CBC Radio 2 describes itself as "Canada's national music network."
The flagship show on that tax-funded radio network is Radio 2 Morning and for years now, it has been painful for me to have to listen to their morning music program. It seems like until the last week, its producers forgot the word "music" in the network's description. Radio 2 Morning, and its predecessor which was called Stereo Morning, had hosts Tom Allen and Bob Mackowyz, who would seemingly treat us to every inane, tiresome thought that popped into their head, whether it was related to music, or asinine allusions to politics or their bicycle ride to work, or their local pick-up hockey game, or their lunch menu the previous day..well you get the point.
Listening to a boring radio host's verbal diarrhea or repeatedly being told one of the worst songs ever recorded is "great" and having it played over and over made very appealing the prospect of another CBC strike which resulted in a period with no hosts at all.
However credit where credit's due. CBC 2's Radio 2 Morning finally has the perfect weekday and weekend pairing of hosts in Tom Power and Molly Johnson. Power is extremely knowledgeable about music and he talks about music, and not incessantly, letting the media speak for itself, as a good host should.
Molly Johnson has been around for years as a performer and her anecdotes are actually relevant. She also is has a charming, endearing personality and does not overdo the talk.
As long as this pair remains, I won't have to rapidly spin my dial away from CBC once I hear a host start talking.
The scary aspect to this is that the Radio 2 Morning website says Tom Power will be a guest host through the summer. If that doesn't become permanent, I dread what may come.
EYE ON A CRAZY PLANET
Showing posts with label Molly Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Molly Johnson. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday Musings: Don't panic about low voter turnout
Some musings for a Sunday before election day.
I love Molly Johnson, yes I do. Sure, as a singer, but I'm thinking mainly as the host of CBC Radio 2's weekend morning show. She has a soothing voice and her comments sound warm and heartfelt rather than the inane, tiresome prattling by other radio hosts on a certain tax-funded network that takes time away from the music I'd rather be hearing. But I wish Molly (and anyone else who does it) didn't pontificate about how people should go out and vote no matter what.
George Jonas wrote a piece the other day about low-voter turnout being healthy for democracy. He suggested it shows that people are generally happy and high voter turnout is a sign of unease. I don't agree necessarily with his opinion on the desirability of low voter turnout, but on the other hand, it's also nothing to panic about. In a society where every citizen has the right to vote, then people who are interested and informed will generally choose to. The idea that people should go out and vote, no matter what, whether or not they know or care about the issues is facile. Mandatory voting is a position put forward by parties that have policies that appeal most to people who are ill-informed. When people say "you should vote" what they usually really mean is "you should vote the way I want you to vote."
The idea that everyone should vote whether they want to or not also stifles a political statement. There were elections I chose not to exercise my franchise because I didn't want to waste the time of formally picking the least offensive of a bunch of poor choices. Sometimes not voting is a statement that the political parties all need to do better. And I don't want to have to stand in line at a polling station to spoil a ballot. Not voting on election day can be a sign of apathy, but it is also a right and a choice and no one should tell you otherwise.
Molly said "women don't have the right to vote in Saudi Arabia, so make sure you vote for them tomorrow." Well gee, Molly, women don't have the right to drive in Saudi Arabia, so maybe we should drive to the polling station for them. And they aren't allowed to drink there either, so I guess I'll be drinking and driving for them. And they get stoned to death if they commit adultery, so give me a call if you..well..you see where I'm going with all of this.
The point is that we have the right to vote and that the critical cornerstone of democracy. But you are compelled to exercise a right, it's no longer a right, it's a burden.
Yes, everyone should vote. But because you're interested in voting, not because Molly or I or anyone else tells you that you should. And if you don't, that's your right too.
I love Molly Johnson, yes I do. Sure, as a singer, but I'm thinking mainly as the host of CBC Radio 2's weekend morning show. She has a soothing voice and her comments sound warm and heartfelt rather than the inane, tiresome prattling by other radio hosts on a certain tax-funded network that takes time away from the music I'd rather be hearing. But I wish Molly (and anyone else who does it) didn't pontificate about how people should go out and vote no matter what.
George Jonas wrote a piece the other day about low-voter turnout being healthy for democracy. He suggested it shows that people are generally happy and high voter turnout is a sign of unease. I don't agree necessarily with his opinion on the desirability of low voter turnout, but on the other hand, it's also nothing to panic about. In a society where every citizen has the right to vote, then people who are interested and informed will generally choose to. The idea that people should go out and vote, no matter what, whether or not they know or care about the issues is facile. Mandatory voting is a position put forward by parties that have policies that appeal most to people who are ill-informed. When people say "you should vote" what they usually really mean is "you should vote the way I want you to vote."
The idea that everyone should vote whether they want to or not also stifles a political statement. There were elections I chose not to exercise my franchise because I didn't want to waste the time of formally picking the least offensive of a bunch of poor choices. Sometimes not voting is a statement that the political parties all need to do better. And I don't want to have to stand in line at a polling station to spoil a ballot. Not voting on election day can be a sign of apathy, but it is also a right and a choice and no one should tell you otherwise.
Molly said "women don't have the right to vote in Saudi Arabia, so make sure you vote for them tomorrow." Well gee, Molly, women don't have the right to drive in Saudi Arabia, so maybe we should drive to the polling station for them. And they aren't allowed to drink there either, so I guess I'll be drinking and driving for them. And they get stoned to death if they commit adultery, so give me a call if you..well..you see where I'm going with all of this.
The point is that we have the right to vote and that the critical cornerstone of democracy. But you are compelled to exercise a right, it's no longer a right, it's a burden.
Yes, everyone should vote. But because you're interested in voting, not because Molly or I or anyone else tells you that you should. And if you don't, that's your right too.
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