The Colin McEnroe Show

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 Insects John Knuth - An artist; his work is part of Reunion, A Group Exhibition at Hollis Taggart in Southport, Conn., showing until September 4 Gale Ridge - Associate scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Jacob 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.

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 Auroville Samir Patel - Editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura   Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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 foxes Lee Dugatkin - Author of How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started Evolution Jacob Mikanowski - Writes about science, history, and art Join 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.

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 70 Markie 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 Classics What Bobby Mcilvaine Left Behind Grief, conspiracy theories, and one family’s search for meaning in the two decades since 9/11 ABA CEO Allison Hill’s Letter to Members Ghosts 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 Science Matt Damon used to escape controversy, while Ben Affleck used to be the punchline. What changed? Michael Stipe Wants to Make Mistakes Long 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 measure The 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 Windows Oh 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 Dating Opinion: Why not pay college actors like college athletes? I Was Powerless Over Diet Coke 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 Coke, and It Rules Either Wirecutter Or I Are Doing Toilet Brush Ownership EXTREMELY Wrong Nestflix Creator Lynn Fisher Shares the Inspiration for Her Website Devoted to Fake Movies GUESTS: Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz Engine Julia Pistell - A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, a co-host of the Literary Disco podcast, and other things Join 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.

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 books Susana Polo - Entertainment editor for Polygon Molly 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.

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 Semiotics Join 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.

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 Ambition Dan Kois - An editor and writer at Slate Lucia Jacobs - Principal investigator at The Jacobs Lab of Cognitive Biology at the University of California, Berkeley Jonathan O’Callaghan - A freelance space and science journalist 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.

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.

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 Lasso Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal wrestle with balancing the value of cable networks and streaming services DaBaby Was Dropped From Two More Music Festivals For His Anti-Gay Comments Silver Linings Meet the Dommes Who Are Demanding Their Submissives Get Vaxxed Light detected behind a black hole for the first time Coen Bros. Split Because ‘Ethan Didn’t Want to Make Movies Anymore,’ Says Carter Burwell Lorne Michaels Can’t Quit SNL, So He Hopes Nobody Else Will, Either Lionel Messi is Not Renewing His Contract with FC Barcelona Mike Richards in Advanced Negotiations to Become Permanent Host of ‘Jeopardy!’ Who Owns My Name? by Amanda Knox The Washington Football Team Has Banned Native American Headdresses From Its Stadium The Rolling Stones to perform private concert for Robert Kraft and friends GUESTS: Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance 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 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 Leg GUESTS: Eric Danton - A reporter and critic Joan Holliday - Host of The Riversound Café with Joan Holliday weekday afternoons on 93.9 and 101.5 The River Wally Lamb - The author of nine books; his most recent novel is I’ll Take You There 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.

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 Hunt Marcellus Cadd - Writes the blog Geocaching While Black 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.

humor = tragedy + time OK, 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 magician Shawn Murray - Shawn Murray is a comedian, writer, and the host of Nobody Asked Shawn Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer Ferne Pearlstein - A documentary filmmaker who directed The Last Laugh Caleb Warren - Assistant professor of marketing at the University of Arizona Join 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.

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.

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 Works Steve Metcalf - Director Emeritus of the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ College Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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 Profiling James 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 Mind Bill 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 Mystery Rachel McCarthy James - Co-author of The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery Join 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.

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 CalMatters Vanessa 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 Writer Bruce Weber - Retired New York Times obituarist Join 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.

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 Olympics Rebecca Schuman - Writer who is covering Olympic gymnastics for Slate Emily VanDerWerff - Critic at Large for Vox Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Icon Will We Ever See a ‘Star Wars’–MCU Crossover? The Spirit of the ’80s Is Alive and Crying on John Mayer’s New Album In second Honors this year, Kennedy Center to recognize Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Lorne Michaels, Berry Gordy and Justino Díaz An increasingly popular way to be buried: Become part of an artificial reef With ‘Black Widow’ ticket buying suddenly drying up, growing questions for Disney’s Marvel about what did it in Blaming Disney+ for the ‘Black Widow’ Drop Was Not a Smart Argument Why I Still Love the Office Where Have All the Sports Movies Gone? The Resurgent Appeal of Guinness World Records Why 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 Required Netflix’s Subscriber Base is Growing, But Not In North America Sean Penn Line In Sand: Won’t Return To Watergate Series ‘Gaslit’ Unless All Cast & Crew Get Mandatory Covid Vaccinations Neckties Are the New Bow Ties Pack It In, Everyone, Dolly Parton Now Owns Hot Girl Summer GUESTS: Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University 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.

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 Everything Mack Lamoureux - Night editor at Vice Canada Eugene Lim - Senior lecturer in theoretical physics at King’s College London Alicia Lutes - Managing editor of The Nerdist Join 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.

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 Carolina Caitlin Rosenthal - Associate Professor of History at the University of California Berkeley Rachel Sugar - Staff writer for Grubstreet Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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 program Alex Kirshner - A writer and editor; he co-hosts the Split Zone Duo podcast and co-writes the Moon Crew newsletter Terry Shoemaker - A lecturer on religious studies and American studies at Arizona State University Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 75 Mj Rodriguez Just Became The First Transgender Person To Be Nominated For A Major Lead Acting Emmy The Emmys Have Gone Mildly Wild Best Actor Or Actress? Gender-Expansive Performers Are Forced To Choose Jason Sudeikis Is Having One Hell of a Year Thom Yorke and Radiohead Release Music Video for “Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)” Olivia Rodrigo Went To The White House To Talk About Vaccinations Mint condition Super Mario 64 game sells for record $1.5m This Insect Drinks Your Milkshake Man fuels his personal fart-cycle with gas from a swamp The newest clip from Netflix’s Sexy Beasts dating show offers fresh nightmare fuel The Only ‘New’ Thing About Cross-Cultural Casting Is Who’s Getting The Roles GUESTS: Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcast Tom Breen - Managing editor of The New Haven Independent, and he hosted Deep Focus on WNHH radio 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.

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 Oregon Adam Gidwitz - Author of The Unicorn Rescue Society series, among other books, and the creator of the podcast Grimm, Grimmer and Grimmest Sarah Laskow - Author of The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns and senior editor for science at The Atlantic Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Online Marian Lindberg - Conservation specialist for The Nature Conservancy and the author of Scandal On Plum Island: A Commander Becomes the Accused Geoff Manaugh - Co-author of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine 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.

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.

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 Judith Flanders - Author of A Place For Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order Peter Sokolowski - A lexicographer and editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of the podcast Word Matters Join 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.

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 91 R.I.P. filmmaker and actor Robert Downey Sr.His son, actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed the news on Instagram What 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 Contestant Everyone 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 Wars Zack Snyder is making an Akira Kurosawa-inspired sci-fi epic for Netflix How Disney Mismanaged the Star Wars UniverseAnd how The Mandalorian can restore the true power of George Lucas's galaxy The 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 1980s Mathematicians 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 Person Admit it: Grilling is bad GUESTS: Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University 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.

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 Blindness 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.

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 Patch Join 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.

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 Wild Melissa Cristina Márquez - A marine biologist and shark scientist Andrew Rivkin - A planetary astronomer and the DART Investigation Team Lead at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory 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.

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 court College 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 -- Franchise F9 Makes Dom Toretto Canonically Tall The 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. Bullshitting Is Actually a Sign of Intelligence, Study FindsThis is not BS. NPR's Joy Generator A Food Critic Reviews the Swedish Chef's New Restaurant 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. 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 Roils With gift from David Geffen, Yale's drama school goes tuition-free Elvis Costello dismisses claims Olivia Rodrigo plagiarized his music, saying that's rock and roll The 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 Conservatorship How 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 writer James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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" Newsletter Dana Bull - Realtor with Sagan Harborside Sotheby's International Realty, based in Massachusetts 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.

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 Industry Ron Popeil - Inventor and iconic infomercial pitchman Remy 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 Sink Join 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.

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 series Adrienne Mayor - Author of The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times and Fossil Legends of the First Americans ‌William O'Connor - Author and illustrator of the Dracopedia book trilogy Matthew Reilly - Author The Great Zoo of China, among many other novels Join 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.

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 Nothing Jim Holt - Author of Why Does The World Exist? An Existential Detective Story James Owen Weatherall - Author of Void: The Strange Physics of Nothing Join 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.

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 Tapes Lory Gil - A writer in the tech industry Sommer McCoy - Founder of The Mixtape Museum Zack Taylor - Director of Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape Join 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.

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 Word Kristie Macrakis - Author of Prisoners, Lovers, & Spies: The Story of Invisible Ink from Herodotus to al Qaeda Kyle Wiens - Founder of iFixit Join 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.

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 artist Jonathan Waldman - Author of Rust: The Longest War Join 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.

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 Nevada Tim J. Jorgenson - Author of Strange Glow: The Story of Radiation David Ropeik - Author of How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don't Match The Facts Join 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.

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 History Eric Rabkin - Professor emeritus of English language and literature and of art & design at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Gary Snyder - Poet Christian Tryon - Assistant professor of anthropology at Harvard Charles Wright - The 50th Poet Laureate of the United States Join 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.

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 83 Opinion: Tom Hanks Is A Non-Racist. It's Time For Him To Be Anti-Racist James Corden Is Facing Backlash For His "Spill Your Guts" Segment"It's blatant racism." How 'WandaVision,' 'The Umbrella Academy,' 'Harley Quinn' Subvert the Superhero Genre Tina 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 Him Cristiano Ronaldo snub sees Coca-Cola market value fall by $4bn 'The Cable Guy' Turns 25: How Jim Carrey’s $20 Million Salary Shook Up Hollywood A David Bowie Painting That Sold For $4 At A Thrift Store Is Now Up For Auction Robert 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 directors GUESTS: Rand Richards Cooper - A fiction writer, contributing editor at Commonweal, and the restaurant critic for the Hartford Courant Shawn Murray - A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 @refugeingrief Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Radio Lydia Brown - Managing producer of Vermont Public Radio's Vermont Edition John Dankosky - Host The CT Mirror's Steady Habits podcast, and he is news and special projects editor for Science Friday Robyn Doyon-Aitken - Senior producer for Seasoned on Connecticut Public Taneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorks Jacques Lamarre - A playwright, and director of client services at Buzz Engine Jonathan McNicol - Hasn't quit his job producing The Colin McEnroe Show Ali Oshinskie - A corps member with Report for America covering the Naugatuck River Valley for Connecticut Public Patrick Skahill - A reporter at Connecticut Public Radio, and he was the founding producer of The Colin McEnroe Show Chion Wolf - Hosts Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public Radio Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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 circumstantial 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.

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 Landscape Jason Anetsburger - Project manager for Komatsu America's Intelligent Machine Control line of bulldozers and excavators Kate McMullan - Children's book author and executive producer of the animated television series The Stinky and Dirty Show Randy Stenger - Founder and CEO of Extreme Sandbox Join 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.

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.