Simpsons Theme on Vox Talk
Voice acting is a unique talent, and being able to juggle more than one voice at the same time is actually hard work. Yet, the masters of it, like Phil Hendrie, make it both look and sound so effortless. Hendrie, for those who may not know, once hosted a radio show where we played the role of host and his guest. A large chunk of the listening audience was hip to it, but Hendrie was so good at this, he quite often fooled a number of people, who bought it hook, line, and sinker. Then, they would call into the show, enraged about something stupid and controversial that Hendrie’s “guest” had said. Hilarity ensued. And, one might be able to think of The Phil Hendrie Show as a reverse prank call. Well, it’s been a few years since Phil Hendrie officially retired, although his website has remained active with mp3 updates and independent podcasts. On occasion, Hendrie has lent his talent to Matt Groening, as he’s appeared on Futurama a few times. Still, his really is rare talent, and podcasting, like radio, requires a level of craft.
Recently, this has become evident with Vox Talk, a podcast targeting voice actors. Over the summer, they hosted a Simpsons related imitation competition, and the special podcast, with the resulting winners, is now available. A lot of the imitations are close, but definitely not spot on. Still, a lot of the voices featured jump in and out of character, and that definitely is the interesting thing here. It may sound a little schizophrenic, but try it sometimes. It’s a far from easy feat.
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