Small Talk: Baby’s e-presence, the reputation of clowns
Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam talk to Marketplace staffers about Costco's survivalist, or ultimate lazy grocery shopper, deal; clowns defending their image; and babies on the Internet, even while in utero.
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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.