The commercials. I'm glad they
advertising, but the cattle-auction rapid fire delivery of stupid pitches for dubious products just turns me off. In fact it turns me off so much, I rarely listen to talk radio, even shows I otherwise like. They're not even
bad, just annoying. It's like all your e-mail spam about refinancing being screamed at you.
Talk show hosts and producers, listen to your shows, including the commercial breaks, and see what I mean. Insist on some production values, some modulation in the script reading, because if an ad (or series of ads) drives away listeners it's a loser for you in the long run.
I guess I could listen to Air America, where they don't have any advertisers, but apparently they suck.
Yeah, just like you've been saying since 1992. Schmucks.
1
I agree, the ads are cheesy and annoying, so I just turn the volume down for a few minutes until they pass.
Posted by: Carlos at August 08, 2005 07:48 PM (8e/V4)
2
Subscribe to Rush, get the podcasts, no commercials - plus, listen to them on your way to work!
Posted by: Bemis at August 08, 2005 08:07 PM (98XV1)
3
I listened to the radio about 5 minutes last year, to see if there was anything worth hearing.
Well, the battery was still good.
Watch. Those podcasts are going to get advertising in them, just as cable TV did once people got hooked.
(Cynical? Who? Me?)
Posted by: Phillep at August 08, 2005 08:31 PM (zNjIG)
4
I thought everyone listened to Rush?
Posted by: greyrooster at August 08, 2005 10:18 PM (CBNGy)
5
I don't think I've ever heard a talk radio show all the way through, and this gives me a good reason not to start. I listen to CSPAN mostly, and to PBS as long as it's not some idiotarian rant. The rest of the radio dial is pretty much barren territory to me. I'm pretty sure the reason is that every time I try to listen to anything else the commercials drive me away. How could there possibly be anything worth listening to in the midst of such utter garbage? It's like presenting a beautiful dish on Iron Chef with roaches crawling all over it. Who gives a damn what it might taste like?
Posted by: Demosophist at August 09, 2005 12:36 AM (IbWE6)
6
I meant NPR not PBS. Well, that's obvious I guess. Heck, I even like Garrison Keillor as long as he stays away from politics. In the DC area NPR has the Diane Rheims Show. She's an interviewer who has a modest speech impediment of some sort, that sounds a bit like she has MS or something. But she tends to have guests across the political spectrum and manages to allow her guests to come through without the distortion of her own views (unlike Charlie Rose, who has to be the worst interviewer in history).
Posted by: Demosophist at August 09, 2005 12:46 AM (IbWE6)
7
Demosophist, most of that NPR stuff is too precious and smug. Believe me, I like good talk radio, and even certain bad talk radio, and I would listen more if I could do so discreetly at work (not a place I want to pump out the Ingraham) and the commercials were the least bit clever.
Come to think of it the calls irritate me too. It's too much like a blog post with a bunch of idiots commenting--except that every one gets read aloud. There are good callers--I've called in to national talk shows before, and I'm brilliant--but too many times what Clarence in Costa Mesa has to say about affirmative action is not ready for prime time.
Posted by: See-Dubya at August 09, 2005 01:18 AM (8S5GI)
8
I hate the moronic PSA's. I think they're designed to make people stupid, especially those about "do something with a kid" and the ones from Red Cross that start out;"I don't look like you... (abnormally long pause), I don't dress like you... I don't etc. like you... but I will save your life." I hate the Red Cross with a burning passion as it is, and I damn sure don't want some of their lowlife scum resuscitating me.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at August 09, 2005 02:21 AM (0yYS2)
9
Oh yes, and the gold thing, what a scam! I think better long term investments are lead and copper, specifically in increments of .223 or .308 inch, along with a fortified bunker in the hills, long-shelf-life food, and a good supply of potassium iodide.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at August 09, 2005 02:30 AM (0yYS2)
10
The commercials are a festering boil on the ass of civilization.
What is worse are the legal disclamers at the end. 539 words uttered in 18 seconds. The aural equavilent of fine print.
If I die and go to hell, I will spend eternity listening to Susan Estrich fire off an endless string of radio disclaimers whilst being poked in the hinder by a pitch-fork wielding Rosie O'donnel.
Posted by: Mumblix Grumph at August 09, 2005 04:16 AM (tS6IZ)
11
I listen to talk radio all day through the streaming audio on my PC. Of course, I'm the only one in my office so it's not an issue. And the commercials ARE inane. TV has gotten just as awful. I counted 39 commercials during one half-hour show. Over saturation.
But every now and then that truly funny commercial will come on and we'll laugh like fools. The funniest part is that the commercial is sometimes so good we can't remember what the product was.
Posted by: Oyster at August 09, 2005 06:07 AM (YudAC)
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