Compiled by Janet Hamilton
From the OrigamiUSA Newsletter Issue 80, 2003/Volume 2
Members of the origami-l email list reported the following origami “hearings” on the radio:
National Public Radio broadcast a piece on 12/1/96 about travel to different countries. A woman commented on the complexity of the bedding in a German hotel: "The bedspread was folded back into an origami frog..."
A 6/30/98 skit on the Prairie Home Companion (National Public Radio) had Garrison Keillor, in his role as the gentle cowboy, describing his room in the boarding house--"my satin comforter, my origami..."
In a radio skit aired Feb. 6, 1999 of the "Prairie Home Companion" the governor of the sate of Minnesota (Jesse Ventura) wants detective "Guy Noir" to make sure no one he nominates for the head of the department of corrections does anything strange -- like origami -- in his spare time.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity is a feature broadcast by more than 30 radio stations nationwide, and internationally by the Armed Forces Radio and Television network. Dr. John Lienhard hosted an episode featuring origami. The transcript can be found at http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1110.htm.
A reporter on the National Public Radio program, "All things Considered" (7/11/2000) was talking about the efforts being done to help the horseshoe crab. "There aren’t as many of them as there was awhile ago... Well.... The Save the Horseshoe Crab Foundation offers for sale many unique things with using the horse shoe crab image; ear rings, tie pins, AND.... a video which will show you how to fold your own ORIGAMI horse shoe crab. No mention of the designer Michael LaFosse. http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1076531
On a radio commercial for Benjamin Moore paints, the speaker was trying unsuccessfully to impress a Mr. Ben Theredonethat, by mentioning a man who did Origami sculptures of the Eiffel Tower. (To which Ben replied, "yeah, yeah he live downstairs from me, so what".)
A casino in Perth, Australia featured origami in a radio ad for their vouchers (9/2000). A man makes a bird, horse, then is challenged to make a hotel suite with spa, but when asked to made a Chinese banquet, the rustling stops, and the voice over suggests 'maybe you should try using a separate piece of paper".
An interview with Scott Cramer was aired by New Hampshire Public Radio during the local news breaks in 'Morning Edition' and 'All Things Considered' on 4/18/2000.
On 7/9/2001, the radio program “The Front Porch” with John Walters (New Hampshire Public Radio) aired a segment about Rick Davis, the founder of the Institute for Totally Useless Skills. His latest book, “Totally Useless Office Skills” offers instructions in Business Card Origami, the Endless Fax, and playing your telephone as a musical instrument. http://www.nhpr.org/content/fullmonty_view.php/1029/
Joseph Wu did an interview with "The Early Edition" on CBC Radio 1, which aired Monday 6/3/02 at 8:50 a.m. on AM690.
8/15/2002 on National Public Radio - “Millions of people have seen his work, but most of them don't know who George Rhoads is. His sculptures are in New York's Port Authority bus terminal, Boston's Logan Airport, and nearly 250 other locations around the world. The 76-year-old artist lives in Ithaca, New York, and builds audio-kinetic sculptures, or what Rhoads calls "ball machines." Independent producer Jon Miller reports. (6:29)” Origami is mentioned in the segment which is available at http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1148347. Robert Harbin published several George Rhoads models in his 1964 book 'Secrets of Origami', and George was a member of Lillian Oppenheimer's circle of origami friends.