I understand the division of voices among the reviewers: Voice mail is the missing chapter from Dante's Inferno. Still, a little trim from the discussion of refugee status wouldn't hurt. We get the point pretty quickly.
Still, this is a story that could be rolled out every 3 or 4 months under current circumstances and listeners will be laughing/crying. Ask for permission to cut and trim -- the grass angle goes on too long.
This is a great piece. Ultra-clever concept. This piece would make a great segment on a larger program or magazine show.
The piece follows the course of a phone call to inquire about emigration to Canada from the US. It criss-crosses the boundaries between the real and the surreal, and bounces back and forth between sincerity and aloofness. Kind of like a smart, earnest prank phone call. It's both a graceful protest and humorous narcissism. The piece shows that being creative and clever doesn't require a lot of technical whiz-bang and that political commentary doesn't need heavy-handed preaching or factual recitation to make a strong point.
My only criticism is that it's about twice as long as it should be. There is a phenomenal, award-winning, 8-minute segment here with about 7 minutes of material that could fall away without diminishing the piece.
I am often puzzled by both American foreign policy as well as Canadian immigration laws. The hoops that one must jump through in order to leave one country to live in another is unnecessary. Well done, a very clever and insightful piece.
Listening to this piece made me very uncomfortable, because as much as I sympathized with Benjamen, I also really felt for the poor guy on the other end of the line. But hey, that's a good thing. There's more than a touch of Joe Frank in the desperate, almost-whispered telephone call. This is worth airing.
This piece was the one that inspired me to feature Your Radio Nightlight on my own public radio program (Invisible Ink). Benjamen's nervous rambling to the Canadian immigration official is hilarious and engaging. I also greatly enjoyed the beginning of the segment, which uses the telephone menu system to set up the story. Listen to how quickly Walker presses the buttons in response to the menu options. It's a great storytelling technique. For me, the real appeal is that it is a funny story that is underscored by a very tangible sense of despair and hopelessness. Just so this isn't too fawning a review, it is a pretty loose piece (it's rambling by design) and could probably get the point across with a minute or two shaved off the TRT. That's a minor observation compared to how much fun I had listening to it.
ok, give it four minutes to get started, but once Ben Walker connects with the official listener he's seeking you won't be able turn it off. Fresh, and free from irony, this endearing ramble is sure to bring smiles to left-of-center listeners.
Comments for call to canada
Produced by Benjamen Walker
Other pieces by Benjamen Walker
Rating Summary
7 comments
Aaron Swartz
Posted on October 21, 2004 at 05:32 PM | Permalink
Hilarious story, important message
A very funny story given in the form of a rambling, nervous man. He sounds like a crazy paranoid -- but everything he says is true.
Jackson Braider
Posted on January 15, 2004 at 06:22 PM | Permalink
Get your dimes out for "call to canada"
Still, this is a story that could be rolled out every 3 or 4 months under current circumstances and listeners will be laughing/crying. Ask for permission to cut and trim -- the grass angle goes on too long.
All in all, a lovely concept, nicely done.
Eric Nuzum
Posted on November 07, 2003 at 07:06 AM | Permalink
Review of call to canada
The piece follows the course of a phone call to inquire about emigration to Canada from the US. It criss-crosses the boundaries between the real and the surreal, and bounces back and forth between sincerity and aloofness. Kind of like a smart, earnest prank phone call. It's both a graceful protest and humorous narcissism. The piece shows that being creative and clever doesn't require a lot of technical whiz-bang and that political commentary doesn't need heavy-handed preaching or factual recitation to make a strong point.
My only criticism is that it's about twice as long as it should be. There is a phenomenal, award-winning, 8-minute segment here with about 7 minutes of material that could fall away without diminishing the piece.
Travis Sanderson
Posted on December 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM | Permalink
Well done.
I am often puzzled by both American foreign policy as well as Canadian immigration laws. The hoops that one must jump through in order to leave one country to live in another is unnecessary. Well done, a very clever and insightful piece.
Noah Miller
Posted on October 31, 2003 at 01:11 PM | Permalink
Review of call to canada
Listening to this piece made me very uncomfortable, because as much as I sympathized with Benjamen, I also really felt for the poor guy on the other end of the line. But hey, that's a good thing. There's more than a touch of Joe Frank in the desperate, almost-whispered telephone call. This is worth airing.
Roman Mars
Posted on October 22, 2003 at 10:55 PM | Permalink
Review of call to canada
This piece was the one that inspired me to feature Your Radio Nightlight on my own public radio program (Invisible Ink). Benjamen's nervous rambling to the Canadian immigration official is hilarious and engaging. I also greatly enjoyed the beginning of the segment, which uses the telephone menu system to set up the story. Listen to how quickly Walker presses the buttons in response to the menu options. It's a great storytelling technique. For me, the real appeal is that it is a funny story that is underscored by a very tangible sense of despair and hopelessness. Just so this isn't too fawning a review, it is a pretty loose piece (it's rambling by design) and could probably get the point across with a minute or two shaved off the TRT. That's a minor observation compared to how much fun I had listening to it.
Michael Joly
Posted on October 09, 2003 at 09:43 AM | Permalink
Review of call to canada
Give it a sec...
ok, give it four minutes to get started, but once Ben Walker connects with the official listener he's seeking you won't be able turn it off. Fresh, and free from irony, this endearing ramble is sure to bring smiles to left-of-center listeners.