Oct 27, 2012
Oct 26, 2012
Oct 20, 2012
Oct 19, 2012
Oct 12, 2012
Oct 5, 2012
Hold on now. I am not dead!
Over the years I've had a lot of my younger friends in broadcasting do impersonations of me. I have never really understood why.
At first they do it with each other behind my back. Then it is funnier to them when they work up the courage to do it in front of me. I've worked in TV newsrooms where reporters, producers, and photographers would have contests to do the goofiest me. And they did it in front of me...like I wasn't there.
For example, if you were with me and I happened to run into an old friend who is now an important TV news director in Washington D.C. he would immediately do an impression of a dopey, self-important me with a southern twang. He would do it right in front of me and get me laughing. He would do it in front of my wife. The same thing goes with Rob Starbuck who anchors the morning show on WISC-TV in Madison, WI.
After a career as spokesperson for Wisconsin Consumer Protection, I'm working by myself now making fun videos every week for the Janesville Gazette, and don't see a lot of media people any more. And I haven't heard anyone making fun of me in about three years. I take that back...my 11-year-old grand daughter is working on a pretty good imitation. She lowers her voice and seriously says, "Hold on now!"
But I haven't heard any news people do it.
Until last week. I'm listening to a WIBA radio discussion about consumer protection rip-offs, and host Mitch Henck suddenly asks, "Remember Glen Loyd?" News anchor Robin Colbert responds by doing her imitation of an outraged me...It was a startling. I had never heard her do it before. I wonder how many times my friend Robin has impersonated me with her newsroom associates after interviewing me?
As I said, I have never understood this. I wish I could say here that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, but I don't really think that is what's going on.
But it's funny and makes me even laugh.
What really concerns me is that question, "Remember Glen Loyd?"
Hold on now! I am not dead! I make videos every week...watched more than 100.000 times by people around the world!