Letter of the morning: Whitewashing behind the scenes at NPR
Reader Karl in Hampton VA e-mails me about what he witnessed at a recent NPR show taping. Here’s how the liberal sausage is made on the NPR program, “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”–billed as an “oddly informative news quiz.” Your tax dollars at work!
Last Thursday night my wife and I went to the live local taping of the NPR show, “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”, in Virginia Beach. Well, I had never seen a radio show taped before and even though they say it is a live show, at the end of the show the editors have Peter Sagal, Carl Kassel and the rest of the crew redo any awkward moments or screw-ups so that the broadcast (Saturdays at 1100) sounds as smooth as possible. So, the “live” taping took about 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes of retakes.
Here’s the funny part, one of the panelists had a Fuzzy Zoeller moment during the “lightning round” (if you are not familiar with the show, they have a celebrity panel that has to answer questions about current events): Roxanne Roberts was told about a current event at the (if I remember correctly) Oregon State Fair where a black man wanted to introduce the overwhelmingly white crowd to black culture…the question she was asked was, what did the black man do? Her response…he had a watermelon stand! Well, the audience of NPR listeners (overwhelmingly white upper class liberals) guffawed and then caught themselves when they realized the impact of what had been said. So, of course, you will not hear that on the Saturday broadcast…wouldn’t want NPR to show that even liberals can make verbal slipups — and laugh at racist jokes!!!!! Somehow, though, I don’t think Roxanne Roberts will be blacklisted from the Washington social scene. And, I doubt that any of them will recognize their own hypocrisy the next time they castigate someone for a similar incident.
Another funny contradiction about the show: it is sponsored and funded by Pabst Blue Ribbon! I mean, how many NPR listeners do you think drink Pabst Blue Ribbon?!? I asked Peter Sagal about that after the show wondering if they are trying to boost the NASCAR demographic segment of their listeners. He just said that they came forward unsolicited.
Gotta love it! Do I sound bitter and clingy???
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Depends on what the definition of “Live” is. Words have no meaning anymore. I think I’ll just tell my boss that I’m going home but I’ll still be at work.
I’m sure glad my tax $$$$ are going to such a worthless institution as this. They hate this country with all their black souls. Dark hearts send a darker message. Oh, and WE finance it. Just ducky……….
I used to enjoy listening to this show but have tuned it out recently as the liberal bias makes it to hard to enjoy the rest of the show. They will poke fun at Democrats with some light jokes (to give the appearance of fairness) but their jokes about Bush and Republicans are vicious. It is too bad because it is has a lot of good humor, even if it is filled with liberal snobs like Roxanne Roberts and Peter Sagal.
C’mon spo-con, how is THAT helping Michelle O’s kids?
I kind of thought Mz. Roberts answer was kind of funny. Does that make me a racist too?
On the other hand had a black comic said the same thing, would it have been okay for the audience to laugh?
I don’t care who you, that’s funny right there.
Those people are still in business?
Makes me glad i drink Guiness.
I can see why the Papst unsolicited sponsorship, you gotta be half in the bag to listen to the show.
They have a mean sense of humor of all things not leaning left.
#4……Mama Obamas nannies can help her children.
Seems like Pabst may need some advice in the marketing department.
When you think about the question of “What was a black man trying to introduce to his predominantly white audience that would illustrate black culture,” what answer would NOT be construed as racist, stereotypical, bigoted, or whatever the word of the day is? We are in a sad state when hyper-sensitivity controls so much of our lives.
The lower class white person (in other words the redneck) is the last bastion of free-for-all ridicule.
eh.
People have lost their sense of humor and their ability to laugh at themselves today …
Another by product of the P.C. (Pure Crap) culture …
BTW … the funniest ethnic jokes I have ever heard were told to me by people of the ethnicity mentioned in the joke …
Get a life America … quit taking everything personally …
You mean to tell me that Pabst Blue Ribbon has gone liberal… is nothing sacred!
Very good DesertLover. Its not the color of the skin, but the thickness of it that is the real problem.
Some corrections and context:
- the venue was a farmers’ market in Eugene, the city is home to very blue University of Oregon
- the actual “stand” was an enterprising student who noted very well the lack of color in this university town. He set up a stand that offered “meet a black person”.
Yes, the progressives must pay close attention to their actual public performances. With the advent of YouTube and blogs, there are no longer any “off the record” moments.
More popcorn, please.
Mike
Watermelons? That’s now racist? Stereotypical, perhaps, but racist? I don’t think so.
you can’t say that and leave everyone here wondering.
Number of posts before Pabst Blue Ribbon’s underwriting becomes sub-references for Blue Velvet in 3. . .2. . .1
Oh, heck. I’ll start:
“Heiniken?!! F*** that s***! Pabst! Blue! Ribbon!
With all of the money that “Barney”, “Arthur”, “Teletubbies” etc. etc. bring in why are tax dollars still going to PBS and NPR?
I take it the term ‘Celebrity Panel’ is used loosely..
m2inor,
Thanks for the correction - I live near Salem, and I think I would have heard about that one if it happened at the state fair….
PBR is the cool hipster beer. I’m not at all surprised it’s the sponsor of “Wait! Wait!”
http://copyranter.blogspot.com/2006/10/pbrs-hipster-pedigree.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070903193409AAGV9bf
http://alittleknoxvillian.blogspot.com/2008/01/hipster-bingo.html
fourstring
Sorry… my machine went crazy.
Fourstring,
Of course that’s rascist. Say it in any Fortune 500 Company in the USA in front of an HR rep and see how fast you’re shown the door…
Liberal biased NPR another gross misuse and waste of valuable tax dollars.
Fixed it. Liberals are more than happy to laugh at anyone else’s expense, no matter how inappropriate or unfunny.
Ok, that’s actually funny.
More tax money down a rat hole.
Saturday nights at 11 I don’t listen to the radio unless I am in my car. Then I play either news or a baseball game if it’s still going or classical music.
I wish I could vote with my dollars– I opt for Sirius Satellite. But I have to pay for what I use (Sirius) and for what I do Not (NPR).
And by the way, NPR is on Sirius (pay-per-hear) so why are we still subsidizing it? End it now.
Contest: who can come up with the best words that NPR stands for?
Numbskull Propaganda Radio
Goodness, I haven’t tuned in NPR (or PBS) since 1982! Seems to me they are still just a bad joke.
I always call it “National People’s Radio”, although I don’t remember from whom I got the term. (And the “Washington Post” is the “Washington Pravda”, also for its political leanings over the decades.)
Since Bonneville (a broadcasting conglomerate out of Utah) killed WGMS, the commercial classical radio station in Washington, DC, I have been stuck with NPR for my classical music with local news/weather. XM radio has its good channels, but I don’t get enough local information at rush hours.
Kevin K,
I think Medved calls it National People’s Radio as well. Good one on the WaPo
NPR does do some good as far as promoting classical music though. But that’s usually carried on the local station that carries NPR anyways. They play more exciting stuff at night over here on WPLN (Nashville), and keep the loop on Bach, Handel, Telemann and Schubert during the day for the folks who need something with brevity.
In the spirit of full confession, “WWDTM” used to be one of my only must-listen shows on NPR. I even once crafted a version of their “Listener Limerick Challenge” for my aunt & uncle’s 50th Anniversary, pitting their two daughters with each other’s husbands as teams. There was a lot of humor in the show, but alas, way too much at the expense of GWB, conservatives, the GOP, etc. I can’t even remember anymore when the last time I listened was. Too bad, because they come to my neck of the Rockies at least yearly.
As for the re-editing for broadcast? I’m not surprised. I’m sure it happens more than is disclosed with other game shows.
OT: Anyone seen the new Password yet? Not bad.
Conservatives have to demand equal time on that liberal mess of a network.
We pay for half of it, do we not?