The Only Show That Really Matters
Sentenced to driving a car for a crime I did not commit, I have turned to the radio for solace. There's not much soloce out there. But I have re-discovered one show, on KALW every day, which is unbelievably good. It's "This American Life" (I know, I'm always the last to know, but better late than never), and while Terry Gross is slapping Kevin Bacon's ass and commiserating with some rock star about his rehab, these folks are doing real radio features about things that matter.
Their Iraq stuff is better than anyone else's. One show interviews a Boston cop training Iraqi police officers. One show is a debate between James Fallows and Richard Pearle. In others they interview soldiers about the fight in Fallujah, talk to crazy civilian contractors (is there any other kind?), a comedian just back from an entertainment tour of duty. It kind of reminds you of what they used to call radio news...what was that? Oh yes, journalism.
They're very sly, and unlike all other American media, they're as interested in failure and compassion as in success and hero-worship.
They've done hundreds of shows - I'm going through the archive one-by-one.
posted by Anonymous at 11:05 PM
2 Comments:
With all the schadenfreude going around, I suggest you ask the Laird to do his imitation of This American Life, where they have done more than their share of commiserating with rock stars about rehab.
Nonetheless, it's a pretty good show. I'm just annoyed when they do art - they only interview visual artists when they do conceptual performance, audio and/ or date This American Life producers.
Perhaps we should revisit the issue of which producer/procurer we should date.
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