The Colin McEnroe Show

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: Professor Emeritus of English at James Madison University and co-author of Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy Virginia Heffernan: Writes a regular column for The New Republic and the Substack “Magic + Loss.” She is co-host of the podcast “Omnishambles” Malihe Alikhani: Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and a resident Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution with a focus on AI policy Music featured (in order): Overture to Rigoletto – Giuseppi Verdi, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmoniker I Believe in You – Peggy Lee Don’t Cry – Seal You Fascinate Me So – Mabel Mercer What You Want To Hear – Sub-Radio Flattery – Rosemary Clooney, Jose Ferrer Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee 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 Song – Gregory Alan Isakov In the Sea – Alyssa Allgood Doctrine of Love – Jalen Ngonda Mutual – PJ Morton Happier Times Ahead. – RAYE Flying Things – Tyler Ramsey, Carl Broemel (ft. the Secret Sisters) When the Flowers Started – Caity Gyorgy Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee 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: A Rhode Island-based visual artist Jonathan Waldman: Author of 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/donateSee 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: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmballpodcast Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about Music featured (in order): The Waters of March – Susannah McCorkle Back in Time – Huey Lewis and The News It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World – Seal Macho Man – The Village People See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh 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/donateSee 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/donateSee 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/donateSee 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: Vice Dean of Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives. He is the author of books including The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society. He has been named a Commander of the Royal Order of Civil Merit by King Felipe VI of Spain Arianne Chernock: Professor in the Department of History and Associate Dean of the Faculty for the Social Sciences at Boston University. She is the author of books including The Right to Rule and the Rights of Women: Queen Victoria and the Women’s Movement Jenny Adams: Professor and Department Chair of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is the author of books including Power Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages Music featured (in order): It’s Good To Be King – Tom Petty Brilliant Mistake (King of America) – Elvis Costello Royals – Lorde King of Nothing – Seals and Crofts Her Majesty – The Beatles Only a Pawn in their Game – Bob Dylan Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee 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 Understand – MT Jones Train of Thought – Olive Klug Light by the Window – Elmiene, Raphael Saddiq Ancient Light – I’m With Her Shaky Eyes – Hiss Golden Messenger Tell Me A Tale – Michael Kiwanuka (also live) I Hate the Way I Look Today. – RAYE Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee 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: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Music featured (in order): Sign of the Times – Harry Styles Stargazer – Neil Diamond Catch These Fists (Live on SNL UK) – Wet Leg See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would it mean if nothing matters? This hour, a look at the philosophy of nihilism, and how it shows up online and in children's books. GUESTS: Nolen Gertz: Associate Professor of Applied Philosophy at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. He is author of books including Nihilism and Nihilism and Technology Charlie Warzel: Staff writer at The Atlantic and the host of its technology podcast, "Galaxy Brain" Jon Klassen: Author and illustrator of books including I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, The Rock From The Sky, and The Skull Music featured (in order): Caring is Creepy – The Shins I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ – Shirley Horn Nothing from Nothing – Billy Preston Battle of Who Could Care Less – Ben Folds Five Hurt – Johnny Cash Nothing – A Chorus Line Broadway cast Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we look at the spread of measles in the United States. And we talk to health and science communicators who are working to tell the story of that disease in new ways. GUESTS: Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo: Director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown School of Public Health, and a Professor of Epidemiology Brinda Adhikari: Award-winning executive producer, showrunner and journalist, who is Co-Host of the "Why Should I Trust You?" podcast Teri Mills: Retired nurse educator, grandmother, and Board member and Vice President of Media for Grandparents for Vaccines Music featured (in order): Sickness – runo plum Contagious – Ani DiFranco Cat’s Got the Measles – The New Lost City Ramblers Catch My Disease – Ben Lee Soul Vaccination – Tower of Power Grandma’s Hands – Bill Withers Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ringo Starr. Charlie Watts. John Bonham. Hal Blaine. Moe Tucker. Dave Grohl. Lars Ulrich. Meg White. Tony Thompson. Questlove. Karen Carpenter. Sam Lay. The list goes on. This hour, a look at the backbone (and the backbeat) of rock and roll: the drummer. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers John Lingan: The author, most recently, of Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers Molly Sayles: A percussionist and music educator and the Official Drummer of 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! 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, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee 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 the Iran war, what to do with the old stuff of deceased parents, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gov. Lowell Weicker, our Mary show, whether or not you can tell time by a cat’s eye … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. Music featured (in order): Can I Believe You – Fleet Foxes Joy Spring – Karrin Allyson I’m In Trouble – Alessia Cara, Norah Jones A Brother (Just Like You) – Nnenna Freelon Both Can Be True – Trousdale Anyone in Love – Jalen Ngonda June It’s Gonna Happen – Rumer 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, Eugene Amatruda, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josephine Riesman, author of Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, argues that understanding WWE can help us understand President Donald Trump and his politics. This hour, we learn about WWE and its impact on Trump, and discuss the experience and appeal of watching wrestling. GUESTS:  Josephine Riesman: Author of Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America Tim Kail: Creator of “The Work of Wrestling” website and podcast. He is also the host and producer of “The Sarah Lawrence College Podcast” 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, Meg Dalton, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on March 7, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we begin to understand the full economic, human, and environmental impacts of war? This hour we talk with someone who is doing that math. Plus, a look at the opportunity costs of spending on war. And, the costs of The American Revolution. GUESTS: Neta Crawford: Professor of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor at The Costs of War Project. She is also author of books including The Pentagon, Climate Change, and War: Charting the Rise and Fall of U.S. Military Emissions   Joseph Ellis: Author of fourteen books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, and National Book Award winning American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson. His newest book is The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding Music featured (in order): The World Is A Ghetto – War Loose Ends – Sergio Mendes, Justin Timberlake, Pharoahe Monch The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar – Bob Dylan When the War Came – The Decemberists Hiway 9 – Eliza Gilkyson Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) – Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March Madness is here! And so the only logical thing is to get improv comedian Julia Pistell and the actual Bill Curry together to talk basketball for an hour on the radio. For the 16th* time. That may not be the only logical thing to do. It may be that that’s not a logical thing to do at all. But we’re doing it anyway. *It’s our 16th one of these, unless it isn’t. Our story is that we’ve done this every year since 2010 except for 2020 — which is to say, every year our show has been on that there actually was a March Madness tourney. And we’re pretty sure our story is true. One of those years, the show was actually about birds. But so what? GUESTS: Bill Curry: Playing the part of Bill Curry Mike Pesca: Hosts the independent daily podcast The Gist Julia Pistell: A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, among a number of other things Elizabeth Davis: The 12th president of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina Music featured (in order): D-Code – Dust Devil This Happy Madness – Frank Sinatra (ft. Antônio Carlos Jobim) I Wish I Could Go Back To College – Avenue Q The Paladins Song – Furman University Fight Song Ballad of Paladin – Johnny Western I Wish (Radio Edit) – Skee-Lo Basketball – Kurtis Blow 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/donateSee 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. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to America 250, Oasis, bird songs, the SAVE Act, Trump, natural lawns … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. Music Featured (in order): bite my tongue – wiltwon’t make it out alive – Nicole Zuraitis, Larry Goldings Just Say You Want Me – Lo Steele Teach Me Tonight – Ledisi I Do, I Do – Dua Saleh Penny In The Lake – Ratboys We Made It – Sammy Rae and the Friends ft. CELISSE Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 98th Academy Awards were Sunday night. KPop Demon Hunters swept its two nominations. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein cleaned up in the craft categories and won three awards. But the big question going into the night was what would win the big awards. Would it be Sinners, with its record-setting 16 nominations, or the seemingly inevitable One Battle After Another? Inevitability won out. One Battle After Another won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson. This hour, The Nose reacts to the Oscars — the awards themselves, the ceremony as television, the fashion, the memes, Conan O’Brien’s turn as host — the whole thing. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Vivian Nabeta: Director of digital marketing for Connecticut State Community College Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek Music featured (in order): There’s No Business Like Show Business – The Original Movie Orchestra Peg – Steely Dan Everything’s Come Up Roses – The Replacements I Lied to You (Live at the Oscars) – Miles Canton, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Golden (Live at the Oscars) – EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand (but the original proper version) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Pesca is one of our very favorite guests — on any number of topics. His book, Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History, is a whole series of earth-shattering, hypothetical, what-if questions (and posited answers to said earth-shattering, hypothetical, what-if questions): What if a blimp full of money had exploded over world track headquarters in 1952? What if Nixon had been good at football? What if Bobby Fischer had received proper psychiatric help? What if the Dodgers hadn’t left Brooklyn? What if basketball rims were smaller than basketballs? What if the 1999 U.S. women’s national soccer team had lost the Women’s World Cup? And yes: What if the Olympics had never dropped tug of war? It goes on and on. Pesca joins us for the hour. GUESTS: Will Leitch: Contributing editor at New York magazine, founder of Deadspin, and a whole bunch of other things Mike Pesca: Host of The Gist and the author of Upon Further Review Louisa Thomas: Staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams 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, Carlos Mejia, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired June 7, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration’s messaging around the war with Iran feels reminiscent of stuff like … cowboy movies. And video games. And the manosphere. This hour, a look at the rhetoric around the war and where it’s all coming from. GUESTS: Casey Ryan Kelly: Professor of Rhetoric and Public Culture in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Speech, and author of books including Manifesting Violence: White Terrorism, Digital Culture, and the Rhetoric of Replacement Jonathan Guyer: Program Director at the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group, and a reporter and editor focused on foreign policy, national security, and the Middle East. He is host of the podcast “None of the Above” Roger Stahl: Author and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. He is director of the documentary Theaters of War Music featured (in order): “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo – Aaron Copland, NYO-USA, Michael Tilson Thomas You Should Have Seen the Other Guy – Nathaniel Rateliff Under My Thumb – Rolling Stones Son of Your Father – Elton John Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other – Orville Peck and Willie Nelson I Am a Rock – Simon and Garfunkel Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.