An Open Letter to Youtube and Neal Mohan: HELP!

 I need the help of a live person at Youtube. Anyone out there know of anyone who works at Youtube? Anyone know Mr. Mohan who is the CEO of Youtube? How can I get ahold of him? HELP!

This past week by Youtube channel @hansJeffBorger8038 was taken down by Youtube. The vague email I received said it Your channel won’t be put back on Youtube at this time. We took a careful look at your channel again and confirmed that it violates our spam, deceptive practices and scams. We recognize it’s disappointing news but our goal is to keep the Youtube community safe and supported.

I am sure an AI bot did this but there seems to be no way to reach a real person to review this draconian action. Deceptive practices? Spam? Scam? My little nostalgia channel? As my grandma would have said "oh come on...."

                      Do I look like a scammer? Spammer? Deceptive person? I don't think so. I am not!

So... I rack my brain thinking what could have triggered this.

Could it be my long lost interviews with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz? I was amazed to see that even the podcast from TCM "The Plot Thickens" even used my audio from Desi Arnaz's appearance on the Lou Gordon Show from WKBD in the late 1970s. No one can hear that original interview now. A spam/Scam/deceptive? NO WAY JOSE.

I was so pleased to see that the new Desi Arnaz biography listed one of Desi's old Tropical Trip radio shows I posted on Youtube. Was that a scam/spam or deceptive? No, it was a rare piece of American radio history.

Could it be my many radio air checks and newscasts from the various nostalgia radio shows I hosted through the years? My legacy of all of those historical radio airchecks certainly couldn't be construed as spam or a scam, could they Mr. AI bot? I don't know how but AI can apparently see it that way?

I have posted various interviews and segments about The Four Lads including the unveiling of my brand new book about them "The Four Lads Book." This tome features long lost fan club material and bios on all the singers from this million selling group. Is my book spam or a scam? Nope. And deceptive? Certainly not! My audience appreciates information like this.

What about my solos in church or recorded at home? I love to sing. Even had some of me at the piano. My voice may not be as good as Elvis or Perry but is it a scam or spam? Come on now! Deceptive. No. That was my voice.

My parent's 1960s wedding footage was on there. They are still married. Was that a scam or spam? I can't see why.  Also on the channel was footage of me singing at my wedding. That was a real event. Not scam/spam or deceptive.

I visited Lawrence Welk's farm in North Dakota.  A cool tour was posted. Now maybe the Youtube AI bot doesn't like Lawrence Welk music, but is that any reason to take down my channel? Not wunnerful wunnerful for sure.

Some great old family slides were on there including a salute to Detroit 1960s Christmases. So beautiful. Now that is gone, too. Why? Who knows.

I could go on and on but as you can see there is no logical reason for any of this. Yet Youtube issued their ultimatum as if I were some kind of criminal. 

Apparently you can appeal a channel's suspension for up to a year. I appealed and was sent an email saying my channel was "carefully reviewed" and their decision stands. Reviewed by whom? Please let a human being with some sense look into this. No specifics were offered.

I can survive without my channel but I have to say it is very disheartening. I feel sorry for the folks who enjoyed listening or watching my material. It was a joy to present it and for it to be ripped away for no apparent reason is a strange feeling. Innocent until proven guilty doesn't work for Youtube. 

Anyhow, if anyone can help resolve this I would appreciate it. I have watched several Youtube videos about channels which were brought back and Youtube issued a "sorry we did this. We make mistakes" type apology. Unfortunately it isn't easy to get them to even look at mistakes they made. No email, No phone number, and their on line appeal process just goes around in circles with no answers.

In the meantime I hope I will issue more blog entries here which have been neglected since Youtube was more intriguing. 

Hopefully this will be resolved but in this day and age everything ugly is beautiful and everything true is false. I am caught in the web of this nonsense but am so blessed to have been able to share it in the past. And that is no scam/spam or deceptive information either Youtube AI bot.

December Bride: I Love Lucy's other neighbor

You may think of Fred and Ethel Mertz as the neighbors on "I Love Lucy" but From 1954 until 1958 "December Bride" was a situation comedy seen on CBS right after Lucy aired. So December Bride was a Lucy neighbor, too!

Although this series has been long forgotten, LenW's Youtube channel has posted much of the series from washed out reruns on a local station. It is really a hoot for any fan of "I Love Lucy" as the whole series has a "Lucy" aura to it. The laugh track, the music, the set and even the bit players are very familiar.

If you have never seen this series you are in for a treat. Here a a few discoveries I have made as an "I Love Lucy" fan.

The laugh track is the same as from "Lucy." You will often hear the famous "oh-oh" on December Bride (the "oh-oh" lady was supposedly Lucy's mother!).

The series starred Spring Byington, Dean Miller, Frances Rafferty and Harry Morgan. 

Remember Mrs. Porter, the maid hired by Lucy? Mrs. Porter was none other than Verna Felton who played the much more adorable character Hilda in "December Bride"!

Get ready to see a lot of Lucy alumni on the screen or in the credits.

Here's Kathryn Card (aka Mrs. McGillicuddy--Lucy's mom)

Here's Joseph Kerns (who appeared as the theater manager and doctor on "I Love Lucy")

Here's Desi Arnaz himself guest starring in an episode

I even spotted Lucy's stand in Hazel Pierce in the background on at least one episode. 

The background music sounds very familiar. Wilbur Hatch uses incidental music which sounds much like a Lucy episode.

The set looks very "I Love Lucy" like to me. The kitchen door and sink are in the same position as are the open windows leading into the living room area.

Any Lucy fan will recognize these names from the credits

And of course get ready for the Desilu logo!

From what I have read "December Bride" didn't do well when CBS moved it out of its post Lucy time slot. The show later aired daytimes on CBS and was in syndication but never fared too well. One reason is they said children couldn't relate to the story lines as the cast was older. I don't know about that, however it would be great if someone could rescue this show from the archives of oblivion and let us see it again from clear prints! Until then thank you LenW for giving us the rare chance to visit with Lucy's neighbor "December Bride". A real treat.