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Gone are the days when we’d browse a local store if we needed a new air purifier or oven mitt. Now, many people don’t dare make a purchase without first Googling “best kitchen mixer” and browsing lists of top-tens on recommendation sites.

How did these sites come to dominate our shopping carts? And if you’re not a fan of that humidifier you got off a top-ten list, are there other ways to shop?

GUESTS:
Inger Stole is a professor emerita at the University of Illinois
Michael Zhao was the first employee and a former deputy editor at Wirecutter
Mark Frauenfelder is a co-editor of Recomendo

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Gone are the days when we’d browse a local store if we needed a new air purifier or oven mitt. Now, many people don’t dare make a purchase without first Googling “best kitchen mixer” and browsing lists of top-tens on recommendation sites.
How did these sites come to dominate our shopping carts? And if you’re not a fan of that humidifier you got off a top-ten list, are there other ways to shop?
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Inger Stole is a professor emerita at the University of Illinois</li>
<li>Michael Zhao was the first employee and a former deputy editor at Wirecutter</li>
<li>Mark Frauenfelder is a co-editor of <a href="https://www.recomendo.com/">Recomendo</a></li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

From Consumer Reports to Wirecutter, recommendation sites are ruling our shopping habits

The Sheep Detectives is a live-action talking animals cozy murder mystery comedy directed by Kyla Balda, whose previous movie credits are pretty much exclusively about animation. It’s based on a German-language novel, Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann. As a PG-rated murder mystery, it’s maybe doing surprisingly well at the box office.

And: Marty, Life Is Short is a Netflix celebrity documentary about the life and work of Martin Short. It’s directed by Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark and wrote and directed Body Heat, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and more). It includes new interviews with Short, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Steven Spielberg, and more.

GUESTS:
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
Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College
Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University

The Sheep Detectives&nbsp;is a live-action talking animals cozy murder mystery comedy directed by Kyla Balda, whose previous movie credits are pretty much exclusively about animation. It&rsquo;s based on a German-language novel,&nbsp;Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann. As a PG-rated murder mystery, it&rsquo;s maybe doing surprisingly well at the box office.
And:&nbsp;Marty, Life Is Short&nbsp;is a Netflix celebrity documentary about the life and work of Martin Short. It&rsquo;s directed by Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote&nbsp;The Empire Strikes Back&nbsp;and&nbsp;Raiders of the Lost Ark&nbsp;and wrote and directed&nbsp;Body Heat,&nbsp;The Big Chill,&nbsp;The Accidental Tourist, and more). It includes new interviews with Short, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Catherine O&rsquo;Hara, Steven Spielberg, and more.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Carolyn Paine:&nbsp;An actress and comedian, she&rsquo;s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell&rsquo;s Digital Institute</li>
<li>Irene Papoulis:&nbsp;Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College</li>
<li>Bill Yousman:&nbsp;Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University</li>
</ul>

The Nose looks at ‘The Sheep Detectives’ and ‘Marty, Life Is Short’

Billboard

Stephen Colbert’s nearly-11-year run on The Late Show comes to an end tonight. And The Late Show’s nearly-33-year run on CBS comes to an end tonight, too.

This hour, as the late-night TV landscape rejiggers itself, a look at the state and future of late-night comedy.

Plus: A look at the FCC’s crusade against ABC (and, seemingly, Jimmy Kimmel). And: the banal horror of Jimmy Fallon.

GUESTS:
Eric Deggans: Critic-at-large at NPR, and he writes the Switching Codes Substack
Jon Greenaway: A writer and podcaster and the author of Capitalism: A Horror Story — Gothic Marxism and the Dark Side of the Radical Imagination
Jason Zinoman: Critic at large for the culture section of The New York Times, where he writes the On Comedy column

Music featured (in order):
Lost in a Wonderland – SNL Band
The Party’s Over – Nat King Cole
Colbert – Pivot Gang
ABC – Jackson 5
The FCC Song (from “Family Guy”) – Cast – Family Guy
Only A Fool Would Say That – Steely Dan

Stephen Colbert&rsquo;s nearly-11-year run on&nbsp;The Late Show&nbsp;comes to an end tonight. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/arts/television/stephen-colbert-the-late-show-carson-letterman-leno.html">The Late Show&rsquo;s nearly-33-year run on CBS comes to an end</a>&nbsp;tonight, too.
This hour, as the late-night TV landscape rejiggers itself, a look at the state and future of late-night comedy.
Plus: A look at the FCC&rsquo;s crusade against ABC (<a href="https://ericdeggans.substack.com/p/the-fcc-disney-and-kimmel-why-the">and, seemingly, Jimmy Kimmel</a>). And:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-banal-horror-of-jimmy-fallon">the banal horror of Jimmy Fallon</a>.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Eric Deggans:&nbsp;Critic-at-large at NPR, and he writes the&nbsp;<a href="https://ericdeggans.substack.com/">Switching Codes</a>&nbsp;Substack</li>
<li>Jon Greenaway:&nbsp;A writer and podcaster and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740011/capitalism-a-horror-story-by-jon-greenaway/">Capitalism: A Horror Story &mdash; Gothic Marxism and the Dark Side of the Radical Imagination</a></li>
<li>Jason Zinoman:&nbsp;Critic at large for the culture section of&nbsp;The New York Times, where he writes the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/on-comedy">On Comedy</a>&nbsp;column</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/NwJz49IJgcE">Lost in a Wonderland</a>&nbsp;&ndash; SNL Band</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/l12iPj-TQrM">The Party&rsquo;s Over</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Nat King Cole</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/EfePuh4kOvc">Colbert</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Pivot Gang</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/0NiqMUlaXFA">ABC</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Jackson 5</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/_ru0VHLumdI">The FCC Song</a>&nbsp;(from &ldquo;Family Guy&rdquo;) &ndash; Cast &ndash; Family Guy</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvz0TOm0zgI">Only A Fool Would Say That</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Steely Dan</li>
</ul>

As ‘The Late Show’ ends, a look at the state of late-night comedy

Do we really need politicians? What would our politics look like without them? These are some of the ideas that Yale political scientist Hélène Landemore explores in her work, including in the Connecticut Citizens’ Assembly, taking place this summer. Landemore joins us for the hour.

GUEST:
Hélène Landemore: Professor of Political Science at Yale University. Her new book is Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule

Music featured (in order):
Hands Across The Sea – John Philip Sousa as performed by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band
Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Stevie Wonder
People Have the Power – Patti Smith
Democracy – Leonard Cohen
Love Is Sweeping the Country – Chris Connor
Of Thee I Sing – Ella Fitzgerald

Do we really need politicians? What would our politics look like without them? These are some of the ideas that Yale political scientist H&eacute;l&egrave;ne Landemore explores in her work, including in the&nbsp;<a href="https://ct-citizens-assembly.org/">Connecticut Citizens&rsquo; Assembly</a>, taking place this summer. Landemore joins us for the hour.
GUEST:
<ul>
<li>H&eacute;l&egrave;ne Landemore:&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at Yale University. Her new book is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/730879/politics-without-politicians-by-helene-landemore/">Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule</a></li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4x3LFlnfcg">Hands Across The Sea</a>&nbsp;&ndash; John Philip Sousa as performed by &ldquo;The President&rsquo;s Own&rdquo; United States Marine Band</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FWvHBodfoU">Can We Fix Our Nation&rsquo;s Broken Heart</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Stevie Wonder</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPR-HyGj2d0">People Have the Power</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Patti Smith</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y">Democracy</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Leonard Cohen</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYJ5Hhdmhs8">Love Is Sweeping the Country</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Chris Connor</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_hMdCzecDE">Of Thee I Sing</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Ella Fitzgerald</li>
</ul>

From Consumer Reports to Wirecutter, recommendation sites are ruling our shopping habits

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