
The Colin McEnroe Show
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.
Latest episodes

Jan 23, 2024 • 50min
What’s going on with loneliness?
Loneliness: It’s often cited as an “epidemic” and can have a health impact comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This hour, we talk about what loneliness looks like in the brain and how public policy could affect our loneliness epidemic. Plus: a conversation with an expert on making friends as an adult! GUESTS: Elisa Baek: Assistant professor of psychology at USC Dornsife Chris Murphy: U.S. Senator from Connecticut Kat Vellos: A speaker, connection coach, and the author of We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 12, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 22, 2024 • 49min
we take your calls
This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about. SONGS: “Now You Know” by the Original Cast of Merrily We Roll Along “Winston Churchill’s Boy” by Benjamin Clementine “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” by The Shangri-Las "Bombay Bicycle Club" by Fantasneeze (feat. Matilda Mann) "The Telephone Call" by Kraftwerk Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, 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.

Jan 19, 2024 • 49min
The Nose looks at ‘Saltburn’ and ‘The Holdovers’
Saltburn is the second movie written and directed by Emerald Fennell, following Promising Young Woman. It is a comedy-drama-thriller set mostly on the titular sprawling estate during summer break from Oxford University. Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike were both nominated for Golden Globes for their performances. And: The Holdovers is the eighth feature film directed by Alexander Payne and the first feature written by David Hemingson. It is the second time Payne and Paul Giamatti have worked together, following Sideways. The Holdovers is a comedy-drama set mostly during Christmas break from a fictional New England boarding school. Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph both won Golden Globes for their performances. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: ‘Honeymooners’ Star Joyce Randolph Dead at 99 Played Ed Norton’s Wife, Trixie ‘Rap Sh!t’ Canceled at Max The comedy from creator Issa Rae starring Aida Osman ran for two seasons on the streamer. ‘Schmigadoon’ Canceled After Two Seasons at Apple TV+ Elton John Just Got EGOT The 150 Greatest Science Fiction Movies of All Time From space odysseys to star wars, alien invaders to guardians of the galaxy — the best sci-fi films from the beginning of the movies until now Reboot Star Wars! Toward a definition of “Egg Cinema” How movies made by seeming cis people sometimes end up super trans. Lorne Michaels Says Tina Fey ‘Could Easily’ Take Over ‘Saturday Night Live’: She’s ‘Brilliant and Great at Everything’ GUESTS: Xandra Ellin: A producer at Pineapple Street Studios Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College, and she’s the author of The Essays Only You Can Write The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 18, 2024 • 49min
“A safety valve”: The impact of ballot measures on democracy
From abortion rights to partisan school board elections, ballot measures are a big deal in 2024. But what are they? A drop of direct democracy to defend against corrupt politicians? A pawning-off of governance to voters who don’t know what they’re voting on? This hour: the good, the bad, and the weird of ballot measures. GUESTS: Dane Waters: Founder of the Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California Desmond Meade: Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and author of "Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens" Ryan Byrne: Managing Editor of the Ballot Measures Project at Ballotpedia 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! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 17, 2024 • 49min
Eternal flame: The continued relevance of the myth of Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give it to humans, and suffered an eternity of punishment for doing so. This hour, we revisit that myth, and talk about why it resonates so much today. Plus, a look at the Alien prequel Prometheus. GUESTS: Annie Dorsen: Theater director; her most recent production was Prometheus Firebringer Adrienne Mayor: Research scholar in the Classics Department and the History of Science Program at Stanford University and the author of Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other books Dom Nero: Writer, video editor, and co-host of the Eye of the Duck podcast A.O. Scott: Critic at large for The New York Times Book Review and the author of Better Living Through Criticism SONGS: “Road to Hell (Live)” by the Original Cast of Hadestown “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel “Oppenheimer” by Old 97s “Prometheus” by SickTanicK “A Planet” by Marc Streitenfeld The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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.

Jan 16, 2024 • 50min
What our tears can tell us
Why do humans cry? This hour, we look at the science of crying and discuss what it does for us, emotionally and culturally. Plus: musician Dar Williams on why some songs make us cry. And: We investigate “crocodile tears” with a crocodile biologist. GUESTS: Benjamin Perry: Minister at Middle Church and the author of Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter Kent Vliet: An expert in crocodilian biology Dar Williams: Singer-songwriter The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Stacey Addo, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 6, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 12, 2024 • 49min
A look at the state of stand-up comedy
In lieu of a standard Nose, we decided to take a show-length look at some of the best stand-up comedy from 2023 and some of the most-anticipated stand-up comedy of 2024. There are the new controversial specials from Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais. But there are also good, recent specials from folks like Kenny DeForest, Gary Gulman, Dina Hashem, Pete Holmes, and Beth Stelling. And there’s Taylor Tomlinson’s new late night gig starting January 16. Plus: Pete Davidson has a brand-new special. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are on tour. John Mulaney and Rory Scovel have new specials coming. And more! GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Jason Zinoman: Critic at large for The New York Times, where he writes the On Comedy column The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 11, 2024 • 49min
The cars have eyes: Data privacy (or lack thereof) and your vehicle
Somewhere along the way, cars stopped being just a means of transportation — now, they’re also a dining room, an entertainment center, even an extension of our selves. And apparently, they’re sharing and selling data about you that you might not know they collected in the first place. This hour: everything you didn’t know about that thing you sit in for an hour every day. GUESTS: Jen Caltrider: Program director of Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included project Stefan Gössling: Professor at Linnaeus University Kashmir Hill: Technology reporter at The New York Times, specializing in privacy Ian Walker: Professor of environmental psychology at Swansea University The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 10, 2024 • 49min
It’s kind of Civil War days right now
It’s kind of Civil War days right now. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley choked on the cause. Former President Trump is being disqualified from state ballots based on an amendment intended to keep Confederate leaders from holding federal offices and charged with another offense derived from the Civil War. This hour: Are we in the Civil War era? And what would it mean if we were? Plus, what another civil war could look like. GUESTS: Caroline Janney: Professor of history of American Civil War and the director of the Nau Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia Gerard Magliocca: Samuel R. Rosen Professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law Stephen Marche: Novelist and essayist; his most recent book is The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future Clint Smith: Staff writer at The Atlantic and author of How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, 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.

Jan 9, 2024 • 50min
What’s spoken flies away: The history and art of reading aloud
There’s an old Latin saying from the early Middle Ages: Verba volant, scripta manent — What is written remains, what is spoken flies away. Essentially, it means you should write down your contracts. But according to Alberto Manguel, author of A History of Reading, the phrase can be interpreted in a different way: What is written is stuck to the page. It’s only when you give it a voice that it acquires wings and can fly. This hour: reading out loud. We look at the history of the practice and talk to people who make reading expressive, communal, and loud. GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan: Director, producer, arts consultant, and an artist working at the crossroads of performance and creative leadership Dennis Duncan: Lecturer in English at University College London Drew John Ladd: Blogger, activist, and the author of Wolfsong Beloved Alberto Manguel: Director of Lisbon’s Center for Research into the History of Reading Robin Miles: An audiobook narrator and a producer, director, teacher, and actor for theater, television, films, and museums Brooke Steinhauser: Programs director at the Emily Dickinson Museum Chion Wolf: Host of Audacious on Connecticut Public The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 5, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.