The Colin McEnroe Show

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.