At the Sound of the Beep

Studio 360 has had many memorable segments this year, but my favorite has to be from the show that aired the week of Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Are You There, Barack? It’s Me, Artist‘ is a quirky, wonderful cross-section of Americans expressing their sincere hopes for (and from) the new president in voice-mail form. A surprisingly stern Mike Daisey tells Obama to bring Bush to task; poet Edwin Torres tells him to find time to write Michelle a poem; performer Iris Bahr wants him to take a nap.

Part I:

Part II:

and Part III:

Recently, Kurt talked to the writer Hilton Als, who was quick to point out that ‘having a black president is less exciting to people now than complaining about what he hasn’t done. So, he’s old news.’ Yet, I still get a little laughing misty when I hear the enthusiasm of Cintra Wilson‘s v-mail gushing over Obama’s ‘smokin’ hot presidentialityness’ and Sarah Jones bringing all of her characters to take part in a pivitol moment in history.

I, for one, would love to take a bit of that joy and hope into 2010 with me.