The Colin McEnroe Show

Over 500 years ago, Sir Thomas More wrote about utopia. Since then, countless communities around the world have worked to create their own versions of a perfect world. This hour on the Colin McEnroe Show, we look at examples of utopian communities from around the world. GUESTS: Avery Trufelman - Host of the podcast Nice Try! Akash Kapur - Author of Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville Samir Patel - Editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura   Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these weekly shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. This week, our plan was to forgo even starting with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. Just to see what would happen. But the situation in Afghanistan has drawn focus, and we should probably at least vaguely start there. But still: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show originally aired July 26, 2017. In 1959, Soviet geneticist Dmitri Belyaev started an ambitious experiment to study the origins of domestication: he would attempt to breed domesticated wild foxes by selecting on their behavior alone, a process he imagined our ancestors carried out with dogs thousands of years before. This hour, a look at the history and progress of this still-ongoing experiment: What can it tell us about our animal companions — and ourselves? Plus, we catch up with some domesticated fox owners and find out if foxes are good pets in real life. GUESTS: Amy and David Bassett - Founders of the Judith A. Bassett Canid Education and Conservation Center and the owners of several Russian domesticated foxes Lee Dugatkin - Author of How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started Evolution Jacob Mikanowski - Writes about science, history, and art Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome 2 America is a brand new, never-before-released full studio album of Prince material. And it’s the first one of those released after his death. That fact seems to complicate things a bit. And: It’s not often that The Nose reads a book, but it has happened before, and it is happening again. T.J. Newman’s debut novel, Falling, has been a bit of a publishing phenomenon, having instantly entered the New York Times best sellers list at No. 2. The book is an airplane thriller, and Newman was a flight attendant until earlier this year. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Kool & The Gang Co-Founder Dennis ‘Dee Tee’ Thomas Has Died At Age 70 Markie Post, ‘Night Court’ Actress, Dies at 70 Ms. Post played a bail bondswoman on the show “The Fall Guy” in the 1980s and starred opposite John Ritter in the sitcom “Hearts Afire” in the 1990s. 16 Recent Books Reddit Thinks Will Be Classics What Bobby Mcilvaine Left Behind Grief, conspiracy theories, and one family’s search for meaning in the two decades since 9/11 ABA CEO Allison Hill’s Letter to Members Ghosts I didn’t know how to write about my sister’s death—so I had AI do it for me. Can culture degenerate? Tempting it might be, but the idea that culture has become vacuous and banal comes with unsavoury implications ‘Jeopardy!’ Announces Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik as New Hosts The long-running game show decided to turn to its own executive producer in succeeding Alex Trebek, who died last year, as the show’s regular host. Ryan Adams: ‘I Felt Like They Were Asking Me to Die’ Two years after a series of #MeToo allegations turned him into a pariah, the struggling singer is finally breaking his silence. But does anyone want to hear what he has to say? SpaceX and a Canadian startup plan to launch a satellite that will beam adverts into space. Anyone can buy pixels on the satellite’s screen with dogecoin. NASA Wants You To Spend A Year Simulating Life On Mars, For Science Matt Damon used to escape controversy, while Ben Affleck used to be the punchline. What changed? Michael Stipe Wants to Make Mistakes Long before Jungle Cruise, Hollywood mastered the adventure romance genre The African Queen, Romancing The Stone, and The Mummy mix action, romance, and comedy in perfect measure The Last Jedi let the past die—and pissed off a galaxy of overprotective fans in the process Rian Johnson dared to make an anti-nostalgic Star Wars. The diehards were not pleased. Marvel and DC face backlash over pay: ‘They sent a thank you note and $5,000 – the movie made $1bn’ HBO Investigating Theroux and Harrelson Series Over ‘Alleged Unprofessional Behavior’ on Set The incident on “The White House Plumbers” is said to involve director/executive producer David Mandel and a member of the props department. A Guide to Each Hollywood Studio’s Theatrical Windows Oh hell yes: At long last, De La Soul’s entire catalogue will be available digitally One of the best and most influential groups in hip-hop history will finally see its deep well of music hit streaming services in 2021 “I Got a Second Chance”: From Puff Daddy to Diddy to Love Sean Combs was the original influencer. Now the artist and mogul is defining his next era—and launching a record label. 12 Celebrities With Questionable Bathing Habits And 12 Celebrities With Exemplary Bathing Habits Apparently this is a divisive topic! David Schwimmer Responded To The Rumors That He And Jennifer Aniston Are Now Dating In Real Life After Admitting To Having “Major" Crushes On Each Other During The “Friends” Reunion “We were crushing hard on each other, but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship.” It Makes Total Sense That Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer Would Be Dating Opinion: Why not pay college actors like college athletes? I Was Powerless Over Diet Coke After almost 40 years as a diet-soda addict, my body suddenly started to reject my favorite feel-good companion. I Am Also Powerless Over Diet Coke, and It Rules Either Wirecutter Or I Are Doing Toilet Brush Ownership EXTREMELY Wrong Nestflix Creator Lynn Fisher Shares the Inspiration for Her Website Devoted to Fake Movies GUESTS: Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz Engine Julia Pistell - A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, a co-host of the Literary Disco podcast, and other things Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Matt Farley, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been almost 20 years since the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie was released. This hour, a look back at the The Lord of the Rings books and movies and their impact. GUESTS: John Garth - Author of The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth and Tolkien and the Great War, among other books Susana Polo - Entertainment editor for Polygon Molly Ostertag - Graphic novelist, TV writer, and author of the article “Queer Readings of the Lord of the Rings are Not Accidents”   Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 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.

Semiotics is the study of sign process, which is to say: it’s the science of the search for meaning. And then, part of the underlying premise of semiotics — which just happens to be part of the underlying premise of The Colin McEnroe Show, itself — is that there’s meaning… everywhere. Why do people smoke cigarettes even though everyone knows they’re terribly harmful? Why do women wear terribly uncomfortable high-heeled shoes? Could it simply be because those things are… interesting? This hour: a crash course in the study of meaning-making, in the science of semiotics. GUEST: Marcel Danesi - The author of Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things: An Introduction to Semiotics Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 6, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a magazine show — which is to say, it’s a show covering a number of disparate topics linked only by the fact that we’ve decided to cover them together. This hour, the too-big-to-be-a-planet, too-small-to-be-a-proper-star celestial body dubbed ‘The Accident.’ And: A look at the overwhelming hype, and precipitous fall (pardon the pun) of the Segway. Plus: squirrel parkour. GUESTS: Steve Kemper - The author of several books, including Reinventing the Wheel: A Story of Genius, Innovation, and Grand Ambition Dan Kois - An editor and writer at Slate Lucia Jacobs - Principal investigator at The Jacobs Lab of Cognitive Biology at the University of California, Berkeley Jonathan O’Callaghan - A freelance space and science journalist 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.

As compared to two weeks ago, new COVID case counts are up 112%, hospitalizations are up 90%, and deaths are up 92%. This would seem to be driven by the extra-contagious delta variant and a population that’s just 50% fully vaccinated. And so: What do we need to change about ourselves? And what do we want government to change for us? Do we need to get off the honor system? Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour: 860-275-7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have publicly admitted that they rarely bathe. Kutcher, in fact, went as far as to say he washes his “armpits and my crotch daily and nothing else ever.” This all makes me incredibly uncomfortable, but it turns out that maybe not everyone feels that way. And: A look at the etiquette of the text tapback, as saluted in this week’s New York Times Magazine. And finally: The White Lotus is a six-part miniseries currently running on HBO. It follows the staff and guests at a Hawaiian resort over the course of a week, and while it starts off as a sort of drama/thriller, it evolves into more of a satire as it goes. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: How TV Went From David Brent to Ted Lasso Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal wrestle with balancing the value of cable networks and streaming services DaBaby Was Dropped From Two More Music Festivals For His Anti-Gay Comments Silver Linings Meet the Dommes Who Are Demanding Their Submissives Get Vaxxed Light detected behind a black hole for the first time Coen Bros. Split Because ‘Ethan Didn’t Want to Make Movies Anymore,’ Says Carter Burwell Lorne Michaels Can’t Quit SNL, So He Hopes Nobody Else Will, Either Lionel Messi is Not Renewing His Contract with FC Barcelona Mike Richards in Advanced Negotiations to Become Permanent Host of ‘Jeopardy!’ Who Owns My Name? by Amanda Knox The Washington Football Team Has Banned Native American Headdresses From Its Stadium The Rolling Stones to perform private concert for Robert Kraft and friends GUESTS: Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance 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.

The Three Music Musketeers return! Are you bored with your playlist? We’ve reunited our trio of music mavens — novelist Wally Lamb, critic Eric Danton, and not-killed-by-video radio star Joan Holliday — to freshen up your music choices with great recommendations. Warning: This program includes banter. The songs in this show include some or all of these ones: “I NEED YOU” by Jon Batiste “Pigeons” by Bill Callahan “Brando” by Lucy Dacus “Jazz on the Autobahn” by The Felice Brothers “Northsiders” by Christian Lee Hutson “Waxahachie” by Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall “Hard Drive” by Cassandra Jenkins “Sometimes” by Bessie Jones “Washing Machine” by Kings of Convenience “The King of All Birds” by Aoife O’Donovan “Trap Life” by SAULT “Chaise Longue” by Wet Leg GUESTS: Eric Danton - A reporter and critic Joan Holliday - Host of The Riversound Café with Joan Holliday weekday afternoons on 93.9 and 101.5 The River Wally Lamb - The author of nine books; his most recent novel is I’ll Take You There Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.