# Is Mike Rowe the new James Earl Jones/Morgan Friedman? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602 "2009-12-17T05:11:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/1 "2009-12-17T05:11:13Z")
Growing up in the eighties, I remember all sorts of stuff being narrated by James Earl Jones. His deep baritone voice is still burned into my head even though I can’t remember a movie I’ve seen of his since “Field of Dreams”. During my teenage/early 20’s years, after James Earl faded away, it seems like Morgan Friedman was the new narrator guy. I’m just going off the top of my head, but Shawshank Redemption, Seven, and March of the Penguins all relied very heavily of his voice. Now it seems like Mike Rowe has been narrating like 5+ different series on different networks. He’s got Dirty Jobs & Deadliest Catch on discovery, I’ve heard him narrating different things on Animal Planet occasionally, and now I’ve seen him narrating some new ghost show on discovery or TLC too. Tonight, I noticed he’s narrating another “Ghost Recruit School” show on Sci-Fi while channel surfing. So is Mike Rowe emerging as the new baritone narrator to carry the torch for the upcoming generation? Should he maybe be looking into breaking into movies or stick to TV for a while longer? ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/2 "2009-12-17T05:43:08Z")
Could well be, and don’t forget the Ford ads. Good comparison. ---
**Author:** ![2ply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/b2d939/32.png) [@2ply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ply)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/3 "2009-12-17T05:45:32Z")
Except for Sci-Fi, all those other shows are owned by the same corporation, and Ghost Hunters is produced by the people who make all those Disovery/TLC realiaty shows. He’s bascially the go to narrator for one production company. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/4 "2009-12-17T05:53:50Z")
Morgan **Freeman** ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/5 "2009-12-17T13:00:49Z")
I hope this doesn’t hearken an end to Sam Elliott. I’m not through with him yet. Maybe they can coexist for awhile, then star together in some Louis L’Amore movie during which the baritone god torch will be passed. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/6 "2009-12-17T13:31:02Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Morgan **Freeman** No, the OP was referring to the noted economist. You’re thinking of Milton Freeman. ---
**Author:** ![Improvisor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/50afbb/32.png) [@Improvisor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improvisor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/7 "2009-12-17T18:17:50Z")
As an aside, he was a guest on the Adam Carolla podcast a little while back, and he is actually a really smart guy as well… Mike Rowe that is… not Milton Freeman. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/8 "2009-12-17T18:53:17Z")
And Mike Rowe is just as freindly and funny in person as he seems to be on TV. A place I worked at was featured in part of a show segment in the first pilot episode of Dirty Jobs several years ago. We didn’t know what to expect, whether they were going to make us look like fools or what. Turned out really well. The one with the fish plant. They followed the fish scraps/guts to our place where we turned it into salmon feed. > **[List of Dirty Jobs episodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dirty_Jobs_episodes)** > > Dirty Jobs is a program on the Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television, in which host Mike Rowe is shown performing difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the typical employees. The show premiered with three pilot episodes in November 2003. It returned as a series on July 26, 2005, and ended on September 12, 2012, with a total of 169 episodes spanning eight seasons. The series returned on July 7, 2020, with a spin-off titled Dirty Jobs: Ro The... ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/9 "2009-12-17T18:55:46Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Morgan **Freeman** “And I built the Batmobile.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/10 "2009-12-17T19:13:52Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > And Mike Rowe is just as freindly and funny in person as he seems to be on TV. He seems like it. I always feel bad when he gets into some place and the person decides to try to be a jerk to him, because it makes THEM look tremendously bad, not Mike. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/11 "2009-12-17T19:22:15Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > And Mike Rowe is just as freindly and funny in person as he seems to be on TV. Glad to hear that. I love watching him, and yes, he has a wonderful voice. Makes listening as much a pleasure as watching. It would be a big disappointment to find out he was some huge jerk! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/12 "2009-12-17T19:25:20Z")
I don’t think you could do a show like Dirty Jobs for very long if you were a jerk. Rowe’s good people. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/13 "2009-12-17T20:36:15Z")
There’s nothing more entertaining than watching Mike flirt with some octogenarian goose plucker. He couldn’t get away with that if he was a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/14 "2009-12-17T20:38:42Z")
I think he also narrates on the UFC reality show. “Next week, on The Ultimate Fighterrrrr!” ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/15 "2009-12-17T20:39:42Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > He seems like it. I always feel bad when he gets into some place and the person decides to try to be a jerk to him, because it makes THEM look tremendously bad, not Mike. Yeah, definitely. I specifically remember the episode at the charcoal place as being one where the guys working there seemed to be going out of their way to be dicks to Mike and his crew. I have no idea why. They came across as being grade-A douchebags. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/16 "2009-12-17T20:47:04Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > “octogenarian goose plucker” [del]Band name[/del]. Tee shirt. Rowe strikes me as being as genuine as the day is long. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/17 "2009-12-17T21:01:12Z")
If Mike Rowe called me up just to read the phone book listings, I’d be pretty happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/18 "2009-12-17T21:03:02Z")
I don’t like Mike Rowe’s voice all that much. I wish I did, because some of the programs he narrates would be much better to me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/19 "2009-12-17T21:03:16Z")
I. Love. Mike Rowe. He’s my hero. He’s cute and he’s funny and I really, really want to get dirty with him… I’m sorry…what was the question? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602/20 "2009-12-17T21:46:26Z")
I’ve been trying to convince my wife’s grandfather that he should submit his business to Dirty Jobs. They carve gravestones & monuments. I know DJ has done stone carving before, but I don’t think they’ve done gravestones. Unfortunately, wife’s Pa thinks it would be bad for business for some reason. I think it’s really because he’s a grumpy stone cutting octogenarian who doesn’t want to have to babysit some yahoos around the machinery all day. Which is understandable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mike-rowe-the-new-james-earl-jones-morgan-friedman/521602.md?page=2)