# Have you (or anyone you know) ever won Carl Kassel's voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 18, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711 "2007-02-18T15:45:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/1 "2007-02-18T15:45:32Z")
On your home answering machine? Do you at least know what I’m talking about? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/2 "2007-02-18T15:47:35Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Do you at least know what I’m talking about? [/QUOTE] Or care? ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/3 "2007-02-18T16:11:48Z")
No. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/4 "2007-02-18T16:15:28Z")
I know what you are talking about, but no, I’ve never won. (Hard to win if you don’t send in your information). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/5 "2007-02-18T16:17:27Z")
[QUOTE=Eureka] I know what you are talking about, but no, I’ve never won. (Hard to win if you don’t send in your information). [/QUOTE] Have you at least gone that far? Anybody you know go that far? How often do you listen? ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/6 "2007-02-18T16:35:53Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Have you at least gone that far? Anybody you know go that far? How often do you listen? [/QUOTE] When it’s convenient. At my parents house, I often listen both Saturday and Sunday, because it comes on the radio at like 11 or 12, and the radio is always on. At my apartment, I only listen if I’m in my car when it comes on, which means once every couple of weeks. (A radio which would sit someplace other than my bedside table is on my list of things to buy someday.) ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/7 "2007-02-18T16:37:35Z")
Haven’t won (haven’t even tried to play), and don’t know anyone who has, but I listen almost every week, even if I don’t listen to the whole show. GT ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/8 "2007-02-18T16:43:13Z")
I toy with sending in my info, but never actually do it. I just know I’d get “Bluff the Listener,” which I almost always lose. This seems to be a good opportunity to mention a bit that had me on the floor. They covered the story of the woman who put her infant grandson through the x-ray machine at the airport, and riffed on it, talking about putting him in the overhead compartment, etc. The musical segue from that portion of the show was, “Carry On My Wayward Son.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/9 "2007-02-18T16:44:11Z")
[QUOTE=gardentraveler] Haven’t won (haven’t even tried to play), and don’t know anyone who has, but I listen almost every week, even if I don’t listen to the whole show. GT [/QUOTE] That’s my story, too. Who’s your favorite panerlist? Mine’s Paula. The Roy. Then PJ. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/10 "2007-02-18T16:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=Unauthorized Cinnamon] I toy with sending in my info, but never actually do it. I just know I’d get “Bluff the Listener,” which I almost always lose. This seems to be a good opportunity to mention a bit that had me on the floor. They covered the story of the woman who put her infant grandson through the x-ray machine at the airport, and riffed on it, talking about putting him in the overhead compartment, etc. The musical segue from that portion of the show was, “Carry On My Wayward Son.” 😃 [/QUOTE] They do have some fine “bumper music.” I love the little bit at the end where they all get to predict something ridiculous. Were you listening when Paula started off on her day in court? One of the funniest shows I have heard. It’s been several months back. She can take and run with the least little thing better than anybody since Jonathan Winters. IMO. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/11 "2007-02-18T16:58:46Z")
My brother won, maybe 2 years ago. He never got his prize though. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/12 "2007-02-18T17:00:35Z")
[QUOTE=FilmGeek] My brother won, maybe 2 years ago. He never got his prize though. [/QUOTE] That has got to suck! I mean it can’t cost them all that much, can it? Care to elaborate on why this valuable commodity was not forthcoming? ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/13 "2007-02-18T17:13:53Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] That’s my story, too. Who’s your favorite panerlist? Mine’s Paula. The Roy. Then PJ. [/QUOTE] I’m a big Charlie Pierce fan. I like Paula a lot, too. GT ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/14 "2007-02-18T17:20:12Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] That has got to suck! I mean it can’t cost them all that much, can it? Care to elaborate on why this valuable commodity was not forthcoming? [/QUOTE] He just said they never contacted him, and with a toddler and an infant (on the way at the time) he never contacted them. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/15 "2007-02-18T17:25:32Z")
[QUOTE=FilmGeek] He just said they never contacted him, and with a toddler and an infant (on the way at the time) he never contacted them. [/QUOTE] That’s a disappointment. And here I thought they were on the up and up. I may quit listening! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/16 "2007-02-18T17:48:06Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] On your home answering machine? Do you at least know what I’m talking about? [/QUOTE] No, and I never tried either. Yes, and since I hate the sorts of threads that are incomprehensible to everyone else, I’ll explain that the reference is to the NPR comedy quiz radio show “[Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!](http://www.npr.org/programs/waitwait/)” (which by the way is one of the funniest things on the radio). Every week, there is a challenge called “Bluff the Listener” where three panelists each read a news story, only one of which is real (the others are made up, of course). If the listener successfully identifies the real one, Carl Kassell (the show’s announcer and a newsreader on NPR) will record the greeting on the listener’s home answering machine. If you follow the link above, you can listen to the show (which you should do ASAP; it’s great) and some of the messages he’s previously recorded. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/17 "2007-02-18T18:02:24Z")
It is an excellent show, I try to listen every weekend, but I’ve never participated. The whole panel is good w/ their quips and they usually have an interesting guest “contestant” each week. Paula Poundstone is one of my favorites also, I’m glad she was able to put her personal problems behind her and make a comeback. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/18 "2007-02-18T19:51:10Z")
I love that show! I like Paula, and Roy, and Sue Ellicot, too. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/19 "2007-02-18T20:02:53Z")
[QUOTE=Unauthorized Cinnamon] This seems to be a good opportunity to mention a bit that had me on the floor. They covered the story of the woman who put her infant grandson through the x-ray machine at the airport, and riffed on it, talking about putting him in the overhead compartment, etc. The musical segue from that portion of the show was, “Carry On My Wayward Son.” 😃 [/QUOTE] Brilliant! Sometimes I get my biggest laugh of the show from the bumper music like that. They did a question once about a dog swallowing, and eventually passing an engagement ring. Cue “_This diamond ring doesn’t shine for me anymore…_” Called in my info once to be a contestant, but didn’t get picked. I’d also be dreading “bluff the listener” (and with my luck, it would be a Roxanne show). I’ve been to a taping as well, in Chicago last spring; great fun. Any [Says You!](http://www.wgbh.org/radio/saysyou/) fans here on the boards? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711/20 "2007-02-18T20:04:48Z")
I love the show too. It’s funny as hell. The panel members are either the quickest wits ever or they get some clues ahead of time about that week’s subjects. Can someone enlighten me as to how it works? How would you get someone else’s voice on your answering machine? I used to record music for my voice mail intro at work. My favorite was a Willie Nelson song that starts with “What was it you wanted?” I just put the phone close to the stereo and hit “record”. But that was in the 90’s. Would they send you an mp3 or something? As you can see, I feel no shame in sharing my technological ignorance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-won-carl-kassels-voice/392711.md?page=2)