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Talk-show sidekicks 'butting in'

ChrisNH

ChrisNH

OK...I've seen this sort of thing escalate to the point of absurdity: A talk-show host has an 'assistant' or some such 'underling' behind the scenes. This can be 'Snerdley' (or whatever the hell his name is) on Rush Limbaugh. It could be John 'Meat Puppet' Meterparel on WEEIs morning show. It could be 'Sandy' on Howie's 'former' show. The list must be endless across the nation. But ALL of these 'sidekicks' seem to be weaseling their way into the show! They click their microphone on and interject some comment or otherwise 'butt in.' In the same way that 'little children must be seen but not heard,' these plebes need to just ZIP IT. Meterparel does it, in my view, because without 'butting in' no one would know who he is and his chance at being a 'Radio Star' would vanish. So he needs to weasel in and leave his little 'Meat Puppet' droppings all over the radio. 99% of the time, he's plain annoying. No, make that 101% of the time.

Snerdley on Limbaugh cannot be heard, but he weasels in anyway...derailing a monologue with some inane question that only Rush can hear through his earpiece. It's annoying as hell to have Limbaugh hold a conversation with Snerdley that only the two of them are privy to. All you hear are Limbaugh's 'Mmmm--Hmm, Mmmm-Hmm' as he 'responds' to the 'heard but not heard' Bo Snerdley.

Other radio talk shows have similar butt-ins from 'assistants' or whomever.

Does this help the show or hurt the show, in your view? I think it's totally annoying, and a play by underlings to force themselves into the limelight...whether or not they deserve to or are talented enough or qualified enough to do so. I think it derails the flow of a show when one of these plebes butts in.
 
Does it occur to you that this is how the show is set up?

I've often wondered if you are Brian Maloney? You write with the same over-the-top breathiness.
 
These folks are essentially sitcom characters.

It's a formula, and WEEI uses it brilliantly both on D&C and the Big Show. Pete Shepard and Meterperel basically play the role of the co-workers of the main character on the sitcom.

I think the formula was perfected in the old Dick Van Dyke Show (which was about the writers of a TV show) and Mary Tyler Moore Show (which was about a TV station . . . see the pattern?). The formula is that the "star" is surrounded by eccentrics whose strange personality quirks bounce off the "star."

It's a tried and true entertainment formula.
 
ChrisNH said:
OK...I've seen this sort of thing escalate to the point of absurdity: A talk-show host has an 'assistant' or some such 'underling' behind the scenes. This can be 'Snerdley' (or whatever the hell his name is) on Rush Limbaugh. It could be John 'Meat Puppet' Meterparel on WEEIs morning show. It could be 'Sandy' on Howie's 'former' show. The list must be endless across the nation. But ALL of these 'sidekicks' seem to be weaseling their way into the show! They click their microphone on and interject some comment or otherwise 'butt in.' In the same way that 'little children must be seen but not heard,' these plebes need to just ZIP IT. Meterparel does it, in my view, because without 'butting in' no one would know who he is and his chance at being a 'Radio Star' would vanish. So he needs to weasel in and leave his little 'Meat Puppet' droppings all over the radio. 99% of the time, he's plain annoying. No, make that 101% of the time.

Snerdley on Limbaugh cannot be heard, but he weasels in anyway...derailing a monologue with some inane question that only Rush can hear through his earpiece. It's annoying as hell to have Limbaugh hold a conversation with Snerdley that only the two of them are privy to. All you hear are Limbaugh's 'Mmmm--Hmm, Mmmm-Hmm' as he 'responds' to the 'heard but not heard' Bo Snerdley.

Other radio talk shows have similar butt-ins from 'assistants' or whomever.

Does this help the show or hurt the show, in your view? I think it's totally annoying, and a play by underlings to force themselves into the limelight...whether or not they deserve to or are talented enough or qualified enough to do so. I think it derails the flow of a show when one of these plebes butts in.
Click to expand...

The only thing that's absurd here is applying a 17th-century aphorism about children to 21st-century talk radio. Bottom line: If the station's PD doesn't want the sidekicks to be seen or heard, he or she will tell them so. Their paychecks are not furnished by message board posters.
 
dumber than a box of hair said:
The only thing that's absurd here is applying a 17th-century aphorism about children to 21st-century talk radio.
Click to expand...

Sorry dumber, I beg to differ. That's only one of many things that are absurd here. ;D
 
OK...I've seen this sort of thing escalate to the point of absurdity:

You mean your posts on radio programming? Pretty tough to disagree with that. Just wondering, but do you post here because you lost a bet?

A talk-show host has an 'assistant' or some such 'underling' behind the scenes. This can be 'Snerdley' (or whatever the hell his name is) on Rush Limbaugh.

Bo Snerdley is the house name for whomever is screening the calls on Limbaugh's program. There have been a couple over the years.

It could be John 'Meat Puppet' Meterparel on WEEIs morning show.

Meterparel is an integral part of the program, in fact, he is often featured in the D&C print advertising. He's hardly an intruder.

Meterparel does it, in my view, because without 'butting in' no one would know who he is and his chance at being a 'Radio Star' would vanish.

Meterparel does it because that is what he is paid to do, play his role in the show. And, why would Meter aspire to be a radio star? Just because he's in radio? If you were in his position, what would you aspire to, being the Entercom switchboard operator? But, you're right, if WEEI would just throw Meter off the show, it could probably finally start to turn some decent ratings.

It could be 'Sandy' on Howie's 'former' show.

"Sandy' is part of the cast of Howie's program. She is even featured in publicity photos. She is hardly an intruder. But, perhaps if she wasn't around, Howie would have been successful.

The list must be endless across the nation

Yes. Robin Quivers, Charles McCord, Bernie McGuirk, Frank Gallop, Don Pardo, Ed McMahon...the list goes on and on, hangers on, both seen and unseen, who, despite the wishes of their employers, continue, for years, to interject themselves into the programs and leave the carnage littering the media landscape.

Snerdley on Limbaugh cannot be heard, but he weasels in anyway...derailing a monologue with some inane question that only Rush can hear through his earpiece. It's annoying as hell to have Limbaugh hold a conversation with Snerdley that only the two of them are privy to. All you hear are Limbaugh's 'Mmmm--Hmm, Mmmm-Hmm' as he 'responds' to the 'heard but not heard' Bo Snerdley.

'Snerdley' is a programming device Limbaugh uses to make a point. Usually, Limbaugh is having that conversation with himself (which is the real reason why you don't hear the other end, because there isn't another end.) Limbaugh was 'having conversations' with Snerdley back in the days when he couldn't hear anything, including what was coming through his headphones.

Other radio talk shows have similar butt-ins from 'assistants' or whomever. I think it's totally annoying,

Me, too. And while we're at it, let's discuss that annoying 'Chorus' who floats around Henry V and gets in the way of the dialog and action.

You know, you could make some serious scratch in the radio consulting business. Sell a compendium of everything you find wrong with radio, and station managers could immediately incorporate them into their programming and perhaps become as successful as losers like Limbaugh, D&C, and Carr.

That must have been some bet.

Regards,
TSB
 
Matt Allen jumps in regularly on Dan Yorke's show, but because he is Dan's producer and he hosts the show immediately following, it makes more sense.

VB used to jump in regularly when he was Howie's producer.

I don't mind the interruptions, except Sandy usually has a mouth full when she turns on the mic. That is annoying.

Agreed that the host approves of it or else it wouldn't happen.
 
I agree, some of the people that jump in are annoying. I have to say out of all of them I dislike "Sandy" from Howie Carr's show the most. I find her competely annoying. I am not sure if I don't like what she says or the fact that I think her voice is monitone and it bugs me. Her voice has very little inflection and it sound soo boring to me. If she talks too long I change the station.

Anyway, I don't think there is any comparison between her and someone like Robin Quivers. Robin is clearly a sidekick to Howard and has a defined role on the show...whereas Sandy isn't really in on the conversation...she just butts in randomly.
 
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