The Colin McEnroe Show

President Trump held a Sunday morning press conference to announce that the U.S. military conducted a targeted operation to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday. The operation was successful and important but still a somber and serious event.  The almost 50-minute question and answer period that followed the president's news was political, self-aggrandizing, undignified, and may have revealed sensitive operational details.  Also this hour: we talk to an expert on how the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will will affect the global ISIS organization.  Lastly, we save time for your calls. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Washington Post published "The 20 defining comedy sketches of the past 20 years" covering television sketch comedy of the 2000s. It includes a lot of what you'd expect it to include: SNL's "More Cowbell" and "Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks," Inside Amy Schumer's "Last F---able Day," Chappelle's Show's "Frontline -- Clayton Bigsby." And: For only the second time ever, The Nose has read a book. This time it's Stephen King's latest, The Institute. It's a kind of science fiction horror thriller with kids in it that harkens back to a lot of classic King. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Should We Pay to Enter Bookstores? Dennis Quaid, 65, confirms engagement to Laura Savoie, 26 Patti LuPone on getting bullied by Broadway. And why she keeps coming back. Why Are Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Having Such A Hard Time With Their Royal Life? Francis Ford Coppola agrees with Scorsese, calls Marvel movies "despicable"Plus, James Gunn once again steps up to defend superhero movies Marvel Movies Aren't Sexy Enough for Pedro Almodóvar, Says Pedro Almodóvar How Popular Is Baseball, Really? 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Trailer Breakdown: Long Have We Waited for This 'This is natural chemistry': Behind the scenes with ESPN during the WNBA Finals Google Claims a Quantum Breakthrough That Could Change Computing The Astros Don't Deserve a World Series of DistractionHouston's response to a report about a prominent executive reveals a culture that not only values titles above all else, but condemns anyone who dares to feel differently. The Astros' actions are the story of MLB's signature event -- and no amount of winning should change that. An Interview With The Viral Chinese Stunt Drinker Who Became Our King Men, That Constant Tugging on Your Shirt? We Notice ItAs targeted by a skit on Netflix show 'I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson,' the male tendency to pull on shirts has become a pop cultural pressure point Millenials are killing the Doorbell Industry by texting 'here' Coldplay use classified ads in local papers to reveal new album tracksBand reveal details of double album Sunrise and Sunset among ads for bales of hay and whitegoods The Secret Service Interviewed Eminem Over "Threatening Lyrics" About Trump And Ivanka. These Docs Prove It.Documents obtained by BuzzFeed News show the Secret Service interviewed the rapper about his Trump lyrics after an email from a TMZ staffer. Always to Ax Female Symbol From Sanitary Products Packages in Nod to Trans UsersThe decision follows calls by transgender advocates who said the company was alienating trans and gender-nonconforming customers Cult Halloween Classic Hocus Pocus getting a sequel on Disney+, Disney hopes to get original cast involved. Warner Bros Wants Michael Keaton To Return For Batman Beyond Live-Action Movie GUESTS: Chris Grosso - Writes for Fangoria and Revolver magazine, the author of three books, and the host of The Indie Spiritualist Podcast Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Julia Pistell - Founding member of Sea Tea Improv 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.

That headline is just a direct quote from James Poniewozik's Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America. I was torn between that line from the book and this one: Donald Trump is not a person. Poniewozik's take is that "Donald Trump" is really a character that Donald Trump has been playing on television since at least the early 1980s. "Television has entertained America, television has ensorcelled America, and with the election of Donald J. Trump, television has conquered America," Poniewozik writes. Audience of One is a cultural history of television and a television history of Donald Trump. Poniewozik joins us for the hour.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love it or hate it, ventriloquism is hot these days. From Jeff Dunham's superstardom to three recent America's Got Talent winners, 'vents' are seeing more exposure than they have in decades. And with this attention comes new fans and practicioners from around the world. But venting wasn't always so popular. For centuries it was regarded as dark and deceptive--a practice  often associated with charlatans, witches, and people possesed. And even today, some still admit to feeling uneasy in the presence of puppets. Today we speak with historians and practicioners of ventriloquism to get an inside look at this age-old art form. We'll trace the evolution of venting from Vaudeville to its modern revival, and even get an on-air lesson by a pro!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hard-boiled private eye, a glamorous blond, and a hapless drifter all sit at a bar on the seamy side of town. It's night, the streets are wet, the shadows are long. They each nurse a drink to the notes of a mournful saxophone and a lonely piano.  Smoke from the cigarettes swirls in the darkness.  We all know classic noir when we see it and hear it and read it; yet, we don't really know how to define the dark plots that expose humanity in all its moral ambiguity and loneliness.  Noir arrived in America with German emigre's escaping the Nazis and fit well with the bleakness of Americans reeling from a depression, two world wars and later, the threat of nuclear annihilation. It continues to resonate and has transposed its style across genres. ​ Today, a deeper look at noir - then and now. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, a two-part show. The first part is with an impeachment expert on the House inquiry into whether President Trump abused his power for personal gain. How much trouble is the president in? In the last two weeks, diplomats and senior advisors have testified against White House orders. They've each told a similar narrative in which all paths lead to the president.  On Thursday, acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney all but confessed to the quid-pro-quo many Republicans have made a criteria for considering impeachment.  The second-part is for your calls.  The president has become increasingly brazen in his effort to distract from the impeachment proceedings. As we've seen in Syria this week, his reactions can have serious consequences. How low might the president go to loosen the vise that's tightening on him? How will the president react as the inquiry progresses? How will the inquiry affect the 2020 election? How will it end - will the Senate convict? If not, what happens next?  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Scorsese is a grump. He doesn't like Marvel movies. He says they aren't "cinema." He says they aren't even narrative films, and "we shouldn't be invaded by it." The internet, as you can imagine, has takes. And: The Eddie Murphy comeback is on. He appeared on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee this summer. He's hosting Saturday Night Live in December. He's got multiple standup comedy specials in the works. And right now he's starring in the briefly-in-theaters-but-hitting-Netflix-next-weekend biopic Dolemite Is My Name.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Hate" is the imprecise word we use to describe a group of ideas that have moved out of the shadows of American public life and into its center ring. At the core of these movements sits one common idea: that all people are not equal. This hour, we discuss the challenges this moment poses to educators, politicians, business leaders and journalists as recorded live at Watkinson School in Hartford as part of Colin's Freshly Squeezed series. GUESTS: Steve Ginsburg - Director of the Anti-Defamation League's Connecticut Regional Office Jennifer Herdt - Gilbert L. Stark professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School Molly Land - Professor of law at UConn School of Law Richard Wilson - Gladstein chair and professor of anthropology and law at UConn School of Law Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the penny press, to yellow journalism, to supermarket tabloids and beyond, sensationalized news has been around for centuries. But while this style of reporting may have its critics, it may also serve as an important reflection of American culture and democracy. This hour we speak with journalists and historians about the evolution and influence of tabloid journalism. We'll also discuss the alleged connection between President Trump and various tabloid publications, the true nature of which continues to unfold.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January of 2018, a seemingly racist incident occurred on the National Mall. Photos and videos were posted to social media showing a group of MAGA hat-wearing high school students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky. One of them, Nick Sandmann, seemed to be mocking and blocking the path of Native American activist, Nathan Phillips. People either jeered or cheered on social media, depending on how it was perceived, long before most of us had any idea of the context of the situation.  An investigation cleared the students of wrongdoing. What happened is less important than understanding how that incident triggered strong convictions that varied by political affiliation and remained resistant to changing after the investigation. Today, we talk about how this cultural moment is making all of us arrogant intellectual know-it-alls.  Also this hour: One man's quest to be the smartest man in the world. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.