BlatherWatch made a Grand Gesture. We wanted to normalize relations with the troubled KIRO and sister KTTH, those local talk outlets of cuddly Entercom, the big-little media meta-dwarf corp.
If you're a regular reader, you know we've been pretty hard on management over there-- and let's face it, we've kicked around some of the help--even the liberals.
BlatherWatch has been mad at Entercom suits- particularly PD Tom Clendening, because their--his--bad programming decisions has put KIRO into the ratings toilet- and it's the only place on the dial with local liberal talkers. We didn't feel as badly about KTTH, in that it's all right-wing except for ther smattering of Dr. Dean Edell they have to air if they want to keep Rush Limbaugh....
So Saturday, we decided to make the first move to kiss and make up. As a peace offering, we brought sushi to the station. (What else?...we're liberals!) Bearing no expense, BlatherWatch got two of Seattle's finest sushi bars to make two huge platters of nagiri, maki, gunkan and everything in between. We brought hundreds of dollars worth of Copper River salmon, and otoro and albacore and baby squids, and sea urchin roe and prawns and scallops and wasabi and pickled ginger and special shoyu.
Nobody showed up.
We thought it'd be fun to mingle Our People with Their People. We'd pictured a sweet vertical party with drinks, sushi and witty banter with Mr. Clendening, Mr. Pridemore and Dave Ross. We wanted to express our gratitude to those staffers who have given us so much information. We wanted to make Dori Monson's 10th Ann'y party look even cheesier than it was.
We'd looked forward to exchanging friendly fire with the likes of Mike Webb, Allen Prell and Mike Siegel; all of whom we punched out on line for being obnoxious or feckless. We wanted to humanize these voices on the radio by meeting them, breaking bread with them, and letting them be witness to our own humanity as well.
That's what liberals do.
It was a party and nobody came. While we made one board-op very, very happy, we had to leave sushi in the refrigerator in the break room and hope the love would come through. (It won't be immaculately fresh by Monday, but we understand that's not a problem...)
We loved being in the belly of the beast, while the cleaning ladies (memo to Mr. Clendening: they're good workers, but you better check their Green Cards) vacuumed around us (tho' they spoke neither English nor Japanese, they loved the sushi).
In lieu of the real flesh and blood talk jocks at our party, we were glad for the huge pictures of the talent hanging in the lobby and around the office. Unfortunately, there are no names on them so we were never sure if we were looking at New York Vinnie or Michael Medved; Lou Pate or Greg Hersholt, all gods down at BlatherWatch Plaza.
We were glad just to be able to Walk Where They Walked.
It makes me feel creepy to think you and you slim walked where I walk. I wouldn't touch your sushi with a 10 foot pole. Your a despicable man. Stay away from my workplace.
Posted by: jen | June 13, 2005 at 11:01 AM
I feel The Love, Jen.
Posted by: blathering Michael | June 13, 2005 at 11:07 AM
The day newsroom people turn down free food is when hell freezes over.
After the cutbacks, though, I don't think there are too many people left to visit, Michael.
The previous managers, especially Kris Olinger, put in many weekend hours. Not sure you'll find that now.
Just curious what the Blatherwatch budget is for sushi these days? Quite a stunt.
Notice Jen's email is "[email protected]". That says it all.
Posted by: Brian Maloney | June 13, 2005 at 11:20 AM
Man what'd you do to Jen anyways? I can feel the hate from here!
Posted by: windie | June 13, 2005 at 04:47 PM
I think dear Jen may be the anti-Christ. You think they could get her for KTTH?
Posted by: blathering Michael | June 13, 2005 at 11:23 PM