The Playlist: Bring Back the Shock Jock

When I say the term “Shock Jock”, Howard Stern, the king of media, probably comes to mind. However, that is not what I’m going for. What I mean by Shock Jock is a radio host who does so much more than play music. They are the ones who talk about life and the ones who conduct interviews with the town’s favorite artists. What has happened to the beloved radio host who discusses life with his radio crew? In the modern world, where life seems like it falls apart on a daily basis, radio voices need to come back so they can share their thoughts and opinions to an audience that cares.

The world of Shock Jocks has came crashing down, and they are pretty much dead. As to why Shock Jocks are dead, it is probably because radio isn’t all that relevant in our day-to-day lives. Many of us, including myself, don’t listen to the radio unless we’re driving, and even then we usually attach music to an AUX cord or Bluetooth. Another contributor to the death of these classic American icons is television, which have replaced radio in households. After all, how many homes have a radio? Or at least how many households have a radio and use it? Maybe two households in the whole United States.

Shock Jocks need to be raised from the grave, because I feel that radio is a platform of entertainment and media that needs revision. Despite podcasts being on the rise, I want radio to be a platform which everyone become familiar with once more – where the town knows the voice of their community once more. The voice that a Shock Jock holds is influential and inspiring, despite opinions that many seem to fear in today’s environment. A voice that people can come to trust would be valuable to a community. It doesn’t have to be a single voice; it could be several voices to create an impact and a more in-depth community around music and radio.

Maybe a different era sounds appealing some days, where the wish to go back to a time that was not as heavy with technology sounds appealing. I feel an option like a simple radio host who shares funny stories or their thoughts and opinions on things drifts the human race away from their busy and racing lives and towards a more shared humanity.