02-06-2009 WHO CARES IF WALT BODINE FLUBS; ICONS DESERVE A PASS By John Landsberg Listeners to the "Walt Bodine Show" on KCUR-89.3 very likely cringed when his show (2/6) opened with Walt serving up a major flub. "We have the food critics here in residence to let you know about a notable occasion that is coming up on the horizon and that you may want to be prepare for...Halloween." Walt's co-host Gina Kaufmann immediately jumped in to gently correct him and let him know that it is really Valentine's Day coming up. Shortly thereafter Charles Ferruzza, long-time Pitch/Sun food critic joked "Let me tell you Walt, as a former waiter, I can tell you Valentine's night could be Halloween and many times it was..." (Ferruzza has written an interesting article about the KCUR incident.) And that's how it often goes on the Walt Bodine Show these days. Gina gently corrects his flubs while long-time guests like Ferruzza frequently try to jump in and lend a helping hand. In fact, an alert reader of ours said that prior to Halloween in 2007 Walt got that holiday confused with Valentine's Day. (http://archive.kcur.org/kcurViewDirect.asp?PlayListID=5354). Go figure. The reality is Walt Bodine will be 89 in August. He has myriad health problems, is blind and wears two hearing aids. He has been in the media business more than 60 years. He has had his show on KCUR since 1985. A few years ago the station even had the audacity to try and drop him, but his loyal listeners stopped that in a hurry. Listening to him is a habit no one wants to give up. He may be Kansas City's biggest media icon. As far as his numerous fans go they feel their icon deserves a free pass. For Kansas Citians he is "our" icon. His flubs are simply overlooked. These days his co-host, Kaufmann, pretty much runs the show and is really like a compassionate daughter directing her elderly father. The dynamics between the two can be genuinely touching. Maybe Walt gets confused whether next week is Halloween or Valentine's Day. We really don't care.
FEEDBACK (02-06-2009): "yup, bodine's why I came over here. ur on a roll. That was both good and gentle! well done. When I listened to him on whb nightbeat as a teen, I had no idea I'd do radio." ---Radioman
02-07-2009
"You are absolutely right about Walt Bodine. He said "Halloween" instead of "Valentine's Day" -- BFD. "That being said, however, in my mind there is little that is sadder than someone who doesn't know when to hang it up. There was a similar situation in St. Louis with a gentleman named Parker Wheatley, who had been with KMOX-TV since, I guess, Day One. He had the title of public affairs director, but by the mid-70s he was reduced to a weekly interview program that was broken into five 12-minute segments aired daily sometime around 2 a.m. It eventually became unintentionally hilarious. "My guess is that Mr. Bodine loves his craft so much that to lose it would kill him. He isn't hurting anyone, and I think that so long as he isn't babbling mindlessly and can make it in to work everyday, he's earned the right to do his thing as long as he wishes. "None of us is getting any younger."
02-08-2009 "I can completely understand where you're coming from and why Walt is held is such great affection. Soon after I moved to KC from "back east," I was to hear him speak on a panel of media people. I was interested in the panel, but not particularly in Walt. At the time I thought he was just some old coot that KCUR kept around for some inexplicable reason. "I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was absolutely charming and easily one of the best storytellers I had ever heard in my life -- way more interesting than anybody else on the panel. I could have listened to him for hours. I really do admire Walt and hope I'm half as active when I'm his age. I guess that's why I wish he had chosen to go out when he was more at the top of his game. Or that somebody had chosen for him. "I remember when KCUR tried to get rid of him a while back. I recall that the station basically tried to toss him like yesterday's newspapers, as if he were no more important to KC than a rookie radio announcer. If they had orchestraed a big celebration of Walt and his wonderful career, and given him a big send-off with fanfare, the station probably would have avoided the protests. If they had hired you to handle their p.r., things probably would have gone a lot differently!"
02-09-2009 "Dump Walt! He makes the show unlistenable. Times change."
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