one sock and with a clump of Cheerios somehow stuck in his diaper too late at night.If you've got smallish kids and you're staying home these days, children's literature has undoubtedly become a much larger part of your life than you'd ever bargained for. This hour, a look at what it's like reading kids' books as an adult.GUESTS:Bruce Handy - The author of Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an AdultJulia Pistell - Managing director of Sea Tea Improv and cohost of the Literary Disco podcastJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired April 9, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/24/2020 • 50 minutes

It took two years for the word AIDS to get from coinage to dictionary. It took COVID-19 thirty-four days. The pandemic has inspired a thousand new or repurposed words, slang, nicknames, and neologisms.It has changed the way we speak.  We made technical medical language part of everyday conversation. We created new words to describe  emotions that had no words. We repurposed old words or combined two words to express a way of life we never expected. Lockdowns. WFH. Pancession. Doomscrolling.We made phrases to unite us, others to make us laugh, and some to explain our confusion. Workers became essential and advertisers made them heroes.   Do you speak Corona?GUESTS:Peter Sokolowski is a lexicographer and editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster; he's also a musician and public radio jazz host at NEPR, and he's the author of a chapter in The Whole World in a Book (@PeterSokowski) Tony Horne is a linguist, lexicographer, and a language consultant in the faculty of Arts and Humanities, at King’s College, London (@tonythorne007) Justin Peters is a correspondent for Slate and the author of  The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet (@justintrevett)Join the conversation on Facebook and TwitterColin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/23/2020 • 48 minutes, 52 seconds

Historian Christine Sismondo says that "America, as we know it, was born in a bar."Taverns were where the Boston Tea Party was planned. They were where court cases were carried out, where land was bought and sold, where immigrants came to congregate.Over the centuries since, bars have fostered so much social change. And today, they're where we go to meet people, to catch the game, to talk about our problems, to relax.Or at least they were. Back when bars were open, back when there were games to catch... Back when we could relax.This hour, a look at what we've been missing these last few months when we've been missing bars.GUESTS:Rand Richards Cooper - A contributing editor at Commonweal, and he writes the "In Our Midst" column for Hartford MagazineChristine Sismondo - The author of America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog ShopsKarl Franz Williams - Principle, The Anchor Spa in New HavenSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/22/2020 • 49 minutes

Religious scholar Elaine Pagels trusted the Gospel of Thomas to get her through the almost unbearably painful years after the death of her six-year-old son -- born with a congenital heart defect -- followed one year later by the unexpected death of her husband. Thomas was one of many hidden texts discovered in a cave in Egypt in 1945, written around the time of Jesus but omitted from the New Testament. Pagels's exploration of the secret gospels revealed early Christianity to be a mix of traditions, stories, music, mysticism, art, and poetry that were lost in later versions perpetuated by individual Christian groups. Pagels wonders how Roman Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, and Quakers -- to name a few -- could all proclaim themselves the one true version of Christianity.The Gnostic Gospels challenged thousands of years of Christian ideology regarding our views on God, women, sexuality, and death that still dictate the cultural values we follow today. How had we not become aware that thousands of years of censoring Christianity has come to contradict our own experience of what is meaningful in our lives?So often, religion fails us in our time of need. The Gnostic Gospels gave Elaine Pagels hope. She was grateful for that. GUEST: Elaine Pagels - Professor of Religion at Princeton University and the author of several books including The Gnostic Gospels, Beyond Belief, and, most recently, Why Religion? A Personal StoryJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 21, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/20/2020 • 49 minutes, 31 seconds

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus continues to rise in many parts of the U.S., with sharp rises in places like Florida, Nevada, Alabama, Texas, and Puerto Rico. Yet, President Trump continues to attribute the rise to more testing -- despite the rise in hospitalizations and deaths -- and he wants to reduce federal aid for more testing, tracing, and for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Also this hour: The ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday shows former Vice President Joe Biden leading President Trump by 15 points among registered voters, 55% to 40%. A majority of respondents are not happy with the president's handling of the coronavirus, among other things.On a happier note: It's National Moth Week!GUESTS:Maria Sundaram is an infectious disease epidemiologist. She’s a postdoc fellow at ICES in Toronto and a regular contributor to BBC OS (@mariasundaram)Steven Shepard is senior campaign and elections editor and chief polling analyst for Politico. (@politico_steve)Liti Haramaty is a founding member of the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission and vice-chair of the East Brunswick Commission. She's co-founder of National Moth Week and a researcher at the department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University. (@LeeTeeK)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/20/2020 • 49 minutes

Four years ago, over the course of three days, film crews documented the musical Hamilton as performed by nearly its entire original Broadway cast. Eventually, Disney bought the distribution rights to the movie and planned to release it in theaters next fall. But then there was a pandemic, and people were stuck in their houses, and the film dropped on Disney+ earlier this month.And: Kanye West is running for president. Unless he isn't. But maybe he is.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Grant Imahara, Host of 'MythBusters' and 'White Rabbit Project,' Dies at 49This Pickle Is a CakeWelcome to the viral world of hyper-realistic cake slicing videos.26 Hilarious Tweets About All Those Cakes We're Seeing On The Internet"Are we human? Or are we cake?"TikTok users panic as Trump admin considers banning appFar Side creator Gary Larson publishes first new cartoons in 25 yearsAfter coming out of retirement, the cartoonist says digital technology has allowed him to rediscover the fun of drawingIn Conversation: Thandie NewtonAfter decades onscreen, nothing surprises the Westworld actress, though what she’s ready to share will surprise you.This Profile of Charlie Kaufman Has ChangedHow do you write about Hollywood’s most self-referential screenwriter at a destabilizing moment in history? It takes more than one draft.How 'Inception' Redefined Christopher NolanCould U.S. Theaters Stay Closed Until Mid-2021?Walt Disney World's Reopening Video Didn't Go Over So WellGUESTS:Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorksJacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz EngineJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/17/2020 • 49 minutes

Our ancestors viewed sleep as a highly sensual and transcendent experience. Today, about a third of adults have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or feeling rested. We're becoming a nation of insomniacs.We live in what Rubin Naiman calls, a "wake-centric era,” where sleeping and dreaming are viewed as less important than being awake and on the go. It's hard to come down from the hyperaroused state we whip ourselves into by the end of a day.  It's not surprising that we can't sleep. Insomnia can be miserable when all we want to do is sleep. But it's more a human condition than a medical condition to be solved by sleeping pills and tech gadgets. Plus, insomnia can have its upside. Our minds can be more open to insights and new possibilities in the dark quiet of night when our thoughts can wander to unknown places that the conscious mind can’t see. GUESTS: Marina Benjamin is a writer and Senior Editor at Aeon magazine. She’s written five books. Her latest memoir is Insomnia. She’s also the author of The Middlepause and Garden Among Fires: A Lockdown Anthology. (@marinab52)Rubin Naiman is a psychologist, clinical assistant professor of medicine and the sleep and dream specialist at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (@drnaiman)Charlotte Jee is a writer and reporter for MIT Technology Review, where she also writes The Download newsletter (@charlottejee)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/16/2020 • 49 minutes

For decades, we didn't take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as "chewing gum for the eyes," as, literally, furniture.And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television.And now... the president is a TV character.This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker's television critic.GUEST:Emily Nussbaum - Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV RevolutionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/15/2020 • 49 minutes

The number of people being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rising in 48 states. We're testing more, but the rate of positive tests, hospitalizations, and in some states, deaths, is also rising.On Sunday, Florida recorded 15,300 new cases, the highest single-day total to date. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 60,000 new cases in the U.S. on Monday. And we're seeing the same delays in test results and shortages of protective gear that we experienced in the spring.Should we be more focused on what's happening now instead of reopening bars and schools? Also this hour: Election law scholar Richard Hasen says we need a 28th amendment to secure voting rights in this country. The U.S. Constitution contains no affirmative right to vote. Social policy and responsive representation should reflect everyone’s needs, not just those most likely to turn out with their votes and dollars.GUESTS:Saskia Popescu is an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona (@SaskiaPopescu)  Richard Hasen is a professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. He is a founding co-editor of Election Law Journal and runs The Election Blog. His new book is Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat To American Democracy. (@rickhasen)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/14/2020 • 49 minutes

"Dante's Inferno" is the most famous section of Dante Aligheri's 14,000 line epic poem, The Divine Comedy. But it's only the first part of Dante's long pilgrimage through the afterlife. He first enters the circles of hell, filled with beasts and sinners doomed to the Inferno for crimes like gluttony, lust, and treason. Dante slowly recognizes a glimmer of each sinner's fault in his own character as he makes his way through hell. His recognition of his humanity led him up the steep mountain of purgatory and ultimately toward a paradise opened by his enlightenment. The story of The Divine Comedy is an adventure story based on Dante's real life in 14th century Italy. He was deeply wrapped up in the politics of his time. He was a city official, diplomatic negotiator, poet, and a man who dared to cross the pope. He was exiled from his city, never to return under threat of death. He left all behind, except his unrequited love for Beatrice. Nearly broken and in a "dark wood" of grief in midlife, Dante wrote a masterpiece that is remarkably relevant today for all of us who have ever been in the dark wood of loss. This hour, we talk to three people who walked with Dante through the dark wood.GUESTS:Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/13/2020 • 49 minutes

Sand is the most abundant material on Earth. And, other than water and air, sand is the natural resource we consume more than any other -- more, even, than oil.The pyramids are made of sand. Our roads and driveways and sidewalks are made of sand. Concrete buildings and their concrete foundations are made of sand. From computer chips to computer screens, window panes to lightbulbs, breast implants to the Hubble telescope, sand is basically the essential building block of civilization.Humans are estimated to consume almost 50 billion tons of sand and gravel every year.Oh, and, by the way: We're running out of it.For a look at Sue McGrew's crazy impressive sand sculptures, check out her website.GUESTS:Vince Beiser - Author of The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed CivilizationSarah Page Kyrcz - A reporter who covers Guilford and Madison for the Shoreline TimesSue McGrew - Professional sand sculptorJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 9, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/10/2020 • 50 minutes

Over the past weeks, cities across the country have implemented curfews in response to George Floyd protests and to enforce stay-at-home orders during COVID-19.This hour, we discuss whether emergency curfews really keep people safer or become another way to intimidate and discriminate. Also, the history and wisdom of juvenile curfews and what it's like to protest after curfew.And we learn about early curfews across the pond during the British Empire.GUESTS:Roger Ekirch - The author of five books including At Day's Close: Night in Times PastDennis Keeney - Former police officer and current professor in the John Jay Department of Criminal Justice at City University of New YorkMike Males - An American sociologist and senior researcher at the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco*kalfani Ture - Assistant professor of criminology at Quinnipiac University and a former police officerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/9/2020 • 49 minutes

Is it safe to say that we're not yet ready to kiss and make up with the banks whose reckless behavior led to the 2008 financial crisis? A little contrition would go a long way to helping us forgive and forget. That's not happening, at least not with Deutsche Bank, the preferred bank of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.Deutsche Bank lent money to rogue states that funded terrorist activities that hurt U.S. soldiers. They laundered money for Russian oligarchs, sold securities they knew were bad, gave out multimillion-dollar bonuses, and fired whistleblowers who tried to tell. They lent money to Donald Trump, despite his repeated defaults on his loans, and Jeffrey Epstein long after he was shunned for molesting young girls.You may wonder how this could happen. Basically, a massive lack of accountability on behalf of the Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, shareholders, board members, and the federal government. That's a lot of people.No wonder Elizabeth Warren threatened to take on the big banks.GUESTS:David Enrich - Business investigations editor at The New York Times and the author of Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and An Epic Trail of DestructionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/7/2020 • 48 minutes

The Argus Pheasant is a lifelong bachelor. He mates with multiple females but has no further contact with his mates or the baby pheasants he sires. By human terms, not much of a feminist.Yet, he stages a chivalrous courtship on moonlit nights on a forest stage he clears with meticulous care. He sings and dances and pecks. He encompasses his 'date' in a cape of intricately-colored four-foot-long feathers. He ends with a bow.  Evolutionarily, there's no purpose for the spectacular feathers on the Argus Pheasant - unless you consider they may have evolved to satisfy the sexual preferences of the female Argus.Darwin, while famous for his theory on evolution through battle for the fittest, also promoted a second, less popular theory of evolution through female sexual preference. This theory may also shed light on evolved human traits and behaviors we don't need to survive - like female org*sm and same-sex preferences. GUESTS:Richard Prum - Evolutionary Ornithologist, Professor of Ornithology at Yale and the curator of Ornithology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. He’s the author of The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World - and Us. Patricia Brennan - Evolutionary Biologist, Behavioral Ecologist and visiting lecturer at Mount Holyoke College.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/6/2020 • 49 minutes

You're Not Dying. But Panic Attacks Can Make You Think You Are." width="100%">You're shopping for groceries. Out of the blue your heart starts to race, your knees feel week, you feel like you can't breathe, like you might be having a heart attack. You wonder if you're losing your mind -- but you're not. You're having a panic attack. About 1 in 4 people have had at least one panic attack during their lives, yet few like to admit it. Because panic manifests through physical symptoms that can mimic a heart attack, a lot of people feel shame when they go to the ER and find there's nothing wrong with them. In the absence of a test that defines panic, a lot of people worry they might be losing their mind.  Also this hour: Panic ensued in Times Square in early August when a motorcycle backfired. Fear of being caught in the crossfire of gun shots has led to a collective panic of loud noises in public places. GUESTS:  Geraldine DeRuiter - Writer, public speaker and the author of All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft. Her blog is titled, The "Everywhereist." Jacques Lamarre - Connecticut-based playwright and director of client services at BuzzEngineCara McDonough - Freelance writer who writes for several publications, including the Washington Post. Her blog is titled, “Caramcduna.”David Tolin - Director, Anxiety Disorders Center & Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Institute of LivingJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/6/2020 • 49 minutes

The raft of renaming going on right now obviously hasn't spared popular culture. The Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum are now The Chicks and Lady A, respectively. Björk's record label changed its name. Democrats want to rename John Wayne Airport. FedEx has formally asked the Washington Redskins to change their name, and Guilford's board of education voted to drop the town's "Indians" nickname. And, while Splash Mountain is going to keep being called Splash Mountain, it won't be based on Song of the South anymore.And: The King of Staten Island is the sixth feature film directed by Judd Apatow. It stars Pete Davidson (who also co-wrote the movie with Apatow and Dave Sirus) as a 24-year-old high school dropout who lives with his mother on Staten Island. It's available for rental on digital platforms.Some other stuff that happened over the last month, give or take:Carl Reiner, Comedy Legend and 'Dick Van Dyke Show' Creator, Dies at 98Joel Schumacher, Director of Batman Films and 'Lost Boys,' Dies at 80Hugh Downs, Perennial Small-Screen Fixture, Is Dead at 99A longtime host of both "Today" and "20/20," for many years he held the Guinness-certified record for most total hours on commercial network television.Legendary Batman writer, Denny O'Neil dies at age 81Benny Mardones, 'Into the Night' Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 73At 99, Al Jaffee Says Goodbye to Mad MagazineAs a send-off for the cartoonist, the satirical publication has prepared an all-Jaffee issue that includes his final Fold-In.Olivia de Havilland, the Last Remaining Star of Old Hollywood, Turns 104The Long Battle Over 'Gone With the Wind'The 1939 blockbuster once symbolized the ultimate in mass entertainment. But African-Americans have protested against it from the start, even if white America didn't want to hear it.The Gentlemanly Hater's Guide to Gone With the WindThe Hollywood classic is a soap opera and a war movie smashed together. It’s also really, really racist.'Jaws' Is Still Devouring Us. SOS!In 1975, this thriller freaked out the world, scaring us out of the water and creating the summer-blockbuster template. It was also a warning.'Back To The Future' At 35: Looking Back On The Movie That Made America Great AgainHeads Up, Hollywood: Agents Can Vote For Oscars NowAcademy delays 2021 Oscars ceremony because of coronavirusBroadway Will Remain Closed Through the Rest of the YearThe industry has not yet set a reopening date, but said it would now refund tickets through Jan. 3.Chuck E. Cheese Files for BankruptcyWalmart Will Convert Parking Lots Into Drive-Ins This Summer, Teams with Tribeca For Touring Screening Series'The Trip to Greece' tops New Zealand box office as cinemas return to full capacityUnsubscribe: The $0-budget movie that 'topped the US box office'Bob Dylan Has a Lot on His MindIn a rare interview, the Nobel Prize winner discusses mortality, drawing inspiration from the past, and his new album, "Rough and Rowdy Ways."Jon Stewart Is Back to Weigh InThe end of credits: why doesn't Netflix want us to watch them?The end credits are an unsexy but important part of the experience -- but streaming platforms seem to be interested only in getting us to the next piece of contentA Redditor Revealed He Left His Wife Over His Funko Pops Collection And People On Twitter Had Thoughts"$500 a month?! How many Funko Pops is that? Where do you put all the Funkos?!"Batman Returns! Michael Keaton in Talks to Play Bruce Wayne in 'The Flash' MovieThat plot will introduce general audiences to the idea of the multiverse, one of the of core concepts underpinning DC ComicsProducer Effie Brown: "People Didn't Want to Work With Me" After Calling Out Matt Damon on 'Project Greenlight' Diversity IssuesBlack Performers and Other Minority Alums of The Second City and The UCB Join Forces, Asking Their Theaters To Do betterMany newsrooms are now capitalizing the B in Black. Here are some of the people who made that happenIt took years of work behind the scenes, both with the Associated Press and despite seemingly sacred style rules.NFL To Play Black National Anthem Before Week One Games, Considers Placing Police Violence Victims' Names on Jerseys, HelmetsJeremy Piven Is Available For A Zoom Call If You Have A Spare... $15,000?!A 'Reimagined' Beavis and Butt-Head Is Coming to Comedy CentralGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star RevueRich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/3/2020 • 49 minutes

Maria Konnikova, best-selling New York Times author and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, has long been interested in understanding the balance between skill and luck. How much of her life could she take credit for and how much was the luck of her draw? So, she took a year away from work to become a professional poker player. What better way to learn how skill and luck play out in life than by learning the game that best balances these two competing forces? Unlike the pure chance of roulette or the mathematical precision of chess, poker finely balances chance and skill, particularly the game of no limit Texas Hold'em.How can we use poker to help us strengthen our hand against Covid-19 and the economic downturn? How do we make the best of a bad hand?GUEST:Maria Konnikova is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, and professional poker player. Her newest book is The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned To Pay Attention, Master Myself, And Win. She is a regularly contributing writer for The New Yorker (@mkonnikova)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/2/2020 • 49 minutes

Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Belushi, John Candy, Rick Moranis.Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Beverly Hills Cop, Caddyshack, The Jerk, Ghost Busters, ¡Three Amigos!, Funny Farm, Spaceballs, Stripes.We maybe didn't properly appreciate it at the time, but the 1980s were one of the most fertile periods ever for screen comedies and screen comedians.This hour, a look at the mavericks who shaped a whole comedy aesthetic and at some of the most popular movie comedies ever made.GUESTS:Nick de Semlyen - Features editor for Empire and the author of Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood ForeverDaniel Kalwhite - A standup comedian based in New HavenCarolyn Paine - A standup comedian, an actress, and a dancerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired July 11, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7/1/2020 • 50 minutes

Your sex life doesn't have to suffer just because you're cooped up at home every day. Researchers say that sex is a healthy way to calm the anxiety of pandemic, even if you live alone. Virtual dating, masturbation, and coronavirus-related p*rn are more popular than ever. Some sex researchers think our desire for sex in the middle of a pandemic is one way we cope with the prospect of our own mortality. But not everyone reacts in the same way. Some lose their desire for sex, especially when you pile on added stressors like losing a job, having kids home from school, or working in a higher-risk job.Also this hour: How will coronavirus change the way we think about touching others?We take a look at sex, dating, and relationships in the shadow of coronavirus.GUESTS:Justin Lehmiller - A research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, the founder and editor of the Sex and Psychology blog, and the author of Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex LifeLisa Bonos- Writes about dating and relationships for the Washington PostAmy Weissfeld - A somatic sex educator and masturbation coachCathrine Jansson-Boyd - A consumer psychologist at Anglia Ruskin UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, TJ Coppola, and Joe Coss contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/29/2020 • 49 minutes

There are just over 10 million cases of coronavirus globally and almost 500,000 deaths. U.S. deaths recently rose to 125,000.Yet, the Trump Administration continues to downplay the seriousness of this pandemic. The White House Coronavirus Task Force met Friday for the first time in two months, with Vice-President Pence acknowledging the surge in several states but insisting, "We're in a much better place," than we were two months ago. Also this hour: The estimated backlog of unopened mail at the IRS is about eleven million. And that doesn't include the one million pieces of mail that continue to come in every day. It may take a while to get your tax refund. Lastly, fireworks are a rite of summer. In this summer of pandemic, police brutality, and overall mistrust, fireworks have attracted darker conspiracies. GUESTS:Rebecca Katz is a Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University Medical Center. (@rebeccakatz5) Kelly Phillips Erb is a managing shareholder at the Erb Law Firm, a Senior Contributor at Forbes, regular columnist for Bloomberg Tax, and author of the “Taxgirl” blog. (@taxgirl)Kaitlyn Tiffany is a staff writer for The Atlantic. (@kait_tiffany)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/29/2020 • 49 minutes

The movie musical died a long, slow death a long time ago. Right?Well, except that there's La La Land. And Moana. And The Greatest Showman and A Star Is Born and Mary Poppins Returns. Oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. And Frozen II and The Lion King and Aladdin.Those are just from the last five years. And I could keep going, but then I might forget to mention that Steven Spielberg's version of West Side Story is scheduled to come out this year or that the Hamilton movie comes out next week.This hour, a long look at the long-dead movie musical. Long live the movie musical.GUESTS:Jeanine Basinger - Founder of the Department of Film Studies at Wesleyan University and the author of twelve books on film; her latest is The Movie Musical!Steve Metcalf - Director of the University of Hartford's Presidents' CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 5, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/25/2020 • 50 minutes

It's nice to meet you! How do you like it here in Connecticut? Small talk is both the bane of our existence and essential in our existential quest to understand our place in the world.Whether you like it or hate it may depend, in part, on whether you like speech that establishes and maintains relationships or speech that provides information. We talk to a humorist, writing teacher, meteorologist, and philosopher about small talk. And we want to hear about your small talk stories. GUESTS:Alexandra Petri - A columnist for The Washington Post, a punning champion, and the author of Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is WhyIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeGarett Argianas - A forensic meteorologist and Connecticut Public Radio's weather forecasterAgnes Callard - Associate professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, monthly columnist for The Point magazine, and a contributor to The New York TimesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 4, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/24/2020 • 49 minutes

Nobody likes termites. They get into the wood in our homes and can lead to infuriating and expensive repairs. What's to like?It turns out, there's a lot to like termites. Scientists study how they build their mounds for clues to solving some of the world's most pressing problems, like mitigating the effects of drought, building colonies on Mars, and creating biofuels.Plus, their ability to adapt to the harshest conditions over millions of years says a lot about them. Almost 90% of the microbes found in their guts are unique to the termite. Those same gut microbes are what make them so productive and, on the flip side, so destructive.Lastly, some believe termites work with joy and have a soul. You be the judge.GUESTS:Jennifer Dacey - An entomologist and a wildlife biologist and integrated pest management technician in the UConn Department of Plant Science and Landscape ArchitectureLisa Margonelli - Author of Underbug: An Obsessive Tale of Termites and TechnologyMick Pearce - An architectJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 29, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/24/2020 • 50 minutes

Humans typically make enough collective noise to keep the earth vibrating at a steady hum. But the pandemic has quieted that hum enough to let seismologists study the vibrations that can be hard to detect in the din of our noise.The world is eerily silent now, showing us how accustomed we have become to cacophony of loud sound in our lives. We're hardwired to focus on the sounds we need to hear and tune out those we don't. It's hard to notice what we miss when cars and horns and other noisemakers compete for our sonic attention.And we don't always notice how loud it is until it's quiet.Today, an ode to the sound we take for granted, including the soothing sound of another human voice on the telephone. Yep, that's what I said. The telephone.  GUESTS:David Owen is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of more than a dozen books. His newest book is Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening WorldChris Hoff is a sound engineer and co-creator with Sam Harnett, of the podcast, "The World According to Sound." (@chrisjameshoff)Sam Harnett is a reporter and co-creator with Chris Hoff, of the podcast, "The World According to Sound." (@samwharnett)Heather Radke is a writer and critic. Her work has appeared in The Believer, The Paris Review Daily, and RadioLab, among others. Her book, BUTTS, will be published in 2021. (@hradke)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/23/2020 • 49 minutes

Dust is a fascinating substance. Our bodies are always shedding dust from our skin, hair, and nails, leaving little bits of DNA wherever we roam. Dust floats unseen through the air around us. It's light. It's hard to see unless it lands on a contrasting surface or crosses the path of a ray of sunshine. It can travel far and wide.  Earth collects more than 100 tons of cosmic dust a day. A speck of it might be in your rug. The unseen dust deeply embedded in our homes over many years becomes an archive of every "geochemical" substance that's ever entered our home. All of history is recorded in the dust we create: the pollution we make, the fires we start, the chemicals we use, the volcanos that erupt. Scientists can learn about the Roman Empire through the dust that has been compressed each year for thousands of years into layers of ice sheets in Greenland. Today, we talk about the science and politics of dust. We also talk to a cleaning expert who will take your questions about dust and an artist who makes dust bunnies--bunnies sculptures from dust.GUESTS: Jay Owens - Geographer and research director at Pulsar Platform. She writes a newsletter about dust she calls, “Disturbances.” (@hautepop)Jolie Kerr - Cleaning expert and advice columnist for The Inventory and the host of the podcast “Ask a Clean Person.” She’s also the author of My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag...and Other Things You Can't Ask Martha. She’s the resident cleaning expert for the New York Times. (@joliekerr)Suzanne Proulx - Artist, sculpture and Assistant Professor, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/22/2020 • 49 minutes

Scientists say humans don't know how to breathe very well. We don't breathe deep enough, we breathe too much, and we breathe through our mouths instead of our noses. Our bad breathing can lead to conditions that we don't typically associate with the way we breathe, such as asthma.We can't take all the blame. The tradeoff of humans evolving to have bigger brains hundreds of thousands of years ago, is that our brains squeezed our noses, sinuses, tongues, and jaws into smaller spaces. That's why humans are the only species of 5,400 mammals to have misaligned jaws, overbites, underbites, and crooked teeth.We inhale and exhale about 25,000 breaths per day, but we don't think about how we're breathing or how it makes us feel until COVID-19 and police brutality make it hard to breathe.We're finally paying attention.The science, art, and politics of breathing.GUESTS:James Nestor - A journalist and author; his most recent book is Breath: The New Science of a Lost ArtDahlia Lithwick - A senior editor for Slate and the host of AmicusJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/18/2020 • 49 minutes

We've done this show every year since 2013. We almost certainly didn't do it 2012. But we did in 2011. And there's good circ*mstantial evidence that we did it in 2010 too, but no actual record of that possibly inaugural episode survives.Point is: Our song of the summer show is a bit of a tradition. It's a tradition that... makes some people angry, we realize. It's a tradition that we're not sure has ever made anyone happy.And that all has to do with how we define the term. We use the Amanda Dobbins definition:Let's be clear about how this works: There is no such thing as a 'personal' song of summer. We do not anoint multiple songs of summer. There can only be one; the Song of Summer, by its very definition, is a consensus choice. It is the song that wrecks wedding dance floors. It is the song that you and your mother begrudgingly agree on (even though your mom has no idea what rhymes with 'hug me' and won't stop yelling it in public). It does not necessarily have to hit No. 1 on the charts, but it should probably be on the charts because it must be widely played. It must bring people together. It must be a shared enthusiasm.And so, our job here is to try to predict a thing that you and your mom will agree on like three months from now.Try not to get too annoyed with us.GUESTS:Abby Govindan - A standup comedian based in New York CitySam Hadelman - Host of The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free BrooklynBrendan Jay Sullivan - A writer, producer, and DJ best known for his work with Lady GagaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/17/2020 • 41 minutes, 59 seconds

Social structures, in almost all cases, are defined by some form of hierarchy. Whether in academics, sports, religion, business, or politics, there's usually someone at the top and others whose goal it is to get there. But while it's easy to think that we've designed our world to be this way, the truth may be that we had no choice.Among our primate ancestors and other social animals  we can see similar hierarchies in place: Alpha males dominating the troop while subordinates fall in line, pecking orders among various birds and dominance hierarchies among wolf packs. Even insects such as bees and termites form their own systems of social ranking. Are hierarchies mandated by evolution? Is there something in nature -- in our genes, even -- which gives rise to the stratified society we live in? Though it sounds like a notion proposed by those with power in defense of their rank, the reality is that it may be a hard truth of human nature.Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.GUESTS:Melvyn Fein - Professor of Sociology at Kennesaw State University, editor of The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology, author of Human Hierarchies: A General TheoryChristopher Boehm - Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology, former Director of The Goodall Research Center at The University of Southern California Dornsife, author of Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian BehaviorSteven A. Peterson - Director of the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg, focusing on the intersection of biology and politics, co-author of Darwinism, Dominance and DemocracyMUSIC:“Hierarchy” by The Noisettes“High School Hierarchy” by Alexander Tso“I’m In Charge” by Dee JonesSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/16/2020 • 41 minutes, 30 seconds

No one likes a cloudy sky. A cloud on the horizon is seen as a harbinger of doom. We feel like clouds need to have silver linings.But here's our thesis: Clouds are unfairly maligned.Consider this: From almost any vantage point (literally — any vantage point in the universe), clouds are planet Earth's defining characteristic.They're what changes, what moves. They're what's going on on our pale blue dot.Clouds are, after all, the vehicle that spreads the sun's energy across the planet, an "expression of the atmosphere's moods."This hour, an appreciation of clouds.GUESTS:Gavin Pretor-Pinney - Founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society, author of The Cloudspotter's Guide and The Cloud Collector's HandbookDavid Romps - Assistant professor of Earth & Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley; runs The Romps Group, which studies clouds and climateKarolina Sobecka - An interdisciplinary artist and designer whose work has focused repeatedly on cloudsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 6, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/15/2020 • 50 minutes

No Country for Old Men. Fargo. The Big Lebowski. Raising Arizona. Barton Fink. Miller's Crossing. Blood Simple. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.Over the past 36 years, Joel and Ethan Coen have reliably been among the most recognizable voices in moviemaking.This hour: a Noseish look at the work of the Coen brothers.GUESTS:Tom Breen - Film critic and the host of WNHH radio's Deep FocusSkip Lievsay - Sound editor, mixer, and designer for film and television; he won the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing for Gravity, and he's done the sound on every Coen brothers pictureAdam Nayman - The author of The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films TogetherJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show, which originally aired November 21, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/11/2020 • 50 minutes

It took two years for the word AIDS to get from coinage to dictionary. It took COVID-19 thirty-four days. The pandemic has inspired a thousand new or repurposed words, slang, nicknames, and neologisms.It has changed the way we speak.  We made technical medical language part of everyday conversation. We created new words to describe  emotions that had no words. We repurposed old words or combined two words to express a way of life we never expected. Lockdowns. WFH. Pancession. Doomscrolling.We made phrases to unite us, others to make us laugh, and some to explain our confusion. Workers became essential and advertisers made them heroes.   Do you speak Corona?GUESTS:Peter Sokolowski is a lexicographer and editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster; he's also a musician and public radio jazz host at NEPR, and he's the author of a chapter in The Whole World in a Book (@PeterSokowski) Tony Horne is a linguist, lexicographer, and a language consultant in the faculty of Arts and Humanities, at King’s College, London (@tonythorne007) Justin Peters is a correspondent for Slate and the author of  The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet (@justintrevett)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/11/2020 • 49 minutes

The leagues are working in earnest toward starting back up. The NBA has a plan. Major League Baseball can't seem to work one out. Major League Soccer might beat them both back onto the field.How is this all going to work? What are sports going to look like when they start playing games again? Should they start playing games again?Plus: One of the ways we've dealt with a sportsless world these last few months -- betting on esports.And, in case you didn't know there were multiple crises on at once: a look at sports in the time of protest.GUESTS:Marc Carig - Senior writer for The Athletic, where he covers Major League BaseballBen Cohen - Sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the author of The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of StreaksSeth Schiesel A freelance writer for The New York Times and ProtocolJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/10/2020 • 49 minutes

A group of health officials gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss infectious disease learn that forty-seven people at an internment camp in Indonesia have died from acute hemorrhagic fever.This is how Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright, begins his new novel that in many ways, predicts the pandemic we're currently experiencing. He joins us to talk about it. Before we get to the fiction of pandemic, we speak with an epidemiologist about the reality of our current pandemic. GUESTS: Michael Mina is an assistant professor of epidemiology and faculty member at the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (@michaelmina_lab)Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and a staff writer for The New Yorker. His book, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2007. His most recent book is The End of October, a novel about a pandemic. (@lawrence_wright)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/8/2020 • 49 minutes

We've all seen any number of emails and Tweets and Facebook posts this week from companies supporting protests and the like. Entertainment industry firms have jumped on that bandwagon too, but The Washington Post's Alyssa Rosenberg has a different idea about how those particular players might be able to help: by shutting down all the police movies and TV shows.And: Comedian Sarah Cooper has found an elegant, perhaps surprisingly effective way to lampoon the president. She just lip syncs to his own words.And finally: The Vast of Night is the feature film debut of writer and director Andrew Patterson. He financed its $700,000 budget himself, and after its premiere at last year's Slamdance Film Festival, Amazon acquired it. The Twilight Zone-style sci-fi mystery debuted on Amazon Prime last weekend.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Christo, Artist Who Wrapped and Festooned on an Epic Scale, Dies at 84Mountains, museums, bridges and Central Park were just some of what he used to make astonishing and popular art with his wife and collaborator, Jeanne-Claude.Bruce Jay Friedman, 90, Author With a Darkly Comic Worldview, DiesAn unusual case in American letters, he moved easily between literature and pop culture, including movies like "Stir Crazy" and "Splash," to great acclaim.The Remaking of Steve BuscemiSteve Buscemi has seen it all. He was hit by a car and a bus as a kid, was once stabbed in a bar fight, volunteered as a firefighter during 9/11, and somewhere along the way became one of the most accomplished film actors of his generation. And then tragedy struck: In 2019, Buscemi lost his wife of over 30 years. In a rare interview, Hollywood's most beloved misfit opens up about anxiety, loss, and the hard work of getting through it all.Why Your Local Comics Shop Matters Now More Than EverFeeling Lucky at 90: The Clint Eastwood Passion ProjectOne of Hollywood's most enduring icons enters his 10th decade on the planet this week. After more than 50 films, 38 directed by the man himself, what's left to say about Clint Eastwood? Two fans look at old favorites and a few less heralded works to paint a picture of sustained, often unpredictable artistry.Necco Wafers make their triumphant return 2 years after the factory that made them closed its doorsHBO's 'Watchmen' Was Ahead of its Time -- By 9 MonthsGUESTS:Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/5/2020 • 49 minutes

In 2007, journalist Alan Weisman published The World Without Us. It was an international bestseller. The book tries to answer what is ultimately a simple question: What happens to the Earth if human beings disappear? Here's how Weisman puts it in the book: "Say a hom*o sapiens-specific virus -- natural or diabolically nano-engineered -- picks us off but leaves everything else intact." Then what?And over these last few months, we've gotten maybe a fraction of a percentage point there. Temporarily. Maybe not directly because of coronavirus, but indirectly because of our absence and scarceness due to stay-at-home orders and the like. And so... then what?Well, goats "took over" a town in Wales. Wild boar "invaded" a town near Barcelona. Salamanders "own the road" in Maine. And the air got cleaner and the night sky got clearer.And so it follows: Now what?GUESTS:Beth Gardiner - Author of Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air PollutionBrandon Keim - A freelance journalist specializing in animals, nature, and scienceAlan Weisman - The author of six books including The World Without UsJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/4/2020 • 49 minutes

When did the horrors that once seemed unthinkable become commonplace?We're in the throes of a global pandemic. People protesting a police officer who kept his knee on a black man's neck for over eight minutes, two minutes beyond when he lost consciousness, were tear gassed to make room for a photo op for President Trump.But relax. Nothing is wrong, or at least that's what we're told by a president who thinks this is a wonderful time to be alive. There is no climate change (even though we'll soon see water where there once was land). The pandemic will go away any minute now. There'll be a wonderful vaccine soon (different from all the others I pan). In the meantime, we can take a very (un)safe drug that works miracles if we get infected. The underlying economy is great (except for the 40 million currently unemployed), and I'm the most stable of geniuses.GUEST:Alexandra Petri - Columnist for The Washington Post; her new book is Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why: Essays (@petridishes)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/3/2020 • 49 minutes

Something different is happening in America at this moment. Do you feel it? We want to hear from you. Call us during our live show Tuesday, from 1 to 2 p.m., at 888-720-9677 or 888-720-WNPR.People across America are protesting the same police brutality against black Americans that never seems to stop.America has suffered more deaths from COVID-19 than any other nation, and we still don't have a federal plan to deal with it, despite the efforts of health care workers and scientists.President Trump had threatened to deploy the military if the state officials he first felt the need to denigrate couldn't control the looting in their locales. He proceeded to order the police to use tear gas and flash grenades to disperse peaceful protesters so that he could pose in front of a burned church with a Bible in his hand.Let's not forget the President's efforts to disenfranchise the same voters he's gassing by trying to prevent them from voting in November.Are we finally at a turning point where we can no longer tolerate the lies and cruelty of the last three years?GUEST:Lawrence Douglas - Author of Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Electoral Meltdown in 2020Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/2/2020 • 50 minutes

The pandemic has laid bare how racism in housing, education, employment, and access to health care, disproportionately hurts Black Americans more than White Americans and leads to police brutality against people the police are supposed to protect.The country is reacting against both the trauma and rage from sustained racism and frustration over a pandemic we can't control. Will the outcry finally lead to lasting change or will we focus on "riots" instead of the underlying problem?Most states have begun to reopen and many Americans shed their masks and social distancing and their concerns about the virus. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. The virus hasn't gone away and there's no evidence that warm weather will make it disappear.GUESTS:Alan Dove is a science journalist with a Ph.D in microbiology, a podcaster, blogger, and a co-host of the podcast "This Week in Virology" (@alandove)Marcus Thompson II is a lead columnist at The Athletic and the author of the biography Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry (@ThompsonScribe)Danielle Kilgo is an assistant professor of journalism in The Media School at Indiana University. She focuses on media coverage of social justice issues and protests.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6/1/2020 • 49 minutes

Hannah Gadsby has been a prominent comedian in Australia for going on 15 years. In America, though, she arrived seemingly from nowhere in 2018 with a Netflix special called Nanette, which won a Peabody and an Emmy. Douglas is Gadsby's follow-up Netflix special. It's, as she calls it, her "difficult second album that is also [her] tenth and some people's first."And: I Know This Much Is True is a six-part HBO miniseries set in Connecticut and based on the Wally Lamb novel of the same name. Mark Ruffalo plays two twin brothers, one who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and one who doesn't. Three episodes have aired so far.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Top Sheets Are The LITERAL [...] WORST — Here's WhyOh sheet.Crocs Are Back In Style. And Not Just Because of Coronavirus.Stay-at-home adults are wearing the comfy shoes. So are young shoppers who want to be seen. 'They are the Nickelback of footwear.'Yankee Stadium Is Being Turned Into a Drive-in Concert and Movie Venue This SummerEnjoy the fun of a festival from the safety of your car.The fate of the summer movie season rests on one Christopher Nolan filmHis new film 'Tenet' is seen as a test of whether, and how, Americans can return to movie theaters after the coronavirus shutdowns endThe game that ate the world: 40 facts on Pac-Man's 40th birthdayThe iconic maze chase has been played billions of times, created one of the 80s' strangest sex symbols, stupefied Martin Amis -- and is now enshrined in a leading art museumWill the coronavirus pandemic open the door to a four-day workweek?When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern floated the idea of a four-day workweek, an audience outside the country took notice.GUESTS:Cara McDonough - A freelance writer; you can read her blog at caramcduna.comBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/29/2020 • 49 minutes

As the world waits for an end to Covid-19, billions of people find themselves betwixt and between two realities: The pre-pandemic reality we knew, and the post-pandemic reality that is yet to come. As author and Professor of Theology Shelly Rambo wrote in the wake of hurricane Katrina, "Life as it once was cannot be retrieved,... life ahead cannot be envisioned."On today's show we'll explore the concept of crisis liminality and examine ways in which people are trying to cope with the unknown. We'll also speak with experts about the myriad of possible changes that may arise from this liminal state. We will emerge from this crisis changed; for the better or worse remains to be seen.GUESTS:Blanka Domagalska - Lecturer at Otis College of Art and Design teaching courses on product Design, with expertise in art history, media and cultural theory, philosophy and aesthetic liminality Leysia Palen - Professor of Computer Science, as well as Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. She’s also a leader in the field of crisis informaticsGerd Leonhard - Futurist, speaker and author of several books including Technology vs. Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and MachineSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/28/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Shortly after the pandemic shifted our weekday work scenario from one of shared space and bursts of spontaneous conversation, to one hour-long weekly Zoom meeting, Colin shared his urge to sit down with a few old friends to talk about life in the shadow of a pandemic. We take for granted the small connections we make every day, including how good it can feel to talk to a stranger, let alone friends and colleagues.Today, Susan Campbell and Colin get together (by Zoom) to talk about life, pain, and keeping faith amid the successive shockwaves of 9/11, the 2016 election, and a global pandemic. (and some fun stuff too)GUESTS:Susan Campbell is a journalist, columnist, and a distinguished lecturer at the University of New Haven. She’s the author of Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism and the American Girl; Tempest-Tossed: The Spirit of Isabella Beecher Hooker; and, most recently, Frog Hollow: Stories from an American Neighborhood. (@campbellsl)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/27/2020 • 49 minutes

The U.S. is on track to reach 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week. Yet, most states began reopening last week using data that may be undercounting how many people are currently infected. The reopening of some businesses and activities is a step that can lull us to believe that this pandemic is almost behind us. That would be a mistake. The only thing that's changed since March is that we have isolated ourselves from each other enough to let the sick get well before more well people get sick.The virus will continue to infect us - and we'll infect each other - faster than we can control it if we stop wearing masks or socially distancing.A vaccine may not emerge for a long time. We can't jump over the scientific obstacles to getting one, no matter how much the President promotes "Operation Warp Speed." We talk with an epidemiologist and a former musician turned physician, who will talk about his shift from artist to healer. They're not that different.    GUESTS: Gregg Gonsalves is the codirector of the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale Law School and an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. He also writes a weekly series for The Nation. (@gregggonsalves)Hugh Blumenfeld is a ​family physician in Hartford. He's also a ​singer/songwriter,  a former English professor, and Connecticut's 7th State Troubadour. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/26/2020 • 49 minutes

Today, in lieu of The Nose, an hour with America's Greatest Living Film Critic, David Edelstein.GUEST:David Edelstein - America's Greatest Living Film CriticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/22/2020 • 49 minutes

Who would have guessed a face mask would become the latest cultural symbol of our identity, one more way to express our politics, our sense of style, and our deepest beliefs in what it means to be American.Whether you wear a mask might depend less on the science behind the advice, and more on how you view society - are we in this together or is it each (wo)man for him or herself. The mask has become a fashion statement, a staple of our daily attire as we adapt to the reality masks are likely here to stay. We may as well look good while we're going through it. Unless, you're a member of Congress. Fashion designers and DIY sewers are upping the style, many directing surplus to areas of shortage. Masks are even part of the politics of religion. In one case, ancient mummy masks were destroyed as part of a scam to try and rewrite the history of Christianity. We'll explain.We have bogged down the once simple face mask with the weight of our human frailties. I hope they don't split at the seams. GUESTS: Ryan Lizza is Chief Washington Correspondent for Politico and a senior political analyst at CNN. He’s writing a book about 2020 with Olivia Nuzzi. (@RyanLizza) Robin Givhan is fashion critic for The Washington Post. She’s the author of The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History. (@RobinGivhan)  Ariel Sabar is an award-winning journalist and author. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Smithsonian Magazine. His latest book is Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man, And the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife. (@arielsabar)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/20/2020 • 49 minutes

Nyctophiliacs rejoice! The color you know and love (black) is now blacker than ever before. And never mind that black is not technically a color. The point is that as you were traipsing through graveyards and reveling under the night sky, scientists were busy inventing two new shades which are so dark they'd make Wednesday Adams reach for a flashlight.But while Vanta black and Black 3.2 are undoubtedly achievements to be celebrated, they did not come without controversy. Indeed, the feud over who could use the blackest substance on Earth soon had the tempers of some artists running red hot. Can a color even be owned? As it turns out, yes!This hour, we speak with a historian of the color black as well as the creator of one of these remarkable new shades. We'll also speak with a scientist on the other end of the color-creating spectrum about a brand new ultra-white that'll soon be brightening our lives in strange new ways.GUESTS:Stuart Semple - Contemporary British artist and creator of several unique colors including PINK, the world's pinkest pink paint, and most recently Black 3.2, the world's blackest paintJohn Harvey - Life fellow and former director of studies in English at Emmanuel College at Cambridge University; art critic and author of many books, including Men In Black, The Story of Black, and the 2020 U.K. Booker prize-nominated PaxSilvia Vignolini - Associate professor at the University of Cambridge in chemistry and bio-inspired materials; lead researcher and creator of a new, ultra-white coating modeled on the scales of the Cyphochilus beetleJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 19, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/18/2020 • 50 minutes

Connecticut will reopen some businesses on May 20, as coronavirus-related hospitalizations continue to decrease.This may be good news for business owners and unemployed workers, and for those looking for a glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel.It may be scary for people with greater risk for having severe illness from COVID-19 and front-line workers with greater exposure.The bottom line is that we still don't fully understand this virus. And, not all of the 40 states set to reopen are prepared to scale up the testing, tracing, and isolating necessary to prevent a spike in the curve.We must remain vigilant in the absence of a vaccine, and the lag time it will take for a spike to emerge.We talk with a virologist about the search for a vaccine and an emergency doctor about the risks of reopening too early. We want to hear from you too. Call us at 888-720-9677 or 888-720-WNPR.GUESTS:Brianne Barker - Associate professor of biology at Drew University and a co-host of the podcast This Week in Virology (@bioprofbarker)Leana Wen - An emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University; she previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner and is a contributing columnist for The Washington Post (@DrLeanaWen)Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/18/2020 • 49 minutes, 1 second

Twitter announced on Tuesday that its employees who can work from home can continue to work from home -- for forever, if they want. One wonders how many companies will follow suit -- and how employees will feel about such an arrangement.And: Ryan Murphy is the showrunner behind things like Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, 9-1-1, and The Politician. In 2018, Murphy signed the largest development deal in the history of television with Netflix. His new miniseries, Hollywood, is the second project to come out of that deal.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Little Richard, Founding Father of Rock Who Broke Musical Barriers, Dead at 87Pianist-singer behind "Tutti Frutti," "Good Golly Miss Molly," and "Long Tall Sally" set the template that a generation of musicians would followColumn: Will the new coronavirus kill spitting in sports?The pandemic has reminded us: We don't need more sports in our lives -- we need lessRobot dogs are patrolling Singapore parks telling people to socially distanceHow Analog Clocks Can Give Us More by Giving Us LessNearly Half of Men Say They Do Most of the Home Schooling. 3 Percent of Women Agree.New Banksy art unveiled at hospital to thank doctors, nursesContact-Free Movie Theaters Being Tested in South KoreaSolstice Studios' Russell Crowe Road Rage Thriller 'Unhinged' To Be First Film Back In Movie Theaters July 1'Hamilton' Movie Will Stream on Disney Plus on July 3In a surprise move, the film of the original Broadway production is being released 15 months early.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 are being remastered for PS4, Xbox One, and PCTwo classics in one packageA million people are pretending to be ants on Facebook -- and it could be therapeuticMore than 18,000 Facebook users responded to a post of ants on ice cream, writing comments like, "NOM," "SLURP" and "LIFT.TO.THE.QUEEN."Ex-Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga wants MLB to recognize 2010 perfect game, overturn blown callBob Dylan Cancels U.S. Summer Tour in 'Interest of Public Health and Safety'"We hope to be back out on the road at the earliest possible time," he saysInside HBO Max, the $4 Billion Bet to Stand Out in the Streaming WarsGUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/15/2020 • 49 minutes

Bats get a bad rap. People are afraid of animals that tap into our deepest fears and revulsions. Bats aren't cuddly, they fly at night, have big eyes that can’t see, and conjure creepy images of vampires who steal the  blood of the unsuspecting as they sleep. Their role in the pandemic hasn’t made them more popular. Most scientists who study the genomes of bat viruses believe the horseshoe bat played a role in transmitting the virus from an animal to a human host. People encroaching on animal habitats and handling wildlife they shouldn't touch is way more likely to cause a pandemic than the animal who was minding its own business.But fear of bats and disease has led to violence and destruction of bat colonies worldwide. They're vital for pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. Bats also live a long time, have highly efficient immune systems, and are social creatures that share blood with "friends" and adopt orphans. Bats once impressed one dentist so much that he got the U.S. government to support a plan to use bats to bomb Japan during World War II. GUESTS: Jonathan Epstein is a veterinarian, disease ecologist and the Vice President for Science and Outreach for EcoHealth Alliance. His work has been published in Science, Nature, and Emerging Infectious Diseases, among others. (@epsteinjon)Merlin Tuttle is an ecologist, wildlife photographer, and bat conservationist. He’s the founder of Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation and a research fellow at the University of Texas. Cara Giaimo is a freelance writer. She spent three years as a staff writer at Atlas Obscura, and now writes for the New York Times, Grist, Anthropocene Magazine, and elsewhere (@cjgiaimo)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/13/2020 • 38 minutes, 28 seconds

In November, 2016, we did a show about all the problems presented by, well, a-holes. And so it seems only logical to expand our scope a bit and do a show about all the problems presented by, well, a hole.For instance: How many holes are there in a straw? Did you say one? Okay, cool. Then how many holes are there in a sock? (A relatively new sock, I mean.) You said one again, right? But how can both of those things be true at the same time?Or, put another way: What happens to the hole in the donut as you eat the donut around it? This gets into mereology, the theory of parthood relations -- for our purposes, the parts and wholes of holes and the wholes the holes are parts of.Your head hurts a little, right?And then there's trypophobia, an irrational fear of clusters of holes and cracks.And finally: We've just found a black hole right in our cosmic backyard.GUESTS:Chrissie Giles - A science writer and the global health editor at The Bureau of Investigative JournalismMarina Koren - Staff writer at The AtlanticAchille Varzi - Professor of philosophy at Columbia University and the coauthor of Holes and Other SuperficialitiesSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/12/2020 • 49 minutes

We can observe how economic inequality in America plays out during this pandemic by watching who gets help and who gets ignored.Two America's live side by side, often in the same community. Nowhere is it on display more than in Greenwich, Conn., where hedge fund managers in gilded mansions live across town from minimum wage workers in local service jobs.The inequality on display today is the byproduct of decades of policy choices that benefit the wealthy.Also this hour: We help you make sense of the sometimes conflicting news about COVID-19 with the host of the podcast This Week In Virology.GUESTS:Evan Osnos - Staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New ChinaVincent Racaniello - Professor of microbiology & immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and the host of the podcast This Week in VirologyJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/11/2020 • 49 minutes

23 Hours To Kill is Jerry Seinfeld's fourth-ever standup comedy special and his second for Netflix. It hit the streaming service on Tuesday, and The Nose thinks it's great. And also that it sucks.And then: Waco is a six-part miniseries that tells exactly the story you'd guess it tells. Taylor Kitsch plays David Koresh. Waco was the big, original launch title for the Paramount Network when it rebranded from SpikeTV in January, 2018. So why is it relevant now? One wonders, but it was recently added to Netflix, and it's been trending there for weeks.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:'Murder Hornets' in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant HornetSightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.A 5-year-old boy was pulled over in Utah on his way to California to try to buy a LamborghiniWhat will Connecticut restaurants look like after coronavirus? Owners expect an entirely different dining experience from the pastThe Red Sox are exploring 'changes' to their uniformWas Donald Trump Good at Baseball?The president has long claimed he could have gone pro. We looked into it.TV Ratings: Remote 'Voice' Slips to Monday Season LowsGrimes & Elon Musk Have A Baby Boy Named X Æ A-12Turns Out Elon Musk and Grimes Can't Actually Name Their Baby X Æ A-12 Due To California LawsWell, they tried.Risky Business? NASA and Tom Cruise Talk Movie Shoot in SpaceThe head of NASA said the agency is working with the "Mission: Impossible" star on a new film aboard the International Space Station.Drive-Thru Strip Club Serves Up Sexy (And Safe) Solution For Coronavirus BluesLucky Devil Lounge in Oregon has come up with yet another innovative, fun and sexy idea to keep income -- and customers -- coming during the pandemic.What Is Demon Time? Instagram's 'After Dark' Craze, ExplainedTwitter Asks Users to Reconsider Before Sending Vulgar TweetsDrive-in concerts could provide coronavirus workaroundAn Unhappy Ending For Movie Theater Chains AMC And CineworldAdele's new birthday photo thanking frontline workers sparks debate on body imageTV Writers Wrestle With How (and When) to Work COVID-19 Into SeriesWhat Happened to Val Kilmer? He’s Just Starting to Figure It Out.GUESTS:Jim Chapdelaine - An Emmy-winning musician, producer, composer, and recording engineer, and a patient advocate for people with rare cancersTaneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorksJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/8/2020 • 49 minutes

"It is the rare person who doesn't own a pair of sweatpants." I am, it turns out, that rare person. Sweatpants are just too warm, is my take. But I do own a number of pairs of cotton pajama pants. They're my sweatpants proxy.Back before the pandemic became the central preoccupation of our existence, back when we made our radio show in, ya know, a radio studio, I would always get a little dressed up on my show days. I'd wear a jacket. Or a tie. Or a jacket and a tie.Now that we're all working from home all the time, I spend the great majority of my work hours in pajama pants and stocking feet and a bathrobe. But when it comes time for one of my shows -- like this one, for instance -- I change out of my PJ pants into jeans or chinos. That's what "a little dressed up" means these days: putting real pants on. (Or even "hard pants," as they're now known.)For we are living in the age of sweatpants. Question is: Are we ever going back? Or should we go back right now and start dressing like grownups again? What if we got, like, some fancy pants sweatpants? Would that be grown up enough?This hour, from The Bad Ideas Dept.: a show about sweatpants.GUESTS:Tim Chan - Lifestyle and market editor at Rolling StoneRebecca Jennings - A reporter covering pop and internet culture at The Goods by VoxRachel Tashjian - Style writer for GQAdam Tschorn - Deputy fashion editor at the Los Angeles TimesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/6/2020 • 49 minutes

Joni Mitchell is a singer-songwriter from Alberta, Canada. In 1968, her debut album, Song to a Seagull, was released and since then, Mitchell has become one of the most influential and greatest recording artists. Mitchell has won nine Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and countless music awards, and her albums are considered among the best ever made.We're big fans. It turns out we're not alone.This hour, we talk to a few friends of the show to discuss Mitchell's influence on them while listening to their favorite Joni songs. Plus, we chat David Yaffe, the author of Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell.GUESTS:David Yaffe - Assistant professor of Humanities at Syracuse University and the author of Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni MitchellTaneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorksBrendan J. Sullivan - Producer and author of Rivington Was Ours: Lady Gaga, the Lower East Side, and the Prime of Our LivesLee Newton - Director of program promotion at Connecticut PublicJim Chapdelaine - Musician, producer, recording engineer, and Emmy-winning composerSteve Metcalf - Music critic, arts consultant, composer, director of the University of Hartford's Presidents' CollegeNoah Baerman - Jazz pianist and composerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Betsy Kaplan, Carlos Mejia, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired April 4, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/4/2020 • 49 minutes

It's hard to fathom the idea that more people have to die from COVID-19 before we come out on the other end of this pandemic. Is it time for political leaders of both parties to have an honest conversation about the moral trade-offs of this pandemic and how to balance them toward the public interest?The world is rushing to produce a vaccine against COVID-19. We talk about the trade-offs of shortening a process that typically takes 10-15 years to complete and the ethical challenges of manufacturing one or more vaccines and how we choose to distribute them.The Asian giant hornet has arrived in the U.S. for the first time -- and it doesn't bode well for honeybees. What are scientists doing to eradicate it?GUESTS:John Harris - Founding editor of PoliticoCarl Zimmer - The author of 13 books about science; his latest is She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Power, Perversions, and Potential of HeredityMike Baker - Seattle bureau chief for The New York TimesJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/4/2020 • 49 minutes

There are plenty of questions about what the future of live performance looks like right now, and, in certain ways, no form seems more displaced by social distancing and everything else than does standup comedy. As such, people are just going to have to try new things, right? New York club comedian Ted Alexandro's YouTube comedy special is one of the first such experiments.And: Do you feel like you're running out of movies to watch? Have you crossed just about everything off of your must-see list? The Nose has compiled its own list of semi-obscure, semi-forgotten, semi-overlooked movies to help get you through this time. Nothing too artsy-fartsy, nothing too oddball. Just some titles you might've missed that are worth your time. (Here's the full list in handy Twitter-thread form. It runs fully 43 titles.)Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:G.I. Joe Artist Hector Garrido Passes Away At Age 92For Graduation, Cal Students Build 'Blockeley University' in MinecraftSNL Promotes Kate McKinnon's Cat to Featured PlayerSomeone Edited Every Star Wars Movie To Play At Once, And I Can't Look AwayPentagon officially releases UFO videosComedy Community Mourns The 'End Of An Era' As UCB Closes New York LocationsAcademy Alters Oscars Rules: Streaming Films Eligible, Sound Categories Combined, and MoreAMC Theatres Refuses to Play Universal Films in Wake of 'Trolls World Tour'Museums Challenge Each Other to Show their Creepiest ObjectHave Serena Williams And Roger Federer Won Their Last Grand Slams?FAA looking into a runway incident involving Harrison FordCoffin Floats Are Real And You Can Bury Yourself In One This SummerThe Erotic Chaos and Suspense of a Zoom OrgyLittle League Cancels 2020 World Series and Region TournamentsGUESTS:Susan Bigelow - A librarian, a columnist for CT News Junkie, and a science fiction/fantasy novelistShawn Murray - A standup comedian and writerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5/1/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Three years ago, we did a show where we asked which fictional dystopian future we were actually already living in. Now that we've arrived at, ya know, this present moment, that show has been on our minds. But we've realized we've got a new set of questions now too.After all the dystopian and apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction there's been over the past couple decades -- and there's been KIND OF A LOT, right? -- has any of it actually prepared us for our very present, very current, actual nonfiction dystopia?Well, mostly no. But some of it just may have.And then: What exactly is dystopian fiction going to look like after this is all over?GUESTS:Naomi Kritzer - A science fiction and fantasy writer; she wrote "So Much Cooking" in 2015, and her novel Catfishing on CatNet just won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult NovelLaurie Penny - An author, columnist, journalist, and screenwriterBen Winters - The author of ten novels; his new collection of short stories, Inside Jobs: Tales from a Time of Quarantine, is out tomorrow as an Audible originalJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/30/2020 • 49 minutes

Humans typically make enough collective noise to keep the earth vibrating at a steady hum. But the pandemic has quieted that hum enough to let seismologists study the vibrations that can be hard to detect in the din of our noise.The world is eerily silent now, showing us how accustomed we have become to cacophony of loud sound in our lives. We're hardwired to focus on the sounds we need to hear and tune out those we don't. It's hard to notice what we miss when cars and horns and other noisemakers compete for our sonic attention.And we don't always notice how loud it is until it's quiet.Today, an ode to the sound we take for granted, including the soothing sound of another human voice on the telephone. Yep, that's what I said. The telephone.  GUESTS:David Owen is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of more than a dozen books. His newest book is Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening WorldChris Hoff is a sound engineer and co-creator with Sam Harnett, of the podcast, "The World According to Sound." (@chrisjameshoff)Sam Harnett is a reporter and co-creator with Chris Hoff, of the podcast, "The World According to Sound." (@samwharnett)Heather Radke is a writer and critic. Her work has appeared in The Believer, The Paris Review Daily, and RadioLab, among others. Her book, BUTTS, will be published in 2021. (@hradke)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/29/2020 • 49 minutes

This show originally aired on July 25, 2018.Two years ago, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security ran an intricate simulation of a rapidly spreading pandemic with government leaders to talk about the difficult ethical questions that arise in the event of a pandemic and the same questions we are confronting today.  They learned what had to be done in the event of a real "Clade X". We haven't done it. The CDC said another pandemic was coming and that there was a good chance it President Trump would be confronted with it just as the two presidents before him. Yet, he cut funding for pandemic preparedness that has helped curb prior deadly global outbreaks and rid his administration of scientific advisors. Just under 150 million died globallyby the end of the Johns Hopkins simulation. It doesn't have to end this way or when the next pandemic hits. But the threat won't go away simply because we choose to ignore it. GUESTS:Ed Yong - Science writer for The Atlantic and is the author of I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life. (@edyong209)Eric Toner - Senior Scholar with the John Hopkins Center for Health Security and Senior Scientist for John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Environmental Health and Engineering. (@JHSPH_CHS)Laura Spinney - Science journalist and the author of most recently, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed The World. (@lfspinney)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/28/2020 • 49 minutes

People in several states came together last weekend to protest against stay-at-home orders. Their actions followed President Trump tweets of support to "liberate" their states and start reopening the economy. Dr. David Grew makes the case that resuming "normal" business activity in the absence of testing and credible messaging will do more economic harm than good. Also this hour: What would President Selina Meyer do in a pandemic? How about Logan Roy? We talk to Frank Rich, the Executive Producer of HBO's VEEP and Succession. Could even they do a better job?  Lastly, we talk trash with an essential worker. GUESTS: Dr. David Grew is a radiation oncologist, co-chair of the Cancer Committee at St. Francis Hospital, and a public health messenger. You can find him on Instagram @davidgrew.Frank Rich is Writer-at-Large for New York magazine and Executive Producer for the HBO series, VEEP and Succession. (@frankrichny)Mike Paine is the president of Paine's Incorporated. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/27/2020 • 49 minutes

Fiona Apple's new album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, is currently the best-reviewed album, um, ever, according to Metacritic. Bon Iver has a new benefit single out that seems to have been written specifically for the present moment. Norah Jones has a new tune. Bob Dylan has kind of randomly put out two new songs, one of which charted in the U.K. despite being very nearly 17 minutes long.And then, here's a trivia question: There are five artists who have charted singles in the Top 40 in each of the last four decades, Michael Jackson, Madonna, U2, Kenny G... and who's the fifth? Would you believe it's this guy?Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Paul Schrader Does Not Have Much Hope for the Future of MoviesRandall Beach: Small CT theaters in a new fight for survivalMLB might not be back to normal until 2023So says one high-ranking executive. Plus, other thoughts about what might happen with baseball in 2020.A 2020 Minor League Baseball Season Grows More And More UnlikelyThe Wire Forever: David Simon on the Quarantine Favorite and His Equally Pissed-Off New Show, The Plot Against AmericaSocial-distancing detecting 'pandemic drones' dumped over privacy concernsCraving the Roar of a Crowd? Online Reruns of Concerts, Sports Provide Solace for SomeWith gatherings at theaters and arenas banned, videos of prepandemic events have become a source of humanity; 'That's what people are yearning for'Put on your sad clown face: The Gathering Of The Juggalos has been canceledA Seaside Irish Village Adopts Matt DamonBut don't you dare ask what it's like living under lockdown with Matt O'Damon.Ben Affleck won't let face mask stop him from smokingGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star RevueEric Danton - A reporter and criticJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/24/2020 • 49 minutes

The Noah Baerman Resonance Ensemble's The Rock & the Redemption is a jazz concept album of sorts that recasts the Sisyphus myth around the heroism of perseverance and persistence.Keyboardist and composer Noah Baerman joins us for the hour.To purchase The Rock & the Redemption (including the full-length concert video), visit Noah Baerman's Bandcamp. All proceeds from the album go to Claire's Continuum, an initiative of Resonant Motion, Inc., to commission socially conscious musical and interdisciplinary work by first-time collaborators.GUEST:Noah Baerman - Jazz pianist and composerJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired August 31, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/22/2020 • 50 minutes

In March, President Trump blamed our global pandemic on China. When that didn't work, he blamed the World Health Organization (WHO) for not responding quickly enough to the virus. When that didn't work, he blamed governors for not getting their own supplies. Now, he says immigrants will take away American jobs.The Bible defines a scapegoat as one of two kid goats. One goat was sacrificed and the living “scapegoat” was supposed to absorb the sins of the community and carry them into the wilderness. Is that what's happening here? Are the president's scapegoats supposed to carry away the sins of Mr. Trump?Also this hour: Politics and our human need for a scapegoat has defined the way we name diseases almost as much as the goal of accurately describing a threat to public health. And, the story of one of our earliest scapegoats, the sin-eater. GUESTS:Graeme Wood is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Way of the Strangers: Encounters With the Islamic State (@gcaw)Lili Loofbourow writes about culture, gender, and politics for Slate (@Millicentsomer)Laura Spinney is a science journalist and author who has been published in National Geographic, Nature and The Economist, among others. Her latest book is Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.  (@lfspinney)  Thomas Lynch is a poet and author of five collections of poems and four books of essays, including The Sin-Eater: A Breviary. His latest book of essays is The Deposition: New and Selected Essays On Being and Ceasing To Be. He has been a funeral director since 1974.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/22/2020 • 49 minutes

That headline is just a direct quote from James Poniewozik's Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America. I was torn between that line from the book and this one:Donald Trump is not a person.Poniewozik's take is that "Donald Trump" is really a character that Donald Trump has been playing on television since at least the early 1980s."Television has entertained America, television has ensorcelled America, and with the election of Donald J. Trump, television has conquered America," Poniewozik writes. Audience of One is a cultural history of television and a television history of Donald Trump.Poniewozik joins us for the hour.GUEST:James Poniewozik - Chief television critic for The New York Times and the author of Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of AmericaJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 24, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/21/2020 • 50 minutes

One can't help but wonder if the President understands that getting through this pandemic will not be a quick sprint. On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced guidelines for states to begin reopening the economy, with a goal to begin by May 1. On Friday, the President personally encouraged protesters in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia, to "liberate" their states from onerous social-distancing guidelines imposed by their Democratic governors.  On Saturday, protesters from other states joined the fray. Social distancing seems to be flattening the curve but we haven’t yet turned a corner. The U.S. averaged 30,000 new cases of Covid-19 during the five days leading up to Friday, April 17. Yet, there’s a good chance the Trump Administration will encourage a partial reopening before we’ve significantly increased testing or set up the infrastructure needed to trace the contacts of the infected.  How do we continue in the shadow of Coronavirus? We want to hear from you. Call us at (888)-720-9677 or (888)-720-WNPR. What have you learned you can live without? How has your life changed?  What do you envision life will be like this time next year?GUEST:Ed Yong covers science for The Atlantic. He’s that author of I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander Way of Life (@edyong209)Martha Gulati is the Chief of Cardiology and Physician Executive Director, Banner Health Institute, at the University of Arizona-Phoenix. She is the Editor-in-Chief of CardioSmart, a patient education website by the American College of Cardiology. @DrMarthaGulatiSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/20/2020 • 49 minutes

Last weekend, Saturday Night Live aired a prerecorded special, "Saturday Night Live at Home." Tom Hanks hosted from his kitchen. Michael Che and Colin Jost did Weekend Update from their living rooms and by Zoom or something similar. Chris Martin covered a Bob Dylan song in front of handwritten "ENTRANCE TO TRAIN" signs.All of the late night shows are operating in some similar way right now. Jimmy Kimmel hosts from his living room and has people like Jason Bateman on by Skype or whatever. John Oliver sits at his desk in front of a mysterious white wall. Samantha Bee hosts from the woods.And: The original one-woman stage version of Fleabag just hit Amazon Prime. The Nose missed the TV show, and so now this gives us an excuse to finally get on the Fleabag bandwagon a little bit.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Brian Dennehy Dies; Tony Award-Winning Actor Was 81The versatile actor, whose career spanned more than 50 years in theater, movies and television, won two Tony Awards, including for his performance in "Death of a Salesman."Danny Goldman, voice of Brainy Smurf and 'Young Frankenstein' actor, dies at 80Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees co-owner and eldest son of George Steinbrenner, dead at 63Allen Garfield, character actor in 'Nashville' and 'The Conversation,' dies at 80 of coronavirusOnline dating amid coronavirus: Longer conversations and a 'pivot' to video dates"She said, 'Do I have to change out of sweats?' and I said, 'Of course not, I haven't worn adult pants in weeks anyway.' "Sex Work Comes HomeMore of us are making and watching sexual performances online now. Fewer of us are paying.In 1918, as a pandemic ripped through Hartford, Babe Ruth drew big crowds at the worst possible timeThe Forgotten Art of AssemblyOr, Why Theatre Makers Should Stop MakingHow much TV should your children be watching right now?Burning Cell Towers, Out of Baseless Fear They Spread the VirusA conspiracy theory linking the spread of the coronavirus to 5G wireless technology has spurred more than 100 incidents this month, British officials said.Here's How Those Hot Jigsaw Puzzles Are MadeThe coronavirus has sent businesses racing as demand surges past levels seen at Christmas.'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' Wants to Be a Megahit AgainABC has rolled out a celebrity edition of what was once the most popular program on television, this time helmed by Jimmy Kimmel. Can the game show become a hit again?Trump Wanted a Radio Show, but He Didn't Want to Compete With LimbaughMLB players, team employees participating in coronavirus studyCoyotes, bobcats and bears: Wildlife is reclaiming Yosemite National ParkLiving in Sim: We made a team of 26 Mike Trouts. It lost 50 straight gamesGUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DanceBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/17/2020 • 49 minutes

I haven't been grocery shopping in 21 days. The last time I went, March 26, was a harrowing experience.It was before this particular grocery store, at least, had started limiting the number of customers in the building at a time, before it had made aisles one-way, before it started wiping down carts after each use and providing sanitizing wipes for customers to use.Staff and customers alike didn't seem to understand just how far six feet is, and the aisles were too narrow to afford that sort of distancing anyway. Fresh meats were in short supply, cleaning products were nowhere to be found, and canned and frozen foods were few and far between.And so I haven't been back.This hour, a look at all the things that have upended our expectations of the grocery shopping experience in the time of COVID: Can you really go two or three weeks without getting groceries? Just how nervous should you be about that trip to the grocery store? And finally: Where did all the toilet paper really go, anyway?GUESTS:Joseph G. Allen - An assistant professor of exposure and assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings Program at HarvardMarc Fisher - Senior editor at The Washington PostRobert LaBonne Jr. - President and CEO of LaBonne's MarketsAnn Maloney - Food reporter and editor at The Washington PostJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/16/2020 • 49 minutes

Before the pandemic, most of us craved of a little solitude away from the hustle of life. Now, we've been  been thrust into a form of solitude far from the idleness of the lazy summer afternoon we imagined. Our minds are restless with uncertainty and fear and without the usual distractions we turn toward when being alone with ourselves becomes too painful to confront. Today, we learn there is more to solitude than being alone. It can provide the time and space needed to silence the voices in our head. Poet Marianne Moore said, "the cure for loneliness is solitude." GUESTS: Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist teacher and writer. He’s the author of several books including Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide To Awakening and most recently, The Art of Solitude. He’s the co-founder of Bodhi College. Dr. Lucinda Mosher is a faculty associate in Interfaith Studies at the Hartford SeminaryKaren Karper Fredette lived as a hermit for six years in a cabin in West Virginia. She’s the author of several books including, Consider the Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life. She and her husband Paul run Raven's Bread Ministries. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/15/2020 • 49 minutes

Health experts have released multiple plans that all call for some version of the same thing. We need to conduct widespread testing, trace contacts of the infected, and quarantine those contacts, BEFORE we can ease social distancing measures. Despite the many task forces the President Trump has formed to deal with the crisis, it's governors, former government officials, disease specialists, nonprofits, and even Apple, Google, and Bill Gates have taken charge in the absence of federal leadership. Lastly, what role can the humanities play in a crisis?GUESTS:Dr. Alison Buttenheim is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and an Associate Director of Penn's Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics. Yasmeen Abutaleb reports on health policy for The Washington Post Agnes Callard  is an associate professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago and a monthly columnist for The Point Magazine and a contributor to The New York Times.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/13/2020 • 49 minutes

We've entered a moment where the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is a celebrity. You can buy donuts with his face on them. A petition to make him People's Sexiest Man Alive has more than 13,000 signatures. And, yes, sales of Dr. Anthony Fauci bobblehead dolls have raised more than $100,000.At the same time, how do we find community in this time of COVID and quarantine and social distance?And then: The Plot Against America is HBO's miniseries based on Philip Roth's novel. It's an alternative history written 16 years ago -- and set 80 years ago -- with undeniable echos of our present politics.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Al Kaline, Detroit Tigers legend, dies at age 85John Prine, Hero Of 'New' Nashville, Dies After Developing COVID-19 SymptomsMort Drucker, Master of the Mad Caricature, Is Dead at 91His illustrations of celebrities for Mad magazine's movie and television satires inspired countless cartoonists. Actors, politicians and others knew they had made it when he drew them.Lee Fierro, 'Jaws' Actor, Dies of Coronavirus at 91David Driskell, 88, Pivotal Champion of African-American Art, DiesAn artist himself, Professor Driskell recognized the role of black artists in the broader story of American art. He died of the coronavirus.Hal Willner, 'SNL' Staple And Acclaimed Music Producer, Has DiedThank god for the internetWhat the hell would be happening now without it?When All the Zingers Were Fit To PrintIn 1978, a mischievous band of writers that included George Plimpton and Nora Ephron teamed up to create a spoof of The New York Times. Turns out, Times journalists were among them.Rules for Using the Sidewalk During the CoronavirusGoing outside is still a joy. But we all need to do more to walk and run while social distancing.What to Stream: Forty of the Best Movies on Netflix Right NowWhy Animal Crossing Is the Game for the Coronavirus MomentWith the world in the grip of a pandemic, the wildly popular game is a conveniently timed piece of whimsy, particularly for millennials.Trump order encourages US to mine the moonExecutive order says US will oppose any international effort to bar it from removing chunks of moon, Mars or elsewhere in spaceRadiohead to Stream Classic Concert Films on YouTube During QuarantineGUESTS:Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of HartfordIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/10/2020 • 49 minutes

My son, Simon, is a year old. His mother and his grandmother are both librarians. His father is, well, me. Simon is, predictably, obsessed with books.Back before everything changed, we'd gotten into a pretty good reading routine. Every morning before Simon went to his grandparents', we'd read a big pile of books. Every evening when I got home from work, we'd read a big pile of books.We'd read Goodnight Moon. We'd read The Little Blue Truck. We'd read Peek-a Who? and Peek-a Moo! and Peek-a Zoo! We'd read Who Hoots? and Who Hops? We'd read Dear Zoo and Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and Each Peach Pear Plum and Spooky, Spooky, Little Bat and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? And then we'd probably read them all again.Now that our whole family stays home all day every day, we still do all the reading. What's lost is the routine. What's lost is any sort of limit at all. From Simon's point of view, there's nothing to stop us from reading all day every day, from when he jams me in the back with his copy of The Mixed-Up Chameleon too early in the morning until he falls asleep wearing one sock and with a clump of Cheerios somehow stuck in his diaper too late at night.If you've got smallish kids and you're staying home these days, children's literature has undoubtedly become a much larger part of your life than you'd ever bargained for. This hour, a look at what it's like reading kids' books as an adult.GUESTS:Bruce Handy - The author of Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an AdultJulia Pistell - Managing director of Sea Tea Improv and cohost of the Literary Disco podcastJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/9/2020 • 49 minutes

Your sex life doesn't have to suffer just because you're cooped up at home every day. Researchers say that sex is a healthy way to calm the anxiety of pandemic, even if you live alone. Virtual dating, masturbation, and coronavirus-related p*rn are more popular than ever.Some sex researchers think our desire for sex in the middle of a pandemic is one way we cope with the prospect of our own mortality. But not everyone reacts in the same way. Some lose their desire for sex, especially when you pile on added stressors like losing a job, having kids home from school, or working in a higher-risk job.Also this hour: How will coronavirus change the way we think about touching others?We take a look at sex, dating, and relationships in the shadow of coronavirus.GUESTS:Justin Lehmiller - A research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, the founder and editor of the Sex and Psychology blog, and the author of Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex LifeLisa Bonos- Writes about dating and relationships for the Washington PostAmy Weissfeld - A somatic sex educator and masturbation coachCathrine Jansson-Boyd - A consumer psychologist at Anglia Ruskin UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, TJ Coppola, and Joe Coss contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/8/2020 • 49 minutes

Ocean Vuong emigrated to Hartford from Vietnam when he was two years old. His family brought with them the trauma of an American-led war that ravaged their people and their culture. How do they retain their culture and assimilate into one that doesn't want them?His family struggled in a Hartford very different from the city that many of us experience. It's a place that still exists in the shadows.Ocean’s family is a snapshot into a bigger and more pervasive picture of the problems in America that many choose to hide -- the toll of low-wage work, poverty, drugs, violence, and the erasure of histories and ways of living life that don't fit neatly into the American myth.Ocean's first novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, is an American story, albeit one about the failure of America. This is an excerpt.GUEST:Ocean Vuong - A poet and the author of the novel On Earth We’re Briefly GorgeousJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 17, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/6/2020 • 49 minutes

The pandemic is making us reflect on what we value as people and a country. We don't yet know how much COVID-19 will change life as we knew it before the pandemic. We do know that it must change. We're learning to respect each other's space. The internet is becoming a kinder place. And we shouldn't accept political leaders who can't lead.GUESTS:Gia Kourlas - Dance critic for The New York TimesTanya Basu - Senior reporter for MIT Technology Review covering the intersection of technology and humansJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/6/2020 • 49 minutes

The novel coronavirus has started to take its toll on figures from our popular culture. Adam Schlesinger, who founded Fountains of Wayne and wrote songs for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend among other things, died on Wednesday. The great playwright Terrence McNally died last week. The list goes on: songwriter Alan Merrill, country music star Joe Diffie, fashion designer Jenny Polanco, college basketball star Dave Edwards, actor Mark Blum, soccer star Lorenzo Sanz. And it seems like the jazz community has been especially vulnerable: guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, pianists Ellis Marsalis and Mike Longo, and trumpeter Wallace Roney have all died.And then: Dave is an FXX comedy series that tells a fictionalized version of the rise of rapper Lil Dicky, and John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch is a Netflix children's special that Mulaney made "on purpose."Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:'Lean On Me,' 'Lovely Day' singer Bill Withers dies at 81The Stupidest [...] Movies Guaranteed To Make You Laugh During This CatastropheWho needs a plot right now? Let’s just slap some jokes in our faces insteadYou Can Watch the First 8 Minutes of 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Online NowApril fools' day is canceled, you monstersDon't you dare, brandsJoe Buck: Stop Sending Me Your Sex Tapes ... I'm Not Gonna Narrate Them!!!Llandudno marauders: the herd of goats running riot through a Welsh townTaking advantage of the town’s deserted streets because of the coronavirus lockdown, the goats have been branded vandals for munching through gardensCompanies Avoid Advertising Next to Coronavirus NewsThe name of the virus overtakes 'Trump' as the keyword blocked by the most brands, a problem for digital news publishersNew York is one of the world's great cities for the arts -- but the damage from the pandemic is proving to be catastrophicIna Garten Made A Giant co*cktail For Herself At 9:30 A.M. And Now She's My QuaranqueenTom Perrotta's 'The Leftovers' imagined 2 percent of the population disappearing. That could be our reality.Shudder Subscriptions Are Surging During the Coronavirus PandemicHBO's #StayHomeBoxOffice Campaign Is Offering Hundreds of Hours of Programming for FreeUranus blasted a gas bubble 22,000 times bigger than EarthIt happened back in 1986 -- but it could happen again.GUESTS:Stosh Mikita - A stand-up comedian and writer based in New HavenMercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media GroupBrian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radioJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/3/2020 • 49 minutes

You can find lots of advice about how to avoid feeling bored during this pandemic. There are virtual dance parties and home safaries, lists of what to read and watch, and yoga classes on Zoom.Boredom is a difficult emotion for most of us. Almost 3,500 people living under quarantine in Italy shared on a survey last week that boredom has been one of the hardest parts of staying inside. We go out of our way to avoid feeling it, like the students who chose electric shock over feeling bored.Why can't we allow ourselves to be bored? Too much boredom can lead to depression and risky behavior. But it can also deepen awareness and inspire creativity.And one person's boredom is another person's pleasure. Henrietta Swan-Leavitt was an astronomer at Harvard College Observatory who spent 20 years beginning in 1895 scanning photographic plates to catalogue the brightness of stars.GUESTS:Sandi Mann - Senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and the author of The Upside of Downtime: Why Boredom Is GoodKate Green - A poet, essayist, and former laser physicist; her book, Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, will be published in JulyKrystal Douglas - The owner of Music City Sewing, a company that sews custom costumes for entertainers and is currently sewing masks for health care workersJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/2/2020 • 49 minutes

From ancient mixtures of boiled goat fats and ashes to modern artisanal soaps with calendula and coffee grinds, humans have been inventing clever ways of cleaning themselves since the very beginning.This quest for cleanliness has wound its way through religion, sexuality, culture, and more. It has been the source of everything from comedies to conflicts to consumer crazes. This hour we talk to experts and historians about the history of hygiene.GUESTS:Katherine Ashenburg - Toronto-based author of several prize-winning books including The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History and All the Dirt: A History of Getting CleanVirginia Smith - Historian, honorary fellow of the Centre for History in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and author of Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and PurityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 15, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4/1/2020 • 49 minutes

For those who put their trust in science, it's hard to understand why anyone wouldn't. But in recent decades, the voices of skeptics have grown louder by the day. From average citizens to media personalities to high-ranking government officials, it seems even the most irrefutable scientific findings are being challenged.Is it the scientists themselves, their research methods, or how their findings often challenge deeply held values that fuels this mistrust? On today's show we'll explore this phenomenon and discuss how, during the current pandemic, our ability to trust science is more important than ever.GUESTS:Naomi Oreskes - Professor of the history of science at Harvard University and the author of several books, including the recently-released Why Trust Science?Jane Lytvynenko - Senior reporter for Buzzfeed News reporting most recently on disinformation, scams, and conspiracies surrounding the coronavirus and COVID-19Lise Saffran - Director of the Master of Public Health Program at University of Missouri and Co-chair of the Health Humanities Consortium; lead author of "Constructing and influencing perceived authenticity in science communication"Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and T.J. Coppola contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/31/2020 • 49 minutes

William Wetmore Story sculpted The Angel of Grief for his wife's grave after her death in 1894. He wrote that it was the only way he could express his feelings of utter abandonment. It was his last work before his own death one year later.We may not readily identify grief in the gamut of emotions we're feeling during this pandemic. We haven't lost the kind of love expressed through William Story's sculpture, but loss is very much at the center of our new reality. We are collectively grieving the loss of a world that has changed forever.Also this hour: There's a growing movement of people who want to walked back his desire to reopen the economy by Easter on Sunday evening, there remains an unsettling push to prioritize the economy over certain groups of people.Lastly, we must resist blaming "others" for viruses we can't control.GUESTS:Gregg Gonsalves - Assistant professor of epidemiology and the co-director of the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale School of Public HealthDavid Kessler - The author of five books and the founder of grief.com; his latest book is Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of GriefIan Buruma - Professor of human rights and journalism at Bard CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and T.J. Coppola contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/30/2020 • 49 minutes

Last Friday night, Disney released the #1 movie in the country -- Pixar's Onward -- for digital download on iTunes/Amazon/etc. It's safe to say, that's the first time that's ever happened.When you say "the #1 movie in the country," you're talking about what was #1 last weekend or maybe last week. Onward was also the #1 movie in the country specifically on last Thursday... when it made $33,296. There are times when movies make that per screen.There's a movie on that domestic chart that one person went to see. It made $6. That movie, though, wasn't at the bottom of that chart… because there are three movies on that chart that no one went to see. In the country.Also: Tiger King is the "shocking Netflix series that has captivated the internet" and "the most bonkers true-crime doc you'll ever see."The Nose has seen both.Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:Cowboy Museum Puts Their Head Of Security In Charge Of Their Twitter, And His Tweets Are Hilariously WholesomeSocial Distancing Diaries: Cut the Crap and Embrace the BidetThe COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a countrywide toilet-paper-buying frenzy. But there's a better way to clean up that's good for your butt, your wallet, and the environment.Cats Allegedly Added Buttholes, Then Removed Them, And Now Fans Want The Butthole CutAMC Theatres Has Furloughed Its Entire Corporate Staff and CEO in the Wake of Coronavirus ClosuresMovie Theaters Are Closed, but Their Value Isn't Lost to Us YetThese Famous Logos Have Been Remade for the Coronavirus AgeMcDonald's Separates Its Golden Arches in an Act of Coronavirus SolidarityThis Pork-Hucking Pig Farmer Is the Only One Doing Quarantine RightLeft with a backlog of ham and sausages, one farmer has figured out a way to safely get his wares to his customers in the time of social distancing -- hucking ham.ATTENTION OLD PEOPLE: Millennials Aren't The Problem Right NowWe are way too old.McDonald's Separates Its Golden Arches in an Act of Coronavirus SolidarityIn Brazil, brand has altered iconic mark to encourage safety for all during coronavirus pandemicEli Miller, a Sultan of Seltzer, Is Dead at 86He began delivering sparkling water in 1960, when hundreds of seltzer men plied the streets. He continued until 2017, when there were almost none.Terrence McNally, Tony-Winning Playwright of Gay Life, Dies at 81Mr. McNally, who died of coronavirus complications, introduced audiences to characters and situations that most mainstream theater had previously shunted into comic asides.Florida Senate proclaims Florida State national championScott Boras pitches 162-game MLB season, including Christmas game, despite coronavirus delayGUESTS:Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic DancePedro Soto - President and CEO of Hygrade Precision TechnologiesElle - Pedro's nine-year-old daughterTracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children'sClaire - Tracy's six-year-old daughterJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/27/2020 • 49 minutes

Humans have been using soap for literally millennia -- nearly five of them... at least.And while there's a run on alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it turns out that good, old-fashioned soap is a simpler, more-reliable way to destroy all that coronavirus that might be all over your gross, dirty hands.In the end, though, "A little bit of soap / Will never never never ever begin / To take away the hurt that I feel..."GUESTS:Kieran Dahl - A freelance writer; his piece for Vox is "How a decades-old hippie soap brand became a touchstone of wellness culture"Brian Resnick - Senior science reporter for VoxSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/26/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Restaurants around the country have closed their doors to in-dining service to help slow the spread of Coronavirus and prevent unnecessary deaths. That's good news.The porch of Metro Bis Restaurant in Simsbury, Conn.CREDIT CHRIS PROSPERIBut it's also bad news for an industry that employs 160,000 people in Connecticut alone, many laid off and waiting for their unemployment application to be processed by our overwhelmed state system.A lot of restaurants are offering creative ways to have some fun with takeout. But most restaurants can't live on takeout alone, even if their closure helps us live.GUESTS:Chris Prosperi - Co-owner and chef of Metro Bis restaurant in West Simsbury, Conn.Richard Rosenthal - Founder and president of Max Restaurant GroupScott Dolch - Executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant AssociationKassia Borgio - A full-time server at Capital Grille who is currently laid off from workJoin the conversation on Facebook and TwitterColin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/25/2020 • 49 minutes

The Trump administration is pursuing policies they say are necessary to fight the spread of coronavirus -- even though Congress and the courts rejected these policies prior to the pandemic.Last week, the president gave his administration the power to shut the southwestern border, implement a rule allowing federal workers to withhold their union dues, and deliver food boxes to rural areas after Congress complained about poor food quality. Most recently, he asked Congress to let judges indefinitely hold people without trial during an emergency.How do we give President Trump the power to mobilize the resources of the federal government against coronavirus and protect against his abuse of that power?Also this hour: Governor Lamont is urging us to stay home and stay safe over the next month or more. How do we stay calm in the chaos of this moment? You could take the Quarantine Challenge or, maybe, just a really long walk.GUESTS:Dahlia Lithwick - Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast AmicusCatherine Price - A science journalist, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, and the creator of Screen/Life BalanceTamara Hew-Butler - Associate professor of exercise and sports science at Wayne State UniversityMariane Fahlman - Professor of kinesiology, health, and sport studies at Wayne State UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/23/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

As with all things, The Nose has never been a Nose quite like this week's Nose. First off, for almost every Nose ever, we've put four (sometimes more) people in a radio studio for an hour. This Nose is four people talking to each other from very separate places, and none of them is a radio studio.Meanwhile, we've said goodbye to movie theaters. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and Idris Elba have all tested positive. People have been using Tinder as a news service. I mean, it's hard to imagine that we'll ever go back to normal.And so, we might as well watch some TV then, right? The Nose has tried out Hulu's new adaptation of High Fidelity with Zoë Kravitz in the lead role.Some other stuff that's happened in the last couple weeks, give or take:No, Daniel Radcliffe Doesn't Have CoronavirusSketchy Coronavirus Survival Guides Are Booming on AmazonPandemics: An Essential Reading ListThe Onion created lovable 'Diamond Joe' Biden. Then it destroyed him.Max von Sydow, Star of 'Seventh Seal' and 'Exorcist,' Dies at 90There Is Truly No Need to Put "I Voted" Stickers on Your PetsMcDonald's debuts new Big Macs"Who Can't Get on Board With That?": How 'House Party' Brought the Black Teenage Experience to the MainstreamBillie Eilish and Her Signature Baggy Clothes Open World Tour With Message to Body ShamersJennifer Lopez And Alex Rodriguez Did The "Flip The Switch" TikTok Challenge And Eyes EmojiLouis C.K.'s sexual misconduct tanked his career. Now he's selling out theaters.In a Time of Crisis, a Panicked Nation Comes Together to Watch Nu-Metal Band Trapt Melt Down on TwitterGUESTS:Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star RevueIrene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity CollegeBill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart UniversityJoin the conversation on Facebook or Twitter.Colin McEnroe, TJ Coppola, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/20/2020 • 49 minutes

The NBA, the NHL, and Major League Soccer have all suspended their seasons. Major League Baseball canceled spring training and postponed opening day until at least mid-May. The NCAA canceled March Madness (which would've started in earnest today) and, in fact, all of its winter and spring sports championships. Tennis's French Open is postponed until September, and soccer's Euro 2020 is postponed until 2021.There have been cancellations and postponements in archery, badminton, canoe-kayak, cricket, curling, handball, judo, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, skating, snooker, sumo, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, water polo, weightlifting… The list goes on.Put a bit more simply: Sports is canceled.Except... The NFL Draft is set to go on next month (but without the public in attendance). The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are, so far, going on as planned. And then there's... Scrabble.This hour: sports in the time of corona.GUESTS:Bryan Curtis - Editor-at-large at The RingerStefan Fatsis - A panelist on the Slate sports podcast Hang Up and Listen and the author of Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble PlayersJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/19/2020 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds

Did you get enough sleep last night? If you're like most Americans, probably not. You might feel pretty good after six hours of sleep and a strong cup of coffee, but the physical and mental toll of sleep deprivation is high.We become more impulsive and less mentally agile, and we make more mistakes. Long term, lack of sleep (six hours or less per night) can mess with mood, hormones, and immune systems, and it can increase our risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.There are lots of things we can't control that keep us up too late, such as crying babies and shift work. But there are lots of things we can control, like how much caffeine we consume and whether we take our phone to bed.But somewhere along the way, our culture made less sleep a matter of personal virtue and moral judgement. Even naps are frowned upon for all but the youngest and the oldest among us.GUESTS:Maria Konnikova - A journalist, professional poker player, and the author of The Confidence Game and Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock HolmesDan McNally - A doctor with the Sleep Disorders Center at UConn HealthTodd Pitock - JournalistJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/18/2020 • 49 minutes

Reality TV shows like the Discovery Channel's Doomsday Bunkers and National Geographic Channel's Doomsday Preppers perpetuate a stereotype of "preppers" that omits the wide swath of people who engage in preparedness in a less extreme and more varied way.Talk of nuclear war, climate apocalypse, pandemic, economic instability, and the decline of democracy has led more people to think about how to survive a catastrophic -- if not apocalyptic -- event.Do you buy organic food? Will you drink only bottled water? Do you avoid antibiotics? You may not have an underground bunker but you might have a generator, short wave radio, extra batteries and a supply of canned foods.This hour, we dive into the real world of "preppers."GUESTS:Tea Krulos - A freelance journalist and the author of Apocalypse Any Day Now: Deep Underground with America’s Doomsday PreppersMike Davidson - A metal fabricator and member of Zombie SquadJon Stokes - Founder of Ars Technica and the deputy editor of The PreparedJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired May 8, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/16/2020 • 49 minutes

America got (more) serious last week about COVID-19. Schools and colleges closed, workers went remote, professional sports teams canceled their seasons, theaters and restaurants closed their doors, and Americans hunkered down at home to reckon with the fragility of life as we know it.We want to hear from you. Colin and an epidemiologist answer your questions.Also this hour: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden debated one-on-one Sunday in Phoenix before Tuesday's primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. Did they forget the last three weeks happened?GUESTS:Joseph Vinetz - Professor of infectious diseases at Yale UniversityEdward-Isaac Dovere - Host of the The Ticket podcast; he's writing a book, You Are Right to Be Concerned: Democrats in Crisis in the Trump YearsDaniel Pollack-Pelzner - The Ronni Lacroute Chair in Shakespeare studies at Linfield CollegeJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/16/2020 • 49 minutes

John McPhee is a writer's writer. He's thought of as one of the progenitors of the New Journalism, of creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction, along with people like Gay Talese and Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson. But his style is... quiter than those folks'. His writing is transparent. He tends to keep himself out of the narrative. He doesn't even, in fact, have an author photo.McPhee has written for The New Yorker since 1963, and he's taught writing at Princeton University since 1975. He is the author of 32 books, including Coming Into the Country, A Sense of Where You Are, Oranges, and Annals of the Former World, which won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction.GUEST:John McPhee - Staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of 33 books; his latest are Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process and The PatchJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired September 28, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/13/2020 • 49 minutes

When you think of taxidermy, you may imagine a trophy room in which mostly male hunters have mounted the heads of 12-point stags along wood-paneled walls. If so, your image would be incomplete.Taxidermy has gone through many iterations since gentleman scientists turned to taxidermy to understand anatomy during the Enlightenment. Victorians added a touch of whimsy, decorating their homes with birds under glass and falling in love with Walter Potter's anthropomorphized cats.Later still, Norman Bates shifted the cultural understanding of taxidermy from art to something more macabre after he (spoiler alert) taxidermied his mother in Alfred Hitchco*ck's Psycho.Today, animal-loving millennial women are taking taxidermy to new levels of artistry and craftsmanship, from rogue taxidermists who mix and match animal parts to the mallard wing bridal veil of a couture taxidermist.In the end, isn't taxidermy about immortality and how we choose to remember?GUESTS:Kristen Arnett - The author of Mostly Dead ThingsBeth Beverly - A couture taxidermist and the owner of Diamond Tooth TaxidermyJohn Whitenight - The author of Under Glass: A Victorian ObsessionJoin the conversation on Facebook and TwitterColin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 5, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3/12/2020 • 49 minutes

Is it safe to say that we're not yet ready to kiss and make up with the banks whose reckless behavior led to the 2008 financial crisis? A little contrition would go a long way to helping us forgive and forget. That's not happening, at least not with Deutsche Bank, the preferred bank of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.Deutsche Bank lent money to rogue states that funded terrorist activities that hurt U.S. soldiers. They laundered money for Russian oligarchs, sold securities they knew were bad, gave out multimillion-dollar bonuses, and fired whistleblowers who tried to tell. They lent money to Donald Trump, despite his repeated defaults on his loans, and Jeffrey Epstein long after he was shunned for molesting young girls.You may wonder how this could happen. Basically, a massive lack of accountability on behalf of the Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, shareholders, board members, and the federal government. That's a lot of people.No wonder Elizabeth Warren threatened to take on the big banks.GUESTS:David Enrich - Business investigations editor at The New York Times and the author of Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and An Epic Trail of DestructionJoin the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.