The Colin McEnroe Show

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 Reviews Chef Tyler Anderson: Owner of Tanda Hospitality Lauren Dragan: Senior staff writer at Wirecutter Xandy Schiefer: Co-host of the podcast Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet 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, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 decade Populaire (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-coms Heaven 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 star David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Scott Meslow: The author of From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy The Coli

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 Protection William Stolzenburg: A screenwriter and journalist and the author of Heart of Lion: a Lone Cat’s Walk Across America Ed Benecchi: Retired police officer 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, 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.

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 educator Kate Blackburn: A data analyst at TikTok Sarah Seraj: Chief technology officer at A Better Force Florence Williams: A science writer and the author of Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey 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, 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.

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 81 That’s It. You’re Dead to Me. Suddenly everyone is “toxic.” You Do Not Want to Be on Brad Pitt’s “Shit List” According to his Bullet Train costar Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the Oscar winner has a “shit list” of actors he won’t work with. The 15 Best Episodes Of NewsRadio, Ranked The 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 Format The 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 Departments Top 50 Ben Affleck Moments Congrats on the big 5–0, Benny! Academy Awards apologises to Sacheen Littlefeather for Oscars speech moment Nearly 50 years after speech on behalf of Marlon Brando about depiction of Native Americans, Academy apologises for ‘unwarranted’ abuse she endured An Essay About Watching Brad Pitt Eat That Is Really About My Own Shit The 15 Best Laura Dern Movies, Ranked Lee Pace’s Body of Work The 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 Encore As 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 History The 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 Us From ‘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 TV In 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 TV The 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 Them N.B.A. Won’t Play on Election Day, in Hopes of Encouraging Voting Do spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humans GUESTS: Helder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcast Cat Pastor: Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut Public Tracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’s Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University 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 contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 at The Atlantic Jonathan McNicol: The producer of this very episode of this very show Saad Omer: Professor of medicine and the epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale and director of the Yale Institute for Global Health Julia Pistell: A freelance producer on The Colin McEnroe Show, among a number of other things Catie Talarski: Senior director of storytelling and radio programming at Connecticut Public Ulysses Wu: System director of infectious diseases and chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare 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, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 indexer Dennis Duncan: Author of Index, A History of The: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age Elizabeth Parson: Professional indexer 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, 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.

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 Homo 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 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.

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 podcast Low Culture Boil Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz Engine Brian Moylan: A writer and reality TV show recapper and the author of The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives Cat Pastor: Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut Public Peter York: A journalist and the author of Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful Despots 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, 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.

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 Brooklyn Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 73 The sugary-sweet performer with a string of No. 1 hits was also an advocate for cancer research Olivia Newton-John: That Headband Was a Crown When 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 89 His 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 89 Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words Bill Russell’s No. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend’s death last month Why’d That Movie Disappear? Welcome to Streaming’s Memory Hole Era If ‘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 Understandable In 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 worst Disney Now Has More Streaming Subscribers Than Netflix, But Makes Less Money From Them The End of Manual Transmission Stick 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 court How Catholicism became a meme One of the world’s most powerful religions is now an alt status symbol. As Spider-Man turns 60, fans reflect on diverse appeal Tinder’s Fatphobia Problem Mike Judge’s Secret Art of Satire Judge 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-up Reviews, reappraised — Simran Hans on the rise of the critic-influencers GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of Idler magazine and the author a number of books, including How to Be Idle: A Loafer’s Manifesto and An Idler’s Manual Selin Malkoc: Behavioral scientist at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University Ken Roberts: Professor of sociology, social policy, and criminology at The University of Liverpool Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth 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, 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.

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 Amherst Cathy Kaufman: Lecturer of food studies at The New School and chairwoman of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery Dr. Uma Naidoo: Psychiatrist, professional chef, trained nutrition specialist, and the author of This Is Your Brain On Food 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, 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.

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 trio AKNU, calling everybody “guys” indiscriminately, force-field analysis, the writing of the U.S. Constitution, and the Bloomfield aquifer project. There’s also a point in this show when Colin says, “No call is recherché,” which may be simultaneously the most and least public radio thing anyone’s ever said on our air. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 podcast Come to the Sunshine Rosanne Welch: Author of Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture Brian Williams: Former anchor of the NBC Nightly News 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, 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.

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 of Sticky: The Secret Science of the Surfaces Dr. Alyssa Stark: A professor at Villanova University; she runs a lab that studies biological adhesion Will Coldwell: A freelance writer; he published “Bursting the Bubble: How Gum Lost Its Cool” in The Economist 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, 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.

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 Competition Kyle Grimm: Composer who specializes in both acoustic and electronic mediums and a professor of music at the University of Hartford Keith Groover: The inventor of The Glide as well as a musician and music educator Bosko Kante: Grammy-winning producer and the inventor of The ElectroSpit 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, 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.

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 book Human Warren Hatch: A superforecaster and CEO of Good 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 is Thirteen Cracks: Repairing American Democracy After Trump 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, 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.

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 of The Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work Again 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, 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.

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 83 David Warner, British Actor Known for ‘The Omen’ and ‘Tron,’ Dies at 80 Bob Rafelson, Director of ‘Five Easy Pieces’ and Co-Creator of ‘The Monkees,’ Dies at 89 The 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 77 He 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 Monumental Taking 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 44 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. How fake accounts and a powder-keg fandom helped Zack Snyder restore his Justice League It might be hard to believe, but the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement was even weirder than we thought Jennifer Lopez Becomes Jennifer Affleck, Now Please Sign Up for Her Newsletter And other reflections on her recent wedding. Raving for Shrek, the Swamp Comes to Brooklyn A 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 Hot A social media movement inspired by the rapper Megan Thee Stallion strikes back at the gatekeepers of beauty. The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time The most tearjerking, hilarious, satisfying, and shocking death scenes in 2,500 years of culture. Amazon Is Giving Prime Video Its Biggest Redesign In Years New navigation, a top 10 list, and a very familiar look and feel How 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 Cartel Celebrities Continue to Be Richer Than You TVs Are Too Good Now Why does Home Alone look better than the latest Marvel fare on the most advanced displays? America’s Most Misunderstood Marsupial The opossum might be snarly and a little bit scraggly, but she deserves our admiration. Velveeta Releases Cheese-Infused Martini That’s Garnished with Pasta Shells The brand teamed up with BLT Restaurant Group for the unconventional creation Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen says he will not defend his title This goat is all ears. REALLY! They may be the longest in goat history Tom Cruise Really Could Finally Win an Oscar for Top Gun: Maverick It’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 showtime Dave Chappelle Opens for Kevin Hart and Chris Rock at Madison Square Garden People 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 Above The host put some skin in th

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 of The Making of Jane Austen Deborah Yaffe: Author of Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom 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, Anya Grondalski, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Mitchell Taneisha Duggan: Director, producer, and arts consultant Brendan J. Sullivan: Producer and author of Rivington Was Ours: Lady Gaga, the Lower East Side, and the Prime of Our Lives Lee Newton: Director of program promotion at Connecticut Public 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, 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.

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 of JUV Consulting Justin 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 of The Generation Myth: Why When You’re Born Matters Less Than You Think 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, 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.

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 SnaxShot Julia Pistell: Freelance writer and co-founder of SeaTea Improv in Hartford, Connecticut Chris Prosperi: Chef and owner of Metro Bis restaurant in Simsbury, Connecticut Mark 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 Steak 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 Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Coke. 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 Monumental Taking 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 League It might be hard to believe, but the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement was even weirder than we thought Jennifer Lopez Becomes Jennifer Affleck, Now Please Sign Up for Her Newsletter And other reflections on her recent wedding. Raving for Shrek, the Swamp Comes to Brooklyn A 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 Hot A social media movement inspired by the rapper Megan Thee Stallion strikes back at the gatekeepers of beauty. The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time The 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 Actor In 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 Years New navigation, a top 10 list, and a very familiar look and feel How 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 Cartel Celebrities Continue to Be Richer Than You TVs Are Too Good Now Why does Home Alone look better than the latest Marvel fare on the most advanced displays? America’s Most Misunderstood Marsupial The opossum might be snarly and a little bit scraggly, but she deserves our admiration. GUESTS: Allan Arkush: Contributor to Trailers from Hell; he worked in the trailer department for Roger Corman Stephen Garrett: Founder of Jump Cut Sam Hatch: Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on WWUH Kevin O’Toole: Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on WWUH 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, 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.

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 a blog where he collects Gap music playlists Alexandra Lange: Author of Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall Erik Pierson: Videographer of the YouTube channel Retail Archeology 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, 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.

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 Gizmodo Michael Baumann: Staff writer at The Ringer covering sports, culture, and politics Sarah Larson: Staff writer at The New Yorker 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, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Walker Julian Walker: Co-host of the podcast Conspirituality; he has taught yoga in Los Angeles for 27 years Sarah 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 Nation 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.

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 vocals Latanya Farrell: Vocals Steve Metcalf: Piano and vocals 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. This show originally aired February 20, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 79 Larry Storch of TV’s ‘F Troop’ dies at 99 The Wild Bunch Star L.Q. Jones Has Died At 94 Bond theme composer Monty Norman dies aged 94 Norman was commissioned to create the score for the first Bond movie, Dr. No, and wrote one of the most iconic guitar riffs in the process The 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 boy 10 per cent chance falling rockets will hit someone in next decade Humans are sending ever more rockets up into space – bits of them falling back to Earth could result in casualties, unless action is taken Yes, Chef: How The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White Became the Breakout Star of Summer In 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 Mature Modern 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 Murder A 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 TV Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ Belongs to Everyone What 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 month The auto industry is racing towards a future full of microtransactions Elliot Page Brings His Misfit Characters to Life Even 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 Doomed Office workers work in offices, for better or for worse. Bill Burr’s Exhausting, Frustrating, Fascinating Battle With Himself How to Successfully Smash Your Face Against a Tree A 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 Argot The 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 cancers Mercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and the cohost of the Untold podcast with John Dankosky Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University Colin 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.

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 about whatever you want to talk about. 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.

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 Myths Joel 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 Epic Maya Deane: Author of Wrath Goddess Sing 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.

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 University Adrienne Mayor: Author of Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other books Elly Truitt: Author of Medieval Robots: Mechanism, Magic, Nature, and Art Daniel H. Wilson: Author of Robopocalypse, Robogenesis, and other novels; his latest is The Andromeda Evolution 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, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 comic Claire Cameron: Author of The Last Neanderthal, among other books Anna Goldfield: An archeologist and the host of the podcast The Dirt Bruce Hardy: Professor of anthropology at Kenyon College 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, 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.

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 94 Stanley 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” Women The actor complained about women being “stripped of our name” due to the use of terms like “menstruators” and “people with vaginas.” 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 actor Happy Birthday Tom: A Tom Cruise Reading List Tom Cruise is about to turn 60 — time for a look back at the life of a master maverick. Brad Pitt Opens Up His Dream World We 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 Gru Credit 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 Alien The 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 life Jessica 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 others Rubber ducky watches that don’t tell time clock in TikTok views Outdoor Tennis Could Be Sports’ First Big Climate Change Casualty Fields Medals in Mathematics Won by Four Under Age 40 The 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 before No, Armie Hammer Isn’t Working as a Hotel Concierge in the Caymans Jeff Sagansky Says New Streaming Business Model “Has To Be Relegated To The Dust Bin” Now How Does a Hulk Smash? A close look at the sex lives of She-Hulks and He-Hulks. The Octopus Dreams of Crabs What 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 This The 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 Later Goodbye to ‘Joe Pera Talks With You,’ the Sweetest Show on TV The 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 Hartford Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College Tracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’s 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Lab Erin Thompson: Professor of art crime at John Jay College and the author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments Kristin Urquiza: Co-founder and chief activist of Marked By COVID 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hearings put on by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol have 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 hearings as television. GUESTS: James Poniewozik: Chief television critic for The New York Times and the author of Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America Frank Rich: Writer-at-large for New York magazine and executive producer of HBO’s Succession 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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.

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 something The Golden Age of the Aging Actor Tom 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-It No, 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 Over Vancouver’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 scientists So far, no space exploring nations have claimed responsibility for the rocket. The Confessions of a Conscious Rap Fan A 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 kid An 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 the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Pedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision Technologies 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 the The Hero’s Journey podcast Lev Grossman: Author of the Magicians trilogy; his newest book is The Golden Swift Maria Tatar: Author of The Heroine with 1,001 Faces 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, 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.

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 Punk Kelefa Sanneh: Author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres and a staff writer at The New Yorker Amy Wappel and Ben Social: Formed the Connecticut-based punk band Sadplant in 2007 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, 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.

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 podcast Claire Cock-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 us 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, 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.

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 55 Siragusa 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 music Director Paul Haggis Arrested in Italy for Sexual Assault Haggis 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 1975 Rowan 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 Cringe 21 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 Oscar Kellogg is splitting into 3 companies: Here’s what each one will focus on The 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 Awesome The 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 History In 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 Movies Stephen 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 Show After 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 Decades Amazon’s Alexa could soon speak in a dead relative’s voice, making some feel uneasy GUESTS: Raquel Benedict: Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcast Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Flights by the Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk Denise Kripper: Translation editor for Latin American Literature Today and an associate professor of Spanish at Lake Forest College Emily Wilson: Chair of the program in comparative literature and literary theory at the University of Pennsylvania and translator of works such as The Odyssey 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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 90 Jennifer 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 26 After 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 All No more Mr. Nice Guy: Tom Hanks drops F-bomb on fans who nearly toppled Rita Wilson People are using DALL-E mini to make meme abominations — like pug Pikachu ‘Pug-a-choo’ isn’t real, ‘Pug-a-choo’ can’t hurt you The 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 them The 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 death A 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 vacations Jerrod 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 cancers Taneisha Duggan: A director, producer, and arts consultant Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 History Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post’s chief film critic and the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies 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, 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.

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 University Azar Nafisi: Author of six books, including Reading Lolita in Tehran; her newest is Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times John Shattuck: Co-author of the new book Holding Together: The Hijacking of Rights in America and How to Reclaim Them for Everyone and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 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 Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Zippy Henry McNulty: A writer and editor who worked for the Hartford Courant for more than 25 years Cullen Murphy: Editor-at-large for Vanity Fair and the author of Cartoon County: My Father and His Friends in the Golden Age of Make-Believe 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, 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.