The Colin McEnroe Show

The pandemic, coupled with Black Lives Matter protests, and incendiary rhetoric from President Trump, has riled up anti-government militias across the US, most evident in the recent foiled plot by militia groups in Michigan, to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.  Anti-government movements emerged in the 1990's, in response to the government's deadly siege at Ruby Ridge, the Waco standoff with the Branch Davidians, former President Bill Clinton's passage of  NAFTA, and two new gun control laws, one of which banned assault weapons. The FBI took these groups more seriously after anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in 1995, that killed 168 people, including 19 children.  It used to be hard for people with extreme ideologies to find one another. Now, groups across the country are networking, posting hate speech, and planning events on Facebook. Hate speech goes against Facebook policy but the posts are rarely removed.    GUESTS: Amy Cooter is a senior lecturer in Sociology at Vanderbilt University (@AmyCooter) Andrew Marantz is a staff writer for The New Yorker. He writes about technology, social media, and the alt-right. He’s the author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (@andrewmarantz) Mark Pitcavage is a historian and senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Prior to joining ADL in 2000, Dr. Pitcavage trained law enforcement officers on domestic terrorism in a Justice Department anti-terrorism program created after the Oklahoma City bombing. (@egavactip) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Undoubtedly, the thing that will most be remembered from Wednesday night's vice presidential debate is the fly that landed on Mike Pence's hair... and then stay there for more than two minutes. The Nose isn't sure what to make of that, exactly, but things are definitely being made of it. And: Fargo is an anthology that premiered on FX in 2014. It's inspired by the Coen brothers' 1996 film. The fourth season, which is airing now, stars Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, and Jason Schwartzman, and it's set in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1950. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65His outpouring of riffs, runs and solos was hyperactive and athletic, making deeper or darker emotions feel irrelevant. The band he led was one of the most popular of all time. Mac Davis, Country Singer and Elvis Presley Songwriter, Dead at 78Singer-songwriter wrote Elvis Presley's indelible "In the Ghetto" alongside solo hits like "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" and "Stop and Smell the Roses" 'GLOW' Canceled By Netflix; Won't Proceed With Fourth & Final Season Due To COVID-19 Why Is Mainstream Media Choosing to Silence Us?An article published by The New York Times discussing the "comeback" of the guitar propels our investigation into the dangers of mainstream narratives. Super-Concierge Doctors, High-Design Home Classrooms, and Catered Backyard Dinners: Lifestyles of the Rich and QuarantinedThis is what a luxe lockdown in Washington looks like. People Are Calling Out Chris Pratt For Making An "Insensitive" Joke About Voting And Yikes"Read the room." Led Zeppelin Emerges Victor in 'Stairway to Heaven' Plagiarism Case Sorry, But The Yankees Are The Good Guys Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing a 'Sherlock Holmes' Cinematic Universe to Follow the Next Sequel Cineworld Closing Theater Venues Following 'No Time to Die' Delay Most of Scottish Wikipedia Written By American in Mangled EnglishScots is an official language of Scotland. An administrator of the Scots Wikipedia page is an American who doesn't speak Scots but simply tries to write in a Scottish accent. Why Are Pandemic Sports Ratings So Terrible? People Are Just Finding Out Chris Evans Is Covered In Tattoos After He Posted A Video Doing A Backflip Into A PoolThis was a major oversight on my part. What Is the Best Adam Sandler Movie?What is an "Adam Sandler movie," for that matter? Danbury City Council passes vote to rename sewage plant after HBO's John Oliver GUESTS: Shawn Murray - A stand up comedian and writer Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College 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 populist backlash that led to the election of President Trump was decades in the making.  Like other populist leaders around the world, Trump gave voice to the resentment directed toward “elites” who devalue the hard work and dignity of workers without college degrees. Ronald Reagan was the first president to tell every American they could "go just as far as their dreams and hard work will take them." He used those words to enact policies that led to economic inequality and a global economy that advantaged a professional class over those without college degrees.  These policies were continued by subsequent administrations, regardless of party.   Americans like to believe we live in a meritocracy but the odds are stacked in favor of the already lucky and fortunate. We congratulate the "winners" and humiliate the "losers," who are told to better themselves or carry the burden of their failure.  GUEST:  Michael Sandel teaches philosophy at Harvard University. His most recent book is The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? His BBC Radio 4 series “The Public Philosopher,” explores the philosophical ideas lying behind the headlines. You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, we didn't take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as "chewing gum for the eyes," as, literally, furniture. And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television. This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker's television critic. GUEST: Emily Nussbaum - Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump was quick to downplay the pandemic upon his return from Walter Reed in a tweeted video encouraging people not to let the virus dominate or scare them. He said they would beat the virus, just as he's convinced himself that he's got his licked. The president's attitude reflects a reality that denies the 209,000 (and counting) people who have already died from the virus and a stunning inability to admit weakness. Unfortunately, the nation has to pay for it. We still don't know when he was first infected or when he learned he was contagious. We do know that he is one of 25 (and counting) people in his orbit who have tested positive in recent days and that he traveled to a campaign rally in Minnesota and a fundraiser in New Jersey -- sans mask -- after learning he was infected. How much sympathy should we have for a president who has actively withheld or misconstrued information that could have prevented deaths from COVID? Yet, what does it say about who we are becoming as people and as a culture if we can't offer a morsel of sympathy? Also this hour: A group of data specialists developed a White House COVID Tracker to chart the impact of COVID on political leaders and those they come in contact with. Unfortunately, the White House refuses to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to trace exposures that could save lives. GUESTS: John F. Harris is the co-founder of Politico and the author of The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House; he writes "Altitude," a weekly column for Politico) (@harrispolitico) Peter Walker leads the White House COVID Tracker, a crowd-sourced database for the White House COVID outbreak, and is head of growth at Public Relay (@PeterJ_Walker) 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.

It's been over 100 years since the first cartoons were drawn by hand. Since then, the form has delved into everything from sex and drugs to racial inequality and war crimes. Even the tamest, G-rated cartoons have often found ways of slipping in adult humor past the eyes of younger viewers. Cartoons have been the vehicle for government propaganda, social change, and political satire. Some have been boycotted and even banned for their content while others have been deemed masterpieces and praised by critics for their bold message and style. Today, cartoons continue to find ways of subverting the status quo in surprising (sometimes shocking) new ways. This hour, we speak with animators, animation experts, and historians about what makes cartoons so well suited for the exploration of, well, everything. GUESTS: Maureen Furniss - Program director of experimental animation at California Institute of the Arts, founding editor of Animation Journal, and the author of A New History of Animation Paul Wells - Director of the Animation Academy at Loughborough University in England and the author of several books including Animation, Sport and Culture Ralph Bakshi - Animator, writer, and director of animated and live-action films and TV shows including Fritz The Cat, Coonskin, and Heavy Traffic Lisa Hanawalt - Producer and production designer of the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman, which ended in January Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired April 18, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose had planned to discuss The Danish Girl star Eddie Redmayne standing up for J.K. Rowling and Rolling Stone updating their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. But then some news broke overnight. Perhaps fittingly, though, The Nose watched Showtime's new miniseries, The Comey Rule, this week. GUESTS: Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen Sync Mike Pesca - The host of Slate's daily podcast, The Gist Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 2019 YouGov survey says that 20 percent of American adults "definitely" believe in ghosts; another twenty-five percent believe they "probably exist." And, while no data yet proves it, there's a good chance that quarantining at home during the pandemic has led more people to wonder where those nighttime creaks and groans are coming from.   Some skeptics say that seeing ghosts is part of the human experience and far too common an occurrence for everyone who thinks they see a ghost to be crazy. But there are a lot of reasons to explain why we sincerely believe we're seeing a ghost. Yet, it's hard to convince people otherwise - even when confronted with evidence to the contrary. In the end, psychologists can offer explanations but no one can definitively prove ghosts don't exist.  GUESTS:  “Danielle” is a lawyer in British Columbia. She chose not to have her full name used. Chris French is a professor of psychology and head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He’s a former editor of The Skeptic Magazine (@chriscfrench) Deborah Hyde is a cultural anthropologist, and a fellow of “The Committee of Skeptical Inquiry.” She recently retired as editor of The Skeptic Magazine. (@jourdemayne) Elizabeth Saint is an electrical engineer, paranormal researcher, and president of the streaming platform VidiSpace. She was a researcher on Discovery’s “Ghosts of Shepherdstown” (@ElizabethSaint) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nietzsche called Richard Wagner "a volcanic eruption of the total undivided artistic capacity of nature itself," and Thomas Mann said he was "probably the greatest talent in the entire history of art." More than a thousand movies have Wagner on their soundtracks, including classic scenes from Apocalypse Now, The Blues Brothers, Bugs Bunny cartoons, and Charlie Chaplin. But, there's a reason Woody Allen says too much of Wagner's music gives him "the urge to conquer Poland." Wagner is nothing if not a problematic figure. As the new book Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music puts it, "An artist who might have rivaled Shakespeare in universal reach is undone by an ideology of hate." This hour, a look at Wagnerism with New Yorker music critic Alex Ross. GUESTS: Steve Metcalf - Director emeritus of the University of Hartford's Presidents' College Alex Ross - Music critic at The New Yorker and the author of Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music 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.

We tend to focus on the physical ailments that can arise from being fat more than how fat shaming can affect the mental health of people who are fat. Nor do we think of how our culture (and the media) perpetuate the notion that fat people aren't desirable enough for love and intimacy. That's flat-out wrong. Sex is a physical act that is deeply influenced by how our mind perceives desire. We first aired this show in 2014, so you'll hear some outdated references to Lena Dunham and Louis C.K. The references are dated; the message is not. GUESTS: Sarah Varney is the author of XL Love: How the Obesity Crisis is Complicating America's Love Life Laura Bogart is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in Salon, The Rumpus, and The Nervous Breakdown Dan Weiss is a music critic, he's the author of the blog Ask A Guy Who Likes Fat Chicks, and he plays in the band Dan Ex Machina Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 27, 2014. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.