The Colin McEnroe Show
Episodes
An hour with Rupert Holmes
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rupert Holmes won two Tony Awards for his musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His single “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” went to No. 1 on the Bil...
Monologuist Josh Kornbluth wonders if our society is suffering from political dementia
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As a fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, monologuist Josh Kornbluth started to see parallels between brain disease and, well, everything that...
From boredom to handwriting: Christine Rosen on the embodied experiences we lose to technology
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour we talk with Christine Rosen about her new book, The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World. We talk about how technol...
The political importance of Gen Z with journalist Rachel Janfaza
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Going into November, we’ll be doing some shows where we talk with one guest, for the hour, who knows a lot about the election. This hour, we talk wi...
Author A.J. Jacobs says he “will never take elastic or democracy for granted again”
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In A.J. Jacobs’ new book, The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning, he details ...
All calls: Fat Bear Week, sports, call-in shows, Mars, and more
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 be...
An hour with Percival Everett
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Percival Everett is the author of 24 novels, four short story collections, and six collections of poetry. His 2001 novel Erasure was adapted as the fe...
The role of journalism in the 2024 election with writer Mark Jacob
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Going into November, we’ll be doing some shows where we talk with one guest, for the hour, who knows a lot about the election. This hour, we talk wi...
The art and politics of political speechmaking
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Policy speeches, convention speeches, concession speeches, victory speeches, stump speeches. Inaugural addresses, State of the Union addresses, prime-...
Let us pray — A salute to our favorite mantis
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This year, local students lobbied Connecticut lawmakers to change our state insect, which is currently the praying mantis. This hour, we are focused o...
All calls: Colin says you don't want to meet him, hummus, robins, and more
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows...
A look at the bullying impact of the canon and the zeitgeist
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is there some thing that EVERYBODY seems to like that you’re just not that into? Star Wars? Game of Thrones? Seinfeld? The Beach Boys? Christopher N...
I'm having writer's block writing this headline about writer's block
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has likely experienced some form of writer's block in their lives — when you sit down to write and the words just won't come. This hour we ...
A conversation with Don Winslow about love, money, murder, and why free food tastes better
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bestselling author Don Winslow joins us to discuss his new novel, City in Ruins, which he says is the last of his career. GUEST: Don Winslow: Best...
Are we thinking about travel the wrong way?
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It feels like tourism hit a breaking point this summer, with residents around Europe protesting visitors, new entrance and tourist fees popping up at ...
All calls: Shrews, praying mantises, the power of Taylor Swift, and more
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen live Monday at 1 p.m. We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls h...
‘Riding the line between art and pulp’: A look at cult classic cinema
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If I say “cult classic,” what do you think of? Probably an underground movie that built up an intense following over time, like The Rocky Horror P...
Inside the confusing, time-sucking, unequal world of taxes
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did taxes, this quintessentially frustrating thing, come to be so frustrating? And must it be so? This hour, we’re learning about why taxes are ...
‘Never be the same’: 23 years in the shadow of 9/11
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It has been 23 years since the sunny late summer Tuesday morning that changed basically everything. This hour, a look back at September 11, 2001, and ...
A look at our ‘toxic love story’ with plastic
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Plastic is everywhere in our world, and scientists are increasingly discovering the negative health and environmental impacts of the material. This ho...
How to be wrong
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all strive to be right about things — we do our research, we listen to people who seem smarter than us, we make compelling arguments over dinner ...
The Nose looks at ‘Chimp Crazy’ and the right way to load your dishwasher
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chimp Crazy is a four-part HBO docuseries that “explores the captivating, often unfathomable, and secretive world of raising chimpanzees.” It is ...
From the cereal aisle to the ballot box, how groceries shape our lives
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grocery prices are becoming a regular talking point in this election cycle. This hour is all about the grocery store. We talk about how items get on t...
A look at one of our most forgotten presidents: Chester A. Arthur
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour is all about America’s 21st president, Chester A. Arthur, who took office after President James Garfield was assassinated. We look at Arth...
All calls: Bird identification, The World's Fair, third places, and more
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour we took your calls about bird identification, the DNC, the World's Fair, third places, synchronicity, and more. Join the conversation on Fa...
25 years later, a look at the movies and TV of 1999
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Being John Malkovich, The Blair Witch Project, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Eyes Wide Shut, Family Guy, Fig...
From a jar to a box — How we misunderstand Pandora and her legacy
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trump’s trial. AI. Online learning. Everything’s a “Pandora's Box." This hour, we discuss the myth and the metaphor of Pandora's Box. Plus, a lo...
We’re having crisis fatigue
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everything’s felt like, and been called, a “crisis” lately. This hour, a look at all the overuse of the term “crisis” and our collective cri...
It’s a vibe! A look at what makes a vibe a vibe
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You must have heard the term “vibe” by now, right? We’ve heard about the vibe of the economy, the vibe of a music playlist, the vibe of a season...
All calls: Celebrity endorsements, car registration, a sandwich, and more
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we took your calls. Topics this hour included election certification, car registration, celebrity endorsements, news radio, technology, tra...
‘If the wind is right’: A deep dive into the smooth sounds of yacht rock
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Doobie Brothers. Christopher Cross. Steely Dan. Kenny Loggins. Toto. Michael McDonald. Ambrosia. Supertramp. (The Eagles? Uh, Michael Jackson?) So...
From jingles to Beyoncé: How music shapes political campaigns
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we look at how political campaigns use music, from the history of political jingles, to how Harris and Trump are using music in this 2024 e...
Invisible and essential, scanning through the history and impact of barcodes
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Barcodes are everywhere, and they helped to shape the world we live in. This hour, a look at the history and impact of barcodes. Plus, the rise of QR ...
You know that political memoir you pretend to have read? Carlos Lozada read it
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Going into November, we’ll be doing some shows where we talk with one guest, for the hour, who knows a lot about the election. This hour, The New Y...
All calls: Billy Ocean, the Israel-Hamas war, and what happened to the bus Colin promised us?
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surp...
‘SNL,’ Kamala’s laugh, Hannibal Lecter: Culture and the 2024 election
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, a look at some of the ways culture and politics seem to be overlapping at the moment. First, we wonder who might play all these new candida...
2024 takes a look back at 1968: Movies, music, media, and the DNC
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Going into the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, many are comparing this year to 1968. After all, there are a number of similarities: bo...
‘To The Hobbits’: Celebrating ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ and its enduring appeal
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Wren recently reported for Politico that Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, is a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings. This...
From privacy to paper jams, a look at printer problems
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour is all about printers. We talk about printer problems and why, despite our struggles, we can’t seem to quit our printers. Plus: a rage roo...
All calls: Sandwiches, credit card interest, Olympic basketball, and more
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surp...
The Nose looks at ‘America’s Sweethearts’ and ‘Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes’
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is a seven-part Netflix docuseries. It is directed and executive produced by Greg Whiteley. It fo...
The New York Times' Astead Herndon on the run-up to the 2024 election
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Going into November, we’ll be doing some shows where we talk with one guest, for the hour, who knows a lot about the election. This hour, The New Yo...
What's in a pseudonym?
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From pen names to online aliases, pseudonyms are all around us. This hour, we’re talking about what compels people to adopt an alternate identity wh...
‘These are weird people’: A look at weirdness in politics and beyond
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s kind of weird how much the word “weird” has been coming up all of a sudden in the election, isn’t it? This hour, a look at weirdness and ...
All calls: Vice presidential picks, debates, a book recommendation, and more
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour we took your calls about anything you wanted to talk about. This hour, the conversation winds around to the election, debates, vice presiden...
The joy of bad movies
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s something kind of special about the experience of a really great, really bad movie. Think Red Dawn or Under Siege. Snakes on a Plane or Batm...
Where is this election taking place?
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we talk about where this election is taking place in this media environment. We'll discuss how Americans are getting their election news, i...
From ‘Iowa nice’ to New England blunt, how do we define ‘nice’ in America?
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever heard someone say that East Coasters are kind but not nice, and West Coasters are nice but not kind? This hour, a look at what “nicene...
The legends of King Arthur and why they still matter today
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we take a look at the legends of King Arthur. We discuss their evolution and why they endure. Plus, we talk with author Lev Grossman about ...
All calls: The election, the Olympics, Elon Musk, and more
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surp...
The art of political satire with Samantha Bee and Sophia McClennen
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Political satire is alive and well in America today. And it turns out it might have an important role in educating the public and the health of our de...
The music, medicine, and mystery of humming
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From Thurston Harris and Crash Test Dummies to that noise your refrigerator makes, humming sounds are all around us (especially if you’ve been to Wi...
What makes a book a classic? A read of the Western canon and how it’s changing
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we look at the idea of the Western canon and those books that are considered “classics.” We talk about what’s in the canon, what isn’...
We take your calls
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, we’ve had another weekend, haven’t we? So we figured you might want to talk again. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Col...
Another ho-hum week in the 2024 election
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour on The Colin McEnroe Show, we discuss President Biden's decision not to run for reelection. We'll look at the historical precedent for this ...
Finding hope in dark times
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I saw someone on TikTok ask (rather vulgarly) that we just have, for once, a week that is … precedented. And I mean, yes. Could we? Well, not this w...
How should we treat the dead?
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we look at our cultural fascination with dead bodies. What do we owe the dead? What can the dead teach us? What does a body represent to yo...
How political violence hurts democracy
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we're taking stock of what the events of July 13 mean for our election and our polity. First, a conversation about the effects political vi...
Eternal flame: The continued relevance of the myth of Prometheus
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give it to humans, and suffered an eternity of punishment for it. This hour, we revisit tha...
We take your calls
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After this weekend, we thought you might want to talk. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podc...
3 things to think about that aren’t the election: Wimbledon, (not) hugging sloths, and mapping apps
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We got to the end of this week and decided it’d be nice to have some stuff to think about besides the election. This hour, we present to you three s...
Want to really know someone? Look in their fridge
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, a look at refrigeration and how it’s shaped what we eat and how we live with Nicola Twilley, author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Chan...
The latest from the Supreme Court: Presidential immunity, gratuities and the Chevron doctrine
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Legal gratuities for government officials, an overturning of the Chevron doctrine, and (perhaps most importantly) presidential immunity from prosecuti...
The cars have eyes: Data privacy (or lack thereof) and your vehicle
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Somewhere along the way, cars stopped being just a means of transportation — now, they’re also a dining room, an entertainment center, even an ext...
Kafka and his legacy, 100 years after his death
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Franz Kafka died 100 years ago last month, but his work is still very much alive today in literature classes and, surprisingly, on social media. This ...
The Nose looks at ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ and ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Quiet Place: Day One is the third movie in the A Quiet Place film series. It is a prequel to the first film, A Quiet Place. It’s written and direc...
Veepstakes aside, do running mates matter?
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour: we look at running mates. We'll talk about whether or not a presidential candidate's running mate matters, and their role on the campaign t...
Go with your gut: All about the gut-brain connection
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This show's all about guts! How are our guts and our brains connected? How much of our emotional lives come from our stomachs? And how, across history...
We take your calls
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancien...
From Barbra to Beyoncé: A look at the appeal of divas
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Nose is off this week. In its place: What is a diva? And how has the term evolved? This hour, divas — from Tay-Tay to Beyoncé to Barbra to Doll...
It’s a whole song and dance: The joy of marching bands
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marching bands are now a staple at halftimes. But why? This hour, we discuss the art of the marching band. We’ll talk about all of the work that goe...
The (abridged) Colin McEnroe Show midnight spectacular
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Back before radio stations (ours included) started re-airing daytime programs during the night as a default, nighttime airwaves were a place for exper...
Cash is no longer king: How does that impact us personally and culturally?
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's becoming easier every day to pay for things without cash. You can pay with your credit card, your phone, an app, or even your palm. So how does t...
A look at buttons, couch potatoes, and the rise of the remote control
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Remote controls date all the way back to the 1800s, but they only entered most households in the 1950s or later. What impact did this have on how we w...
The Colin McEnroe Show midnight spectacular
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Back before radio stations (ours included) started re-airing daytime programs during the night as a default, nighttime airwaves were a place for exper...
From ‘Star Trek’ to ‘Arrival’: How pop culture helps us imagine extraterrestrial life
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Nose is off this week. In its place, a look at how we imagine extraterrestrial life. What do you picture when you picture aliens? Is it like E.T.?...
The (so-called) dying art of dinner parties
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
News outlets and opinion writers have called it: The traditional dinner party is dead. But are dinner parties really so bad? Or are we just bad at hos...
We take your calls
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 be...
Yascha Mounk discusses ‘The Identity Trap’ and the future of democracy
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Yascha Mounk’s new book, he “traces the origin of a set of ideas about identity and social justice that is rapidly transforming America — and...
The Bard’s the thing: A show about Shakespeare
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shakespeare, it turns out, is not immune to the culture wars, the book banning, the cancel culture (despite his being dead for more than four centurie...
Sun, sand, and a book — a look at the beach read
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for your summer vacation, an hour about beach reads. We look at how the term came to be, get some beach read recommendations, and even he...
Our (maybe) 14th (almost) annual song of the summer show
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve done a version of this show every year since 2013. And we did it in 2011. We probably even did one in 2010. (We just can’t prove it.) So it’...
The first presidential debate is June 27. But will it matter?
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the first presidential debate just two weeks away, an hour on the art and science of the presidential debate. We look at the evolution of debates...
Every step you take: How walking and walkability shape our lives
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"These boots are made for walking…" but instead, they sit by the door while you watch TV. This hour: Why is it often so hard to get walking? And wha...
The Nose looks at ‘Godzilla Minus One’ and the current crisis at the box office
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Godzilla Minus One (Gojira -1.0) is the 37th movie in the Godzilla franchise, the 33rd Godzilla movie from Toho Studios, and the fifth movie in the f...
The latest culture war is a beef over meatless meat
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Florida and Alabama became the first U.S. states to ban the sale and manufacture of lab-grown meat. The plant-based meat company Impossibl...
An hour with Percival Everett
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Percival Everett is the author of 24 novels, four short story collections, and six collections of poetry. His 2001 novel Erasure was adapted as the ...
Why the Roman Empire is worth thinking about
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've recently discovered, thanks to TikTok, that many more people are thinking about the Roman Empire than you might expect... including the host of ...
We take your calls
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Go...
‘It always means something’: Connecticut in the movies
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Illeana Douglas’ new book is Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia. It isn’t just an encyclopedia of appearances by and re...
URGENT: Please immediately listen to this show about scam emails
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A wealthy prince needs your help (via a wire transfer) to unfreeze his fortunes. He’ll reward you handsomely. While you’re sending him the money, ...
Take a seat and listen to our hour on chairs
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What can we learn about ourselves from what we sit on? This hour, the history of chairs, their impact on our lifestyle and health, and what’s in sto...
Emily Wilson brings 'The Iliad' alive for a modern audience
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018, Emily Wilson became internationally known for her translation of Homer’s The Odyssey, which was called “a revelation” and “a cultural...
The Nose looks at ‘Challengers’ and ‘Spacey Unmasked’
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Challengers is the eighth feature film directed by Luca Guadagnino. It’s a romantic sports drama tennis movie thriller kind of thing that stars Zen...
Roommates wanted: How the people you live with impact your life
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Roommates: can't live with them, can't (afford to) live without them. They're the people who use your dishes and don't wash them. They're the people w...
How algorithms shape our world, for better and for worse
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We hear about algorithms all the time, but what is an algorithm exactly? This hour, we learn about how algorithms work, a bit about their history, and...
‘Books can be mirrors or books can be windows’: How to decide what kids should read
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From book bans to comics and the strange origins of fairy tales, this hour we look at children’s literature and who decides what’s appropriate for...
We take your calls
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 be...
Those were the days: Nostalgia in our popular culture
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been noticing a sort of backwards-looking bent lately in TV shows like Ripley, with its 1960s setting and its black-and-white aesthetic and i...
Is print dead or is it making a comeback?
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is print dead? Or will it make a comeback? This hour, we talk about the benefits and drawbacks of getting your news in print form. We learn about the ...