Morgan Freeman is a Madman!...er, mad man.

A big controversey in the advertising, political and voiceover worlds this week involves political "attack ads" featuring a Morgan Freeman sound-alike.
Take a watch & listen:



Another ad is highlighted in this TMZ report:




Even though my politics likely differ, I think Morgan Freeman has a right to be mad.
Impersonators are generally protected if a work is satirical (think Saturday Night Live, etc) but these ads are clearly not satirical.
But at what point is a person's voice not their own?

AFLAC! or AFWACK?

So the new "voice of AFLAC" has been chosen. Here are a couple of clips introducing the new guy.




Kudos to him for getting the gig. But a big WTF? to AFLAC who, in their audition specs, requested something new and different. I would have auditioned if I new they really didn't want something new and different! ;)

It's About Time

Piles of wasted money and poor ratings will be the unfortunate legacy of Katie Couric at CBS News. Overall I don't think it was Katie's fault. She was put into a no win situation by management who thought her morning show success would translate to the evening. She is very good at the long form interview and as part of a team, but it's this journeyman journalists' opinion that no matter how much she lowered her voice, changed her delivery or school-marmed her hair in attempts to be taken seriously, she just didn't have the gravitas or presence to anchor "The Newscast of Record" for a major network.

A News Conference about News

A creative news promo utilizing the talents of Charlie Van Dyke who I'm proud to call one of my voice over mentors and advisors!

"Golden Voice" spoof from Jimmy Kimmel

So I wasn't posting during the entire Ted Williams "Golden Voice" saga inception, but now that the spoofs are coming out...this is one of my favorites!

Wow! Can you say "Time flies when living with Twins!?"

Holy cow! I can't believe it's been so long since I've added anything here!
Since we last checked in with our intreped hero (um...me), he, errr, I have been busy growing the VO biz and more importantly being "Mr. Mom" for fast-growing Abby and Gabe

Oh, did I mention there's also been a move from IRB to Sarasota?
We converted our "near the beach" home into a vacation rental (vacationrentals.com, ID # 77731)

Anyway, more updates and comments on select craziness are forthcoming now that some life-change hurdles have been cleared!

Talking the Talk!

Think you're a cunning linquist?

A master of your mouth?

Do you love tongue-twisters and reading Dr. Suess books to the kids?

Well, give the the NBC announcer test below a test drive.

(courtesy of Mike Sommer on http://www.voice-overs.com/)

A little history...
The test originated at Radio Central New York (NBC) in the early 1940s as a cold reading test given to prospective radio talent to demonstrate their speaking ability. In that era, the "prospect" would read the progression for clarity, enunciation, diction, tonality and expressiveness.
The prospect had to perform it PERFECTLY! No stumbles or stammers. Plus, it was to be read with FEELING and MEANING!

Here is it...

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four Limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alverzo's tweezers
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array
Eight brass monkeys from the ancient, sacred crypts of Egypt
Nine apathetic, sympathetic, diabetic, old men on roller skates with a marked propensity towards procrastination and sloth
Ten lyrical, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deep who haul stall around the corner of the quo of the quay of the quivery, all at the same time.

Easy enough. But wait there's more!!
This is how it should be recited:

One hen

One hen
Two ducks

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alvarso's tweezers

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alvarso's tweezers
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alvarso's tweezers
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array
Eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alvarso's tweezers
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array
Eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt
Nine apathetic sympathetic diabetic old men on roller skates with a marked propensity toward procrastination and sloth

One hen
Two ducks
Three squawking geese
Four limerick oysters
Five corpulent porpoises
Six pairs of Don Alvarso's tweezers
Seven thousand Macedonians in full battle array
Eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt
Nine apathetic sympathetic diabetic old men on roller skates with a marked propensity toward procrastination and sloth
Ten lyrical, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deep who haul stall around the corner of the quo of the quay of the quivery, all at the same time!