Many individual public radio stations produce solid local content, or curate unusual or interesting content. I happen to listen, for my sins, to Oregon Public Broadcasting, which does neither well and thus especially sucks.Fellow residents of the Beaver State naturally rose up with one voice to defend their own. Except that they didn't. "OPB does suck absolute balls," observed MyDogIsChelsea. "It's truly inexcusable. I don't even know why they bother."
Now, perhaps some of you out there in Blogland, particularly those of you who don't endure OPB on a daily basis, are thinking "Gosh, M5K and MyDog are just smug little radio snobs. I'm sure that this Oregon Public Broadcasting is a fine institution. They should just chill."
Well, here's the OPB monthly newsletter that arrived here at Castle5000 yesterday:
Case closed.
BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I have tears streaming down my face from this post. I got that same goddamn member guide in my mail yesterday as well—and had a similar reaction: "Barry fucking Manilow?!!"
ReplyDeleteAnd then (maybe you didn't have this thought): "You know, he really looks like that Clay Aiken fella."
(PS: it's totally lame that I can't leave a comment as My Dog is Chelsea anymore... I mean I can, but I can't link to my site anymore. F-ing Blogger. God.)
I would like to point out the following: firstly, on viewing the cover, michael5000 and I were both and separately confused whether the central figure in the dark blue, um, body bag was Rod Stewart or Barry Manilow. (It is Barry Manilow). I dimly recall that in the 70's the two were more clearly distinguishable, so conjecture that several decades of surgical face-tightening and holiday broadcasts have taken their toll, if not on their faces, at least on public memory of their faces. (Clay Aiken did not, in our household, come up as a possibility).
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I draw to your attention that we are receiving a publication for OPB *members*. This detail, coupled with the vehemence of M5K's rant, seems to support a number of possible conjectures. Some of them would probably be mutually exclusive, but all eminently cartoonable.
@laura: At first, I thought it was Rod Stewart, and really that was bad enough. But no. Barry. Fucking. Manilow.
ReplyDeleteI mean, really, what the hell are they thinking?
Hmmm. I toss the guide, never watch the TV programming, and only listen to the radio.
ReplyDeleteI like the radio. I like OPB radio. It's where I get most of my news. It's the reason I have the illusion that I am capable of speaking intelligently about current issues.
And I love Car Talk. They had this thing on a few weeks ago about how to cook a meatloaf while driving.
Oh. That's a program out of New Haven or someplace called "My Fair City."
Ok, well, what about the Writer's Almanac? Hello, it was Louisa May Alcott's birthday today and she much preferred writing lurid tales full of blood and gore, but got stuck with the "little women" schlock by her publisher. Now that's useful information.
Oh. Minnesota Public Radio, you say?
Fresh Air? No. Splendid Table, where the folks talk about where to find great fried chicken in the deep south? No.
Ok, well, let me just say that I am delighted that this programming is at least available to me here in the Beaver State. OPB does not suck. So there.
Dude... way to judge a book by it's cover. Those pictures are just pandering to people who give money during the pledge drive.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE OPB and watch it more than any other station. Wired Science, BBC programing, American Experience, The History Project, Nature, Nova, Rick Steve's Europe, Travels to the Edge, Globe Trekker, Frontline... and Sewing with Nancy. SEWING WITH NANCY for goodness sake. ;)
Seriously though, there's just so much extremely good programming, I'm constantly impressed. The other day I was just flipping through and I saw an interview with the Israli prime minister and I got interested in it.... like actual questions, actual answers... a decent 20 minute interview rather than a 30 second sound bite. I was amazed.
You need to watch more network programming....then you can complain about OPB.
Dude... way to judge a book by it's cover. Those pictures are just pandering to people who give money during the pledge drive.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE OPB and watch it more than any other station. Wired Science, BBC programing, American Experience, The History Project, Nature, Nova, Rick Steve's Europe, Travels to the Edge, Globe Trekker, Frontline... and Sewing with Nancy. SEWING WITH NANCY for goodness sake. ;)
Seriously though, there's just so much extremely good programming, I'm constantly impressed. The other day I was just flipping through and I saw an interview with the Israli prime minister and I got interested in it.... like actual questions, actual answers... a decent 20 minute interview rather than a 30 second sound bite. I was amazed.
You need to watch more network programming....then you can complain about OPB.
@bridget: Hmm. Well, reference to the original post might lend some nuance to my position.
ReplyDelete@rebel: I would hate to think I didn't have the common sense to judge books by their covers.
In any event, I don't watch any television at all, so tend to forget that OPB has a television arm as well as a radio arm. No doubt OPB television is fabulous. I speak here only of radio.
@bridget:...by which I mean, the original "Public Radio Sucks" post. In it, I clarify that it is a relative, not an absolute, sucking.
ReplyDeleteI hear his fan club is fiercely loyal and large. Only met one of them though. My sympathies for the condition of your public radio.
ReplyDeleteI have to go back and read that original post. The OPB may suck but your writing about it doesn't. ha!
Okay, read it and I am in agreement as far for the public radio here on those terms as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's not popular to say it. So kudos. There are things to love but there are no surprises. In the last year to year and a half there has been some sort of downward spiraling IMO. Or maybe I've just been paying closer attention.
Maybe the pablum is a reaction to the threat of funding cuts.
At a the Copa . . . Copa Cabana!
ReplyDelete@Dr. Ken: My point exactly.
ReplyDeleteMK5: yes, I tracked back and having caught up, I feel the nuance. And *sigh* fresh and new is not OPB's strong point . . . they are the comfy cardigan of the airwaves. That said, doesn't having just a titch of conflict, of disagreement, of an ever-so-slightly different view, spice things up a bit here at Michael5000 corporate headquarters? Hey, ho, I say! OPB doesn't suck!
ReplyDelete