"This American Life" Notes

Act 3 - "It's Commerce That Brings Us Together" :

• Coming from a small town myself, I was immediately interested in this story because it sounds like something I would hear on my local radio. 
• I thought that the music was well chosen for the story - kind of folky/country.
• I loved that the show was called Swap N Shop and that it was described as "low tech eBay."
• The narrator did not pass any judgement on these people and what they were looking to sell. I thought that this told me a lot about her character.
• This idea was also reflected in the program's host, Don Estep. He said that "your business is your business" and he did not ask questions.
• The sentiment that you always wonder about these objects but you never get answers was very compelling. It added another layer of depth to the story. 

Act 11 - "Etiquette Lesson"

• David Sedaris describes a situation that almost everyone has found themselves in. Someone is talking on their phone in the restroom, and you have to wonder: really?
• When the person on the phone says "What do you think?" I liked that Sedaris thought to himself: "That's unfair to the person on the other end." Clearly, that person does not yet grasp the absurdity of the situation.
• The sound of his voice worked well for the piece. It is very dry and sarcastic, which really gets across his sense of annoyance and disbelief. 
• Overall, he does not convey too much emotion, even when his sister reveals the fact that she has told an extremely awkward lie to him many, many times. 
• On that note, I particularly liked his reflection on "all the times I've heard that line."
• The piece, while humorous, did dive into the deeper subject matter of lies. 

Act 16 - "That One Guy at the Office"

• This story seemed at first like it would be funny. It is an experience we have probably all had: passing the same person day after day but never knowing their name or anything else about them.
• However, the story was sad and deeply poignant, especially with Matt's (that one guy) disbelief that no one knows him. 
• It was also incredibly sad to me that the printer showed up in his dreams. It had become such an irrevocably huge part of him that it showed up in his subconscious. 
• The insertion of printer sounds, along with interviews of multiple office workers, helped set the scene well. 
• The sad, slow music towards the end also demonstrated Matt's "sad fate."