© 2026 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
It's not you — it's us. 😰 The broadcast and stream for both KCUR 89.3 and 91.9 Classical KC are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Our programming will sound different as we troubleshoot. Please bear with us as we work as quickly as possible to resolve the issue.
Up To Date
Central Standard

Kansas City Nice (R)

By Gina Kaufmann,
Matthew Long-Middleton
Published June 25, 2015 at 12:28 PM CDT

Kansas City is known as a nice town that's filled with nice people. Nice, right? Or is it? We invite an etiquette expert, a KC native and a sociology professor to discuss the history and purpose of etiquette — and what the phrase "Kansas City nice" really means.

Guests:

  • Janis Kliethermes, owner, Etiquette Kansas City
  • Rashaan Gilmore, citizen, Kansas City
  • Michelle Smirnova, assistant professor of sociology, UMKC
Tags
Central Standard etiquette
Gina Kaufmann
People don't make cameos in news stories; the human story is the story, with characters affected by news events, not defined by them. As a columnist and podcaster, I want to acknowledge what it feels like to live through this time in Kansas City, one vantage point at a time. Together, these weekly vignettes form a collage of daily life in Kansas City as it changes in some ways, and stubbornly resists change in others. You can follow me on Twitter @GinaKCUR or email me at gina@kcur.org.
See stories by Gina Kaufmann
Matthew Long-Middleton
Matthew Long-Middleton has been a talk-show producer, community producer, Media Training Manager and now the Community Engagement Manager at KCUR. You can reach him at Matthew@kcur.org, or on Twitter @MLMIndustries.
See stories by Matthew Long-Middleton