Harry Shearer’s Le Show: Sonic Portal to News, Satire, Memory, History

Environmental Reporting


"Let Us Try" News of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Shearer in video for the song “935 Lies.” Video by Matt Mindlin.
Shearer in video for the song “935 Lies.” Video by Matt Mindlin.

Using as backdrop music from the anthem of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "Let Us Try" became a regular Le Show segment after Shearer started doing research for his documentary The Big Uneasy.

Other environmental segments that Shearer has presented on Le Show over the decades include "News of Our Friend the Atom," focusing on nuclear power plant accidents and the problem of spent fuel storage, with Shearer voicing "Atty the Atom" for several years.

"News of the Warm"

"News of Bees"

"News of Birds and Bees"

"Dominion"

"News of Microplastics", the bumper music introduction to which displays Shearer's talent for sampling and remixing. Here he overdubs dialogue from the soundtrack of the 1967 film The Graduate to include the line, "I want to say just one word to you, just one word … microplastics," before concluding with music from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's song "Mrs. Robinson" as a sonic bed for reading the news.

Next: More Satire in Song