NPR: Tony Soprano: NBA Ref? The Farm Bill Made Interesting and The Guys Who Brought You Wet Hot American Summer

Tony Soprano: NBA Ref? The Farm Bill Made Interesting and The Guys Who Brought You Wet Hot American Summer

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Listen to the Bryant Park Project's Pilot #5

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The 2007 Farm Bill promises to make some strange political bedfellows.

You know friends, before the BPP existed, the only place you could find a show with this kind of breadth and depth was in your dreams. Now, however, that show of your fantasy has gotten out of your dreams, as it were, and into your car, assuming your car has an iPod adapter.

On today's show we'll talk to Henry Abbott, who writes the True Hoop blog on ESPN.com, about the breaking scandal of an NBA ref who allegedly bet on NBA games. We'll also update you on the latest verbal smackdown between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and we'll go for a little Ramble, including a look at a study showing that Diet Coke drinkers had the same risk of heart disease as regular Coke drinkers.

Later we'll talk to Ken Marino and David Wain, the guys who brought you Wet Hot American Summer, about their new film The Ten. And we'll welcome actress, comedienne, and former Daily Show correspondent Stacey Grenrock Woods to the studio to talk about her new book, I, California.

Plus, do you know what's even more interesting than one guest talking about the 2007 Farm Bill? TWO guests talking about the 2007 Farm Bill! We've got NPR's Adam Davidson, who'll explain the economic and political angle in a way we can all understand, and writer Dan Imhoff, who'll give us his take on how the Farm Bill can make our food and environment healthier. They'll both help to connect the dots between an omnibus spending bill and your dinner table (and wallet).

Bon appetit!

Dan Pashman

1:37 PM ET | 07-25-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Good mix of different topics, great range of guests. In particular on a minor point, good tension on the book lead in, because I was sure you weren't going for Harry Potter before you said it, but I could see the intent to introduce that image in people's mind and I liked it.

I also liked the coverage of the farm bill. It did make me wonder how long it will be before the pro-farm bill lobby plays up the dangers of imports from countries such as China if this bill looks like it might not pass. With all the news on that front, if I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd think the lobbyists were behind all the recent product and food contaminant revelations in the media.

The thought I had near the end of the show was that you need to cover something unusual in each one to close the show, as you did in this one. The idea of a storage condominum is either really, really creepy or an example of the market using one perceived problem (need for a storage unit) to actually sell people a solution to another need they won't admit to. In this case, perhaps a socially acceptable way to escape from their family. Claiming you're going to the storage unit can imply you're working around the house, as opposed to hanging out watching TV and drinking beer, which is what you may really be doing.

Sent by Sioux | 7:17 PM ET | 07-25-2007

I find it kind of funny that you'll covering the Farm Bill since another youth oriented public radio program -- Fair Game with Faith Salie -- featured it as well on Friday.

Where's the lead-in newscast? Yay! More sports. I need to follow sports more. I'm not sure that I like the top story stacked on top of the newscast.

The day two story concept is a great idea. Concerning the Obama answer at the CNN/YouTube Debate, I met Stephen -- the guy who asked that question -- since he was also invited to attend the debate in person by YouTube. It is so surreal to find yourself so close to a major story. Oh yeah, this story is still just politics.

I'm still liking the Ramble segment and its music. An interview seems a bit much for the brief stories in this segment. The diet soda interview made it a full blown segment -- not a snippet.

Luke, you tied the Farm Bill back to the 1930s. Thanks for trying to put it in historical context. Adam Davidson is doing a great job on showing the expanse the bill's effect. Ooooh! Will the political cost of the Farm Bill give either side of the Iraq War debate leverage to it to turn war legislation one way or another? So, what are we talking about here -- corn or pork? The Farm Bill is "the most destructive" thing the government does to the government...

Alison, thanks for teasing out of the interview how many elements of Americana are affected by the Farm Bill.

Fair Game focused more on the health side effects, but it is great that BPP shed the spotlight on other parts of the story. I'm not sure how to respond to the book and movie segments. I didn't connect with either. Luke, please leave Alison's stomach.

Why do a signficant chunk of IKEA shoppers find cleaning a closet better than sex? What are the common characteristics of IKEA shoppers that make this plausible? I guess the Container Store associate is the new bar
tender. Concerning the hoarding segment, is BPP trying to combine segments for greater context?

Sent by Steve Petersen | 8:47 PM ET | 07-25-2007

This was a good mix of high/low news. I hope to see a little bit more international coverage when you go two hours, but the overall balance has been improving a lot.

I loved the Farm Bill discussion; you can't escape agribusiness up here in the northern Midwest, and I am fascinated by how much we can learn simply by following the money.

I enjoyed the two media interviews; both made me go to the web to find out a bit more about the respective projects. I'm not sure if I'd want to hear about what the cover looks like of 'I, California' if I was driving in the car, though.

The Ramble must stay.

Sent by Drew | 8:55 AM ET | 07-26-2007

I also enjoy the Ramble.

I still really enjoy the conversational tone. Luke and Allison are great at it.
I don't think the show has found its pace yet. I like a bit of a faster pace in the AM. Balancing pace with conversational tone might be difficult.

I like the lineup, but I think one of the qualities of a good radio show is that it can access/evoke/elicit the full gamut of emotions. We have yet to hear a sad/depressing/moving story from the BPP. You'll have to do them some day. What will that sound like, and how will it reconcile with the plucky tone of the rest of the show.

Sent by Owen | 10:30 AM ET | 07-27-2007

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Welcome to 'The Bryant Park Project'

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