I think my career on Catholic radio has come to an end. Now, let’s be honest, most of you are saying collectively, “What Catholic radio career?”
About four years ago, a radio producer “discovered” my columns through the Angelus website and, because I tend to write a lot about movies both old and new, invited me to appear on a little radio program to talk about film. After religion and politics, film is my next favorite topic, so I was definitely “in.”
The radio host was Kevin Turley, another reason I was enthusiastic to go on air. I knew Kevin by reputation, as he has been the London correspondent for National Catholic Register, and I have always found his writing to be top-notch. Kevin had a niche and eclectic syndicated radio program on strange, arcane, and sometimes bizarre stories from history and pop culture. And he loves old movies as much as I do.
We hit it off, and one invite turned into a semi-regular stint where Kevin and I would talk about movies across most genres. I learned Kevin was a virtual encyclopedia of film history. It was bad enough that he is a better writer than I am. He is also a novelist, and his book “This Thing of Darkness” (Ignatius Press, $16.95) is a great gothic horror story about a Faustian bargain made by none other than movie monster icon Bela Lugosi, but written with a grounded view of Catholic spirituality. And it happens to be a terrific read and would make a great movie.
Like so many things associated with professional communications, Kevin’s radio stint did not last. He tried starting a new one, and that was great to be a part of, but that show also had a short shelf life. We even “pitched” a podcast version of our segments to the National Catholic Register, but to no avail.
I thought my Catholic radio life was over then. But soon thereafter, I received a text from the producer of another show on the host station that carried Kevin’s program. It is Archangel Radio at 1410 on your AM radio dial — if you happen to be in or near Mobile, Alabama. So, although “catholic” means universal, as far as my radio career went, I was “big” in Mobile.
Actually, the time I spent as a bimonthly film commentator on their morning show with hosts Todd Sylvester and Ellen Taylor was fun too. It was not the same as it was with Kevin. But over time, a nice chemistry of talking about current movies and how they do or do not uphold Catholic truths was fun, and I hope for the audience, entertaining. It still meant getting up extremely early to make the spot, but it was worth it.
This side trip I have taken in the radio world cannot accurately be described as a career because I did not get paid for any of my appearances. But Todd and Ellen did promise me swag from the station, and I am still waiting!
At the beginning of this year, I stopped getting texts from their producer, Mike, asking me what film I was going to be talking about. I guess, as the saying goes, they had decided to go in a new direction. I get it, things change, and I was happy for the experience.
I was happy for another reason. It was getting increasingly difficult to come on a radio station and talk about current films as they relate to our faith, since so many of the most popular and award-winning films trample most Catholic tenets. I did not want to have a 10-second segment on the radio every other week where I say, “Don’t see this movie.”
I am not suggesting films were better 50 to 80 years ago than they are today. The technology is now truly magical; the acting is better and more complex — how could it not be, with over 100,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild — and stories are more intimate.
Some things do not change. Celebrity has always been a commodity. In the past, movie stars told us what cars to buy, what shaving cream to use, and what brand of cigarettes tasted best. Today, as the recent Academy Awards show made abundantly clear, they tell us what we should think, what political party we should support, and what gender ideology must be affirmed, with no exceptions. These very sentiments are reflected in the movies these same artists make, and my movie-going experience shrinks accordingly.
I have not lost hope. Even with a radio career in tatters, there may still be an opening for Catholic Media Mogul. I think they have an application at Costco.
