Poly-Grip, that is. The clicks, pops, and slobbers your loose dentures make during the news on Morning Edition are gross and have been gross for years. I surprised nobody has slipped you some Sea Bond and a subtle hint. Or maybe they have and subtlety doesn’t work on you–it doesn’t work on me, either. Either way, the time for subtlety is over. If I ever win your voice on my answering machine I will insist either you glue down your teeth better or Corey Flintoff does the recording.
I always thought it was Karl Castle.
And I think Flintoff would make a good television curse.
Oh Flintoff. I screwed up the coding.
That’s the problem with radio–you don’t get to see their names and have to spend five minutes on the NPR website looking them up. Before the internet you couldn’t even do that–I wonder how some of these people get their fan mail if the letters are addressed phonetically.
I humbly disagree. I love the dentures clicking and the newsreader baritone and all that. He’s comforting to listen to as I’m stuck in morning traffic.
And BTW, WTF’s up with that freaky voice Diane Riehm has???
PS: 
Actually, I do know what’s up with it. No flames, please.
PPS: Craig Wyndham could kick Flintoff’s ass any day. Ann Taylor could too.
Thank you, dropzone, that bothers me, too. I like his style and voice, but he’s certainly got the old codger sounds going on in the background.
Of course, I think that of Cokie Roberts, too. She doesn’t have the clicking, but her voice is getting to sound very scratchy and “old broad-ish”.
And while we’re on it, I can’t help but unconsciously plug my nose when I hear Joanne Silburner speak. I noticed during her story this morning on PBMs that I was doing the complete mouthbreathing routine. She’s very nasally.
Man, I love public radio!
This is one of the most peculiar flames I’ve ever read.
I’ve listened to Kasell on NPR for years and have never noticed any noise of the kind.
You will now! :evil grin:
It had stopped for a while but it was back in force this morning. Sounded like he had to keep pushing the top plate back with his tongue while he talked.
And what’s up with Daniel Pinkwater? Lately, he sounds like he’s belted down about six Old Fashioneds before going on the air.
I thought he must be getting old, but surprisingly he’s only 62. He sounds at least 80.
If he had a stroke or something, I take it all back.
Lord, I thought he was talking around a mouthful of marbles. He makes me cringe so bad I usually turn the volume down in the car so I can make out the words, but not the wet, slobbering sound of his mouth. Can you imagine having a meal with him?
But I want Carl Kasell’s voice on my answering machine.
I’m with Zette. I thought it was the sound of his jowls bouncing around.
BTW, it seems to me that every announcer on NPR has either a speech impediment or a foreign accent. Of course, some may view that as a good thing, commercial radio announcers’ accents being as annoying as they are.
My current fave is Daniel Shore. He sounds like he has the mumps.
Tell you who is and will always be great, though: Sylvia Poggioli. She isn’t a news reader, but whenever I hear her, I feel like all is right in the world.
And clickety as he is, I still want Carl Kasell’s voice on my answering machine, anyway. So dignified and distinguished.
Oh! And Nina Totenberg just gives me the chills …
Meeee-chelle Norris.
Ugh.
The correct spelling is “Carl Kasell”, at least that’s how it’s spelled on my official “Carl Kasell, International News Man of Mystery” car air freshener.
Whoops, I was thinking of Daniel Schorr, not Pinkwater. Mr. Schorr is 87 years old, so I guess he has a legitimate excuse.
“Thish… izh Daniel Schorr”
I have a big voice-crush on the Indian chic whose name I will not even attempt to spell. Pure butter! Help me out here, people. What’s her name, and does she like goofy-lookin’ white boys?