Wow. The PPM weeklies are in: And for the first time in years, the KIROFM Asshole Seat is in play. We thought Dori Monson (m-f, 12-3p) had it tied down.
On the other hand, we believed the "Dumb Shit Seat," held somewhat tenuously (or so we thought) by Ron & Don (m-f, 3-7p) was the one in flux, up for grabs. We thought the new guy, John Curley (KIROFM sometimes mondays; frequently tues & weds; lots of times thurs; and occasionally, even on fri. 7-10p) was showing brilliant tabloid fluffiness in his new evening show and crowding the drivetime boyz.
We (as is so often the case) had it dead wrong. John Curley, it turns out, is way more asshole than dumb shit. And it seems his brilliant broadcast marriage of snarky assholiness with utter asininity worked great with Dori's midday audiences.
Curley's mean like Dori, but without the fake Ballard-boyo charm. He's a teevee guy, and a so-called "business Republican." The basis of his snotty criticisms of about everyone- politicians, entertainers, or regular citizens ('specially ones down on their luck) is their appearance or personal demeanor... their hair, teeth, height/weight proportion, purported smell, or skin qualities. That single-mindedness on "attractiveness" is usually a clear sign of an arrogant asshole... and a shallow one at that. (It's typified by that ubiquitous Southern California greeting, "You look great!")
One of Curley's posts (on Dori's show-blog) had a headline, "Are Any of These People Attractive Enough to be Famous?" over a shot of Seattleites lining up for the XFactor Seattle auditions. Foremost were several overweight Seattle women, who wouldn't be making it as a batchelorette on The Batchelor in this lifetime. The subtext blared: "These women are too fat to ever be famous?" (Media critic Edgar "Choch" Manana has noted that, though John Curley has a skinny behind in real life, his intellect has a 'big fat, ass')
Labeling those who auditioned for the reality show as fat losers and layabouts, he ignored that these folks - even fat and unattractive - represent the very demographic he needs to listen to his brand of pie-eyed, tabloid radio. Playing the snide, critical jerk to Goddess Jessicaman's cooing momism, he (with Li'l Jake ganging-up w/him) always wins, gets the last word, makes you want to jam his polo shirt down his throat.
Is he likable? not really, but listeners seemed to love what he does, according to last week's PPM ratings.
The live cam is part of talk radio's reality, these days... which means radio could turn into teevee. But radio suits have long lured camera-ready talent for the radio. They get failed teevee "stars" (with their orthodontia, hair plugs and managed aging) whenever they can, promo-ing them as local "icons." Part of the attraction is that so few regular radio talents are actually broadcast presentable. (Facial deficiencies, low fashion IQs, HWP imbalances, and issues with grooming, or hygiene are commonplace). Another part is that teevee talent (even early onset washed-ups like Curley) bring a ready-made audience; their images represent thousands of bucks teevee stations have already spent on promo-ing even such losers as Curley.
As for Curley's hit & miss attendance on his evening show, he says outloud, on-air: "I'm not there much." Indeed. A day gig would seem to work better for his busy life: He's a Sammamish City Councilman, you see. Evening radio work conflicts at least twice a month with scheduled council meetings on first tuesdays and third mondays at 6:30p. What's more, Council member office hours are third Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30p. That's quite a built-in commitment for someone who's supposed to be on the air weekdays at 7p. Plus: If and when he runs again, he'll need to get totally off the air at some point during the primary campaign.
And that's not to speak of the frequent time conflicts with his charity auction business. Is Curley really serious about a $350 per shift (plus gratuity) evening job?
Probably not. But a daytime show is in quite another league... Watch out, Dori. (BlatherWatch finds itself in a quandary- who do we root for? The grasshopper or the weasel?)
Vote for the one who's gotten more bandwidth on this blog than practically any other radio personalty. DORI RULES and everyone listens to him. End of topic.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | April 24, 2011 at 08:51 PM
Good dog
Posted by: AprilMayJune | April 24, 2011 at 09:05 PM
Which proves, Curley, that beauty is skin deep, but your ugliness goes clear to the bone.
Posted by: Star's dog dish | April 24, 2011 at 09:33 PM
So the article here slams Curley for being shallow about how he views the wannabe stars and then goes on to say how homely and ugly radio personel in general are?
I like Curley and have been a fan of Dori for many years...
I did listen to a bit of Curley filling in after reading about it here and thought they made a better all around "team" than with Dori.
As I've posted before... I'd love to see Dori jump ship and go to KOMO and it could only be better if KOMO put Schramm and Carlson back together.
Carlson is good, but Ken was so much better with him than on his own in the PM.
Posted by: Rat_bastard | April 24, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Which proves that listeners to KIRO at that time don't really care who it is as long as they are mean, spiteful and ego-driven emotional talkers.
Bonneville should promo this way: AM for the intellectuals; PM for the emotional amygdalas - grunt, grunt.
Looks like a lot going on at KIRO. Amazing how many of you still listen to it. Old habits die hard. I miss Dave.
Posted by: joanie | April 24, 2011 at 10:58 PM
the point is both Dori and Curley are mean and spiteful. Curley is just mean ....he doesn't really try to pretend he's a nice guy , like Dori. If we're going to have an asshole from 12-3 we want the guy to just be an asshole and own it . Stop with the pious, maudlin, fake good guy crap of Dori and let's just go to the unpretentious , "out there" jackass. Plus Curley really doesn't have the same kind of ego Monson has and this allows his minions Jake and Jess to run around the miocrophone and have fun interfacing with his asinine comments. There's somethign exhilirating about a guy who seems to know he's an asshole and a jackass mixing it up for three hour straight with J and J , moving along at a fast pace. Dori doesn't even know or believe he's mean, and an asshole- i truly believe that.
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 24, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Nothing could be more off base. Anyone who thinks Curley is mean doesn't even begin to know the meaning of that word. Michael Savage is mean. Jay Severin is mean. John Curley is guilty honesty, the thing Dori Monson is supposed to be up until the point where he actually becomes mean himself, vilifying elected representatives and bullying any who dare to call in, blaming victims, referring to people as human garbage, scoring interviews with odd news makers only to belittle and humiliate them once he gets them on the air. The schtick didn't endure for Leykis and I don't expect it will for Dori.
Curley is the savior a Seattle area PD dreams of crossing paths with. He hits all the right notes. He's conservative, but lovably so, and not outright selfish or contempt worthy like so many others who've come and gone. I think Curley has done an amazing thing in being one of the few TV talents to switch to radio and adapt to the medium while others like Dennis Miller and Bill O'Reilly have crash and burned. Curley is a multi-talented entertainer, and if you can get him on the cheap, but in.
Posted by: Andrew | April 25, 2011 at 12:38 AM
* buy in. sorry.
Posted by: Andrew | April 25, 2011 at 12:39 AM
I disagree, but no biggie. If I was Bill Gates i would say/write "that's the stupidest thing i ever read!"....If I was Dori Nonson i would demonize you and villify you... and then laugh at you....i thaank the powers that be i am neither of those two gents...........
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 25, 2011 at 06:57 AM
RB: With BlaM's slams on the looks and hygiene practices of radio people, he's not being prejudiced - just factual. As a former radio guy, I saw it a lot: radio attracts, especially in the teen years, gals and especially guys who are a lot more comfortable when nobody can see them. It's not universal, and some grow out of their social and/or physical awkwardness - and some of the ones that do go on to teevee.
It's not a universal rule, but yeah, a lot of radio people are physically unlovely. I've always liked that with radio you can't judge people by their appearances. Pity neither Monson (who's a little wanting on that score himself) and Curley never got the memo.
Posted by: Pete | April 25, 2011 at 08:21 AM
OK, sure...
So Dori looks like a hound dog that got into the "ugly sauce"...
(Blatherwatch loves to point that out)
Fine, but Curley pointing out that famous people in general are attractive is only a fact of our society.
Not all, but the vast majority of those in the modeling, acting biz are atrractive people.
Fame can be attained in many other ways such as sports, politics and even jumping over a pool of jello on a tricycle via youtube...
Radio has always been a home for the homely.
The old joke about a "face made for radio"...
Haven't heard enough of Curley to conclude that he's "mean", but the whole famous people are attractive thing?
Yeah, for the most part that is true.
I think Curley is good for the Seattle radio landscape.
Another local conservative up for the bashing from Seattle commies.
Posted by: Rat_bastard | April 25, 2011 at 09:03 AM
People like Joanie seem to choose who they hate based based on political leaning, but all I'm interested in is good talk radio, and the survival of talk radio.
If they're trying out Tom Tangney as a replacement for Burbank, unlikely as that must be, then let me say, Tangney is tough to stomach. He comes across as an insufferable know it all who's infinately delighted by the vastness of his wit. "I don't know" is not in Tangney vocabulary. He'll always think of something to blurt out, be it useless, ill informed or in poor taste.
Tangney has been doing shallow Hollywood punditry for so long that his take on other things seems equally trivial and light. They're talking about a transgender girl getting beaten in a McD's and he's laughing, a lot, which stands in tasteless contrast to Dave's more serious, situation appropriate tone. Guess what Tom: this isn't a fucking movie.
If Tangney were a permanent replacement I wouldn't be able to listen to Ross. I can't handle that much smug so early in the morning.
Posted by: Andrew | April 25, 2011 at 09:48 AM
John Curley will run in the next Republican primary for the state House or Senate from his district. He brags about it. He will drop radio like a hot potato when he's done with it.
Posted by: Sartooth | April 25, 2011 at 12:20 PM
I'm sure for the right price he could be persuaded to take radio seriously. Maybe he's counting on that, I wouldn't put it past him.
Posted by: Andrew | April 25, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Following the lead of Susan Hutchison.
He may also be lining himself up for a seat in Congress, or a challenge to Dow Constantine. Time will tell.
Posted by: Mike Barer | April 25, 2011 at 12:55 PM
Curley is a talented enterainer, not a talented politician, and I think he understands the distinction between work and play.
Posted by: Andrew | April 25, 2011 at 01:19 PM
Susan Hutchinson was neither a talented newsperson who could think off the cuff or a talented politician but it didn't stop her from running for congress.
Posted by: dave (not dave ross) | April 25, 2011 at 01:38 PM
all those who are saying Curley is not a meanspirited guy are full of crap, feankly. Blam agrees with me and for good reason. his nasty, aggressive persona is so obnoxious that now Dori is seeming very meek as i listen to his return from vacation show. i think Curley basically is just a very angry little man, for whatever reasons. Good Christ did you hear him shouting in anger about light rail? Who get's into a shouting rage about light rail, of all things.
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 25, 2011 at 02:51 PM
People like Joanie seem to choose who they hate based based on political leaning,
God, you're a presumptuous ass, Andrew. Sometimes you write fairly well but you screw it up when your ego becomes inflated. Grow up. Frankly, you are the shallow one.
Curley reminds me of what Goldman calls Walker: Snot Walker. I don't like it really but it fits. Same with Curley.
Posted by: joanie | April 25, 2011 at 11:14 PM
Obama had to choose an all black church fo rhis Easter Swervices of course. And ge this- there was a Jeremiah Wright preacher at the podium. Not old J. W. himself of course, he threw the poor bastard under the bus in 2008 for his own politcal expediency, at the same time he did the same to his white grandmother . No this guy is a clone of Wright , preaching the same anti-white hate and nonsense. He called Rush the equivalent of a kkk leader. Looks like Obama has found a new Sunday morning home.
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 26, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Michele and the girls are black, too. Perhaps they just feel more comfortable at that church. And what's wrong with his going to a black church anyway? There a difference?
Posted by: joanie | April 26, 2011 at 07:32 AM
BTW, you ever been to a church that isn't white? or a church at all?
Posted by: joanie | April 26, 2011 at 07:32 AM
we're just more comfortable with our own kind"-- that's what every white Southern racist defending segregation said in the fifties and sixties.
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 26, 2011 at 10:09 AM
she's still carrying water for this phony, guys. incredible.
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 26, 2011 at 10:11 AM
There's a big difference between a church that is attended mostly or all by black people and a "Black Theology" church.
Reverend Wright and his "kind" are full on racists...
He was and would be Obama's spiritual leader of choice.
Doesn't matter much in politics since most everyone ignored that aspect of Obama's life because it wasn't convenient to the Liberal agenda.
Getting rid of Wright was just damage prevention which as it turns out, wouldn't have been an issue.
People who love Obama don't care if he kicks puppies or spits on babies.
Posted by: Rat_bastard | April 26, 2011 at 11:41 AM
this new Obama pastor sounds just as racist and obsessed as Wright. they have tapes of one of his sermons where he takls about his three weeks old grandson, celebrating his birth and he brings in the "3/5 of a man clause" and white racism into this takl about his grandson. He sounded like some caricatue of a black racist, racially obsessed preacher that you would see Eddie Murphy playing on Saturday Night Live, back in the eighties.
Posted by: Tommy008 | April 26, 2011 at 12:57 PM