
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

Apr 19, 2022 • 42min
Our lunchtime with André
André Gregory has directed and acted in the theater for more than 50 years. He has appeared in a number of movies, including Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ, Woody Allen’s Celebrity, Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities, Peter Weir’s The Mosquito Coast, and many more. He has starred in three movies about the theater with the playwright, actor, and comedian Wallace Shawn: A Master Builder, Vanya on 42nd Street, and the iconic My Dinner with Andre. Gregory’s memoir is This Is Not My Memoir. He joins us for the hour. Note: I apologize for the flagrant hackiness of the “joke” of the headline here. I feel your scorn and must suffer through my shame. There are times when a work is so iconic one doesn’t have a choice but to make reference to it. And so here we are. GUEST: André Gregory: An actor, writer, director, teacher, and painter; he is the author, with Todd London, of This Is Not My Memoir 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! Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 27, 2021. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 18, 2022 • 50min
The rise of conspiracy theories following Sandy Hook with author Elizabeth Williamson
In her new book, Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth, Elizabeth Williamson investigates the conspiracy theories that arose following the shooting on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. GUEST: Elizabeth Williamson: Author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy And The Battle For Truth 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 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 by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 15, 2022 • 43min
The Nose looks at ‘The Dropout’ and ‘Inventing Anna’
This week’s Nose will be able to tell this story at a conference wearing flip-flops. The Dropout is an eight-part Hulu Original limited series that tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. It’s based on the ABC News podcast and stars Amanda Seyfried. And Inventing Anna is a nine-part Netflix Original limited series created by Shonda Rhimes that tells the story of Anna Sorokin. It’s inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York magazine story “Maybe She Had So Much Money She Just Lost Track of It,” and it stars Anna Chlumsky and Julia Garner. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Gilbert Gottfried Dies: Beloved Comedian and Voice Icon Was 67 The passing of the actor best known for his voice talents and stand-up comic gifts was announced Tuesday by his family. A secret plan, a bombshell lawsuit, and a soccer match: Inside Tom Brady’s un-retirement Women are now TAPING their foreheads for a ‘wrinkle-free’ complexion in a bizarre new TikTok trend — so does it actually work? How swearing became a weapon of resistance for Ukrainians Their enthusiastic use of bad language contrasts with Putin’s linguistic prissiness — and shows that Russia doesn’t own Russian The “Pity Me!” Personal Essay A recent trend in writing brings us a whole lot of dramatics and zero perspective The Kids In The Hall Trailer: The Sketch Comedy Revival Arrives In May Sure Elon Musk Might Buy Twitter Oh why not. Will Elon Musk Go Full Future-of-Civilization on Twitter? Of all the things Musk says are good for humanity, this one is not like the others. GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan: Associate producer at Octopus Theatricals Mercy Quaye: Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University 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 by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 14, 2022 • 41min
The zipper: An invention overlooked yet essential
We use zippers all the time: whether on clothes, shoes, bags, tents… the list goes on. Zippers keep our belongings secure, they keep us warm, they help keep out the elements, and they make it easier to get dressed. This hour is all about the zipper. We’ll learn about its history and significance, plus the role of zippers in fashion, and why so many zippers say “YKK.” GUESTS: Robert Friedel: Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Maryland and author of Zipper: An Exploration in Novelty, among other books. Emma McClendon: Fashion historian, curator, and author. Jim Reed: President of YKK Corporation of America. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 13, 2022 • 41min
The toll of perfectionism
Perfectionism is on the rise among young people. This hour, we look at the impact of perfectionism on mental health, and how to deal with perfectionist tendencies. Plus, what the self-help industry can tell us about our interest in perfection. GUESTS: Thomas Curran: Assistant professor of psychological and behavioral science at the London School of Economics and Political Science Tamar Gendler: Professor of philosophy, psychology and cognitive science at Yale University Kristen Meinzer: Host of the By the Book podcast 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! Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 12, 2022 • 42min
We like to watch. Emily Nussbaum on the TV revolution
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 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, which originally aired July 15, 2020. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 11, 2022 • 41min
We take your calls. Ask (or tell) us anything
We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too. So we’re doing that again. In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677. Or 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, Cat Pastor, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson 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 by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 8, 2022 • 49min
The Nose looks at Jerrod Carmichael’s ‘Rothaniel’ and Stephen Merchant’s ‘The Outlaws’
This week’s Nose is all gettin’ flushed. Rothaniel is Jerrod Carmichael’s third HBO comedy special. The previous two, 2014’s Love at the Storeand 2017’s 8, were directed by Spike Lee and Bo Burnham, respectively. Rothaniel was taped in February at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, and it, too, is directed by Burnham. This is the fourthdirecting project in a row of Burnham’s that The Nose has covered. And: The Outlaws is a BBC One series created by Stephen Merchant. It’s now available Stateside on Amazon Prime, and Amazon’s synopsis calls it “a comedy thriller about a disparate group of lawbreakers thrown together to complete a community service sentence.” It stars Merchant, Christopher Walken, and an ensemble cast. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Estelle Harris Dies: ‘Seinfeld’s Estelle Costanza, ‘Toy Story’ Franchise’s Mrs. Potato Head Was 93 Los Lobos founding member Francisco González has died at 68 Louis C.K.’s Grammy, After ‘Global Amounts of Trouble,’ Draws Backlash Some comedians are questioning how the Recording Academy saw fit to bestow an award to someone who had admitted to sexual misconduct. Why We Can’t Quit the Guitar Solo Elon Musk becomes Twitter’s largest shareholder. The Tesla chief executive, who has been critical of Twitter’s content moderation policies, has bought 9.2 percent of the social media company. Film Of Prince At Age 11 Discovered In Archival Footage Of 1970 Mpls. Teachers Strike Mad Magazine’s Most Significant Cultural Moments 2022 marks MAD magazine’s 70th Anniversary. We celebrate a publication that’s been dumbing down America for decades. How Everyone Got So Lonely The recent decline in rates of sexual activity has been attributed variously to sexism, neoliberalism, and women’s increased economic independence. How fair are those claims—and will we be saved by the advent of the sex robot? Inside the BBC Staff Exodus: Women of Color Are ‘Exhausted’ From Fighting a Broken System Japan’s Monkey Queen Made It Through Mating Season With Her Reign Intact Yakei, the 9-year-old macaque who seized power at a preserve, played the field and mated with at least one male, all while managing to maintain her status as her troop’s alpha. Newly Measured Particle Seems Heavy Enough to Break Known Physics A new analysis of W bosons suggests these particles are significantly heavier than predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. If you want original movies to survive, get to a theater this April It’s Time To Revive the Nuclear Disaster Film With the U.S. and Russia Each Edging Towards Possible Atomkrieg, We’re Overdue for a Cinematic Reminder of the Horrors of Nuclear War GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College 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.

Apr 7, 2022 • 50min
‘Literature as resistance.’ Azar Nafisi on the subversive power of reading in troubled times
Azar Nafisi is the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, which spent 117 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Her new book, Read Dangerously, argues that reading literature, reading challenging, dangerousliterature is foundational and fundamental to continued democracy. Imagination, itself, she says, is a threat to autocracy and totalitarianism. Imagination is inherently, by definition, “free and wayward.” “It should be clear by now that when I talk about books,” Nafisi writes, “I am not talking about literature of resistance but literature as resistance.” Azar Nafisi joins us for the hour. GUEST: Azar Nafisi: The author of six books; her newest is Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times 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.

Apr 6, 2022 • 49min
It took a global pandemic to turn us all into preppers
In the past two years, we've all turned into preppers. Whether dealing with a pandemic, supply chain disruptions, or natural disasters, we've learned the value of being prepared to be self-sufficient for a few days, weeks, or even months. This hour, we look at prepping, and talk about how it has become a part of our everyday lives.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.