You know all the reasons Trump won, right?

Economic anxiety. Racial anxiety. The forgotten working class. The forgotten rustbelt...

But what if the real cause were something much simpler and much more pervasive: our popular culture.

This hour, a conversation with Peter Biskind, the author of The Sky Is Falling: How Vampires, Zombies, Androids, and Superheroes Made America Great for Extremism.

You know all the reasons Trump won, right?
<a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2016/11/10/elections/economic-anxiety-key-some-trump-voters" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.marketplace.org/2016/11/10/elections/economic-anxiety-key-some-trump-voters">Economic anxiety</a>. <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/16/17980820/trump-obama-2016-race-racism-class-economy-2018-midterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/16/17980820/trump-obama-2016-race-racism-class-economy-2018-midterm">Racial anxiety</a>. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html">The forgotten working class</a>. <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/how-rust-belt-delivered-trump-presidency-deep-dive-522091" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.newsweek.com/how-rust-belt-delivered-trump-presidency-deep-dive-522091">The forgotten rustbelt</a>...
But what if the real cause were something much simpler and much more pervasive: our popular culture.
This hour, a conversation with Peter Biskind, the author of <a href="https://thenewpress.com/books/sky-falling" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://thenewpress.com/books/sky-falling">The Sky Is Falling: How Vampires, Zombies, Androids, and Superheroes Made America Great for Extremism</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

How Vampires, Zombies, Androids, And Superheroes Made America Great For Extremism

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 vultures and sky burials, President Trump’s post about Rob Reiner’s death, our show with Paul Winter, Colin as chicken salad, the multiverse … 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):
Hayloft – Mother Mother
Hypotheticals – Lake Street Dive
Vivid Light – Blood Orange
Christmas Eve Can Kill You – Andy Shauf, Madi Diz
Possibilities – Jen Allen
Anywhere – Ratboys
The Telephone Call – Kraftwerk

You can now watch our calls shows on Connecticut Public’s YouTube. Subscribe and get notified when we go live. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

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.

Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

We&rsquo;ve been doing these shows where we don&rsquo;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 vultures and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial">sky burials</a>, President Trump&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/us/politics/trump-rob-reiner.html">post about Rob Reiner&rsquo;s death</a>, <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2025-11-21/a-paul-winters-tale">our show with Paul Winter</a>, Colin as chicken salad, <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2021-07-22/the-multiplicity-of-the-multiverse">the multiverse</a> &hellip; 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):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LvAiJYKoSM">Hayloft</a> &ndash; Mother Mother</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWFaKidyD70">Hypotheticals</a> &ndash; Lake Street Dive</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwJm1DgN2lI">Vivid Light</a> &ndash; Blood Orange</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE-cAW7qQW4">Christmas Eve Can Kill You</a> &ndash; Andy Shauf, Madi Diz</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuJ49gq2ImE">Possibilities</a> &ndash; Jen Allen</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYUMoL9FrIA">Anywhere</a> &ndash; Ratboys</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYhQVrXBgxU">The Telephone Call</a> &ndash; Kraftwerk</li>
</ul>
You can now watch our calls shows on&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/live/aXVhw32HnJY">Connecticut Public&rsquo;s YouTube</a>. Subscribe and get notified when we go live. Or join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

All calls: Vultures tend not to eat Episcopalians

Josh O’Connor is having a bit of a moment. He’s been in four movies this year. On December 12, two of them became available to watch at home, including the biggest movie of his career so far, the new Knives Out mystery, Wake Up Dead Man. On December 13, O’Connor hosted Saturday Night Live. On December 16, the first trailer dropped for the soon-to-be biggest movie of his career so far, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day.

Not too bad.

So The Nose is looking at the other new Josh O’Connor movie from last week: The Mastermind, written, directed, and edited by Kelly Reichardt. It’s a slow-cinema kind of heist movie set in 1970 and also starring Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffman, and Bill Camp.

And: Sorry, Baby is a black comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Eva Victor. According to A24’s logline, “Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on … for everyone around her, at least.” Eva Victor, who plays Agnes, is nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama.

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
Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College
Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about

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, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.

Josh O&rsquo;Connor is having a bit of a moment. He&rsquo;s been in four movies this year. On December 12, two of them became available to watch at home, including the biggest movie of his career so far, the new <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/arts-and-culture/2020-02-28/the-nose-has-a-regurgitative-reaction-to-mistruthin">Knives Out</a> mystery, Wake Up Dead Man. On December 13, O&rsquo;Connor hosted Saturday Night Live. On December 16, the first trailer dropped for the soon-to-be biggest movie of his career so far, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EKWEnllc_Y">Steven Spielberg&rsquo;s Disclosure Day</a>.
Not too bad.
So The Nose is looking at the other new Josh O&rsquo;Connor movie from last week: The Mastermind, written, directed, and edited by <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2023-07-21/the-nose-looks-at-showing-up-and-the-whale">Kelly Reichardt</a>. It&rsquo;s a slow-cinema kind of heist movie set in 1970 and also starring Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffman, and Bill Camp.
And: Sorry, Baby is a black comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Eva Victor. According to A24&rsquo;s logline, &ldquo;Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on &hellip; for everyone around her, at least.&rdquo; Eva Victor, who plays Agnes, is nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture &mdash; Drama.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmballpodcast</li>
<li>Carolyn Paine: 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: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College</li>
<li>Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.
Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/donate">Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today</a>.

The Nose looks at ‘The Mastermind’ and ‘Sorry, Baby’

This hour we talk about the history of the Second Red Scare, a period also known as McCarthyism.

We learn about why the Scare took off in the United States, its impact, and how it eventually fizzled out. Plus, we look at the parallels and throughlines between that time period and our current moment.

And, a look at how the Second Red Scare impacted Hollywood, and how it, in turn, was reflected back through the movies.

GUESTS: 


Clay Risen: Reporter and editor at The New York Times and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America


Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post’s senior film critic; she is the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies

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, 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, which originally aired on April 15, 2025.

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.

This hour we talk about the history of the Second Red Scare, a period also known as McCarthyism.
We learn about why the Scare took off in the United States, its impact, and how it eventually fizzled out. Plus, we look at the parallels and throughlines between that time period and our current moment.
And, a look at how the Second Red Scare impacted Hollywood, and how it, in turn, was reflected back through the movies.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Clay Risen: Reporter and editor at The New York Times and the author of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Red-Scare/Clay-Risen/9781982141806">Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America</a>
</li>
<li>
Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post&rsquo;s senior film critic; she is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Pictures-How-Watch-Movies/dp/0465094236">Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies</a>
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, 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 <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 15, 2025.
Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/donate">ctpublic.org/donate</a>.

How Vampires, Zombies, Androids, And Superheroes Made America Great For Extremism

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