Last Monday, I had the pleasure of being on The Calgary Eyeopener, a popular morning radio show in our city run by CBC (Canada’s version of NPR). I had been in touch with the producers regarding my post, “5 Best-Toys-of-2010 That Really Suck,” and they were interested in doing a seven minute segment live on the radio that morning.
Now, before I go any further, let me say why I love writing: there’s a delete key. You can take back what you say before you publish it. Not so in radio. As a result, I was anxious. I said to my husband before I left, “Well, I’d be more nervous if it was TV. Look how horrible my hair looks today.” Thankfully, he’s successfully been through Husband School, and he assured me it looked fine…especially for radio.
After a Google map nightmare, I made it to the studio. I had the chance to chat with Angela, the traffic reporter I listen to daily, about the Draculaura, the Monster High doll I was bringing in. Angela used the term prostitot, a great new word that I wish we didn’t need to coin. I assured Angela I would work the word skankification into the interview. And I did.
If you have a spare seven minutes to waste, here’s the interview.
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I arrived on time to teach my junior high class. By lunch, there was a message on my phone. It was from a CBC-TV producer. Could they send a TV crew to my house after school to cover the same story? The curse of the bad hair day.
I taught three more classes, picked up my kids, and headed home. I threw in my contacts (the logic being that maybe people wouldn’t look at my hair if I wasn’t wearing glasses – O, Vanity). I then made Vivian and William make a cross-their-hearts-hope-to-die-poke-a-needle-in-their-eye promise that they would not say a peep during the interview.
When the cameraman set up, he informed me I would have to look out the window, not at the camera. “Just pretend a reporter’s standing there,” he said. I wished for a hologram of Wolf Blitzer, to no avail. So, we started rolling. I was staring out our living room window, babbling on about the Monster High dolls, when Vivian, who was in the kitchen, crept into my peripheral vision. She had climbed onto our island, was standing on the highest level, and held Draculaura high above her head. Picture a six-year-old Statue of Liberty and you’re close.
I stopped the filming, hauled Vivian down from the ceiling, and started again.
I survived. Two different segments ran on the Tuesday news. And I even managed to use the word skankification again.
But Barbara Walters, your job’s safe. You have, amongst other things, much better hair.
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Any stories about radio or TV?
How did I not know that you’re from Calgary?! And why are you not skiing RIGHT NOW (you lucky souther-Albertan with all your snow!) And whyyyy can’t Google give me video of your interview?!!
Hilarious mini-rant. To answer, I can’t ski (insert embarrassment) though I plan to learn before I’m an octogenarian. The video was only online for 24 hours and I don’t yet have a copy of it (only photos of the screen – I’m a Luddite). Must buy it from CBC Library… You’re stuck with audio. Wishing you snow…or mountains…
You live next to HEAVEN and you can’t ski?! (Oh, the horrors!)
Boo on CBC. I liked the radio bit – you’re an excellent speaker. =)
Thanks…and I’ll get on that skiing thing, soon.
I was working at an Art & Education Organization and the TV interviewer asked me why the arts were important to children and I totally blanked. I think they cut that part out.
I also did a LIVE national 7 minute radio interview over the phone. I was a nervous wreck but it went well in the end.
Another clip has me blinking like a mad person.
Anyway CONGRATS!
LOL at the blanking part – I get that. The live thing is a bit freaky. I too was blinking maniacally in my clip. It’s a whole other world out there in the media.
I heard the interview (and made my students listen to it too because I was already in the classroom) and you were great. I wish I’d known you were going to be on tv, too…I would have watched. Congrats on your success.
Did skankification become one of their spelling words? 😉
You are so famous. Love this!! Congratulations.
In a past life, I was the media spokesperson for the company I used to work for. It was endlessly horrifying and mortifying. I used to have to do these training seminars where they’d video tape me answering questions from a fake (but very mean) reporter under dire circumstances (“The plant just exploded, what message does your company have for women and children in the neighbourhood?”). Then they’d play it back over and over and tell me all the things I did wrong. Like stop stuttering, and umming, and closing my eyes, and looking so earnest. Total agony.
How horrific that would be. That was the other thing I consoled myself with pre-recording: at least it’s not a serious issue I’m getting grilled on. But you were more than grilled!
Leanne … I loved your CBC interview. It totally cracked me up. If I wasn’t so busy picking through dumpsters with hopes of scoring repurposed Christmas gifts I would know that these bizarre offerings actually exist! Glad to know what I’m not missing. I hope this will be consolation for my family.
Thanks, Tamara. Love your repurposing, though. Let me know what you come up with!
TONS. i have about a million television stories for whoever is interested. and your experience with the 1-person camera team sounds about right… these days when reporter jobs are being cut left right and center.
you look great in the still photo, miss toy reviewer, send the video around when you get it please?????
ps. i’m with natalie – you live in spitting distance from one of the best ski resorts on earth. you are morally bound to learn to ski. in this decade.
Ya, the ski thing. Maybe you should come visit and make me go!
Ha! I love the 15 lbs tag! If I were you I would start referring to myself as “toy reviewer” in all future correspondence. Also, I heard the radio interview when it aired and you were the picture of composure…
Ha…well, I definitely wasn’t composed for the first 15 seconds. They took me in early. The producer said, “We can’t get Mayor Nenshi on the phone, so we’re taking you now.” My dolls and I went in…and Jim (interviewer) joked about asking me questions on the city budget.
Still, I’m thinking of spinning this wildly so that I can say, “I bumped the Mayor to the second spot..”
Awesomeness! But how brave are you, letting a TV CREW come to your house in the state that you left it in that MORNING! I would have to clean the half eaten toast from the foyer bench and flush all the toilets because my son goes in every one before he leaves each morning and I can’t even discuss the toys that get strewn down the hallway in the 10 minutes we move from breakfast table to door! BRAVE!
Miraculously, the kids had cleaned up the night before. And I did the 2-minute clean up: shove piles into laundry baskets, closets, and drawers…still afraid to open those.
That is so cool! What a neat opportunity. I bet your heart was racing as you drove home for a surprise TV spot. Yes, you should totally spin it so everyone knows they bumped the mayor for you. Can’t wait to listen to the radio spot. You deserve these chances. And I am with you on the non-skiing tip. You have my support in not ever doing it.
Yes, to ski or not to ski. Bet Shakespeare never did it…
Congrats on both interviews…and your hair looked just fine 🙂
You’re kind!
That is awesome. I hope the double-dip of exposure leads to some more opportunities for you.
Vivian climbing on the island would only have been better if it had been in the background of the shot. And you didn’t know what she was doing. And the camerman finally has to say something like, “Uh, your kid is standing on the counter.”
Wow, to think that a well-known Canadian radio and television personality reads my blog…
Congrats, IM.
Ha! I don’t know about well-known…but I know I love your blog!
I think it’s great that you got all that coverage and didn’t let a bad hair day stop you from realizing your goals and dreams!
Reminds me of today. A student said, “Your hair looks great.” I replied: “Thanks. That’s because I styled it.” An event…
Love the Statue of Liberty image! Priceless! I did a segment on ABC-TV (following OPRAH!!) on kitchen organization. When it aired, I looked like I sucked on a lemon so serious and uninspiring. I thought I was smiling. Guess not. If I were someone watching, I click to something different. Oh, well.