Here's just a quick bit of Kansas City mythbusting for tonight.
Yes, Walt Bodine is a Kansas City media legend.
He is now part of Kansas City media history and almost universally beloved.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THAT JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, MOST PEOPLE WANTED THE OLD DUDE OFF THE AIR BECAUSE HE MADE PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THEIR OWN INEVITABLE DEMISE!!!
KC media insiders regarded the old dude as a joke and regular KCUR listeners and callers would politely ignore the his presence.
And let's not forget about the early part of Walt's career where he regularly took heat for his reporting that always included a bit of opinion.
The lesson: The "not-so-silent majority" in Kansas City is exceptionally stupid, cowardly and almost always wrong. Listening to almost anything THEY say is a recipe for FAIL. Gossip from the chattering class, Internet comments and social media reaction might be entertaining but not as important as maintaining some/any kind of principle . . . Don't get me wrong, principles mostly let people down as well but they're a good starting point.
In the final analysis . . . Walt stays winning because he believed in something and his career reflected that . . . His fans come and go but his legacy endures.
LINKS
Off the Radio, But Not Silent
Walt Bodine's signs off for the final time
The blog of a Kansas City Media Legend: "Walt Retires with a Malt"
we've wanted him off the air for over a decade.
ReplyDeletewe've said publicly, repeatedly.
you're a moron.
Thank gosh it's over.
ReplyDeleteTHose were great Sennheiser cans. Very lightweight, very high quality.
ReplyDeleteOne night in 1965 when Walt was on WHB evenings, an Italian kid from New Jersey, recruited to study at Park College, asked Walt: "Hey Walt....where are the girls?"
ReplyDeleteWalt taken a bit aback said: "The girls?...what do you mean?"
The Jersey boy replied: "That's what I said Walt...where are the girls?!"
The East coast was a lot faster in those days than the Midwest...still is?