Radio’s Noble Savage: Jean Shepherd and The Secret People (that’s us) — Shep and Kludge?

I was looking at the pictures from the Nearfest hamfest when I spotted this quite from Shepherd at the bottom of a post in the AM Window by Carl WA1KPD:

“Okay, gang are you ready to play radio? Are you ready to shuffle off the mortal coil of mediocrity? I am if you are.” Shepherd

I Googled the quote and that took me to this 1966 article from Harper’s:

http://www.keyflux.com/shep/shepharp.htm

The article is a (mostly) accurate view of Shepherd. Much of it would not be socially acceptable today (and rightly so). The article correctly describes Shep’s stories as being truth-based but also filled with hyperbole.

This got me wondering: How did Shep pronounce kludge? I mean, it could have been him who put me on the pronunciation track of kludge like fudge. He wasn’t being listened to outside of NYC, and maybe Boston and San Francisco. So that may explain why the rest of the country is getting the pronunciation so completely wrong. We may be on the verge of a breakthrough here. Steve Silverman: ALERT!

Can anyone find a recording of Shepherd using the word Kludge? A Bronze Figlagee with Oak Leaf Palms will be awarded.

Check out the Harper’s article and the video (above) of Shep talking about THE SECRET PEOPLE.

EXCELSIOR!

4 thoughts on “Radio’s Noble Savage: Jean Shepherd and The Secret People (that’s us) — Shep and Kludge?”

  1. Bill. You’ve got me listening to Jean Sheperd. He certainly had a talent for talking and telling a story. I must have listened to about seven episodes so far. The most resent one was about the heising modulator. This is about the story you’ve told on the podcast. Where he takes a girl on a date and because his mind is elsewhere, she asks whats wrong. He tells her he can’t get his heising modulator to work properly. She suggests he should get his mother to take him to see a doctor. He did figure out what was wrong with the modulator. Trevor

  2. What an insightful read! This blog post truly stands out for its depth and clarity. I appreciate how complex concepts were broken down into easily understandable sections. The practical tips and real-world examples are extremely helpful and relatable. It’s evident that a lot of research went into this. I look forward to more of your informative and engaging posts. Keep up the excellent work! Halltronics Enrgtech

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *