# Melissa Block NPR
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 27, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819 "2014-06-27T21:47:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/41 "2014-06-28T18:36:15Z")
> [@scabpicker](#):
>
> Wow, it doesn’t bother me at all. You folks may need actual problems in your lives.
Oh, we’re so sorry, scabpicker. Pardon our interruption in your busy day! You just go on to whatever earthshaking activities a person who chooses the name “scabpicker” to post on a message board is likely to be engaging in, and forget we ever existed!
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### Author:  [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/42 "2014-06-28T19:25:35Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> The guy I went to school with is (duh) my age, so he’d have been 41 or so in 2009. So maybe it’s not her, or maybe she started having kids again late in life…
Eleanor Beardsley didn’t even graduate from college until 1986. You got the wrong lady.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/43 "2014-06-28T19:28:58Z")
> [@Erdosain](#):
>
> Eleanor Beardsley didn’t even graduate from college until 1986. You got the wrong lady.
Good to know. I can stop disliking her for being who I thought she was and start disliking her for the lesser offense of having the same name as the person I thought she was. 😉
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### Author:  [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/44 "2014-06-28T19:41:01Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> Good to know. I can stop disliking her for being who I thought she was and start disliking her for the lesser offense of having the same name as the person I thought she was. 😉
And her incredibly annoying voice.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/45 "2014-06-28T19:51:24Z")
> [@C3](#):
>
> And her incredibly annoying voice.
Right, right, that’s what I meant to say!
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### Author:  [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/46 "2014-06-28T19:57:28Z")
Just noticed that her name is “Block.” Not “Blanc” as she pronounces it. This does seem to be a feature with female NPR announcers. The best voices are Michele Norris (although it sometimes sounds like she says “Nichele”) and Terri Gross. Funnily enough, the men’s voices don’t bug me, even Ira Glass. There is a youngish Black male who talks incredibly fast, and as a Black man who talks fast, I’m always amazed that he’s on national radio. I’ll have to look him up. He’s a reporter on one of those features that appears on Morning Edition.
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### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/47 "2014-06-28T20:07:13Z")
I’m an NPR junkie and can’t say I’ve never noticed, or even been aware of, vocal fry before reading this thread. I’ve just listened to several examples and…nope, doesn’t bother me. I didn’t “get” Diane Rehm back when I first heard her, but now I appreciate her measured tone.
[Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s](http://www.splendidtable.org/)voice…I do not like. Too plummy. Too smiley, almost forced. Good show and content, but hers is a voice I don’t care for. I always picture her speaking into the microphone with a manic, permanent, rictus grin on her face.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/48 "2014-06-28T20:08:53Z")
> [@scabpicker](#):
>
> Wow, it doesn’t bother me at all. You folks may need actual problems in your lives.
> [@Evil\_Captor](#):
>
> Oh, we’re so sorry, scabpicker. Pardon our interruption in your busy day! You just go on to whatever earthshaking activities a person who chooses the name “scabpicker” to post on a message board is likely to be engaging in, and forget we ever existed!
Generally scabpicker is a nice, easygoing guy…not sure what happened there.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/49 "2014-06-28T20:31:14Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#):
>
> Just noticed that her name is “Block.” Not “Blanc” as she pronounces it. This does seem to be a feature with female NPR announcers. The best voices are Michele Norris (although it sometimes sounds like she says “Nichele”) and Terri Gross. Funnily enough, the men’s voices don’t bug me, even Ira Glass. There is a youngish Black male who talks incredibly fast, and as a Black man who talks fast, I’m always amazed that he’s on national radio. I’ll have to look him up. He’s a reporter on one of those features that appears on Morning Edition.
I think that sort of vocal characteristic is more natural to men, particularly those with baritone or lower natural voices. I doubt that I could make it stop totally, but you don’t hear it much in men who have voice training of some sort.
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### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/50 "2014-06-28T20:46:29Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> Generally scabpicker is a nice, easygoing guy…not sure what happened there.
Well, to be honest. I thought the post was a bit rude a few minutes after I submitted it. Sorry about that.
I still don’t really see what everyone is so bothered by. Almost none of the voices on NPR are “good radio voices”, and most of them could easily be criticized, but they don’t bother me much.
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### Author:  [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/51 "2014-06-28T21:23:29Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#):
>
> Okay, I listened to ol’ Eleanor. I would describe her voice as “grating,” but tolerable.
>
> I don’t think many of you have heard Zoe Chace. When I first heard her on the radio, I actually pulled over and Googled her - I was like, “Is she performing? Like Fran Drescher on ‘The Nanny?’” But that’s her actual radio voice. Here’s an example: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZu6vgGb0Ek](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZu6vgGb0Ek)
>
> The poster gives her the appellation “best voice ever,” which suggests it was posted by her mother.
>
> It is described as derived from “a New England family, a Manhattan childhood, college at Oberlin in Ohio, and a first job as a teacher in a Philadelphia high school.” (How does college and teaching change your accent?) I suggest that we dispatch Zoe as a weapon to irritate the shit out of American foes abroad.
>
> Believe it or not her voice is fairly “restrained” here. I’ve heard it much more nasally and “spat out” before.
I love Zoe Chase’s voice. I have a huge radio crush on her. I’ve never been sure what accent she has, but I find it very attractive. I’m aware that I’m the only one that feels this way, but that’s fine by me. Less competition!
(Unfortunately - for me anyway - her first piece was a first-person report on the importance a particular gay bookstore that was closing had on people growing up in the gay community in Manhattan, so I don’t think I’m what she’s looking for.)
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### Author:  [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/52 "2014-06-28T21:55:04Z")
Dallas has a classical music station (WRR) that I used to listen to on my drive to work. They had a morning DJ (Christopher Hackett) that did a male version of vocal fry, with an Aussie accent. He overdid it so much it came across as a cross between a purr and a growl. It was so annoying that I would sometimes change stations if he didn’t get some music going quickly enough.
I wonder if he’s still on the air. I don’t get to listen as much anymore since I commute by motorcycle.
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### Author:  [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/53 "2014-06-29T02:44:04Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#):
>
> I love Zoe Chase’s voice. I have a huge radio crush on her. I’ve never been sure what accent she has, but I find it very attractive. I’m aware that I’m the only one that feels this way, but that’s fine by me. Less competition!
>
> (Unfortunately - for me anyway - her first piece was a first-person report on the importance a particular gay bookstore that was closing had on people growing up in the gay community in Manhattan, so I don’t think I’m what she’s looking for.)
From your lips to the Planet Money director’s ears. I can’t imagine anyone _not_ commenting on her voice the minute she opens her mouth. I can agree I enjoy her work, but I’m not averse to reading the stories online rather than listening.
The guy I mentioned upthread is Gene Demby. I think he talks really fast for a radio guy. In fact, he sounds a lot like me! He blogs more than he reports, though. The ISDN equipment does a really nice job with voices like ours… makes them resonant.
I suppose there’s something to be said about NPR intentionally seeking out different voices and not having them fit into cookie cutter types.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/54 "2014-06-29T02:49:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> I doubt that I could make it stop totally, but you don’t hear it much in men who have voice training of some sort.
Yeah, you do. Men use vocal fry all the time. That dude in the trivago ad vocal fries the shit out of almost every single line.
I find complaining about vocal fry to be one the funniest sexist things people complain about on the internet.
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### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/55 "2014-06-29T21:25:25Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> Yeah, you do. Men use vocal fry all the time. That dude in the trivago ad vocal fries the shit out of almost every single line.
> I find complaining about vocal fry to be one the funniest sexist things people complain about on the internet.
I agree with this. Once you start listening, you’ll hear both males and females using vocal fry.
My theory on why women may be using it more than they used to: it’s hard (or maybe impossible) for a speaker to do vocal fry when tense or frightened. The vocal chords have to be…relaxed.
So using it is a way of subtly asserting: I’m cool. I’m calm, relaxed, and ready to cope with anything.
Both men and women want to project that image; possibly women are more concerned to do so because in many contexts, they may feel the weight of stereotyping (about being ‘overly-emotional’ and such) more than do men. I’m thinking of the recent stories about women in high-powered, high-pressure jobs on Wall Street being particularly prone to using vocal fry, for example.
[http://www.thegrindstone.com/2012/02/29/career-management/could-the-vocal-fry-give-women-more-authority-at-work-ask-kim-kardashian-335/](http://www.thegrindstone.com/2012/02/29/career-management/could-the-vocal-fry-give-women-more-authority-at-work-ask-kim-kardashian-335/)
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/56 "2014-06-29T23:32:08Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> Yeah, you do. Men use vocal fry all the time. That dude in the trivago ad vocal fries the shit out of almost every single line.
>
> I find complaining about vocal fry to be one the funniest sexist things people complain about on the internet.
And it sounds completely different. I guess people who think men sound silly in falsetto are sexist, too, since women use it all the time. :rolleyes:
Plus the guy in [the ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRmLcUIqCHI) used it correctly. He just barely hits is and then fades off. These women seem to press the phonation to make it louder and hold it out. It changes the entire timber of their voice to sound snooty.
At least the accusations of sexism in the “cleavage” thread actually make sense. This is ridiculous. Someone not liking someone’s voice hates women. Right. :rolleyes:
(Think that’s the first time I’ve legitimately used two :rolleyes: before.)
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/57 "2014-06-29T23:36:42Z")
Men’s voices are already pretty deep so the vocal fry isn’t as noticeable.
Women with girlish voices\* use vocal fry to sound more mature… at least they \*think \*it sounds more mature. A very high-pitched little-girl voice CAN diminish the speaker’s credibility. But there are ways of pitching your voice lower that can add a mature sound without having to resort to the growl.
\*Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich would not need to use vocal fry.
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### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/58 "2014-06-29T23:48:13Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> vocal chords
\*cords :o
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/59 "2014-06-30T00:22:30Z")
There used to be an NPR commentator named Bailey Quarters, she was from south Georgia, and she had vocal fry beat all hollow. Her voice was so gravelly you coulda polished diamonds with it.
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### Author:  [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melissa-block-npr/691819/60 "2014-06-30T00:31:29Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#):
>
> There used to be an NPR commentator named **Bailey Quarters** ,
:dubious:
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