Line #83 Main/LargeHamRadio


1	->''"Helloooooooooo Capital Wasteland, this is Three Dog, AUUOOOOO comin' to ya loud and proud from Galaxy News Radio! Bringin' you the truth, no matter how ''bad'' it hurts."''
2	-->-- '''Three Dog''' DJ of GNR, ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''
3
4	{{Radio}}, especially the [[CollegeRadio college variety]], will always attract a certain type of DJ/Announcer, namely a LargeHam. At least in fiction.
5
6	Anyone put in front of a radio mic, even if he's never seen one before, will instantly switch into a confident DJ-persona, complete with nickname, catchphrases and [[DangerDeadpan a smooth baritone voice]]. Otherwise, they might become an abrasive DumbassDJ or ShockJock. Whatever style he chooses, there won't be a second's hesitation, confusion, DeadAir or any other problems you might expect of a NaiveNewcomer.
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8	If it's ham radio they're getting into, it's very likely they'll also immediately turn into a SoapboxSadie ConspiracyTheorist convinced that [[SeriousBusiness the government wants to shut them down]].
9
10	Another common variant, more popular in the United Kingdom, is the Radio/TonyBlackburn-esque ([[ParodyDisplacement probably better known to younger generations]] as [[Series/HarryEnfieldAndChums Smashie and Nicey]]-esque) cheesy 1970s pop DJ.
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12	Not to be confused with RadioVoice. Closely related to DangerDeadpan, a similar effect caused by speaking over an aeroplane intercom. Compare LargeHamAnnouncer. Contrast with BoringBroadcaster.
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14	----
15	!!Examples:
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17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder: Advertising ]]
20	* {{Subverted\|Trope}} in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh5xu35bAxA this Berlitz ad]] (which is actually a Norwegian commercial, not German).
21	[[/folder]]
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23	[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]
24	* DJ Condor from ''VisualNovel/WeWithoutWings''. Voiced by none other than Creator/TomokazuSugita.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder: Film]]
28	* Jack Scott in the stage version of ''Film/HighSchoolMusical''.
29	* Lee Jordan of ''Film/HarryPotter'', who regularly loses control of his temper when commentating at Quidditch, becomes incredibly smooth when it comes time to be the VoiceOfTheResistance.
30	* ''Film/PumpUpTheVolume''
31	* [[Film/GoodMorningVietnam "GOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAAAAM!"]]
32	* Vince Fontaine in ''Film/{{Grease}}'' is an expy of the Dick Clark archetype; a radio DJ fronting a Bandstand-type programme. Nearest UK analogue would be Tony Blackburn or other Radio 1 [=DJs=], who fronted Series/TopOfThePops.
33	** It may be a case of "Too soon, aye?" (''Series/Bluestone42'') - but if Fontaine did try dropping aspiring in Marty's drink at the NatBandstand OB - cue Operation Yewtree in the Grease universe?
34	* The Lightning Bug in ''Film/JMenForever'', played by actual DJ 'Machine Gun' Kelly. He has a number of underlings trained in his technique, as part of his EvilPlan to conquer the Earth with SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll.
35	-->"Take them away, and teach them to talk like me: ''reeallll sexy!''"
36	* Inverted in ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. The DJ for K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70's (played by Creator/StevenWright) delivers every line in an extremely deadpan, straight up boring voice, even as the lines he's reading sound like they were made to be delivered by someone playing this trope straight.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder: Literature ]]
40	* Rose, aka Mother, the communications officer of ''Literature/PhulesCompany''. In person, she's so cripplingly shy that hardly anyone has ever managed to speak to her face-to-face, but over radio equipment she becomes talkative and even flirtatious. Apparently she had a stutter as a child and became afraid of the sound of her own voice, but later discovered that she didn't mind so much when she was speaking into sound equipment.
41	* Lee Jordan, the definitely-not-neutral Quidditch announcer from Literature/HarryPotter. Continues into his role as host of [[VoiceOfTheResistance Potterwatch]] in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]''.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]
45	%%* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''
46	* "Dr X," Ted's old CollegeRadio alter ego on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. He's universally mocked for it.
47	* Hal on ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' does this when he buys a ham radio.
48	* ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' had (usually mild-mannered CloudCuckoolander) Harry turn into an abrasive talk-radio jock when he and Tommy take over the college station for the holidays.
49	* In ''Series/{{MASH}}'', the outfit obtains a mess of swing records. Radar (the normally timid type) takes the records and creates a makeshift radio station over the P.A. system, with him as DJ. That is, until [[spoiler:Colonel Potter makes him play "Sentimental Journey" over and over and...]]
50	* Sam spent one episode of ''Series/QuantumLeap'' ("Good Morning, Peoria") as a DJ.
51	* Leo [=LaPorte=] demonstrated his "AM voice" (Large Ham Radio) and "FM voice" (Smooth and sultry) on an episode of TheScreenSavers.
52	* The first episode of ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'' showed this happening ''twice'' in the first episode: Johnny's spontaneous transformation from a fairly bland top 40 DJ into "Doctor Johnny Fever, and I am ''burnin' up'' in here, fellow babies!" followed by Andy remaking Gordon Sims into "Venus Rising", which he partially forgot when he announced the new DJ to Carlson as "Venus Flytrap." Averted with Les Nessman, who pretty clearly would ''like'' to be this ("And now ... Les Nessman's ''Death Watch''"), but just doesn't quite have the voice to pull it off.
53	* Normally anxious, shy Burton "Gus" Guster in ''Series/{{Psych}}'' becomes this when the agency investigates a murder at a radio station. Gus becomes "[[ShoutOut A Playa' Named Gus]]," and his radio persona is so smooth, the station manager starts hitting on him.
54	* DJ Sagara in ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' takes this as his stage persona and mixes it with extreme close-ups for his net radio show. When we finally see him off the clock he's considerably more subdued.
55	* The FBI hostage negotiation series ''Standoff'' gives us Avery Steele, who fights for the common man. The episode he appears in revolves around a man cheated out of an adoption, and promos suggested he was all, [[DumbassDJ "Rape the bitch you kidnapped then kill yourself like a man."]] True to the style he portrays the kidnapper as a victim, to the point of calling in listeners of his show to the crime scene and nearly instigating a riot by saying he should be set free.
56	* Inverted in ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' -- the titular professional radio shrink is shown to have really struggled to get the hang of live broadcast when he first started, and his occasional efforts to branch out into other markets, or cover for colleagues doing different genres of show, are always beset by fumbling and gaffes that suggest he isn't really a natural radio performer. By contrast, when [[SwappedRoles his brother covers for him]], Niles quickly finds a confident radio persona and his own catchphrase.
57	** In the final episode Roz forces the station manager to cover when Frasier is late for work. Kenny protests that he hasn't hosted anything since college and doesn't know what to do. The second the On Air light goes on he launches into a perfect hammy radio voice complete with joke characters.
58	* ''Series/ForeverKnight''. Vampire Lucien [=LaCroix=] hosts a late night radio station as The Nightcrawler. He goes more for CreepyMonotone than LargeHam, but breaks out the latter after taking over the [[VampiresOwnNightclubs Raven]] and hosting an amateur strip contest there.
59	-->'''[=LaCroix=]:''' Let us peel back the layers, let us strip away the last vestiges of decorum and civility, and reveal our inner selves. ''[[GratuitousFrench Oui, mes amis]]'', it's Amateur Night at the Raven, and tonight our amateurs will reveal ''their'' inner selves by [[YouCanLeaveYourHatOn GETTING NAKED!]]
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61	[[/folder]]
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63	[[folder: Music ]]
64	* Music/PeterGabriel hams it up in in the song "On The Air". "''Bozo is here!''"
65	* The Music/DavidBowie song "DJ" from ''Music/{{Lodger}}''.
66	-->"I am a DJ, I am what I play/I've got believers believing me!"
67	* Music/MyChemicalRomance's Danger Days has one of these providing narration.
68	* Harry Chapin's bittersweet ballad "WOLD", in which a middle-aged crisis plays itself out.
69	--> ''I am the morning DJ
70	--> on W-O-L-D;
71	--> Feeling all of forty-five,
72	--> Going on fifteen...''
73	* The Music/BlueOysterCult's ironic song about a dreamer whose ambition outstrips his talent, ''The Marshall Plan'', has a spoken interlude from veteran DJ and music presenter Don Kirshner.
74	** Their song ''When The War Comes'' was co-written by controversial New York DJ Creator/HowardStern.
75	* One of the earliest musical examples: ''Chantilly Lace'' by Music/TheBigBopper "'''''HELLOOOO BAY-BEE!!!!!'''''"
76	* Edwin Starr's ''HAPPY Radio'' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW2YQFlILFo
77	[[/folder]]
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79	[[folder: Puppet Shows]]
80	* ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'': At one point, International Rescue have to save a BuccaneerBroadcaster whose very small SpaceStation is about to burn up in the atmosphere. His shtick is this trope all the way through, to the point where the Tracy brothers are clearly giving serious thought to ''leaving him to die'' because he is just that annoying. That he ends up endangering himself and his rescuers [[TooDumbToLive thanks to his own obstinacy and recklessness]] doesn't help.
81	[[/folder]]
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83	[[folder: Radio ]]
84	* [[Radio/TheSpaceGypsyAdventures The Space Gypsy Adventures]] episode ''Leah's Wedding'' sees a brief appearance by one of these, 'Terrific Terrence', when Gemma requests a record for Leah and Randy. Described as being 'the kind of DJ who spouts a lot of verbal nonsense between records', one of his more notable examples of such nonsense is this little gem:
85	--> If ''I'' was getting married, I wouldn't request a record-I'd request a blindfold and a cigarette!
86	* And of course, a man who could well be the Trope Namer, Radio/TonyBlackburn.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder: Video Games ]]
90	* Three Dog[[note]]Aaaaoooooo![[/note]] of Galaxy News Radio from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' is the very definition of this trope.
91	** Galaxy News Radio's competition, Enclave Radio, features "President" John Henry Eden, who has a delivery more reminiscent of Casey Kasem than Three Dog's Wolfman Jack. Three Dog occasionally parodies either his style or his megalomania ("Oh wait, that's the ''other'' station.")
92	** ''Fallout 3'' also features an aversion: if Three Dog is killed, his replacement, Margaret, drops the news segments and prefaces the music with annoyed comments about just being a technician and the actual DJ having been killed. Apparently, just being put in front of a microphone is ''not'' sufficient for this trope to kick in in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' universe.
93	** And Best Friend Tabitha from ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' takes it [[AxCrazy one]] [[SplitPersonality step]] [[FunnySchizophrenia even farther]].[[note]]"Threats all around us! Converging, like a noose! Tightening! [[ItMakesSenseInContext Two-head bear people astride battle cattles!!!]]"[[/note]]
94	** Mr. New Vegas (Wayne Newton) is an inversion, speaking in a calm, friendly tone more appropriate to a DJ for a station that plays music from the 40s and 50s.
95	** Travis from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' is a deliberate inversion, coming across as shy and awkward, if not cringeworthy. The player can boost his confidence through an optional sidequest.
96	** The ''Fallout 4'' {{DLC}} ''Nuka-World'' gives us [=RedEye=], the DJ for Nuka-World's "Raider Radio". While not as loud and hammy as Three Dog, [=RedEye=] is still quite over-the-top, often exaggerating stories to tall tales.
97	* DJ Professor K from ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' is ridiculously loud and bombastic, he also acts as your mission control. In the sequel JSR Future he tones it down a bit but still counts.
98	* [[JiveTurkey Bobby Ricks]] in ''VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour''.
99	* Radioman from ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', combined with a generous helping of TheSociopath. Formerly a war correspondent trying to shed light on all the war crimes going on in Dubai, Colonel Konrad somehow convinced him to become the 33rd's eye in the sky.
100	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' has Super Rockin' Mister Magic, the DJ of the pirate radio station. "You can't find us, you can't stop us!"
101	** It would probably be easier to list the DJ's in ''Radio/GTARadio'' that ''aren't'' this trope.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder: Web Original ]]
105	* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': In the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "Radio", Strong Bad claims that radio announcers [[VocalDissonance should look absolutely nothing like how they sound]], and demonstrates by forcing his brother Strong Sad, who usually speaks in a whispery drone, to talk like a rapid-fire shock jock.
106	-->'''Strong Sad:''' Hey hey hey! It's the Deathly Pallor, coming at you on Numbity 902, [=WA3D=] FM, "The Sturge"! Coming up next, we got some hot new tracks from double-O ballyhoo! [covers his mouth in embarrassment while Strong Bad laughs evilly]
107	* In ''Podcast/TheOrbitingHumanCircusOfTheAir,'' Julian the Janitor's vocal delivery is halting, meek and muted even in the presence of a microphone, while his personal InteractiveNarrator, a manifestation of his desire to perform on the radio, is as smooth, polished and floridly emotive as Julian wishes he could be.
108	* When ''Podcast/ItMakesASound'''s Deirdre Gardner gets going, she positively evangelizes her favorite musician Wim Faros in the most ecstatic terms, as though she were the preacher in a church, rather than the superfan host of an [[StylisticSuck amateurish]] local radio show.
109	* HorrorHost Wolf the Dog in ''Podcast/PretendingToBePeople'' is a canine-themed LargeHam in the vein of Three Dog and Wolfman Jack. He's also a [[ThePigPen dumpster-dining]] PhysicalGod.
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111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder: Western Animation ]]
114	* [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]], as a ham radio operator.
115	* Timmy used magic to do this on an ep of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents''. He had a magic mic that made anyone who spoke into it have a smooth baritone voice.
116	* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', Isabella is given the chance to announce [=P&F=]s Monster Truck Rally and does so in a deeper, louder, male voice with standard huckster dialog. In one deep breath.
117	* Double subverted with ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': One episode had Brian end up with a radio show after criticizing the local {{Dumbass DJ}}s. His show started off intelligent, Creator/{{NPR}}-ish, and performing poorly with listeners. After Stewie prank calls him a couple of times, the [[ExecutiveMeddling executives force Brian to add him to the show]], at which point it devolves into exactly the kind of thing he was complaining about earlier, complete with Creator/HowardStern-esque antics and annoying sound clips from films including ''Film/SixteenCandles'', ''Film/AnimalHouse'', and the CrossesTheLineTwice example of ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}''.
118	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Sealab 2021}}'', "Radio Free Sealab": Captain Murphy starts a pirate radio station out of sheer boredom, adopts the DJ persona "Howlin' Mad Murphy", and conducts the usual on-air hijinx until the [=FCC=] blows him ([[OnceAnEpisode and the rest of the station]])up with a depth charge.
119	--> '''Marco:''' That's THE HAMMER! Once again your stupidity has killed us all!
120	* In the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' Halloween special, this is apparently the case with the local radio station's DJ. Only when he's in front of the mic does he produce the deep voice required for his job.
121	* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' had a recurring theme of Garfield hating disc jockeys. Then in one episode John got a job as one, cheesy '70s persona and all...
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder: Real Life ]]
125	* In more general terms, the first wave of the aptly-named Loudness War is a phenomenon among (chiefly commercial American) radio stations. Beginning in the 1980s, the audio levels of radio music, advertising and many spoken announcements began to be artificially inflated via compression (similarly to the ''other'' LoudnessWar, which centers on popular music), causing the broadcasts to become louder (and thus more attention-grabbing) on average ''without'' surpassing the (legally mandated) maximum decibel count. This has become so ubiquitous that concerns have been raised about sustaining permanent hearing damage upon prolongued exposure. This trend is mostly limited to commercial radio stations in North America, meaning that (for example) public or European stations sound noticeably softer and more natural in their audio range by comparison.
126	* Big radio personalities in general need to be self-promoters. Radio shows don't get the same kind of marketing push that TV shows and movies get, so successful radio hosts tend to be very comfortable with blowing their own horn.
127	* [[Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn Gary Owens]] is the "announcer" voice for which everyone strives these days (unless he's trying to copy the InAWorld guy).
128	* Don Pardo. "Live, from New York!" The booming voice you're hearing in your head right now, saying "It's Saturday Night!" is Don Pardo.
129	* Wolfman Jack, as shown in ''Film/AmericanGraffiti''.
130	* [[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo Casey Kasem]].
131	** His Radio/AmericanTop40 replacement Shadoe Stevens too, but Stevens had a more self-aware, tongue-in-cheek sensibility.
132	* Inverted by Creator/{{NPR}}, which has the exact opposite reputation of its hosts being very soft-spoken. As ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' put it:
133	-->"This is NPR, the station where we talk very softly, directly into the microphone. Can you hear us? We're right inside your head..."
134	** Robert Siegel is probably NPR's hammiest host. He's not boisterous or loud, but he has a tendency to take the appropriate tone of a story and turn it up several notches.
135	** Jonathan Schwartz talks in such a slow, idiosyncratic manner on his music show that he qualifies as a ColdHam.
136	* Until [[TwoDecadesBehind fairly recently]], many depictions of Top 40 radio [=DJs=] were parodies of 1960s rock radio-era stations such as WLS/Chicago, KHJ/Los Angeles and WABC/New York City.
137	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / LargeHamRadio