I have been listening to the Gabfest since its inception, but have never been moved to comment until now, largely because I felt that whatever gripes I might have with it were offset by the fact that it was free. However, at the beginning of the August 10 Gabfest, Jacob Weisberg, substituting for the regular crew (who are on vacation for the entire month of August) referred to himself as "the B team" and quipped "The listeners have spoken: They want the regulars back." I'm going to assume that this was a bit of self-deprecating wit on Mr. Weisberg's part, since I cannot imagine that even a single listener complained. I don't mean to state that Mr. Weisberg was such a fine host that I couldn't imagine the Gabfest without him; although he did do a very fine job, and I enjoyed hearing from him. But the regulars -- Plotz, Bazelon, and Dickerson -- are, at best, tired, at worst infuriating, and at any rate need to go, or at least to rotate out on a regular basis. I've believed this for a long time, now, but this August vacation has forced me to confront my dread at the prospect that the regulars will be back, and soon. I actually found myself wishing that August would go on forever. And I hate August.
First, I should state that Mr. Dickerson is not really a problem at all. I find him to be thoughtful and entertaining, and I enjoy listening to him as much as I ever have (especially now that he's no longer flogging his book). But increasingly, he can't seem to keep the other two in line, and on topic. Maybe they've just worn him down. I think if Mr. Plotz and Ms. Bazelon were put out to pasture, then Mr. Dickerson would be an invaluable part of a new lineup. I hope this will come to pass.
The aptly-named Mr. Plotz (because that's what I want to do whenever I hear his voice) is just insufferable. I can count on one hand -- and still have enough fingers left over to hold a scalpel -- the number of intelligent things he has said in the past two years. But a team of mathematicians couldn't count the number of times he has expressed boredom at the topic at hand, or a lack of any opinion about the topic at hand, or a distaste for the topic at hand, or has merely whined that he wanted to change the subject post haste; and when he does have something to say, he does so in a tone that suggests he finds the entire enterprise taxing and beneath his dignity. That's fine at home and even at work, but what exactly does he contribute to the Gabfest? Why is he there?
Ms. Bazelon, on the other hand, often does have something intelligent to say, when the topic is dictated by Mr. Dickerson and when she can actually bring herself to say it (which she often can't, sadly). Left to her own devices, however, she invariably steers the conversation to the subject of parenting. Again, that may be fine at home or the office, or even in another forum, but the Gabfest is and should be about politics and public affairs, not the nutritional value of school lunches and the pros and cons of recess. I don't know what cocktail parties she's going to, but if I should ever be invited to one I hope they'll warn me in advance.
Worst of all, though, is all of the inside chatter, especially between Plotz and Bazelon. Do I really need to know what they're wearing, who took someone else's Rice Krispie Treats out of the office fridge, or anything at all about their spouses and/or children? If I want that kind of thing, I'll watch Regis and Kelly.
As you may have guessed, this has been grating on me for a long time, now, but the August vacation greatly exacerbated the situation by giving me a glimpse of how much better things could be. Every guest host you had on the Gabfest last month was immeasurably better than Plotz and Bazelon (as is occasional substitute Tim Noah), and the August 2007 Gabfests (except for the last one, when the "A" team returned) were better than the regular lot by an order of magnitude, even considering the fact that each one only had, in effect, two voices (since June Thomas doesn't participate much, for some reason). MY POINT IS THIS: For the love of God, can't you disband this unholy oligopoly that rules the Gabfest and rotate in some fresh talent? I don't care if you pick an all-new regular lineup or just switch over to some sort of rotation system -- any change is bound to be for the better. Yes, I know this is a free service, but the fact is, you have an opportunity to make a really important contribution to the public dialogue with the Gabfest, and right now that opportunity is being wasted. Or worse: you're actually alienating people. Please, repent thy ways! We need you out here!