archive

December 27, 2012 Internet memes used to stick around for months on end (remember "Charlie Bit My Finger"?). But in 2012, the shelf-life of an Internet sensation became increasingly fleeting. Funny videos and games are now enjoying only brief moments in the cultural spotlight before they're forgotten.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

December 26, 2012 Gerry Anderson, the man who created the iconic TV series Thunderbirds in the 1960s, has died, the BBC reports. Anderson, whose work was honored by a special set of moving-image stamps in Britain last year, had suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.

Summary

December 26, 2012 The comedian, who plays Tom Haverford on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, just released a new comedy special directly on his website. He's also embarking on a multicity tour, where he'll be riffing on the things that terrify him — marriage, for instance, and babies.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

December 26, 2012 Comedian Joan Rivers hates a lot of things. Her new book, I Hate Everyone, Starting With Me, details the things Rivers can't stand, from her appearance to obituaries to younger comedians who steal her gigs.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

December 26, 2012 This year has seen an explosion of professional online videos, eclipsing home videos of cats and babies. In 2012, 8 of the top 10 YouTube videos were professional — and Hulu, Netflix and multichannel networks like MiTu all produced exclusive new programming.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

December 26, 2012 Rye was all but pushed off the market by sweeter, corn-based bourbon after Prohibition, but it might be coming back, no illegal still required. Bartenders from coast to coast seem to prefer its intense flavor for their cocktail creations.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

December 24, 2012 Fresh Air's television critic says there weren't any new shows this year that wowed him and that all the shows he watched and loved this year were ones that have been on for at least a season. His No. 1 favorite remains Breaking Bad.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

December 23, 2012 All over India, an unusual name has been popping up on signs in restaurants and businesses. Indians have a growing affinity for the murderous dictator, and the connections between him and the subcontinent may explain why.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 22, 2012 Each Dec. 23, they descend upon Oaxaca's main plaza: giant root vegetables carved into human figures and other vivid forms. The Night of the Radishes is a major tourist draw these days, but it all started with Spanish missionaries in the 1500s. When a new religion and imported crops met indigenous woodcarvers, a novel art form was born.

Summary

December 21, 2012 Laura Dern is Amy Jellicoe, a health and beauty executive who returns from a post-meltdown retreat to pick up the pieces of her broken life in the HBO series Enlightened. Series creator Mike White talks about the tone of the show, and whether it's possible for people to really change.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

December 21, 2012 On this week's show, we talk about a sprawling story of hobbits and a sprawling problem of how cultural stuff builds up on the shelves and in the closets of the people who love it. All that, and what's making us happy this week.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

December 21, 2012 Are you still hunting for that perfect last-minute gift? We've got 10 suggestions for everyone on your list, from the baseball fan to the person who quite rightly points out they don't make 'em like The Carol Burnett Show anymore.

Summary

December 20, 2012 It's been 80 years since Britain's royal family began broadcasting a Christmas message. Now, the monarch will deliver her holiday address in 3-D. It's a medium in which she's been filmed before — 59 years ago, her coronation and other events were captured by 3-D cameras.

Summary