I think we are all guilty at times of even slightly interrupting someone. Not always because of self-obsession to hear your own voice or not waiting for the other person to finish, but because if we’re having a really good conversation, and points keep getting made that spark more ideas and mutual agreeing, we want to share that enthusiasm in the moment. Essentially, these kinds of interruptions are 'Yes, 100%! And…'.
When you listen to a conversation on the radio, with
multiple co-hosts and guests all expressing enthusiasm for something, you hear everyone
talking over each other! Some personalities may like to talk more or be louder than
others, but the best radio shows get along like a boisterous family dinner
party! There is no such greater example of this than the 25-year running long 4-hour
daily program, Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on Z100!
So far in this series of celebrity interviewing posts, I’ve
examined some entertainment journalists from various publications, channels,
and media formats. The inspiration to now include radio host interviewing only
came to me last week. And I am so thankful that former Morning Show DJ
Bethany Watson replied to my email with some of her tips for a successful and
meaningful radio interview!
A few years ago, my radio alarm clock stopped working. And I decided not to replace it. But up until that point (from 5th grade), I listened (practically) every morning to Z100’s Morning Show. Elvis Duran leads a group of co-host DJs into lively conversations, play the top pop hits, give the local traffic & weather reports, have Greg T do some crazy stunts, play games and other scheduled segments, and bring on a celebrity guest for maybe a 20-to-30-minute interview (including commercial breaks and playing their latest song). There’s been some changes to the show through the decades (as there must be) but there’s always been the constant factor of keeping up with the times, if not staying ahead of them. These days, I can catch 5-minute filmed recordings posted on Facebook. Seeing them instead of hearing them though is just not the same experience.
I remember one rainy Friday morning I was sitting in my terrible
Toyota (that even needed duct tape to keep the windshield lining secure) before
my English class at Nassau Community College, listening to Danielle Monaro and
Christine Nagy interview Enrique Iglesias. He was calling into the show from
his hotel room, saying he was still in bed after a late-night working/performing,
but Danielle and Christine couldn’t help verbally drooling over that visual
idea of him. I don’t remember what he was talking about because they were
obsessed with that image of him half-dressed the whole conversation! Yeah, he’s
smoldering in pictures, but the man probably didn’t want to wake up so early
for work just to be their voice candy. I was still giggling along anyway.
Despite Z100 having to also comply with the FCC broadcasting
regulations like how television broadcasting does, there’s very few topics off
limits on The Morning Show. From 6am to 10am, the team of DJs and
producers are tirelessly working to motivate their listeners to wake up, get
out of bed, and face their day; or also to keep the listener awake on their commute
home after doing the nightshift. That means they need to say and do things that
grab their listeners’ attention.
Unlike daytime and late-night shows, interviewing a celebrity
guest on the radio needs to get its energy and creativity from the questions and
stories discussed without visual aids. Words and sounds are of the highest importance.
Also, because the majority of The Morning Show’s radio guests are in the
music industry, promoting their latest song, album, and concert tour, the
conversation needs to first and foremost focus on the music, rather than the
latest Hollywood gossip (but gossip did make its way plenty into the
conversations, especially when former co-host Carolina Bermudez was there).
Music connects people in a way that movies wish they could. So while there’s
still some hilarious antics, the interviews do permit more serious tones. And
for some guests, an interview on The Morning Show can be a life-long
goal achieved!
Admittedly, not until I found this clip on YouTube, did I remember actually listening to the
live interview when Bebe Rexha came on to the show for promoting her song, “No Broken
Hearts”. She’d grown up in New York listening to Elvis Duran, Danielle Monaro,
and team but being in their presence suddenly became emotional for her, and
especially for her dad. He started crying realizing “Elvis said her/my name”,
and she started crying too. Bebe was discussing how her song the “The Monster”
got recorded by Eminem and Rihanna, and the song “Hey Mama” with David Guetta
and Nicki Minaj (and Afrojack), when it turned into a really sincere moment for
having to realize and appreciate how far she’s come! No one on the show
dismissed or disrespected Bebe’s crying, or rushed her back to talking about
the songs.
A paraphrased transcription:
“Why was it a crying moment for you?”- Elvis
“It’s been a really long journey and it’s exciting to be
here, my father watching me on the station I grew up listening to.” – Bebe
“Do you remember when you were a little girl, did you ever
look up at your dad and say, ‘ya know I want to hear me on the Elvis Duran Show
one day?” - Elvis
“Yes…I don’t wanna cry, this is so embarrassing.” – Bebe
“No, this is so real.” – Danielle
“There are those moments that hit us in life where we are like
‘this is a full circle moment right now’, so you just had one of those, and when
those hit you, they can hit you hard, this is a moment for you, don’t be embarrassed.”
– Bethany
“It’s great for my ratings.” - Elvis
Interjection of lots of laughs
“What in my opinion makes you have that ‘it’ thing that is
going to propel you to the top, is 'this', because people fall in love with artists
that show us what’s inside their hearts…show us honesty, that’s what sets you
apart…crying with your dad in the room, never ever try to cover that up…always
let that show.” - Elvis
“I just want to put out good music that people love, and
just always be honest and real.” – Bebe
Bebe then discusses what inspired her to make “No Broken
Hearts.” She was in the worst mood from that week’s disappointing
relationships, trying to feel better in the studio, just “started freestyling
literally the whole song…the first take it’s not perfect, I kept a lot of the
main vocals, cause it’s a feeling thing I had to keep.” – Bebe
“It takes courage to put your heart out there. When you put your heart out there as we do in love and life and in music, and you’re allowing people (to do what they want with it)…” – Elvis
I do remember getting really emotional listening to their
interview that morning, and especially when hearing the song “No Broken Hearts”
because I was relating to that feeling of just wanting to let go of the sadness
from having lost hope for realizing the guy I liked didn’t feel the same for me. Tearing up for a short cry along with the radio in my room before
having to start my commute was cathartic and helped break the stress instead of keeping it bottled-up.
Elvis, Danielle and Bethany were right about Bebe; she has certainly
continued to rise to the top by staying honest in her music.
Although I don’t remember listening to The Morning Show’s
interview in February 2017 with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington for the new
song “Heavy”, I remember being absolutely crushed to hear he’d committed suicide
that July. So coming across this clip of their conversation on YouTube puts a darker perspective into how in good spirits he seemed. They started by
discussing how no one could have guessed it was Chester’s voice on the track, which
led to how the band was continuously trying to redefine their sound with each
album. Then Bethany mentions she took a college course which the professor used
Chester’s singing voice as an example for how to do something really difficult
properly. And then towards the end, Chester says that “everyone in the world is
bigger than the role they think they need to play” which Elvis asked him to
repeat – for the listener who needs to hear it again, and apply it to
themselves. “We think we have a ceiling but the truth is there is no ceiling.”
It’s these kinds of wonderful interviews with artists that
don’t (need to) hide behind a funny skit or a strange Hollywood story. When you
get real with the person, and have an honest conversation, it makes for the
best kind of listening experience! And for The Morning Show’s having been
on the air for 25 years, with over 500 videos just from the last six years to
watch, there’s plenty of serious and
playful examples. Even Elvis interviewing Sean Evans in 2018 about Hot Ones,
and getting Greg-T to eat five spicy wings was the celebrity interviewing
collaboration I never knew existed but so needed!
(I think) Bethany Watson had already left The Morning Show by
the time of their interview with Sean Evans, but I imagine she would have asked
him some good questions. Her radio DJ hosting style combined a millennial
woman’s perspective, a sense of fun but also professionalism, and a voice that
was never too loud or too soft. For the years
she was on the show, there were definitely times I’d leave for my commute later
than should have. (Sorry, not sorry to my previous bosses!) Maybe it was just
supposed-to-be that my radio broke soon after she departed the show?
From her 2012 to 2018 tenure, Bethany has a bunch of key
thoughts for how interviewing celebrities on radio can differ from other
formats. “I’d say the number one tip is to LISTEN...radio segments are often longer and less planned out." They are more
outlined than planned, so while talk show hosts are in a rush to get from one
topic to the next, radio allows for more (figurative and literal)
playing-by-ear. “Really listening to what the celeb is telling you, and asking
the follow-up question…will lead to engaging interviews that are way more fun
and revealing than just going down your list of questions.” Like how it
happened with Bebe Rexha, whatever topics the hosts wanted to get to, they all
let the moment unfold organically, making an authentic connection and memory.
Since her first appearance, Bebe appeared on the show many times, creating a familiar
space for herself to discuss things more sincerely. If the team had dismissed her emotions, she'd be more likely closed-off and less forthcoming in
future interviews with them.
"Also keeping in mind the demographic of your listenership is key. If you’re someone who regularly
attends parties with celebrities but your audience is mainly working class
people living paycheck-to-paycheck, you need to put yourself in your listeners’
shoes and ask the questions they’d be curious about.” Going back to the time Dakota Johnson and Jimmy Kimmel talked about their mutual neighbors, or Kelly Ripa
asking her about being lifelong friends with Kate Hudson, those kinds of things
are fun to talk about between peers with mutual connections. But for the person
killing time in the office parking lot dreading their colleagues’ sarcasm, or
the student hurrying to organize their backpack before taking the bus to high-school,
or the taxi driver taking 15mins for themselves before the next fare, you want
to hear a good story, to feel inspired, and to take some kind of life lesson to
carry through the day. Whether that’s a singer describing their creative process,
an actor who started a new kind of pop concert with Broadway stars (ala Darren
Criss for Elsie Fest), or even an actress talking about her Met Gala dress
decision (ala Hailee Steinfeld), hearing a particular conversation can enrich
someone’s well-being.
Ahead of a scheduled interview, sending out a request to
your followers for their input can significantly contribute to the kinds of questions
asked. Not only are you announcing the guest’s appearance to get listeners’ anticipation
for tuning-in, but you’re giving them an opportunity for their very own voice
to be heard too. “That gives you insight into what they’re truly curious about.”
Of course, those who call and get through to speak with the guest is experiencing the height
of access and can mean the world!
Something that Bethany brought up I had also examined, is that the best interviewers know to stay off topics the guest will refuse to discuss. So even if there's a bunch of listeners' requests to ask about the celebrity's current gossip story, but that's not on the table for discussion, the interviewer has an obligation not to approach it. If the guest wants to take the opportunity to set the record straight, it should be their choice and not forced upon them. There's plenty going on in their lives they'd rather not share despite it having made on to the cover of People magazine, or a clip on Access Hollywood. For example, Jennifer Lopez came to The Morning Show in April 2019 to talk about her upcoming 50th Birthday, her concert tour, and all her career's accomplishments. Though she has been a guest since before her Y2K's hit "Waiting for Tonight" and already had a strong comfort level with the hosts, when Elvis asked about if she's started wedding planning yet, she answers not really because she and Alex Rodriguez just got engaged (the month before), they have so much planned for the year ahead and need to coordinate schedules, and within the answer said that "nothing is set in stone". And they quickly changed subjects to Elvis' upcoming wedding. Whether that was her real answer or maybe something had been amiss in their relationship back then, the gossip mill is currently exploiting their breakup. If she were to come back to the show at this present time, it might be something she wouldn't want to get into.
In the long run, this mutual appreciation for a moderator to respect a guest's wishes will keep the positive professional relationship intact and build that necessary component of trust. The attempt "to be edgy or get press by blasting a celeb with a question about their current messy divorce that they truly don't want to talk about is only going to hurt your relationships. There are ways to talk around a large news story that your audience is curious about while still gaining your guest's trust...I'm a fan of making light of the constant press, which puts you on their side, saying something like, 'Life seems pretty chill for you lately. What've you been up to?' with a smile and a wink in your voice. It gives them the chance to roll their eyes at the obvious situation they're in without having to really talk about it." Bethany's expertise and advice in this matter is the reason why I am such a fan of hers. I don't think she ever commented in poor taste about a celebrity gossip story or didn't show compassion for the celebrity in turmoil. Even simply asking, "a heartfelt and genuine 'How are you doing?'" can matter so much to the guest. "It can be easy to forget that this is a person you're talking to with the same level of complex feelings as all of us."
When you know there’s a large elephant in the room you can’t talk about, you need to come prepared with plenty of other topics. “It’s important to have your research done and questions ready to go in the case the celeb isn’t terribly forthcoming with answers.” An interviewer needs to get the guest talking, and keep on topic, and hopefully have a positive time. Because the radio interviews are 99% live with only an 8-second delay in case there’s a curse to bleep, and unlike on SNL with a dress rehearsal, you’ve got one shot to do the interview. If it’s not going well, the listener changes the dial. When even despite the interviewer’s best efforts the guest is maybe having an off-day and is too tired to think, switching gears to something really unique can wake them up and get the ball rolling. It’s got to be a good feeling for the moderator like when a teacher finally sees their student understand a math equation.
IN CONCLUSION:
I only included Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in
this post to study because I have the most familiarity with it, and wanted to
get this post written and published as soon as can (considering how long it’s
taken me to work on others in this series), without doing research into other
radio talk shows. Here I’d like to give a shout out to the DJs and producers on
this show past and present, keeping it all on track for mine and millions of
others’ listening enjoyment! You were part of my daily morning routine for twenty
years while living at home with family, in the college dorms, on my own in
Miami, and when I (twice, haha) moved to Queens.
I remember when Bethany announced her departure from the show, and I'm so happy that recording was posted on YouTube to listen to again because it's a reminder of how much she was appreciated on the show and by us listeners. In the time since, she has proven to write really good short films with the also talented Dennis Cahlo!
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