Art Bell Quits Dark Matter

[ItsOver]

Ok. I take it back.

My knowledge of military history is limited. Outside of Hitler, what is an example of someone biting off way more than they can chew in a military conflict?

The Spartans won. I think. So can't use them.

You always have Napoleon but he wasn't exactly a sweetheart, either.  His pastry's pretty good, though.

[Coz]

Ok. I take it back.

My knowledge of military history is limited. Outside of Hitler, what is an example of someone biting off way more than they can chew in a military conflict?

The Spartans won. I think. So can't use them.

Visigoths taking Rome.

Rome was arrogant...

[Chine]

God?

Zeebo! The feisty squirrel is back!

[malachi.martini]

Seems to me that Jess is the real villain here.

What's this about?

[zeebo]

Oh!  and mom says to eat your veggies.

Best comeback I've heard in a while, haha 

[bateman]

So between 2 non competes, this will be a a 4 year, 46 week vacation. Great.

[SixWeekTenure(tm)]

What's this about?

The canned response to inquiring fans about how Art Bell leaving Dark Matter was his decision always seem to come from "Jess" of SiriusXM.

[onan]

God?

well yeah, that kinda goes without saying.

[SomeVelvetMorning]

Is it time yet to play "We'll meet again" from Dr. Strangelove:

We'll Meet Again ââ,¬â€ "Dr. Strangelove"

[tertiaryimam]

Visigoths taking Rome.

Rome was arrogant...

Thanks.

An alternate version:

I'm not comparing you to Rome but this whole ordeal was really just a repeat of their war with the Visigoths. If they kept peace with them and even integrated them into Roman Society as equals rather than calling them "No Good Piddle-Sniffers", they'd at least be relevant today --- in the political sense, not in the sense of Deepak Chopra. Instead, they went up against the goddamn VISIGOTHS! The VISIGOTHS! They were the rascaliest bunch of scamps in the WORLD in their day! They spent millennia in RENTED ROOMS on the LOWER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN during the 1950s writing HOWL, ON THE ROAD and the SCREWTAPE LETTERS. You can't fuck with that, art. You just can't. You didn't settle amicably with the Visigoths and now you're a silly punchline.

[nomobjustice]

Ok. I take it back.

My knowledge of military history is limited. Outside of Hitler, what is an example of someone biting off way more than they can chew in a military conflict?

The Spartans won. I think. So can't use them.

James IV of Scotland, Santa Anna, Custer, Lord Lucan, Gen Pickett, Hannibal at Canae, Varus, yada yada yada

[malachi.martini]

The canned response to inquiring fans about how Art Bell leaving Dark Matter was his decision always seem to come from "Jess" of SiriusXM.

Sigh.  Already demonizing some vague corporate entity?  Was Jess's base not big enough?

[SomeVelvetMorning]

You always have Napoleon but he wasn't exactly a sweetheart, either.  His pastry's pretty good, though.

Napoleon is a bit like Art.  Exiled, escaped, returned to power only to be destroyed at Waterloo.  One of Art's favorite ABBA tunes.

[SixWeekTenure(tm)]

Sigh.  Already demonizing some vague corporate entity?  Was Jess's base not big enough?

Apparently on another forum they called SiriusXM QA the "worst ever" and that was all it took for Jess to break down.  :

[ItsOver]

Sigh.  Already demonizing some vague corporate entity?  ....

Nah, nah... we save that for Dave. 

[aldousburbank]

Napolean

What's this got to do with ice cream?

[tertiaryimam]

Napoleon is a bit like Art.  Exiled, escaped, returned to power only to be destroyed at Waterloo.  One of Art's favorite ABBA tunes.

Here's a question --- do we think art has actual word from Sirius yet on their decision and is plotting his response to us right now? Or is Sirius not telling him jack shit and letting him get the hint from their scullduggery with the Indie Channel schedule?

Or, has he really not heard and, if so, why?

[jazmunda]

The canned response to inquiring fans about how Art Bell leaving Dark Matter was his decision always seem to come from "Jess" of SiriusXM.

"Bryan" was my bearer of bad news.

[Walks_At_Night]

Gonna have to go back on Youtube and listen to old shows now.

It's a damned shame. What a horrible letdown.

Indeed.   The whole setup *should* have been ideal.  Art could have some fun.  Have a show on several days a week.   Do whatever he wanted to do.  Rap w/ Whitley.   Rap w/ Linda
Rap w/ Major Ed,  bring in some new guests he finds interesting.   Take a few calls.    Just
have a good time. 

If his back was bothering him, then take the night off.  If he wanted to head over to Manila for a few weeks - same deal.  No big whup - no pressure.  We'd all have a good time listening to him.

Now somehow it's come to this state.   

[ItsOver]

What's this got to do with ice cream?

We're all about to pig out, get drunk, and burn down BellGab.  You know.  Just another day.

[tertiaryimam]

I got an Alicia:

Hello Loser,

Thank you for contacting the SiriusXM corporate office. We have reviewed your feedback regarding the recent channel changes made to our programming, and will share it with the team that supports this process. We appreciate your letter regarding this issue. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience these changes may have caused. We hope that you stay with SiriusXM so you can see our continued efforts to improve our company.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Alicia McDonald
Corporate Customer Relations
SIRIUS XM Radio

[BattyBrooke]

Call me a fool, a shill, a nuthugger, a sycophant, an apologist, whatever. I sincerely don't care. This thread has transcended any sort of rational level of debate and entered into the realm of the shameful.

I can understand confusion, disappointment, frustration, even anger over this situation. I share some of those feelings myself. But rather than wait, give the benefit of the doubt, and be patient--or, God forbid, try to figure out ways that you could *help*--you turned. You turned hard, sharp, dark, and ugly. And every last one of you who did so should be ashamed.

What has happened here in the last 36 hours and 100+ pages goes beyond criticism. It has turned into all-out of sadism directed against the man who nearly everyone on this forum claims to love and respect. It seems as though every one of you who has jumped on the "Fuck Art", "Art Sucks", "I Hate Art", "Art Is Dead To Me" bandwagon is getting some sort of sick, gleeful thrill at slinging the barbs and the shit at the object of their affection--knowing that he is, in fact, paying attention.

It's like you're taking out on Art all the vitriol you have about everything wrong in your lives. And then when he shows that however thick his skin is, he IS capable of being stung--you turn the bile on even MORE?

That says far more about you than it does about him.

Forget what you think of the man's decisions, his character, his thought process. Forget that you DON'T know all or even most of whatever led to this decision. Forget all your accusations, hunches, speculations, assumptions, and "educated" guesses. Forget that he didn't have to return to the radio, or come here, at all. Forget that he has at least made some kind of an effort to reach out and speak up for himself, publicly and privately. Forget all that. For now.

This man has done more in his life than most of us ever will. He made a decision you didn't like, understand or agree with. And while you can be puzzled, disappointed, upset at that decision, how is it that it somehow negates his past accomplishments? Those accomplishments dwarf this situation on a scale that can't be measured. If Art never did another show again, his legacy would still be secure. This is a man who caused a seismic paradigm shift in a major medium and had greater influence than anyone can possibly calculate. He's had conversations none of us ever could or will. Do you know what I'd give to have had the chance to talk to George Carlin? To be interviewed by Larry King? How many of you have had those experiences, or comparable ones?

Art is not a perfect human being, unlike, it seems, many of you. Whatever his faults and failings as a person--not that any of you can relate to that, since clearly you are all so perfect that you are free to throw as many stones as you like, without fear of breaking those glass-house-windows--he *is* still a human being. And I don't buy for a second any of this dime-store psychoanalysis about whether he's a sociopath, a psychopath, blah blah fucking blah. He's a human being with thoughts, emotions and motivations, just like anyone else. And he doesn't deserve this. And neither do those who have the temerity to defend him, either.

I'm not going to say I'm "done" with this forum. There are a lot of great people here, and I have nothing but respect for what MV has built. But many of you sure have made this a cold, dark, unfriendly place, and you've taken the joy out of one of the few places online I really felt I could commune with kindred spirits--even when I didn't always like or agree with other posts or posters, there will still a level of respect that's absolutely lacking in this thread.

If I were Art, I wouldn't *want* you in my "base". Whatever he does--or doesn't do--from this point, I stand by him as a fan and listener. If he never returns to radio--and I can't say I'd blame him--then so be it. If he does--and I believe and hope he will--I'll be there.

Either way, he owes me nothing. And he owes YOU nothing, either. And don't bitch about your Sirius subscriptions. Does it suck that a lot of people paid for equipment and services that are probably useless now? Yes. But no one held a gun to anyone's head.

You call Art a sociopath, implying he has no conscience. You call him petulant, saying that he's acting like a child. Well if that's the case, kettles, look in the mirror. Your pots look awfully black to me.

I am quoting you just so that anyone who missed it sees it. I agree with you wholeheartedly and it is encouraging to see a fellow human being sees things as such.

[tertiaryimam]

Oh, a question for art if he comes back:

What would you have done differently, if you could go back in time?

[ItsOver]

...Or is Sirius not telling him jack shit and letting him get the hint from their scullduggery with the Indie Channel schedule?

My pick.  No news is bad news.  No need to communicate.  The silence does it all.

[SixWeekTenure(tm)]

I doubt they've given him a definitive answer yet. Question - would you want to work with a loose cannon that could take his ball and go home if his latest demands aren't met, whatever they might be? He should have looked into all of this (the streaming issues and hardships for international listeners) before putting pen to paper earlier this year. I can't believe we're going to have to wait until the non-compete is through to hear him again, ugh.

[ItsOver]

I got an Alicia:

Hello Loser,

Thank you for contacting the SiriusXM corporate office. We have reviewed your feedback regarding the recent channel changes made to our programming, and will share it with the team that supports this process. We appreciate your letter regarding this issue. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience these changes may have caused. We hope that you stay with SiriusXM so you can see our continued efforts to improve our company.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Alicia McDonald
Corporate Customer Relations
SIRIUS XM Radio

They must use the same form letters Premrat uses.

[bateman]

Noory is drinking Art's milkshake.

[BattyBrooke]

I literally have 10 minutes to peek in and see a) the bashing continues (and to what heights, or shall I say, lows!) and there is no real news at this point. I do hope Sirius agrees and Art is back on the air as early as tonight. The man is willing to work for free, for chrissakes. How many of you would work for free? Not I. Again, be well Gabbers.

[Mhayhurst]

Our only hope now would involve the combined forces of Mad Man Markham and John Titor to retroactively fix this.

Lol! Love this!

[ItsOver]

I doubt they've given him a definitive answer yet. Question - would you want to work with a loose cannon that could take his ball and go home if his latest demands are met, whatever they might be? He should have looked into all of this (the streaming issues and hardships for international listeners) before putting pen to paper earlier this year. I can't believe we're going to have to wait until the non-compete is through to hear him again, ugh.

Very possible, too.  Who knows what committee is doing what until the next committee, within the Sirius bureaucracy.