The Colin McEnroe Show

We come to the end of our week of special coverage with a show about how we imagine extraterrestrial life. What do you picture when you picture extraterrestrial life? Is it like E.T.? Or little green men? Or an alien from Star Trek? This hour is all about how we imagine extraterrestrial life and how those visions are shaped by pop culture. GUESTS: Jaime Green:The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the CosmosDoug Jones:HellboyThe Shape of WaterPan’s LabyrinthStar Trek: Discovery Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. You can find all of our Astronaughty Week shows here. 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. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you follow the show, then you probably know that we’ve had a bogus ban on astronauts for quite some time now. In case you don’t follow the show, let me just explain at the top here that it’s been 2,220 days — more than six years — since an astronaut last appeared on The Colin McEnroe Show. But. The ban is over! We are astronautless no more! And so, this hour — and to celebrate Astronaughty Week — we bring you no fewer than THREE astronauts. We listen back to our (in)famous interviews with legends Buzz Aldrin and Scott Kelly. And then: a brand new interview with a real, live astronaut, former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield. The bogus ban is over! Don’t let Colin tell you any different! If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. It’s free, confidential, and always available — in English and Spanish. GUESTS: Buzz Aldrin:No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the MoonChris Hadfield:The DefectorScott Kelly:Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery 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, Betsy Kaplan, Josh Nilaya, Cat Pastor, Esther Shittu, Audrianna Smith, Evan Sobel, Ashley Taylor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired in a different form May 24, 2016, and November 1, 2017. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we continue our week of special coverage with a show focused on belief, and how we react when we experience things that we think should be impossible. A few years ago, Diana Walsh Pasulka published American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology, which looked at the mechanism of belief in extraterrestrial life, finding that this is becoming a new American religion. Now, she has a new book out, Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences, which looks at our experiences with non-human life forms, including UFOs, dreams, angels, and AI, and how these encounters challenge our assumptions about life. This hour, we talk with Diana Walsh Pasulka about her work. Plus, Yale Professor Carlos Eire joins us to talk about the history of the impossible, including discussions of levitation and bilocation, and how beliefs form. GUESTS: Diana Walsh Pasulka: American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, TechnologyEncounters: Experiences with Nonhuman IntelligencesCarlos Eire: They Flew: A History of The Impossible You can find all of our Astronaughty Week shows here. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, our week of discussions about life in the universe continues as we talk with two prominent astrophysicists about the possibility of life outside of earth. Astrophysicist Adam Frank is part of the team of scientists that is currently using the most advanced technology to search for life on other planets. This hour, we talk with Frank about that work, and what would happen if they find something. Plus, we'll talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the likelihood of life on other planets, and the variety of life here on earth. Neil deGrasse Tyson is presenting “Delusions of Space Enthusiasts” on December 1, 2023 at 8 p.m. at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. GUESTS: Adam Frank: The Little Book of AliensNeil deGrasse Tyson: To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery You can find all of our Astronaughty Week shows here. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States has a long history of UFO sightings and reports, dating all the way back to the 1940s. This hour we talk about that history, and, specifically, how the U.S. government has related to these objects over time with Garrett Graff, author of the new book UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There. GUEST: Garrett GraffUFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out ThereWatergate: A New History You can find all of our Astronaughty Week shows here. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on November 22, 1963. It would be hard to argue that the modern American era, the era that we’re still living in 60 years later, didn’t begin on that Friday afternoon in Dallas. It would be hard to overstate the effect and influence of that event, that act on the American psyche. This hour, a look at the shadow that the JFK assassination still casts over our news and politics, our movies and music, our media and culture. GUESTS: Stephen Battaglio:Los Angeles TimesTimothy Hampton:Bob Dylan: How the Songs WorkSean O’Neal:Texas MonthlyThe A.V. ClubSteve Rose:The GuardianPhilip Shenon:A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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, Joey Morgan, Cat Pastor, Lateshia Peters, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, part of which originally aired in a different form November 22, 2017. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all recognize the big names or fall in love with a brand-new star — but what about that lady who killed it with her one line about the coffee? She's a professional actor, too! On this hour of The Colin McEnroe Show, we learn about the art of the smaller role: how they're cast, how to nail it, and what it's like to have a long resume of one-liners. And don't forget the extras and body-doubles, too! They'll be with us, for just a minute. GUESTS: Jenny Ravitz: Ezra Buzzington: Ghost WorldThe Hills Have EyesBrooklyn 45Vlad Perez: Brooklyn 99MurdervilleFriendsgivingHarriet Dobin: Allie Rivera: 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! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol, Carolyn McCusker, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired May 4, 2023. 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/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour we take your calls about anything you want to talk about. You can reach us at 888-720-9677. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 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, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose has had to work through the occasional civilian who’s stood between eyes and the prize. The Killer is the 12th movie directed by David Fincher and his first credited feature film collaboration with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker since 1995’s Se7en. It’s Fincher’s second movie for Netflix, who describe it this way: “After a fateful near-miss an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.” The Killer stars Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin. And: Albert Brooks: Defending My Life is an HBO documentary directed by Rob Reiner. It chronicles Brooks’s career in comedy, and it’s the first documentary Reiner has ever made (other than This Is Spinal Tap, of course). Some other stuff that happened this week give or take: UCLA Study: Gen Z Wants Less Sex Onscreen, Prefers Platonic Relationships Depicted to Romantic RollercoastersA 2023 study by UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers found that viewers ages 10 to 24 want content more relatable to them.What Comes After Marvel? Better Hope It’s Not Something WorseWith the MCU in its early endgame, many may think that movies can return to “normal.” Think again.Why the Dying DVD Business Could Be Headed for a ResurrectionNetflix and Best Buy said adieu to discs — but with streamers deleting titles to cut costs, could DVDs and Blu-rays mimic the revival of vinyl and CDs?Hungry (but Not for Human Contact), Americans Head for the Drive-ThroughA national fixture is enjoying a fresh surge as post-pandemic customers crave speed and solitude. And restaurants are responding with a raft of innovations.Jared Leto Climbed the Empire State Building to Promote a 30 Seconds to Mars Tour or SomethingActor-singer becomes first person to legally scale the Manhattan landmark in excessive promotional stuntWarner Bros shelves completed $70m Coyote vs Acme movieStudio decides to take $30m tax write-down by not releasing live-action/animation comedy starring John CenaTalking Heads Concert Film ‘Stop Making Sense’ Re-Release Surpasses Initial Box Office RunThe War on Charlie ChaplinHe was one of the world’s most celebrated and beloved stars. Then his adopted country turned against him. GUESTS: Shawn Murray:Nobody Asked ShawnIrene Papoulis:The Essays Only You Can WriteGene Seymour: The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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 Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COVID, by the way, is … still a thing. The new vaccines are here, and people mostly aren’t getting them. The new variants are here, and the people who’re getting COVID are mostly getting them. Just this week, some new data seems to show that getting your COVID and flu shots together isn’t just safe — it might actually be the better thing to do. And it turns out that Paxlovid rebound probably is real and more prevalent than we knew. Oh. And: Picking your nose maybe makes you more susceptible to a COVID infection. The more you know, and all that. GUESTS: Scott Roberts:Mark Siedner: The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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 Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You likely know historian Heather Cox Richardson from her Substack, “Letters from an American,” where she puts the news of the day into historical context. Now Cox Richardson has a new book out, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, where she looks at the crossroads we’re at as a country, how we got here, and where we could go from here. Today we spend the hour with Heather Cox Richardson as she helps us make sense of the latest news and the state of our democracy. GUESTS: Heather Cox Richardson:Letters from an AmericanDemocracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America" Join the conversation onFacebook and Twitter. 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, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, 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/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour: bedtime stories. What can we learn from people who write and tell them? How can we all be more intentional and magical about the last things we think about before sleeping? GUESTS: Faith Adiele:CalmAdam Mansbach:Go the F**k to Sleep The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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, Jonathan McNicol, Dylan Reyes, Catie Talarski, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 3, 2023. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 goes into coordinating them, and the evolution of marching band music and competitions. Plus, a look at the history of halftime. GUESTS: Justin McManus: Dylan Reyes: Colin McEnroe ShowMark Dyreson: Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 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, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, 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/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't turn your nose up at it! This hour, we'll hear a defense of reality TV from some of its most fiery fans. Plus: an exploration into the show taking TV screens by storm, The Golden Bachelor. GUESTS: Danielle Lindemann: "True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us"Kay Brown The BetchelorMireille Silcoff:Andy Dehnart: realityblurred.comCat Pastor: Join the conversation onFacebook andTwitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s be honest, sometimes we all just read the headline of a story, and nothing more. After all, who has time to read every article? Headlines help us decide what to click on, and give us a sense of what’s going on in the world. But often the headline tells only a very small part of the story, or even the wrong story. This hour we talk about the art of the headline. We'll look at why headlines matter, and celebrate some of the best examples. GUESTS: Tom Jones: PoynterZizi Papacharissi: Trump and The MediaAfter Democracy: Imagining Our Political FutureScott Dikkers:The Onion How to Write Funny Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 the move away from cash change how we think about our money? This hour, we look at our changing attitudes towards money, and what we gain and lose as we use less cash. Plus, we'll look at the history and future of ATMs. GUESTS: Jay Zagorsky: Ursula Dalinghaus: Bernardo Batiz-Lazo: Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 watch television, and how we use other devices in our homes? This hour we look at the history and the impact of the remote control, and discuss what the remote control of the future will look like. And we'll take a look at buttons, and how they shape our interactions with the technology in our lives. GUESTS: Caetlin Benson-Allott: Remote ControlRachel Plotnick: Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic and the Politics of Pushing Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 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, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to Facebook scams, running, Multivac, local elections … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Now and Then” is the first Beatles single of any kind in more than 27 years, and it may well be their last. It was released Thursday. “Now and Then” was originally written and recorded by John Lennon circa 1977. Using machine learning technology developed for the Get Back documentary, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were able to isolate Lennon’s vocals, record new instrumentation and vocals, and combine all of that with vocals and guitar parts recorded by George Harrison in 1995. “Now and Then” is the lead single off new editions of the so-called Red and Blue Albums, which come out November 10. And: Killers of the Flower Moon is the 26th scripted feature film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is written by Eric Roth and Scorsese and based on the book by David Grann. It is Scorsese’s 10th feature film collaboration with Robert De Niro and his sixth with Leonardo DiCaprio. Killers of the Flower Moon is also the second-longest Scorsese movie at 206 minutes. He has now made two 200-minute pictures in a row. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Hall of Fame basketball coach Bobby Knight has died at 83‘Sarcasm’: The Sort of Wit That Defined Matthew Perry’s Career Has Ancient RootsThe actor’s trademark form of humor takes its name from Latin words for cutting into fleshTaylor Tomlinson Named Host of CBS’ ‘After Midnight,’ From Stephen ColbertDisney Says It Will Take Full Control of HuluThe company will pay at least $8.61 billion to Comcast, which owned a 33 percent stake of the popular streaming service.HBO Bosses Used ‘Secret’ Fake Accounts to Troll TV CriticsCasey Bloys ordered staffers to create fake accounts to fire back at critics, according to text conversations reviewed by as part of a new lawsuitGet shorty! Why everyone needs to stop complaining about long filmsIt’s become voguish to sing the praises of 90-minute movies and bite-sized books and plays, writes Louis Chilton. With a run-time of almost four hours, Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ isn’t ‘too long’ — it’s part of an art form, from George Eliot to Bruce Springsteen, that demands patience and persistenceIt’s Time To Bring Back the Movie IntermissionBros Are Coming for BookTok. These TikTokers Aren’t Having It“If you’ve ever had a pea coat-wearing liberal arts student talk at you about the genius that is David Foster Wallace then you’d call Infinite Jest bro-lit too”Marvel Needs to Make ‘Less Films’ and Bad VFX Has ‘F—ed Up Everything,’ Says Matthew Vaughn: ‘Maybe We Need a Little Bit of Time Off’ From Superhero Films‘The Right Stuff’ at 40: Director Philip Kaufman on chasing demons in the sky to make a true American classicThe esteemed filmmaker recalls casting and shooting ‘The Right Stuff’ to celebrate its 40th anniversary.The Many Lives of Tomato PieIt may look a little different across cities in the Northeast, but this Italian American staple is always an exercise in restraint.Crisis at Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, ‘The Marvels’ Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers and More Issues Revealed GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine:James Hanley:Irene Papoulis:The Essays Only You Can Write The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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 Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"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 what can our footsteps tell us about ourselves and the world? GUESTS: Jeff Speck: “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time”Liam Satchell: Dr. I-Min Lee: Join the conversation onFacebook andTwitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, 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. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.