

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

Jan 10, 2023 • 50min
Hey, ho, let’s go! 50 years of punk rock
Punk rock’s been around for a good half a century now. This hour, a deep dive into punk’s past and present. GUESTS: Legs McNeil: Co-founder of PUNK Magazine and co-author of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Kelefa Sanneh: Author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres and a staff writer at The New Yorker Ben Social and Amy Wappel: Formed the Connecticut-based punk band Sadplant in 2007 The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired June 29, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 9, 2023 • 49min
Never bring a cane to a knife fight and other lessons of Congress's chaotic week
After 15 votes, Representative Kevin McCarthy is now speaker of the House of Representatives. This hour we talk about that election, its historical significance, and C-SPAN’s coverage of it. GUESTS: Joanne Freeman: The Class of 1954 Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University and the co-host of the American History and politics podcast “Now & Then.” Her most recent book is The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War Ben O’Connell: C-SPAN’s Director of Editorial Operations Aaron Rupar: Independent journalist and publisher of the “Public Notice” newsletter, covering U.S. Politics and Media Join the conversation onFacebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 6, 2023 • 50min
The Nose looks at ‘White Noise’ and ‘The Recruit’
This week’s Nose is like a shapeless, growing thing, a dark, black, breathing thing of smoke. White Noise is a movie adaptation of the landmark 1985 Don DeLillo novel written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle, and Driver is nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Netflix calls the movie, “At once hilarious and horrifying, lyrical and absurd, ordinary and apocalyptic.” And: The Recruit is an eight-episode espionage adventure/comedy/drama/thriller thing series on Netflix. It is created by Alexi Hawley, and Doug Liman directs its first two episodes. Noah Centineo stars as a new CIA lawyer who finds himself caught up in more actual international intrigue than he’s prepared for. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Henry Grossman, Photographer of Celebrities and Beatles, Dies at 86 He was best known for his formal portraits of prominent politicians and entertainers. Less famously, he took thousands of candid shots of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Novelist Appears to Announce She’s Alive 2 Years After Faking Suicide: ‘Let the Fun Begin’ “I debated on how to do this a million times,” Susan Meachen recently wrote on her Facebook page. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time From Sinatra to SZA, from R&B to salsa to alt-rock ‘Glass Onion’ and ‘Babylon’ Have Broken People’s Brains It’s time to log off, folks Sleazeballs are hot again Matty Healy, for when you’re ready to graduate from Harry Styles. More Networks Are Pulling Shows From Streaming — And This Trend Couldn’t Be More Dangerous ‘Office Space’ Inspired Engineer’s Theft Scheme, Police Say The authorities said a software engineer in Washington State stole more than $300,000 from his employer and named the scheme after the 1999 workplace comedy. Secret Meetings, Tequila and Black Adam vs. Superman: How Dwayne Johnson’s Bid for DC Power Flamed Out Martin Scorsese: The ‘Clouds Lifted’ for Cinema’s Future When I Saw ‘TÁR’ Scorsese praised Todd Field’s “high-wire act” before bestowing upon him the Best Picture prize at Wednesday night’s New York Film Critics Circle awards. The Best Movie Posters of 2022 GUESTS: Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and the chief communications officer at Buzz Engine Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College Pedro Soto: President and CEO of Hygrade Precision Technologies The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! 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.

Jan 5, 2023 • 49min
Read after watching: How episode recaps became part of our TV experience
This hour we discuss episode recaps and why we need them. We talk about why they're so popular, what makes them useful, and what their prevalence can tell us about the current TV landscape. Plus, we learn about why we have trouble remembering all the TV we watch, and we take a look at the evolution of the “previously on” television recap sequence. GUESTS: Dr. Wilma Bainbridge: Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Chicago. Alison Herman: Television critic for The Ringer Genevieve Koski: Senior TV Editor for New York Magazine Jason Mittell: Professor of Film and Media Culture at Middlebury College, who has written numerous books about American television Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! 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.

Jan 4, 2023 • 50min
Lost in translation: Our ode to the art of translating
Translators help open up our worlds by bringing us stories from around the globe. But often they’re not given very much credit for their work. This hour, the art of translation. Plus, a look at the challenges of translating movies and TV shows through subtitles and dubbing for international audiences. GUESTS: Jennifer Croft: Writer and translator and the winner of the 2018 Booker International Prize for her translation of Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights Denise Kripper: Translation editor for Latin American Literature Today and an associate professor of Spanish at Lake Forest College Emily Wilson: Chair of the program in comparative literature and literary theory at the University of Pennsylvania and translator of works such as The Odyssey The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired June 23, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 3, 2023 • 49min
We take your calls
Welcome to 2023. For our first show of the new year, we figured we’d see what’s on your minds. This hour, it’s book editors and learning foreign languages and The Cars tribute bands and the Oscar contenders and Damar Hamlin and the music streaming services on your minds. … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 29, 2022 • 50min
Our favorite jazz of 2022
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 nine years. GUESTS: Jen Allen: A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her most recent album is Sifting Grace Noah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album, with Henry Lugo, is Alter Ego Gene Seymour: A film, television, and music critic The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! 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.

Dec 29, 2022 • 50min
The nighttime Nose looks back at 2022
It’s been a long, strange year. Again. So how is our popular culture dealing with it all? The Nose is thinking about a few things. Our shared monoculture. Is there such a thing anymore? All the -verses. The MCU-verse. The DCEU-verse. The Star Wars-verse. The Sheridan-verse. The Waititi-verse. And all the -assances. The Jennifer Coolidge-assance. The Will Smith-assance? The Top Gun-assance. The Avatar-assance. The Brendan Fraser-assance. The Bennifer-assance. Beyoncé’s Renaissance. The renaissance-assance. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: The biggest pop culture moments of 2022 The face-offs (both fictional and real), celebrity deaths, interviews, and other entertainment stories that dominated headlines this year. The 41 Most Defining Memes Of 2022 Lea Michele, if you can read this, you’re #8. What Did Being Online Look Like for You in 2022? It’s High Noon in America In our popular culture and in our politics, we’re returning to the Old West. This Was the Year of the Prequel Once in short supply, the indispensable prequel dominated screens both big and small in 2022, transcending the genre’s spotty track record and giving sequels a run for their money as conversation drivers Are Cracks Beginning to Emerge in the Superhero Era? After 20 years and billions in box office earnings, early signs suggest that the tides are turning against superheroes as the most dominant force in pop culture It’s Time to Accept That Millennials and Gen Z Are the Same Generation Though discourse in 2021 tried to deepen the distinctions, it’s clear that young people today are forged from the same digital monoculture Waking Up From the American Dream How the TV of 2022 depicted the weird, warping pressures of work and ambition in a boom-and-bust economy. What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year? Bill Cosby Considering Return to Touring in 2023 Getting back on the comedy stage would follow Cosby’s sexual assault conviction being overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The 10 most bizarre celebrity apologies of 2022 GUESTS: Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcast Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus Theatricals Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 28, 2022 • 50min
List making, listicles, lists of lists: An hour devoted to list culture
Lists feel especially suited to the digital age, but humans have been creating lists for a long time. So why are we drawn to lists? This hour, the art and the utility of the list. GUESTS: Matthew Dicks: A West Hartford elementary school teacher and the author of Twenty-One Truths About Love Dan Kois: Editor and writer at Slate, where he recently wrote the list “The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time” Ann Powers: NPR Music’s critic and correspondent Liam Young: Author of List Cultures: Knowledge and Poetics from Mesopotamia to BuzzFeed The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 4, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 27, 2022 • 49min
Examining the narrative takeover and its impacts
It seems like everything’s been turned into a story lately. You can see a company’s story on the packaging of juice, cereal, and alternative milks. Politicians tell stories to rally support for policies. And social media helps us all tell the story that we want to tell about our lives. This hour, Peter Brooks on his new book, Seduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrative, and a look at why storytelling isn’t always positive. GUESTS: Peter Brooks: Author of Seduced by Story: The Use and Abuse of Narrative Chris Knopf: A novelist and the retired CEO of Mintz & Hoke Elise Wang: Assistant professor in the Department of English, Comparative Literature, and Linguistics at California State University, Fullerton The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! 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.


