Podcasting With A Voice That Could Peel Paint

Hey, podcasters: Can we stop with the obsession over perfect-for-radio voice? The vast majority of working actors have “non-standard appearances” that don’t get in the way of their success.

August 17, 2020

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I really hate the catchphrase, “I have a face for radio!” I'm clearly a fan of self-deprecation, but there’s so much assumption wrapped up in that statement that it really irritates me.

One of the most common reasons that stop people from podcasting, or causes them to stop podcasting, or won't even let them start podcasting... is their voice. Specifically, they don't think their voice is “right” for podcasting.

That’s insane.

Don’t Hate Them Because They Are Not Beautiful

Think about the last movie or TV episode you watched. If you were to make a list of every single actor who had a speaking role or warranted a listing in the IMDB credits, and you were to then rank or rate then by “objective” good looks or attractiveness, you would find that the vast majority of those actors aren't what most of society would consider “beautiful”.

The vast majority of actors you see on the screen have non-standard appearances. Yet they are working actors. They are the people who make the movies you enjoy better.

Contrary to popular belief, movies and television shows are not the exclusive domain of beautiful people. In fact, beautiful people are the exception rather than the rule. The movies and television shows you and I watch are the domain of people. Just people.

Steve Buscemi is one of my favorite actors. He has a non-standard appearance and gets leading roles, not bit parts. The same goes for Bill Murray, John C. Riley, and almost every other actor. Would the shows they appear in be better if they instead had classic good looks? No, not at all.

Nota bene: My focus on male actors in the examples above is completely intentional, lest some asshat miss the context. This is not about the validity of my or anyone’s opinion on what makes or does not make another human attractive. That, and I’m a dude.

It Takes More Than A Pretty Face

These professional working actors all share one thing in common, and it has nothing to do with their faces. It’s that they are professional actors who are very, very good at what they do. All of them have worked and continue to work very, very hard on their craft, often spending hours of continual, on-going training to become very good at what they do.

Podcasters, do you see the obvious connection to our world? You do not have to have a deep, booming “radio voice” when you speak to make it in podcasting. In fact, a podcast episode filled with deep, booming “radio voices” would be difficult for most people to enjoy. Because that’s hard for us to relate to. And it’s a bit exhausting to hear. Sorry, Moviefone guy.

Podcast listeners want and expect to hear regular people with regular voices. Yes, with all of the weird foibles of voices we encounter in everyday life. We do not only want to hear people with perfect voices or those who’ve gone through classical voice training. We want to hear people, just like us.

Don’t Use That As Excuse To Be Lazy, Podcaster

If you’re presenting your voice to the public, you should work at making your voice as good as it can be. No, I didn’t say “as pleasant” as can be. Or as “approachable” as can be. I said as good as it can be.

You get to decide what “good” means.

But don’t work at changing your voice. Your voice is your voice. You can’t “change” your voice any more than Bill Murray can “change” his face. With actors, it’s about learning how to use their faces. And for podcasters like us, it’s about learning how to use our voices effectively.

The most important thing about a podcaster is not the tone or timbre of their voice: It’s the way they deliver words to the audience.

My friend and fellow podcaster George Hrab has a song that, I feel, perfectly captures this reality. It’s called Blue Genes and is worth a listen. Yes, right now.

Chance are, you’ve met with a friend who’s cast doubt on their own vocal prowess, perhaps even uttering the dreaded “I don't have the right voice for podcasting” phrase. Send them a link to this episode, would you? Perhaps it will go a long way to showing that they do have the right voice for podcasting because their voice is the right voice for podcasting.

And you can always go to BuyMeACoffee.com/EvoTerra to support the wonderful things that come out of my mouth four days a week.

I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications.

Cheers!

Transcript

PPS3E23 Podcasting With A Voice That Could Peel Paint - Transcript

Hey podcasters, can we stop with the obsession over? Perfect for radio voices? I mean the majority of working actors have non standard appearances that don't get in the way of their success.

[00:00:17] Hello, and welcome to another podcast. Pontifications with me, Evo, Tara. I really hate the catch phrase. I have a face for radio. Now I'm a fan of self deprecation for sure, but that assumes a lot and they just, all of it irritates me. You know, one of the biggest things people say that stop them from podcasting or cause them to stop podcasting or won't let them start podcasting is their voice.

[00:00:45] They don't think they have the right voice for podcasting. And so I take it back to the actors and actresses that you see on TV every single day. That you see in the movies, if you added up every single actor and we'll just use that blanket term for all of them right now that you have seen on any TV show or movie one episode, and you added them up, the people who had it speaking lines on the program, not the extras, but the people who had speaking lines who are definitely paid actors.

[00:01:20] And you were to rate them by some objective, whatever sense of beauty you would find that the vast majority, like 90 X percent of the people, aren't what we consider a beautiful, they have non standard appearances. The vast majority have non standard appearances. And they're working actors. They make the movies better movies and television shows are not contrary to popular belief, filled with beautiful people.

[00:01:58] They are filled with people. Shall I give you some examples? How about Steve Buscemi? One of my favorite actors, a very nonstandard appearance. How about bill Murray? Another fantastic actor, non standard appearance, John C. Riley, another actor with a non standard appearance. These guys do well now I'm not introducing women to the, uh, to this.

[00:02:25] I have plenty listed, but as I got to thinking about it, look, someone's going to call me and ask that or someone is going to be an asset and take it out of context. So I'm just going to talk about the dudes since I'm a dude, I don't want somebody assuming the wrong thing about me. Now what these professional actors all have in common who have nonstandard appearances is that they are professional actors.

[00:02:44] They are very, very good at what they do. They work very hard hours of training and continual training to get very good at what they do. Podcasters podcasters pay attention to everything I just said. Think about that in the podcasting world. You do not have to have the deep, booming radio voice sound. In fact, people don't want that parts of that.

[00:03:14] We don't always want that. We want regular people with regular voices with all of the weird foibles of voices that we have. That's important that we have that representation for all, all the time. You do not have to have a perfect voice in radio or. Have some sort of classical training to be a podcaster.

[00:03:39] Should you work at making your voice as good as it can be? Well, sure, but it's your voice. You don't have to work at changing your voice. That's not the most important thing. Just like the actors. Most important thing is not their face, even though their face is what you see on TV or the movies. The most important thing about a podcaster is not the tone and tenor and timber of their voice, but the way they deliver words to you.

[00:04:11] Now, if I have time, I'm going to roll out with a song from a friend of mine, also the Castro George hub, which hopefully illustrates what I'm talking about. But before I do that, two things, one pretty pleased with sugar on it. Tell a friend of yours who has said to you, I don't have the right voice for podcasting.

[00:04:31] Send them this episode, cinemas episode. Maybe it'll convince them. Maybe they do because you and I know that they do have the right voice for podcasting. Their voice is the right voice for podcasting. And if you would like to also please go to buy me a coffee.com/evo, Tara, and support the wonderful things that come out of my mouth to you four days a week.

[00:04:53] That's it except for the rollout I shall be back tomorrow with yet another podcast. Pontifications cheers.

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