Friday, March 26, 2004
Summary Judgment: Jersey Girl, The Ladykillers, Dogville
Ben Williams summarizes what the critics are saying about this weekend’s new movie releases, including Jersey Girl, The Ladykillers, and the controversial limited-release film Dogville. Listen to the segment.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Ad Report Card: The New Brawny Man
Seth Stevenson critiques the ad campaign promoting the new, more sensitive “Brawny Man,” the character featured on packages of Brawny brand paper towels. Listen to the segment.
Chatterbox: The GOP’s Medicare Bribery Scandal
Timothy Noah issues a call for honesty from those involved in an escalating Capitol Hill scandal. Congressman Nick Smith, a Michigan Republican, alleged—then denied—that his party leadership tried to bribe him to secure his vote on the GOP’s Medicare bill. Listen to the segment.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Dispatches: An Empowering Girls Gone Wild
NPR’s Madeleine Brand talks to Ariel Levy about her time observing a taping of Girls Gone Wild, the voyeuristic party video series. Levy says many of the girls who bare their breasts for the video—and sometimes much more—view their actions as self-empowerment. Listen to the segment.
Supreme Court Dispatches: The Pledge Goes on Trial
NPR’s Alex Chadwick talks with Dahlia Lithwick from the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., where justices will hear arguments against including the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Listen to the segment.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Brave New World: Creating a Spotless Mind
Steven Johnson discusses how the memory-erasing technique depicted in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind might someday become reality. Listen to the segment.
Shopping: Testing In-Home Garbage Cans
NPR’s Madeleine Brand finds out from Sara Dickerman which in-home trash cans measure up. Listen to the segment.
Jurisprudence: SCOTUS Privacy, Pledge Cases
NPR’s Alex Chadwick talks with Dahlia Lithwick about two major cases now before the Supreme Court: one involving key privacy issues, the other concerning the Pledge of Allegiance. Listen to the segment.
Monday, March 22, 2004
Ballot Box: Election Year Thrust and Parry
An all-out political battle, seven months before the presidential election … Will Saletan talks with NPR’s Alex Chadwick about attacks and counterattacks in the presidential race. Listen to the segment.
