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Related Pieces
Piece Description
The Friendly bar, in New Orlean's Marigny distric, is not on the usual tourist circuit. This piece introduces us to various bar regulars who continue to grapple with Katrina's lingering effects: Jim the bartender describes how the sign outside blew down during the storm; local couple Susan and Todd point out that Katrina has changed the character of the neighborhood significantly; and Norwood explains how he found Katrina after his home and office were flooded. The bar has served as a gathering place and support system for many locals, and this piece aims to capture the spirit and friendliness of Friendly. Full Script and other information included in "More Information".
Transcript
((Fade in Friendly AMBI))
The Friendly bar has been at this location, just east of the French Quarter, for decades, but it?s never really been on the usual tourist circuit. Jim Doyle has been bartending here for about five years.
((JIM: We have a nice staff, and very eclectic clientele. Men, women, gay, straight, young old, a lot of people who live in the neighborhood. We know most of the people. Everybody?s welcome here, and we try to make you feel comfortable. And people never really know what to expect when they show up here. Whether it?s going to be busy, or slow, and half the time, the opposite of what you expect is true.))
Everyone in New Orleans has a disaster story. You can pick any aspect of the city ? any person, any neighborhood, any building ? and you will find Katrina?s lingering effects.
((AMBI: Bar sounds w/Louisiana 1927 song))
Sitting in the Friendly Bar...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
There are lots of hooks that this could peg to, but the general hook would go something like this:
+In New Orleans, business leaders point to the [the current summer tourist season/the success of this year's Mardis Gras/etc...] as a sign that the city has recovered from the effects of hurricane Katrina. But outside the French Quarter, in the local bars and clubs, you get a different story. WFUV?s Jody Avirgan files this report.
+ Outro: Jody Avirgan comes to us from WFUV radio in New York City.
John Biewen
Posted on July 03, 2007 at 10:54 AM | Permalink
Review of New Orleans' Friendly Bar
It's a challenging task at this point to say something new about New Orleanians and their efforts to rebuild their city and their lives. The idea of focusing on one neighborhood bar seems like a promising approach. Maybe we'll meet an interesting character or two, or hear one unpredictable story, or zero in on a telling detail that reveals something poignant or upbeat. Or maybe we'll get a documentary approach that lets us listen in and feel what it's like to hang out in Friendly Bar. Unfortunately, this piece offers none of the above. It contains a factual surprise or two (housing prices have gone up in some parts of the city), but the reporter uses the prism of the bar mainly to tell us what we already know: that every person in New Orleans and every aspect of life there remains changed by Katrina, that everybody has a Katrina story, that people face tough decisions about their future. The writing and production are fine, but it feels like an opportunity missed.