It's Time... For a Change...

November 7, 2006 1:15 PM

This short NPR interview with two guys that do negative campaign ad voiceovers is not to be missed. They cover buzzwords, types of delivery, and then riff on nursery rhymes. [via notmartha]
posted by mathowie (28 comments total)

I heard this yesterday. I loved how one guy said he got a lot of work for the perjorative way he says "Liberal".
posted by prodigalsun at 1:26 PM on November 7, 2006

This was awesome.
posted by ssmith at 1:35 PM on November 7, 2006

I never did trust that Humpty Dumpty.

Good interview.
posted by sarajflemming at 1:38 PM on November 7, 2006

yeah . . . who knew those awful things about john . . . jacob . . . jingleheimerschmidt??
posted by deejay jaydee at 1:39 PM on November 7, 2006

Yeah, this was fun to listen to. My dad does voiceover stuff, I'm trying to get him to listen to it.
posted by OmieWise at 1:45 PM on November 7, 2006

"I'll have trout with lemon."
posted by ericb at 1:49 PM on November 7, 2006

"whenever we go out, the people always shout HEY:

WHAT ABOUT IRAQ."
posted by radiosig at 1:50 PM on November 7, 2006

He's not telling the truth.
posted by lodurr at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2006

I guess Mom was right. It's not what you say, it's how you say it.
posted by textilephile at 2:03 PM on November 7, 2006

I heard this while on my way home yesterday on NPR as I was stuck in the parking lot formerly known as I-5. My fellow-commuters gave me dirty looks as I sat in my car grinning to myself.
posted by leftcoastbob at 2:17 PM on November 7, 2006

Very cool. Anyone else who likes hearing voiceover pros doing their thing should check out the videos of Joe Cipriano on his blog.
posted by jaimev at 2:25 PM on November 7, 2006

I guess the voice talents deserve a good wage, but I kind of shake my head at the creativity behind those mudslinging ads. It's always, always the same thing:

Show the "bad" guy: Minor key with dissonant strings, black and white photographs, sling the 'ol mud.

Then show the "good" guy: Piano flourish with major chords, color motion footage of candidate with kids, pets, tots, or vets.

It's not even an art, it's a formula. I can't believe people get paid to "create" these things. Andy Rooney, where are you?
posted by rolypolyman at 2:32 PM on November 7, 2006

What happens when five movie trailer voice over guys get into one limo? [embedded video]
posted by ericb at 2:32 PM on November 7, 2006

I heard this yesterday and REALLY enjoyed it. Wish I'd thought of posting it myself.

If you haven't heard it yet, go forth and listen. I think it would be nearly impossible to get through it without at least smiling.
posted by Malor at 2:37 PM on November 7, 2006

John Hodgman has also done some hilarious attack-ad parodies. Check out this Sound of Young America Podcast to hear his take on them. The 'attack-ad' portion starts at the 23 minute point of the mp3.
posted by sdinan at 3:37 PM on November 7, 2006

ericb, ya beat me to it! That's a great video, for fans of voiceover work, especially movie trailers.

I don't have much of a radio voice, but if I have a throat cold, or it's the morning after a particularly festive night, and the voice is all heavy and raspy, I can crack my wife up by doing the classic trailer lead-in "In a world...."
posted by Artful Codger at 3:41 PM on November 7, 2006

better quality audio version of the 5 voiceover guys
here
posted by Artful Codger at 3:50 PM on November 7, 2006

Heard it on the radio yesterday. Laughed until I cried.

Similarly funny:
Don LaFontaine on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, doing bombastic voiceovers for Car Talk and Fresh Air.

Don LaFontaine on Good Morning America, doing bombastic voiceovers for the reporter's daily activities.
posted by O9scar at 4:18 PM on November 7, 2006

"Humpty Dumpty..... wrong on wall-sitting"

That was a great segment, but kind of horrifying at the same time.

The message I got was: "We all know its a game, we all play the game without any care for the consequences and, hey, if normal folks are too stupid to catch on... oh well."

Still, the nursery rhymes were great.
posted by mmahaffie at 4:54 PM on November 7, 2006

"Leave your politics at the door" is code for "Everyone who voiceovers is a Democrat." A good number of them actually have a policy of donating all the money they make from Republican commercials to the DNC.

This is also why the truly offensive ads, like the "snuff my own seed" PAC ads, always have shitty actors.
posted by ®@ at 6:10 PM on November 7, 2006

*does voiceovers,
I should say.
posted by ®@ at 6:11 PM on November 7, 2006

I loved this when I heard it last night. I wish they would've let that guy go further with the everyday life "Thursday" situation.

I love listening to voiceover guys talk normally. It sounds like so much fun to have one of those voices.
posted by redteam at 7:14 PM on November 7, 2006

Cool - I'd heard the teaser for this but not the full interview.
posted by exogenous at 8:17 PM on November 7, 2006

That... is hilarious. I'm waiting for my wife to wake up just so I can play that to her.
posted by empyrean at 5:23 AM on November 8, 2006

I love the very end when they do the ATC promo.
posted by mistermoore at 3:09 PM on November 8, 2006

This is pretty much what I wanted more of.
posted by redteam at 7:31 PM on November 12, 2006

Even *higher* quality version of "5 Guys in a Limo", plus a bunch of related stuff here.

At least, I *think* it's higher class... the .mov file is 53MB, and my hose is kinda skinny tonight.

(Don't say it...)
posted by baylink at 5:42 PM on December 4, 2006

(Oh yeah: I can play it while it' still downloading. The audio is pristine, but the video compressionist should be shot; 4:22, 57MB, and 30fps at 240x160 is the best you could manage? :-)
posted by baylink at 5:45 PM on December 4, 2006