

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

Nov 8, 2022 • 49min
‘Citizen Observers’ share their voting stories from around the state
On Election Day we do a show where we ask people across Connecticut to do a simple thing: Go vote in your town before 1 p.m. Then call us between 1 and 2 p.m. and tell us how it felt, what you saw, whom you spoke to. Say whatever you want to say about the experience of voting. This hour we hear from Citizen Observers about their experiences at the polls. GUESTS: Charlie Barber: Nonfiction author and Writer in Residence at Wesleyan University Barry Blitt: Cartoonist and illustrator for The New Yorker and other publications Susan Clinard: Owner of Clinard Sculpture Studio Jack French: Research Associate in the Yale Program for Financial Stability at the Yale School of Management Lara Herscovitch: Singer-songwriter, poet, performer, advocate, former CT State Troubadour, and children’s book author Iman James: Competitive boxer and a New Haven Public School Teacher 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.

Nov 7, 2022 • 49min
Some people are considering whether it’s time to leave the United States
Some Americans are considering whether this country is a place where they want to live in the future. This hour is all about leaving the United States. We talk to someone who made the move about what inspired her and her new life in Portugal. Plus, we learn more about the process of actually moving out of the country. And we talk to someone who has considered leaving, but ultimately decided to stay here, for now at least. GUESTS: Wajahat Ali: The Daily Beast columnist, public speaker, and author of Go Back To Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on Becoming American; he recently wrote “Is It Time for Me to Leave America?” DeNeen Brown: Local enterprise reporter at The Washington Post and an associate professor at the University of Maryland; she recently wrote “The Case for Leaving America to Escape Racism” Caryl Hallberg: Moved from the United States to Portugal in 2020 Jennifer Stevens: Executive editor of International Living 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, Jacob Gannon, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 4, 2022 • 49min
The Nose looks at Taylor Swift, ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ and more
This week’s Nose is energy unfocused, innovation hindered, hope strangled, greatness disguised. Taylor Swift currently occupies the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That’s the, uh, new record. She’s also got 10 other songs in other spots on the Hot 100. Fully one-fifth of the entire Hot 100 is Taylor Swift songs right now. Federal law requires that we cover this phenomenon. (No it doesn’t.) And: Don’t Worry Darling is the second movie directed by Olivia Wilde. It’s kind of a feature-length Black Mirror episode starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and Wilde. Its reportedly troubled production and promotion have been the focus of much scrutiny and spawned the word, uh, “spitgate.” Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Remembering Takeoff, The Best Rapper in Migos He was “the quiet” member of the Atlanta rap group, but his demeanor belied a commanding presence The Decline of Etiquette and the Rise of ‘Boundaries’ For centuries, strict social norms dictated what people could politely talk about. Now we have to figure it out for ourselves. Grading Taylor Swift’s ‘Karma’ With a Buddhist-Studies Professor A Mom Who Tweeted About Throwing Out Her Kids’ Halloween Candy Said She Was Accused Of Abuse After It “Escaped The Orbit” Of Her Followers Meet this week’s Bean Dad. What do users want from their TV streaming? A new NPR/Ipsos poll has some answers ‘Non-binary’ Romeo and Juliet set in Nazi Germany apologises for omitting Jews from casting callThe Icarus Theatre production shows the hero as being a member of the Hitler Youth Pack Your Bags, We’re Moving to ‘Roku City’ Instead of streaming a new TV show or movie, some Roku users are in it for the screen saver. The Eerie Comfort of Liminal Spaces Why we’re compelled by images of abandoned shopping malls, waiting rooms, and corridors The Original E.T. Model From The Movie Is Going Up For Auction, And You’ll Just Need A Couple Million Bucks Martin Luther King Jr. paid the bill for Julia Roberts’ birth. Here’s the backstory Professional Cornhole Has a Cheating Scandal Called BagGate Officials talk of new regulations to root out illegally sized bags. Fans are reeling: ‘The dirty underbelly is being exposed.’ Netflix’s ‘Blockbuster’ and Hollywood’s Greatest Spite Projects The new workplace sitcom is the ultimate flex by Netflix after Blockbuster refused to buy the streamer in the early 2000s. But this isn’t the first time egos in Hollywood decided to be petty… Who Is Jennifer Lawrence Now? The Oscar-winning “Hunger Games” actress is free from her franchise commitments. But after a brief hiatus from acting, what will she do next? Aubrey Plaza and Joe Locke Are Conjuring a WandaVision Spinoff The Best Movies of 2022 (So Far) Comedy’s Crowd-Work Clip Civil War The Best Comedy Specials of 2022 (So Far) Netflix has (probably) ordered a second season of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman A since-deleted tweet from the official DC Comics account seemed to confirm that the Tom Sturridge-starring show would be coming back for a second season WWE Closes Book On Vince McMahon Investigation; Says Probe Complete, Special Committee Disbanded Jeff Knows Bo …and Magic, and Sweetness, and the ‘86 Mets and pretty much every other legendary athlete and outrageous sports story you’ve ever heard of but were afraid to ask more about. NBC revives Golden Globes telecast after HFPA racial exclusion scandal The network did not air a Golden Globes ceremony in 2022 as the HFPA attempted to rehabilitate its image and overhaul its membership. Academy promises ‘great legacy surprises’ in 2023 Oscars preview CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang previewed the 95th Oscars ceremony at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Adele, Florence Pugh, And 23 Other Celebs Whose Names You’ve Unknowingly Been ButcheringLittle did I know “Adele” could be pronounced any other way… GUESTS: Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 3, 2022 • 49min
What’s next for the Republican Party?
This hour: Mark Leibovich on the past, present, and future of the Republican Party, and his new book, Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission. GUEST: Mark Leibovich: Author of Thank You For Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission and 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.

Nov 2, 2022 • 50min
Three poets celebrate the freedom of poetry
This hour, we celebrate poetry with three contemporary poets. GUESTS: Margaret Gibson: The seventh poet laureate of Connecticut; her most recent collection is The Glass Globe Yanyi: Writes the advice column The Reading for creative writers; his most recent poetry collection is Dream of the Divided Field Matthew Zapruder: A poet, professor, and the author of Why Poetry; his most recent poetry collection is Father’s Day 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 April 28, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 1, 2022 • 49min
Why a show about fog? We haven’t the foggiest
From San Francisco’s iconic fog and COVID-related brain fog to a location-tracking program called Fog Reveal, this hour, we lift the fog on all kinds of fog. GUESTS: Travis O’Brien: Professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana University Javeed Sukhera: Chair of psychiatry at the Institute of Living and chief of psychiatry at Hartford Hospital Anne Toomey McKenna: Visiting professor of law at the University of Richmond School of Law 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, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 31, 2022 • 49min
We take your calls
We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to Halloween as the most educational holiday (or not), having Election Day on the weekend (or not), giving poll workers your license (or not), the oncoming civil war (or not) … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. 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.

Oct 28, 2022 • 49min
The Nose looks at ‘Bros’ and ‘The Watcher’
This week’s Nose is, I don’t know, worrying about a volcano. The Watcher is a thriller/mystery miniseries on Netflix created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan and (very loosely) based on the New York magazine story “The Haunting of a Dream House.” It stars Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Mia Farrow, and others, and it’s currently the No. 2 TV show on Netflix in the U.S. And: Bros is a romantic comedy written by Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller and directed by Stoller. It stars Eichner and Luke Macfarlane, and it was a bit of a flop at the box office. It’s now available for rental on premium video on demand platforms. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Leslie Jordan, ‘Will & Grace’ and ‘American Horror Story’ Star, Dies at 67 in Car Accident Lenny Lipton, ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ Lyricist and 3-D Film Pioneer, 82, Dies He used the royalties earned from the hit folk song, based on a poem he wrote in college, to fund decades of research into stereoscopic projection. Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye and use of one hand, says agent Full extent of injuries from ‘brutal attack’ on Satanic Verses author in New York state in August revealed Adidas cuts ties with Ye over antisemitic remarks that caused an uproar James Corden Finally Responded To Being Banned From A NYC Restaurant, And It Only Made Things Waaay Worse I just need someone to pull the surveillance footage. James Corden and the Dangers of Likability No one knows what an egg yolk omelet is, but we all know that TV hosts should be relatable. Or should they? That didn’t do Ellen DeGeneres any favors. This Woman Tweeted About Having Coffee Every Day With Her Husband — The Internet Tore Her Apart “I never thought someone could take what I said and turn it into something negative.” The Tale of the Racist Lesbian Emu Farmer is Shaking the Internet The Pet-Name Trend Humans Can’t Resist Why would anyone name their dog Kyle? A Secret Writers Room, a Rising Scribe and a Post-‘Skywalker’ Timeline: A Look Inside Damon Lindelof’s ’Star Wars’ Movie Justin Britt-Gibson is penning the script with Lindelof, with the film potentially bringing back some characters from the 2010s films. Kentucky man posed as a dead body on TikTok for 321 days. Now he’s going to be on ‘CSI’ Relentless Angst and Uniformly Excellent Sex: How Colleen Hoover Became the Queen of BookTok New Seasons Of Doctor Who To Premiere Globally On Disney+ In 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery To Axe $2 Billion Worth Of Movies And Shows As Part Of Brutal Cost-Saving Efforts The Fake Spirit Halloween meme shows the most frightening costume this year is a millennial cliché We should all fear the upper-class influencer or east London sommelier, because nothing is darker than facing your own unoriginality GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and chief communications officer at Buzz Engine Tracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’s 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.

Oct 27, 2022 • 49min
A bigger table: A look at third parties and our political system
Why is the two-party system so entrenched here in the United States? This hour, we talk about third parties. We learn about a new third party, discuss the history and political viability of third parties, and talk with a third party candidate. GUESTS: Dr. Amy Chai: Independent Party candidate for Connecticut’s 3rd U.S. Congressional District Seth Masket: Professor of political science and director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver; he is the author of The Inevitable Party: Why Attempts to Kill the Party System Fail and How they Weaken Democracy, among other books Andrew Yang: Co-founder and co-chair of the new Forward Party; he previously ran as a Democratic candidate for president and for mayor of New York City 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, Jacob Gannon, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 26, 2022 • 50min
The year in horror, 2022
Note: This episode contains strong language. We realized four years ago now that The Nose doesn’t cover very much horror stuff. So we started doing an annual Halloween special that tackles horror head-on. This hour: the fifth one of those. We look at the indie studio that’s mostly taken over the elevated horror genre (and the not-so-elevated horror genre some, too): A24. Plus: the evolving relationship between queer and/or women-identified audiences and horror movies. And finally: We have a largely arbitrary tradition of spending a chunk of this show on a horror classic that’s celebrating, specifically, its 40th anniversary. Previously, it’s been Halloween, Alien, The Shining, An American Werewolf in London. This year: Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist. GUESTS: Nate Jones: Staff writer for Vulture Jacob Trussell: Author of the forthcoming Poltergeist from DieDieBooks Lindsay Lee Wallace: Writes about culture, digital spaces, health care inequity, and other stuff too 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, Gene Amatruda, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


