3 chapters across the catalog
Jill Abramson and the New York Times Hummer
Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson is identified as a "Berkeley Hummer," a term for people who emit a continuous humming sound while speaking to prevent interruptions. The hosts play clips of her slow, rhythmic speech pattern, comparing it to a "Gregorian chant" or a "Buddhist monk," and suggest it reflects the deliberate agenda-setting nature of the paper.
Residents of West Seattle have reported a mysterious low-frequency hum keeping them awake. While some suggest industrial machinery or a "motorized Stargate," marine biologists from the University of Washington attribute the sound to the mating calls of the midshipman fish.
Jill Abramson and the Berkeley Hummer Speech Pattern
The new executive editor of the New York Times, Jill Abramson, is criticized for a specific speech pattern described as "humming." This vocal habit, characterized by making continuous noise between sentences to prevent interruption, is associated with a specific demographic from Berkeley. A clip from an interview with Abramson is played to demonstrate the slow, melodic cadence of her voice as she discusses her new role at the paper.
