And just like that it’s gone.  I shaved the goatee off live on the air on News Channel Four Today this morning.  To those who voted in favor of allowing me to keep the growth, please don’t be too disappointed.  Sean and Rita at KG95 radio station and Scott Miller at Z-98 have already read me the riot act.  Sean, a good friend whom I have known for years and who was the DJ at my wedding reception last year, called me a patsy.  Rita sounded beside herself.  Earlier in the week she used the word “hot” to describe my goatee look.  That ego-boosting kind of endorsement is hard to ignore when weighing whether to let go of the “goat.”

My wife Melissa is in a mild state of mourning.  So she’s progressing.  Earlier, she was in a state of denial.  Melissa is the one who helped convince News Director Bridget Breen to let me try out the goatee on the air on in the first place.  Frankly, I was quite suprised that Bridget agreed to let me give it a go.  Traditionally, TV news anchors and goatees don’t go together.  Sportscasters, maybe.  Weathercasters, mmm.. perhaps.  But an anchor?  Goatee-sporting news anchors are few and far between.

The final vote tally was actually in favor of keeping the goatee.  52-percent of the folks taking part in our KTIV Web Poll said keep it.  43-percent said shave it.  In all, 1052 votes were cast.  That’s triple the number of some of our Web Polls.  I’m a bit flabbergasted by that!  There were phone calls to KTIV, too.  Many callers were pro-goatee; many were anti-goatee.

Ultimately, I guess I’m just not a goatee guy.  I don’t really want to have to maintain one and, truth be told, it would take at least a couple more weeks for it to start looking respectable.  That’s a long time to be on the air with a dirty chin.

There are practical considerations, too.  KTIV has many promotions, photographs and other images of me clean-shaven.  Those would all need to be updated, and that involves extra expense.

So to the goatee supporters, please don’t hate me!  I feel like a small burden has been lifted off my chin.  I stand by the decision to go clean-shaven.

As I mentioned in my Tuesday blog entry, this is not a life-or-death issue.  We wanted to have some fun and wanted you to take part.  It fits in with the more laid-back atmosphere of our morning newscast, News Channel Four Today.  We like to have fun.

Watch Al Joens shave off his goatee Friday, June 29, 2009 

So thanks to everyone who took part in the KTIV Web Poll… and watch for our upcoming promotion:  “Should Ron Demers grow a long beard like the guys in ZZ Top?”  It’s going to be big!

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With and Without

Distinguished and macho?  Brad Pitt?  OK folks, let’s not get carried away here!  Brad Pitt??  I’m not making this up:  My wife, KTIV reporter Melissa Lanzourakis, was on assignment in Peterson, Iowa Wednesday.  The mayor told her the goatee which our news director is letting me take to the airwaves on a trial basis makes me look like Brad Pitt.  I did chuckle when Melissa told me about it, but I’ll confess at having to make a conscious effort to keep my chest from puffing itself out just a bit.

Brad Pitt?   LOL

The “distinguished and macho” comment came from a viewer from Bancroft, Nebraska who left a voice message at the KTIV front desk this morning.  He said the goatee looks great and I should keep it.  I’m trying to figure out how to reconcile that favorable input with earlier comments that the facial growth makes me look old and scruffy.. and like a bum.  The goatee does seem to have a little more gray in it each time I grow it.  I received an email from a husband and wife this morning who said I should keep it, but use Grecian. 

This comment in an email from a woman in Norfolk echoes what several people have said:

“I think Al should be allowed to do anything with his face that he chooses. It is his face after all, and it doesn’t change the way he does his job. I can’t believe some of the people actually said they would change stations if he kept the facial hair. My goodness.”

I appreciate the point, but ultimately, the decision really is up to my employer, KTIV.  It’s standard in the business that if a news anchor wants to alter his or her appearance, it must first be approved by the management.  They are the ones who cut the paycheck every two weeks.  They probably don’t want me showing up for work one day with a pierced nose, spiked hair and facial tattoos.

At this point, the goatee is scruffy.  I recognize that.  It’s a work in progress.  A nine-day old goatee isn’t very pretty.  At least, not on my face.  It needs more time to develop and become more… “manly.”  When we got married last summer, Melissa wanted me to have a goatee for the wedding.  I tried to comply.  Honestly, I did.  But I had only six days to work with, and really, there isn’t much that one can do to promote rapid goatee growth.  Alas, on the day of our wedding, the towel was thrown in and the razor called into service.  One suggestion that I rent a goatee from the Dowry was dismissed and I think that was for the better.

Keep the votes and the comments coming.  And thanks for helping us have fun with this.

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I must admit, I’m a bit surprised at the response so far to the “Should Morning Anchor Al Joens keep his goatee?” KTIV Web Poll.  As of Wednesday morning, 24 hours into the balloting, 465 people had voted.  I figured on a vote total closer to 7 or so.

Here’s the tally thus far in what KTIV Internet Producer Margie Sturgeon has dubbed “Decision Goatee 2009″:

Yes          56.8%

No            37.2%

Not Sure     6%

I think a good number of the yes votes are from friends of my wife.  She’s been calling on the troops to log on and vote in favor of keeping the goatee.  Apparently one of her friends, a former KTIV reporter who now lives in South Carolina, is twittering about it.  I’m not sure if any of this skews the results, but in balloting that takes place on the world wide web, I guess anyone in the world can vote.

Several people have also weighed in with comments on our website or via email.  Here’s a sampling:

            Female viewer:  “Go Al!  It’s the new Hollywood look…a good way to keep up with the newest fashion trend.”

            Male viewer:      “Change is good for all of us!  I vote for you to shave, you look like you have a dirty face.”

            Female viewer: “Al you are a handsome man and with the goatee I think it makes you look drawn and older.  Without it you look young and much more happier. My husband also sports a goatee and when he shaves it he looks much younger and much older with it.  But if they allow you to keep it then you need to do what gives you good self image.”

            Female: ”You got my vote to keep the critter on your face. However, if after a month you still look like that high school kid that wants so much to grow facial hair… but simply can’t… SHAVE.  Meantime… at least you still have hair where it counts!!!”

In the interest of fair disclosure, that last comment came from former KTIV reporter and good friend April Madison who now works in Tucson, Arizona.  She’s not one to beat around the bush.  Or the goatee, as it were.

Some people have called in to the station with their opinions.  Here’s a sampling of phone call comments supplied by KTIV receptionist Robin Small:

            Female viewer: “Yes!  Keep it.”

            Husband and wife:  “No.  Looks horrible, like a bum and we will watch another channel if he doesn’t shave it.”

            Female viewer:  “Al is my favorite news anchor, but shave it off!”

            Male viewer:  “Keep it if it’s combed and neatly trimmed.”

            Male viewer: “Keep it; looks very distinguished, but I’m jealous of his tan.”

            Female viewer:  “No.  Lose the face hair.  Makes him look old and scruffy.”

Good comments, all.  Thanks to everyone who has participated.  Keep the votes and comments coming.  Balloting runs through Friday.

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With and Without

Posted under Newsroom