Some would argue that I am much too critical and that I overanalyze everything. But, I really can't help it; this is how my brain works. So, here I go again!
A couple nights ago, my mother asked if I had heard about the homeless man with the baritone radio voice and I said "no" and then immediately googled homeless man with a golden voice and watched the youtube video of Ted Williams that went viral and made the panhandler from Columbus, Ohio an instant star.
I've read a few news articles (there are at least 2,500 online articles now) and watched a few interviews. For those of you who haven’t heard about Ted Williams, here's a quick summary:
Ted Williams is a 53-year-old 
instant star that was discovered as he panhandled at the side of the highway with a cardboard sign that read “I have a God-given gift of voice. I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times...” A 47-year-old web producer for the Columbus Dispatch needed material and decided to film the “golden-voiced” homeless man that he had given a dollar to a few weeks before. Chenoweth, the web producer, posted the video and within a few days, the video was viral. Since the posting of the video, Williams has been offered a position with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he’s signed a contract with Kraft, voiced an MSNBC promo and Oprah has expressed interest in having him on the new Oprah Winfrey Network.
Ok, so here’s where I get a bit critical. My question is what made this video go viral? I understand why it is a popular story now that he is being presented with all these employment opportunities, but the video began to go viral before the Cavaliers, KRAFT and Oprah offered him a job. I can’t help but question the initial factors that led to people being so astonished by Ted Williams and his voice.
Here are some things to consider: Why were we so surprised or intrigued when we watched the video? Was it because his voice was so amazing or was it because we couldn’t believe a “golden voice” could come from an unclean, haggardly, homeless man?
Underlying this viral video is the fact that one of two things happen when we think of homeless people, one, we assume that they have no talent, skills or real abilities or two, we assume that even if a second chance at success was presented to them they’re so lazy, addicted or lost that they wouldn’t know what to do with it. There is so much prejudice and so many stereotypes when it comes to the homeless and this is an exaggerated example of our misconceptions of “the other”.
People are either amazed because a homeless man has talent or because they can’t understand how someone with so much talent could end up homeless. Take a second and think about it this way, if Ted 
Williams was dressed in a suit and clean cut would the video have gone viral? I think people would’ve enjoyed hearing the voice but it would not have been newsworthy. Next, consider a video where Ted Williams told his story but did not have the “golden voice”. Again, not a newsworthy story, in this case, he would have simply been yet another homeless person who let addiction destroy his life. I hate to burst your bubble and rain on the parade, but it’s important to make mention of the fact that homeless people are worthy of our attention with or without some amazing, showstopping talent. I cannot speak for every single homeless person, but most homeless people are not homeless because they’re lazy or lack skill, ability or talent. Some of them suffer from addiction or mental illness and some of them are simply people who are down on their luck and lacking support and resources.
It should not take a “golden-voice” to make us care about a man and others like him. Without his golden voice, Ted Williams would have simply been one of the many homeless people that many of us walk right by without thinking twice. We lock our car doors as we drive past them, complain about them relying on our tax dollars and pretend that they’re invisible on a regular basis. Of course, I am happy for Ted Williams. In fact, he reminds me a lot of someone very close to me. But, I couldn’t just enjoy this “feel good” story without pointing out that there are many talented and skilled homeless people out there that we don’t think twice about because they’re on the street without an entertaining gimmick. They all have a story and many of them are very deserving of a second chance. So what can we do, myself included, to make a difference in the lives of those who find themselves homeless...
1. LEARN more
Here are a few links:
Women and Homelessness
http://intraspec.ca/WomenPovertyAndHomelessnessInCanada.pdf
Homeless Youth
http://www.covenanthouse.ca/Public/Facts-and-Stats
Aboriginal Homelessness
http://www.toronto.ca/housing/pdf/dealing_effectively_aboriginal_homelessness.pdf
2. SPEAK OUT more
- Talk about it with family, friends and colleagues
- Use social media as a forum for discussion about things that really matter. Blog about it, post about it on facebook, tweet about it, etc.
3. DO more
- Volunteer, host a fundraiser, make a donation to a local charity in the form of money, food, clothes and finally, the most important thing that we can do is TREAT HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH RESPECT!
A Woman’s Worth Network will be holding an event focused on supporting and sharing with homeless women. If you're interested in volunteering and helping in the planning of this event, please contact me at tiffanymshelton@gmail.com and if your interested in attending our upcoming event, please post a comment below and stay tuned for details.
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