John curley: no heft to his blather, and hey... he's a republican!

When it comes to pith and feck, the John Curley Show (KIROFM m-f, 7-10p) makes Dori Monson (m-f, 12-3p) look downright rabbinical.

We've been listening-in lately to the new week nightly show and can report that while Curley's grammar is better than Ron & Don's, (KIROFM m-f, 3-7p) the blather is no heftier.

Topics and issues fly by like Cocoa Puffs, lasting a moment or two, then flitting along, one grazing top of the next.

To get an idea what we're talking about: Here are shownotes from a recent evening:

9:00 pm-10:00 pm
Charlie Sheen update-He keeps setting records, even if he looks like he could die at any time.How can we make money on Twitter?  John is up to 1,000 followersCould Charlie end up homeless?  He could be a tour guide in London, where they’re hiring the homeless.  Here in the US: Bumvertising…does it work?Newt Gingrich tries to explain away three marriages and other transgressions as he preps for a presidential bidLady Gaga drops Target for not speaking stronger in favor of gay rights.  Like she needs the money!NPR on the ropes…is it time to pull the plug after the CEO is ousted?  John is actually one of many Republicans who support itForbes billionaire list...Bill Gates tries to give away all his money and still lands at #2...Facebookers end up all over the list...it's like the Social NetworkNew ATM scam

(At least now we know for sure John Curley's a Republican, if that wasn't already obvious. Fortunately, with his admission of support for NPR, he may be more cocktail-party than tea-party, though. But, as is the wont of any true Republican: He lies ... this time about his Twitter followers- he's only got about 600, not 1000).

We listened in that night: Curley didn't actually do those topics... they seemed to be kind of, er... goals, which might have been for the best. He kept complaining about not having a "buddy to chit-chat with" and asked listeners to call-in and co-host with him. Co-hosts didn't seem to be very forthcoming, but one did get on and jumped on Curley's Catholic ass about saying in one of his ramblings that he hoped the suspect in the Spokane bombing case would "fry in hell."

This, of course, despite that the guy is a) a suspect, and b) we thought these Christians were all about redemption 'n' shit.

Curley dropped, at length, a blizzard of Catholic school homilies, buzzwords and references to colorful nuns who had beaten him (presumably for being a jackass). Then the coup de grâce by demanding how would his new co-host like it if the victims of the bomb (that didn't go off) in Spokane had been the caller's kids???

After this didactic puffery, Curly cut off the listener and went abruptly to a break without hearing any attempt by the poor caller to answer the Hobson's question that implied that the pathetic Spokane neo-Nazi arrested should be shipped somewhere where there's an electric chair and, without the coddling of a trial, be sautéed up in the names of children he didn't kill. It was a dubious moral stance (very unCatholic) but worse radio. The Cocoa Puffs kept on flying...

(Attending Catholic school, like being a Jew or a Sea Scout is like belonging to a private club. It has its own jargon and inside jokes which seem to be universal to the experience wherever the school happened to be, and baffling to those of us who went to some other kind of school. Radio talk hosts, John, are probably better served not bringing old St. Bonaventure tales and travails to the air).

We get it: Curley's got this evening shift (a time traditionally with a small audience) to give him radio mileage and practice. He's got the gift of gab and the ego with that soupçon of neediness that befits a successful radio talker.

But it seems to us that this former teevee local somebody had better learn the trade of radio. He may still have that lofty teevee-borne sense of superiority over radio, radio folks, and the radio craft. For whatever reason, it sounds like he thinks doing radio is easy, that someone with all his vast broadcast experience can phone it in.

(photo: the mighty Curleyan forehead)

Some BlatherAdvice (We're talking to you, John). Snarky talk and glibby fly-by won't pack it. Ask Tony Ventrella, another popular local teevee star who blew it in the very chair you're sitting in. That live mic is a slave-driver and you, as host, its bitch.

Until you've been there a while, the listeners are way more professional than you are. They'll give you some time, but they always figure out who's really trying. They're already saying you're putting in your time until something breaks for you on the teevee.

Prove them wrong. (And forget the nuns already).

Comments

[ProgBlogJunky]

John Curley. Isnt he the other Kramer

[sparky]

There is a really nasty, ugly email being circulated right now by a White Power group ( a friend received it and has NO idea how she got on their list) that makes it sound like this is not over in Spokane. Hayden Lake was cleaned out, but they just moved to another part of the state. I am pretty sure the Southern Poverty Law group is aware of the email but it was really scary.

It doesn't sound like John C. is doing much more than keeping busy until something else comes along. I bet he ends up as a spokesperson for some highly visible company who wants a familiar face to represent them.

[EvergreenRailfan]

The Aryan Nations tried to take over Hayden ran for City Council as their last gasp(and their founder an for Mayor), to say they got whooped is an understatement. The incumbent won with 90+% of the vote rather than elect they guy who gave the area a bad name. Didn't help that one of their guys was in jail for a hate crime while campaigning.

http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-3683-hate-in-hayden.html

[AprilMayJune]

Listen up JC! This is good advice.

[Rat_Bastard]

Hey, KIRO evenings could be a lot worse than Curley.
I hear a bit sometimes when turning on a radio that was at KIRO earlier in the day and Curley is fine for those few minutes as long as he isn't giggling with Mike West.
He just started, give him a chance.
You people really want Frank Shiers back?
That's right...
I said "you people!"

[dave (not dave ross)]

On tuesdays Curley is at the Sammammish city council meetings so there is always a guest host. Last time Mike West filled in and i have to say i found him calmer and more entertaining and he has a great voice. That would be my choice for kiro evenings everynight.

[Andrew]

how quickly forget... he's not Frank Shiers.

[Ceily]

I like Curley, alot of people out here like Curley. They find him quick, smart, edgy and yet, "real"...So what if he isn't a radio "professional", whatever that might look like...I think that might be a plus, considering the "chit chat" by some of the other on air "professionals". I'll take Curley.

[Nick]

Ceily,

You've got to be either his wife or Mom?

[Ceily]

Nick, Nah...just like listening to something a little different on the radio.

[Jack]

John Curely's new show is flat out garbage. Evening Magazine gets cancelled because it was god awful and now in desperation he turns to 97.3 polluting the airwaves with stereotypical conservative vitriol. Curely's show consists of him talking about a headline and then ranting about how it was caused by Democrats, "liberal media" and the "liberal agenda". He often defends and rationalizes conservatives for making offensive, racist and bigoted comments by comparing them to liberal soundbites that are taken way out of context. It is no secret that John has a very unsavory reputation around the Seattle area for being a rude, arrogant prick. He also has had several accusations of racism against him from co-workers at his previous employers. Hopefully this douche bag will get kicked off the air soon.