Why Changing the Channel is a Liberating Act in Today’s Diverse Media World
Involuntary Kindness
Why our instinct to apologize matters—and where it disappears the rest of the day.
When you do anything long enough, you’re bound to upset a few people along the way. Luckily, we have three magic words at our disposal: “change the station.”
For over 20 years, I worked in morning radio in New York City, doing 5 live shows a week, 4 hours a day, reaching an estimated audience of 16 million people spread across the 5 boroughs and North Jersey and Long Island. Our target audience was women aged 25 to 54, so our humor was similar to Pixar—humor that adults would understand while going right over the heads of kids riding along on their way to school.
Sometimes, we missed the mark and upset folks. Since we had a toll-free (remember that?) phone line right into the studio, 1–800–321-WPLJ, angry listeners could call in. That number is etched into my memory forever. We would be as cordial as possible, apologizing if they were offended, as that was not our intention. If that wasn’t enough, we would close the conversation by saying, “If saying sorry isn’t enough, we suggest you change the station.”
Even though listening options in terrestrial radio aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were early in my career, those three words still ring true. If there’s something you don’t like, you can always change the station. In our mostly digital world, you can swap out the station for a podcast, app, YouTube show, social media account, etc. Unfortunately, many people can’t get past the “change the station” point and feel it’s necessary to stew in anger and hate.
My mom and her friend, let’s call her ‘Cindy,’ love musical theater and regularly attend shows at their local community theater. Recently, without knowing the plot, they bought tickets to see “The Prom,” a musical from the mid-2000s about a group of fading Broadway stars traveling to a conservative Indiana town to help a gay student who was banned from bringing her girlfriend to their high school prom.
My mom is a hip senior and is down for anything, but Cindy is not. She’s a Trump-loving, hardcore older Catholic lady who certainly is not a fan of waving the pride flag. As the show progressed, my mom noticed that Cindy was visibly upset and, during intermission, delivered a Megyn Kelly-like monologue about why “they” are always pushing their “agenda” in her face.
We can start by suggesting perhaps Cindy should have read the show’s description. It’s not some sort of second-act plot twist; the log line spells out the plot beat for beat.
Moving on to “they” and “agenda,” Cindy grew up in a world of three TV channels, a handful of newspapers, and dozens of radio stations. Her entertainment options were limited. Now those options are multiplied by 10 million (I’m estimating; you know I’m bad at math).
We no longer need to be forced into watching or listening to things we don’t want. It’s pretty awesome. Artists, performers, and media content creators all have a point of view, and we can choose which view works for us.
I often write about everyone being siloed and the extinction of mono-culture. But if you just can’t handle a musical about inclusivity, you can walk out. If you’re upset about Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the Super Bowl, you can switch to the Puppy Bowl. If this blog annoys you, find one that looks at life through a lens you agree with.
Let’s not waste another moment calling up a radio station or complaining to my mom because, when it comes to choice, we control what we control, and we can all change the station.
Ever wonder how intimate scenes are filmed? 🎥
Jonna Naegele, intimacy coordinator, breaks it down on this week’s episode of Good Listen.
Catch up on past episode of YouTube or at joepardavila.com.
