Among the legends of the holiday season you’ve got Rudolph, Frosty, and the big man himself, Santa Claus. But for public radio listeners, can there even be a more iconic figure than Crumpet the Elf?
Join us on Christmas Day, noon until 5:00pm as KLCC presents a This American Life Holiday Marathon! We kick off the fun and merriment with the epic 30-minute version of David Sedaris’ now legendary tale of being an elf for a mall-Santa. From there you’ll hear hilarious, tender, and off-beat takes on the holiday as only This American Life can do. An amazingly talented improv group riffs on the holiday before an audience, Jonathan Goldstein imagines Santa as a widower, and the late great David Rakoff shares wisdom that one can only get from playing Sigmund Freud in the window of an upscale Barney's department store in Manhattan. Our own team of elves at KLCC poured through the archives to bring you all these favorites and more.
So make a plan to gather with your family, friends, and neighbors around the radio or the environmentally-adjusted glow of your smartphone, and join us for a new holiday tradition. Christmas day on your radio in western and central Oregon or online at klcc.org. And say, if you happen to open up a brand new smart speaker on Christmas morning, why not test it out by asking it to “play KLCC?” Happy Holidays!
Schedule
Noon - "Christmas And Commerce"
Stories about the intersection of Christmas and retail, originally broadcast in 1996 when This American Life was only a year old. Including David Sedaris's story "Santaland Diaries," which first aired on NPR's Morning Edition.
1:00pm - "Lights, Camera, Christmas!"
A show filled with stories of people going to great lengths to throw a special Christmas for their families. Including a story from Jonathan Goldstein about Santa Claus, who, after losing his wife, Martha Claus, sets out to find love once again. Originally aired in 2012.
2:00pm - "Say Yes To Christmas"
No Christmas can ever be as good as the ones you had as a kid. But on this episode This American Life goes all in and brings the joy, the spontaneity, and the sense that anything can happen, back to Christmas. Including Ira Glass' epic rant about “The Twelve Days Of Christmas,” the one Christmas song he’s always hated. Originally aired in 2015.
3:00pm - "Comedians Of Christmas Holiday Special"
The holidays are stressful so how about an hour of comedy? Including comedians Wyatt Cenac, Mike Birbiglia, Julian McCullough, Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman and Edith Zimmerman. Originally aired in 2010.
4:00pm - "Just What I Wanted"
Stories from people who want something desperately—for Christmas or otherwise—and then have their wishes fulfilled. Or do they? Including A fictional story written and read by Maile Meloy about a family that encounters two peculiar strangers in the snow on Christmas Day. Originally aired in 2016.
