Mr. Personality
- Posted by: Adam M Bright , Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
- on February 14, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Ira Glass narrates his way from radio to television.
When he first started out, Ira Glass was a good tape cutter and a bad reporter, so he spent a significant chunk of his life planted in an editing booth—a perfect place, as it turns out, to invent an entirely new style of radio. As he listened to raw tape, Glass, 47, noticed his attention being drawn to one specific pattern in all the interviews he was editing. “Somebody would be telling a real story and then periodically they’d sort of jump out of the action and say, ‘Here’s some thought I have about this.’” It hooked him every time. “And I was like, well, what if you started to game that?”
The result, the Peabody Award-winning radio show This American Life—still a revolution in its 12th year—has been widely credited with helping to mold the modern, conversational sound of public broadcasting. It’s an eclectic program. Glass hosts each week, but the contributors vary, and the stories are only ever tangentially related. There is no set style—you may hear monologue, fiction, or interviews—though the signature pieces are a uniquely reflective kind of reportage, an amalgam of documentary, essay, and short story.
Because the form and content are so diverse, the TAL aesthetic can be difficult to describe. Glass’ account is as good as any: “There are characters and a plot and things
happen and people have feelings about them and, you know, fade to black.” But these characters are rarely names you’ll recognize. Instead, you find yourself empathizing with people whom, under normal circumstances, you’d probably discount. It’s a pleasantly humbling feeling, and it’s exactly what Glass intends. “Our mission is a mission of understanding,” he says. “Our ministry is a ministry of love.”
| Quote: |
| There are characters and a plot and things happen and people have feelings about them and, you know, fade to black. |
As host, Glass suffuses TAL with a tone that’s intelligent and heartfelt at the same time—never an easy thing to do. In fact, only one other medium consistently manages to be both poignant and savvy: cable TV. “We are living through the golden age of television,” says Glass. “It’s happening right now. In any given week, there are honestly like five or six great things on television—and that’s before you count The Daily Show.”
After March 22, when the TV version of This American Life premieres on Showtime, there may be one more. Glass insists that the new show will not be a corruption of the original. He will still host (he will continue the radio show, too), and he and his producers will keep telling the same sorts of stories they always have, just with images.
The first episode looks, and feels, just right. It contains a story about a prize bull. It is poignant and beautiful, and every bit as difficult to describe as its radio counterparts. There is this bull, and this farmer, and his wife, and some things happen to them and you have some feelings about them and then, you know, fade to black.
LEARN MORE thislife.org
DISCUSSION: 9 Comments
I can even begin to imagine the number of times that I have just sat in my car in a parking lot of my driveway, not wanting to miss the end of a This American Life segment… that being said though I cannot say that I am totally sold on a TV series. There is just a cretin magic to it on the radio where so much is left to the listener’s mind to fill in for themselves – hope they don’t loose that.
nice topic in the chapter.
I second Seanford’s remarks about his attraction to this program. TAL is simply one of the most riveting shows on radio, hands down. It’s strikes a cord with it’s simplicity, honesty, and curiosity. I can’t find any other way to describe it, and it works for me.
I can’t wait to see the program, and am only disappointed that it’s on Showtime and not on something a bit more relevant like PBS. Oh yeah, and I don’t subscribe to Showtime!
good matter.
good text in the message.
I am riveted by TAL and look forward to the new stories every week. The inspiration and introspection that comes from many of the stories is unmatched on radio. I too hope the essence of his radio show is captured on television. If such a feat is accomplished, I’m sure it will be as successful as his radio program.
A taste of what’s to come?
Ira Glass on YouTube.
I’d love to know the name of the prepubescent teen who does Ira’s voice. It has a great effect, and my kids love it. Anyone know? Think I heard it once on The Simpson’s..
I read your article and when I came to this line I realized why I was so interested in listening to my Public Radio Station on the way home everyday for last three years. This fellow you mentioned had something to do with “it”. What is “it” ? Well here is the line I focused on, “The result, the Peabody Award-winning radio show This American Life—still a revolution in its 12th year—has been widely credited with helping to mold the modern, conversational sound of public broadcasting.” this line made me realize that the sound of public broadcasting I was so intrigued by from 2002 to 2005 was of his influence. I had an idea it ranged 12 years because its inception/dominance was at the helm of a former political party. I often would listen and discount the conversational dialogue and just focus on what I calld the underlying message to the topic. Often after listening I would be able to get the overall message. What made me most mad was that the message was not one I agreed with. I considered it a form of brainwashing. You I see by the awards consider it good. It I felt was only a variant tool of propaganda, you have a different perspectice I see. The public radio I felt was hijacked. I could only say this, often times I would see my world just as you intended me to. I made comparisons of my world here in Louisiana to others far away possibly oversees in third world countries. It was hard for the comparisons to be made, but they could be depending on ones ability to relate. However, I could always also see or “hear” the bend to a political point of view that was of the composer. Not often did I see an attempt to take to opposite side and transpose the points of view to help the other side gain perspective as to why the world is shaped in the fashion that it is. I give you much credit, I had no other channel to listen to, nor do I have many more ways of avoiding the same on my cable TV. I guess that in itself is deserving of award winning status. I will admit however that 2 of 5 days were something of an attempt to bring a balanced approach, if only half heartedly.