I heard something on Vermont Public Radio the other day that stopped me in my tracks.
No, it wasn’t one of those famous “driveway moments” that keep you riveted in your seat. It wasn’t a world-shaking news story or a heartrending profile. What it was, was the opening line of a Commentary piece. It struck me as the very essence of VPR distilled into a single sentence. Witness in wonder:
While biking at sunset recently, I stopped for an impromptu visit with a neighbor, relaxing in a lawn chair overlooking her sweeping green meadow – a glass of red wine glowing in her hand.
I heard that, nodded my head, and thought, “Yep, that’s VPR.”
The Vermont Political Observer. 
Sometimes I listen to VPR and don’t know why. That was one of those times.
so who’s commentary? I would like to know. I do find VPR tiresome, pretentious and self-aggrandizing so this might make me laugh.
The essayist is Mary McCallum, but my point was more about VPR than about her, so I left her name out of it. I should have provided a link, though; and I’ve just done so.
You can listen to the entirety of VPR commentaries and get a pretty solid understanding of VPRs quaint, self-congratulatory worldview. By the way, since you singlehandedly started a conversation about an Ethics Committee earlier this year, you may want to respond to this:
http://digital.vpr.net/post/mcquiston-ethics-commission-objections
Roster of op-ed columnists so predictable with neverending nice liberal-sounding regurgitations it’s like elevator music – the talking dead. Mindnumbing. McCallum, Lange, Douglas – Yawn! It’s become a VT-Image factory for fuddy-duddys. Must be a decibelometer in the studio to ensure there is no voice-raising or loud sounds to intrude upon the VPR-Society lest they fail to send in their agreed-upon bribe. VT has become South Park. Call us ‘North Park’ populated by Teeds-like apparitions.
We don’t want smokers (unless it’s nice green healthy maryjane), soda-drinkers, gun owners. No fastfood while farm-to-plate is in vogue. And only treehuggers need apply.
Seem to know how hit to all the fuzzywuzzy-spots of their audience lulling them to sleep in their comfy-cozy handmade-in-VT quilts in their Yankee Candle-scented homes with Ben & Jerry ice cream or perhaps a VT craft-beer before bed. Bore-ing!
Krista Tippets makes me want to scream – suffocating.
I visit the website for news and the writers are great!
I agree with the commentators being very same, same. Unless I’ve missed them (easy to do) I’ve not heard much in the way of a challenging or controversial viewpoint, and I’ve not been surprised by a a new topic. I can’t know whether this is a lack of recruitment or a lack of submissions. With exceptions, I could say the same about the news writers, especially one I used to enjoy but who seems to call it in early of late. The recent water quality series was quite good.
Oh man, you’re so right. Makes me want to gag. Which one was it that wrote “In my spare time, especially if I’m cooking or canning, I’ll listen to sports-talk radio. Harmless background chatter.”