The Colin McEnroe Show

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...

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...

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 sto...

This week’s Nose wants you to stop runnin’ away like some fool of a moody school child. Could it be that the market for highbrow movies is drying up ? Some of the numbers ain’t great. Could it be that the golden age of streaming is coming to an end ? Well, maybe. But it’s not like we’ll be starved for prestige TV next year . And: The Banshees of Inisherin is the fourth feature film written and dir...

Toward the end of every year since 2014, we’ve done a holiday special with “Big Al” Anderson and Jim Chapdelaine. In the beforetimes, we’d get them and a rhythm section and Colin in a room together with some special guests like Nekita Waller or the Dankosky Tabernacle Choir and sing some songs and tell some stories … But for three years running now, the “in a room together” part of that just isn’t...

Rules are everywhere around us. This hour we talk about the history of rules and the power of unwritten rules. We wonder why some rules succeed while others fail. Plus: a game designer on how rules can facilitate play. GUESTS: Lorraine Daston: Author of  Rules: A Short History of What We Live By Jason Turbow: Author of  The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The U...

Whether we love or loathe our butt is deeply influenced by race, gender, and whether the shape and size of our butt is in or out of style. This hour, a look ‘back’ at the science, history, and culture of butts, including how it took on so much meaning beyond its basic function and why it’s so hard to find pants that fit. GUESTS: Heather Radke: Contributing editor and reporter at  Radiolab  and the...

The second season of Mike White’s The White Lotus concluded on HBO this week. Its first season won the most awards at the Emmys this year: 10, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The second season is now nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film. The White Lotus has been renewed for a third season. And: The Fabelmans is the...

Almost every week, at the end of the show, The Nose spends a segment on endorsements, on recommendations of things from the world of pop culture. This hour — for the first time ever — a gift-idea themed, all-endorsements show: The Nose’s holiday gift guide. GUESTS: John Dankosky: Director of news and radio for  Science Friday  and cohost of the Connecticut Mirror ’s  Untold  podcast Illeana Dougla...

Wednesday, December 14, 2022, marks 10 years since 20 children and six educators were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. This hour, a look at the emotional impact of the day and post-traumatic growth in its aftermath. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text  988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline . For suicide pre...

This hour: why timekeepers are getting rid of the leap second, how animism is misinterpreted, and whether we should have a spectrum of verdicts beyond “guilty” and “not guilty.” GUESTS:  Judah Levine:  Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado and a Physicist at the  National Institute of Standards and Technology Justine Buck Quijada:  Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at...

The term “brainwashing” has been used throughout history by scientists, politicians, and journalists, as well as in movies and literature. This hour: a look at the history and science of brainwashing. GUESTS: Joel Dimsdale: Distinguished professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry at University of California San Diego and the author of  Dark Persuasion: A History of Brainwashing from Pavlov...

She Said is a feature film adaptation of the book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and it follows their New York Times investigation of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct. It is directed by Maria Schrader and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Its $2.2 million domestic opening is among the worst ever for a movie showing in more than 2,000 theaters . And: Bone Valley is a true crime podcast that cove...

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: Professo...

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 a...

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 Connections seri...

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, p...

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....

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 Jonath...

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 profess...

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 o...

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...

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 be...

This hour: recipes. We talk with someone who makes recipes found on gravestones, and we consider what makes an effective recipe, the history of the modern recipe, and the art of the recipe introduction. Plus, a look at the phenomenon of pop culture cookbooks. GUESTS: Dinah Bucholz: Author of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and The Unofficial Narnia Cookbook Rosie Grant: Posts gravestone recip...

On the long timeline of long-distance communication technology that starts with the telegraph and leads all the way to the iPhone and beyond, there’s a particular, once-ubiquitous device that seems to have left an indelible mark on the culture while also disappearing nearly completely from it. This hour, the history and present? (and future??) of the fax machine. GUESTS: Jonathan Coopersmith: Prof...