The word "like" has been around for centuries, but it reached a new cultural prominence in the 1980s, partially thanks to Frank Zappa's song "Valley Girl." Since then, "like" has taken on a life of its own, inspiring strong emotions. This hour, we look at the meaning and evolution of "like." Plus, how movies like the now 30-year-old Clueless have impacted our language.

GUESTS:
Megan C. Reynolds: An editor at Dwell and author of Like: A History of the English Language’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word
Kory Stamper: Lexicographer and author of Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
Veronica Litt: English Professor and author of Ugh! As If!: Clueless

The word "like" has been around for centuries, but it reached a new cultural prominence in the 1980s, partially thanks to Frank Zappa's song "Valley Girl." Since then, "like" has taken on a life of its own, inspiring strong emotions. This hour, we look at the meaning and evolution of "like." Plus, how movies like the now 30-year-old&nbsp;Clueless&nbsp;have impacted our language.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Megan C. Reynolds:&nbsp;An editor at&nbsp;Dwell&nbsp;and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/like-megan-c-reynolds?variant=43182606647330">Like: A History of the English Language&rsquo;s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word</a></li>
<li>Kory Stamper:&nbsp;Lexicographer and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/530504/word-by-word-by-kory-stamper/">Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries</a></li>
<li>Veronica Litt:&nbsp;English Professor and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://ecwpress.com/products/ugh-as-if">Ugh! As If!: Clueless</a></li>
</ul>

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

Why does "like" bother us so much?

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman premiered in 1949. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. It’s been said that it’s “probably the most successful modern play ever published.”

This hour, with a new Broadway revival in previews, and with Peter Jacobson playing the title role in a new production at Hartford Stage, a look at Arthur Miller’s masterpiece of American drama, Death of a Salesman.

GUESTS:
Melia Bensussen: Artistic director at Hartford Stage and the director of their current production of Death of a Salesman
Peter Jacobson: An actor; he’s playing Willy Loman in Hartford Stage’s current production of Death of a Salesman
Stephen Marino: Founding editor of The Arthur Miller Journal and the author, most recently, of Arthur Miller’s New York: Visions of the City

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 Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show.

Arthur Miller&rsquo;s Death of a Salesman premiered in 1949. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. It&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/01/25/making-willy-loman">been said</a> that it&rsquo;s &ldquo;probably the most successful modern play ever published.&rdquo;
This hour, with a new Broadway revival in previews, and with Peter Jacobson playing the title role in <a href="https://www.hartfordstage.org/death-of-a-salesman">a new production at Hartford Stage</a>, a look at Arthur Miller&rsquo;s masterpiece of American drama, Death of a Salesman.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Melia Bensussen: Artistic director at Hartford Stage and the director of their current production of Death of a Salesman</li>
<li>Peter Jacobson: An actor; he&rsquo;s playing Willy Loman in Hartford Stage&rsquo;s current production of Death of a Salesman</li>
<li>Stephen Marino: Founding editor of The Arthur Miller Journal and the author, most recently, of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/arthur-millers-new-york-9781350524750/">Arthur Miller&rsquo;s New York: Visions of the City</a></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 Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show.

Attention must be paid: A look at ‘Death of a Salesman’

How does reality television shape our politics and our opinions? This hour two reality TV scholars join us to discuss how reality TV helps us understand (or sometimes misunderstand) actual reality.

GUESTS: 


Danielle Lindemann: Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University and a Visiting Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton University. She is also the author of the book True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us.


Eunji Kim: Assistant Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and Faculty Affiliate at the Data Science Institute. Her new book is The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy.

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 July 24, 2025.

How does reality television shape our politics and our opinions? This hour two reality TV scholars join us to discuss how reality TV helps us understand (or sometimes misunderstand) actual reality.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Danielle Lindemann: Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University and a Visiting Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton University. She is also the author of the book <a href="https://daniellelindemann.com/commuter-spouses/">True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us</a>.
</li>
<li>
Eunji Kim: Assistant Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and Faculty Affiliate at the Data Science Institute. Her new book is <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9780691267234/the-american-mirage-pdf">The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy</a>.
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<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&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!
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 24, 2025.

How reality TV shapes our politics

Billboard

A - The unique neighbor relationship

B - How neighbors help during times of crisis

C - Mr. Rogers

Do you know your neighbors? This hour, we take a look at the role of our neighbors in our lives. We explore the psychological and social benefits of neighbors, hear listener stories, and discuss the role of neighbors in times of crisis. Plus, a look at "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and how he thought about neighbors and community building.

GUESTS:
Julie Beck: Staff writer at The Atlantic and the creator of “The Friendship Files.”
Tricia Wachtendorf: Director of the Disaster Research Center and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Delaware. She is also co-author of American Dunkirk: The Waterborne Evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11
Daniel Cueto-Villalobos: Sociologist and doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota
Maxwell King: Author of The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers. His forthcoming book is Fire in the Night Sky: The Steel Mill Paintings of Aaron Gorson

Music featured (in order):
Then Your Heart is Full of Love – Johnny Costa
Neighbors – Lucius
The People Next Door – Ray Parker Jr.
Rescue Me – Fontella Bass
No One Is Alone – Into the Woods 2022 Broadway Cast
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Fred Rogers, Johnny Costa
from ep. 1765 “Mister Rogers Celebrates the Arts”
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Benny Benack III

Do you know your neighbors? This hour, we take a look at the role of our neighbors in our lives. We explore the psychological and social benefits of neighbors, hear listener stories, and discuss the role of neighbors in times of crisis. Plus, a look at "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and how he thought about neighbors and community building.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Julie Beck:&nbsp;Staff writer at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/julie-beck/">The Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and the creator of &ldquo;The Friendship Files.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Tricia Wachtendorf:&nbsp;Director of the Disaster Research Center and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Delaware. She is also co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1cc2mvh">American Dunkirk: The Waterborne Evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11</a></li>
<li>Daniel Cueto-Villalobos:&nbsp;Sociologist and doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota</li>
<li>Maxwell King:&nbsp;Author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38656999-the-good-neighbor">The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers</a>. His forthcoming book is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fire-in-the-Night-Sky/Maxwell-King/9781493092291">Fire in the Night Sky: The Steel Mill Paintings of Aaron Gorson</a></li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/lmZotQlGh3M">Then Your Heart is Full of Love</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Johnny Costa</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0nvAxIn69U">Neighbors</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Lucius</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YojeD-1OOkM">The People Next Door</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Ray Parker Jr.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idXeg1iUw5I">Rescue Me</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Fontella Bass</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYJKGbT4tX0">No One Is Alone</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Into the Woods 2022 Broadway Cast</li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/ipoy143season31/1765.mp4">Won&rsquo;t You Be My Neighbor?</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Fred Rogers, Johnny Costa from ep. 1765 &ldquo;Mister Rogers Celebrates the Arts&rdquo;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJgL18NKHy0">Won&rsquo;t You Be My Neighbor?</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Benny Benack III</li>
</ul>

Why does "like" bother us so much?

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