NPR Rant

[bjarvis]

No, not about NPR's week-long fundraising drives. I can understand those as a necessary evil to keep the system working. My complaint is about a recent trend I've noticed in NPR programs: segments on music VIPs are listening to.

Marketplace, Science and other programs have begun including five minute or longer segments where they interview a person of interest about the music they're listening to while they work, commute, think, etc.. Seriously, why would anyone care? I could understand asking people how they create a working or creative environment, but analyzing their choice of composer, performer, the cadence of the lyrics, the melody, etc.? Why?

I have a difficult time believing anyone producing the program actually thinks there's a market demand for this sort of pap. I strongly suspect this is simply an easy way to pad a half-hour program at practically no expense during an era of sharp budget cuts.

Comments

[rwgill.livejournal.com]

I agree. It seems like a waste of time to record the sound bits, edit it into a "story" and air it during a ~22 minute program that is supposedly about money, markets & finance. What Joe Salesguy listens to before he flies home really doesn't interest me at all.

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

it's all part-and-parcel of npr's great lurch to the right.

an upcoming segment: what sarah palin hums while making michelle-obama-baiting 'smores.

i want the woman from that cloying new cooking show to feed garrison keillor poisoned lutefisk in a salute to the cooking of lake woebegone holiday special.

[wescobear.livejournal.com]

I just cannot listen to NPR. I sit there and start thinking "Will you get to the f$%^ing point!" after hearing about a minute.

[weekilter.livejournal.com]

Ever heard of Facebook or Twitter?