Switcheroo

People pretending to be people they're not: sometimes it's harmless, sometimes it's harmful, and sometimes it's hard to tell. From world-famous artists to mail-order brides to a practice that could change the face of American journalism. Prologue: Recently, host Ira Glass and his friend Etgar Keret were at an exhibit of photography by Cindy Sherman, and a woman came up to Etgar claiming to be Cindy Sherman. Then she said she wasn't. Ira decides to call Cindy Sherman to clear things up. (9 minutes) Healthy Start: What if someone mistakes you for someone else, and you decide to just go with it? Actor John Conlee reads this story from Etgar Keret's book Suddenly a Knock on the Door. In the podcast version, Etgar returns to explain the real-life experience that inspired him to write the story. (12 minutes) Forgive us our Press Passes: Producer Sarah Koenig reports on a company called Journatic, that is producing local journalism in a brand new way. Or is it really journalism? (23 1/2 minutes) An article at Poynter.org adds details to the story. Runaway Groom: Comedian Jackie Clarke tells this story, about parents pretending to be parents. Jackie is a writer for the ABC sitcom Happy Endings.