The Colin McEnroe Show
Episodes
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 ...
Osculate me, you fool! A brief history of romantic kissing
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, a look at why humans touch others with their lips (and often their tongues!). Join us as we overthink the simple act of kissing. GUESTS: ...
Everyday Carry: Unpacking what we carry with us and why
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s in your pockets right now? Phone, wallet, keys … maybe some discarded receipts or old gum? This hour: what we carry with us every day, from...
How ’bout them apples?
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, a look at the cultural significance of the apple, from Adam and Eve to keeping the doctor away. Plus: growing apples and the future of appl...
The Nose looks at ‘Baby Reindeer’ and our (maybe) era of mid TV
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Baby Reindeer is a seven-episode half-hour limited series written and created by Richard Gadd and based on his autobiographical one-man play. Accordi...
The collective heartbreak in a dog’s death, from Kristi Noem to ‘Old Yeller’
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The internet is up in arms over the revelation that South Dakota governor Kristi Noem once shot and killed her dog. This hour, we’ll get into it. Fr...
Fumble! The state’s failed bid to bring the Patriots to Hartford, 25 years later
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It has been 25 years since the deal between the state of Connecticut and Robert Kraft’s New England Patriots — the deal that would’ve brought th...
Author A.J. Jacobs says he "will never take elastic or democracy for granted again"
07 May 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 hi...
How charisma shapes our world
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is charisma? You know it when you see it, but is it possible to measure? Is it something you can learn, or just something you’re born w...
An hour with mystery writer Adrian McKinty
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of thrillers and mysteries probably best known for The Chain and the Sean Duffy series. On a dark and stormy...
From abortion to homelessness: A dive into the Supreme Court cases you may have missed
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to stay on top of everything happening in the Supreme Court lately — a case about whether governments can criminalize sleeping outside whe...
The storied history of people sleeping through things
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been reported that Donald Trump has been sleeping during his Manhattan trial. This hour, a look at the storied history of people sleeping throu...
How the weight of family ‘truths’ can get heavier with each generation
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Lisa Belkin spent 10 years retracing the ancestry of three families, over four generations, to understand how a series of random encounters...
We take your calls
29 Apr 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...
The Nose looks at ‘Fallout’ and ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fallout is a post-apocalyptic TV series developed for Amazon MGM Studios by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who co-created Westworld for HBO. It is th...
‘Our president is not a king’: Examining the January 6 and presidential immunity cases in the Supreme Court
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court recently started hearing oral arguments about whether the Jan. 6 attacks constitute obstruction of an official proceeding. Thursday,...
The late Daniel Dennett on consciousness, faith, and more
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Dennett was one of the most famous philosophers in the world, one of the so-called “Four Horsemen of the New Atheism.” Dennett died April 1...
A look at juries, from '12 Angry Men' to the Trump trial
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It took almost a week to select the jurors and alternates for the Manhattan trial of former President Donald Trump. This hour is all about juries. We'...
An hour with Rupert Holmes
20 Apr 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...
The Nose looks at ‘Civil War’ and ‘Manhunt’
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In January, we did a show that wondered both how much the American Civil War speaks to the present American moment and how likely a new American Civil...
A look at Trump’s hush money trial, the Golden Divorce, and slouching
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we've got one show with three topics. First, the Trump 'hush money' trial; next, the history of slouch-shaming; and finally, the Golden Bac...
Where does the idea of the tortured poet come from?
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, comes out Friday. So this hour, we are taking a look at the idea of the actual tortured...
Unburying the truth about pirates with Rebecca Simon
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We imagine pirates to be the quintessential rule-breakers — but really, they had their own strictly-followed codes. How did 18th-century pirates ...
We take your calls
15 Apr 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...
The Nose looks at ‘Ripley’ and a new version of Scrabble
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ripley is an eight-episode limited series adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels. It is the first serialized screen version of those stor...
‘Riding the line between art and pulp’: A look at cult classic cinema
11 Apr 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...
From alief to phronesis, Tamar Gendler makes the case for why we should care about ancient philosophy
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, Yale Dean Tamar Gendler joins us to discuss her course “Public Plato: Ancient Wisdom in the Digital Age.” We'll talk about how to make ...
The luck of the draw: A deeper look at lotteries
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This hour, we’re talking about lotteries. How did this massive money redistribution game come to be? And we know that lotteries can randomly allocat...
Let us pray — A salute to our favorite mantis
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This legislative session, local students lobbied Connecticut lawmakers to change our state insect, which is currently the praying mantis. This hour we...
Cringe comedy, awkward moments and the legacy of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm has been on HBO for going on 24 years. As the show comes to a close, we take a Nose-ish look at it and its impa...
From logistical nightmares to ancient omens, a look at the dark side of the eclipse
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, the contiguous U.S. will see a total solar eclipse for the last time until 2044. Online, the excitement is also giving way to fears — wil...
A conversation with Don Winslow about love, money, murder, and why free food tastes better
03 Apr 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: Bes...
Radical or relevant? How the Luddites can help us relate to today’s technology
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today “Luddite” is used as a derogatory term for someone who doesn’t understand technology. But the original Luddites weren’t behind. They wer...