I enjoyed this piece quite a bit. The thought of this giant, ramshackle blanketman capturing the hearts of a college campus gave me hope for the future of America, but also gave me trepidation. Just how real did Giantman look? When I picture a 9 foot tall creature using a blanket as clothing, I can't help but also see the knees, hear the sneezing of the guy below. Who could believe in Giantman? Just how serious were the classroom discussions of Giantman? Where is Tufts? I guess there was something even real-er about Giantman, something that him being an actual Giant man might destroy, something that connects to the very fabric used to create the blanket we all wear. Only criticism: if this appears anywhere other than This American Life, it would be difficult for me not to compare it to said show.

I’m sure Giantman is a metaphor for something— in fact, it might just be a metaphor for everything. It’s inspiring. Hillary Frank makes good radio with pretty much nothing-- none of that fancy ProTools or bourgeois pause button stuff-- just ideas, talent and a good story. Careful volume fades have made us soft. Perhaps not enough radio stories end with an abrupt stop. It’s sort of Brechtian—DIY, punk—just like Giantman himself.