

The Colin McEnroe Show
Connecticut Public Radio
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 16, 2023 • 49min
“I once had a dentist named Dr. Fillmore”: Stories of nominative determinism
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.

Feb 15, 2023 • 49min
We take your calls
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.

Feb 14, 2023 • 50min
First dates and lockdown love stories: a look at romance during COVID
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.

Feb 13, 2023 • 49min
Hey, Burt, these folks are in love with you
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.

Feb 10, 2023 • 50min
The Nose looks at ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘Triangle of Sadness’
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.

Feb 9, 2023 • 49min
Out of tune: The challenges of keeping a band together
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.

Feb 8, 2023 • 49min
What our monsters say about us
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.

Feb 7, 2023 • 50min
How robots, and our attitudes toward them, have evolved
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.

Feb 6, 2023 • 49min
The fungus among us
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.

Feb 3, 2023 • 49min
The Nose looks at ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ and ‘Poker Face’
This week’s Nose thanks you for your underwear concern. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a sequel to 2018’s Black Panther. It is the seventh and final movie in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first phase of The Multiverse Saga. It is the 30th film overall in the MCU. I don’t really know what most of that stuff means, but here’s some stuff I do understand: Wakanda Forever is the fourth movie written and directed by Ryan Coogler. It’s the second-highest grossing movie of 2022 at the domestic box office. And it’s currently nominated for five Academy Awards. And: Poker Face is a howcatchem, case-of-the-week murder mystery series created by Rian Johnson. It follows Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, a woman who can always — always — tell when someone is lying. Five episodes are currently available on Peacock. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Cindy Williams, Co-Star of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ Dies at 75 From 1976 to 1983, she (Shirley) and Penny Marshall (Laverne) drew millions of viewers to a sitcom playing roommates who worked in a Milwaukee brewery. George P. Wilbur, Actor And Stunt Man Known For Halloween Movies, Has Died At 81 ‘Father of Peeps’ Bob Born, whose tech made popular candy chicks, dies at 98 A Eulogy for Gawker, the Best and Worst Thing I Ever Made. Ozzy Osbourne cancels all shows, says his touring career is over 2023 Grammy Awards: The full list of nominees Netflix Unveils First Details of New Anti-Password Sharing Measures Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure? How to text, tip, ghost, host, and generally exist in polite society today. Showtime and Paramount+ Merging, With Rebrand Planned Both the linear Showtime channel and the premium version of Paramount+ will be rebranded as CEO Bob Bakish acknowledges “uncertainty” for staff, and company seeks to focus on shows with “franchise” potential. The Last Of Us Is Giving Linda Ronstadt A Stranger Things-Style Soundtrack Boost What Became of the Oscar Streaker? After Robert Opel dashed naked across the stage in 1974, he ran for President and settled into the gay leather scene, in the orbit of Robert Mapplethorpe and Harvey Milk. Academy Won’t Revoke Andrea Riseborough’s ‘To Leslie’ Oscar Nom Despite Backlash, But “Tactics Are Being Addressed” GUESTS: Helder Mira: Multimedia producer at Trinity College and co-host of the So Pretentious podcast Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Tracy Wu Fastenberg: Development officer at Connecticut Children’s 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. 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.


