# I Pit Cynthia McFadden **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 4, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842 "2012-05-04T06:54:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/21 "2012-05-04T20:49:38Z")
Come on people focus. This pit is about that bitch skank Cynthia McFadden and how she’s fucking old as proto-dirt. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/22 "2012-05-04T20:53:15Z")
Old people smell funny. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/23 "2012-05-04T21:15:09Z")
Sure, but captured by cannibals, we are the last ones picked. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/24 "2012-05-04T21:34:15Z")
That’s definitely worth getting old for. I can hardly wait. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/25 "2012-05-04T21:56:15Z")
Never heard of this Cynthia McFadden is, but I really, really want NPR to take Diane Rehm off the air (I’ve written letters – well, emails, well, one email). I don’t know how old she is, but her trembling, quavering voice is way too old for radio and has been for years. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/26 "2012-05-04T22:33:55Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That’s definitely worth getting old for. I can hardly wait. Contemplate the alternative. Choose carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/27 "2012-05-04T22:42:57Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Contemplate the alternative. Choose carefully. Softly wait? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/28 "2012-05-04T23:41:20Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Softly wait? Go fishing? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/29 "2012-05-05T00:25:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Never heard of this Cynthia McFadden is, but I really, really want NPR to take Diane Rehm off the air (I’ve written letters – well, emails, well, one email). I don’t know how old she is, but her trembling, quavering voice is way too old for radio and has been for years. She suffers from spasmodic dysphonia which affects her voice. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/30 "2012-05-05T01:07:20Z")
And saying that someone is “too old” for radio based solely on what her voice sounds like is age discrimination. I am not a fan of her show, but she’s exactly as she has always been except that her voice sounds like an old person, indeed, someone older than she actually is. That’s no reason to kick someone off the air. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/31 "2012-05-05T01:09:12Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > And saying that someone is “too old” for radio based solely on what her voice sounds like is age discrimination. And? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/32 "2012-05-05T01:16:09Z")
And read the next two sentences of my post. Strangely enough, they address the rest of my position. Being old or sounding old by itself is no reason to end someone’s career in broadcasting. She is able to communicate to her guests and to her audience and the sound of her voice does not in any way affect her effectiveness. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/33 "2012-05-05T01:17:54Z")
And so? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/34 "2012-05-05T02:17:45Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > She suffers from spasmodic dysphonia which affects her voice. RFK Junior has that. Might have kept him from being President, because he seems pretty smart. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/35 "2012-05-05T05:59:00Z")
And the little light bulb goes on. I’ve heard him on radio and thought he had worthy things to say but could not _stand_ to listen to his voice. Reminds me of people who’s voice sounds like they need to clear their throat, but that isn’t it, and listening to them makes my throat hurt, trying by sympathetic magic to clear theirs. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/36 "2012-05-05T11:54:36Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > And saying that someone is “too old” for radio based solely on what her voice sounds like is age discrimination. I am not a fan of her show, but she’s exactly as she has always been except that her voice sounds like an old person, indeed, someone older than she actually is. That’s no reason to kick someone off the air. No it isn’t. It’s saying that they are uncomfortable to listen to. It would be discrimination if you said they were too old and yet there was nothing different about how they did their job. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/37 "2012-05-05T12:21:07Z")
I don’t blame anyone who finds it difficult to listen to Diane Rehm’s show. I assume even the ADA allows people to be let go if their disability directly interferes with the essence of their job, and I could certainly see why NPR might have wanted to replace her. But I think it’s pretty cool that they kept her on, and people who like the content of her show and aren’t bothered by her vocal issues can listen, while others can turn it off. Ballsy. Meanwhile, how can you not love Diane (at least in principle) after hearing her [tear Rush Limbaugh a new asshole](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THcVQOcJDEM)? As for Cynthia McFadden, I looked her up on Youtube and I agree that her way of speaking is really annoying. But I think that’s probably true of most newsish infotainment hosts on broadcast TV - there’s a certain artificial cadence that seems to have become part of that kind of show. And it’s fucking irritating. But not unique to Cynthia. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/38 "2012-05-05T13:01:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > No it isn’t. It’s saying that they are uncomfortable to listen to. It would be discrimination if you said they were too old and yet there was nothing different about how they did their job. Diane Rehm is only “uncomfortable to listen to” if you have an unreasonable prejudice against old people’s voices. Her show is one of the most popular on public radio, and it’s popular because of _her_. “NPR” can’t replace her, because it’s not NPR’s show. NPR just syndicates it and they keep syndicating it because NPR’s affiliates have a lot of listeners that want to listen to the show. All of that is pretty much proof that Rehm’s voice doesn’t interfere with her job at all. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/39 "2012-05-05T13:19:13Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > RFK Junior has that. Might have kept him from being President, because he seems pretty smart. This is a joke, right? Cuz this is the guy who was running around a few years ago urging people with all his might not to get their kids vaccinated because it causes autism, with theories complete with government conspiracies and cover-ups. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842/40 "2012-05-05T13:26:51Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > This is a joke, right? Cuz this is the guy who was running around a few years ago urging people with all his might not to get their kids vaccinated because it causes autism, with theories complete with government conspiracies and cover-ups. I haven’t followed him closely, I’ve just seen him a few times on a few talk shows, and he seemed pretty smart on those. Obviously, if he’s an anti-vaccination conspiracy nut, then I withdraw my endorsement. I just thought that if being a Bush can get a moron two terms as President, then a Kennedy should get at least five. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-cynthia-mcfadden/620842.md?page=3)