Apparently, I'm not the only one in town put off by some of the ad spots on local radio station AM1280 The Patriot.
Pinkmonkeybird has elected to give up listening to the station for Lent:
I realize that the advertisers and their money are what make it possible for great shows like NARN, Patriot Insider, The Hugh Hewitt Show and others onto the air. But the lion's share of the ads just infuriate me. My favorite ads on this excellent political talk radio station are the Benjamin Franklin ads; "Plumbing-focals, Wally?" I suspect that's because they are just light and silly and vaguely humorous in nature. I wish all the ads on this station could be so inoffensive.
So without much joy, I am not tuning into The Patriot until Lent is over. I need to allow the peace of Creation back into my life. The constant mental barrages over Memowhatever, The Three Point Plan, that "Reality" company and all the other maddening noise that come over the airwaves from advertisers is best forgotten for what's left of the forty days of Lent.
Something tells me that his deprivation isn't nearly as painful as JB's Lenten sacrifice.
Kevin from EckerNet e-mails to add that he too has given up on The Patriot because of the ads:
Seriously, if you are gonna complain about bad commercials at least make an attempt to get rid of that 3-step plan by Andy Willlebee (or whatever). I can't stand it and I'm on a self-imposed boycott of the Patriot (unfortunately including your program!) until it's off.
It is THAT annoying.
So sit down with your station manager, and let him know that if he doesn't remove it I'm going to lead a riot of one and burn effigies of Hugh Hewitt outside the station. And let me know when it's off the station so I can start listening again.
Kevin's action seems to be a bit rash. While I'm no fan of Andy "Hi, how in the world are you anyway?" Willoughby and his Three Step Plan myself, I've learned to reflexively turn the station off as soon as his homespun pitch begins. At times this can involve a mad dash across a room and a desperate dive at the radio to end the suffering as quickly as possible, but it's a small price to pay for listening to some of the best talk shows in the land (and Hugh Hewitt).
UPDATE--EJ e-mails to add:
You think you got bad advertising? Come to Bemidji. We got a pretty good talkradio line-up, but the ads never change and you'd be hard-pressed to distinguish most of them from Soucheray's Euphoria parodies by "Morghanne Q.E. Wolfe-Slattery." How would you like to hear Beltrami Electric Co-op's "Who's running this place? You are, ma'am" or Kenny's Amoco "wash wax dry and the double pass wash wax dry" 5-6 times an hour? Don't forget Dex, the talking phone book. On top of all that, you get all the AP News updates from the top -- how Bush lied, the latest bombings in Baghdad, the number of dead Americans in Iraq, how Joe Biden says this, how Cindy Sheehan says that, and then all the latest on what Madonna is wearing, the state of Brad and Angelina's love jones, J-Lo and Mariah's latest career moves, and the latest philosophical pronouncements from Mahatma George Clooney. Don't forget the dozens of PSAs on the evils of second-hand smoke, chewing tobacco, global warming, being a bad father, pre-teen alcoholism, and housing discrimination either.
You don't know what you're missing!
UPDATE II--More from Bob:
Hi! How in the world are you anyway? Man, it's good to hear that someone else is getting sick unto death of AM 1280's lame and never-changing advertising. Unlike PMB, I haven't sworn off the station completely. I still tune in to the Northern Alliance (I'm serious, not just sucking up), Mark Steyn's segment and sometimes the beginning of the hour when commercials aren't incessant, but I actually have cut way back. And the chief reason is that I simply can't handle listening for the umpteen-millionth time to the roofer's little kid, Emma the senior citizen who's rolling in 3-Step Plan loot, the cabinetmaker who talks like a valley girl, or John Haley telling me yet again that if my underlayment is not tucked up my sidewall I am screwed big-time. At some point don't these things become counter-productive? Cut me a break, Patriot!
There. I feel better now. I think I've just had too many 401(k) lattes today.
UPDATE III--Kate weighs in:
Oh, the roofer's little kid! THE ROOFER'S LITTLE KID!!!! GRRRRRR!!!!!
On a side note, am I the only one who, when hearing the Patriot advertise Dennis Prager's special birthday message, envisions Mr Prager in a white sequined dress, so tight that he'll have to be sewn into it, singing (in a very soft, breathy voice) "Happy Birthday, dear Patriot..." and then giving a big sexy wink?
Yes, I probably am the only one.
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