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Explain: What makes Art Bell so much better than George Noory?

Started by TheGrimReaper, June 11, 2013, 12:34:57 AM

TheGrimReaper

I am not asking this as a Noory fan, I am simply asking as a moderately young Coast to Coast AM fan.

Everyone seems to dislike Noory, which is fine, but I don't understand why.

He DOES seem like just another talking head, yet, when I listen to Bell...it doesn't sound different.

They both seem to just acknowledge the guest speaker and chime in when necessary to move along.

Can anyone explain, or even better...provide video or audio evidence of Bell being superior?

Eddie Coyle


        Why are the Beatles better than the 1910 Fruitgum Company?

        Why is not stepping in dog shit better than stepping in dog shit?

It's a generational thing. I think you would just have to have been a veteran listener of C2C who came to love it with Art Bell as the host to fully be able to appreciate him and how much different he was. I use the Tonight Show comparison again. Those of us who were born and raised with Johnny Carson know what a legend and master of comedy he was, while younger folks may not find him as funny as Jay Leno. (Or even know who Carson is!) Original listeners to Coast feel it's never been the same without Art, while those who came in later with Snoory don't know any different. 

Gd5150

To me Art Bell was a guy in his garage in the high dessert who was listened to by truck drivers in the middle of the night as they drove across country. I drove through the same desert many times to Vegas in the middle of the night listening to Art and the show had a mystique. It's hard to explain. It was unpredictable. We heard stuff that was never heard before. Some was more far fetched but it was like sitting around a campfire telling stories.

Now it has a corporate feel. Standardized questions. Everything is cookie cutter. Nothing is spontaneous. It's corporate talk radio on at night.

It used to be "riders on the storm" and "some velvet morning". It just worked. Now it's some guy mailed in interviews cutting out 45min early. I keep listening because once in a while there's a great show on but I can't remember the last time Noory really intrigued me. He's never been right for the show. Too vanilla.

Knapp brings serious gravitas to the show with his extensive media experience. Breaking Area 51 to the public. Wells brings something mysterious and spontaneous. One of these days someone will replace Noory.

Art made something out of nothing and the content and devotion, and everything else showed. Ran what a whole studio of people do with his wife.
Noary is a poser that could care less, has probably most of the show prepared for him, gets his order from suits, and shows up for a paycheck and couldn't care two shits less.

George is absolutely the worst interviewer on radio or TV.  Art was among the best.

George is boring and can make even fascinating topics dull, Art always drew out the best from each guest or caller.

Art carried on a conversation.  George has a list of random questions he asks.

Art cared, George doesn't give a hoot.

Art spent time preparing for the show - it took all his time.  George sounds like he walks in cold, completely unprepared (unless it's about him, or one of a handful of his pet interests).

Art would challenge a guest if he was being absurd.  George seems to agree with everything (he's actually not prepared or able to defend a position and ask probing off the cuff questions)

George asks the same questions every time a guest shows up, as if he's never been on the show before.  He asks most of the guests mostly the same questions.

George barely listens - he'll ask questions the guest just finished answering, asks the same question 2 or 3 times during a show, he'll let the guest tell a story or talk about a topic for several minutes, then just before the guest is about to give the punch line or make his point - just before that - George will interrupt and either say something stupid and throw the guest off balance or go to a commercial. 

The guest can make an absolutely astonishing comment and George never follows up - he just reads off the next question on his list.

George has a creepy fetish about dead or injured kids and animals - his news segment has as many of these as they can find.  He's either creepy or condescending to the women callers and guests.

He isn't much interested in the world around him, there is an amazing amount of things he is just completely unaware of.  He doesn't bother to learn much of the material, or even how to pronounce words.  He's downright lazy and doesn't care who knows it.  His ego is immense.



That should be enough to get you started.  A lot of this isn't apparent unless a person is actively listening, and a lot of it won't be obvious until you hear it over and over show after show and start to notice.





onan

Quote from: Phantastic SanShiSan on June 11, 2013, 03:03:10 AM
George is to Art as Matt Lauer is to Brian Linehan,


The sad irony is Matt Lauer is much better known... so will be thought to be the better interviewer. And without this forum noory is much better known than Bell. Sometimes time doesn't heal a wound so much as erases excellence.

ItsOver

Go here:

http://coastgab.com/index.php/topic,3.0.html

Approaching 1000 pages about why Noory doesn't cut it.  Art is everything Noory isn't.

jazmunda

Listen to this for an hour: http://www.fineartstream.com/

Then see if you can listen to Snoory for 5 minutes and then you will have your answer.

awguy

Ok, approaching this from the perspective of someone who works in radio and has been inspired by Art both on and off the air, I think I have a different take on this.

Art was remembered as the "Paranormal Guy" and I was certainly interested in those topics but it's not the only reason I was attracted to c2c.

Art had a way of connecting with his audience unlike any talk show host I have ever heard. I have studied his old shows and even today, can't quite figure out how he did it. Just by listening through the radio, I felt like I knew him and looked forward to "hanging out" with him every night. I would hear news stories during the day and would think... gee, I wonder what Art is going to say about that? Noory is too scripted and too stiff and doesn't have much personality at all.

The show had variety back then too, it's wasn't all paranormal all the time like we have now. Fact is after Art retired in 2002, c2c became a parody of itself. Art didn't limit himself to one topic. Some of my favourite coast shows with Art weren't paranormal at all... like the Mojave phone booth guy.

There were a small group of regular guests who were as part of the show as Art was. Much like Howard stern has "characters" on his show like Eric the midget, Richard and Sal, bababooey etc... They are all regulars on the show and you become familiar with their personalities and their work. As a listener of Art's, I felt like I was on the "inside know" There always seemed to be some big news on his show every night.

Then, there was the fact that the show was live. At a time of day when most radio stations are running with pre-recorded announcers and re-runs of daytime programing... Art was live. If some big news event happened late at night, I knew Art would be talking about it live. He would drop everything he was doing and go with it. The current c2c really doesn't do that often. Art's 911 show was one of the greats of all time. People were tired of listening to talking heads and endless analysis. People wanted to share their thoughts on what had just happened.

Tara

Art loved music and as an ex-DJ he has a broad knowledge of the music of his generation and those a bit younger.  sNoory really has no feel or love for music.  He plays Sinatra; he doesn't like it, it's just to please his age 80+ mother. 


I loved how Art's bumper music fit the mood of the show.  I recall the long, slow, eerie intro to "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins.  Then there was Abba, Cusco, somehow it just fit.


When Fr. Malachi Martin was on, Art would play Charlie Daniels' "Devil Down in Georgia;" when the show was about secret government op's, he'd play "Secret Agent Man."


By his music selections, Art set the mood and atmosphere for C2C.  And most importantly, he did this all by himself, no one was selecting the music except Art.


OK sNoory lovers, defend Jorch on this point.  You can't.   

Morgus

Another big difference was Art Bell ran the whole show by himself with no staff members, the only help he had was from his wife Ramona behind the scenes in setting up some guests and recording promos, etc.

Noory on the other hand is a 'company man' and has a huge staff who do all the work for him including picking the bumper music selections and guests. Noory just shows up and wings it each night and is totally reliant on his staff to do anything - even when he is at home and burns his tongue on a hot pizza roll (he calls up producer Tommy to take him to the ER) ;)

When Art Bell had an accident on the air like falling off his back porch or getting superglue on his lip, he didn't whine and call up some producer, he kept right on with the show live....

Sardondi

Nah, you're not a fan of anybody. You just come to a website expressly dedicated to the spewing of vitriol over how one cretinous host has destroyed a truly unique radio show with his incompetence and mediocrity, which website has over 100,000 posts and a gazillion hits, which has literally thousands, tens of thousands of posts, spelling chapter and verse of what is wrong with George Noory, and you join just so you can start a thread and ask "Gosh, what's wrong with Georgie boy? Please think for me, because it's too hard for me to do it". Spoken like a true Noory. It's only all over the internet. But maybe someone will come along and do your thinking for you.

Art had a real interest in the subjects.  He was always prepared and well versed in the subject of that night's show.  He had that unique ability to ask you to suspend any disbelief and listen to what might be.  Art was always happy to be where he was in the night and the desert and really did not care about other opportunities.

Noory asks the same questions every night of every guest.  That is why we joke about him reading que cards.  He often does not even listen to what the guest is saying and asks questions that are totally unrelated to the topic.  I agree that Noory is just another corporate talking head that is using the show to try to generate even bigger opportunities for himself.

It is like the difference between a doctor who wants to help and cares about patients and their lives and a doctor who is simply in the business for the money and really does not care what anyone thinks or feels regarding the doctor's work.

Art had his short-comings.  He was moody, he was often short with callers, and I came to be turned off by what I saw as constant fear-mongering.  But having said that he was interesting.  He knew how to conduct an interview.  Every night he'd bring in some new interesting story you'd never heard before and it was like sitting around a campfire while everyone shone flashlights on their faces.  If a guest or caller said something interesting, Art would stop them immediately and make sure to become very clear on what they were trying to communicate.

Goerge on the other hand is like listening to a corporate stooge selling something he doesn't know about.  He's seemingly unable to key in on points his guests are making, and it is usually clear he is missing their point entirely... often cutting them off with a random 'cue card' question, unable to recognize they were building to something.  He misses key details, instead glossing over everything with comments like "well, that's exactly right" regardless of whether the guest just revealed a revolutionary idea, said something controversial, said something requiring an education way beyond Noory's, or said something completely inane.  Often Noory will then turn the spotlight on himself, telling us how much he knows, some horribly researched idea of his, or referencing an old movie or fictional television program as his only insight into a subject.

But the worst thing about George is his seeming lack of IQ leads him bumbling into irresponsible behaviour.  Behaviour such as fingering an innocent man as an assassin at the Boston Marathon Bombings, to listeners in 573 markets, without so much as an apology.  Behaviour such as calling for an official to be fired when Noory honestly lacks the brain power to understand the issues he is talking about.  Behaviour such as making broad assertions on subjects he doesn't know how to research.

Bell took us down into the dirt, crawling through the weeds.  Noory gives us a brief snapshot from 30 000 feet while he sips champagne, never really being invested in what's below.

edit:  If you do happen to be affiliated with George Noory I am sorry my comments probably appeared insulting.  They are how I feel.  I feel George would benefit tremendously if he focussed exclusively on his callers and guests and left the email-reading, web-surfing, or whatever he does to his producers.

Neil

Art lived and breathed Coast to Coast AM.  Not much else needs to be said.  It was his baby.  Art was well-prepared, vastly more knowledgeable, and was very inquisitive.  It made for some exciting nights. 

Sardondi

Quote from: Georgie For President 2216 on June 11, 2013, 10:43:53 PM
Art had his short-comings.  He was moody, he was often short with callers, and I came to be turned off by what I saw as constant fear-mongering....
This is absolutely spot on. There has been a lot of hero worship of Art because Noory is just soooo bad, and Art was magnificent by comparison. But Art indeed had these shortcomings. The fear mongering was particularly problematic. And it didn't seem to bother Art that he, along with Dames (whom Art shamelessly used when it was to his benefit) had been predicting some kind of massive earth change (all that business with "The Quickening") "in the next 2-3 years" at least ever since the early 90's.

I think Art believed that, but it was because he took such a very, very limited view that he couldn't appreciate history in terms of decades, much less eras or eons. Otherwise he would have known that human nature itself is unchanged. Our instincts and desires are no different than they were in Sumeria 7,500 years ago. What is different is how individual societies or cultures approached life and death and the whole damn thing. Art IMO tended to overlook the very big picture.

NowhereInTime

Quote from: TheGrimReaper on June 11, 2013, 12:34:57 AM
I am not asking this as a Noory fan, I am simply asking as a moderately young Coast to Coast AM fan.

Everyone seems to dislike Noory, which is fine, but I don't understand why...

Well, Tommy, its because you and your bromantic boss have skewered the best thing on radio since Imus finally quit cocaine.  This isn't a real thread, is it?  Seriously, this is either Tommy, John B. or some other C2C schmuck who still can't get that PremRat's dumbed down corporate version of this show can't hold a candle to Art's innovative topics, spontaneity, and genuine interest in the paranormal.
And if you really are just some "young fan" then I apologize for jumping ugly with you, but you've got homework to do...

The best thing to do is pick a show with the same guest.
Then listen to an Art show, a Noory show, and a someone else show if possible.

MV/Liberace!

Quote from: NowhereInTime on June 12, 2013, 04:44:19 PM
Well, Tommy, its because you and your bromantic boss have skewered the best thing on radio since Imus finally quit cocaine.  This isn't a real thread, is it?  Seriously, this is either Tommy, John B. or some other C2C schmuck who still can't get that PremRat's dumbed down corporate version of this show can't hold a candle to Art's innovative topics, spontaneity, and genuine interest in the paranormal.
And if you really are just some "young fan" then I apologize for jumping ugly with you, but you've got homework to do...


i have also been accused of being "tommy."  me.

ItsOver

Quote from: MV on June 12, 2013, 05:42:40 PM

i have also been accused of being "tommy."  me.


Now that's funny.  "Tommy" has a website and the most popular topic is how much his "'little buddy" sucks.   ;D


The General

Hey, it's MY turn to be 'Tommy.'
You guys have all the fun.


SR-71

Quote from: TheGrimReaper on June 11, 2013, 12:34:57 AM
I am not asking this as a Noory fan, I am simply asking as a moderately young Coast to Coast AM fan.

Everyone seems to dislike Noory, which is fine, but I don't understand why.

He DOES seem like just another talking head, yet, when I listen to Bell...it doesn't sound different.

They both seem to just acknowledge the guest speaker and chime in when necessary to move along.

Can anyone explain, or even better...provide video or audio evidence of Bell being superior?
Hey Tommy, please go to other web site and be a troll. BTW thegrimreaper, tell Snoory that he sucks.

ManiacMatt

Quote from: Sardondi on June 12, 2013, 02:38:53 AM
This is absolutely spot on. There has been a lot of hero worship of Art because Noory is just soooo bad, and Art was magnificent by comparison. But Art indeed had these shortcomings. The fear mongering was particularly problematic. And it didn't seem to bother Art that he, along with Dames (whom Art shamelessly used when it was to his benefit) had been predicting some kind of massive earth change (all that business with "The Quickening") "in the next 2-3 years" at least ever since the early 90's.

I think Art believed that, but it was because he took such a very, very limited view that he couldn't appreciate history in terms of decades, much less eras or eons. Otherwise he would have known that human nature itself is unchanged. Our instincts and desires are no different than they were in Sumeria 7,500 years ago. What is different is how individual societies or cultures approached life and death and the whole damn thing. Art IMO tended to overlook the very big picture.


Completely agree with all of this.  I often like to listen to the fine art stream at night, but I will not listen if it's dames, psychics, witches or predictions.  I never liked those shows at all.  All of Art's acting about the seriousness of the quickening and global storms was ridiculous.  Of course, Noory sucks even more, but Art certainly had his annoying habits and obsessions. 

Sardondi

Quote from: ManiacMatt on June 12, 2013, 11:57:37 PM

Completely agree with all of this.  I often like to listen to the fine art stream at night, but I will not listen if it's dames, psychics, witches or predictions.  I never liked those shows at all.  All of Art's acting about the seriousness of the quickening and global storms was ridiculous.  Of course, Noory sucks even more, but Art certainly had his annoying habits and obsessions.
The weather Chicken Little-ism kills me. Remember in the 90's and into the 00's when Art was pushing the "We're having more and stronger hurricanes!"? I do. Of course in the last 5 years it seems like hurricanes have almost disappeared. Today it's "We're having more and stronger tornadoes!". These too will fluctuate in strength and number. 15 years ago hot summers were supposed to prove global warming. Then in the last few years we've had longer winters and cooler summers, and we learn that was supposed to prove global warming. It's weather; it will always change. (Besides, you want to know what climate trends on earth will be? Look at the Sun.)

This inability to think in chunks of time larger than a few years doesn't just prevent us from understanding weather/climate, but stampedes us into making monumental societal decisions in an artificial atmosphere of crisis. For myself, I'll believe that weather/climate conditions are such that we must immediately make changes unprecedented in our society in both nature and scale 1) when the chattering class members who say we need to do this start acting like it themselves, and, 2) when those demanding such changes don't have political agendas which would be advanced by those changes. Besides, when's the last time we could trust our government to do something competently? Actually, when's the last time we could trust our government, period?

Tinfoil Hat

Quote from: Sardondi on June 13, 2013, 09:23:07 AM
<snip>
Besides, when's the last time we could trust our government to do something competently? Actually, when's the last time we could trust our government, period?

Perhaps before the Whiskey Rebellion.

Quote from: jazmunda on June 11, 2013, 08:28:36 AM
Listen to this for an hour: http://www.fineartstream.com/

Then see if you can listen to Snoory for 5 minutes and then you will have your answer.

EXACTLY what I did as a new coast listener last year and yeah it changed everything for me

karios8

A few nights ago on the cancer show with Ty bollinger, a called asked whether there is heart cancer and Ty said no and explained why. After the call, George talked about his sister's ailment for a minute or two and moved on to the next question on his card..."what about heart cancer Ty? Is there such a thing because..."


He doesn't pay attention to his own  show and always seems unprepared to engage the guest. One of my biggest peeves is when a guest says something really interesting that needs a follow up question, George says "lets take a call"

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