In another lifetime when I was a famous (albeit only in my own mind) radio broadcaster in the military, as opposed to a military radio broadcaster, I made a not too shabby living interviewing musicians. Where I worked in Germany, American Forces Network, was, until privat-sendungen were permitted about twenty years ago, the closest thing to USA radio and/or fun many German listener had ever had.
Because officially we were in business to broadcast to members of the US Armed Forces and their families and 'authorized Department of Defense civilians' (including federal employees and contractors) we rarely acknowledged the 'shadow audience' those citizens of the countries in which we were stationed. The audience was ludicrously huge (as well it should have been; Deutsche Rundfunk was like listening to paint dry).
Because we delivered a huge number of ears, we were a sought-after partner by European record labels interested in promoting their artists to a variety of audiences. This was back when there were many, many record labels, not just one as seems to be the case now and thousands of independents.
I hosted a program referred to in-house as 'Diving for Dopers' and while I had little doubt many of those hearing the show were toking the hemp, I assumed such conduct was between the listener and her/his Uniform Code of Military Justice. I was always grateful for what I pretended was the creative freedom the network management gave me when what it really was more often than not was benign indifference to my existence.
The first time I think the grown-ups in my food chain realized I was actually on the air and not downstairs in a studio attached to a Playskool transmitter was the weekend I arranged to interview Tom Robinson and his drummer, Brian "Dolphin" Taylor. Robinson had a hit in the UK with 2, 4, 6, 8, Motorway but was far better known (= notorious) for his 'open' gayness and his musical attempt to deal with it.
I had intended to chat with Robinson about his first band, Cafe Society (signed to The Kinks' label-I am a huge Ray Davies fan) and figured, as he desired, we'd address his sexuality though on the radio I figured people would tune in for the musical merits. I was invited to visit with a senior civilian staff member who relayed the Network Program Director's "concerns" about "Mr. Robeson" as he called him. I offered brightly, and a little too quickly, there should be no concerns as Paul Robeson was long dead.
I got a withering glance for my efforts and more serious talking to for my attitude and failure to appreciate the seriousness of the concern 'many people are having about this interview.' I figured two could play at this being a grown-up stuff and told my mentor that no link between listening to gay people and becoming homosexual had ever been found.
I suspect, to this day, were it to happen, Fox News would lead with it now that Obama's Kenyan citizenship is finally exhausted as a serious topic. Perhaps the two could be combined? I'm sure there are gay Kenyans.
I mention this because I heard from a ehemaliger zuhorer over the weekend who told me he'd listened to that interview and it was, he felt, the spark that led him to pursue radio as his own career. And, because I asked, he told he hadn't turned gay from listening (neither have I, to my knowledge).
All of that to get to all of this.
Today is the tenth annual International Day Against Homophobia or IDAHO and in light of recent political events in this country, from the President's endorsement of "gay marriage" (= anyone can marry anyone they so desire) to a curious voter decision in North Carolina, where it's not illegal to marry your first cousin, unless your first cousin is gay, then it is illegal, and not forgetting some odd headlines from other corners of the globe-this could/should be a day we might all learn that's it's a pretty small planet and with so many people in the same device, it's foolish to create artificial barriers. But then again, we are who we are so I guess that means we'll be who we'll be.
-bill kenny
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