The Colin McEnroe Show

Nietzsche called Richard Wagner "a volcanic eruption of the total undivided artistic capacity of nature itself," and Thomas Mann said he was "probably the greatest talent in the entire history of art." More than a thousand movies have Wagner on their soundtracks, including classic scenes from Apocalypse Now, The Blues Brothers, Bugs Bunny cartoons, and Charlie Chaplin. But, there's a reason Woody Allen says too much of Wagner's music gives him "the urge to conquer Poland." Wagner is nothing if not a problematic figure. As the new book Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music puts it, "An artist who might have rivaled Shakespeare in universal reach is undone by an ideology of hate." This hour, a look at Wagnerism with New Yorker music critic Alex Ross. GUESTS: Steve Metcalf - Director emeritus of the University of Hartford's Presidents' College Alex Ross - Music critic at The New Yorker and the author of Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 30, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump kept Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on the phone for an hour Saturday, using a combination of cajoling, lies, and threats to encourage him to “find” enough votes to overturn the election.   All 10 living former defense secretaries stressed in an op-ed for the Washington Post published yesterday that: “The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed in the Constitution and statute, has arrived.” Yet, eleven Republican senators and senators-elect and 140 House Republicans plan to vote against the joint session of Congress scheduled for Wednesday where President-elect Joe Biden’s victory is expected to be certified. Has the Republican Party lost its soul?  Lastly, how will the political power dynamics in Washington play out in 2021? GUESTS: Peter Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a contributing writer at The Atlantic and The New York Times. He’s the author of The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump. He served in the three previous Republican Administrations.  John Harris is the co-founder of Politico and the author of The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House. He writes the Altitude column for Politico. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year. We've done this every year for at least the last seven years. Here are our 2020 picks: "Kurinji" by Jen Allen featuring Kris Allen, Marty Jaffe, and Kush Abadey, from Sifting Grace "The Sidewinder" by Artemis, from Artemis "Dream Without Me" by Noah Baerman & Friends, from Love Right "Inner Child" by Chris Dingman featuring Linda May Han Oh and Tim Keiper, from Embrace "The Well" by Endless Field, from Alive in the Wilderness "AKA Reggie" by Wayne Escoffery, from The Humble Warrior "I Can't Remember Love" by Anna Hauss, Robert Wienröder & William Horberg, from Music from the Netflix Limited Series The Queen's Gambit "La Mesha" by Jimmy Heath featuring Wynton Marsalis, from Love Letter "Spiral" by Dan Liparini, from Tessellations "Data Lords" by Maria Schneider Orchestra, from Data Lords "More?" by Joel Ross, from Who Are You? "Piggy Bank for Charity" by Sax & Taps, from Intersplosion! (Live at Dizzy’s Club) GUESTS: Jen Allen - A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her new album is Sifting Grace Noah Baerman - A pianist, composer, and educator; his new album is Love Right Gene Seymour - A film, television, and music critic 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.

2020 was … not great. But, from a pop culture point of view, it wasn't so bad either. I mean, we got the Hamilton movie, The Queen's Gambit, the final season of Schitt's Creek, David Byrne's American Utopia, the Borat sequel, "WAP," I May Destroy You, Tiger King, two new Taylor Swift albums, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom… The list goes on. This hour, The Nose looks back at the year in pop culture that was 2020. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: French designer Pierre Cardin, licensing pioneer, dies at 98 What the Hole Is Going On?The very real, totally bizarre bucatini shortage of 2020. This Lawsuit Goes to 11The creators of This is Spinal Tap, the most influential mockumentary ever made, have been paid almost nothing. The rock gods are angry. Wait, What's Going on With Hilaria Baldwin? The 16 Best Ambient Albums of 2020Whether offering solace, transport, or simple numbness, these albums perfectly suited a year of lockdown. The 15 Best Crime Movies of 2020Heists, embezzlement attempts, and temporally-warped espionage will help end the year on a good note. The 39 Most Anticipated Movies of 2021 GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner Communications Taneisha Duggan - Artistic producer at TheaterWorks Sam Hadelman - Host of The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Mercy Quaye- Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group 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.

We tend not to think much about that pat of butter we put on our morning toast, including how the store-bought sweet cream butter we're eating likely pales in comparison to the rich, nutty flavor of  the cultured butter not found in many stores. Nor, do we think about butter sculpture, butter bogs, pleasure dairies, or the dairymaids, those once respected and well-paid artisans and economic powerhouses of our nations earliest days.  We definitely don't think about the nationwide 'war' between butter-loving dairy farmers and the margarine industry. It led to smear campaigns, state laws against margarine, and a ruling by the Supreme Court that led to pink margarine. You may not even know it's okay to eat butter again after decades of being told to stay away from the death-inducing fats found in butter. So, go ahead and eat that toast with butter.  Today, a show about butter.  GUESTS: Elaine Khosrova - Author of Butter: A Rich History, a former pastry student at Culinary Institute of America and a former test kitchen editor at Country Living magazine Doug Moe - Wisconsin-based author and journalist who has written for newspapers and magazines for almost 40 years Adeline Druart - President of Vermont Creamery. Adeline brings her knowledge of butter-making to Vermont from her home country of France You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toward the end of every year since 2014, we've picked a day and put "Big Al" Anderson, Jim Chapdelaine, and Colin in a room together, sung some songs, told some stories, and wound up with some sort of a holiday special. The "in a room together" part of that is essential… and just not going to happen in 2020. So, in lieu of doing a new show with Al and Jim, this year we've gone through all six of the previous shows we've done and pulled out some of the best songs -- 11 of them, no less -- and some of the best guest appearances and some of the other best bits and bobs and we've added a brand-new version of an age-old Big Al song that Al and Jim sent along special. And we've wound up with this sort of best-of edition of our annual holiday spectacular. Just 'cause we can't all get in a room together doesn't mean you can't have an hour of our nonsense to put on in the background on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve or whatever Eve you want. Happy holidays from us to you. GUESTS: Al Anderson - Vocals, guitar, songwriter Jim Chapdelaine - Guitar and vocals Lorne Entress - Drums and vocals Paul Kochanski - Bass guitar and vocals Nekita Waller - Connecticut's 17th state troubadour Chion Wolf - Host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public Radio Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Gene Amatruda, Betsy Kaplan, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Primary tabs View(active tab)   Edit The Nose Hasn't Happened Yet: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' And 'Tenet'By JONATHAN MCNICOL • 1 HOUR AGOThe Colin McEnroe ShowShareTweetEmail Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Viola Davis, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.'NETFLIX, INC. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is George C. Wolfe's film adaptation of the August Wilson play. It stars Viola Davis in the title role and Chadwick Boseman in his final film performance, and it's available to stream on Netflix. Christopher Nolan's Tenet was the first tentpole movie to be released in theaters during the pandemic. It did okay business (it's currently the third-highest grossing film of 2020), but nothing like what Warner Bros. would've hoped for in a normal time. It's still in theaters, and it's now available to buy on physical disc or from digital platforms. It will be available to rent digitally in January. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: John le Carré, Best-Selling Author of Cold War Thrillers, Dies at 89Breaking from the James Bond mold, he turned the spy novel into high art as he explored the moral compromises of agents on both sides of the Iron curtain. Charley Pride, Country Music's First Black Superstar, Dies at 86He began his career amid the racial unrest of the 1960s and cemented his place in the country pantheon with hits like "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'." Ann Reinking, Tony Winner and Star of Broadway's 'Chicago,' Dies at 71 Pantone Picks Two Colors of the Year for 2021It's all about the messaging. Get ready for a brighter future. Here's a Complete List of Updated Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney Animation Release Dates Snoop Dogg Doesn't Agree With Cardi B's "Wap," Encourages Women to Have Privacy and Leave Things to the Imagination Jon Bon Jovi's sappy cover of a Pogues' holiday classic just 'ruined' Christmas, says the Pogues American Master Bedrooms Should Just Split Up Already No, I Am Not Getting Rid of My Thousands of CDsOur chief classical music critic writes in praise of going to a shelf, pulling out a recording and sitting down to listen. Cleveland's Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team NameThe decision comes amid a wider push for sports teams to stop using Native American names and imagery as team names and mascots. MLB Is Finally Recognizing the Negro Leagues as the Major Leagues They Always WereNegro League statistics from 1920 to 1948 will now be officially classified as "major league," marking a long-overdue acknowledgment of the accomplishments of players who didn't have the opportunity to play in the American or National Leagues Every Steven Soderbergh Movie, Ranked Taylor Swift's deeply affecting evermore continues folklore's rich universe-building Christopher Walken Says He's Never Owned a Computer or Cell Phone TOM CURSE: Raging Tom Cruise warns Mission: Impossible crew they're 'f***ing gone' if they break COVID rules on set Tom Cruise rant dubbed into classic 'Rudolph' clip on Twitter Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Hopeful for Broadway's Return 'Heroes' Was Supposed to Be Leonard Roberts' Big Break. Instead, It Nearly Broke Him. Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened?Nearly a decade of hype led to a troubled release riddled with glitches, a livid fan base, refunds for potentially millions of players and a possible class-action lawsuit. John Mulaney Checks Into Rehab The Journalist and the Pharma BroWhy did Christie Smythe upend her life and stability for Martin Shkreli, one of the least-liked men in the world? It Took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting LoveSorry Boomers and Too Bad Millennials -- Only One Generation Stands Out as Social Distancing Pros A Close Reading of Ariana Grande's Engagement AnnouncementIn an extremely 2020 move, Ms. Grande got quarantine-engaged and announced it in an Instagram photo dump. MGM Is Exploring a Sale of Its Studio Trump Sets 'Beautiful' as the New Standard for Federal Buildings Golden Globes Switch 'Promising Young Woman' to Drama, Maria Bakalova Moved to Lead for 'Borat'Other HFPA changes include the men of "One Night in Miami" and "Hamilton" accepted into the film categories. GUESTS: Tom Breen - A film critic and reporter for the New Haven Independent and host of WNHH radio's Deep Focus Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group 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.

Kurt Andersen's last book, Fantasyland, looks at America's "centuries-old weakness for the untrue and irrational, and its spontaneous and dangerous flowering since the 1960s" and how it got us where we are today. His new book, Evil Geniuses, is a kind of sequel, a companion. It's a parallel history, really, that looks more closely at "the quite deliberate reengineering of our economy and society since the 1960s." This hour, public radio great Kurt Andersen on "the unmaking of America." GUEST: Kurt Andersen - Co-founded Spy magazine and he was the host and co-creator of Studio 360; his newest book is Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America — A Recent History Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 23, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It could be months or years before the US government knows the full extent of last week's sophisticated cyberattack that targeted private tech and security companies and federal agencies like the Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration. President Trump dismissed the significance of the attack, tweeting that "everything was under control." He refused to criticize Russia for the attack, claimed without evidence that it could be China, and contradicted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's acknowledgement of Russian involvement. Yet, the President continues to fight the election results and has considered declaring martial law to overturn the election.   Also this hour: The FDA says it's time to deregulate the ingredients in French dressing and frozen cherry pies.  GUESTS: Josphine Wolff is assistant professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She's the author of, You'll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches. Lawrence Douglas is the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College. He’s the author of seven books; his most recent is Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Electoral Meltdown in 2020 Michael Levenson reports for The New York Times, Express Desk. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, we didn't take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as "chewing gum for the eyes," as, literally, furniture. And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television. This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker's television critic. GUEST: Emily Nussbaum - Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.