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Should Simon Mayo drop his Friday phone-in feature?
big mac
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Simon Mayo is a fine broadcaster, but the feature that he does on Friday where he gets people to ring on to say what they are doing at the weekend, in my opinion, is a feature that could alienate some listeners.
He almost always ends up speaking to some middle-class snob who is clearly using the phone-in as a platform to boast and brag about how successful and comfortable their lifestyle is. To me, for a station like Radio 2 in the daytime should be trying to be inclusive to as many listeners as possible, and this bit does not do that.
Especially the way the economy is at the moment, it could be quite uncomfortable for people who are trying to make ends meet listening to someone blatantly showing off about how well they are doing.
He almost always ends up speaking to some middle-class snob who is clearly using the phone-in as a platform to boast and brag about how successful and comfortable their lifestyle is. To me, for a station like Radio 2 in the daytime should be trying to be inclusive to as many listeners as possible, and this bit does not do that.
Especially the way the economy is at the moment, it could be quite uncomfortable for people who are trying to make ends meet listening to someone blatantly showing off about how well they are doing.
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It's hardly radio 2's fault most listeners seem to be middle class.
It's like when Chris Evans talks to the kids in the morning, they all seem to be nice,articulate middle class kids too...
Edit: and let's not even start on the auctions for Children in Need, if you really want to complain about rich snobs!!
I have rung in several times and got to speak to the guys manning the phones and I have friends who have also got through but have NEVER EVER been called back, maybe our voices didn't fit or maybe it's because we did not ask for songs that Simon wants to play, especially Queen and Bruce Springsteen who get played week after week! We have bets at work to guess what time those two will be played.
Why does Simon Mayo play that stupid Muppet song every week too? I turn down the sound as soon as the first song has been played as I can't bear it!!! Another thing while Drivetime is being discussed on here is why on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays does Simon have all these authors on to advertise their books? That's been going on now for several months and what happened to the music guests he used to have on?
The kids that Chris Evans has on his show in the mornings are probably chosen by those who man the phones and probably not Chris's fault. Anyway, Friday Drivetime request shows are too samey and so are the people who get through. I reckon Simon's probably bored with the format too and hearing about all these people on their way to Yorkshire, Scotland, Barbados, America or wherever they're going.
Simon Mayo's got a blog and he often mentions his bloggers by name when playing records for his theme Mon - Thurs. I'll see if I can find a link to it because it might be interesting to know what they think!!! EDIT - found it, but you have to be registered to post a message. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/simonmayo/
I would suggest that's its because they are largely the only type of people who actually phone in. As I said in my original post, as their lives are going so well they are the only ones perhaps confident enough to actually ring in to Radio 2 in the first place and know that what they say on the radio will sound impressive and respectable.
I know that the phone-answerers are unlikely to let on a bloke who says that he's going for a darts match on Friday night before going on the piss and then nursing a hangover on Saturday, but would that bloke be the type to call in? Probably not. There's plenty of people for whom that would be a pretty accurate description of their average weekend, though. So, the phone-in is not at all a microcosm of society as a whole, it is only inclusive of a certain section of society.
The people that do get on are, in general, smug and self-satisfied, and are rubbing it in to everyone else, even if that isn't their intention. For me, at least, it does not make easy listening, and it's the only time I feel like switching Simon Mayo over, because most other things he does on his show are pretty good.
The people who get on air are usually just bouncy, tallkative people who make for an interesting listen. Simply being reasonably confident on a call is not the same as being smug and self-satisfied.
Most of the people who call in are either off to visit relatives or to attend someone's birthday party. In what way is that middle-class?
Personally, I think it's a perfect way to start the weekend and sets the show apart from the rest of the week, regardless of whether Jerry and Margot from Middle England are calling in for their favourite song!
With regards all the people compaining about the writers that have been on recently 'getting free advertising' - grow up! It's nothing new that writers get interviewed on the radio or telly to talk about their books. It's always busy around this time of year with loads of new books coming out. And as far as the lack of music guests recently Simon has had the Manics, Sting and Peter Gabriel on in the last month, so I would say that's a pretty good line up of music guests.
I find it amazing that people come on DS to complain about the lack of variety on British radio these days and then have a go at a show that is so different to anything else on the music radio at that time of day. Instead of 20 second links after 4 songs back to back, Mayo's Drivetime show is radio for grown ups, with some Intelligent and interesting chat, great music and can still be funny too.
As for requests, it's probably like most other "request" shows where the playlist is mostly predetermined and if you happen to pick one of the songs and your voice fits then you're on.
I don't think that is the case at all with the requests and the randomness of the selections prove that. Any request show is bound to have some producer or presenter selection and it's not possible to do the show without that. Its likely that Simon gets a lot more requests than its possible to fit into the show so someone needs to make a choice. The producers need to ensure that there is a good variety of music and that they fut into 2 hours. I bet every sing is listener chosen but most listeners will pick well known songs anyway.
Worse than that though is presenters doing the old "three word weekend"; describe your weekend in three words. Done to death and vacuous in the extreme.
That is true, perhaps someone should use the "O Superman" example of another poster and phone in next Friday.
Who has a good Home Counties accent then?:D
Yep, 3 words for you........ get new ideas.:yawn:
I can't be doing with request shows in the main unless they go off piste, rather than "can you play Gloria Gaynor for the girls on their way to Brighton for the weekend"
Why do music stations feel it so important to give so much air time to listeners who pick songs. Frankly, I don't care wht they're doing with their weekend, it is of no interest to me. Sometimes, Simon Mayo spends more time talking to the listener about their plans and their song choice than the length of the song itself.
It's because it's usually Tarquin and Jemima heading down to their holiday home in Devon to visit relatives or attend a birthday party in their Land Rover, never Dave and Sandra going to a birthday do at the social club. That is why it's middle-class.
I totally agree. Radio 2 can be smug and middle-class at times, and the ubiquity of those callers just adds to that impression. It irritates and alienates me, as I suspect it does many potential listeners from working-class backgrounds.
In fairness though, perhaps more of them make it to air because better educated, middle-class people tend to be more confident, eloquent and talkative.
I would imagine the high volume of speech on Fridays, as with the rest of the station's output, is to create a point of difference from music-intensive commercial radio. However, a bunch of middle-class tossers salivating over their decadent weekend ahead doesn't exactly qualify as meaningful speech.
More eloquent? - yes. More talkative? - well, I would dispute that in some cases, as some of the stereotypical people we are talking about here take themselves way too seriously. I'm sure someone who is considered working-class, while not being as intelligent, would be able to have plenty of "banter" if they were on the Radio. They would also be, in general, less self-conscious and less worried about how they're presenting themselves in case the neighbours are listening.
I guess not as I don't do any of the above, and I listen to Radio 2.
Then you must desist at once! Haven't you heard of Heart?