A Gentle Reminder. April 10, 2008
Posted by littlebangtheory in Politics and Society.Tags: Cheez Whiz, Death by Sandwich, NPR
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I’m a devoted listener to Public Radio, which seems to necessarily (and beneficially) include a lot of feeds from NPR, National Public Radio.
But in the last year or two, the NPR contribution to this totality has become, how should I say it, somewhat, um, vapid.
I’ll quote here the example of last week’s coverage of The Election Saga as it unfolds in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: our Fearless Reporter queried folks in several areas of the state about their political leanings with respect to their upcoming Democratic Presidential Primary.
But apparently the possibility of World Changing Political Transformation wasn’t deemed of sufficient interest to hold the attention of the flighty NPR audience, because the whole week’s explorations were dished up within the paradigm of the regional cuisine, beginning with an excruciating deconstruction of the famed Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, which was revealed to be a combination of red meat, white bread and Cheez Whiz®.
Yeah, that’s Cheez Whiz®. I Googled it.
People. Not everything that tastes good is food or pussy. Learn to say “no.”
And NPR, there’s a Food Channel for this kind of escapist bullshit. I listen to you because I expect a modicum of insight and analysis, not because I can’t figure out how to combine red meat, white bread and Cheez Whiz® into a swallowable glob.
You’re dismissed.
Little Bang Theory 
For years now, the only radio I listen to is public radio. And although I still love so many programs, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think it’s all been an attempt to gain a wider audience, which is stupid. NPR listeners are our own breed and if you want to keep us listening and donating, don’t change the menu.
So true, SR. The folks who want to be stroked in that particular way aren’t listening anyway, so why dumb it down for them???
I agree. NPR is going down the dumper. At this point, it’s redeeming qualities only seem to be “This American Life” and “Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me!” There’s also a show we get here – not sure if it’s totally national – called “You Bet Your Garden,” which, now that I’m building an all organic bee garden, is interesting to me.
The rest? Crappy. One person on another blog refered to it as National Pentagon Radio for its biased coverage of the surge.
There’s a trend here. The formerly liberal-leaning Philadelphia Inquirer was sold to a bunch of conservative business types a while back, and that’s reflected in its pages now. Former Sen. Rick “Man/Dog Sex” Santorum has a column there now, for an example.
Yeah, ewwwww. Exactly.
At least we still have two cool college-based stations here, one of which still plays jazz all night.
SR, I feel your pain. But where else will we Progressives go on the radio dial? They have us by the short-and-curlies, unless we want to retreat to our eight-tracks.
And QD, I haven’t heard “You Bet Your Garden,” but I dig the concept. Good luck with your spread!
I think of NPR as “National Petroleum Radio,” as they’re so subsidized and subsequently subservient to the big oil companies who run this hemisphere.
As for Santorum, my only question is: “Didja get any on ya??”
I still listen to Morning Edition most, umm, … mornings, but I don’t bother with All Things Considered much anymore.
I love “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”!
And, QD forgot the best show on NPR, “Car Talk”! Click and Clack are Teh Funny!
You’re right Bob, last week’s “Wait,Wait” had me screaming with laughter. What a brilliant bunch of people they’ve assembled!
Happily, my local NPR affiliate produces most of its own programming, and it’s LEAGUES beyond what the national outfit does these days. So the combination of the two keeps me informed, entertained and irate.
Folks, check out WAMC.org on your ‘puterboxes – you might never turn it off!
I still listen to “Wait, wait…” but have mostly given up on NPR; it has become, as others pointed out, far too corporate Rightist, another victim of the malevolent evil that hangs over the land.
WAMC is the best in my area, but the signal is sometimes a little weak down here.
Interestingly, I was reminded just this afternoon why NPR is still such a valuable resource. I was listening to Worldview and today’s program was entirely devoted to discussing slavery with Kevin Bales, co-founder and President of an ngo called Free the Slaves. It was fascinating and I learned some new and valuable facts.
Sure, the news coverage on All Things Considered has absolutely gone down the toilet of mediocrity. But like you said, CR, where else am I going to hear a radio program – or even watch a tv program – like this, other than NPR and PBS?
And I LOVE “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”
As simple and short as it is, I like the StoryCorps.
I’d rather listen to Public Radio than be PBSed to death by another Jane Austen series.
Amen, Sistah! The Slice-O’-Life offerings of NPR are one of its saving graces. Story Corps and This American Life are stand-outs.
I also get Shanghai’d by Selected Shorts, which has caused me to miss the Dump Run too many times to count. Damn that Isaiah Sheffer!
Others have already said what I was going to… Your words are brilliantly put indeed.
We are lucky enough here, as our local station (which you know well) has some great local stuff on the air and the political commentary by Chartok. He can be annoying but he knows his politics.
Wait Wait is great- and I have tickets for when it comes to Schenectady in May, yay. Story Corps, as PS points out is really good, This American Life.
It has dumbed itself down. I find myself yelling at the radio from time to time.
Hey, hey, we also have “The Splendid Table” on our local NPR station (Sundays), with the delicious Lynne Rossetto Kasper (foodie heaven), and Tavis Smiley, and of course the opera on Saturdays, jazz on weekend evenings including a great local show called “Jazz out of the Mainstream,” and yes, “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” which has all of us organic fair-trade coffee-guzzling types howling in our kitchens. (I don’t know about you, but I always seem to be in the kitchen when I’m listening to that show. Maybe because it’s mid-/late Saturday morning.
I like “The World.” (Joint BBC/WGBH production.)
I miss KQED though, because out there on the West Coast they also aired “Latino USA” and “Pacific Time” and here in NC we haven’t gotten quite that multicultural on public radio yet. It will happen, at least for “Latino USA,” since the population is changing here, but meanwhile one can catch those shows online — but I forget or get busy.
As for Philly food, oy!
Farmers’ market tomorrow morning. Time to go to bed.