Try a Little Tenderness
1/25/20261 hr 1 min
In the new year, stories of people trying a radical approach to solving their problems.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
Prologue: Ira meets two sisters who got into a fight, and then learned a lesson in turning the other cheek. (8 minutes)Act One: A hardened PI works the toughest case of his very young life. (18 minutes)Act Two: Producer Aviva DeKornfeld talks to a man who finds himself the target of vengeful crows. (8 minutes)Act Three: Comedian Josh Johnson wonders if some people should’ve been spanked as kids. (10 minutes)Act...
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsIra Glass· Host0:01
Mae's six years old, in first grade, and she's the kind of forthright kid who, when we sit down for an interview, before I can get to any of the things that I wanna ask her, she launches into a few get to know you questions of her own. Hi, Mae.
Mae Zmudzinski· Guest0:13
Uh, what's your favorite color?
Ira Glass· Host0:15
We discuss favorite colors, and then she moves on to- What's your middle name? I'm glad you're asking me that. My middle name is Edward. We move on to last names, and soon she's instructing me on the pronunciation of her last name.
Mae Zmudzinski· Guest0:26
Can you say Zmudzinski? That's how you say it.
Ira Glass· Host0:30
Zmudzinski.
Mae Zmudzinski· Guest0:32
[scoffs] Zmudzinski. Z-M-U-D-Z-I-N-S-K-I.
Ira Glass· Host0:39
The story I was there to talk to Ms. Zmudzinski about happened at the beginning of the school year in St. Louis, where she lives. It was hot out.
Mae Zmudzinski· Guest0:45
It's sort of a funny story. So my sister told me to wear long sleeves. [upbeat music] I mean, short sleeves because it was, like, summer.
Ira Glass· Host0:55
Mm-hmm.
Mae Zmudzinski· Guest0:55
So, and I wanted to wear long sleeves, and I just got mad.
Ira Glass· Host1:00
Yeah.
Mae Zmudzinski· Guest1:01
And I also said, "Stop bossing me around."
Johanna Zmudzinski· Guest1:04
So she really didn't like it, and she has a very fiery temper.
Ira Glass· Host1:11
This is her older sister, Johanna. Johanna's eight, in third grade. Again, Mae, six, first grade. And Johanna, as the older sister, is very aware of the things that make Mae upset.
Johanna Zmudzinski· Guest1:21
Mostly when I tell her what to do.
Ira Glass· Host1:25
[laughs] Especially, she says, when it comes to what Mae is wearing.
Johanna Zmudzinski· Guest1:29
Like,