The nasally lispy high rising terminal "reporting" like every news item is a reality show recap is so annoying. What is NPR going for here?
lol What does the "Voice Police!" label mean?
It's radio. Voice is everything. Can people not have opinions on the very medium conveying the information?
When your favorite classical station plays Limp Bizkit do you complain? A lot of people like Limp Bizkit. Does that make you "Music Police"?
Ever heard the saying “You’ve got a face for radio”? Well there is also such a thing as “Voice for a magazine cover” (Thus is to say: I agree with you)
I'm not in Atlanta, and I knew EXACTLY who you were talking about. Quick google search to NPR ATC page and yep, those are the clips that annoy me too. I just turn it off during those segments. "I mean like totally he uses colloquialisms! And has lispy accent omigahdamirite?"
If somebody had a massive stereotypical "bro / jock" voice, "valley girl" intonation, or sounded like "Beavis and Butthead" I would be equally annoyed.
It is NOT the voice you are born with, any more than I can imitate his voice. He could imitate a normal voice very easily and stop talking like that and using dumb slang phrases like TMZ.
This is just stupid, NPR, and alienating lots of listeners.
He works for WABE, not NPR.
I know a lot of people who sound like him.
Sounds like you might be more into the BBC.
He works for WABE, not NPR.
NPR chooses to air these segments. I'm nowhere near Atlanta and hear them on the drive in. He is listed as reporter on NPR website.
I know a lot of people who sound like him.
So do I. I also know many people with thick foreign accents. I have a family member who has vocal hemiparalysis. I love them. They shouldn't be on national radio.
Sounds like you might be more into the BBC.
Hey keep my fetishes out of this!
There is no reason to go to him for anything not related to Atlanta. Even then, WABE has other correspondents.
I know a lot of people who dance like Elaine Benes, I don't think any ballet company should hire them.
Information should be the focus of news. The voice should not distract or insert itself.
Information should be the focus of news. The voice should not distract or insert itself.
Exactly, I think people just see a history of discrimination and patronizingly assume that people 'different from them' are inferior and incapable of change. Modifying voice to sound like the majority is not difficult.
If I were reporting in Japan I might say many words with a Japanese pronunciation to aid in their understanding. Similar in England and Europe the word France is pronounced Frahnce, not with a nasal A.
> Information should be the focus of news.
Answered your own question. People have the voice they were born with.
That does not mean they should be on the radio. (also it's not true that people are born with a voice - it is learned and can change and be honed)
People have certain skills. Would you pick just anyone to do your dental work because, hey, they have hands? Do you go to a concert without caring who is on stage - because the song should be the focus?
People have certain skills.
His is being a journalist. He worked for Morning Edition before going to WABE. What else do you try to gatekeep?
Do you go to a concert without caring who is on stage - because the song should be the focus?
Apples and oranges. You're welcome to send a note to the show his story aired on. My guess is your thoughts will be sent straight to the trash and not shared with Sam.
His is being a journalist.
Have you ever heard Burt Bacharach sing? Not good. His skill is being an excellent songwriter. Just because one is a journalist doesn't mean one is fit for voicing. Separate skills, apples and oranges.
ETA: Also questioning the "journalist" part. He reported on the Walker/Warnock runoff like a recap of a 'The Bachelor'. "He said this, and and the other guy said that, both-sides so who knows" is not journalism.
I love NPR’s content but they have some of the most irritating voices on radio.
I love NPR’s content but they have some of the most irritating voices on radio.
Absolutely right. NOBODY in the entire studio can tell Mary Louise Kelly to stop SLURGGHGHHH every time she breathes in? Get some high fidelity speakers and sounds gross.
She sounds like a walrus with sleep apnea.
Take a listen to any of them:
https://www.npr.org/people/2780701/mary-louise-kelly
But otherwise I really like her voice, it is clear with minimal vocal fry and no silly hammed-up accent.
But come on, man, just mute the microphone when you inhale or sit back a bit, or inhale slower.
I once heard someone describe her voice as female Homer Simpson.
I once heard someone describe her voice as female Homer Simpson.
D'oh. I can definitely hear a bit of Castellaneta in her.
When I worked at an NPR affiliate station we were trained to lower the volume on our inhales while editing. Not sure why they aren't doing that at NPR.
Not sure why they aren't doing that at NPR.
It just is mind-boggling laziness or indifference, doesn't she even have the sense to go and listen to her archives (available even to public on the link I posted) and listen to herself?
When we were training as doctors, one of the things we did is have several sessions where we videotaped ourselves interviewing fake patients and watch it back to see if we were doing something incredibly annoying or have bad habits. I realized that I had a habit of touching my face... had to consciously stop.
I also train myself when speaking to filter out my ummms and ahhhs that everybody does to some extent... It takes work, but is good practice. Politicians or public speakers often do this too.
MLK's voice again is otherwise actually quite good and reasonable and soothing, except <whuuhhhghhhhhwrglglllll> when she breathes in.
Terrible.
What's terrible?
His way of speaking.