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POP CULTURE CONSUMERISM
To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio
According to a "New York Times" poll he's
the third most famous person in Japan, right behind Hirohito and
Bruce Lee. But the truth is he's not even a person, he's a giant
green, radioactive lizard named Godzilla. In this hour of To
the Best of Our Knowledge we'll explore the history of Japan's
pop culture pioneer. Also, a novel about teenagers who cause trouble
when they stop spending their money.
SEGMENT 1:
They Might Be Giants performs the theme song
they wrote for TTBOOK. Then, William Tsutsui, author of
"Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters,"
tells Anne Strainchamps about the original Godzilla and why he
became a cultural icon in Japan. Godzilla is turning 50 and is
still an inspiration. We hear several examples.
SEGMENT 2:
Rob Walker writes a column called "Consumed"
for the New York Times Magazine. He talks with Steve Paulson about
the Subservient-Chicken-dot-com web site and why it's a new kind
of advertising. Also, Tom Matthews is a screenwriter who's
just published his first novel. It's called "Like We Care,"
and tells what happens when some teenagers simply stop spending
money on all the stuff that's marketed to them. Matthews tells
Steve Paulson that being a dad inspired him to attack the institutions
that market to kids.
SEGMENT 3:
TTBOOK producer Doug Gordon caught up to
Neil Innes in Chicago. Innes wrote and sang the tunes for
The Rutles, who were Eric Idle's parody of The Beatles. We hear
conversation with Innes, and lots of his music. Also, Jim Fleming
talks with David Hughes. Hughes is a screenwriter and the
author of "Tales from Development Hell: Hollywood Film-making
the Hard Way." Hughes tells Jim some of the reasons why a
script might never get made into a film.
Cassette copies are available
at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 04-11-28-A.
................................................................
Books:
- David Hughes, Tales
from Development Hell: Hollywood Film-making the Hard Way
(Titan Books)
- Tom Matthews, Like We Care (Bancroft
Press)
- William Tsutsui, Godzilla on My Mind:
Fifty Years of the King of Monsters (Palgrave Macmillan)
Links:
Clips:
- -- Clip from "Godzilla, King of the Monsters"
(Paramount)
- -- Clips from "The Rutles -- All You Need
Is Cash" DVD (Rhino Video)
http://www.rhino.com
Music:
Distribution dates:
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Questions and comments can
be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org
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