In America, we all have a voice. Or we used to. Donald Trump now demands that a prominent broadcaster be silenced. The president who appointed raspy RFK Jr. to lecture us on public health now wants Jessica Tarlov removed from Fox News because her voice is “grating and unendurable.” You can’t make this stuff up.
It is indecent and brutish to mock unchangeable human traits, but that is Trump’s disgusting specialty. He famously mocked a disabled reporter. Recently, he has again demeaned openly gay Anderson Cooper as “Allison” Cooper in retaliation for CNN questioning his “obliteration” claims after the attack on Iranian nuclear sites. Last week, he called U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin ugly, which is a despicable way to argue.
For all his disparagements, and perhaps because he lives in this glasshouse, Trump rarely criticizes someone else’s voice. However, he makes an exception for brave Democrat Jessica Tarlov, who educates otherwise MAGA-propagandized Fox News viewers.
Tarlov is the non-MAGA host on MAGA TV’s top show, “The Five.” She is an eloquent, educated native New Yorker who’s paid to oppose white Christian nationalist colleagues. She’s not just outnumbered; she’s outshouted, out-memed, and out-maneuvered by well-compensated MAGA bootlickers.
Tarlov’s speaking style doesn’t fit the traditional broadcast mold. Critics attack her voice when they’re out of arguments. Brilliant, bespectacled and undeniably poised, Tarlov steps into that Fox News lion’s den daily with wit, facts and her distinctive voice.
Tarlov continues as a happy warrior on “The Five” despite Trump declaring her voice “grating and unendurable.” Mean Donald recently posted: “Why does Fox News allow failed TV personality Jessica Tarlov to ‘soil’ The Five? Her voice, her manner, and above all else, what she says, are a disgrace to television broadcasting.”
People love a good debate. On “The Five,” Tarlov is willing to fight four against one. She’s a Bryn Mawr graduate with a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. Tarlov is the daughter of a lawyer-producer father and a screenwriter mother. Tarlov, 41, is a married mother of two small daughters, Cleo and Teddy.
I understand both the challenge and the blessing of having a unique media voice. For decades, I’ve appeared on Colorado and national media, covering a wide range of topics, including the O.J. trial, the JonBenet Ramsey case, the Columbine shooting, Kobe Bryant’s rape charge, the OKC Bombing trial, Ward Churchill, the Balloon Boy incident and the Aurora theater massacre. I also discussed politics.
I am recognized more for my voice than my face. People often stop and say my name, declaring, “I recognize your voice!” Flattered, I usually respond, “Who else would have it?” Due to my unusual voice, people are often surprised by my 6’5” height. I tell them they should get a bigger TV or radio.
The praise I received in broadcasting was often accompanied by comments about my “interesting” voice. The New York Times, in an article that said my radio show was the talk of the town, described my voice as “distinctly nasal.” Some fans called my voice impossible to ignore. My detractors were less generous.
My main career has been in courtrooms, where my voice has served me well. I can speak loudly and clearly enough for people to hear and remember my words. I can also speak softly and convincingly to close deals in crowded courtrooms.
My nostrils have been clogged since birth, and the shape of my head, skull and vocal cords creates a sound that my mother loved, but it takes others time to acquire the taste. I’m still waiting. Most people dislike hearing their own recorded voice. Some of us have good reasons.
Music icon Bob Dylan has a distinctive voice often described as croaky, harsh, nasal, flinty, acrid and grating. Dylan sounds “very much like a dog with his leg caught in barbed wire,” said Mitch Jayne, of the folk group The Dillards. Dylan has sold more records than bluegrass hall-of-famer Jayne.
I started flirting with my wife after she tried to diagnose my unusual voice during a professional call. My boys laugh when an occasional operator calls me “Ma’am” because it makes their dad hopping mad. I’ve used a nasal spray every day I broadcast or have had a big courtroom presentation.
If you’re lucky, you might sound like Morgan Freeman. If luck isn’t on your side, you could end up sounding like Roseanne Barr. If everyone sounded like the deep-voiced Freeman, the world would be more calming, but it might also become pretty dull.
A person’s voice is influenced by physical factors beyond their control. We can take voice lessons, get surgery or smoke cigarettes, but mostly, we’re limited to what we’re born with. Artificial intelligence may change all that.
Think twice the next time you’re tempted to mock someone’s human voice. What truly matters is how people use their voices. Do their words lift others or tear them down?
Jessica Tarlov’s voice is more than just unique; it’s kind, courageous and desperately needed. Here’s hoping that voices like hers can endure in the age of Trump.
Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun and an active Colorado trial lawyer with Craig Silverman Law, LLC.
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