Sunday, April 26, 2015

Gift of Gab

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa
The gift of gab - don't have it. Most men don't. But I know one who does: Regis Philbin. I've always imagined that talking to this guy could be downright intimidating. I am to Regis what a blade of grass is to a lawnmower. He makes his life seem so significant as he weaves his stories that my existence seems to be servile piffle by comparison. When he has pizza in Manhattan on Sunday night, the world is in awe on Monday morning. It's all in the telling. He is a marvelous storyteller. The weird thing is that he otherwise seems to have no discernible talent. Oh, I've heard rumors that he's a crooner and has cut a few records, but who listens to them? Yet there he is, one of the world's best known television personalities.

Yes, Regis is the Titan of Talk. When Kathie Lee left Live! in 2000, the hunt was on for a new sidekick. I recognized this empty chair problem immediately as a particularly interesting one. (It wasn't that I was a regular viewer of this broadcast, mind you. There are such things as sick days from the day job, you know.) Who could be the immoveable object to Regis's unstoppable force? All of the guest cohosts were pushovers. Except for one. Kelly Ripa.

When Kelly arrived, now it was Regis who had to fight to get a word in edgewise. And she wouldn't take any guff. If Regis puffed up a story, Kelly made it clear she just didn't believe it and grabbed the steering wheel. Gotta love it! The audience did love it. And Kelly got the job.

This gift of gab is a wondrous thing to watch, since I don't possess it. There has to be a lack of self-consciousness a person must have to be free with their thoughts, nearly uncensored in their disclosures, and so confident in their own trivia that their words flow like an open fire hydrant on a summer street without any inhibition. Rachel Ray is another TV personality that comes to mind. I am not a "fan" of Rachel's, I just like her. Who wouldn't? She can talk to anybody like she is talking to her own grandmother. In fact, she can talk to a television camera like she's talking to her own grandmother. Who does that?

Conversationalists and storytellers still have a unique place in our popular culture. The best of them really do seem to warm our lives. I am sorry to say that I do not walk among these tongue-gods. My silly blog will have to suffice. And, yes, that's my final answer.

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4 comments:

  1. KelliApril 26, 2015 at 10:58 PM

    I am among the gabless. Public speaking is not my thing. Hard to believe I've been a kick-ass paralegal, office manager, switchboard operator, secretary, and teacher. Sometimes I wonder where that person went, as even telephone calls are a challenge now. I could blame neuromuscular disease, but it's not entirely to blame. I've always been an introvert, but I'm a heavy thinker and thrive in a learning environment. I guess some of us are just built that way, and that's okay.

    I no longer have internet at home as of mid-February. I'm at a public WIFI spot at the moment and just wanted to check in. I'll try to catch up on your blog when I have more time. Keep writing.

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    1. M. W. ThomasApril 26, 2015 at 11:10 PM

      Thanks for checking in. Watch out for internet security at those public hotspots. Hope your feeling as well as you can under the circumstances. Take care and stay safe. I'm looking forward to hearing from you again!

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  2. UnknownApril 27, 2015 at 12:40 AM

    Well I think you gabbed out a pretty nice piece here. Not sure why but Regis has always gotten on my nerves - even from his days as side kick to Joey Bishop. Yes...I'm THAT old. I'm also a "closet" introvert. People don't believe it because I also can talk to anyone and even speak in public. The secret is ask a lot of questions. This keeps the topic off of me and everyone believes you're a great conversationalist if you just let them talk - which I love. People fascinate me and I'm happy to provide a sounding board on most any topic.

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    1. M. W. ThomasApril 27, 2015 at 12:50 AM

      I remember Joey Bishop, but not quite the Regis-as-sidekick days. You may be a year older than me. I wasn't really meaning to hit on fear of public speaking, or being an introvert exactly, just this incredible loquaciousness that these uber people exhibit. Asking questions is good. I've been doing a lot more of that lately. Turns out, you can actually learn something if you listen!

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