The New Yorker Radio Hour

Episode: "Wedding Hair on Fire, and William Barber’s Religious Politics"
Date: June 2, 2017
Host: David Remnick

Brief Overview

In this episode, David Remnick leads a multifaceted exploration of religion, politics, psychiatric ethics, personal storytelling, and the pursuit of upward mobility in America. The episode highlights a profound interview with Rev. Dr. William Barber II about the moral infrastructure of American politics, offers a satirical take on bridal beauty through a Kristen Wiig performance, ventures into debates among psychiatrists about the public diagnosis of Donald Trump, and concludes with an interview with author Paul Theroux about family, writing, and travel.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Reverend William Barber II: Repairing America's Moral Infrastructure

Segment starts ~[00:29]

Main Theme

An in-depth interview with Rev. Dr. William Barber II, discussing his view that American politics requires a "third reconstruction" rooted in morality, justice, and inclusivity.

Key Discussion Points

• The Role of God and the Church in Justice
  Barber reflects on his early life, deep sense of justice, and his complex relationship with the institutional church.

  "I can't remember a time when God, sense of God, was not formative in my reality. But my father did have some struggle even within the church... So I struggled with that." (Barber, [02:36])

• Hijacking of Evangelicalism Barber distinguishes traditional Black evangelical theology from the right-wing interpretation, criticizing the latter as "heresy".

  "If your attention is not on dealing with the issues that hurt the poor, the brokenhearted, the sick, the left out... you don't have right wing evangelicalism. You have heresy." (Barber, [06:09])

• Support for Donald Trump Among Evangelicals The discussion critiques prosperity theology and outlines how some Christians equate wealth with virtue, leading to support for Trump.

  "If in fact then your theology says whoever is good is wealthy, then you would fawn over a wealthy businessman... Maybe it's really a purchase religion, like paid puppets of the empire." (Barber, [07:52])

• Abortion and Consistency in Moral Policy Barber calls out the hypocrisy of politicians opposing abortion but supporting policies that neglect health care, living wages, and social welfare.

  "All of your policies abort people's possibilities, dreams and hopes." (Barber, [10:02])
  "If I'm not mistaken, the one thing Jesus did was set up free health clinics. Everywhere you look in the Bible, Jesus healing folks. He never charged a leper a copay." (Barber, [11:42])

• Need for a Third Reconstruction & the Poor People’s Campaign Barber situates current events in a historical context, highlighting cycles of racial and social progress met with backlash. He calls for a coalition focused on "right versus wrong" and addresses inadequacies in partisan politics.

  "We're in the birth pains of a third reconstruction... It's the call and response of history. The call is more justice, more racial progress. The response is the progress of racism, the fear and the reaction." (Barber, [12:45])
  "Not one debate, not one full debate on voting rights at a time or the poor... Something's wrong in the spirit of the country." (Barber, [16:22])

• Morality Beyond Partisanship Barber argues that both Republican and Democratic parties need a moral reawakening, emphasizing unity around justice and dignity over identity politics.

  "A moral movement can't just challenge extremists who've taken over the Republican Party. We have to challenge reductive Democrats." (Barber, [17:21])

• Inclusion of Faith and Secular Voices in Activism He advocates for a broad-based, inclusive movement that unites people across religious and secular divides.

  "There are people who are atheists that come to our house and say amen. What we found is that there are these deep moral foundations that transcend our limits." (Barber, [19:35])

Notable Quote

"We must shock this nation with the power of love. We must shock this nation with the power of mercy. We must shock this nation and fight for justice for all." (Barber, [01:45])

2. The Goldwater Rule: Can Psychiatrists Diagnose Trump?

Segment starts ~[25:14]

Main Theme

Jane Mayer reports from a Washington, D.C. gathering of psychiatrists debating the ethics of diagnosing President Donald Trump from afar.

Key Discussion Points

• Background of the Goldwater Rule The rule prohibits psychiatrists from diagnosing public figures without personal examination, originating after the 1964 election.

  "The American Psychiatric Association's Code of Ethics, Section 7.3, tells its members not to diagnose public figures from afar. The rule is known as the Goldwater Rule..." (Remnick, [26:09])

• Contested Responsibilities Some doctors feel a moral duty to warn the public if they believe a leader is psychologically unfit.

  "My patients are coming, saying, I can't sleep. I'm worried about this guy... I think it's very important... that we need to understand Trump's psychology to do something about that and put in place some kind of system to prevent him from pulling the trigger." (John Zinner, [29:26])

• Arguments for Restraint Others warn that public diagnoses might discredit psychiatry as a profession and politicize it further.

  "If we go out and make pronouncements on Donald Trump's psychology, I don't think we gain anything. I don't think minds are changed." (Mark Conrad, [31:38])

Notable Moment

"You don't need a doctor to tell you that the guy who's coughing and hacking and sneezing on the plane is sick..." (Mark Conrad, [32:38])

3. “My Wedding Hair” – Performed by Kristen Wiig

Segment starts ~[34:17]

Main Theme

A comedic monologue performed by Kristen Wiig, depicting a bride describing her ideal "wedding hair" to a stylist, highlighting the absurdity and anxiety surrounding wedding preparations.

Key Moments

• A hilarious blend of impossible expectations and contradictory instructions ("updo, but messy," "homesteader vibe," "sexy Little House on the Prairie," "napping with doves but sophisticated").
• Satirical depiction of elaborate, often unattainable bridal ideals.

Memorable Lines

"Like, picture a lady standing in a field... except I don't want to look all weathered, just, like, super pretty. But also, I have a ton of inner reserves. Does that make any sense? ...And all of this is signified by my strategically tousled updo." (Kristen Wiig, [34:53])

4. Paul Theroux on “Motherland”: Family, Writing, and the Writer's Muse

Segment starts ~[38:01]

Main Theme

Deborah Treisman speaks with Paul Theroux about his novel "Motherland," which draws on his own family life to explore power dynamics, familial conflict, and the creative process.

Key Discussion Points

• Family as Nation and Dictatorship

  "A family can be a nation too... And then usually there’s someone in charge. Always there’s someone in charge. In this case, it’s Mother." (Theroux, [38:01])

• Mother as Muse and Dictator Theroux compares his mother’s methods of keeping the family together with those of historic dictators, humorously and sharply.

  "The mother resembles a lot of the dictators that I’ve seen in my life come and go... creating dissension in order to keep power." (Theroux, [39:33])

• How Family and Travel Shaped His Writing He credits both the urge to escape family life and the experiences of travel with making him a writer.

  "I wasn’t happy in this big family, and I fantasized about going away. So I think going away made me a writer.” (Theroux, [42:59])

• Autobiography and Anonymity Theroux acknowledges the autobiographical influences on his work and finds liberation in literary anonymity.

  “It’s like being a ghost. And the great thing about being a ghost is that no one sees you, but you see everything.” (Theroux, [49:07])

5. Emily Greenhouse’s Book and Culture Recommendations

Segment starts ~[50:34]

Highlights

• Discusses her upcoming wedding and book finds, including “The Jewish Wife” and a Janet Hobhouse art book.
• Shares the story of the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn—a historical Black community.
• Recommends contemporary protest music, specifically Shearwater’s “Quiet Americans.”

Notable Quote

“But I have felt more empowered in the kind of protest surge in the past few weeks for reasons you’ve been writing about. And I’ve been thinking of like, contemporary protest music.” (Emily Greenhouse, [52:29])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |-----------------------------------|------------| | Rev. William Barber II Interview | 00:29 | | Psychiatric Debate on Trump | 25:14 | | Kristen Wiig Wedding Monologue | 34:17 | | Paul Theroux on "Motherland" | 38:01 | | Emily Greenhouse’s Recommendations| 50:34 |

Memorable Quotes

• Barber on Evangelicalism:

  "If your attention is not on dealing with the issues that hurt the poor... you don't have right wing evangelicalism. You have heresy." ([06:09])

• Barber on Social Justice:

  "There are 3,500 scriptures in the Bible about love and justice and mercy and how you treat the stranger... It's talking about how we shape society. It's talking about the nations." ([08:32])

• Kristen Wiig as the Bride:

  "I'd like to look blithe, you know, beautiful and also maybe like I just woke up from napping with some doves, but also really sophisticated." ([34:53])

• Theroux on Anonymity:

  "It’s like being a ghost. And the great thing about being a ghost is that no one sees you, but you see everything." ([49:07])

• Jane Mayer on Psychiatry’s Dilemma:

  "The mini crisis in the psychiatric profession reflects the larger crisis in the country where people are grasping for some kind of answers that make sense of how we ended up with a president who is so outside of the mold of all the presidents we've had before." ([32:44])

Episode Tone and Style

The episode flows from urgent and serious political and social analysis (Barber), through nuanced exploration of professional ethics (psychiatry segment), into comedic and literary storytelling (Wiig, Theroux), and ends with cultural recommendations and personal reflection. The tone combines the gravitas of activism and politics with the wit, skepticism, and curiosity characteristic of The New Yorker’s editorial voice.

For Further Listening

For more details or stories referenced, visit newyorkerradio.org.