"NPR letter-writers are the stodgiest, whiniest, most self-importantly insufferable snobs of all time..."

Farhad Majoo writing in Slate:

I'm an NPR groupie. I listen to public radio for several hours a day—more often than I watch TV, more often than I do actual work. There's only one thing I hate about my daily companion: my fellow listeners. Not all of them—just the ones who write in to complain whenever anything related to pop music, celebrities, technology, or other subjects that appeal to people under 40 comes across their precious wireless.

For proof that NPR letter-writers are the stodgiest, whiniest, most self-importantly insufferable snobs of all time, just search through the network's archives, which records the letters that All Things Considered and other NPR shows read on-air once or twice a week. Among the many, many topics that listeners have deemed off-limits for NPR, you'll find blogging ("another example of the slow decline of our once-educated society"); Tiger Woods ("what a waste of my time"); the National Enquirer (NPR's citing it as a source "shook me to the core"); adulterous Gov. Mark Sanford ("Can't NPR reporters find more important events going on in the world?"); comedians Adam Carolla and Mo Rocca; the rapper Waka Flocka Flame ("For this, I donate part of my precious pension?"); Twitter ("the CB radio of our era—just as much hype, just as much lasting impact"); Bristol Palin ("The only thing this story provoked me to do was change the station"); Levi Johnston ("We do not care about this subject"); Mel Gibson ("Shame on the producers of ATC for allowing such a scrape at the very bottom of the barrel"); heavy metal legend Dio ("You didn't have to do it just because he died recently"); e-books (they can't compare to "the smell of new paper"); the iPad ("a foolish waste of time"); the thought of children using the iPad ("Hopefully, this will be followed up by an uplifting story about the great things that are happening to children in the realm of outdoor play and unhooking from screen time"); and, perennially, sports. "You can't mention sports without someone saying, 'Why are you covering sports—it's just a bunch of Neanderthals, it's just a bunch of fascists!' " says NPR sports correspondent (and Slate sports podcast "Hang Up and Listen" panelist) Mike Pesca.

Comments

[Fred]

Yup. Describes libs perfectly. What a bunch of pompous asses.

[Pete]

Actually, Fred, I don't think this says much of anything about NPR listeners in general, or their letter-writers in particular. It's a national network with millions of listeners. They read two or three letters daily out of the hundreds (or more) they must receive.

Instead, this says loads about which letters NPR editors select to read - and, in turn, what they think will appeal to segments of their audience, either because their audience agrees with the sentiments or because their audience likes looking down their noses at the poor rubes who don't fully appreciate Bristol Palin or Waka Flocka Flame (or the presumed irony of a "cultured" network reporting on them).

And of course, it takes something of a pompous ass to think of your listeners that way.

Shorter: this says nothing about whether listeners are pompous asses - it's much too small a sample size - but lots about whether NPR staffers are.

[Dark & Stormy]

I listen to NPR to get away from Tiger Woods, Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston and their ilk. Yes, I said "their ilk". Can't there be a refuge for me and my pompous ass friends?

[[email protected]]

Fred thinks that anyone to the left of John Bolton is a 'lib'. Typical Fox worker drone.

[Fremont]

It says the most about the selective sampling by the author of this article. Staffers also chose letters with divergent comments e.g. "I loved it, appreciate it, and I agree." from a writer commenting on Tiger Woods. All this shows is that Majoo, not staffers, selected comments exclusively in support of the "insufferable whiners" notion, which makes him the pompous (and hilarious) ass.

[Stephanie]

Looks like you have damage to the Capital, rifle rounds found onsite, and irresponsible politicians making Hitler references (Senator Sherrod Brown). Yep, here it is
(I hope they direct bill the Teachers Union)

"State says damage to marble at Capitol could hit $7.5 million
e-mail print By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: March 3, 2011 4:15 p.m. |(584) Comments

Madison - State officials said Thursday that damage to the marble inside and out the State Capitol would cost an estimated $7.5 million.

Cari Anne Renlund, chief legal counsel for the state Department of Administration, said in Dane County court that estimates of damage to marble includes $6 million to repair damaged marble inside the Capitol, $1 million for damage outside and $500,000 for costs to supervise the damage.

Much of the damage apparently has come from tape used to put up signs and placards at the Capitol.

It was not immediately clear how the estimates were made, though the state is apparently relying on opinions by historical architects, one of whom works for the U.S. Park Service.

One concern is the residue from tape that the state says is causing damage to stone and other surfaces inside the Capitol.

Michele Curran, an architectural historian for the National Parks Service who coordinates national historic landmarks in Wisconsin, said she didn’t know how the state had arrived at its damage figures.

She said certain kinds of tape can leave lasting residues on surfaces such as marble or wood if they are improperly removed. But she said only a professional cleaning service experienced in such work and familiar with the situation in the state Capitol could estimate any possible costs.

“They need a quote from a company that specializes in cleaning historic surfaces,” Curran said.

Many of the papers and banners posted in the state Capitol were put up using painter’s tape, which is employed to minimize effects on walls."

[Pepsi-or-Coke]

Hey Stephanie, go lick the walls clean.

[saintrudy]

Boner is not dishonest or crazy enough for the teafarty, they want to replace him with someone nuttier. Boners boner is starting to look like a limp dick.

[Dan in Auburn]

WWDD? What would Dori do?

[Pete]

Dori would blame somebody.

In any situation.

[Stephanie]

Really Pete? How about the actions of Andrew on this blog. He has repeatedly slandered folks and when challenged has pulled the latest trick out of the Democratic Playbook: Flee. He can't debate, only slander and run away. It's all he's got evidently. This wannabe Progressive Institute Kos Diarist will do well in politics. But he is not alone. The other self identified progressives have also engaged in this tactic when called out. As they say, 'fingers point out but never point in'.

And let us not forget the self justification for name calling by one of the worst offenders Miss Joanie. It ain't namecalling if it is true she tells us. Really? And what a 'wonderful' philosphy to live by.

[Stephanie]

Oh yeah, neither pepsi or coke. Stick with water. Much healthier for you and keeps the brain fully hydrated. I would recommend it to everyone.

And R. Goiter, please knock off the cracks about Coiler's mother.

[HandsOnlyCPR]

Today's Money Question is:

How many names can "Stephanie" use on one blog?

[saintrudy]

If conservatives think liars and fornacators go to Hell, why do they continue to do it ?

[joanie]

Stunning radio tonight. Driving home listening to ads-infinitum KPTK and I heard those words - again - I'm not a singer... and like magic my dial was tuned to FM. More precisely, This American Life.

Time warp time: I heard partial replays of three stories originally aired on the fifties TV show, This is Your Life hosted by Ralph Edwards. It was weird.

First up was a Dick Clark segment. Thankfully, it was short. But the next? Wow!

Hanna Bloch Kohner, who came to America fresh from the Holocaust. Edwards detailed her experiences from one tragic moment to the next and one concentration camp to the next. She was lucky. Instead of blindly boarding the train headed to the gas chambers, she went to another camp.

Next was Kiyoshi Tanimoto, one of only six Hiroshima survivors. Edwards actually brought on stage the co-pilot of the Enola Gay which dropped the bomb on that city. The voice of the pilot trembles when talking to Kiyoshi who stood awkardly off from Edwards and the pilot. I guess you could say all's well that ends well if you're in a Fifties mindset: they formed a friendship and continued a letter-writing relationship.

Americans were so innocent then. Hearing Edwards' odd lightness and amiability while detailing these tragedies is is disconcerting to say the least.

It is a bizarre look into what we used to be. This American Life This isn't available (apparently) until Sunday at 7PM but I sure hope you listen. Especially if you remember anything at all from the fifties. This is just mesmerizing.

[YellowPup]

My favorite NPR letter-writers are the obsessive crossword puzzle-workers that write in to criticize mistakes in copy editing and word usage.

BTW, accusing liberals of "elitism" must be the biggest rug under which conservatives shovel uncomfortable truths about the self- and corporate-serving BS they want to believe and advocate. It prevents their heads from exploding.

[sparky]

Amen.

[Fremont]

"How about the actions of Andrew on this blog...This wannabe Progressive Institute Kos Diarist will do well in politics".

Steph, are you assuming our Andrew is the same person as NPI's Andrew because their names are the same? Wow! ! (I'll bet you think I'm a Commie because there's a statue of Lenin in the neighborhood named after me..).

[sparky]

By the way, "Stephanie"...the figures quoted on the amount of "damage" done to the walls was extremely overstated, and the state of Wisconsin has pulled way back from that estimate. They said they have not "seen" any of the damage that was reported, and it will "take time" to examine and make a report.

[joanie]

Was the source of the "damage" Fixed News?

[joanie]

Here is an hour of great radio!

Click on hour 3 for the festivus hour during which they discuss fracking while enjoying ale with a local brewer and talk 80s stuff in juxtaposition with the Immaculate Conception. Or listen to all three hours! You'll get hooked.

This is what radio should be.

[joanie]

saintrudy, you'll love it. He takes on the right the way you and I do.

[Jason Andersen]

NPR/BBC/CBC are some of the last real sources for quality, nuanced and well-sourced real journalism. It's not that those people writing that you quote are snobs, it's just that there are plenty other mediums to get your fill on fluffier/pop-culture topics, but when the shit hit hits the fan (like the present Middle East) they have real breaking news.

[mbt shoes]

We met at the wrong time, but separated at the right time. The most urgent is to take the most beautiful scenery, the deepest wound was the most real emotions.-