
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

May 10, 2023 • 49min
The art of the dial: Why we like hotlines and phone calls with strangers
Hotlines: whether you realize it or not, you’ve likely used one before. From emergency services to customer service and crisis lines, they often fly under the radar in our daily lives. This hour, we’ll look at the history of hotlines and then meet some people who have created innovative ways to talk to strangers on the phone: from a hotline for advice from elementary schoolers to an app that calls you to talk. GUESTS: Dr. Lee Humphreys: Professor of Communication at Cornell University Jessica Martin: An artist who leads an art program for West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, California. She’s also the co-creator of the kids-advice hotline, Peptoc Danielle Baskin: An artist who co-created Dialup, a voice-chat app that connects you to strangers Michelle Rorong: An architect in Indonesia who wrote about her experience using Dialup during a COVID-19 quarantine period Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 9, 2023 • 50min
First come, first served: There is an art, and an etiquette, of queues
Well designed queues give you hope and feel fair, while poorly designed ones can ruin your day. Queues are everywhere around us, and not all are designed well. This hour, the art of the queue, the challenge of waiting in line, and when, if ever, cutting in line is appropriate. GUESTS: Jennifer Goff: Owner and founder of Skip the Line Marie Helweg-Larsen: Professor of psychology at Dickinson College Richard Larson: Professor of data, systems, and society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Steven Soifer: President of the American Restroom Association 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. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 8, 2023 • 49min
We take your calls
This hour, we take your calls about whatever you want to talk about. Call us: 888-720-9677. Join the conversation onFacebook 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, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 5, 2023 • 50min
The Nose looks at the writers’ strike and ‘Mrs. Davis’
This week’s Nose force feeds hero’s journey to its network. The Writers Guild of America is on strike for the first time in 15 years. The film and television industry, you may have noticed, is very different from the way it was 15 years ago. And that’s a big part of why the WGA is striking and why it matters. And: Mrs. Davis is an eight-episode Peacock miniseries created by Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof. It has been described as a “religious odyssey/thriller/comedy/drama/sci-fi epic,” which isn’t really much of a description at all. Here’s Peacock’s synopsis, which isn’t really much of a synopsis at all: “Mrs. Davis is the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence. Simone is the nun devoted to destroying Her. Who ya got?” Taneisha Duggan’s endorsements: Garden Answer on YouTube Gentle Bull Shop in Hartford Rich Hollant’s endorsements: Blessed Not Bitter: The Barbara McClane Journey by Barbara McClane The Rembrandt at TheaterWorks in Hartford Lindsay Lee Wallace’s endorsements: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin An Ordinary Age: Finding Your Way in a World That Expects Exceptional by Rainesford Stauffer Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Gordon Lightfoot, Hitmaking Singer-Songwriter, Is Dead at 84 His rich baritone voice and songs like “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind” made him a top artist of the 1970s. Graphic designer Peter Good, creator of the Hartford Whalers logo, dies at 80 Ask Amy: Is it offensive to refer to people as ‘ladies’ or ‘gentlemen’? Ed Sheeran Won His Copyright Trial. Here’s What to Know. The heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Marvin Gaye, had accused the pop star of copying it in “Thinking Out Loud.” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson ‘Yellowstone’ to End With Season 5, New Sequel Series to Debut in December The Stupefying Success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” Recycling old intellectual property is a default formula in today’s Hollywood. But few franchises have managed to yield so much by doing so little. The Best Songs of 2023 (So Far) A terrible decision on AI-made images hurts creators The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry The Speed Bump Those chipmunk-pitched songs you hear on TikTok are more than just a viral craze. They’re the latest big thing in the music biz. Here’s what their success says about remix culture, artists’ control over their own work, and why we want everything so fast these days. GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus Theatricals Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Lindsay Lee Wallace: Writes about culture, health care and health equity, 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! 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 and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 4, 2023 • 49min
Who gets the part? There are no small actors or roles
Note: This episode contains strong language. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all recognize the big names or fall in love with a brand-new star — but what about that lady who killed it with her one line about the coffee? She's a professional actor, too! On this hour of The Colin McEnroe Show, we learn about the art of the smaller role: how they're cast, how to nail it, and what it's like to have a long resume of one-liners. And don't forget the extras and body-doubles, too! They'll be with us, for just a minute. GUESTS: Jenny Ravitz: Casting director based in New York. She has worked on over 500 episodes of television in addition to theater, film, and commercials Ezra Buzzington: Actor whose over 70 film credits and dozens of TV appearances range from "Weird Al the Waiter" in Ghost World to a mutant in The Hills Have Eyes and, most recently, as one of the leads in the South By Southwest hit film Brooklyn 45. He has appeared in Academy Award-winning films alongside some of your favorite actors Vlad Perez: LA-based actor who has co-starred in television shows including Brooklyn 99, Murderville, Friendsgiving, and many more. He’s also one of the founders of the Sea Tea Comedy Theater right here in Hartford Harriet Dobin: Former Hartford media maven now actor in Philadelphia Allie Rivera: Performer and teacher at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater in downtown Hartford, and is the creator and producer of the theater’s Improvised Hallmark & Lifetime show 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, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 3, 2023 • 49min
Don’t sleep on bedtime stories: What we can all learn from these nighttime tales
This hour: bedtime stories. What can we learn from people who write and tell them? How can we all be more intentional and magical about the last things we think about before sleeping? GUESTS: Faith Adiele: Travel writer, speaker, teacher, and Thailand’s first Black Buddhist nun; she writes sleep stories for adults on the Calm app Adam Mansbach: Author, screenwriter, and cultural critic who wrote the famous not-for-children children’s book, Go the F**k to Sleep 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. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, Catie Talarski, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 2, 2023 • 41min
Meet Connie Converse, the haunting songwriter whose work stayed hidden for decades
Have you heard the music of Connie Converse? She was a singer-songwriter in New York City in the middle of the 20th century, who, in her lifetime, never received widespread recognition. Then, at 50, she drove off, and was never heard from again. This hour, we talk about the life, music, and legacy of Connie Converse and what her example teaches us about how we think about the role of art and artists in our society. GUEST: Howard Fishman: Musician, frequent contributor to The New Yorker, and author of To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse 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 contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 1, 2023 • 43min
The Artist Formerly Known as The Colin McEnroe Show: Conversations about rebranding
According to a cursory search of my email archive, we started working on rebranding The Colin McEnroe Show in the fall of 2021. It was probably actually longer ago than that. In any case, today, more than 18 months later, our new look and new logo and new tagline and new whatever elses are all ready for the world to see. And so, this hour, a look at rebranding, from Philip Morris and Facebook and Tronc and Prince and Madonna and the Washington Football Team to, yes, The Colin McEnroe Show. GUESTS: Patrick Dugan: Executive creative director at Adams and Knight Christopher King: Co-founder and creative director of LVCK Design, a Beyer Blinder Belle studio Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College Mike Pesca: Hosts the independent daily podcast The Gist Brendan Jay Sullivan: A writer, producer, and DJ and a food history TikTok personality Laura Varacchi: Co-founder and creative strategist of LVCK Design 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. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired in a different form November 9, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 28, 2023 • 49min
The Nose looks at ‘The Diplomat’ and ‘John Mulaney: Baby J’
This week’s Nose traded one fatted goose for ten radishes. The Diplomat is an eight-episode political thriller romantic-comedy (sort of?) Netflix limited series created by Debora Cahn. It stars Keri Russell as the title character and Rufus Sewell as her husband, who is also a diplomat, though a somewhat less diplomatic diplomat. Here’s Netflix’s logline: “In the midst of an international crisis, a career diplomat lands in a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.” The Diplomat is currently No. 2 in TV Shows Today on Netflix. And: Baby J is John Mulaney’s fifth comedy special, his fourth for Netflix, and his fourth standup special. It’s also his first special since his divorce, his time in rehab, and the birth of his son. As Mulaney says early on in Baby J, he has “kind of a different vibe now.” Baby J is currently No. 10 in TV Shows Today on Netflix. Sam Hadelman’s endorsement: Hung Up by Hunter Harris Shawn Murray’s endorsements: John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch on Netflix Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks Carolyn Paine’s endorsements: Celeste Barber: Fine, Thanks on Netflix Wellmania on Netflix Colin’s endorsement: financial literacy Scott Galloway’s podcasts The Pivot and The Prof G Pod Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Harry Belafonte, 96, Dies; Barrier-Breaking Singer, Actor and Activist In the 1950s, when segregation was still widespread, his ascent to the upper echelon of show business was historic. But his primary focus was civil rights. Jerry Springer, Host of a Raucous TV Talk Show, Is Dead at 79 The confrontational “Jerry Springer Show” ran for nearly three decades and became a cultural phenomenon. Mr. Springer also had a career in politics. The Future of Social Media Is a Lot Less Social Facebook, TikTok and Twitter seem to be increasingly connecting users with brands and influencers. To restore a sense of community, some users are trying smaller social networks. It’s Okay to Like Good Art by Bad People Art transcends the artist. The best television of 2023 so far ‘Mrs. Davis,’ ‘Barry,’ ‘Yellowjackets,’ ‘Succession,’ ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘Poker Face’ all make our evolving critics’ list of 2023’s best TV shows This Babysitter Sparked A Huge Debate After Asking Parents To Pay Half Of Their $840 Bill After They Canceled Last Minute “When I told Claudia, she definitely had sticker shock. But when I broke down the price and she shopped around, she realized I was the cheaper option.” Sylvester Stallone’s Best Sci-Fi Movie Is Smart Enough to Know Just How Stupid It Is Grab some Taco Bell and settle in. The Succession Timeline Kind of Makes Sense Now Where to rent DVDs and Blu-rays as Netflix ends disc rentals ‘Convicting A Murderer’ Series Acquired By DailyWire+ With Candace Owens Set To Front Response To Netflix True-Crime Hit 19 Movie Moments From The ’90s That Aged Like Cow’s Milk Why was every ’90s movie transphobic as heck? In Praise of the Long Movie In the right hands, a three-hour-plus film expands the boundaries of cinematic possibilities. GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance 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. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 27, 2023 • 49min
Shell we talk about eggs?
What else besides an egg can give us human life, culinary delight, life-saving vaccines, jarping, the Clowns International Egg Registry, and a satisfying bit of schadenfreude, all wrapped in one small package? Making a great omelet is the tip of the eggshell for the versatility of the egg. This hour, a hard-boiled look at the ubiquitous, yet overlooked egg. GUESTS: John Portmann: Taught moral philosophy and ethics at the University of Virginia for several decades; he’s the author of When Bad Things Happen To Other People Chris Prosperi: Chef and co-owner of Metro Bis in Simsbury, Connecticut, and a former recipe columnist for the Hartford Courant Lizzie Stark: The author of Egg: A Dozen Ovatures 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. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 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.