As editor of The New York Time’s “Modern Love” column since 2004, our guest Daniel Jones has read over 50,000 love letters. Well, not love letters exactly, but letters about love. Okay, and most of them aren’t actual physical letters, but emails. Which says a lot about the state of romance in 2014, given how much of it sparks, burns, and is often extinguished from behind a computer screen. Technology’s impact on modern love features heavily in Jones’ new book “Love Illuminated: Exploring Life’s Most Mystifying Subject with the Help of 50,000 Strangers”.
Love Songs Vs. Heartbreak Songs
- What makes for a chart-topping hit? Love or heartbreak? Joining us is a man with some stats, Joe Levy, editorial director of Billboard. We'll also reveal the winner of our highly contentious 'Love is a Battlefield' bracket.WOM02132014B.mp3
A Romantic Night Out...At Hooters
- Love it or hate it, the numbers are clear: we celebrate valentine’s day in a big way. The Greeting Card Association estimates that 1 billion cards will be sent, The National Retail Federation’s 2014 Valentine’s Day spending survey says 54 percent of Americans will celebrate with their loved ones, and the National Restaurant Association expects one quarter of American adults to dine out. How will you be getting in the mood? May we suggest a candlelit dinner at White Castle? Or a romantic evening at Hooters? Nothing says “I love you” like a heart-shaped cruller from Dunkin Donuts, or pepperoni-scented perfume from Pizza Hut. Yes, those are all real options. Joining us to talk about some of the more unexpected ways to shower that special someone with love is J.M. Hirsch, food editor at the Associated Press.WOM02132014C2.mp3
Ok, Maybe A Romantic Night In Would Be Better...Right After We Change The Diaper
- For the parents of young children, getting out to a nice restaurant can require some tricky logistics. Between babysitters, winter colds, and sheer exhaustion, it’s understandable when parents ditch romantic efforts in lieu of pajamas and another night of bad TV. But why not have a date night from the comfort of home? Producer Taylor Quimby and his wife discovered a way to enjoy the both of best worlds… maybe.WOM02132014D.mp3
Credit Taylor QuimbyThere's nothing more romantic than a microphone shoved into a paper towel roll during dinner.
Constructing The Ultimate Love Song
- Love songs are ripe for parody. From virtually anything by Celine Dion to Whitney Houston’s classic “I Will Always Love You”, they tend toward the smarmy and simplistic or soaring and saccharine – and depending on the love life status of the listener, are either adored or reviled. Word of mouth thought it would be fun to compose a love song composed only of chart-topping lyrical clichés – so we asked for your suggestions, and then sent our team into the studio to brainstorm.WOM02132014C.mp3Love songs versus heartbreak ballads
And we want you… nay, NEED you to take a stab at making this love song sound good (or funny, at the very least), and upload your version (via SoundCloud or YouTube) to our Facebook page. Tabs and lyrics can be found here.
