The Colin McEnroe Show
Connecticut Public Radio
The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 1, 2016 • 49min
A Show About Infomercials. Operators Are Standing By!
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?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 30, 2016 • 49min
Imagining Aliens: A Conversation in Science, Fiction, and Theology
From scientists to fiction writers, conspiracy theorists to theologians, aliens have captured the imagination of us all. But as we ponder the possibilities let us pause to ask ourselves why.Why do these yet to be found creatures from space occupy such a central role in the musings of so many? And should their existence be confirmed, what will it mean for us on Earth?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 29, 2016 • 49min
Adrenaline: America's Favorite Hormone
Since its discovery in 1900, adrenaline and pop-culture have gone hand-in-hand. From extreme sports, to the latest energy drinks, to pulse pounding Hollywood blockbusters, the rush of this hormone is portrayed in countless ways.But these portrayals seldom tell the whole story. So what exactly is adrenaline, and why does our society seem so keen on celebrating it?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 28, 2016 • 41min
A Love Letter (and Tomatoes) to the Usual Gang of Idiots
Before Stephen Colbert and John Oliver, before Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien, before "The Simpsons," before David Letterman, before "Saturday Night Live," before The National Lampoon… before all the great subversive American satirists that we’ve all grown… used to — before all that, there was MAD magazine.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 27, 2016 • 49min
Holy Smokes, Batman! You're a Star!
My Batman story begins with a crime. I was in third grade. I went to the barber shop in West Hartford Center where there were comic books to read while you waited.I had never seen any superhero comic before and I started reading a Batman story. It was great but I didn't have enough time to finish it. So, when my haircut was done, I took it home with me. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 24, 2016 • 50min
The Nose Is Exiting the Rest of Its Face
The British voted to leave the European Union yesterday. Let that sink in for a minute. This decision will likely cause geopolitical and economic turmoil and uncertainty for years to come as the world negotiates how to separate Britain from our global economy.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 23, 2016 • 50min
Cinderella Doesn't Want to Marry the Prince
Most of us know Cinderella as the poor servant girl who stuck it to her mean stepmother and stepsisters by proving she was good enough to marry the rich and handsome prince. She had a little help from a fairy godmother, a pumpkin coach, and a foot small enough to fit into the glass slipper.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 22, 2016 • 49min
Borders: A look at The Lines That Divide Us
It's easy to think of borders as fixed, almost sacrosanct lines, so rooted in the natural order of things that it often doesn't occur to us to question them. But borders were not always thought of this way. In fact, the notion of well understood, and agreed upon boundaries between nations is somewhat new.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 21, 2016 • 49min
The Unreliability of the Unreliable Narrator
Earlier this year at the Golden Globes, the top TV honor, Best Television Series -- Drama, went to USA's hacker technothriller series "Mr. Robot." Last year, the trophy went to Showtime's "The Affair."Between those two new shows, there are three point-of-view characters, three narrators. And you can’t really trust, you can't fully believe a one of them.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 20, 2016 • 50min
The Scramble Crashed After We Talked Trump
Donald Trump has had a really bad few weeks. His poll numbers are dropping to the lowest point for any general election candidate in the last three years. He's coming under fire for his response to last week's shootings in Orlando, and for saying U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel -- who is the judge overseeing the fraud case against Trump University -- may be biased against him because of his Mexican heritage.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
