Small Talk: Baby’s e-presence, the reputation of clowns
TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: This final note today. Fridays are great for a whole lotta reasons: A. They’re Fridays, and B. We get a chance to take a break from the regular news and discover what’s been happening that didn’t make the headlines — courtesy of Rico Gagliano, Brendan Newnam and the Marketplace staff.
Brendan Newnam: Adriene Hill, sustainability reporter for Marketplace. What story are you going to be talking about this weekend?
Adriene Hill: Well, I’m gonna be talking about the fact that Costco is selling a year’s supply of dehydrated food, for all those survivalists out there, for $800.
Newnam: And let me guess, it comes with an “uh oh, something really bad happened” cookbook?
Hill: No, but it also — you know, maybe if you’re not a survivalist — good thing to think about if you’re just a really lazy grocery shopper.
Newnam: I love it. Just like once a year, it’s all done.
Hill: Saves a ton of time.
Newnam: Sayanora, Trader Joe’s.
Hill: Exactly.
Rico Gagliano: John Haas, editor. What story are you going to be talking about this weekend?
John Haas: There’s an amusement park in England that is being picketed by clowns. Real clowns
Gagliano: Why?
Haas: Well, they’re having a Halloween display called the “Carnival of Screams,” where they have a bunch of killer clowns running around in the park.
Gagliano: And the clowns think they’re being misrepresented?
Haas: Yeah, after Stephen King’s “It” and “Poltergeist,” you know, clowns have a bad reputation.
Gagliano: I mean, I support protests, but are there not draconian austerity measures that people can be protesting in Europe right now?
Haas: That’s true, but you gotta treat them with respect. Because if you don’t, they’ll hunt you down and kill you.
Newnam: Stacey Vanek Smith, senior reporter for Marketplace. What story are you going to be talking about this weekend?
Stacey Vanek Smith: Well, there’s a new study out that found that more than 90 percent U.S. toddlers have an online presence.
Newnam: This could explain Twitter.
Vanek Smith: Yes. And one in four unborn babies also have an online presence, like an e-mail address or a Facebook page.
Newnam: Status update: It’s dark and cramped in here.
Ryssdal: You can hear more on their podcast. It’s the Dinner Party Download.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
