Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ThisAmericanLife

Let's do this right, shall we?

orville sash — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:29:18 -0800

I want to get a story on This American Life. I would like some help. You may remember that about a year ago, I asked how to get a job at NPR. I recently had the idea for a story that I thought would be a good fir on This American Life. Without bothering to contact them, I started compiling the necessary interviews, and the subjects for the story responded positively. I am already ankle deep in producing the story on my own, and I have the audio equipment and technical know how to finish it myself, but I have a couple of questions for the hive mind.

1.) Should I just finish and submit the completed story to This American Life, or should I use the form on their website to pitch the story to them to see if they're interested?
2.) I don't have much experience with writing pitches, so if you think I should write a pitch, can you point me in the direction of good sample pitches?

Thanks, everyone

Tips for making a great audio documentary?

mateuslee — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:08:54 -0800

So this summer there is a big family reunion and, with my grandparents getting a bit older and more forgetful, I think it would be interesting to make some recordings. Do you have any suggestions? I guess I was inspired by shows like "This American Life", how the emphasis is on the speakers, how the interviewer always brings out an interesting story naturally. I imagine how cool it would be if someone recorded my great-great grandparents and I could hear it and learn about them. This sort of thing could be an interesting part of our family's history, a good way to link this family of first-generation Americans with future unborn generations. I could burn it onto CDs or put it on USBs and give a copy to everyone for the Holidays.

I already have a quality recorder (Zoom H2) and I'm familiar with simple audio-splitting files so I could edit out boring stuff and noises. Also, I've conducted interviews before, but scientific ones for language documentation projects, so at least I know about basic technical issues.

I'm mainly interested in tips or suggestions for good questions.
If you could do this, what sort of questions would you ask?
Or maybe you've done this already: do you have any tips?

Thanks a lot guys. You're the best (collectively speaking)

How to find music used in This American Life?

Heliochrome85 — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:12:47 -0800

Musicfilter: Does anyone know the name of the music used in a specific epsiode of This American Life, the radio podcast? I am trying to figure out the music from one portion of an episode of This American Life. It is episode 142, titled Barbara. It is guitar and is featured throughout the last 5 min of the episode.

Any help would be wonderful!

Those wacky 70's...I think???

hecho de la basura — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:19:34 -0800

Rememberfilter: can you hope me? I think I heard it on the radio... Previews of the new movie Adventureland jogged vague remembrance of a This American Life-esque story within the past couple years about a 70's adventure/theme park that was quite popular, even though it was filled with incredibly unsafe rides. Said theme park may have been in New Jersey. Rides were described as being unbelievably unsafe and designed by the park's owner. I have googled and searched the TAM website but I've found nothing. The only detail I really remember were a couple detailed descriptions of ridiculously unsafe waterslides and how everybody loved going there during the summer. Male storytellers/narrators.
Possible complication: I may have also read this story, possibly here on the blue. I tend to intensely "hear" in my head stories in the first person and have confused radio stories/written personal narratives before.

Is the desk on This American Life's TV show really there?

scottreynen — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:06:11 -0800

The opening of every episode of This American Life's TV show has Ira Glass at a desk in the middle of some unlikely location. (YouTube video of some examples.) Are they actually taking the desk to these locations, or is this some fancy video editing? (Or are some real and others faked?)

Pasta-Batman, where are you?

Sreiny — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:47:44 -0800

This American Life episode with a story about a dog named "Pasta-Batman"? I was having lunch with a vendor yesterday who was telling us about his dog Pasta-Batman who recently passed away and his brush with fame on TAL. I can not find what episode this is on. Have any of you heard this story and know what episode I can find it in? Thanks!

Name this This American Life story

NoraReed — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:29:06 -0800

NPR Filter: What is the story from This American Life about two newspaper journalists who compete to get a certain phrase in the newspaper? A friend remembers this story but hasn't been able to find it in the archive; he doesn't remember what the phrase was.

How can I become less ignorant regarding current events, without having to read dry, third-person-omniscient points of view?

surenoproblem — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:31:49 -0800

How can I become less ignorant regarding current events, without having to read dry, third-person-omniscient points of view? I am completely, woefully ignorant with regards to current events and politics.

I read a lot: novels, Harper's, the New Yorker, etc, but when I try to read the front pages of the newspaper, my brain grinds to a halt, unable to find the sense of people and character, personal points of view or the exposition of new ideas that I normally read for.

Does anyone have any recommendations? When This American Life did a story on the financial crisis, I found that very accessible, and found myself wishing they covered more current events in that fashion.

I'm going to persist with trying to read the front pages of the paper, but right now, it feels like such a chore. Any recommendations of blogs, magazines, podcasts or TTC courses, etc would be most appreciated.

Please help me be less ignorant!

Help me find this facility!

missjamielynn — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:04:23 -0800

Anyone watch This American Life? I'm trying to get information about a senior facility located in Southern California featured in the first season. On an episode called, "Growth Spurt", there was a senior center dedicated to the arts in Southern California. Does anyone know the name of this place?

Best episode to introduce someone to This American Life?

exhilaration — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:49:27 -0800

Best episode to introduce someone to This American Life? I'm a big fan of This American Life and I'd like to introduce my friend to it by pointing him to a truly great episode. I know this sounds suspiciously like a chatfilter question, but I'm looking for suggestions of the most moving and compelling episode/segment you've heard on the show.

Must get songs out of head

aheckler — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:04:47 -0800

Two songs from "This American Life" have been gnawing at my brain for a week now. Help me find them! Both are from Episode 229: Secret Government. The first can be heard at 16:42 and the next is at the very end, 57:30. Both of them sound like Mark Robinson, but I've listened to his Amazon albums, and none quite match up.

Help me hive mind! If I don't stop humming these something bad is going to happen!

Looking for an episode of This American Life

DarwinianDan — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:56:10 -0800

In an episode of This American Life, a guy was interviewed who talked about the guilt he felt when he masturbated or thought of masturbating when he was an adolescent. Eventually, he spoke with a minister who told him just to do it because the guilt was making it impossible for him to have a relationship with God. I think it aired in 2007. Got a link?

Which TAL episodes should I download?

Wroksie — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:55:30 -0800

I was recently given a 20$ itunes card, and I've decided to use it all on This American Life podcasts to listen to on my morning commute. Which episodes should I get? I already have all the free weekly downloads so far this year. I tend to like the more light-hearted episodes as opposed to the really sad and/or political ones (crying on the bus is embarrassing), but I'm open to any and all suggestions. Suggestions of other podcasts that are similar in tone or content are welcome as well, as are ideas on how I can get Ira Glass to marry me (yeah, I know he's already married, but still).

Mosh-up, Mash-up, Mesh-up, Mish-up, Mush-up

These Premises Are Alarmed — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:36:29 -0800

In this NYT article about the new This American Life TV show, the writer uses the term "mosh-up". It seems to be synonymous with how I think of "mash-up". Is this an invention of the writer? Is it just a play on "mash-up"? Is one term older than the other? I didn't see much on the Google referencing "mosh-up", "mash-up" is unsurprisingly better documented.

This American Life was Bad This Week

parmanparman — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:43:29 -0800

I know there are a lot of This American Life fans here. But, have you ever listened and thought "Wow, this is awful." What are your least favorite TAL stories? I am working on putting together a class about good and bad "radical" radio and want some listener opinion besides my own.

Song from Liars episode of This American Life?

0xFCAF — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:14:42 -0800

Can you identify this song used in This American Life? Starts at 19:18 and continues for the entire segment. It's mostly piano with what sounds like a string section backing it up. From episode #18, "Liars". Previously here, but their website seems to have been revamped. To make it more difficult (or easy?), the episode was made in 1996, which rules out all of the listed soundtracks and bands. It's not from the "I, Swinger" album, either.

Is the mixtape episode of This American Life available anywhere online?

maniabug — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:20:17 -0800

Is the mixtape episode of This American Life available anywhere online? I think it was done by Sarah Vowell, I remember hearing it sometime before 2003, and probably much before. But it doesn't appear on the show's archives. Am I going crazy? Maybe it wasn't TAL but I'm almost positive... Please help! Also I'm curious if it's the same as the mixtape chapter included in her book, Take the Cannoli.

Peruvian bug swarm on This American Life

Araucaria — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:34:30 -0800

"This American Life" filter: a story about traveling to a city in Peru or Ecuador, and being overwhelmed by swarms of horrible insects. I caught part of this broadcast a couple of years ago. It could have been any time between 2001 and 2005. I would like to find out the date of broadcast, the name of the city & country where the events occurred, and the kind of insect that caused the problem. The storyteller was on a trip to South America with some friends, and they landed in this large city that had become a desolate and deserted wasteland, filled with clouds of horrible insects. All the businesses were closed. There were piles of burning insects in the streets. After a day or two of this nightmare, they escaped to the mountains. Passing back through the city a week or two later, they were amazed to find a clean, bright city with lots of happy people. It was a different world entirely. They asked about the bugs and learned that the swarm occurred annually for a couple of days, and the locals would simply take off for that week. But it was never listed in the travel brochures. The person they talked to said, "Why bother? It lasts only a couple of days!". But it nearly ruined their vacation.

As I stated earlier, I missed certain key parts of the broadcast. Can you help me, O wizards of AskMeFi?

What should I listen to?

serazin — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:48:31 -0800

I spend most of my work day listening to interview and essay type radio shows on the internet. My favorite, of course, is This American Life. I also love Fresh Air . I've checked out Radio 4 a little, and sometimes I listen to Democracy Now and even more rarely Air America. Keeping in mind what I already like, what else would you recommend I listen to? (It's probably obvious that I have lefty politics and I love moving or creative storytelling. I hate call in shows)

Also, any specific show recommendations on the BBC or Air America are welcome.

This American Life - Taking the kids

jbradley — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 14:20:04 -0800

My kids like listening to the stories on TLA when we happen to catch it in the car. I was going to grab a few off of Audible.com for an upcoming road trip. Kind of a subset of this question (http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/20670). Any suggestions?

Where online can I find open-minded debates?

callmejay — Sun, 03 Oct 2004 21:51:45 -0800

This episode (RealAudio) of This American Life (last segment) contains a debate where both sides seem to seek common ground and refrain from using cliches or insults. Is there anywhere else on the internet that I can find debates (text/audio/whatever) where both parties are reasonable, polite, and at least partially open-minded? Extra points if the parties are well-informed.

Dishwasher Pete

drezdn — Tue, 25 May 2004 09:37:55 -0800

Did Dishwasher Pete ever reach his goal of washing dishes in all fifty states?