Midnight In The Desert

[bateman]

I haven't mentioned this, but at this point, who gives a shit.  The last time I spoke with Heather, she Skyped to accuse me of scheming behind the scenes to prank call her show or something.  If I recall, the specific allegation was "with a soundboard."  "Some people" told her I was doing it.  Mm hmm.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  And she called with this about five minutes after some savage crashed into the back of my car.  My daughters were in the back seat (ages -1 and 3).  Yeah, bad timing for that call, and when I told her what happened and that I was awaiting the police, she brushed it off and plowed on with the intended purpose of her call.  I guess that's when I decided to step away from her whole scene.  A few weeks or months later, Art sent me some cryptic message asking if I knew anything about something someone was doing somewhere somehow to Heather's show (yes, it was almost that non-specific).  Like I said, weak.

Funny thing about all that - remember the night Hoagland was bombarded with prank calls? Two of them were from Art using a soundboard.

P.S. did she say she was just rattling your cage?

[MV/Liberace!]

I knew the show was in big trouble when Art quit the show twice, before it ever aired. Art fell out with Keith, then Art couldn't believe the music industry wanted to be paid for the music he just had to have to do HIS show. UGG

Those were not good omens, for sure.

[MV/Liberace!]

Funny thing about all that - remember the night Hoagland was bombarded with prank calls? Two of them were from Art using a soundboard.

P.S. did she say she was just rattling your cage?

No, but the call had a certain passive aggressive tone to it that nauseated me, as it reminded me of my bat shit crazy older sister.

[GravitySucks]

Yes, I've had that bookmarked for some time.  I have to conclude that 2000 listeners is an insignificant part of the listener pie in this time slot.  Thus my conclusion that Heathers remaining listeners are bellgabbers.  MITD used to show up on the chart I previously posted.

There is also this chart.

http://streamingradioguide.com/listen-trend.php?showid=9574

Nah. There's not that many active bellgabbers anymore. Most online ever was 1461 and that was when Art debuted MITD.

[Lilith]

I never got that vibe about the whole thing, but I was never there so who knows.  I think he did see some talent in her, and she does have some.

In my imagined scenario,  Heather would be a relative of Arts, and DMDN was built with the intention of creating a job for Heather.  Just the scene that played in my mind, even in the days before MITD went on the air, while Heather was going on about how she has a possible secret surprise.

[norland2424]

I think lots of people suggested she not post here, including me when my opinion was solicited early on.  Having said that, I think it would have been smart of her to come back and roll with things here after she settled into the show.  To me, given her history here on BellGab, she looked weak scurrying away like that and now looks dishonest by pretending the culture of this place is beneath her. 

I haven't mentioned this, but at this point, who gives a shit.  The last time I spoke with Heather, she Skyped to accuse me of scheming behind the scenes to prank call her show or something.  If I recall, the specific allegation was "with a soundboard."  "Some people" told her I was doing it.  Mm hmm.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  And she called with this about five minutes after some savage crashed into the back of my car.  My daughters were in the back seat (ages -1 and 3).  Yeah, bad timing for that call, and when I told her what happened and that I was awaiting the police, she brushed it off and plowed on with the intended purpose of her call.  I guess that's when I decided to step away from her whole scene.  A few weeks or months later, Art sent me some cryptic message asking if I knew anything about something someone was doing somewhere somehow to Heather's show (yes, it was almost that non-specific).  Like I said, weak.

jesus dude lol, i hope you and the kids didn't get hurt in that crash

[norland2424]

Funny thing about all that - remember the night Hoagland was bombarded with prank calls? Two of them were from Art using a soundboard.

P.S. did she say she was just rattling your cage?

please tell me it was Art using the falkie sound board

[GravitySucks]

In my imagined scenario,  Heather would be a relative of Arts, and DMDN was built with the intention of creating a job for Heather.  Just the scene that played in my mind, even in the days before MITD went on the air, while Heather was going on about how she has a possible secret surprise.

LOL you have listened to too many CTM episodes 😎

[Lilith]

Nah. There's not that many active bellgabbers anymore. Most online ever was 1461 and that was when Art debuted MITD.

Gravity, bellgabbers don't have to be online at bellgab to be listening to the show.  Shees  ...as Heather would say. 

But if you want to believe that Heather is getting better every day, and has an illustrious future ahead of her as a talk show host, then I shall be quiet now.  It's all good.  I don't wish to try to change your mind.

[Lilith]

LOL you have listened to too many CTM episodes 😎

I listen to Clyde much more than I listen to Wells.  I listen to Wells less and less as time goes on, and even then, The only reason I listen is because I like the CTM listeners I have known for a couple years now.

[GravitySucks]

Gravity, bellgabbers don't have to be online at bellgab to be listening to the show.  Shees  ...as Heather would say. 

But if you want to believe that Heather is getting better every day, and has an illustrious future ahead of her as a talk show host, then I shall be quiet now.  It's all good.  I don't wish to try to change your mind.

I'm not even listening.  I just believe most of her audience comes from Art's facebook page and not from BellGab.

[K_Dubb]

Why were they so worked up over the prank calls?  They were the only sparks of spontaneity in the whole tiresome slog of open lines.  I'd still listen once in a while if there was the faint chance a musky bottom would appear.  Seem to have forgotten that the show is entertainment, not education.

[Lilith]

I'm not even listening.  I just believe most of her audience comes from Art's facebook page and not from BellGab.

It may surprise you to learn that Art has kept me on his FaceBook friends list, and I don't even see that many replies on his page.  Nothing even close to the commentary here on bellgab.  He even has one friend spot available, that has not been filled. 

[GravitySucks]

Gravity, bellgabbers don't have to be online at bellgab to be listening to the show.  Shees  ...as Heather would say. 

But if you want to believe that Heather is getting better every day, and has an illustrious future ahead of her as a talk show host, then I shall be quiet now.  It's all good.  I don't wish to try to change your mind.

I didn't make a comment about Heather's performance at all. I just think most of the MITD following comes from Art's Facebook page and not from BellGab. That's the only point I was trying to make.

[Lilith]

I didn't make a comment about Heather's performance at all. I just think most of the MITD following comes from Art's Facebook page and not from BellGab. That's the only point I was trying to make.

See my above post that you might have missed regarding Arts Facebook page. 

[GravitySucks]

See my above post that you might have missed regarding Arts Facebook page. 

Saw it. I think the followers on Heather's MITD on facebook are a subset of the people on Art's page.

[GuerrillaUnReal]

I think there's two MITD FB groups where people post random paranormal articles and never discuss the show.

[Lilith]

Why were they so worked up over the prank calls?  They were the only sparks of spontaneity in the whole tiresome slog of open lines.  I'd still listen once in a while if there was the faint chance a musky bottom would appear.  Seem to have forgotten that the show is entertainment, not education.

I think that's the root of the problem right there.  I don't think Heather sees it that way though.  I could be wrong.

[MV/Liberace!]

jesus dude lol, i hope you and the kids didn't get hurt in that crash

We were ok, but it was definitely a bad experience.  Hit and run.  We were hit from behind by an SUV moving at a pretty good clip.  He slammed the brakes just feet before he hit us.

[MV/Liberace!]

Why were they so worked up over the prank calls?  They were the only sparks of spontaneity in the whole tiresome slog of open lines.  I'd still listen once in a while if there was the faint chance a musky bottom would appear.  Seem to have forgotten that the show is entertainment, not education.

I think those involved in MITD take themselves and the show too seriously.  That's usually a recipe for great radio.

[Lilith]

We were ok, but it was definitely a bad experience.  Hit and run.  We were hit from behind by an SUV moving at a pretty good clip.  He slammed the brakes just feet before he hit us.

I was afraid to ask, My imagination goes into panic mode...  but glad you posted that all is well.

[MV/Liberace!]

I was afraid to ask, My imagination goes into panic mode...  but glad you posted that all is well.

Yeah, this happened several months ago.

[Lilith]

I think those involved in MITD take themselves and the show too seriously.  That's usually a recipe for great radio.

Ok... So ...  Well...  I will admit, I do enjoy the show from my own secret comedic perspective.   

[bateman]

No, but the call had a certain passive aggressive tone to it that nauseated me, as it reminded me of my bat shit crazy older sister.

I'm familiar with it.

[bateman]

please tell me it was Art using the falkie sound board

Not that one, no.

[Taco Bell]

I knew it was falkie singing the slave spirituals all along!

[3OctaveFart]

Oh, Heath. 😛

I had honestly forgotten this show even exists.

[K_Dubb]

I think those involved in MITD take themselves and the show too seriously.  That's usually a recipe for great radio.

It really makes me wonder how much Art coached Heather after she took over.  He seemed willing enough to exploit prank calls for their entertainment value.

Your story of the phone call is sad.  How a genuinely fun chick from the Gabcast can turn into an insecure wet blanket overnight is a mystery.  I guess I know people at work who are probably the greatest moms and dads to their kids but turn into little Napoleons when they think their livelihoods are at stake.

[god of thunder]

It really makes me wonder how much Art coached Heather after she took over.  He seemed willing enough to exploit prank calls for their entertainment value.

Your story of the phone call is sad.  How a genuinely fun chick from the Gabcast can turn into an insecure wet blanket overnight is a mystery.  I guess I know people at work who are probably the greatest moms and dads to their kids but turn into little Napoleons when they think their livelihoods are at stake.

It just goes to show, that you really don't know who a person is. When they go home, and shut the door behind them, the real person comes out.

[K_Dubb]

It just goes to show, that you really don't know who a person is. When they go home, and shut the door behind them, the real person comes out.

That's a good, kind of existential, question:  which is the real Heather?  The fun, happy cohost joking with her friends, or the insecure, out-of-her-depth one we see now?  The good people who've mined her posting history have turned up a few examples showing she took Art's situation a little more seriously than most (e. g. begging him to call her when she thought he was suicidal), and one gets the sense through her criticisms of Noory that it wasn't all fun and games, but only her cohosts would know for sure -- was she always a little too intense?

The answer is probably both, but I like to simplify things and think the "real" person emerges under stress, and that refinements like humor and insouciance are luxuries we don when we can afford to.  Despite all the lecturing about on-air personas we got re: Art, I think they're difficult to maintain for hours a night.  I think we got to know Art pretty well over all those years.  His recent behavior disappointed me, but it did not surprise.

I still hold out hope Heather's fun, carefree side will re-emerge with time, but there's precious little evidence of it even though her callers seem to find increasingly tortured ways of complimenting her -- I think even her fans sense her insecurity, which we'd have to say now is fundamental.