As a public radio employee for more than 10 years, I know a few things to be true:
- We do have the membership drive phone number memorized
- We will always ask for the name of the dog
- We always love a painfully accurate parody of our stereotype
There is no shortage of NPR parodies. From the multiple skits on Saturday Night Live to random television appearances by Terry Gross or Ira Flatow, to an entire animated series about a daily news program (“In The Know”), public radio is beloved, cliche and fodder for all the jokes.
Below, we’ve assembled a fairly comprehensive list of TV shows, YouTube videos and other media poking a bit of fun at public radio and its intrepid employees.
Portlandia Podcast Professionals
Ever wondered what an extreme version of This American Life might sound like? This podcast parody about the Portland Police Department has all the tenets of a certain stereotypical public radio program:
- The exposition that touches all the senses (“The air is humid in Portland, Ore. There’s an inescapable closeness that feels almost oppressive.”), followed by the most monotone introduction to the hosts you’ve ever heard
- The careful scripting that makes sure it uses alliteration at every possible moment (“badly bungled”)
- The live background band being so, so acoustic
- Trying to include sound effects (phone ringing, papers rustling) even when the story definitely doesn’t require them.
- The Blue Apron promo
Thought for Your Thoughts
Fans of NBC’s Parks and Recreation comedy might remember the WVYS (Wamapoke County Public Radio) program, “Thought for Your Thoughts,” on which Leslie Knope is a fairly frequent guest. From the call letter logo design to Leslie sipping from the WVYS mug (as an intern, it was my job to make sure these were always available to guests), this is a hilariously exaggerated depiction of a local news talk show. Other favorite parts include:
- The guest host is “sitting in” for the actual host, who is doing something insane like “touring the country performing a spoken word opera about pear-shaped women.”
- The host giving context to something the guest said: “A ‘bat signal,’ for listeners who might not know, refers to the children’s character the Batman, a strong gentleman who fights crime nocturnally.”
- “Jazz + Jazz = Jazz” and it’s just a terrible mix of Benny Goodman playing over Miles Davis
When you know, you’re “In the Know”
There are a handful of shows that are so disturbingly close to real occupations, that it can be difficult for people in those industries to watch them — think “The Bear” for service industry workers, “Parks and Rec” for local government employees and now, “In the Know” for public radio people. But I personally loved this animated comedy by Zach Woods, Brandon Gardner and Mike Judge on Peacock. It centers around a daily news program hosted by the egomaniac-albeit-well-meaning Lauren Capsian (“NPR’s third-most popular host”).
There are only six episodes (so far), but they are so on the nose at times. The second episode centers on pledge drive day, and you see the executive producer of the show attempt to give an inspirational speech to rally her troops to raise money! You then see the overly-confident researcher and fact-checker Fabian completely bomb the minute the mic goes hot. I will admit this hit me hard: I, too, was very confident the first time I was scheduled to pitch and then completely missed time marks, mispronounced thank you gifts (listen, “Eton radio” was hard for me back then) and just generally got flustered.
I won’t give away too much, but from the personalities of the staffers to the conversations about audience data to the random cubicles with mysterious, decades-old books and tapes, if you love public radio, you’ll love this show.
SNL might be obsessed with us
“Gotta be quirkin’ it up!”
Guest host Ramy Youssef and SNL spoof the Tiny Desk Concert. The trio consists of a guitarist, a stripped down drum kit and a woman playing a shaker made out of a milk carton. As the band starts their second song, Elliot (played by Bowen Yang) storms out of his office and yells at the band. When they tell him the Tiny Desk Concert is a “big deal to us,” Elliot proudly announces “This is NPR, so every day is like a big deal for us.” Also: he’s a 35-year-old intern who goes to SUNY Newark and is working on a podcast about AI and rural queers (it’s called “Bee-Boop, I’m gay now”).
Schweddy Balls
Perhaps the most famous of NPR parodies, this SNL skit features Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon and Alec Baldwin in a studio taping a food show named “Delicious Dish.” It’s Christmas! Season’s Eatings bakery owner Baldwin is the guest today. His name is Pete Schweddy and he’s here to promote his delicious balls. Double entendres abound.
Serial
Remember the hit podcast Serial? This SNL skit nails the stereotype of this kind of audio storytelling, from the way the exposition makes its way into the introduction of the show to the calm cadence of the host, Sarah Koenig (Cecily Strong).
We follow the narrative of a young boy receiving a Nerf gun for Christmas, and the mystery that is “Kris” (Kringle). Who is he? How did he get into the house? How did the cookies mysteriously disappear from near the fireplace?
Strong does an incredible impression of Serial-type podcast hosts here, including the grainy phone tape from prison and the subtle prodding of outlandish claims. She even tries to recreate the claims that Kringle has put forth (building toys, flying in a sleigh), and finds a former elf, Jingle, who had previously sued Kringle.
Of course there’s a Mailchimp ad at the end.
Science Friday’s Big Bang Theory
The lovable genius Sheldon Cooper is a guest on Science Friday with Ira Flatow. But alas! Someone has pumped helium into Cooper’s office just as he’s starting his interview with Flatow. As he begins to describe some super complicated science thing, his voice gets higher and higher and he’s basically Mickey Mouse by the end of his sentence.
One qualm: Our producers would shut down a subject doing an interview while on speaker phone.
