Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
Bullseye from NPR is your curated guide to culture. Jesse Thorn hosts in-depth interviews with brilliant creators, culture picks from our favorite critics and irreverent original comedy. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world." (Formerly known as The Sound of Young America.)

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Syndication

Elizabeth Gilbert’s new novel traces the life of a woman living in the 19th century as a botanist. Jesse will ask Elizabeth about what the reaction to ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ has meant to her -- both the good and the not-so-good. Then Jesse sits down with Gillian Jacobs. She plays Britta on the NBC sitcom Community. Plus, Portlandia’s Fred Armisen talks about the album he wishes HE had made; our film critic buddies at The Dissolve pick out a couple of films you’ll want to watch ASAP, and Jesse tells you why a perfect balance between the real and unreal makes one particular video game so enticing.

Direct download: bullseye131029b.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:30am EDT

[r] Tune in for a rare interview with the soul legend Bill Withers. He retired from the music industry in the mid 1980s and, with a few exceptions, has stayed out of the public eye for more than 20 years. He and Jesse will talk about why he enlisted in the Navy, the challenge of making his first record in his thirties, and why he ultimately retired from the music industry. Plus, Pitchfork and Grantland writer Ian Cohen will bring in a couple of his all-time favorite heavy records; Brad Tolinski will share the album that kicked off a new era of rock in the 70s, then Davy Rothbart from FOUND magazine offers up a couple of his best finds. And lastly, Jesse will tell you about the NewsRadio scene that makes him laugh every single time he watches it. Spoiler alert: it's all Phil Hartman's fault.

Direct download: bullseye131022b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EDT

Nick Offerman plays Ron Swanson on Parks & Recreation. Swanson is one of the most beloved characters on TV… known for his love of meat, his hatred of big government, and his healthy mustache. Jesse also talks to a few of the members from the sketch comedy group The Birthday Boys. They talk about what it’s like to make a TV show with their comedy hero, Bob Odenkirk. Plus, painter Brandon Bird talks about the day he became an artist; the folks from NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour tell you about a couple of their favorite new things,  and Jesse talks about why it’s worth following Michael Palin around the world.

Direct download: bullseye131015.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EDT

Nicole Holofcener has written and directed five films. The fifth, her newest is called ‘Enough Said’. It's a sweet and sharp movie starring Julia Louis Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini. The movie looks at a bunch of life-stuff -- the aftermath of divorce, how tough it is to make new friends as an adult, and the weird ways we deal with people who might be richer or poorer than we are. And then later, we go from the end of marriage, to the beginning. ‘Husbands’ is a sitcom that lives on the web. It was created by Brad Bell and the longtime TV writer Jane Espenson. Jesse sits down to talk with both of them. Plus, Erik Adams from The AV Club shares a couple of off-the-radar TV picks for the Fall.

Direct download: bullseye131008.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EDT

Junot Diaz has a book of short stories out now in paperback. It’s called ‘This Is How You Lose Her.’ Junot’s book is new, but the protagonist Yunior isn’t. This is the third time the Pulitzer Prize-winning author has written about him. Is Yunior just an alter-ego for Diaz? Jesse will ask. Then, we revisit Jesse’s interview with the actress Carrie Fisher. She’ll talk about what it's like to play one of the most recognizable characters in movie history. Later in life, Fisher was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and then treated it with electroshock therapy. She’ll talk about what that was like, too. Plus, the hosts of My Brother My Brother and Me answer listeners’ pressing pop culture problems; Ian Cohen introduces us to a couple of great new heavy records; and in the wake of The Accidental Racist, Jesse will tell you about a record that mixed country and hip-hop to the benefit of both.

Direct download: bullseye131001.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EDT