the whiner line.

[blamethemayo]

what are your thoughts on the whiner line?

i know it is successful, so im probably in the minority here...but i think it is pretty stupid. very few of the callers on any given day are even remotely funny.

i cant really listen to it anymore.

 

[jane grant]

the problem, blame the mayo, is that both WEEI's Whiner Line and Howie Carr's Chump Line have gotten stale.
The producers leave the funnier calls on the cutting room floor, the stations play favorites with the callers they know; too much off-key singing on the Chump Line, so what once pulled listeners in now appears to be an "insiders club", lame calls from people the producers have gotten used to who don't have much to say.

either reinvent it or sink it.

 

[SonicOverload]

the problem, blame the mayo, is that both WEEI's Whiner Line and Howie Carr's Chump Line have gotten stale.
The producers leave the funnier calls on the cutting room floor, the stations play favorites with the callers they know; too much off-key singing on the Chump Line, so what once pulled listeners in now appears to be an "insiders club", lame calls from people the producers have gotten used to who don't have much to say.

either reinvent it or sink it.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

isn't there one guy that does like 5 of the characters? Lenny the drunk, etc...

 

[TravisWMLN]

whoever does the fake terry francona is fantastic

 

[jlehmann]

The Bob Kraft guy is pretty good as well.

 

[AllForADeuce]

I think the issue is people trying too hard to be too funny, especially with them now incorporating an awards show with the Whiner Line. I've made a handful of calls on there and a good chunk of them got on. The ones that didn't tend to be on topic with the day's show. Now it's to the point that everyone is trying to be Al from Everett or Lenny the Drunk et. al.

 

[brassband]

To me, it's "appointment radio."

Yes, it's got a lot of "inside" stuff, and yes, a lot of the callers are repetitive and just plain stupid.

But I think it is one of the most creative things on the air anywhere. My estimate is that about a quarter of the bits on the air in any given week work (which is probably a higher percentage that Saturday Night Live, by the way).

The Bob Kraft guy and "Butchy from beyond the grave" are consistently the best, in my estimation.

 

[ArtSpooner]

Terry Francona, Bob Kraft, Grady Little, and a couple of others are all done by the same guy. I think that he's a stand-up comedian. They seem to put "celebrity callers" on the whiner line whether they're funny or not. In particular Frank from Gloucester and Al from Everett have had whines that aren't funny and make no sense. I must say that it's been nice not hearing Frank, his act wore out years ago. I'm sure his "retirement" will end soon though.

 

[TSBench]

To me, it's "appointment radio."

Same here. It's usually better than the rest of the show

But I think it is one of the most creative things on the air anywhere. My estimate is that about a quarter of the bits on the air in any given week work (which is probably a higher percentage that Saturday Night Live, by the way).

Yes. And the ones that do work are funnier and more clever than just about anything else around, although the Tom Doyle parodies on L&R are still the gold standard, IMHO. One whiner line bit, "Free Ballin' ", was probably the most pitch-perfect, drop dead hilarious, Tom Petty knock-off in radio history. And a lot of the one liners (" Looks like Bridget Moynahan has slapped the franchise tag on Tom Brady") are good for a chuckle.

Regards.
TSB

 

[TSBench]

The producers leave the funnier calls on the cutting room floor,

Ummm...just how do you know the stuff you don't hear is funnier than the stuff you do?

Are your more logical statements the ones you don't post?

Regards,
TSB

 

[vibe]

I think the whiner line is funny. Lots of creative people out there.

 

[SonicOverload]

yep.... some creativity. But I question the creativity of the guy who screams YOU FAT BASTARD everyday. Zzzzz