So for a few years now I have been listening to This American Life on NPR’s free weekly podcast. It is “that show by those hipster know-it-alls who talk about how fascinating ordinary people are” to quote the O.C. I don’t actually watch the O.C. but on NPR I heard them discussing how This American Life made it on to this fictional TV show. Anywho, this is a show that is so fascinating because it reveals what is true about me and about us as humans. They do shows about everyday minutiae that you would never think would make for interesting radio. For instance they did a show about superintendents, you know the guys who manage your building? One of my favorite shows was a show all about testosterone, don’t ask me why, I think it just brought to light something that you would never ordinarily think about. Another show that I loved was a show about Guantanamo Bay and things that you never knew you wanted to know.

There is also a television series on Showtime which is even more fascinating because I don’t have to imagine what things look like, what the places they visit look like. (although there is something to be said for getting to use my imagination as an adult) The show last night was incredible, they filmed an Iraqi 20 something, that lives in America and travels around the Midwest and the South asking people why they voted for the war in Iraq. I was so surprised by the answers people gave. I am shocked that many people in this country live in such ignorance. I would encourage anyone seeking truth, seeking beauty in life and in human kind to give this show a chance either on the radio or on TV.