What is wrong with RFK Jr.'s voice?

[Erin Elizabeth]

Is he sick right now?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. No, he has a condition that causes it to sound odd like that.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. He has a neurological disorder that affects his voice.

He's had it for a long time -- not sure whether it's curable.

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. I'd guess it's not curable

Bobby Kennedy could certainly afford whatever medical treatments were necessary to cure it, if he could do so. And given that public speaking, as an attorney, and in his various media appearances is a job requirement, I'm sure he'd rather have a "normal" voice (one resembling his dad's or those of his uncles) if at all possible.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. It is always like that. He has a neurological disease that causes it.

spasmodic dysphonia. 15,5500 people in this country are afflicted with the condition.

The voice disorder gives a strained, broken or sometimes breathy tone to people who have the condition, who include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Public Radio's Diane Rehm.

With spasmodic dysphonia, which is caused by the involuntary movement of muscles in the larynx, Botox injections can relax those muscles in the same way it relaxes the muscles in the furrowed foreheads of those who use it for cosmetic reasons.

Doctors have found that patients respond extremely well to Botox shots into the voical chords a few times a year and as a result did significantly better both socially and emotionally.

Emotionally is important, because people with the disorder can have voices that sound strangled or as if they are about to cry. Because the disorder is so rare, few physicians are familiar with it.

"It can be misconstrued as an emotional or even psychiatric disorder, but it's absolutely not that. It's a neurological-control disorder manifesting in the vocal cords," says Dr. Hogikyan, Director of the University of Michigan Vocal Health Center.

It can often take years for patients to be diagnosed correctly and get appropriate treatment. Many are reluctant to speak in public and find themselves becoming increasingly isolated.

"The number of suffers could be much larger because so many patients are misdiagnosed," says Robert McAlister, executive director of the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association. "Botox is definitely the cat's meow when it comes to this disease."

Treatment temporarily disconnects the nerve-to-muscle signals and reduces abnormal muscle activity while still allowing normal speech.

Before Botox, patients either lived with the disorder or tried a surgical procedure that severed some of the nerves but didn't provide lasting benefit, Hogikyan says.

[Catshrink]

7. Diane Rheim on npr has it also.

[crossroads]

30. Thank you for this explanation! I hope it can be cured...

I like him and it would be wonderful if he could express himself better!
CR

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

4. He always sounds like that on Ring of Fire

Don't have any idea why. Great guy, but worst radio voice ever.

[PBS Poll-435]

33. Umm....That is the same guy. nt

[Erin Elizabeth]

5. Thanks guys. I read his Wiki entry and found nothing.

It sounds almost like Parkinson's so I wondered. Thank you.

[kevin881]

6. He has a condition called Spasmodic Dysphonia (link inside)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spasmodic_dysphonia

[demokatgurrl]

9. There was a woman on the DC public radion station

who had a weird thing with her voice, and my senile brain has forgotten her name, but I wonder if it was the same thing.

[SallyMander]

18. Diane Rehm probably?

:hi:

[Vadem]

21. Diane Rheme is the one you are thinking of .... I wonder if stem

cells would cure this problem? It is very hard to listen to them because we just want them to have a clear voice to speak to us and we feel the strain in their voices when they speak.

It is heartbreaking!..

[backscatter712]

15. That's it!

RFK Jr's voice always sounds odd - it's because of this disorder.

It takes a lot of guts for him to continue to go on TV and radio with his medical condition. Kudos to him for his courage!

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. We need a sticky note for democrats that don't know RFK jr.

Its been discussed for years. No shame.

But it is a shame that prevents him to have the powerful rhetorical voice
that he use to have. He was stunning before his disease came on.

[jillan]

20. It is a shame because he has so much to say.

I don't mind listening to him, but I know it turns some people off.

[Ichingcarpenter]

27. Al Gore's Earth Day... he was brilliant and passionate to the crowd

He must have had a treatment right before he gave his speech.

He has the passion and vision of his father.

[jillan]

31. He is brilliant. And -

drop dead gorgeous!

Just like his dad on both counts :)

[Erin Elizabeth]

23. I'm glad I saw him on Rachel Maddow's show tonight

because, while I certainly knew who he was, it made me research and find out more about him. Amazing man.

[Ichingcarpenter]

29. When this election is over and we win.... the battle only begins

to take back real democracy, justice and accountability.

We must never again be so non involved with our government and current affairs.
This is the real lesson that I hope we learn.

Otherwise they will creep back and destroy it again.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. Here's the only thing I found on that...

December 2nd, 2007 9:52 pm ET

Bobby Kennedy suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder that makes speech difficult and causes the voice to sound quavery…. I can hardly stand to listen to him because of it. Ugghh.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/29/robert-f-kennedy-jr-endorses-hillary-clinton/

[elocs]

11. I always thought he sounded like Katherine Hepburn. Distinctive though. n/t

[VenusRising]

13. Katherine Hepburn had the same vocal affliction as RFK Jr. does.

I said the same thing about KH.

:hi:

[kestrel91316]

19. No, Kate got all quavery from Parkinson's, IIRC.

[VenusRising]

24. Well, then wikipedia is incorrect.

:shrug:

[byronius]

12. I suspect his voice will work fine for his role as head of the EPA, or as a Supreme Court Justice.

Whaddya think?

[143tbone]

14. Oh, yess! n/t

[kestrel91316]

22. EPA head for a few years, followed by SCJ!!

[kaiden]

17. His vocal chords are basically paralyzed. He uses Botox to release them.

[Erin Elizabeth]

25. Let me reiterate something:

I did not mind how his voice sounded at all. I was just thinking maybe he was sick with congestion or something and then it started to remind me of my grandmother's voice when she first got Parkinson's.

His voice didn't bother me. I liked hearing what he had to say.

[TroglodyteScholar]

26. I think his condition is getting worse

He sounds more strained than he did just a few years ago. I hope he doesn't lose his voice altogether--he has a lot of important things to say.

[Sugarcoated]

28. I thought he sounded slightly better than he did in the past.

Speaking of this kind of thing, Ron Silver was on Larry King and he looked like he was going through chemo or something, he looked really bad.

[Ichingcarpenter]

32. There is no cure and it gets worse over time

A greek tragedy since his father was a great orator and RFK jr is too
If we really started to listen vs the verbosity of the voices of Rush, Billo
and preachers that sound nice but say nothing on TV and other places of worship.

I really think that TV has overwhelmed the senses with visuals and oratory
bullshit that it drowns out the written word and intellectual content that lets the
brain make a rational decision. It is a subject that I will write an OP soon.

Stephen Hawkings still has a lot to say.

[Clio the Leo]

34. I dont care HOW his voice sounds, all I know is......

.... when he said on Rachel's show, "If I sign my name, 'Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr.'...."

I got chills.

He was killed before I was born, but I have admired his father since I was very young and I am SO glad we've got them on our side (and working hard for us!) First time I saw a pic of Ethel with an Obama lapel pin I almost cried.

I don't recall them ever campaigning for another candidate like this. Something to be proud of.

The last public words that Bobby Kennedy said were "Now it's on to Chicago and let's win there!"

Consider the irony.

[bluedawg12]

36. Yup, had the same RFK moment too. Kinda sad and touching. n/t

[Jennicut]

35. Wow, that is quite sad. Can the Kennedy family ever get a break?

I always thought something was not right with his voice. That is too bad but he shows a lot of bravery by being on radio and tv and not caring what people think.