Without a lot of fanfare in the early 1980s a fledgling cable channel called MTV launched in New Jersey. No one knew it at the time but it was the start of something big, a sea change in American society that would break the big traditional values of the 50s and 60s down into specialized, bite sized chunks ready to be gobbled up by enthusiasts, fanboys and hop heads for the next several decades. At the same time microbreweries were steadily growing in popularity from a niche interest into a national powerhouse that only continues to expand to this day. But does all this specialization just mean more fun for everybody? Or does it come at a cost?

Joining us on this episode are Theresa McCulla, curator of the American brewing history initiative at the National Museum of American History, and Alan Newman, co-founder of Magic Hat Brewing in Burlington, VT. We’re also joined by the one and only Colin Connor who’s nice enough to add a little pizzazz to the landmark 1995 essay “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam.

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