Dwight Garner, senior editor of New York Times Book Review and author of their earnestly titled blog, Paper Cuts, has this to say about This American Life:

Admirers talk about how, blinded by show’s minor-chord epiphanies, they’ve pulled over to the side of the road to listen to a story’s conclusion. Detractors think This American Life is the most pretentious and self-absorbed mewling they’ve ever heard.

I tend toward the latter view; there have been times when I’d have gladly totaled my car just to make This American Life go away.

Try not to alienate your audience, Dwight. Who would read a blog about books but fans of This American Life?

Related: Kasper Hauser’s parody of This American Life is right on point.