The Age of Sincerity

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Here’s a trivia question. What year did David Letterman make his late night debut? Think it might have been, say, a decade ago? Think again: it was 1982, and ever since, his brand of sardonic, edgy humor has been the baseline for a popular culture that didn’t just celebrate irony, it bathed in it.

Think “whatever,” “whassup,” Seinfeld and the Simpsons. But after more than twenty years of irony’s bitter little pill, some critics say America is going through a massive culture colonic. One that is going to wash away the nasty joke, the existential angst and the dark double entendre, and replace them with the girl next door, a can-do attitude and a bright, shiny smile.

Guests:

Bill Strauss, founder of The Capitol Steps and author of many books about generational change

Robert Thompson, director, Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University

Donna Learmont, video production teacher, Lahser High School, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.