Carnage and Ira Glass at the 2015 NAB Marconi Radio Awards
Ira Glass must be relieved.
Donald Trump proclaimed in his inaugural speech, “This American Carnage stops right here and stops right now,” mollifying the worries of many public radio listeners. “This American Carnage” is a SiriusXM radio program that rivals Glass’ longstanding WBEZ program “This American Life.”
SiriusXM is a fee-for-service radio company while “This American Life” is a free broadcast, and there was concern that the proud public program would be bought, privatized, and repurposed by the radio conglomerate. It is unclear whether Trump will uphold this promise or if it is a fleeting effort to appeal to his opponents. As of right now, “This American Life” still has a leg to stand on.
While both shows chronicle stories of current events and human nature, ”This American Carnage” is dedicated to the fictional Marvel supervillain Carnage and is hosted by Merle Chauncey Jr., a man who’s claim to fame is his ability to swallow and pass large wood beads through his system.
Trump is not known for keeping his word, but NPR devotees are holding him accountable. Marguerite Patterson, an avid listener to NPR syndicate KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri claims, “I would rather cut my ears off then listen to ‘This American Carnage.’ Trump made a promise and Merle Chauncey is as much of a monster as the villain he talks about.”
Sacramento resident and KXJZ listener Mario D’Elia expressed similar sentiments in a Facebook post, “My eyes are on Trump, and my ears are on Ira Glass.”
”This American Life” is safe for the time being, but its Glass now seems half-empty rather than half-full.