The Colin McEnroe Show

Has everything original been done? It’s a question that’s been asked about storytelling, music, fine art, movies, and so much more. This hour, we attempt to answer that question and discover if everything has already been done. Along the way, we explore the idea of originality and our tolerance for novelty and talk to artists who are reckoning with these questions. GUESTS: Martha Buskirk: Professor of art history and criticism at Montserrat College of Art and author of Is It Ours? Art, Copyright, and Public Interest, among other books Jill Magid: Artist, writer, and filmmaker Kirby Ferguson: Filmmaker and a creator of the Everything Is a Remix series Brian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven Independent 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.

COVID is on the rise again. The flu is setting all-time records, and is especially bad in Connecticut. Oh, and there’s still a respiratory syncytial virus situation going on. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people “wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.” But it’s hard to imagine that very many people are about to actually do that. This hour, an update on the pandemic or the triple-demic or whatever we want to call this ongoing mess at this point. GUESTS: Gregg Gonsalves: Associate professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) at the Yale School of Public Health and the public health correspondent for The Nation Eric Topol: A physician and scientist; he writes the Ground Truths Substack, and he’s founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute Katherine J. Wu: A staff writer at The Atlantic 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.

This hour: spelling — what it is, why it matters, and why some of us actually find it fun. There will be a test. GUESTS: Deb Amlen: Crossword columnist and senior staff editor of the crossword column Wordplay for The New York Times; she also writes the weekly Diary of a Spelling Bee Fanatic column Richard Gentry: Education consultant and the author, most recently, of the Spelling Connectionsseries Peter Sokolowski: Editor at large at Merriam-Webster and a member of the Word Panel for the Scripps National Spelling Bee 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, Taylor Doyle, Jacob Gannon, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans have long been interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This hour, a look at why that interest has persisted. Plus, we talk to a scientist who is looking for extraterrestrial life and a linguist who is preparing in case we ever receive communications from extraterrestrials. GUESTS: Kate Dorsch: Historian, philosopher of science, and the associate director of the philosophy, politics, and economics program at the University of Pennsylvania Amanda Rees: Historian of science based at the University of York Seth Shostak: Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and host of the radio show and podcast Big Picture Science Sheri Wells-Jensen: Associate professor of English and linguistics at Bowling Green State University and a member of the board of directors of METI International 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 2, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose is off this week. In its place: The movie musical died a long, slow death a long time ago. Right? Well, except that there’s Spielberg’s West Side Story. And Hamilton and In the Heights and Tick, Tick… Boom! And A Star Is Born and The Greatest Showman. And Annette and Cyrano. Oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman and Elvis. And Encanto. And those are just from the last five years. And I could keep going. This hour, a long look at the long-dead movie musical. Long live the movie musical. Some stuff that happened this week, give or take: Irene Cara, ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ Singer, Dies at 63 Ms. Cara was a child star from the Bronx who gained fame in the 1980s as a singer of pop anthems and as the star of the movie “Fame.” Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 79 The greatest film of all time: Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles For the first time in 70 years the Sight and Sound poll has been topped by a film directed by a woman — and one that takes a consciously, radically feminist approach to cinema. Things will never be the same. Glass Onion Is Expected To Gross $15 Million In Its One-Week Theatrical Preview This Was the Worst Thanksgiving Weekend in Box-Office History. Yes, Disney’s animated “Strange World” is a bomb — but without Netflix’s “Glass Onion,” the weekend would have been even worse. Was ‘Glass Onion’ a Success? Peeling Back the Layers on Netflix’s Box Office Gambit Top Gun: Maverick Is Being Re-Released In Theaters Before Avatar Comes For The Box Office Crown Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Trailer Breakdown: Where There’s A Whip, There’s A Way ‘Nasty, vile, want to unsee’: Mum sparks debate over multi-use of ‘family sick bowl’ Social media is split Brian Robinson’s BIG HAT deserves all caps because it’s a BIG HAT It’s BIG HAT world, and we’re living in it. Cocaine Bear: the trailer for 2023’s wildest film is everything and more The Elizabeth Banks-directed caper, based on a true story, looks to be exactly what the internet wants it to be The 2023 Oscars Will Televise The Presentation Of All 23 Awards Categories A teary Will Smith opens up to Trevor Noah about the ‘rage’ behind his Oscar slap Nicole Kidman Receives Standing Ovation at Broadway’s ‘The Music Man’ After Bidding $100,000 for Hugh Jackman’s Signed Hat Why has the internet invented a fake Martin Scorsese film? Thousands of Tumblr users have been making posters, soundtracks, drawings and fan fiction for a 1973 Scorsese film starring Robert De Niro — but it never existed A man won the legal right to not be ‘fun’ at work after refusing to embrace ‘excessive alcoholism’ and ‘promiscuity’ Video games for dogs aim to help aging canine brains Aubrey Plaza Is Leveling Up—and Still Pranking Her Costars The famously deadpan Aubrey Plaza is reaching new heights with a star turn in the new season of The White Lotus and a mega Francis Ford Coppola project on the horizon. Helena Bonham Carter: Good on young men for finding middle-aged beauty sexy The London Library’s first female president on why she thinks Johnny Depp has been ‘vindicated’ and the ‘horrendous’ treatment of JK Rowling ‘Avatar’ and the Mystery of the Vanishing Blockbuster It was the highest-grossing film in history, but for years it was remembered mainly for having been forgotten. Why? Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs of All Time From Seventies sitcoms with expository jams to modern prestige classics with experimental scores, from ‘Sanford and Son’ to ‘Succession,’ from ‘Match Game’ to ‘Game of Thrones’ Poynter: We asked, you answered: Here are your favorite journalism movies We’ve published our own list before, but we wanted to hear from you. Legendary Entertainment Formalizes Sony Deal After Cutting Ties With Warner Bros. Adults Are Spending Big on Toys and Stuffed Animals—for Themselves The Last Real American Dictionary Scrabble’s new edition is full of delightful new words. But are there enough of them? Kylie Jenner’s Humongous Christmas Tree Has Pissed Off A Lot Of People, But I’m Just Trying To Figure Out What That Potato Sack Thing Is Another day, another drama. This time about a Christmas tree. Planes, Trains and Automobiles at 35: An Oral History of One of the Most Beloved Road Movies Ever Made Starring Steve Martin and John Candy, the John Hughes road trip comedy had a nearly four-hour runtime at one point. Hear from cast, crew, and Hughes’ family about the classic. ‘Wednesday’ Summons Record-Breaking Debut Week On Netflix With 341.23M Hours Viewed NYC is hiring a rat czar. ‘General aura of badassery’ required. GUESTS: Jeanine Basinger: Founder of the Department of Film Studies at Wesleyan University and the author of many books on film; her latest is Hollywood: The Oral History Steve Metcalf: Director of the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ College 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, which originally aired March 5, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can’t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own. This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies. GUESTS: Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the Many Minds podcast Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show Sile O’Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interact Carlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorks 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, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the one hand, calling something “medieval” carries with it negative connotations of outdated times. But lately there has almost been a nostalgia for life in the Middle Ages. This hour, we look at what life was really like in that time period and why we remember it the way we do. Plus, a look at the medieval origin of environmental anxiety and student debt. GUESTS: Jenny Adams: Associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Courtney Barajas: Author of Old English Ecotheology: The Exeter Book Martha Bayless: Director of folklore and public culture at the University of Oregon; her books include Sin and Filth in Medieval Culture: The Devil in the Latrine and A Cultural History of Comedy in the Middle Ages 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 May 23, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We use zippers all the time, whether on clothes, shoes, bags, tents … the list goes on. Zippers keep our belongings secure, they keep us warm, they help keep out the elements, and they make it easier to get dressed. This hour: the zipper — its history and significance, its role in fashion … and why so many zippers say “YKK.” GUESTS: Robert Friedel: Professor emeritus of history at the University of Maryland and the author of Zipper: An Exploration in Novelty Emma McClendon: Fashion historian, curator, and author Jim Reed: President of YKK Corporation of America 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 Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 14, 2022. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The humble tambourine is the underrated, understated, unsung hero of contemporary music. This hour we shake our assumptions about this surprisingly enduring and ubiquitous instrument. GUESTS: Ira Elliot: Percussionist best known as the drummer for the band Nada Surf Erin Elstner: Percussionist and professor of percussion at Webster University Tim Kubart: Musician, songwriter, and performer known world-wide as The Tambourine Guy 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, Michayla Savitt, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 17, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose has enrolled itself as an ultrasonic epistemic dissident. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story is a new memoir by Bono. It’s largely illustrated essays telling the stories of particular songs (40 of them, one imagines). It’s currently No. 2 on The New York Times Hardcover Best Sellers List. As such, Bono has been everywhere lately. As such, The Nose got to thinking about the tension between Bono, the actual big-deal important figure, and Bono, the guy who seems to mostly annoy everybody all the time. And: Tár is Todd Field’s third feature film as writer and director, his first in 16 years. It stars Cate Blanchett as the iconic fictional musician and conductor Lydia Tár, and it won Blanchett the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at this year’s Venice International Film Festival. GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College 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 and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.