You know how we've always considered Lou Pate, the conservative dirty biter of KIRO overnight who recently quit himself of the floundering station. The Latenight Bronxsaurus hated Seattle or professed to on-air, and was what we call a "fuck-you conservative." He was (is) a libertarian from the Bronx who regularly gave the raspberry to what he'd call the Seattle liberal establishment; mocked political correctness and religiosity equally; and pissed off not only any progressive who might have listened in, but also any religious right-wingers up that late (they mostly go to bed early, we're told, and not in any biblical sense).
We read this recently on the trade site, All Access.com.
Pate Filling In At KOA/Denver
Veteran talker LOU PATE is filling in SUNDAY morning 10a-12:30p MT on CLEAR CHANNEL Talk KOA-A/DENVER, leading into ROCKIES preseason baseball. PATE, most recently night host at KIRO-A/SEATTLE, can be reached at [email protected].
That's not all that interesting, but we received a letter that might give some insight into the weightlifting blabberjockey or... maybe not. We know for sure that Lou didn't write this; and we also know that exposing this side of him could permanently damage his career, that's why we're running it. If this is true, and this gets out, he's done. (Pate certainly had his detractors on the KIRO overnight, but fillins, Frank "snide ride" Shiers and Byron Struble the overheated brain with the frigorific voice are driving overnight regulars to KGO and Randi Rhodes re-runs).
This from a reader who calls himself "joey1971":
This blog is hilarious. Let me just give you some insight to the REAL Lou Pate... I know him because he is my neighbor and over the years has become my friend.
Off the air, he is one of the nicest and kindest guys that you'd ever want to meet. Always quick with a friendly hello and a funny comment. In fact, when I learned what he had done for a living and I tuned into his show, I was really surprised at how different his "on-air" personality was. In real life, he's incredibly polite and couteous to others. He's still very outgoing, but completely non-offensive.
His girlfriend is NOT anyone that is on the air or even in the media business. She's a girl that he met in San Diego and they've been together for years.
It is true that his car is a piece of junk. I once had to help him push it to the auto mechanic that's a few blocks away - lol. And, it is true that he exercises almost obsessively. At least once per day... sometimes more.
He has often volunteered to play sports games with my kids. Tetherball, throwing a baseball, throwing a football, frisbee, etc. They think he's great. Whenever my kids have a school fundraiser he has ALWAYS bought something to help them out.
I hardly ever listen to his show because I am usually not up that late. Therefore, I don't know how much of his personal life he discussed on air... but from what I am reading here, it sounds like his show started to get really cynical over the past five or six months. Well, here's a little insight to that... about five or six months ago, Lou's dog died of cancer. She was sick for months. And, I know that it shook him up pretty badly. He had this dog for over 10 years. I know it had shaken him up because he still talks about it whenever we're outside having a chat. I'm not a psychologist or anything, but I'm sure that the difficult loss of his only pet has certainly affected the "mood" of his show.
Regarding his leaving the station...
He has been complaining about his time slot since I met him in 2003. His girlfriend works a regular day schedule, M-F. Wouldn't you want to get off the graveyard shift too? He's been hoping to get a daytime slot for years. I know that when he quit, he was very happy about it. And guess what... he's been filling in all over the country and he's making decent money doing it. Apparently, he's a fairly hot commodity. Right now, he's been averaging about 3 to 4 fill-ins per week. Phoenix, Philadelphia, Denver, Chicago. He's doing fine, just looking for something steady.
I was just over at his house today and when I came home I decided to enter his name into Google... that's how I found this blog. After reading what some of you have wrote, I felt compelled to post this and try to set the record straight on Lou Pate.
It's really amazing how people form opinions and ideas that are totally false about people they have never even met.
It's really amazing how people form opinions and ideas that are totally false about people they have never even met.
And its really amazing how people can comment on radio shows that they admit they have never listened to.
Posted by: Ted Smith | March 20, 2006 at 05:57 AM
Oh Ted, you sound so bitter.
Posted by: Ryder | March 20, 2006 at 06:55 AM
I too, have been priviledged to know Lou off-air and I completely concur with Joey1971's comments. He's been nothing but kind to me. I used to live close to him, and would visit with him from time to time. I've known about his on-and-off radio persona for a long time, and yes, he's really a nice guy. I never have said anything until now about that here because I figured his on-air persona wasn't anyone's business..but I'm here to just back up what Joey has said about Lou. He actually had me on his show several times, and after my book was published - and I might add was nothing but respectful and courteous to me. I am sure he's not the only talk show host with a dual persona. One would almost have to, to have somewhat a normal life.
Posted by: eileen | March 20, 2006 at 07:22 AM
Then it is fair to love the real thing and hate the false one. I guess these guys have to decide which will make them attract the largest audience, ie. make them the most money. But, I think authenticity usually wins out in the long run. All in all, it still takes informed talent to beat the odds. Does he have it?
Posted by: joanie | March 20, 2006 at 08:07 AM
Eileen, I tried to explain to you before what Pate did. He would kiss up to people like you , authors and such who were guests on the show, while being either contemptuous and condescending or downright insulting and cruel to his callers. No one ever accused Lou of being mean to his guests. Your experiences with Lou are frankly irrelevant.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 09:57 AM
Lou Pate is not a nice guy. Period.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 10:01 AM
well...actually Tommy, he is a good guy. he is, however, guilty of playing a character on the air.
i worked with lou for several years and i was always confused why he didn't tap into seattle's PRO-ABORTION/AGNOSTIC conservatives. they're held at arm's length by the bible whackers that dominate GOP internal politics and Lou coulda been their voice.
so...there's that.
Posted by: Scrilla | March 20, 2006 at 10:07 AM
more b.s.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 10:21 AM
I suspect that all the people who are saying what a nice guy Pate is, are conservatives who share his views. Being a nice guy means being nice to people in general regardless of their views, as long as they are being respectful to you.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 10:28 AM
"I suspect that all the people who are saying what a nice guy Pate is, are conservatives who share his views."
I know, you suspect because you are a typical paranoid liberal and one of the reasons Seattle is as back-ass as it is. Can Tommy008 please take a week or so off and not post 50 times a day and give us all a break? Though I suspect he will break into uncontrollable sweats and not be able to stay away from his keypad...
Posted by: Sarah | March 20, 2006 at 11:25 AM
The prople you need the people you trust KIRO....
What the 'f' does that mean.
Do I trust NY Vinnie?
Do I trust Brian Styble?
Do I trust Ron and Don?
Do I trust that IDIOT Dori Monson?
You're all gone...goodbye!
Posted by: The Anti KIRO | March 20, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Tommy: You don't know the entire situation with my association with Lou, so please don't presume that you know how it is. Like I said, I know him off-air, as well. And I like the man.
Posted by: eileen | March 20, 2006 at 11:46 AM
So Lou's dog died, huh? I'm surprised someone didn't write a country song about it.
Posted by: Jeff DeWolf | March 20, 2006 at 11:52 AM
hah I don't post anymore here per month than the main conservatives here. Do the math. My posts chap your conservative hide,Sarah? That's tough, toots. Maybe I'll take a break, if I feel like it. Maybe I won't. One final note on Pate- Eileen,I do know you were talking about him offair as well. Pate can be very pleasant to certain females and those who don't challenge him, as he demonstrated on the radio to guests and certain callers.The minute a caller challenged him or disagreed, even in a respectful way it turned ugly in a hurry. So whether Lou was affable and charming to Eileen, a female, or the conservative guy down the street who never challenged him on his views,and enlisted Lou to coach Little League, does not mean he is a nice guy.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 12:09 PM
Lou, stop posting under fake names!
Posted by: Dana | March 20, 2006 at 12:21 PM
Dori coaches girls basketball and frankly, I wouldn't want him around my daughter. I wonder about the judgement of the parents who let him have access to their minor children.
Posted by: Bob | March 20, 2006 at 12:23 PM
Dori takes a 2-week vacation to France a couple of years ago and is suddenly an expert on the French work ethic.
What an ignorant fool that epitomises the Ugly American stereotype.
He throws around facts that are simply false. France does not have a 20% unemployment rate. It's about 10%. They measure it differently that the US so the numbers cannot be compared.
Dori...mark my word...you're off the air very very soon.
Posted by: The Anti KIRO | March 20, 2006 at 12:37 PM
In the news: Whiny children, claims a new study, tend to grow up rigid and traditional. Future liberals, on the other hand ...
The part I take exception with is claim that they grow up.
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 01:11 PM
Hello.
I just feel this needs to be said:
Tommy, why are you such a bitter fellow? Is your life SOO bad, you have to continue to spew bile for a host who has been gone for some time? It's over man. Relax.
Domo
Posted by: Left Behind by the New Democratic Party | March 20, 2006 at 01:28 PM
Domo- you're a jackass. It's obvious why I'm posting. People are taking Hood's topic of the day and trying to write revisionist history about Pate, with a lot of nonsense about his just playing a role on the radio( that's a crock) and how nice he was to a female who was trying to impress with his "nice guy" act, and with and some neighbor guy down the street. Who picks fights with his neighbors? Not even creeps like Pate, normally. My questions are better Domo. Why do you Care what I post, and why do we care what your nonexistent Pschoanalyst expertise tells you about my "problems"? One thing I've never dome here is waste any of my time writing a post simply to put down another Blatherwatch poster here. It's curious, but it always seems to be the conservatives here who spend time doing that. I sense a yearning for control and censorship.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 02:17 PM
I wonder how much that letter cost Pate? My opinion of him remains the same. If he was a nice guy outside the studio, which I highly doubt; he should have carried that over to his radio program and maybe he'd still have a steady job today. Being a nice person should be a 24 hour gig; not just off-air. Not impressed.
Posted by: Critter | March 20, 2006 at 02:35 PM
What's that old saying? People that can't do teach.
Posted by: Sarah | March 20, 2006 at 02:45 PM
It reads like an endorsment for someone who could use one right now.
It's very slanted statement to make, to say we are totaly wrong in our evaluation of him simply because we have met him off the radio. Some of us have heard hundreds of hours worth of his commentary on everything and Pate is responsible and must be accountable for the words that come out of his mouth.
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 02:47 PM
I used to work with Pate at KIRO and he is generally a very nice guy to everyone, including liberals. (Unprovable assertion that I am Lou in disguise in 3, 2, 1...).
During my time at KIRO I did a lot of call screening, and many of the callers came across as pathetic, conspiracy-minded shut-ins with an unhealthy obsession with the shows and hosts (that is, they sounded like Tommy). Tommy, you ought to quit agonizing over the fact that Lou hangs up on callers, and recognize that a) Lou's treatment of callers is largely schtick and doesn't reflect on his personal life, and b) hyper-confrontational callers get no respect in the industry, nor do they deserve any. The hosts have financial and career incentives for sounding like jerks (i.e. to make a provocative show, etc.) When callers sound like jerks, you know that it's simply because they are jerks. There is no other explanation. Hence, the phone hang-ups.
It's both ludicrous and sadly typical that (some) liberals on this board have such a difficult time imagining that one with whom they disagree politically might actually still be a decent person--that is, that there are dimensions of life besides red v. blue politics. (Don't bother telling me that conservatives make the same mistake--two wrongs don't make a right, and besides, I thought liberals were supposed to be the "tolerant" ones.)
In short, sometimes the political ISN'T the personal, you Marxist douchebags.
Posted by: Anonymous because who cares? | March 20, 2006 at 03:38 PM
no need to reply to your ad hominems about me or the rest of your drivel, Anonymous. just read my above post to Domo and substitute "Anonymous, you douchebag" for Domo.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 03:55 PM
Tommy:
Interesting that you replied even though, by your own estimation, there was no need. You ought to step away from the keyboard, because you sound like a melodramatic teenager when you post.
"The world doesn't feel my pain!"
Let me add that ad hominems, while fallacious, can at least add a little frisson to the conversation. As opposed to the long, unbroken liturgy of non-sequitirs and logical fallacies of all stripes that typify your posts.
But hey, keep typing! Maybe you can reply again about how you're not going to reply to this post either. That would be pretty cool.
Posted by: Anonymous because who cares? | March 20, 2006 at 04:11 PM
I would also reply to anonymous but who am I replying to? I have no way of knowing. It's like talking into the void OOOOooooo....
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 04:14 PM
Critter! welcome back..I think..
I'm willing to share my Zoloft...
Posted by: sparky | March 20, 2006 at 04:15 PM
This blog is a hoot!
Posted by: sparky | March 20, 2006 at 04:17 PM
You know, God help those talk show hosts that are the same at home as they are on the air. Can you imagine if Bryan Styble-head, or DonOrRon were like that at home? Oh Gawd, you couldn't get their heads through the door. And what self-respecting partner of theirs would live with that kind of energy? Not I, she said.
I seriously doubt all this good stuff about Lou will affect him. The portion of his life he plays out on radio is small compared to the rest of his life, likely. And he does have one - a life.
Posted by: eileen | March 20, 2006 at 04:21 PM
Anonymous, haha you don't even know what ad hominem means, you pretentious butthead. It's not to do with fallacious not fallacious. It's a personal attack that appeals to emotion and has nothing to do with the merits of the argument, like you resorted to by calling me pathetic and a shutin , etc. That's basically what you conservatives always resort to, Pate included. p.s. What was that string of 5 dollar words supposed to do ? impress us with your intellect?
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 04:23 PM
Tommy,
You are incorrect. Argumentum ad hominem is in fact one of the classic logical fallacies, precisely because personal attacks do not speak to the merits of an argument (you got that part right).
Citation
Besides, I conceded using an ad hominem fallacy in my previous post, so your dramatic expose of my methods lacks teeth.
Also: I didn't say you were a pathetic shut-in, I said you sounded like one. It's an important difference.
Posted by: Anonymous because who cares? | March 20, 2006 at 04:32 PM
Wrong. An ad hominem remark could be technically, factually true about the individual being attacked (not fallacious), but still be an ad hominem attack, because it was personal, irrelevant and not germaine to the merits of the argument. Anyway you showed your true "conservative, ad hominem attacker" colors by calling us all "Marxist douchebags" at the end. Case closed
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 04:43 PM
Tommy,
Without conceding the point, I am going to decline to respond to spare the board any more of this tedious discussion. Enjoy your technical victory.
Closer to the original topic, please explain how your evaluation of Pate's character should be given more weight than that of people who actually know him, given that you are (I presume) just a listener to his show and have had no personal contact with him?
More generally, do you understand the difference between an entertainer's show-business persona and his actual personality? And if so, why are you conflating the two?
Posted by: Anonymous because who cares? | March 20, 2006 at 04:58 PM
Me, I just got home from work. I'm gonna go down a beer or two.
Posted by: Ryder | March 20, 2006 at 05:15 PM
Andrew, thanks for the link. I enjoyed reading the article. It was interesting at the end the different takes/ways of interpreting the behavior of these whiny kids later on.
If you missed Murtha on Meet The Press Sunday, he was awesome on the subject of Iraq and you can get the segment at this address:
"Murtha rips Bush on Iraq"
Also, a great clip from Boston Legal which is making the rounds: "Stick It: Closing Arguments"
Both worth a look.
Posted by: joanie | March 20, 2006 at 05:24 PM
Watching Keith here...Bush now says he never said there was a connection between 9-11 and Saddam!!
This just gets better and better...
Posted by: sparky | March 20, 2006 at 05:29 PM
Was Lou in favor of the war??
Posted by: sparky | March 20, 2006 at 05:30 PM
This will be my final post to you , Anonymous, since I don't abide the kind of insolent, pretentious condescension ("Moreover , do you understand the difference between , blah blah blah") that you indulge yourself in, but let me just say this final word about Pate- Pate demonstrated the obvious character flaws of an insecure, jealous bully in his abusive interaction with callers, and conversely his sycophantic, buttkissing behavior with those he considered his superiors or at least equals( i.e. guest authors, journalists, celebrities, etc on his show.) This is a classic negative type of managerial employee that company CEO's are familiar with- the "kiss-up, kick-down employee". You could hear him trying to intimidate callers with his bullying, overbearing personality each night as the show progressed. How do I know it's not an act? Because a pure show business act is usually fairly transparent and doesn't pass the "smell test". Also the biggest, most successful conservative hosts on radio do not react in the rabid, nasty and demeaning fashion that Pate does as soon as he scents out the first whiff of disagreement in a caller. You know a bully when you see/hear one. Thus Pate's extreme, abusive behavior is anomalous even in the world of rightwing, conservative hosts. Sorry, your "radio shtick act" argument simply doesn't wash. These personal remembrances of "nice guy Lou" ( Eileen, this letterwriting neighor guy, Scrilla, who worked with him, and you) actually don't prove anything. You are simply people who Pate wasn't threatened by and/or subconsciously were submissive to his subtle intimidation tactics. Any such people who called up Pate's show were also treated pleasantly and kindly, as you say you were. So what?
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 20, 2006 at 05:45 PM
Tommy,
You won't "abide" my "insolence"? Who are you, Ming the Merciless?
So your position is that my weak, emotionally-based arguments are no match against the rigorously empirical Tommy008 "smell test." Is that the smell of a lonely, dank room where you engage in epic battles of conscience with talk show hosts who don't even know you exist?
If you think that whimsical notions like "he doesn't pass the smell test" and "I know a bully when I see one" are sufficient to "know" with certainty (as opposed to "suspect") anything about Pate, or anything else for that matter, you are in a sad state of affairs.
Also, enough with your treasured "kiss-up kick-down employee" theory. We've all heard it from you before, and it sounds like some weak piece of managerial jargon you picked up in a job training seminar at the YMCA. Get a new idea.
I'm a little broken up that you won't be responding to me anymore. Though henceforth deprived of your vast and well-reasoned wisdom, I will try to press on in life.
(We should all be so lucky)
Posted by: Anonymous because who cares? | March 20, 2006 at 06:44 PM
WILL YOU TWO PLEASE JUST GO OUT AND GET MOTEL.
Posted by: Ryder | March 20, 2006 at 08:04 PM
Ryder,
Sorry we haven't risen to the lofty standard you have set for this thread with such posts as "Me, I just got home from work. I'm gonna go down a beer or two."
Fun trivia fact: 67% of sentences written by Ryder are inexplicably missing one word.
I'll get a motel with Tommy if you press your caps lock key.
Posted by: Anonymous because Ryder is awesome | March 20, 2006 at 08:43 PM
andrew wrote "In the news: Whiny children, claims a new study, tend to grow up rigid and traditional. Future liberals, on the other hand ...The part I take exception with is claim that they grow up."
I take issue with a study that assumes you're either conservative or liberal or somewhere in between and doesn't take into account the possibilities of libertarianism, authoritarianism, or anything else.
Posted by: lukobe | March 20, 2006 at 09:16 PM
by the way, never having listened much to Pate, I don't know: WAS he an actual libertarian, or did he just (like Dori) THINK he was? Anyone care to chime in?
Posted by: lukobe | March 20, 2006 at 09:17 PM
sparky says Watching Keith here...Bush now says he never said there was a connection between 9-11 and Saddam!!
I don't believe he did, but it's not that hard not to lie. All you have to do is preface your misleading assertions with "is alleged to have" or "British intelegence concludes that" or "Intelegence strongly suspects" or "it is our firm belief that" or "Jesus had done come down from the heavens and he says, Dubya..."
A poll showed that most Americans believed there was a connection between Sadam and 9-11 and that viewers of Fox News were even more likely to hold that belief than viewers of other news sources.
The conclusion to draw is that most people trust the president enough that he can just say "Intelegence believes such and such" and people will assume he must be refering to the best intelegence America has to offer when in reality he's refering to hearsay written on a napkin in ketchup by a cat.
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 10:48 PM
Andrew,
Normally I view spelling corrections in a comments thread as overly pedantic, but when you're ranting about the sorry state of the intelligence of the United States, its president, and its people, you might want to learn how to actually spell the word.
Posted by: Anonymous with a woody for Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 10:58 PM
you're a dork
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 11:18 PM
holly shit, that must be ExDem! How you doin' buddy?
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2006 at 11:24 PM
Hello.
I was not going to add anymore to this debate, but I feel this needs to be said. If you look at how I do my postings, I start them with 'Hello' and end them with 'Domo,' basically being polite by opening with a greeting and ending my post by saying thanks in Japanese. 'Domo' is NOT my name... it is just polite etiquette. Now I COULD say something to the effect that it shouldn't surprise me Tommy does not know of etiquette, but honestly, it would be kicking him when he is down. What a sad, sad little man.
Domo
PS-if you need to refer to me, 'Left Behind' is good.
Posted by: Left Behind by the New Democratic Party | March 21, 2006 at 01:24 AM
hahahahahahaa. Another pretentious ass. You and Anonymous should move in together.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 21, 2006 at 04:22 AM