What is “Try Not to Breathe” about? The Studio 360 podcast interviews a listener who, remembering how her father died of a sudden illness, has a touching eureka moment about the message of the song on R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People: “I think it’s about somebody who has reached the end of their life. They have a level of acceptance that maybe the people around them don’t have. I felt like that was my dad talking to me.... It’s about facing the truth and accepting that life is ugly sometimes.” (Contains download link and embedded player of radio segment.)
posted by joeclark on Nov 3, 2009 - 44 comments

American Icons from Public Radio International's Studio 360 is host/author Kurt Andersen's "...survey into the books, movies, art, and architecture that have come to represent American culture and character."^* For example, in the episode on 'Moby-Dick,' listen to Ray Bradbury, Tony Kushner and Frank Stella talk about Melville and his literary masterpiece. Listen to Laurie Anderson compare 'Moby Dick' to 'Star Trek.' In a segment on 'The Great Gatsby,' listen to the only known recording of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Then witness Salman Rushdie as he credits 'The Wizard of Oz' as his first literary influence while Bobby McFerrin performs snippets from his eight-minute medley condensing the entire movie.^*
posted by ericb on Dec 10, 2007 - 10 comments

Scary Stuff: Count Floyd's Scary Little Christmas Promo, Dr Cube's Posse, A Scarier Skeleton by Jack Handey [mp3], The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra Trailer [previously], Shining, Plan 9 From Outer Space - Best Lines, Re-Enactment - Pan's Labyrinth, [previously] Scream in 30 Seconds and Re-Enacted by Bunnies, Season of the Witch, The Thing in Lego, REM & Muppets - Furry Happy Monsters. Happy Halloween everyone!
posted by McLir on Oct 30, 2007 - 14 comments