In the most recent Internet OTR Digest, Ron Sayles lept into the lion’s den by listing a series of his nominees for worst OTR programs, and including such shows as “Vic and Sade,” “Easy Aces,” “Lum and Abner,” and “Amos n Andy.”

You can almost see the torches coming over the horizion, mob enraged, demanding the death of the monster. Some folks have already posted wondering if Mr. Sayles is suffering some form of senile dementia…even Elizabeth McLeod, someone with whom I am lothe to disagree about anything, so vast and deep is her knowledge, has posted that this is her preferred format.

Ron’s dementia must be going around, though…because in many ways, I agree with him. And there are more of us out here than you think.

The “character pieces,” including “Vic and Sade,” and “Lum and Abner,” are not as universally loved as those who appreciate the pieces seem to convince themselves. Yes, yes, I’ve heard it over and over by proponents of the series; the dialog is poetry, the writing is sublime, yadda-yadda-yadda.

Truth is, either you “get it” or you don’t; and if you don’t, like me, even after listening to large blocks of these shows expecting some kind of spiritual epiphany, you find the shows overblown ramblings with no point nor purpose; boring excursions into meaningless meanderings; a love of language over any attempt to engage. This doesn’t mean this is the “right” answer, it only means the “Vic-and-Sade-is-finest-writing-ever” contingent isn’t “right,” either. The problem is, those so in love with the “poetry” of these shows are completely blinded to the idea that anyone with an IQ larger than an eggplant might not want to waste any more time listening to them. The same people who can cheerfully disagree about any other show become completely unhinged when confronted with the idea that some of us find these shows…painfully boring.

I don’t understand that. The cool thing about OTR is that there’s something for everyone there. And folks will cheerfully argue for hours who was the best Johnny Dollar, or which Jack Benny castmember was most irreplacable (been involved in both, and a whole lot more esoteric, besides), but when it comes to these character shows, the proponents cannot imagine anyone not finding them the epitimy of audio performances.

Mob, settle down. No monster here, just a valid differing opinion.

Oh, and before I forget, Happy Birthday, Orson!