Comic, actor, screenwriter and director Albert Brooks is the subject of a new HBO documentary called Defending My Life. It examines his career from his standup in the late '60s to his films including Real Life, Modern Romance, and Lost in America. It's directed by Brooks' longtime friend Rob Reiner. Brooks spoke with Terry Gross in 1996. Also, Justin Chang reviews May December, directed by Todd Haynes, which dramatizes a '90s tabloid story. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted Radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
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I'm Tanya Moseley.
Comedian, actor, and filmmaker Albert Brooks is the subject of a new HBO documentary directed by his longtime friend, Rob Reiner.
It's titled Albert Brooks, defending my Life.
Today we're going to listen to our interview with Brooks, who our critic at large John Powers once called the funniest man in America and our leading satirist of middle class self indulgence.
Brooks has written, directed and starred in the films real life, Modern Romance, lost in America, and defending your life.
He started his career as a stand up comic, and in addition to making his own films, he co starred as an insecure journalist in broadcast news and as a campaign worker and taxi driver.
More recently, he appeared in HBO's curb your enthusiasm, playing himself in the episode, he decides that after going to so many funerals where wonderful things are said about the deceased, he wants to have his own funeral before he dies.
Here he is stopping by his friend Larry David's house.
Larry is there with his sidekick Leon.
Listen, I just stopped by to pick up a photo of you, me, and Marty short taken at Lincoln center that I want for the memorial.
Can I borrow it?
Sure.
That's all?
Yeah, yeah, it's in there.