Synopses & Reviews
Looking for an alternative to the seriously reliable, soothing yet informative sound of NPR? Try NPR! Prepare to be surprised by this collection of unbelievable news, bloopers, and interviews with some of the funniest personalities on the planet. The time honored tradition of hoax stories that NPR airs every April 1st brings us exploding maple trees in Maine, talking dogs in Ohio, farm raised whales in Illinois, and bubbling cheese springs in Wisconsin. And here is some news that is not a hoax: people who are very, very funny are heard on NPR—on a regular basis! Sacha Baron Cohen, Joan Rivers, Eugene Levy and others step up to the NPR mic and reveal the wacky, wonderful workings of their inner minds. Plus, for the very first time the curtain is pulled back on your favorite NPR personalities as they inadvertently let loose with on and off the air bloopers. Herein lies hope for the overly somber NPR zealot—and comic relief for all innocent bystanders.
Featuring:
- From Borat To Aladeen, Laughter Is Cohen’s Goal
- Eugene Levy Stays Smart, Even in the Cheapest Gag
- Mo Rocca’s Hard Hitting Look at Presidential Pets
- A Study of Laughter and Humor of the Supreme Court Justices
- Radiolab’s “An Anthropologist Walks into a Bar...and asks ‘Why Is this Joke Funny’”
- Unbelievable news reports that fooled us all, including “The Sound of the Future” (listen in as the Library of Congress transfers its archives onto 78 RPM records), “I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong and I Won’t Do It Again” (Richard Nixon runs for President in 1992), “Slow Net Wave” (trendy internet users trade in their Wi-Fi for dial-up connections), and more.
Review
“Highly recommended for NPR listeners and fans of audio comedy alike.”
—The Bookwatch AudioFile
Review
“Seriously great fun.”
—Publishers Weekly Library Journal
Review
“The perfect doldrums antidote and a wonderful giftbook!"
—Wisconsin Bookwatch
Review
"Something for everyone. . . . The only complaint listeners will have with the production is that, at just over two hours, it's not nearly long enough."
Review
“Recommended. . . . The laughs here are fresh and well earned.”
—Library Journal [starred review]
Synopsis
Surprisingly light-hearted, refreshingly self-deprecating, NPR provides bountiful laughs in their funniest collection yet.
Synopsis
Looking for an alternative to the seriously reliable, soothing yet informative sound of NPR? Try NPR!
Prepare to be surprised by this collection of interviews with some of the funniest personalities on the planet, and by the memorable, unbelievable news that delights NPR listeners on the 1st of April each year.
About the Author
Internationally acclaimed, NPR produces and distributes programming that reaches a combined audience of 26.4 million listeners weekly, and, unlike other media, NPRs audience continues to grow. NPR member organizations operate 784 stations, and another 117 public radio stations also present NPR programs, for a total of more than 900 stations nationwide who broadcast NPR programming.
Table of Contents
Introduction by Peter Sagal
The World According to Stephen Colbert
OK Go's Damian Kulash Crafts Pro Dial-Up Anthem
An Anthropologist Walks Into a Bar
Drew Carey Plays Not My Job
Roaches Drive Comedian to Bunk at Ikea
The Ups and Downs of Paula Poundstone
Phyllis Diller: Still Out for a Laugh
Starbucks' Coffee Pipeline
Joan Rivers Hates You, Herself, and Everyone Else
New York City Preschool Starts DNA Testing for Admission
Mo Rocca's Hard Hitting Look at Presidential Pets
Which Supreme Court Justice Cracks the Most Jokes?
Backstage With Fred Willard and Martin Mull
Dog Talk
Eugene Levy Stays Smart, Even in the Cheapest Gag
Lunacorp to Project Images on the Moon
Mel Brooks, "Unhinged" and Loving It