Catchphrases. We all have them, but they can be overused. I find that many radio people think these turns of phrase are content. They are not. In fact, overreliance on catchphrases can essentially damage your show or broadcast.
There is a line of thinking that a catchphrase is a tool that creates connection with the audience. There is some truth to that, but it is all about using it rarely and with the right amount of tongue-in-cheek.
In the last couple of years, I have heard a couple of solid hosts who essentially have lifted a couple of Rush Limbaugh’s patented catchphrases. Without embarrassing either person, I can say that one of these hosts actually asked me for feedback on his show. I praised him for his ability to present a topic and tell a story, but, in the nicest way possible, I told him to stop doing a Rush Limbaugh impression. He assured me that he wasn’t. I gave him the Limbaugh catchphrases that he used at the beginning of the show.
This host bitched to a broadcast executive friend of mine. I received an angry call and was forced to justify my informal aircheck. I can remember the advice my dad once gave me: “No good deed goes unpunished.” My father didn’t coin that advice, but he was certainly very accurate. I have not spoken to this offended host since. He works in the west on a regional network and seems to be doing fine. His talent could have made him into a nationwide star, but copying Limbaugh so directly certainly has held him back.
Find Your Own Voice
I was driving through a top 80 market and heard another host recently who was basically doing a Rush Limbaugh impression. Rush sadly passed over five years ago. We are in a creative field. Find your own voice. I get it, we all have people that we admire, and obviously Limbaugh was a giant, and people, for good reason, were mesmerized. It is natural to use a person’s example at the start of a career, but at some point, you need to make your own path. Replicating others’ work is most evident in music and comedy.
In the stand-up comedy field, joke stealing is a part of the deal. If you enjoy comedy, you know that most great comics now focus on crowd work. You can’t replicate a quick comeback. You can borrow a concept for a joke. Amy Schumer and Carlos Mencia are often criticized for joke theft by other comics. This reputation has damaged their careers.
So, let’s get back to catchphrases. Sports play-by-play guys are seemingly addicted to them. Your favorite team’s play-by-play guy may have a few. There is one I know a little who is a catchphrase machine. This guy has been the radio voice for an NFL team for a couple of decades, and over time he has added seemingly one catchphrase a year. I swear to you, he tries to fit these catchphrases into every broadcast, and it gets in the way of actually knowing what is going on in the field.
Catchphrases Are Like Parsley
Don’t let your catchphrases interrupt a great hour of radio. New York radio legend Bob Grant would tell cantankerous callers to gargle razor blades. He didn’t use it too often, and it was always a delight.
Catchphrases are not content. They are tools to add personality and connection to your radio show. Your observations and opinions are the reasons people listen to your show. Being able to make fun of yourself is the ticket.
Shane Gillis has been in the news for making fun of the outfits women wear at the gym. He was not making fun of the women; he was actually poking fun at himself. If you just read the story and the opinions around Gillis’ joke, watch it for yourself. When you give an observation, it connects you to the audience.
The catchphrase is like parsley on your plate at a fine restaurant. It adds a little specialness. The catchphrase should never be the main course. Mark Levin losing his temper with a caller and yelling “get off my phone” is fun for fans of the show and a reason to listen closer for those who are casual listeners.
Don’t Force It
How do you develop a catchphrase? This is a tough question, but the answer should center on your personality on the air. I suggest just letting it happen. Your creative juices will come up with something by sheer accident. When that occurs, add it to the show. If that potential phrase has some legs, you will get feedback. In coaching new hosts, I often say to let it happen organically. New hosts often start hosting a show with a predetermined idea of how it should sound. This is natural.
Whenever we try something new in life, it is human nature to envision the outcome of new experiences. Anyone who has been in a romantic relationship can relate to being out to dinner with your beloved and hoping that the person would compliment you in a certain way.
If you are a man, you have likely disappointed your special person in some way. I certainly have majored in that situation. Let that catchphrase develop on its own. If you have too many catchphrases, drop the fat. Use the best only. If you have more than five of them, that is too damn many.
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