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AcadianaCasts Presents:
AcadianaCasts Presents:
Navigating News, Culture, and Community in South Louisiana w/ Caroline Marcello
AcadianaCasts Presents is back! Our first episode back features the always entertaining and personable, Caroline Marcello, content creator for Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission and on-air personality for Hot 107.9 in Lafayette, LA.
In this episode of AcadianaCasts Presents, Caroline shares her journey from small-town news in Houma to larger media markets like Lafayette. We dive into her memorable on-air moments at KLFY, career shifts, and her deep appreciation for Louisiana’s unique communities. From anchoring during a pandemic to embracing new media like TikTok, we explore the changing media landscape, the impact of local journalism, and Lafayette's vibrant culture. Join us as we celebrate Acadiana’s charm, community spirit, and the creative potential of Louisiana storytellers.
AcadianaCasts Presents: Caroline Marcello!
"AcadianaCasts Presents" is the Flagship Podcast of the ACADIANACASTS NETWORK. Lafayette, LA based host, Carter Simoneaux talks with entertainers, business owners, athletes, chefs, and more - anyone who can help tell the story of Acadiana.
If you want to watch this episode on YouTube, check out our channel!
That's the problem is that news should be local and it should matter on a local level. And huge corporations own these businesses. And why keep people informed and educated? That wouldn't make sense. Then we'd go out and vote, and we'd vote in national elections, but we'd also vote in local elections. We'd care about our school board. We'd care about the city council meetings that we used to sit in all the time. It just breaks my heart, because there is such a need and those people are very talented and there is now a void of information because corporations have decided there can be.
Speaker 2:So, Caroline, this is a long time coming.
Speaker 1:I know We've talked about this for a while.
Speaker 2:We have, you know, two former big capital J journalists.
Speaker 1:We're covering morning newsers, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I want to start with this, you know, a real, like journalistic type question. Because, we're going to have some fun today, okay, and so just to kind of start off, just to see if I can still flex those muscles. Um, you did a lot of live television. Yeah, a lot of live television, a lot, a lot of morning tv. Um, did you ever once say no, I never cursed on air what about?
Speaker 1:no, and I can say damn on the radio but I try not to because I'm like if I start this train, like the sailor's going to come out and it's not going to stop. So no, because I've heard there's a hefty FCC. Fine, if you do it. Who?
Speaker 2:takes on. That Is it the station?
Speaker 1:I think it's the station and you kind of get in trouble too. I'm not going to drop names, but I did have a friend say shit on air. Not have a friend say shit on air. Not as bad as the F word, but still the FCC is like don't do that. Also, just now realizing that like that's like the first five minutes of YouTube.
Speaker 2:I'll be like demonetized Cause you know I've gotten to the point where everything's monetized, but probably we'll leave that one.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 2:I didn't know what you were going to ask me and I'm so happy it was that question.
Speaker 1:It's great. No, because live TV like there were many times where I wanted to curse and I couldn't. But it's okay. I hope people couldn't like tell in my face those moments of sheer panic. Did you ever like panic on live TV?
Speaker 2:The first time I ever had to read the word a chafalaya across a teleprompter. I went like a chafa a chafa, a chafa, a chafa.
Speaker 1:you know, you know the basin, and it's like once you start messing up, then your brain really like there's no stopping. Last names it was last names for me. Really it really messed me up.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I'm from here, so you think I would know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you're from Houma, originally From Thibodeau, from Thibodeau.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my dad's from Houma, my mom's from Thibodeau.
Speaker 2:I kind in between both. Um, but yeah, moved here after I went to Nichols. So you went to Nichols um, worked with or went to school with two of your former. Yes, co-workers.
Speaker 1:So Gerald Grunig was a little bit older than me and I graduated with his brother, sam. But Sylvia Masters and I went to school together. Um, I graduated a year before she did. But yeah, it was kind of crazy because there was opportunity in Thibodeau and Sylvia and I both took, you know, all the opportunities we could and we started out at HTV in Houma. Everybody's like HGTV.
Speaker 1:I'm like no, I was not on the Home and Garden channel HTV in Houma, so started like super local, I mean covering like gumbo cook-offs, 5k races, like you know, all the events. So yeah, sylvia and I actually both started off at HTV and then I did sideline sports at Nichols so I covered women's basketball, football and baseball.
Speaker 2:So did you work with Mike Dettelier?
Speaker 1:I know Mike. Yes, I know Mike. We never like truly, I guess worked together when I was at HTV. I was on the weekends so I didn't like see the. You know the A team, I guess.
Speaker 2:So when did you move to Lafayette?
Speaker 1:Right after I graduated I got my job at KLFY like two months before graduation.
Speaker 2:As an MMJ as an MMJ. Multimedia journalist.
Speaker 1:for those not in the biz Just a cheap way of saying you're going to do it all. And yeah, it was why I moved to Lafayette it's funny because I wanted to come to UL and, looking back, like timing is everything and I'm so glad I came to Lafayette when I did and it's been awesome to see it grow and I've stayed because I've seen the city grow so much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's really been seven years now. Yeah, that's one of the reasons I stayed. I mean, I went to UL. I got here in 2012.
Speaker 1:Where are you from originally?
Speaker 2:Covington Okay, I love Covington, the Abbey.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I would go all the time. I have a cousin that was the abbot at the Abbey.
Speaker 2:Really yeah, how about?
Speaker 1:that Head priest. Yeah, so we Covington's a lovely place.
Speaker 2:All my New Orleans friends say I'm from West Mississippi, which is annoying.
Speaker 1:That is no Covington.
Speaker 2:I mean, it doesn't bother me at all.
Speaker 1:But 2012 you came, yeah, 2012, yeah, okay, you got here before me. Yeah, okay, so you did school at UL. You see, I wanted to come to UL and now, looking back, I think I would have flunked, you probably would have had a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Exactly, I would have gone out too much. You did Greek life.
Speaker 1:I did. I was a Delta Zeta but, honestly, like when I started doing the sports, I was traveling with athletics every weekend, Shout out to student athletes. I don't know how they do it because I was not playing the games, I was videoing and they were doing school Like I on the job there. And I will never forget I looked at my like sports boss at the time, Bryant, and I was like I'm never going to touch a camera again when I get in the news and he was like good luck with that Because we were MMJs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were MMJs.
Speaker 2:We did it all Like you carried the camera, you set up the interview. You go to all those cold calls to set up a story, pitch your story.
Speaker 1:Pitch the story first of all. So every morning, how nerve-wracking was that. Do you remember the feeling of like I?
Speaker 2:remember, yeah, the first few weeks they're just like all right, here are my ideas, Like I don't know what's newsworthy. No, I pitched, but what interests me, I guess, and try to like Because you know. Truth be told, I kind of slacked off in college and graduated that's right.
Speaker 1:Seize a degree, get degrees communication sees also oh yeah, big C communication degree C's are even more. Uh yeah, but we graduated yeah, and I.
Speaker 2:But I, you know, didn't even, like I started in nursing and I went to sports management, realized that was just become a kinesiology or a PE teacher they want to do that, or run a rec center. They want to do that. I wanted to be a GM for like the Saints or something.
Speaker 1:I, I could see you doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I love that I grew up a massive sports fan still am but then switched back to nursing to prove a point to myself or my mom or whatever. And then that was just being dumb and foolish and didn't know what I wanted, but I knew I had to get out.
Speaker 1:Right yeah.
Speaker 2:Like friends were starting to graduate, graduate people were like starting their lives, I need a career. Yeah, going to the keg three nights a week wasn't happening anymore. That would have been me. Yeah, that was god. I stayed in, I had a schedule, um, but then I I landed on broadcasting, uh, concentration broadcasting, from a mass comm degree. And then you know, through that, you start doing those little internships my first internship was at delta media where nice.
Speaker 2:when I was running the board I would have to queue up either commercials or segments from KLFY in which I heard a Caroline Marcello all the time, and so I never knew what you looked like, but I heard your voice almost every shift every single time.
Speaker 1:That's wild. Yeah, because the news airs on the radio too. We do radio spots before the show. That's wild. Yeah, I don't want to say I always knew I wanted to be in broadcast, but that's what I started out at Nichols and finished. But like I grew up watching WWL, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:So like uh, yeah like the heavy hitters like, saw Margaret Orr every single morning.
Speaker 1:I sent in like the little colorings to right like Sally Roberts and, uh, her name escapes me now, oh God, okay, edit this out, because I can't think of her name. Wait, wait, wait. Angela Hill.
Speaker 2:I was going to say just like mouth. I know I was going to fill it in with my voice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I grew up watching WWO with the heavy hitters like Angela Hill and Sally Roberts, and you saw these people and to me they were just like the epitome of like information and poise and grace, and I was like I want to grow up and do that.
Speaker 2:WDSU was my family's household.
Speaker 1:Okay, so yeah, okay, we both grew up like watching the New Orleans news.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was just telling someone this today earlier. Like I grew up, honestly, like in high school, putting on the radio in my car a lot, I wouldn't even listen to music. I would listen to WWL talk radio. Oh no, way. It's still around, it is.
Speaker 1:And everybody's like, oh, is it dying out? And I'm like we can talk about that later, but it's still around. And kids like you and me and I use kids because we're not that old. We grew up listening to radio and TV.
Speaker 3:Tell it to my stomach.
Speaker 1:And like it's still something that I don't know. I stopped somebody or talked to somebody at festival this past weekend and he was like oh yeah, I listen to hot 1079. I'm like kids still listen to the radio. This is fabulous. So, like traditional media, I don't know. It clearly touched us and was the reason that we had our first careers. Yeah, cause that was your first job out of college too, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was. I got the job as an MMJ at News 15. And then, within a year, I was on the morning show as your competitor.
Speaker 1:That's right. Okay, how, what time did your alarm go off every morning?
Speaker 2:Oh well, mine, I was still trying to like navigate, like post-college life, and then, you know, trying to have fun with my friends who were just enjoying their first jobs and you know know, still trying to hold off piece of college with them, and then my alarm would go off.
Speaker 1:Uh, let's see later than yours, because y'all show started before ours 4, 30 our show started at 5 okay, um, you got to sleep in, yeah, but also I could, like I could, alex, uh, alex, worstel my old co-anchor.
Speaker 2:She would be so mad at me because she'd have to get in like an hour before we don't wake hour before we don't wake up like this.
Speaker 1:I don't wake up like this, and this is minimal compared to what I used to do every morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think I talked about this with Sylvia, one of the first episodes of this show about, like the misconceptions of like news. Like how many people have asked you like, oh, do you have your own like hair and makeup team?
Speaker 1:If only was my favorite question and I would laugh. Because if they only knew what I got paid, no, I barely got paid, more or less had a hair and makeup wardrobe team, but, um, no, that's probably my favorite question is people were like, oh, it was so glamorous, right, I'm like, I mean certain parts, but not really waking up at three o'clock in the morning. And yeah, we were young, I was single at the time. What guy wanted to go out to dinner at 4 45? Like who wants to take me out at 6 pm? Like it was hard trying to, you know, be a young professional going to sleep at 6 45. I would wake up at 3, 3, 15. I was supposed to get there for 3 30 I was always a little bit later than that.
Speaker 2:Well, it's the nature of the beast, because you know, lafayette, it's like with 121st market or something like that. Yeah, 121, or something like that.
Speaker 1:So the way that it works is like all these TV stations and cities are ranked because a lot of people don't get it, but it's like if you land in a hundred something market after college, that means you're decent enough to do the job and it was a hard job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and there's really hard-working and talented people in this market who have been here for a long time god bless them and they just they fell in love with Acadiana and the culture and they've been able to carve a good career for themselves. But for a lot of folks, it's people coming here for their first job it's a starter market right, it's a jump market, yeah, a jump market.
Speaker 1:And I definitely was the one that was like, okay, I'm going to be here for two years, then I'm going to X, y and Z and like those are great dreams to have and it's great that you know I thought that way. But I'm glad I stayed and I'm glad I ended up here and as like bittersweet as it was to leave that morning show like not really knowing, it's been pretty cool to watch where it's all ended up and like it's because Lafayette is such a great city Like I don't know if I would have had the same experience in life and career if this would have been anywhere else. I don't know if it would have worked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so that's kind of a nice little segue and we can you know, before we actually we get there. I do want to ask you, you know, what was it? I mean because I know for myself why I left the morning show, and you know I wanted to start something new and create my own content.
Speaker 2:And you know that way I go super early, super early. Plus, you know the pay was not fun. No, but for you, like what was kind of maybe the straw that brought the camels back. So anchoring through the pandemic was hard. Yep, it was very hard. Good morning, katiana.
Speaker 1:Here's why your day is gonna suck right and we would anchor the noon show every day and the louisiana department of health would come out with the numbers of how many people had passed and how many people were diagnosed, and you'd literally get it in your ear because the show would start at 11 59, the numbers would come out at 1205 and it it was. I had a panic attack once on air where I had to like step off and my floor director was really great and I was just like.
Speaker 2:This is was it like during a commercial break or like I made?
Speaker 1:it through the segment I think it was the morning show but, like you know how it is, you're sitting in the studio and you're seeing also the national packages air on these huge screens in front of you and it just felt like a nightmare, like it was. It was hard and I make the joke and I probably, you know, shouldn't joke this lightly about it, but I do say that I went from mugshots and murder to happy things and news and my quality of life dramatically increased. But it's not wrong. Yeah, I was waking up every day and that's what the news is. A lot of times it's bad stuff and you're reading about mugshots and murder and and and hurricanes and disaster, and for me I kind of am a more shiny, happy person.
Speaker 1:So yeah yeah, I followed, I followed the good, the good and it landed me here.
Speaker 2:I mean, we both worked with charismatic morning reporters, Of course Gerald Grunig. Still a good friend Famous with Acadiana Eats. He's blown up through the freaking roof and then his TikTok and whatnot, Dude can we talk about that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure I remember the day during COVID that Gerald and John both walked in the studio and they were like we're starting TikToks and I kind of just laughed because I was like I'm not downloading this app. I had an addiction of Vine. I would scroll on Vine for hours. I was like I can't do this.
Speaker 2:RIP Vine.
Speaker 1:RIP Vine. It was so good. So Gerald was like no, I'm starting this, we're doing it. And I was like, okay, like you can, but for me as an anchor, at that point in time in news, it was really hard for me to like do a tiktok dance in front of the anchor desk where I was reading things like you know, covid death numbers every day, and like it was just I couldn't figure out how to create content like genuinely at the time, like through that lens so it's been really crazy and awesome to watch him explode and be able to like see the great content that like he's created and John's created and now like try to do that myself.
Speaker 1:Like I've definitely learned a lot from those guys, like they're definitely good friends, that I know that I could call if I ever need help. And it's just so funny because I remember the day they were like we're doing this and you need to do it, and I should have listened to them.
Speaker 2:Like what am I? Addison Rae.
Speaker 1:Right, I should have listened to them because there was a way to do it. I just couldn't see it at the time.
Speaker 2:At the time. Truth be told, a lot of it was just like dances. Oh, and there have been anchors in large markets gotten jobs and you see the push of like tiktok superstar gets morning anchor job and it's just like which has got to be so frustrating for someone who like got into it, for like the journalistic aspect and look to each their own and and I don't want to knock anybody's groove or anybody's hustle because it's all different but yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:It was a weird thing to be in news during the tiktok era of everything's changing to online content, like, yeah, it was just, it was weird and I feel like the old man cause you know, when we got to news they were like we used to edit on tape and cut and splice and you guys have it so easy, right, and I'm like, yeah, but I'm doing it all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm like oh well, we used to edit on premiere, now you have AI andiktok, like I feel like the old lady but it's, yeah, it's so weird how much, how much it's changed in in the seven years we've been playing the game but yeah, so you had your, your gerald, and then and news 15, which, unfortunately, you know, as this comes out it'd be a couple weeks old, but news 15 just got rid of their entire morning show the whole hour talking about this I wish, um, I would love to have like a round table with having some of them, um, but I'll save that to you know, let them deal with their stuff right now and you know, it's just unfortunate.
Speaker 2:A lot of talented people well it's just the nature of the beast of the industry and that's the problem is that news should be local and it should matter on a local level.
Speaker 1:And huge corporations own these businesses. And why keep people informed and educated? That wouldn't make sense. Then we'd go out and vote, and then we'd have, and we'd vote in national elections, but we'd also vote in local elections. We'd care about our school board, we'd care about the city council meetings that we used to sit in all the time. It just breaks my heart, because there is such a need and those people are very talented, and there is such a need and those people are very talented, and there is now a void of information because corporations have decided there can be. Yeah, for sure. Sorry to get on my soapbox, but I get mad at byron allen.
Speaker 2:I get mad about buying up all these little local media stations, the weather channel and not having the money to do so.
Speaker 1:So instead of declaring bankruptcy, he just guts these tiny stations well, and it's like all these stations used to be owned by family corporations and what. There may be a handful of new stations in the country that are still owned by family corporations. Everything else is yeah. We could look at the numbers and see how many. What. Nextar, who I used to work for, owns like 300 stations in the country, right, like that's a scary thing to think about. And information at the local level is important.
Speaker 2:What was that video that went viral a few?
Speaker 1:years ago, oh my God, everybody had the same script.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the same script all across the board about like fake news or something.
Speaker 1:I think it was even as innocent as like get involved in your local community, but still, when it's a boilerplate script, like and that's what happens when you fire talent and you fire local people and you fire humans and think that a skeleton crew can do it, because that's the problem, there's not enough resources. The people who are still doing it God bless them, because they're not making a lot of money, they're working really hard hours and it's really important information that needs to get out there and it's getting harder and harder for people with good intent to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and a big thing of it is. It's not just obviously like you and I were on camera personalities, but it is. It's not just obviously like you and I were on camera personalities, but you have all these producers, you have all these camera ops, you've got people selling ads, you've got people in master control making sure that everything is on air at the right time people have to hit the button still and and produce the tv shows and and and make the phone calls.
Speaker 1:It just it sucks because I feel like all the reasons why we got into it, even a few years ago, it's just changed so dramatically.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's a damn shame.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I didn't want to preach.
Speaker 2:Oh, preach away, sister.
Speaker 1:I mean because I know you feel a certain kind of way about it too, and I think we all should, from a public concern level At the end of the day, the people of Acadiana suffer.
Speaker 2:At the same time, trends are changing. You know a lot of people are ditching news. There's never been more of a distrust of media than ever before, than right now, and so you know things are changing. Money is moving in different directions, People are trying to chase that carrot but at the end of the day, I always am going to believe that there's going to be a need for local news, information, entertainment, whatever it is, that is locally sourced.
Speaker 1:And yeah, it's so important. And again, I don't want to knock the people that are still trying to do it, because they are working so hard. So shout out to those of my friends who are still doing it. But that's why I love radio, because it's so hyperlocal, like we really do get to talk about I don't want to say whatever we want, but we get to talk about what the community wants. Like it's very much so like a community-driven conversation every morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's what I loved about kind of the morning television that pissed me off so much during the pandemic is. You know you mentioned Joe Groening with you, but I worked with Al Hebert.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:Al who, the you know, you mentioned.
Speaker 1:Joe.
Speaker 2:Groening with you.
Speaker 2:But I worked with Al Hebert oh, Al, the shiniest, happiest person in town, the best. And Al, before he got on air, he was doing as a producer segments where the people before me he had them literally just eating a bowl of cereal in the A Block, which the A Block is for your most hard-hitting news and then they're just chowing, eating cereal. It's like, well, because the audience is eating cereal, why don't we just eat cereal with the audience? But that, especially in south Louisiana and my mom kind of like instilled this in me but in a people who work as a means to an end, for the most part, yeah, people are career-driven, they want to, you know, have aspirations that are high, but for the most part, the culture is people who work as a means to an end, the end being celebrating the joie de vivre, the joys of life, with people going to festivals, tailgating, listening to live music, enjoying food at a crawfish bowl around friends and family, and to wake up every morning and tell them that their day was going to suck, I couldn't do it.
Speaker 1:Right, it was like, and I feel like we got gypped a little Like look, the whole world did, there was a global pandemic, it sucked, and it's like we got to do the happiest job at the saddest of time.
Speaker 1:So it's like I really wonder what it, because I I did the morning show for three years and I mean I started anchoring right as the pandemic hit. So I always wonder what it would have been like to just share the happy because towards the end of my career, on pause, what is when we got to go back out and got to, you know, be like festival of kati ann's is backotty Ann's is back in person, festival International's back in person. And that joy of like, yeah, the joy of living, it's so like palpable here in Lafayette and that's why I feel like people want to come here and want to visit and they want to like play and work and live here and that's I feel so lucky that I get to work in tourism now because, I just get to shout about the good things from the top of the roof all day.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm glad you said that, because I've had a couple of beers already and I can feel my libertarian, anti-government sentiments about to come out about the pandemic.
Speaker 1:So we're going to move on.
Speaker 2:When you finally got, I guess, burnt out for lack of a better term. You moved on to the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission.
Speaker 1:Can I be honest with you?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, I took a job in sales at KLFY for two months.
Speaker 1:That's right, and I hated it and I was not good at it, like and that's fine to say and I talk about it because it's like, no, I didn't change my major in college, but like I did my dream job, got my dream job, and then, like that's when the change up happened for me of like, oh, what do I do now that I have to leave it? So I did sales for two months. Yeah, I don't. I, I like adding that part to just I don't know, mention that we're all human and like, if it doesn't work out, it's fine, because then I really, you know, fell into something that has been amazing well, here's the thing.
Speaker 2:Like obviously you're a talented person. You did well whenever you were on air, um sales was not for you no it because of those connections that you made and really personal ones and doing the job that probably helped lead you to LCVC and be as a natural fit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I had interviewed Ben on camera before and I had gotten a canoe with Jesse during the pandemic to show how you could still do activities in Lafayette. I had known them and they really hired me because they saw that short form video content was king on the internet. They really hired me because they saw that short form video content was king on the internet and they were like you can edit video, you've done it for the TV. So it really was a cool fit and you know I said it earlier but I make the joke of I went from mugshots and murder to happy things and food and you know it really is what it is every day Follow Lafayette, travel and Eat Lafayette. But I'm the social media manager there and I get to highlight local businesses and festivals and I've been doing a lot of content coming up ahead of Golf Brew. So I just really like highlight the good that's going on in the community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, talk to me about some of the things that you've done underneath LCVC, like what are some of your favorites Things that you've done and you know kind of break down what the job is. Things that you've done and you know kind of break down what the job is, because a lot of people would just see, like the tiktoks or the instagram reels or whatever, and some people don't even get you know what Lafayette travel or what a convention and visitors bureau is, but our job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, our job is to promote the city of Lafayette. So we go to different festivals and conventions and all the things and market for people to come and spend time in Lafayette. We want you to come have your sporting event. We've had some USA Olympic trial events recently. We want you to come have your next work convention. We want you to come to the next festival. We really want people to come spend time in Lafayette and eat at local restaurants and get to really meet our people. And the fun thing about I don't want to say selling Lafayette, because I really just feel like I get to talk about the good things and it sells itself.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:But like, the fun thing about selling Lafayette is like, once you get people here, 98% of the time the response of like why people love it so much, is because of like other people, it's because of the people they meet, it's because of the server they have at the restaurant, it's because of the bartender they meet, it's because they get to talk to the live musician after the set at Blue Moon. Like it's truly because of the people. So I guess every day what I really try to do is just highlight the people of Lafayette, because once the outside world sees Lafayette and the joy of life that we do have and the people that are awesome, they're gonna like. People want to come visit, people want to be a part of it. So I guess my job every day is just to really work to show Lafayette for what it is, authentically what it is, and it's a great place to live, work and play yeah and uh, that's why I?
Speaker 1:said yeah, and that's why I stayed too, because everybody's like well, you didn't want to go, so see it in. You didn't want to go to Fox, you didn't want to go to Fox.
Speaker 1:It's like, nope, I wanted to get out of that industry and I stayed in Lafayette because I saw the growth happening. I did a segment at KLFY called Moving Acadiana Forward that's right. And I would interview local business owners or people that were bringing companies to the community. So it really was talking to those outside people who were coming in about why they were coming in. Of those outside people who were coming in about why they were coming in, and I was like, yeah, that's why I love it here too. So it's been great to see like the the growth and the development and, like you know, we live in walking distance of downtown now. So I definitely I just think I'm so lucky that I get to do what I do every day, but, like I want it to come from a really authentic place of like I'm not just popping into these events to like get some footage and then dip out Like this is what I, this is where I live, this is, like you know, an authentic picture of Lafayette.
Speaker 2:You would be at a lot of these events, whether or not you're working for LCVs.
Speaker 1:Exactly, yeah. I mean I love going to live music, I love going to a festival. There's nothing better.
Speaker 2:So I mean, yeah, we've talked about this growth of Lafayette in the past, you know, since I've been here in 2012, over the past 10, 14, 15 years, so it's less of like the rest of the state is starting to kind of catch on. But I was thinking about this today, kind of prepping for this conversation, and I still feel like you know, you lived in Thibodeau, you go to all these different commissions and different towns around Louisiana and across the country, like I still feel like and tell me if I'm wrong here but Lafayette is still kind of the best kept secret.
Speaker 1:It is the best kept secret. And okay, I hate saying it because I don't like when people say it, but you hear this often Lafayette can be the next Austin or Lafayette.
Speaker 3:You see, Yep thank you.
Speaker 2:Peanut Gallery is getting Peanut.
Speaker 1:Gallery, because I hate that sentence. Lafayette is Lafayette and it is awesome for all the qualities that we have and we don't need to be a next Austin or a next Nashville like what we have here is plenty good enough and like, oh, I just hate when people like compare us to anything else because we're not. Because I've been to those other cities to promote Lafayette and I can promise you those people are not as friendly. You will not get a meal as good, you will not find the same kind of. It's just a friendly feeling like you know when you go to cities and you feel like everybody's turning their nose up at you and you can't like go to a bar and make a new friend new york, new york, like austin sometimes although there's some nice dive bars in new york.
Speaker 1:Yeah, look there are great places and great people in each pocket. But like go, you know, you go to Denver. There's just this like friendly feeling of being in Lafayette where like, if you're somewhere alone, like you're gonna make a friend, you're gonna leave with a buddy, you're probably gonna get an invite to the next holiday at their house, like that's just how we are down here and it's such a special thing that I think we take for granted. We are so friendly and so hospitable and you know people say hi when they open the door and it's just we have, we're yeah, we're a friendly place so, like, uh, tell me about what was a video that you made that like, because making these reels and whatnot, you never know what's gonna hit you never know um, I've.
Speaker 2:I've found that the most success I've had is any sort of hot take about Louisiana.
Speaker 1:Love that.
Speaker 2:Someone will hit and then like oh actually Cajun means this or Creole means that and like no, my mama taught me this way, and they're right. Yeah, they are, they're right, it's their way. The highway, but you know it, just there's because there's so much passion behind.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:OK, a lot of that cultural stuff, but it was. Is there a video that you made, uh, doing this job?
Speaker 1:that surprised you how much it hit yeah, I have two video series that were my absolute favorites, so I'll be quick. Um, my first one was stopping at all the boudin spots in scott so ahead of the boudin festival. Maybe my first year at work. I stopped at billy's, at don's, at karchner's um and I was up at best stop, thank you.
Speaker 1:And I would ask know whoever was working if they could package their three most asked for items. And some of these ladies were nervous to be on camera and like a mic clipped to their shirt, but like that's what people want to see.
Speaker 1:People want to see people Like there's such an importance of like showing off authentic people too, and I wanted people because, like, if you're not from Louisiana, it might be scary stopping at a boudin shop if you don't know what it is like and then you learn what it is and you know. So I wanted to take the like fear away for a visitor of going to a boudin shop for the first time. So I got the ladies who were working to introduce themselves and say where they were, and then I just videoed them as they were explaining, you know, like the stuffed boudin ball or the chicken crackling, and y'all those videos hit. I mean, and I really think it's because I showed off people in their authentic place and everybody loves their favorite boudin.
Speaker 2:I mean going back to Gerald and John Weatherall whenever they. You know, john Weatherall's most recent rural Mardi Gras video absolutely blew up and people are like what is going on here? Why are all these girls wearing the same type of pants? Holding their Stanley cups and dancing at a gas station.
Speaker 1:It's because nowhere in the world does that you know it's such an interesting.
Speaker 2:I love all the comments that are like oh, you've never been to South Louisiana, baby, you've never been.
Speaker 1:You've never been here. And then the other one I worked on. That was super cool. Lafayette in Louisiana is known for fresh seafood. We have some of the best seafood and I love raw oysters, so I actually went to Grand Isle to do like a series on farm-to-table seafood.
Speaker 2:Oh, very cool.
Speaker 1:So got to interview Buzzy, who owns Barataria Beauties like in the water in Grand Isle, like literally in the Gulf, and got to see like an oyster grow from a seed to it being served on a plate at Vestal and Spoonbill Wow. And it was so cool to tell that story because his grandfather and his father were oystermen like they're such a long line.
Speaker 2:Were they Croatian I?
Speaker 1:don't know, I, I don't know. I should know that.
Speaker 2:I have a lot of friends, my mom's from Port Sulphur and a lot of those. Yeah, the seafood festivals down there. Yeah, it's a lot of. Yugoslavian, croatian. They all came down here and a lot of them got into the fisheries.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So it was just really cool to tell that story of the history behind why he does what he does, why he continues to do what he does and why it's so special that we have fresh Louisiana seafood. So it's like I still get to storytell, it's just a more positive angle.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and back to your point of people want to see people. It is admirable. I'll see you every now and then We'll do like a stand-up or something, but for the most part you're showcasing other people and doing a voiceover or either people or the scenery.
Speaker 1:You don't have to be in the shot for it to be an effective thing. In fact, oftentimes, like take me out of it, yeah, and like I know there is an importance of like putting my face on camera and people knowing who's creating the content yeah, recognizing the content creator right and I get that and, believe me, I enjoy seeing myself on camera, like it's fun doing the on camera stuff, especially coming from the background we come from.
Speaker 1:But I never want somebody to go on the page and think it's about me. It's not about me, it's about everybody else and I'm just lucky that I get to be involved. Like I don't like the word influencer, like no, if anything. Like content creator, sure, but I don't know. If you buy a ticket to golf brew. I'm glad you supported local, but I'm not gonna go around calling myself an influencer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like that. Take um so from LCVC, which you still work with they're full-time uh, you now work morning radio. Yeah, back to almost traditional broadcasting, but in the radio sense. Working with'm crazy.
Speaker 1:Working with.
Speaker 2:RV and DJ Digital.
Speaker 1:It's super fun. So I do that in the morning, yeah, and then I go to the office full time.
Speaker 2:I can't believe you're even with us tonight.
Speaker 1:I know I'm like it's dark out. What is going on? I need to be home.
Speaker 2:No, which, yeah, you gave up morning television, you went to morning radio 15, 16.
Speaker 1:So it's a little bit later a little less makeup. You know not the full blown. I almost texted you. I was like should we wear our news outfits Because you know, like your closet.
Speaker 1:Now I know you're a dude so it's a little different, but the girls can attest like your closet as a newsy, like they tell you bright and tight, which is like the grossest thing to hear when you're 20. And you're like what should I wear for my first job? And they're like bright and tight. But when you're on camera that does tend to be the most flattering thing on anybody is like a brighter color something. But, yeah, gross to hear, right.
Speaker 2:Can I tell you? Obviously I don't have the experience of a woman in broadcast television, but we had these consultants come in at some point and I never got any sort of complaint about my, my storytelling or my on air presence or anything. It was the fact that some days I wouldn't wear a tie and people, our numbers were going down because of that.
Speaker 1:Isn't that insane? It's insane, it's insane. I want a morning show.
Speaker 2:Like if if people don't take me seriously because I've I'm still wearing a suit and a button up, Right, If people don't take me seriously because I'm still wearing a suit and a button-up Right and it's just a little looser.
Speaker 1:I don't like sitting around my neck. When we started I didn't have to, but they made Sylvia cut her hair before they gave her a job and I was like this is crazy.
Speaker 2:Miss Louisiana had to cut her hair.
Speaker 1:Oh, my bestie. Yeah, it was wild and, like you know, there's a certain level of trauma that comes with people judging the way you look every single day. And it's been lovely being on radio because you can't see me and by the time this comes out, we're working on some exciting things. So, like I do have to brush my hair in the morning now and put on a little bit mascara and like maybe put on a decent top.
Speaker 1:but it's like looking at it through a different lens of like, oh, I get to be me now. Like, definitely, like for the news. There was, like you know, a certain level you present things and like, of course, you had to be that level of professional and there still, of course, is a level of professionalism on the radio.
Speaker 2:But it's really cool to like be doing traditional media, but like having the opportunity to be myself in front of a katiana, like and just chat every morning well between uh, your on-air presence at klfy, the videos that you do, content creation for lcvc life of your travel, um, and now the radio show hot 1079. Yeah, people will be actually very surprised. You know you have a great broadcasting voice, but your real voice is like hey, I'm.
Speaker 3:Caroline Marcello, how you doing Dawn hey?
Speaker 1:I can turn it on for the television cameras and the radio and the microphones.
Speaker 2:I can't if I have to. So it's amazing that you can like pull out this really nice presenting voice when you actually sound like an 80 year old smoker.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that more than you know because, like I, am a very expressive person.
Speaker 2:No, this is no folks. This is actually how she sounds. All the freaking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I, this is how I talk and I like she came out the womb speaking in a radio in this voice it's just, it's been funny because, yeah, you definitely, and we started at such a young age and you think you have to be this like certain way, and of course everybody's gonna tell you you be yourself a lot easier said than done, but like I feel like I'm finally getting there and it's, it's fun yeah, yeah this is me sorry so, uh, the show was originally it was just DJ Digital, and then you and RV came on together.
Speaker 1:Yeah so Didge has been doing, uh, the Hot 107.9 morning show for like 20 years. He's incredible and like a staple in Lafayette and in radio truly. So when he called, I was actually on a work trip in Denver for Lafayette Travel and I didn't think he was joking but I kind of just like giggled it off and I was like, yeah, sure, you want me to do the radio, that's not going to happen and it's all worked out and it's been really fun. So, yeah, rv and I have joined the crew.
Speaker 1:It's dj digital, rv and I every morning from 6 am to 10 am on hot 1079 and we just like chat about real life. We do monday morning confessions and uh, you know, tell the truth, tuesday, and it's always something that either a listener wrote in or a topic that our friends have brought. It's always, you know, something relevant and we try to. You know, be fun and be silly but also talk about important things. I feel like I probably preach about communication too much, but like the root of all these problems we talk about just communicate people um but it, yeah, it's been really fun isn't that amazing that so many people in the communications business can't communicate?
Speaker 2:oh, so many it's just.
Speaker 1:And look, y'all keep writing in. I love it, I I'm just. It's been surprising to see what people will actually like write in for us to talk about. I mean, we never use real names and we, you know, change it up a little bit, but, like whoo, people are uh, honest and open and willing to talk about things that you'd really be surprised give me one oh well, we today we talked about uh, can your boss do your job?
Speaker 1:like, do you think that, like, if need be, could your boss do your job? Because somebody had gotten an argument with their boss at work and it was like you know a thing, if he should leave or stay.
Speaker 2:So we talk about like real life stuff yeah, that's cool, because I'm my own boss and I can't do my own job, so right. So I guess the answer is no and yes and look and people comment back on Facebook.
Speaker 1:People are really active and it's. It's been really cool to be involved and we've been a year now doing the show, yeah, so yeah, new and exciting things to come in the next year that's fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it seems like you guys have a success. You and like, tell me how important is it to have on air chemistry?
Speaker 1:oh, it's everything. And even when we first started, one of the town square media reps like corporate called and she was like so how do y'all do it? Do you each raise a hand when you want to talk? And I'm like, no, could you imagine being like? It's just like a natural flow of conversation and we're so lucky that we do all have that. I mean, rv and Ditch have been friends for years. Um, you know, they've DJ'd together. You know they're Lafayette's hype men, is what I like to call them. So they've known each other for forever. But it's a funny dynamic because they're, you know, they're Lafayette's hype men, is what I like to call them. So they've known each other for forever. But it's a funny dynamic because they're, you know, our age gaps are there and it's like fun to get the different dynamics and different perspectives. But like I was also raised really close to my grandparents, so they call me baby grandma and like I feel like I'm the oldest one in there sometimes Let me see your hands.
Speaker 1:No, the other side um, but let me see your hands. No, no, other side no, do I have wrinkles?
Speaker 2:no, I do. I've been called old man carter my entire life that's hilarious.
Speaker 1:Well like, yeah, I grew up drinking coffee and hyper zoom on that with my grandparents.
Speaker 2:The second they get wet, like within like a minute. Obviously hyperbolic a second, but like with seriously, like a minute or two, they get pruning yeah, no, my hands are good.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna keep moisturizing for now, so hopefully I don't get the wrinkles.
Speaker 2:But yeah, john, bring some of that moisturizer in here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, where did he go? He was here for a second, yeah. We had a live audience for a second but it's okay. And that's the funny thing Like people will be like oh, you're on TV and did radio radio, because I've kind of gotten a public speaking in the last year and really enjoy like hosting events and interacting, but isn't it? It's such a different ballgame when there's people there looking at you Like I still get nervous.
Speaker 2:I've got a different experience because I grew up going to St Paul's, did a lot of theater. And you're a musician too, I'm also a musician, but you're a boyfriend, yeah, which you know. You said that you stayed in Lafayette because you love Lafayette, but you also had a boyfriend.
Speaker 1:I met him later in my Lafayette journey, but yes, Kyle is great.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Kyle and I talk a lot about him on the radio. Poor thing he's like the unpaid fourth member. Yeah, it's all good things.
Speaker 2:Has he called in?
Speaker 1:No, he hasn't called in, but I'm always like you just need to make a little surprise visit so people can hear your voice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so he's a guitarist for the band the Debtors Lafayette local band. They're so cool, I love their sound.
Speaker 1:They're great. They write all their own music. All the guys work nine to five jobs and it's a hobby for them and they love it. And they're so lucky to be in Lafayette because they get these great opportunities of playing for festivals and different events and really Lafayette's great.
Speaker 2:Now you're a girlfriend of the group. Yes, not a groupie.
Speaker 1:No, but they used to practice in my dining room so I can yeah.
Speaker 2:So I guess the question is do you have any story from either on the road or at a specific show that really stands out to you, that you love to tell?
Speaker 1:Oh, okay. So Lafayette travel, the office I work for, puts on a music showcase for South by Southwest every year. And the first year that I got to travel to Austin for the showcase, the debtors got asked to play, so it was in the future Lafayette.
Speaker 1:Right, um, no, we go to Austin to get people excited to come visit Lafayette. And when I tell you there are so many people in Austin that get excited to come and see Lafayette music. So, yeah, being on the road, I guess, and really getting to promote Lafayette as like Lafayette travel and tourism and also as like a live music lover and, you know, girlfriend of the band, that was like a really cool story we're going to be able to tell for years.
Speaker 1:And I know this is an impossible question, but um debtors notwithstanding, okay, give me and you can rip off a few if you want give me some of your favorite local bands, oh, my goodness. Okay, oh, this is hard. Love um, magic crawfish, love madison, the good dudes are great. Um, oh. Who played um for south by this past year? Sick Ride, they were awesome. There is so much talent in Lafayette Like it is insane.
Speaker 1:There's live music every night of the week. I hate when people say there's nothing going on. I will give you a venue.
Speaker 2:I'll come with you to the venue Because there is so much talent out there and all the guys are so great Working with, like the Blue Monday Mission guys, the Blue Monday Mission guys, the Blue Monday All-Stars, people like Lee Allen Zeno, steve Adams, tony Gula, lord Richard.
Speaker 1:Joe Butler Tika Briscoe.
Speaker 2:But I say this all the time, I've said it multiple times on this show but you could throw a rock in any direction in Acadiana and hit a great player, a great singer.
Speaker 1:Kick one. Yeah, I just kicked him, if nobody saw that, oh, okay one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just kicked him if nobody saw that. Oh okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, do it for the camera, yeah or you could like, or you could literally like, kick one yeah, we're not cutting any of that, but yeah, but yeah, I just love the music scene here, you know, especially you know I'm not from new orleans, I'm from west mississippi. But you know, growing up in a musical family and, uh, I I've told this story to some people before, I don't know if, if I said it on the show. But what I love about my parents, you know, I grew up playing at weddings around the New Orleans scene with them.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:I went to St Paul's All-Guy Catholic School and they were very much no jazz fest. If you go to jazz fest we will punish you what Like during the week.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:But my parents had the wherewithal to be like you know what You're going to learn, more about culture and where you come from. And music the one day, the Thursday every year, of Jazz Fest. Then you will at school, then you will at Geometry that day.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Your parents definitely had the right mindset. I hope that's how like. If we ever have kids one day, I hope I'm going to be like no, we're going to check you out for some education.
Speaker 2:That means Jazz.
Speaker 1:Fest, yeah, jazz Fest, or or Special International. I guess Special International is kind of after hours. But yeah, and I feel like Lafayette's good, they give us all off to you know, celebrate, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Well, kind of getting close to wrapping up here, caroline. No, I appreciate all the time that you've given us. I want to talk longer.
Speaker 1:We'll talk longer.
Speaker 2:Screw it, let's keep going. So I want to know, because what I loved most about the MMJ role.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know being behind the desk, you know you can do some of these segments out there in the community. Maybe you have to do like a story a week, whatever it might be, depending on what your job was, but the MMJ you're always every single day out there, not just in Lafayette, all across Acadiana.
Speaker 1:Everywhere. I covered Iberia and St Martin Parish, so I was driving out every day, and I've seen this from Lafayette Travel.
Speaker 2:You guys do a pretty good job of not just obviously promoting what's going on in Lafayette, but you'll reach out because Lafayette's the hub city. Oh of course it kind of feeds a lot of these little smaller areas.
Speaker 1:We have partners in St Martin Parish and St Landry Parish all of our swamp tours that we bring people out to or out of the basin.
Speaker 2:Last Mother's Day, I believe it was we brought my whole family. We went to Brobridge and did a swamp tour. I think maybe my dad had done it once in his life. I can't remember, but none of us had ever done that. We always were like, oh, that's touristy.
Speaker 1:But at the same time we're from here.
Speaker 2:That's touristy, but at the same time we're from here. We never did that and it was the most beautiful, magical thing.
Speaker 1:It's gorgeous. It's so relaxing which sounds crazy, but it really is relaxing and, like I joke, these alligators are beautiful. I mean, they're just a sight to see. It's dinosaurs, floating dinosaurs, y'all Like it's just it's. Yeah, I love a swamp tour. I had never been on a swamp tour until I started working for Lafayette travel and if there's ever a chance for me to hop on one, I definitely do.
Speaker 2:So the question is give me your top three. Caroline Marcello's top three underrated small towns in Acadiana. Okay, Um, Ooh, this is hard Look while you're thinking I'm going to go with one of mine where I got this. Do you know what this is? Oh, a little voodoo guy. This is a Dammit doll. I got this at the Hotel Kazan in Mamou, because she said like you hit it right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're Dammit, dammit, dammit, Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit. I love it, I'm going, I love her. So, mamu, I love New Iberia, which do not laugh, downtown New Iberia is magical and every time I say that, people like Give me a certain look. I was Queen Sugar back in the day.
Speaker 2:That's right, I knew you were Queen of somewhere. You go to the Sugarcane.
Speaker 1:Festival, man, it is magic. So I love New Iberia, I love downtown Brobridge. I mean you can catch a Cajun Jam, you can get food, you can go antique shopping.
Speaker 2:Buck and Johnny's is so cool, buck and.
Speaker 1:Johnny's is so cool.
Speaker 2:Some of the best antique shops. Is there some sort of antique day or something? There's this one shop that I remember. They would always come on the morning show and promote this big event that they would have.
Speaker 1:Oh, how fun. Now I know Bro Bridge does a citywide garage sale.
Speaker 2:I think that's what it is.
Speaker 1:I've never been, but I feel like that would be my day. Love it there, love downtown Bro Bridge, and I don't know. I mean I'm biased because Thibodeau is my hometown, but I still do really love Thibodeau.
Speaker 2:Okay, not Acadiana, but go on.
Speaker 1:Oh, you did say Acadiana.
Speaker 2:Sorry, that does not count, although I've seen, like you know, there's all the. Once again it goes back to like when I was talking about those videos and everyone has different definitions.
Speaker 1:Oh, of what Acadiana is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the lore goes that Acadiana was just like named through someone writing into like KTC back in the day about the DMA of that that they covered, so like the nine parish area that the TV station covered. But you know there's parts of West Louisiana like Lake Charles, calcasieu, parish, that sometimes claim Acadiana. Right, I've seen that and then I've seen it dip all the way down almost to some of the river parish areas. Really yeah.
Speaker 1:That's pretty far. Well, okay, I guess, is franklin considered acadiana, that's a little bit outside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, saint mary parish I think, yeah, I want to do like downtown franklin. I like haven't done that little section yet and I I was part of the louisiana travel association's leadership class and it was awesome because we went to a bunch of different cities all over um louisiana and got to really learn about each different little pocket. So like if you want a staycation, you really should check out Acadiana. But even if you want to go a little bit further, there are great museums in West Monroe and like went to a really cool brewery in Shreveport. So I've just I've learned so much about the state of Louisiana. Just like working within tourism, it's been pretty cool.
Speaker 2:And with that, and I think I might have foreshadowed it at the very beginning of this episode, but we're both 985. Yes, living in the 337. Yes, and all the conversation, all the time is the 504 versus the 337. Sometimes a 225, but 225 gets shut on. No one gives a damn about the 318.
Speaker 1:But 337 and 504. Wait, what's 318? That's North Louisiana. Oh sorry, I didn't even know.
Speaker 2:Sorry Natchitoches, sorry Monroe, but the 985, because that's where, like, you, have your river Cajuns. Yeah, you're like down the valley.
Speaker 1:And then your prairie Cajuns out here.
Speaker 2:And there's so much similarities there really is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of differences though. Yeah, like when I moved to lafayette, it was a different brand of of cajun than I was used to. I guess, like mardi gras was really different I mean, we don't chase chickens in tibeto um, never had seen that before, uh.
Speaker 2:But yeah, same like hometown feel, you know, for me it was kind of like moved to the big city yeah um well, the show is called acadiana cast presents, but I really want to represent like kind of all of South Louisiana, so I want to give you kind of a platform right now to gas up Thibodeau. Oh, okay, Well, I mean, it's a great town which I don't know why, I'm giving you a platform. You're on a radio show for four hours every single day.
Speaker 1:It's a great like I have to go to Nichols and go to school and have stayed and decided to raise their families there. I mean, my mom and my dad are still there, so I love it. I visit often and my mom would love to see me move back home. But I don't think I could leave Lafayette. Like I don't think as much as I love Thibodeau, like I don't think I'll be leaving here anytime soon. And it's now. I'm going to gas up why I live in Lafayette because I'm obsessed.
Speaker 1:I mean we bought a house downtown Like we wanted to live, you know, because it's walkable down there, because we enjoy going to festivals, because there's free programming downtown, Like we wanted to stay in Lafayette because it feels like it is home, but there's a homey feel here, but it also like still has opportunity and it's still growing. So I just I'm so excited to see where Lafayette's gonna go in the next five to seven years, like it's it's been so amazing to me so far.
Speaker 1:And and I just I'm excited to see where Acadiana goes and I feel like not to toot our own horns, but like they're lucky that they have kids from the 985 like us who have like decided to move out here and start careers and buy homes.
Speaker 2:You're welcome, acadia, you're welcome.
Speaker 1:No, but honestly I think Lafayette is, like you said, one of the best you know, kept secrets and like people really don't know, and I just try to shout from the rooftops how great it is and why you should all move here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I can kind of blend in being a Seminole. Everyone that I ever meet from around here who finds out my name is Seminole, they go oh are you from New Iberia and I have to tell them no, I'm not. I'm not, I'm from Covington.
Speaker 1:They're like oh, covington discount at the wine store or at the restaurant. Okay, yeah, here that makes sense. Yeah, being from the New Orleans area.
Speaker 2:I assume that you are related to Carlos Marcello and has something to do with the JFK assassination.
Speaker 1:No, we're the sugar cane farmers from Lafourche Barrage. I promise we're like Thibodeau folk, like Thibodeau folk through and through. But yeah, as much as I love the 985, I do try to recruit my friends to come move out here Selfishly. I want my friends out here For sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I've tried to get friends to come out here.
Speaker 1:Have you been successful?
Speaker 2:No, I had a buddy who lived here for a few months. They work out for him. That's neither here nor there. But they love coming to visit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's the first thing. And, within tourism, if I can get somebody to come visit and realize how much fun it is to live, like play here and live here, then like that's just hopefully, you know, planting the seed of somebody maybe moving here one day.
Speaker 2:Well, speaking of planting the seed, I'm getting you on this show to plant the seed of you to come make a podcast with a kitty and a cast one day. We'll talk about that off air one day.
Speaker 1:Everybody listens to me enough. Nobody needs to hear my voice anymore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you can say fuck here.
Speaker 1:I can't. I'm too even, I'm afraid to say damn on the radio.
Speaker 2:I'm probably still going to believe that out too. I don't even yeah, wait what's Olivia Rodrigo?
Speaker 1:Was it Olivia Rodrigo who she was like? My favorite word is fuck Osgrove, oh, okay. I don't know Fuck. I don't know Fuck, got it. I knew I'd get her. I think that's it.
Speaker 2:I think that's the one we keep. Yeah, that's the one we keep, but you know to kind of get here as we're closing out. I know we could talk for freaking hours, but you got to wake up early and get back on the morning show.
Speaker 1:I guess I need.
Speaker 2:But I want to give you a chance as a former Big J journalist to ask me questions.
Speaker 1:What you got for me. Okay, where do you see? Where do you see, like, the younger voices, like our voices, like, what do you see for us? Like we've done their traditional thing. We're still you know, I'm still a foot in the door of the traditional media world, like I don't know. Where do you see all this going, because a lot has changed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot has changed, and but I think it's no secret to anybody living in Louisiana that Louisiana is often late to catch on to you know national trends.
Speaker 2:So there's good and bad when it comes to starting your own podcast creation business, in that you know kind of ahead of the curve but the market isn't exactly catching up. But I truly see, because talent will always and creative people will always supersede things. I mean, we've done it with music, we've done it with food, we've done it with so much cultural other things. I don't see any other reason why content creation can't have its role in Louisiana. My whole thing is we have these shows like Swamp People and Cajun Pawn Stars and all these movies that Hollywood comes down to Louisiana to shoot because people are fascinated about our culture and what we do here and I'm so tired of outsourcing that.
Speaker 1:We should be controlling that narrative.
Speaker 2:We have so many talented people here, so many people who, if you just put a mic in front of their face, whether they want to be on camera or not, they're going to give you gold and obviously you know, with their consent and if they want to do it, blah, blah, blah, all that. But I think there's such a great opportunity for creators, not just you and I, but people who are, you know, just coming out of high school, in college, I mean, you're seeing, I mean how many tiktok accounts are, just millions of followers, just louisiana creators, either sitting in their their kitchen cooking some food, like the cage of mama's talking yeah, or like literally cooking for their family jordan tibideau.
Speaker 2:He's a great musician but you know he does like the little french lessons and whatnot it's cooking shout out yeah, like it's just people showing off themselves.
Speaker 1:I think you're right, like people are so interested in what we have down here, but it's about time that, like we control the narrative to make sure it's an authentic representation of what is Louisiana and not some corporate, you know, subtitled, swamp Louisiana that you know people think we all take P-Rogs to work and to school and like that's not the authentic image. So, yeah, I think that's a great way to put a cap on what we're both trying to do is just show Louisiana and its people for what we authentically are and that's good?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and we have resources to do so. It's just a matter of doing it and showing the people here that there is something else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I mean we both got into news and look, the morning shows are disappearing. So it's like for those kids in broadcast in school right now. I can only imagine the feeling. But, I hope, if it's any you know solace of like. Well, we figured it out, you will too. Right, I hope that helps.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this place has so much to offer and I'm excited to see where your career goes. Obviously, I'm building this over here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and thank you for doing the hard work, like it really it's. People think it's easy for us to like put ourselves out there like this, but like, truly it's not because, yeah, we did the news and that was a persona, so like, thank you for being you and inviting me to be me and like having this platform for us to put the yeah, put ourselves out there yeah, for sure, and then an authentic way that people I think people see more and more nowadays.
Speaker 2:You know, kind of going back to what I was saying earlier about this distrust of media, but people see through the bullshit oh god, they, they really can see through it. And that's the beauty of podcasting and you know TikTok content creators is that you really I mean maybe less TikTok to an extent, but you can see the personality, the authenticity behind people and that's what. That's what people are so crazy.
Speaker 1:They want real people and I think the pendulum is swinging Like yes, it's great that people can have this career opportunity to, like you know, yes, it's great that people can have this career opportunity to, like you know, push whatever they want. But, like you said, people want to see authentic and real and they're tired of being sold to. So I think the pendulum is swinging, that more content that is coming out is going to be more genuine and less of a sales pitch.
Speaker 2:Well, Caroline, you're the best. It's been fun getting to know you. I think we met for the first time while we were both at URKFY I was at U15. And we just kind of commiserated in the job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were both young and I was like okay, another young guy, Great.
Speaker 2:And then we both saw each other when we were both out of it.
Speaker 1:Live music. That's when we started, yeah.
Speaker 2:I had a concert somewhere Probably at like a Downtown Rising or.
Speaker 1:Downtown Alive or something, or Rhythms Festival International. It's always fun running into you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, and so it's been cool getting to know you and follow you and see your career and I'm excited to see where you go. The way we end every episode here on Acadiana Cast Presents is we get you to look at that camera right there and you get to have whatever you want. It could be a word, it could be a phrase, it could be advice, anything that you get to end the episode with your message to internet land here in Acadiana and the other world who are listening and watching to this.
Speaker 1:Oh gosh, that's hard. Carter, I don't know, that's hard. You just put me on the spot. Thank you for you. Know, I don't know. Thank you to Acadiana and everybody who's given me opportunity and Look at them, look at me. Oh, I don't know, this is hard.
Speaker 2:Thank you to.
Speaker 1:Acadiana and everybody who's given me opportunity. Look at them, look at me. Oh, I don't know, this is hard. Thank you to Acadiana and anybody who's ever watched or listened and who continues to watch and listen. It's been fun. I'm just a lucky gal. I'm so awkward, I don't know.
Speaker 3:Hey, thanks for tuning into the show. Since you made it this far, might as well give us a like, a follow, a subscribe. You know whatever you gotta do to alert you that there's a new episode out. Look, it helps us grow and it allows us to give you the content that well you deserve. If you wanna be a sponsor, if you want to be a guest, if you just wanna berate me, hey, all goes in the same place. Hey, all goes in the same place. Info at Acadianacastcom, email info at Acadianacastcom and for more local resource podcasts, go to Acadianacastcom. Bye.
