This topic has been rattling around up there for awhile, and in light of the comments from the previous post about Coach Switzer's interviews with The Hardline, I thought I might unburden myself of a few thoughts.
I'm not a famous person. (In one sense, I'm not a person at all.) I doubt whether many of my readers are, except maybe that anonymous guy who was floridly and intemperately critical of one of my posts or comments, and who I referred to as a jamoke in my colorful rebuttal, and who subsequently asserted that if only I knew who he was, I'd know he wasn't a jamoke -- maybe he's famous. (Ah, the private suffering of the anonymous jamoke.)
The Ticket hosts are kind of famous, but, thanks to maladroit marketing by Cumulus and its predecessors, not too. Yes, there are the Marconis, but I doubt whether anyone in that room that night not associated with Cumulus after that third Marconi was announced could name a single one of the hosts. In general, they're not even regional celebrities. Local, sure.
That's one of the reasons we like them, I think. One of the reasons I do, anyway. They're just guys sitting around talking with their voices being picked up by radio microphone devices. In fact, they're not just guys -- doing what they do and making it sound like just guys sitting around talking with their voices being picked up by radio microphone devices -- and being entertaining in the bargain -- is a rare gift.
Corby always takes grief for the Barry Switzer interviews. He overlaughs, he kisses ass.
I think that's OK.
First, Corby ALWAYS overlaughs at remarks that are moderately amusing throughout the Hardline showgram, and sometimes remarks that are not so amusing. If you don't like Corby's overlaughing at only moderately-or-less amusing remarks, you can't listen to any of The Hardline (and some of you don't), but we're talking here about one particular segment. To criticize the Switzer interviews, you have to factor out the overlaughing because it is not unique to that interview.
I'll get to the ass-kissing in a moment.
Like Barry Switzer or not, he's a fun listen. If Corby and Mike didn't interrupt from time to time, the man would go on for the entire segment. And I must tell you -- I don't like anything I know about Barry Switzer, which is not a lot, but I find the man very entertaining in these segments. I caught most of the interview on the Top Ten tonight, and I thought it was terrific. The phone story (which I assume has been told before, which Corby reprieved this time around), the Dak Prescott story -- very fun.
So that takes care of the overlaughing and the merits of the interview.
Let's get to the ass-kissing.
It is my opinion that Corby kisses no more, or, if any more, only a tiny bit more, celebrity or sports-star or presidential ass than any other host on The Ticket.
ALL of the hosts kiss the ass of celebrities who give of their time to appear on a show. BaD builds entire bits around snaring the famous to appear on their show, and when they get snagged (obviously thinking of Guest Booking League here), they're welcomed with great warmth and familiarity. The Musers -- same. Norm -- holy poop. Corby is not worse or less listenable in this regard than any other (except, maybe, when Dan annoys someone almost completely off the phone).
But -- and here's where I'll probably hear from the respectful Confessor -- I don't really consider it ass-kissing. Say what you will about Lee Corso, and whether Dan was being a Big Jerk or not (I don't even remember what he was supposed to have done that was so awful), he was right that most of these guys come the shows for no pay because they're good guys, as Corso says, to "help out" the sportsy station. (Sometimes, of course, they have something to hype, and sometimes they have a sponsored segment, like J Witten.) What we may think is ass-kissing is, for the most part, common courtesy. And it's common courtesy because our hosts are decent human beings, not themselves famous or on a par with the people they're interviewing. They treat these busy and notable persons as they should, as having scheduled a part of their busy day, or interrupting their own private lives, to make themselves better known to us.
And besides, Confessors -- if by virtue of your position as a host on one of the most popular radio shows in the world you develop a personal relationship with a public figure you admire, would you reject that opportunity? We're not looking to The Ticket to break big stories or dig up dirt on celebrities; we're looking for some anecdotes, some glimpse of the human behind the image. Joshing around with the rich and famous -- The Ticket is pretty good at that, and Corby is an absolute freakin' master. Shaq and Parcells come to mind. Doesn't bother me a bit.
So I guess all I'm saying is that (1) I don't mind the celeb-sniffing on any of the shows, and (2) I don't find Corby any more cloyingly obvious in that regard than any other host.
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I know we have some Myrna Loy fans out there.
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| Dan, you can be a Big Jerk with me anytime. |
