NEWS: Watch Out, It's: This American Life

CULTURE: Watch Out, It's: This American Life

Part of a possibly ongoing series where I discover something at random that I think is worth a look, and recommend it to you fine folks.

A few nights back, after finding myself under the ubiquitous sway of Wild Turkey, I decided to stay in and explore the labyrinthine menus of my digital cable’s On-Demand lineup. I poked around the free movie section for a moment, but my slightly dimmed senses couldn’t handle watching On the Waterfront or The Shop Around the Corner (though I’ve since gone back), so I opted to explore the premium section, starting with Showtime. Lo and behold, several minutes later I somehow wound up watching This American Life, and whichever demon lurking in my subconscious prompted me to do so, well: my eternal thanks and subservience to you, sire.

Having no clue what I was getting myself into, I might have been knocked on my ass had I not already been lying in bed; This American Life’s raw storytelling, creepy emotional power, and underlying intelligence made quite an impression. Forget the title, it is, after all, quite forgettable; the show succeeds by breathing much-needed life into the bloated corpse of documentary television.

As many of you may already know, TAL is an adaptation of a long-running series of Public Radio International broadcasts hosted by Ira Glass. The producers have succeeded in a smooth move to television, incorporating kaleidoscopic cinematography, eclectic music, and dry but knowingly funny narration. Being a new convert to public radio (as in, the actual antiquated radio broadcasts), and since I usually only get to listen during my daily commute, I have yet to experience the radio version of This American Life, but I imagine it’s equally entertaining.

Each episode chooses a theme and presents several stories based around that theme -- from the social effects of the all-mighty Camera, to the unexpected consequences of trying new things. In one episode I watched -- this time sober, a few days later -- genetics and pig farming come together to give us plump, meaty, light-sensitive schizo-pigs; illustrating how far our technological manipulation of nature has come, and how far we have to go.

In that same episode, titled “Pandora’s Box”, there was the story of a hot dog stand that has managed to tap into the long-simmering anger between the hyper-segregated neighborhoods of Chicago. The stand’s gimmick of treating their customers like shit succeeds in earning them constant business, but frequently backfires at night, when crowds of white patrons begin cat-calling and chanting for a “chocolate milkshake”. The so-called milkshake has little to do with frosty cocoa goodness; rather, it refers to the makeshift ritual of one of the black employees lifting her shirt to shake her tits in front of the screaming crowd. Don’t worry: they tip her.

The stories featured on TAL all follow a similar formula: they present a fascinating, seemingly harmless oddity and then widen the perspective to show the dark underbelly writhing just beneath the surface. And it works. It’s a rare example of documentary TV done right -- as far from “reality” television as anything, but far more watchable than the majority of TV-documentary fare. Take a look at the trailer for the 2nd episode:



If you get the chance, I sincerely recommend taking a look at the show. The first mini-season of 6 episodes has finished, though last I checked they're available On-Demand. The second season is scheduled to begin production soon, and will likely appear at some point in early 2008.

Ira Glass is God. Or at least God-like.

Oohhh I love the radio show. This is awesome! Thanks for posting!

Sounds cool but I'll wait and buy the series when it comes out on DVD, so long as it's not coma inducing like anything on NPR. Ugh...
NPR and PBS have been freeloading long enough. Time for them to compete in the marketplace like all the others.

Not every episode heads to wards the dark-underbelly. However, I admittedly aruge thta from the NPR show storys as I don't have Showtime.

Everyone, whether addicted to the Radio or TV episodes, NEEDS to listen to the Habeas Shmabeus episode through. It won a Peabody Award, and is possibly best document of the absurdity that is Guantanamo.

I can't hardly wait for the DVD to come out!
I'm pretty sure I have listened to every archive of TAL, I'm glad the show is making a similar impact on people.

Great, something else for me to spend hours upon hours listening to / watching / reading about on the internet. As if this site wasn't enough of a source of intellectual stimulation (among other things) already.

The imagery from that trailer is going to haunt my dreams.

Coma inducing? In my humble opinion NPR has some of the most intelligent radio shows on the air. It's a welcome respite from shock jocks and hip hop.

I have a neverending crush on Ira Glass. This American Life archives got me through every boring data entry job I ever had.

I haven't seen the show yet. *makes note*

The irony is public stations have a lot more money to throw around than commercial ones. NPR and PBS would never make it in a commerical market -- look at the shipwreck of Radio America. I am personally glad they are publicly funded, PBS here in Louisiana is awesome, although I have to admit I have to blast The Misfits occasionally just as relief from the intellectualism.

I would love the show, but I simply can not stand the way Ira Glass speaks. The way he leaves long pauses at the end of (or even the middle of) sentences, and then rushes through the rest of what he is speaking without pausing between words is like nails on a chalkboard.

Itcanbelike ....... ....... veryannoyingtopeoplewholisten ... ..... .... totheradioand ... .... .... hisshow.

because youre not competing if you dont have corporate advertisers?

i find npr (and sometimes pbs) to be thought-provoking and refreshing in the face of all the corporate-based poo-poo we watch as media. you, probably find sprite refreshing, so feed your urge, or whatever the stupid slogan is. youre probably feeding off the trough, though, so your attitude is understandable.

I listened to the radio show for years (my schedule doesn't really allow for it now) but this TV show is news to me, I love Ira Glass and I love the show, I can't wait!

maybe.................he went.............to the..................david caruso............................school..................of acting (removes sunglasses and peers directly into the camera). william...................shatner is an.............................alumnus from....................the................newly...................named school.

Good call. I totally had a brain fart and confused the two, probably because I tend to generically refer to my local public radio station as "NPR" when in fact it carries all sorts of stuff. I have since edited the story. Thanks!

First off you read my opinion about a specific media outlet. I do not have cable to watch this show but I want to see it so I will keep my fingers crossed for DVD releases. I will probably rent them to sample the content then if it is compelling enough I will buy. I like to financially support the things I like. That is a hallmark of capitalism. So how would you know, from an opinion, the first fucking thing about my "attitude"?

Surprise. I actually listen to NPR and even pacifica radio on occasion. I like the content even though the bump music, rote and delivery of the personalities on MPR have a trance-like effect. Those media outlets certainly have the listenership to cut it in an open market. They can go for listener support like pacifica but they don't need the media welfare anymore. Same goes for PBS.

PS: I used to support Pacifica.

BTW. You care to elaborate on what you mean by this statement?

It's exceedingly good. Far better than the TV show, in my opinion, and I really like the TV show. The radio show, though, is just amazing.

Guess this was to be my swan song. Had I known the ax was about to drop I would have written something a million times more offensive, hopefully leaving a scandal in my wake. Maybe next time. Ciao.