The Colin McEnroe Show

If I say “Liam Neeson movie,” you picture, at this point, a pretty specific thing, right? It’s kind of an action-thriller. Neeson is avenging some wrong. It’s usually some wrong against his family. And it’s usually avenged with Neeson’s “particular set of skills.” Basically, the movie is some version of Taken, right? Well, Taken came out in 2008. Liam Neeson has been making these movies for 15 years now. He turned 70 last year, and he says he just made his 100th movie. (I’ve put a certain amount of effort into trying to figure out just what he’s counting to get to exactly 100, and I can’t quite do it. But I’ve decided we should just accept the guy’s count. Right?) The Nose is off this week. In its place, and with the release Wednesday of Marlowe, a Not Necessarily theNose-style look at late-career Liam Neeson, post-Taken Liam Neeson, doing-action-movies-into-his-70s Liam Neeson. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Raquel Welch, ‘One Million Years B.C.’ and ‘Three Musketeers’ Icon, Dies at 82 Trugoy the Dove, founding member of De La Soul, dead at 54 Cody Longo, ‘Days of Our Lives’ actor, dead at 34 Penn Badgley Says He Wants to Put His Sex Scenes to Bed How Rihanna Pioneered a New Kind of Super Bowl Performance The singer gave much of her halftime show performance atop seven suspended platforms. It was all in the name of protecting the grass. How the Oscars and Grammys Thrive on the Lie of Meritocracy Despite all the markers of excellence, contenders like Danielle Deadwyler, Viola Davis and Beyoncé weren’t recognized for the highest honors. Niche awards don’t suffice. Aliens And UFOs May Have Just Made Contact With Us, And Now Everyone’s Meme-ing About ItThey better pick me… John Wick 4’s Long Runtime Sets New Franchise Record An Ode to Swearing A well-turned curse can remind you of the power of language. The Wit and Wisdom of Regé-Jean Page The former Bridgerton star (and possibly the next James Bond?) is awfully humble for someone named the most handsome man in the world. A new, old rhythm: How the pitch clock could be profoundly positive The Case for Hanging Out There’s a growing crisis in our social lives. Could the cure be this simple? GUESTS: David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Nate Fisher: A writer and comedian and cohost of the podcast A Closer Look Ben Lindbergh: Senior editor at The Ringer Stephen Marche: A novelist and essayist; his newest book, out this week, is On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer 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! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 30, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a theory that people are drawn to work that fits their name. This hour, an exploration of nominative determinism. Plus, a look at the different ways your name impacts your life. GUESTS: David Bird: Emeritus professor of wildlife biology and director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre of McGill University Brett Pelham: Professor of psychology at Montgomery College Tess Terrible: Senior producer of Where We Live Laura Wattenberg: Naming expert, author of The Baby Name Wizard, and the creator of Namerology 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! 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’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been surprising and compelling. This hour, the conversation focuses largely on right to die laws and mental health, while also winding around to a private high school closing in Uncasville, stuff that’s wrong with the human body, public disclosure of lottery winners (or not), and more. If you are or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, text or call 9-8-8, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 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! Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, a look at how the pandemic shaped dating, long-term relationships, and love over its first two years. GUESTS: Philippa Found: An artist and writer and the creator of Lockdownlovestories Hiwote Getaneh: A producer on the This Is Dating podcast Laura Kipnis: Author of Love in the Time of Contagion: A Diagnosis 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! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 14, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Burt Bacharach was, simply put, one of the most important figures in popular music in the 20th century. He wrote 73 Top 40 hits, including songs like “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “That’s What Friends Are For,” and “Arthur’s Theme.” He was nominated for six Academy Awards, 21 Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, of which he won three Oscars, six Grammys, and an Emmy. His songs have been recorded by more than a thousand different artists. Bacharach died last week at age 94. This hour, a look back at his seven-decade-long songwriting career. GUESTS: Noah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album, with Henry Lugo, is Alter Ego Illeana Douglas: Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe Show Steve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the university of Hartford’s Hartt School Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek” Paula West: A jazz and cabaret singer 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! 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.

This week’s Nose needs food to live, so it begins to devour its host from within. The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic TV series adapted for HBO from the classic PlayStation game. It stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. And: Triangle of Sadness is a black comedy written and directed by Ruben Östlund. It’s his English-language feature film debut, and it won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Östlund and Best Motion Picture of the Year. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Burt Bacharach, Composer Who Added a High Gloss to the ’60s, Dies at 94 His sophisticated collaborations with the lyricist Hal David — “The Look of Love,” “Walk On By,” “Alfie” and many more hits — evoked a sleek era of airy romance. Melinda Dillon, Actress in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and ‘A Christmas Story,’ Dies at 83 A two-time Oscar nominee, she also appeared in ‘Bound for Glory,’ ‘Slap Shot’ and on Broadway in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ Charles Kimbrough, Actor Best Known for ‘Murphy Brown,’ Dies at 86 In a career that included a Tony nomination for “Company,” he specialized in playing uptight characters, notably Candice Bergen’s stuffy straight man. In Memoriam: Austin Butler’s Elvis Voice (2019–2023) After three years of Method acting as the King, the “Elvis” actor has announced he’s “getting rid of” the accent that got him mocked at the Golden Globes. 18 “Normal” Things In Our Society That Are Actually, Pretty Weird, Cruel, Damaging, Etc. “Only doing nice things for clout. I’m looking at all the influencers who film themselves giving food, blankets, money, etc., to homeless people. Tell me they’d do that if there wasn’t a camera filming them.” Jimmy Fallon Explains to Paul Shaffer Why All Comedians Laugh Like Him “Ahhhh!” (He’s got a point.) Armie Hammer Breaks His Silence Two years after some of the most shocking allegations of the #MeToo era lit up the Internet and destroyed his career, the actor has finally decided to tell his side of the story “2001: A Space Odyssey” directed by George Lucas? Avatar: The Way Of Water And Titanic Are About To Enter A Tight Race At The Box Office What’s the deal with this AI Seinfeld stream? White Men Can’t Jump Teaser Trailer: Sinqua Walls And Jack Harlow Are Ready To Play Ball Dave Chappelle Wins Grammy for Netflix Special Condemned for Being Transphobic Following its release in October 2021, ‘The Closer’ was criticized for the comedian’s material focused on the transgender community. 18 Jokes Elon Musk Stole From His Fans On Twitter AMC Theatres to Change Movie Ticket Prices Based on Seat Location Duluth 14-year-old has slept outside for 1,021 straight nights, and still counting ‘Yellowstone’ Shocker: Kevin Costner Cowboy Drama Series Plots End As Taylor Sheridan Eyes Franchise Extension With Matthew McConaughey ‘Get something that’s fun to play, then think about the story’: how Nintendo keeps levelling up Ben Affleck’s Misery at the 2023 Grammys Became Twitter’s Favorite New Meme Mike Schur Comedy Series Starring Ted Danson Based On ‘The Mole Agent’ Documentary Sparks Bidding War ‘The Late Late Show With James Corden’ To Be Replaced With ‘@midnight’ Reboot Exec Produced By Stephen Colbert On CBS The Mystery of the Dune Font Putting a name to the typeface that defined the visual identity of the science fiction series and its author, Frank Herbert Gustavo Dudamel Will Take Over the New York Philharmonic And the internet wants to replace him in Los Angeles with … Lydia Tár. Harrison Ford: “I Know Who the F*** I Am” The actor is busier than ever with ‘Shrinking,’ ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ and ‘1923.’ We tried to get the delightfully testy 80-year-old icon to open up about his life and latest projects. Here’s how that went. Steven Spielberg’s Oscar Curse Inside nearly 50 years of frustration at the Academy Awards for the most popular director of all time. The unacceptable look on Madonna’s face We seem so horrified when women age, no matter how they try to do it. The Films Steven Soderbergh Watches on a Loop A conversation with the director about his inspirations for Magic Mike’s Last Dance ‘It was a witch-burning’: Roseanne may forgive Hollywood, but she’ll never forget GUESTS: Raquel Benedict: The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction and the host of the Rite Gudpodcast Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast 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! 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.

Everyone loves a good band breakup story. But it’s far more unusual to find bands that manage to stay together for the long haul. This hour we explore the challenges musicians face as they seek band harmony, and discuss what makes them succeed – or fail – together. GUESTS:  Steven Hyden: Cultural critic at UPROXX and the author of several books on rock music, most recently Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a Generation Nerissa Nields: Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of The Nields Jim Chapdelaine: Guitarist, producer, Emmy Award-winning composer, recording engineer, and an adjunct professor at the University of Hartford School of Music Jay Russell: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Connecticut whose current band is The Split Coils; former member of Hot Rod Circuit Heather Ferguson: Psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and clinical supervisor in New York City, and a member of the Music Industry Therapist Collective 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! Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, a look at misunderstood monsters, why humans create monsters in the first place, and the benefits of hearing a monster’s perspective. Plus, we learn more about Medusa and talk to a researcher who studied purported yeti samples to find the animal behind the myth. GUESTS: Natalie Haynes: A writer and broadcaster; her newest book is Stone Blind Charlotte Lindqvist: Associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo Asa Simon Mittman: Professor of art and art history at California State University, Chico 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! Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What counts as a robot? This hour, a look at what robots are and the latest in robot technology. Plus, how robots were used and thought about in medieval times and Ancient Greece and the role of robots in science fiction. GUESTS: Chris Atkeson: Professor at the Robotics Institute and the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University Adrienne Mayor: Author of Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other books Elly Truitt: Author of Medieval Robots: Mechanism, Magic, Nature, and Art Daniel H. Wilson: Author of Robopocalypse and How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion, among other books 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! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 12, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The HBO television adaptation of the video game The Last of Us takes place after a global pandemic caused by a fungal infection. Which sparked the question: how much should we be afraid of fungal infections in our world today? This hour, we learn about the real-life fungal infection of ants that inspired the video game, and we discuss the role of fungi in our world. Plus, we talk with a local mushroom farmer and an author who writes fungal fiction. GUESTS: William Beckerson: Post-doctoral research Fellow with the National Science Foundation Patricia Kaishian: Mycologist and visiting assistant professor of biology at Bard College Chris Pacheco: Owner of Seacoast Mushrooms in Mystic, Connecticut Jeff VanderMeer: Author of a number of books, including the Southern Reach Trilogy, which includes Annihilation; he recently co-founded The Sunshine State Biodiversity Group 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! 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.