This piece bills itself as humorous and "This American Life-esque." I've noticed what seems to be a fairly widespread idea out there: that if you tell a first-person story and mix it with hokey music, you're doing a TAL-style piece. TAL at its best uses fresh situations and surprising twists to cut slantways across expectations and remind us that the world is endlessly complicated and interesting. I'm sorry to say this piece does none of the above. "Be a Man" begins with the most familiar of tropes: a bookish guy who isn't handy but feels he should be. He resolves to take on a home improvement project but in the end decides he's not up to it. That's it. I'd like to say that despite providing no surprises the piece offers an enjoyable little journey, but, for this listener, anyway, it doesn't live up to its "humorous" billing, either.
I laughed when Aaron Sanders explained that his inability to read the pamphlet, and get to the job of tiling the bathroom, left him feeling less than "manly."
As one whose feminine self esteem has been dented by cookbooks, sewing patterns and gardening guides, I feel his pain.
In a DIY culture, it's nice to hear from a DGID (Didn't get it done.)
Comments for Be A Man
Produced by Ken Cormier
Other pieces by Aaron Sanders
Rating Summary
2 comments
John Biewen
Posted on April 09, 2006 at 07:12 PM | Permalink
Review of Be A Man
This piece bills itself as humorous and "This American Life-esque." I've noticed what seems to be a fairly widespread idea out there: that if you tell a first-person story and mix it with hokey music, you're doing a TAL-style piece. TAL at its best uses fresh situations and surprising twists to cut slantways across expectations and remind us that the world is endlessly complicated and interesting. I'm sorry to say this piece does none of the above. "Be a Man" begins with the most familiar of tropes: a bookish guy who isn't handy but feels he should be. He resolves to take on a home improvement project but in the end decides he's not up to it. That's it. I'd like to say that despite providing no surprises the piece offers an enjoyable little journey, but, for this listener, anyway, it doesn't live up to its "humorous" billing, either.
Cheryl-Anne Millsap
Posted on March 25, 2006 at 07:02 AM | Permalink
Review of Be A Man
I laughed when Aaron Sanders explained that his inability to read the pamphlet, and get to the job of tiling the bathroom, left him feeling less than "manly."
As one whose feminine self esteem has been dented by cookbooks, sewing patterns and gardening guides, I feel his pain.
In a DIY culture, it's nice to hear from a DGID (Didn't get it done.)