Pajiba

Also receiving votes: Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad of Radiolab. Jad's appearance always surprises me, as for some reason I always think of him looking like Torey Malatea from Mythbusters. Not sure why. Even knowing he's of Lebanese descent, I still want to picture him as Vaguely Italian.

I also have no real interest in car talk (I think it's just because they always talk about such specific problems), but those guys CRACK me UP. They're just so endearingly goofy.

Wow. Diane Rehm is actually kind of attractive. I expected some kind of shriveled, near-death gorgon with leathery skin and a crown of thinning blue hair.

I have a total crush on Steve Inskeep, and was so glad to see a picture and discover that he is, in fact, attractive. Wish I could say the same for David Wessel, alas.

Holy crap, Dustin - get out of my head. I spent 20 minutes this morning looking for pictures of the BBC World News radio team (they're on at 9am on my local NPR station), couldn't find a one. Very frustrating, because they have quickly become two of my favorite newsfolk.

Like Samantha, I kind of already had a crush on Steve Inskeep,and now it's official. Plus, how else would Carl Kassel look? I love the way he cracks up when someone says something particularly silly on "Wait, Wait."

This is one of the few things I miss now that I am taking public transportation. I loved listening to NPR in my car in the morning and on weekends. I tried streaming it on my phone, but I always lose service on the Metro. I miss my NPR.

Garrison Keillor is my favorite. I love Guy Noir.

Sigh. Kai Rysdall has been seducing my earholes for years; long before I actually cared about market news. Not that I'm sure I do now. Bob Moon was on last week and I confess I sort of tuned him out. But I already knew what my imaginary lover Kai looked like because I friended him on Facebook a while ago.

I know I'm not the only one to succumb to his velvet purr. Also, am I the only person who finds it impossible to work out without listening to NPR? I can't do music, it's not distracting enough.

I love this video of NPR folks lip syncing Lady Gaga. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KenS0h3-Pc
After watching it Ari Shapiro became my NPR crush

WHOA! STEVE INSKEEP! You are about 20 years younger than I thought. Helloooo.

I'll try very hard not to geek out but this is the best Pajiba post ever! I love Marketplace to pieces. It's like having the Economist read out loud to you, and is a great reminder that the study of economics remains a true social science (I'm an unabashed NPR *and* social science geek). So it pleases me to no end to see that picture of Kai Ryssdal. Everyone else looks as I would expect them, although I always thought the Car Talk guys would look a little more like the guys in the old 'Da Bears' sketches on SNL. Knowing Carl Kasell looks like he sounds just makes my day. I also can't stand Prairie Home Companion, but I love their annual joke show. I will have to become a convert eventually since I'm married to a part-Scandinavian who has extensive, extended family in Minnesota, and deep Lutheran roots. It is unfortunately my fate to one day succumb to the banal witticisms of Garrison Keillor.

I will probably forward this post on to others today. White, liberal thirty-something stereotypes unite! Did I mention that I have an old Volvo station wagon sitting in my driveway that we're just waiting to donate to the local jazz radio station, an Oregon Public Broadcasting affiliate? Full cred here!

Here she is: http://www.npr.org/people/2101212/lakshmi-singh

Terry Gross was so ill prepared and off base with her recent interview of Green Day's Billy Joe Armstrong that I have a hard time listening to her interview anyone at all anymore.

Diane Rehm does look amazing, given what her voice sounds like. I can't listen to her. I can't stand her or radio call-ins; a dark room with Diane Rehm taking calls from Gary in Detroit and Mary-Beth in Athol is my own version of hell.

ed, last year she interviewed Colin Firth for A Single Man, and the first five minutes were literally her gushing about/fishing for dish re: Jon Hamm (he does voice work in the film). Firth was so nice about it, and I can't really blame her about wanting to know about HAMM, but oh, Diane. You're a professional. Also, Firth is as foxy, if not more so, and he's right in front of you.

I'm sorry, I was reading down the comments while quietly humming the All Things Considered theme "DO do do do DO do DOOOOOOO" And I noticed a comment that disparaged Carl Kassel. That of course can't be right, because if you badmouth Carl, it is ON! The day I finally get that man's voice on my answering machine is the day I will encourage telemarketers, insurance salesmen and my alma mater to call me just to hear his dulcet tones. Don't think that just because I own a coffee mug AND a tote bag that I will not fuck your shit up. Of course I will then push for you to get healthcare, as well as a scream singer for rehab.

I don't mean to brag, but I totally teach English to Michele Norris's nephew.

Hey you buttholes, if you listened to the Diane Rhem show more you would have known that she has a problem with her voicebox. She goes away for treatments all the time.

Dang, I thought I'd be amongst kindred spirits on here with the NPR dorkery.

Kai Rysdall looks exactly like I imagined, as does Carl Kasell (seriously, how else would he look)? Both Terry Gross and Diane Rehm shocked me, I would have reversed their general appearances in my head (also, AM, whether you know about Rehm's health troubles or not, she's been in radio for like 50 years -- it is surprising she's a damn silver fox). "Click and Clack" look half-right, the one who looks like a college Poetry professor is the wrong half. Peter Sagal is the most disappointing, though, I kind of thought he looked like Jonathan Silverman. For some reason.

Also, yeah, that entire first paragraph sounds exactly like me, Dustin. Get out of my head. Or, buy me drinks first.

Guy. Raz.

I love, love, love, love, love this list.

That is all.

More of my thoughts (I have many thoughts about NPR programming). In my mind Garrison Keillor looks like an aging Abraham Lincoln, and still does despite my having seen him in person. Cognitive dissonance which I am able to subdue yay!

There's just something so very cute about Kai Rysdall, both as a speaker and as a photograph. My crush on Ira Glass has existed forever, but Rysdall definitely started gaining a lead back when I had a car and NPR was my life-soundtrack.

My feelings about Keillor have always been mixed, but there is a photograph of me somewhere with him. When we met, he immediately spotted my violin hickey (For those that don't know, violinists and violists often have a hickey-looking dark mark or two on their neck where the instrument makes contact with the skin. Not to be outdone, some cellists have a dent in their chest.) and declared oh-so-happily, "You are a violinist! You have the mark! Excellent!"

A high point in life right there. I found out later that apparently his wife is a violinist.

Bodhi, I was coming back to post that exact thing about Ofeibea. I want her to read books to me.

So instead, here's http://www.npr.org/people/4462099/lourdes-garcia-navarro

Bodhi
I love her too! & I LOVE that NPR has a dedicated Africa correspondent as well.

Also love the way Sylvia Poggioli says "Sylvia Poggioli"

Does anyone remember if they all still read the declaration of independence?

Oh - and I forgot to mention re GK: The Man on the Radio in Red Shoes.

it's on netflix instant (at least it was a few months ago)

Mostly I took from it that he is a really old dad, but it was interesting to watch him and parts of the show rather than the usual imagining and listening.

Two vignettes from the 4 CD set of particular note: he visits an apartment from his days as a young man, 1/2 hoping to see a woman he fell in love with there, and the other about when his young daughter fell ill and he worried she might not make it.

Obviously, I am no writer, but I do appreciate good stories (does this explain why I'm still mostly loyal to Stephen King? dunno) As annoying as GK's smug-sounding voice can be, he does tell a fabulous story.

Kai Risdall... oh how your voice makes me want to do bad, bad things to you. His vacation days make my hooha so sad.

I was shocked by only two of those, though none were really how I pictured.

Terry Gross was far less attractive than I pictured. The other shock was Diane Rehm. Not because she looks so great, but because it's clearly an oooold picture. I know she has a voice condition that makes her sound like great-granny, but she is indeed 75 years old.

2008:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2515397379_89693c0fbe_z.jpg

2009:

http://metromontage.com/blog/2009/09/24/30th-anniversary-of-the-diane-rehm-show/

No love for Mr. Simon hosting Weekend Edition--he's THE MAN! And a great interviewer, I believe.

Robert Siegel = Jean Reno
Michelle Norris = Loretta Divine
Melissa Block = Jessica Hecht
Steve Inskeep and Renée Montagne = Rob Lowe (stumped!) and Kristen Wiig
Scott Simon = not one clue
Liane Hansen = could be anybody
Peter Sagal = Stanley Tucci
Carl Kassel = Brian Cox
Diane Rehm = pretty (Susan Sullivan with dye job)

Ugh, I give up.

I have a particular seething hatred for Garrison Keillor. My local NPR station runs his Writer's Almanac piece about the time I'm heading to work, and if there's a more maudlin, patronizing, masturbatory radio segment on the air I don't know about it. I don't need to be depressed about this obscure poem written by some douche who committed suicide three days later, at 6:30 in the morning. I usually am forced to switch to the morning zoo crew on the local soft rock station just to give myself some respite from the cloying mountain of suck from that man.

Plus Prairie Home Companion isn't funny. At all.

I love Ira Glass, he is so adorable, both of voice and face.

I'm disappointed that Ira Flatow wasn't included in your roster - I've actually looked him up myself before out of curiosity.

I'm shocked to see that Diane Rehm isn't 90 years old, but in truth her show would be boring even if her voice sounded more youthful. And yes, Prairie Home Companion is a terrible show.

As a former NPR employee (not in anything exciting or media-related), a few corrections:

Diane Rehm: Not an NPR personality. She's a WAMU personality. WAMU is an NPR affiliate.

Terry Gross: Not an NPR personality. She's a WHYY personality. "Fresh Air" is distributed by NPR, but it is not an NPR product.

Ira Glass: Not an NPR personality. He's a WBEZ personality. "This American Life" is distributed through Public Radio International, not through NPR.

Garrison Keillor: Not an NPR personality. He's an MPR personality: Minnesota Public Radio.

The confusion is that you hear all of these folks on stations that carry NPR programs; however, in these cases, NPR may only help distribute or may not have any involvement at all.

Bodhi, YES! I love how she says "Dakaaaaaaaaa". I used to listen during my ridiculously early morning commute, though, so I was usually pretty spaced out and never paid enough attention to catch her name, I would just suddenly hear her say "Dakaaaaaaa" and realize I'd missed her once again.

I have some major Garrison Keillor love, for the Writer's Almanac, which used to come on at 8pm in NYC and would always be playing in the kitchen while I was making dinner and feeling disgruntled about living in a concrete wasteland that kicked my ass on a daily basis. It brought some much needed humanity to my day. I don't hate PHC but I definitely don't get it.

And Diane Rehm is HOT. I knew about her vocal problems but I still expected her to be 8,000 years old.