Date: July 22nd, 2010
Generally speaking, I think of one of two things when I think about NPR -- how every unwashed hippie turns into a foreign policy expert after an hour of listening to it and how, every once in a while, SNL hits the nail on the head. I also realized toward the end of last week that NPR is such a cultural icon that I feel like I understand it and appreciate it without ever having listened to it.
I decided it was probably a good idea to actually give it a listen rather than persisting in the belief that I know what's on the channel without ever hearing it. Well, that and about 90% of my friends list NPR among the things they are fans of. I find this phenomenon shocking and mildly unrealistic. Or I did before I tuned in myself.
I had a solid 90 minute car ride on Thursday that took me from Lansing to Ann Arbor. Usually I use that time to listen to pop music and fantasize about being a mercenary spelunker/spy/astronaut lawyer, but I decided to dedicate my afternoon to the pursuit of all things NPR and see where it got me. I heard a delightful story about African wedding rituals, an analysis of the environmental impacts of the oil spill in the gulf and some of best transition muzak donations can afford.
I have to stay, I'm still ambivalent. I enjoyed listening to NPR for a lot of reasons. I really love hearing stories on the radio and I hadn't had a chance to hear anything like that in years. Even books on tape aren't the same because they're so involved. Its definitely the sort of thing I enjoy. I still can't figure out why so many other people like it though. Did I miss a memo where everybody suddenly started liking human interest pieces? What's going on here people?
My favorite things on NPR are Morning Edition and All Things Considered (the rush hour time news programs). You get good reports, analysis, and interviews with experts (not just talking heads who are screaming at each other). I recommend listening to NPR again before or after work to catch the news shows.
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