Which one is more obnoxious, Andre Rieu or......

Well, it's August and yet another PBS pledge drive is upon us, which of
course means trotting out the old Andre Rieu, Yanni, Andrea Bocelli, and
John Tesh overwrought, overdone al fresco "productions" with hairy old ugly
men. Of course, every time I watch one of them, I think he is the most

tapefanatic...

Is Mr. Fresco one of these hairy old ugly men? No wonder he produces
these shows!

No matter, as they should rightly be replaced by ugly old hairy men.

If the latter are unavailable, then surely a team of ugly old hairy
women can be rounded-up, instead, -to offer their interpretations
(read: "wreckings") of several songs, both old and new.

obnoxious. Until the next one comes on and I think no, this one is. And so
on. So which one do you think is the most obnoxious:

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

There's also a bald guy who lectures on some form of
"positive thinking" who appears to be pretty ubiquitous (and
obnoxious) on pledge drives for the Southern California
PBS pledge drives. (Hopefully you guys in the East are
spared that one.)

tapefanatic...

Instead, we've got a few (some are bald....some, not...though none seem
to be sporting "Mohawk" hairdo's, at this point) on the regular b'cast
channels, Sunday mornings. Ironically, their facial expressions and
tones are noticeably "negative" while they're going on and on about
"positivity".

Of course, they could be regarded as "positively negative", which might
settle the issue, all around.

1) Andre Rieu "the Flying Dutchman"

2) Yanni

3) Andrea Bocelli

4) John Tesh

tapefanatic...

Tesh's programs aren't shown in the NYC-area, afaik, so I can't vote
"for" him.

jaybee...

It's a shame that your PBS affiliate is so unhip. For recent pledge
drives my affiliate has been running Bruce Springsteen concert footage
from 1979, a very entertaining Motown reunion/tribute, and the Roy
Orbison B&W show, among others.

Saffron...

Many below the age of 30 would say that your PBS affiliate line-up is
tragically unhip, but they wouldn't be watching PBS anyway.

John W. Kennedy...

Caught a bit of Rieu by chance last night, doing his improved version of
Beethoven's 9th. What a consumate vulgarian!

On the other hand, one of the three PBS's we get showed the Corrs in

neillmassello...

Right there is one of the major problems with PBS: too many stations
with overlapping service areas. No wonder so many of them are struggling
financially.

their 2004 Geneva concert. Yummy!

Saffron...

Many below the age of 30 would say that your PBS affiliate line-up is
tragically unhip, but they wouldn't be watching PBS anyway.

Alan Moorman...

Mine, too.

That Roy Orbison concert is one of my fave concerts -- I bought a DVD
of it after seeing it on my local PBS station.

The tunes other than the Big Hits are pretty much great -- they get
into the best, most sophisticated grooves, in a quiet but wonderful
way!

Alan Moorman

The only reason some people get lost in thought
is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Paul Fix

janospetrik...

Roy Orbison wasn't on the list, so the answer is: all of the above.

tapefanatic...

I liked the 'fifties' stars' pop shows, one recently showing the now
92 year-old Frankie Laine, singing his legendary hit, "That's My
Desire", with much of the style and vitality he was always famed for.
Plus several great groups of the era, now visibly elderly men, yet
sounding terrific, as they did in their heydays.

Peter T. Daniels...

Wasn't he the one of the "Jersey Boys" who didn't come to the Tony
Awards show, when each of the originals stood with the actor who
portrays him in the show? (Or is *Jersey Boys* about a different group?
Haven't seen it yet -- tickets were scarce even before it won its
awards.)

Steven Bornfeld...

Peter--

"Jersey Boys" is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Frankie V
is getting on, but much younger than Laine--probably not 70 yet.

Peter T. Daniels...

Then he really had no excuse for not coming to the Tonys.

On PBS, we'll get -and should expect- a continued potpourri; not
all of which we'll collectively like, by any means. -But the really
good stuff: That's unquestionably worth waiting for, even if it means
enduring the boring shows (and the seemingly interminable fund-drives)
that arguably outnumber them at least five to one.

Allen...

You have asked a tough question, but my vote must go to Rieu. As bad as
the other choices are, Rieu is the worst thing I've ever seen on
television, and that's saying a lot, considering the junk that's poured
at us almost constantly.
Allen

Steven Bornfeld...

Cousin Brucie on the NY local affiliate during the do-wop segments
easily has a worse toupe.

shiral14...

Any one of them is enough to make me reconsider my enjoyment of PBS.
Yanni might take the cake for me through the sheer longevity of his
so-called career. But when the pledge drives start, my TV goes off and
stays that way.

I think a more effective fund raising tactic for PBS might be the
live at Red Rock until you cough up just to get us to turn him off!"

(Several repetitions later:)

"They must be made of sterner stuff. Bring on Bocelli and Yanni!"

Steven Bornfeld...

Looks better on mug shot than Glen Campbell, but not as good as Mel Gibson:

johnschiap...

5) Zamfir - Master of the Pan Pipe

Charlie,the Opera...

OK...I'll bite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Sounds like my
friend BELA)