Thanks for your comments you limited, benighted troglodyte. I couldn’t agree more, not listening to her program is precisely the solution. I don’t listen to her show. However, I have a well developed and intense opinion about her show, and I am using this opportunity to transmit that opinion to anyone who cares to read about it. Including yourself dipshit. So let me put this another way. Try taking your own advice. If you don’t like this blog, don’t mother-f# ]]> http://www.1to10reviews.com/2007/12/diane-rehms-slow-warbling-voice/#comment-2521 uh hu... Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:52:05 +0000 http://www.1to10reviews.com/?p=1525#comment-2521 Oh ya, forgot to mention, sh*tty blog by the way, keep up the good work. Oh ya, forgot to mention, sh*tty blog by the way, keep up the good work.

That’s a really great point, thanks for bringing that up. I can totally see where that would be a big advantage for the hearing impaired. Truthfully it doesn’t change my opinion, but I’m glad that it could bring a benefit to someone. Thanks for sharing that thought.

I don’t think it’s a matter of her ‘power’ at NPR so much as that people at NPR respect her many abilities and that she has a huge fan base who feel the ‘talents she brings to the party’ are more important than her ‘off-putting’ voice. I’m not put off by her voice and think that she sounds like my elderly and wise aunt with a slightly-Southern accent, a model of a very polite and refined lady. I think she spoke fairly slowly throughout her radio career, even before her medical problems, but she probably needs to speak even more slowly now. Note that Diane’s voice gets better when she’s just had a Botox treatment and gets progressively worse until it’s time for her next shot a few months later.

I went to hear her speak went she came to my city (and paid for the privilege) and it was a standing-room-only crowd at the auditorium. In spite of her old-sounding and slow voice, there is something really special about listening to Diane and she is my favorite radio personality. Terry Gross has a really gorgeous voice for example, and she asks good questions, but I don’t enjoy listening to her nearly as much for some reason. Diane’s questions and comments are very thoughtful and are worth the wait. Diane doesn’t often speak in long paragraphs (and never did), she mostly asks brief questions and lets her guests talk, but is a gentle but very skillful moderator when people go off topic or interrupt each other. In spite of her slow speech, her mind is very quick and she will immediately and politely correct someone who misstates a fact or gets a name wrong.

I like the topics she chooses and the format of her show better than any other on radio or TV. Can you tell me what individual radio or TV show or individual journalist offers us more quality information on U.S. political affairs than Diane and her show (especially given it is 10 hours/week with no commercials)? I can’t think of any and that’s greatly due to Diane and the way she’s designed her show, the topics she chooses, and the guests she invites. Why hasn’t anyone else been able to match her accomplishment in this area? If she’s ‘not cut out for radio’, then why do millions of fans still love her radio show in spite of her vocal faults, neh?

Besides, I like some variety in voices on the radio. Most of the women in radio or TV news have the identical, nondistinctive, accent free, somewhat nasal broadcaster voice (except we do get the British version of it on the BBC Newshour). Male radio personalities are slightly more varied vocally, and I like hearing different dialects such as the Car Talk guys or Tavis Smiley. While I like Diane’s replacement host Steve Roberts, he is somewhat bland and lacking in personality compared to Diane - he just lacks her undefinable ’star power’. The ‘Diane Rehm’ show is the way it is and so named because of her personality and skill in developing and conducting the show. Sometime in the not distant future she will retire and I will greatly miss her, but I hope her staff is able to carry it on in the the same format and quality after she is gone.

I appreciate that I’m not a prick, thanks for that. Hopefully I’m also avoiding idiocy since I don’t listen to her show.

@Mark Thanks for the comment, couldn’t agree more. Don’t know why they keep her - she must have monster street-cred that’s not visible to me.

Is there a petition we can sign to get her off the air?

Thank you for visiting and for leaving a comment. I’m sorry you felt that there was hatred and ignorance present on my blog. That’s never my intent. This is a review blog where I review whatever I feel like. I felt like reviewing Ms. Rehm’s voice and, and it scored poorly.

I have no problem with you not agreeing with my opinion, and you certainly have the choice to never visit my site again. But I believe I’m entitled to express my opinion; you can see that I’ve even published your opinion as well. I just think your assertion of ignorance and hatred is ill-informed. I imagine Diane Rehm is a perfectly lovely woman, a woman of sensitivity, culture and vibrant intelligence. But her voice is terrible for radio.

My opinion stands, your dislike notwithstanding.

It’s crazy, neh? I just can’t abide that show.

Thanks so much for your comment.

-David

Thanks for your comment.

She’s in her 70s and hosting a fast-paced debate show. It drives me mad. Regardless of her intelligence, it’s high time she retire.