The Colin McEnroe Show

Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Belushi, John Candy, Rick Moranis. Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Beverly Hills Cop, Caddyshack, The Jerk, Ghost Busters, ¡Three Amigos!, Funny Farm, Spaceballs, Stripes. We maybe didn’t properly appreciate it at the time, but the 1980s were one of the most fertile periods ever for screen comedies and screen comedians. This hour, a look at the mavericks who shaped a whole comedy aesthetic and at some of the most popular movie comedies ever made. GUESTS: Nick de Semlyen:EmpireWild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the ’80s Changed Hollywood ForeverDaniel Kalwhite:Carolyn Paine:CONNetic Dance The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired July 11, 2019, in a different form. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregg Phillips, the current head of the largest division at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has said that he has teleported multiple times — including at least once to a Waffle House. We checked, and it’s still true that we don’t have the technology for human teleportation. At the same time, quantum teleportation is totally a thing! This hour, a look at teleportation in science, philosophy, pop culture … and politics. GUESTS: Eden Gordon:Ink RoadsTal M. Klein:The Punch EscrowNikki McCann Ramírez:Rolling StoneEric Schwitzgebel:The Splintered Mind The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rope has been foundational to so much of human civilization. It's made sailing, hunting, building, and so much more, possible. This hour, we look at the history and utility and future of rope. GUESTS: Tim Queeney: Author of Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization, among other books Manuel Medrano: A PhD candidate in Harvard’s History Department, who studies quipus Tahira Reid Smith: Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Design and the Director of the REID Lab at Penn State. She is also the patented inventor of the Automatic Double Dutch Machine, and the founder of Jump Dreams, Inc. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Flamingo – Kero Kero Bonito The Last Shanty – Derina Harvey Band Rope – Foo Fighters Tightrope – Janelle Monae Rope A Dope – Victor Oladipo, 2 Chainz Double Dutch – Charity Join the conversation on Facebook. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, 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 Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 15, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westend61/Getty Images What happens when the people reshaping our world don't believe in introspection? This hour, a look at looking inward. And, we explore the spectrum of mental imagery. GUESTS: Elizabeth Lopatto:The VergeMaja Spener:Introspection: First-Person Access in Science and AgencyReshanne Reeder: Music featured (in order): Who KnowsWhat Kind of Fool Am IMan in the MirrorThere’s No TellingI’m So Lonesome I Could CryPretty Little PictureSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 are fun for us and they seem to be fun for you. So we’re doing another one. In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour. 888-720-9677. Music featured (in order): Any Old FoolWhat You GetTSODDumbest Girl in the WorldBlue MoneyCUT FOR TIME I Am HerePlaygroundTill Your Mind is Shining (Bright-Side Mix)Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a new movie starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson called 'The Drama' that is sparking a lot of discourse around spoilers, movie marketing, and what should be revealed in advance. This hour, we offer a few spoilers about the movie in order to talk about all of that. Plus, a look at plot twists. GUESTS: Olivia Montminy:Aisha Harris:Pop Culture Happy HourWannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes MeJames Hanley: Vera Tobin: Elements of Surprise: Our Mental Limits and the Satisfactions of Plot Music featured (in order): Don Giovanni, K. 527: OvertureUnexpectedEverybody KnowsBrilliant DisguiseAlways the Last to KnowIf I Knew ThenSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headache symptoms can strike sufferers without warning, disabling them for even days at a time. There have been nearly 4,000 years of documented headache disorders — and virtually everyone has had headaches — yet their underlying neurological cause is still unknown. This hour, a look at the long history of headaches and the current science around and treatments for headaches. Plus: headaches in our literature and popular culture. GUESTS: Kathleen O’Shea:So Much More Than a Headache: Understanding Migraine Through LiteratureTom Zeller Jr.:The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding ConditionUndark The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired July 30, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 26, 2025, last year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, One Battle After Another, a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, hit wide release in theaters. And then 11 days later, on October 7, Pynchon published what might be his final novel, Shadow Ticket. Not a bad year for an 88-year-old writer. This hour, a look at the (maybe) reclusive Pynchon and the novels and stories he’s published, from Gravity’s Rainbow to Mason & Dixon and more. Plus: a look at the two Paul Thomas Anderson movies that Pynchon’s work has inspired, Inherent Vice and One Battle After Another. GUESTS: David Cowart:Thomas Pynchon: The Art of AllusionThomas Pynchon and the Dark Passages of HistoryAna Gavrilovska:Current AffairsUncut MagazineMaggot BrainSick Sad MotherslugLeonardo Goi:Brian Slattery: Music featured (in order): Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overturemost referencedGravity’s AngelThe Royal ScamRun Straight DownBang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)The Revolution Will Not Be TelevisedSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the relationship between consciousness and the divine? How are poetry and faith connected? Why write poetry? We present an hour with Colin and poet Christian Wiman live from Yale Divinity School, where they discuss poetry, consciousness, faith, awe, and whatever else is on their minds. GUEST: Christian Wiman: Author, editor, and translator of many books including, most recently, Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian. He is Clement-Muehl Professor of Communication Arts at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Maegn Boone, Jonathan McNicol, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Katrice Kemble, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Special thanks to Yale Divinity School and Dean Gregory Sterling, Tom Krattenmaker, Sachin Ramabhadran, Kit Heeley, and Campbell Harmon. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to meditation and the sounds of flowing water, people who listen to NPR but don’t donate, the rough weekend the president and vice president both had altering old movies, the gender fluidity (or not) of the Statue of Liberty, the Trump-as-Jesus image the Stop & Shop voice robots (and the return of Marty), unhoused veterans, the CT Lottery voice robots … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We did our usual all-calls show earlier this week. Except that our phones didn’t work. And our computers were messed up. And there probably wasn’t any running water. But the point is, we couldn’t actually take your calls during our all-calls call-in show this week. So we decided to try again. This hour, the conversation winds around to Trump signs around the neighborhood, cheeses, grilled cheeses, Victor Orban’s re-election hopes, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat on Prime Video, Tucker Carlson … anything. Seemingly everything.‌ Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study shows that AI chatbots often engage in sycophantic behavior. Just like some humans. This hour, we take a look at sycophants in literature and in politics. And we talk about sycophancy and artificial intelligence. GUESTS: Mark Parker:Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of SycophancyVirginia Heffernan: The New RepublicMagic + LossOmnishamblesMalihe Alikhani: Music featured (in order): Overture to RigolettoI Believe in YouDon’t CryYou Fascinate Me SoWhat You Want To HearFlatterySupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 surprising and amusing. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. Except the phones didn't work. Topics included dogs, Neanderthals, candy, and more. Music featured (in order): That Moon SongIn the SeaDoctrine of LoveMutualHappier Times Ahead.Flying ThingsWhen the Flowers StartedSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rust is all around us. It’s in our cars, our homes, our infrastructure. It’s also the subject of Jonathan Waldman’s book Rust: The Longest War, which introduces us to the people who fight it. This hour, Waldman joins us. Plus: a visual artist who has found a way to incorporate rust into her work. GUESTS: Esther Solondz:Jonathan Waldman:Rust The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired March 25, 2015. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is the fourth feature film written and directed by Matt Johnson. It is cowritten and scored by Jay McCarrol, and it is an adaptation of and spiritual sequel to the 2017 television series Nirvanna the Band the Show, which is an adaptation of and spiritual sequel to the 2007 web series Nirvana the Band the Show. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie stars Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol as Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol. Here is Neon’s synopsis: “When their plan to book a show at the Rivoli goes horribly wrong, Matt and Jay accidentally travel back to the year 2008. Blah blah blah blah blah.” And: Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere is a Netflix documentary produced and presented by Theroux. It explores how social media figures like HSTikkyTokky, Myron Gaines, Sneako, Justin Waller, and Ed Matthews “are helping to reshape young men’s ideas about masculinity and fueling a resurgent global men’s rights movement.” GUESTS: Shawn Murray:Fantasy FilmballCarolyn Paine:Lindsay Lee Wallace: Music featured (in order): The Waters of MarchBack in TimeIt’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s WorldMacho ManSee You On The RadioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Henry David Thoreau is a bit of a polarizing figure. He has been both celebrated and criticized for his writing. He’s considered an inspirational figure for retreating to the woods, but mocked for his reliance on his mother during that same period. This hour, in celebration of the new PBS documentary about the writer, we look at the life and legacy of Henry David Thoreau, and ask what his example can teach us about who is remembered and celebrated. GUESTS: Laura Dassow Walls: Professor emeritus of English at the University of Notre Dame and the author of Henry David Thoreau: A Life Alex Beam: Author, journalist, and contributor to The Boston Globe Tracy Fullerton: Director of the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California and the designer and director of Walden, A Game The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 27, 2022. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of May 24, 2019, Jennifer Dulos dropped her kids off at New Canaan Country School. And then minutes later, she vanished. Her presumed murder quickly became a national story. This hour, Wall Street Journal columnist Rich Cohen joins us to talk about his book, Murder in the Dollhouse: The Jennifer Dulos Story. Plus: a look at our ongoing obsession with these true crime stories. GUESTS: Rich Cohen: Writer at large at Air Mail and a columnist at The Wall Street Journal; his new book is Murder in the Dollhouse Bethany Usher: A journalist and academic and the author of Journalism and Crime The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 17, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of Americans gathered over the weekend for "No Kings" protests. So this hour, we take a look at kings around the world, from history to the present moment. Plus, why are we so interested in royalty? And, what is the role of the king in chess? GUESTS: Mauro Guillén:The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational SocietyArianne Chernock: The Right to Rule and the Rights of Women: Queen Victoria and the Women’s MovementJenny Adams: Power Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages Music featured (in order): It’s Good To Be KingBrilliant Mistake (King of America)RoyalsKing of NothingHer MajestyOnly a Pawn in their GameSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 surprising and amusing. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to old radio shows, "No Kings" protests, the phrase "Let's go", The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, culverts, Garrison Keillor … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. Music featured (in order): I Don’t UnderstandTrain of ThoughtLight by the WindowAncient LightShaky EyesTell Me A TaleliveI Hate the Way I Look Today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Project Hail Mary is the fifth movie directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It’s written by Drew Goddard and based on the Andy Weir novel. It’s the second movie adapted from a Weir novel, and the second adapted by Goddard, after The Martian. It stars Ryan Gosling as a high school science teacher who’s tasked with … going to space basically alone and saving the world. Project Hail Mary is the No. 1 movie in the world. Its opening last weekend was the biggest of the year so far, and its domestic opening was the second-biggest of Gosling’s career (after Barbie) and the second-biggest ever for a non-franchise movie (after Oppenheimer). And: Saturday Night Live UK is an official international adaptation of regular, old SNL stateside. It, too, premiered last weekend with an episode hosted by (noted non-Brit) Tina Fey. New episodes will appear Sunday nights on Peacock in the U.S. Eight episodes have been ordered, so far. GUESTS: Shawn Murray:Fantasy FilmballIrene Papoulis:Bill Yousman: Music featured (in order): Sign of the TimesStargazerCatch These Fists (Live on SNL UK)See You On The RadioSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.