-Casey Kasem
We all have the days when we lose it.
Something happens and it could either be a huge crisis or death by a thousand cuts, but the result is the same. The temper is lost and friends, family, and co-workers who had nothing to do with your issues are on the receiving end of a tirade of anger and profanity. I don't know why it happens, it just does.
Over the past few weeks I have had some moments at my job where I lose my head in front of my co-workers. I feel terrible about it, and it probably means a trip to the confessional for penance and absolution. I'm a Catholic. Guilt weighs heavy on your shoulders if you are Catholic hahaha.
A positive did come out of it, though. I got to have an off the books conversation with my boss and I unloaded my concerns about the direction the department is taking, and I now know he's got my back. So, much good did come out of it. No disciplinary action, either. The best thing to do for employees who are overburdened is to give them a chance to get frustrations off of their chest.
It was one of those days where I felt like Casey Kasem.
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| Casey Kasem in 1957. |
Some of the younger readers of this page may not know who Casey Kasem is, but I am sure that any Gen X'er who grew up with Scooby Doo and Transformers will know, as will those of us who listened to that old fashioned invention of music radio. Kasem was the host of the radio countdown show American Top 40, and was also a voice actor in cartoons like Scooby Doo and Transformers. In Scooby Doo, he was the voice of Shaggy, and in Transformers he was best known as the voice of Cliffjumper. In the 1970's and 1980's, whether it was Saturday cartoons or American Top 40, the voice of Kasem was most likely a part of your weekend. Kasem retired from American Top 40 in 2009, being replaced by Ryan Seacrest, whom I have developed a dislike for due to him taking over all the spots vacated by childhood icons like Kasem and Dick Clark.
Casey Kasem passed away on June 15, 2014.
Now, I am always tardy to the party when it comes to viral videos. Hell, I'm tardy to the party when it comes to all internet phenomena. I'll see something new and go "what the fuck is this? Why is this a thing? Why is this funny?" However, other internet memes and viral videos are as plain as the nose on your face and it is easy to see why they became a phenomenon. One of them, is a compilation of outtakes of radio station identification bumpers being recorded by none other than the legendary Kasem.
The compilation has become legendary, and it was already well known in radio circles before it went viral on the internet. In the compilation, we hear the iconic voice of Shaggy and countless other voices from your morning cartoons going through the long process of recording station ID bits for the hundreds of radio affiliates of American Top 40. When we normally hear the voice of Kasem, we hear that gravelly yet soothing voice telling us "On with the countdown!" and "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars". It seems so smooth and effortless, like the legendary DJ could do his show in his sleep. You could not imagine someone as professional and as skilled as him having trouble recording simple station IDs.
View video here...
Then you play this compilation for the first time (Note: the phrase "goddamn" will be read many times in this post. I do not approve of using this term and try to stay away from it, as well as encouraging my friends and family whom are Christians not to use it. In this case, I am quoting someone, so I have to use the term for the desired affect. Apologies to anyone I offend).
"The countdown will begin this morning at 9 on WMNS...goddamn, what a call letter..."
"...on Maine's most listened to radio station...I'm not going to say all that shit. How do I know they're the most listened to station?"
"stay tuned for American Top 40 immediately following the Trailblazer Game...hey what the fuck am I doing? Promos inside the fucking game?"
"...on Music Radio 138...OH FUCK!"
"...We got another hour to do? Thought we were almost finished. Good golly, Miss Molly. It's ponderous, man. Ponderous, fucking ponderous!"
"...Latrobe. It's getting set for Westmoreland County...what? What the fuck does that mean?"
"Hi, this is Casey Kasem. American Top 40 is moving to a new time. I hope you join me this Sunday morning and every Sunday morning at 2...TWO?!?"
"I want somebody to use his fuckin’ brain to not come out of a goddamn record that is, uh, that’s up-tempo, and I gotta talk about a fuckin’ dog dying.”
Not only is it a laugh riot to hear one of the all-time great disc jockeys and one of the all-time great voice actors stumbling through a recording session, it should also be an inspiration to you.
In fact, I don't think he is stumbling at all. He's showing his dedication and his passion for his job. He was one of the top disc jockeys in America, so you can bet he did not want to do anything half-assed. Whether you are a disc jockey recording promo spots, or a musician trying to nail a challenging part in a song, you are going to have moments of frustration. You want everything to be perfect. You don't want to spend 50 takes trying to get one thing right. You want it right the first time, every time.
It is an inspiration to hear that even people in the tops of their respective fields have moments where they are brought back down to Earth, where we can see that they are human after all. Even the best don't look like the best sometimes.
Back to my meltdown last week: I was informed that one of my co-workers was afraid to approach me because of my temper as of late. I did apologize to that person and everything is good. I was not in trouble for anything. I just had a boss who was concerned because he likes me as an employee and thinks I am a great guy and does not want to see me being frustrated. We're all down to the bone right now in our department. Frustration is expected to boil over, so we are all being given a wide berth. I am grateful for that. At the same time though, I will use it as a lesson to be better.
I also learned that I should not let it get me down. Even the legendary Casey Kasem had tough days, as that recording testifies. You will have tough days, too. We are all entitled to them. I hope if you listen to the recording I share, you will think "Even a legend has a tough day, so I should not feel bad about having one."
So now, in the words of Casey Kasem...on with the countdown!
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