Annoyed Art!

[SredniVashtar]

I was thinking about Art's post last week about the expectation for the show, and the fact that he will be 70 and not 40 when the new show starts. The only concern (very slight, I must admit) would be that he has mellowed in the interim, because the Art we all knew and loved always had an edge.

I don't know about anyone else, but I won't consider the new show officially started until Art gets ornery with someone, be it caller or guest. The best thing about it is that Art is old-school enough not to tear them off a strip, shock-jock style, but you are aware of a mounting grumpiness that usually boils up into a tetchy remark or sarcastic aside that makes it much more entertaining than a bit of straightforward yelling. He is obviously a man who finds fools very hard to tolerate, and the simmering annoyance that you get with him is worlds away from the usual blandness you associate with a host. I was just listening to a Malachi Martin show the other day, and a caller was waffling away, then you heard Art say (with sinister emphasis), 'Do. You. Have. A. Question?


If anyone call recall specific instances of this I would be interested to hear them. The one that sticks in my mind is the interview with Dallas Thompson. After a half or so of Art being patient, he finally realises that he is dealing with a man with a plate in his head and a tenuous grasp on reality. The interview continues to slide downhill as Thompson's dementia grows ever more apparent, and Art decides he wants to know who booked him for the interview, and he keeps going back to this point, trying to get Thompson to tell him who was responsible. The exchange went something like:


Art: Was it Lisa?
Dallas? [hesitant] Lisa's not in trouble, is she?
Art: [tone as dry as the Gobi Desert] That has yet to be determined

Please share any of your favourite memories of 'When Art Gets Pissed'.

[DanTSX]

Do not underestimate the power of a grumpy old man.


I'm sure Art will find his stride and level of patience quickly.


My favorite is when he chases hoagland through his maze.

[SredniVashtar]

It's usually Hoagland that gets annoyed at Art rather than the other way round, from what I remember. There is something about a cat playing with a mouse when those two get together, Art knows just how to push his buttons.

[DanTSX]

It's usually Hoagland that gets annoyed at Art rather than the other way round, from what I remember. There is something about a cat playing with a mouse when those two get together, Art knows just how to push his buttons.

  . I know. it's great!

[pyewacket]

His low threshold for stupidity is one of Art's many endearing qualities. He may have mellowed a bit- I think we all do, but I suspect his quick wit and appropriate crankiness is still there. 

I worry more about the quality of the callers. I've been listening to talk shows for decades and there has been a decline on some shows. I've read some comments on various fan pages- some are sharp and smart others are way off the rails. Both of these are great foils for Art's wit- it's the unprepared people who get too distracted to articulate what they want to say or ask that annoy. Too many of that type drags a show down. You only need to listen to Dave's show for evidence.     

[Chocolate coated jackboot]

Art's spanking of Kal Korff and the banishment of Kreskin the discount magician come to mind

[SredniVashtar]

His low threshold for stupidity is one of Art's many endearing qualities. He may have mellowed a bit- I think we all do, but I suspect his quick wit and appropriate crankiness is still there. 

I worry more about the quality of the callers. I've been listening to talk shows for decades and there has been a decline on some shows. I've read some comments on various fan pages- some are sharp and smart others are way off the rails. Both of these are great foils for Art's wit- it's the unprepared people who get too distracted to articulate what they want to say or ask that annoy. Too many of that type drags a show down. You only need to listen to Dave's show for evidence. 

You make a good point. I feel that callers - perhaps people generally - are getting stupider, but I don't know if that's me just being a grumpy old man. Perhaps the good thing about what we have coming up with the new show is that it starts with a base of people who are acquainted with the show and the man and can react accordingly. But, you also need to balance out discerning listeners with clueless rubes, if only for the entertainment value.

There is always a place for Falkie. Evolution knows what it's doing, even if we sometimes can't see it.

[albrecht]

You make a good point. I feel that callers - perhaps people generally - are getting stupider, but I don't know if that's me just being a grumpy old man. Perhaps the good thing about what we have coming up with the new show is that it starts with a base of people who are acquainted with the show and the man and can react accordingly. But, you also need to balance out discerning listeners with clueless rubes, if only for the entertainment value.

There is always a place for Falkie. Evolution knows what it's doing, even if we sometimes can't see it.

Grade inflation, unscientific thinking, political correctness, social promotion (when is the last time you heard of a kid failing and having to repeat a grade,) immigration, dropping foreign languages (except gutter Spanish,) less music and art in schools, and low pay for teachers all are contributing for people being "more stupid." Though I think it also is more of a problem with attention spans- not necessary that people are "more stupid."

Then again the world is so complex that nobody can be a "Renaissance Man" and hope to know everything and we tend to steer people into either "jobs" or into specific, specialized career subjects. The "Liberal Arts" education is seen, and maybe rightly, as not good perpetration to make money (unless one becomes a politician or lawyer.)

Back to subject. Aside from politics (Art would lay into some people sometimes) I LOVED when Art was in a particular mood and really would lay into people who presumed to tell Art what Art thought on some subject. He also railed pretty good against some skinhead caller during the OKC thing. Another thing I like, that Norry would never do, is that Art would hang up on a caller who used the wrong line (call 'East Of' instead of 'West Of' etc or called about a subject not related to a special line.

[SredniVashtar]

I saw a video the other day of a college in Texas, where a girl was asking students basic questions like 'who won the civil war?' and hardly anyone even knew who was involved let alone who won. Another was 'who is the VP?' Again, she was getting blank faces. Then she asked, 'what show was Snooki on?' and of course everyone knew the answer to that one. Whether the video was an accurate reflection of all those she talked to we will never know, but finding anyone who didn't know such basic info was rather a shock for me. I was pretty hopeless at that age too, no doubt, but I knew things like that. If school should teach you one thing it should be that learning doesn't stop when you leave school, but I am sure that many leave actively disliking books and the idea of any kind of mental activity at all.

I suppose you can have two approaches to learning; either be a generalist who has rather shallow rooted knowledge about many things, or someone who has deep knowledge of one main thing. Berlin's fox and hedgehog idea, more or less. I don't know which is best, but the hedgehogs sure make more money. However much you try and learn, you will still be unbelievably ignorant about most things in life.

I had forgotten about Art's hanging up on callers for using the wrong line, thanks for reminding me. That is classic Art grumpiness. That is so petty and yet hilarious at the same time. I don't know if you have this expression, but in the UK we would call that sort of person a 'jobsworth', a stickler for the rules, who would say that they have to do it because it's 'more than their job's worth not to'.

[albrecht]

I saw a video the other day of a college in Texas, where a girl was asking students basic questions like 'who won the civil war?' and hardly anyone even knew who was involved let alone who won. Another was 'who is the VP?' Again, she was getting blank faces. Then she asked, 'what show was Snooki on?' and of course everyone knew the answer to that one. Whether the video was an accurate reflection of all those she talked to we will never know, but finding anyone who didn't know such basic info was rather a shock for me. I was pretty hopeless at that age too, no doubt, but I knew things like that. If school should teach you one thing it should be that learning doesn't stop when you leave school, but I am sure that many leave actively disliking books and the idea of any kind of mental activity at all.

I suppose you can have two approaches to learning; either be a generalist who has rather shallow rooted knowledge about many things, or someone who has deep knowledge of one main thing. Berlin's fox and hedgehog idea, more or less. I don't know which is best, but the hedgehogs sure make more money. However much you try and learn, you will still be unbelievably ignorant about most things in life.

I had forgotten about Art's hanging up on callers for using the wrong line, thanks for reminding me. That is classic Art grumpiness. That is so petty and yet hilarious at the same time. I don't know if you have this expression, but in the UK we would call that sort of person a 'jobsworth', a stickler for the rules, who would say that they have to do it because it's 'more than their job's worth not to'.

I can believe it. Perversely, we enjoy laughing at ourselves. Late night variety show's frequently do "man on the street" bits in which people can't answer basic questions (or, even more funny, will lie to pretend they are knowledgeable about a subject.) Mark Dice, ignoring his politics or conspiracy theories, has some crazy/funny/sad videos where he interviews people on the street and gets them to sign petitions for things "Obama Supports" like "post-birth abortion" or, infamously recently, "nuking Russia." But I still find it hard to believe that the general public is really that ill-informed or stupid, but I guess it is when you see various statistics and surveys.

Ideally, though maybe this is not the best method, would have generalized, broad education through at least 16th year with more increased specialization then but still some core subjects required. The biggest problem, or irony, is that we are expected to get our education precisely at the time in our lives that naturally we have lower attention spans, less risk adverse, more concerned with sex, partying, fun, sports, etc.

Yeah, I liked when Art hung up on a "wrong line" caller because it was like he was enforcing his rules and reminding us all to pay attention.

[ACE of CLUBS]

"They look like rocks to me Richard ...... "
The bombastic Hoagland was silent for a nano-second .....

[SredniVashtar]

"They look like rocks to me Richard ...... "
The bombastic Hoagland was silent for a nano-second .....

Hoagland is barely worth anyone's time on his own, but get Art to stir him up with a stick and things start happening. Sometimes you get people who say, 'I don't care who is hosting, all I care about is the guest', and then you hear Art toying with RCH and you realise you are listening to a master.

I think it was on the Dark Matter show that Hoagland was bleating on that 'you are never as tough on anyone else'. Didn't he also tell him once that a Mars picture looked like a cat box?

[Autistic Star Children]

Maybe Timothy Good (and sorry if it wasn't) but on Dark Matter Art was interviewing a guy who kept giving answers like "it's in my book" or "you can find that information in my book" and Art stopped the interview short and went to open lines. He pretty much said "We're going to go ahead and stop the interview here"

[albrecht]

Maybe Timothy Good (and sorry if it wasn't) but on Dark Matter Art was interviewing a guy who kept giving answers like "it's in my book" or "you can find that information in my book" and Art stopped the interview short and went to open lines. He pretty much said "We're going to go ahead and stop the interview here"

Art usually had (and maybe still does) a method that he wouldn't read the guest's book beforehand. Thinking that it would make a better interview since we, the listeners, have likely not read the book. I think that system worked great. There are interviewers who do the opposite and make that work also. Norry appears to not read the books- but claims to the guests that he has- and so, amongst other problems, it make a hard to listen to interview style.

[PathoJen]

Maybe Timothy Good (and sorry if it wasn't) but on Dark Matter Art was interviewing a guy who kept giving answers like "it's in my book" or "you can find that information in my book" and Art stopped the interview short and went to open lines. He pretty much said "We're going to go ahead and stop the interview here"

Oh yes. that was an instant classic.

[NW Kro͞oˈsādər]

Oh yes. that was an instant classic.

Art easily could have pandered to him , like Noory or Jimmy Church does. Art will easily help someone who is willing to be interviewed. Art has integrity, for his show and his listeners.

[bateman]

One of my favorite Annoyed Art moments was the interview with the DMT researcher who sounded like he was, umm, impaired in some fashion.

[ksm32]

A noid Art is very, very good radio.

[Heather Wade]

On 6/7/02 Art had The Amazing Kreskin on to talk about his claim that a few nights prior, or even the night prior, there was going to be a sky full of alien ships over the Nevada desert, near Vegas.  Kreskin left the scene at 10:20 PM, when he claimed the 'event' would take place at 11:45 PM.  There were no historic sightings of hundreds of UFO's.  Kreskin's retort to that was that there were, instead, thousands.


Art gave him the chance to explain himself, and Kreskin said he had 'planted' the idea that ships would be seen into the spectators' minds.  Art insisted Kreskin had intended to deceive the audience, accused Kreskin of also admitting to this in an earlier press release.  Art was hot on Kreskin, hardly giving him a chance to breathe between questions; just skewering him to the grill.  Kreskin tried to pass off a mere two questionable sightings that night as his claim being true. 


After telling Kreskin what was what, and that he can forgive many things, but deliberate, intended deception would not be tolerated, Art permanently banned him from the show.


Then played Liar, Liar Pants On Fire by The Castaways.   

[ksm32]

He called serious BS on George Green and terminated the interview. Green even insulted Pahrump leading up to it as things started to go south real fast.

[SredniVashtar]

Toward the end of Art's time on Coast he was guest-hosting. I wish I could remember the details more clearly, but he had a man and a woman who were a bit New-Agey and they were going on about UFOs in a very bland and obvious way. They claimed to have some convincing photos on their website and Art was taking a look at them. I don't know if he was just in a bad mood or he smelled blood in the water and wanted to liven things up, but he thought they were amateurish and kept going back to how bad they were. He was like a dog with a bone.

He can be a bit inconsistent with the BS that he is prepared to put up with from people like Ed Dames, but if you are sloppy or ill-prepared he will generally carve you a new one.

Of course, someone who comes on and says, 'Art, I have a couple of my favourite passages from the Bible (pronounced 'Bah-bul') I'd like to read to you', also gets pretty short shrift.  I don't think even Jazmunda would get away with that, although I'd like to hear him try.

[SredniVashtar]

On 6/7/02 Art had The Amazing Kreskin on to talk about his claim that a few nights prior, or even the night prior, there was going to be a sky full of alien ships over the Nevada desert, near Vegas.  Kreskin left the scene at 10:20 PM, when he claimed the 'event' would take place at 11:45 PM.  There were no historic sightings of hundreds of UFO's.  Kreskin's retort to that was that there were, instead, thousands.

That was a stand-out show. Once you get in Art's bad books you don't come off them any time soon. It must have been fun to hear that one going out live.

[SredniVashtar]

Maybe Timothy Good (and sorry if it wasn't) but on Dark Matter Art was interviewing a guy who kept giving answers like "it's in my book" or "you can find that information in my book" and Art stopped the interview short and went to open lines. He pretty much said "We're going to go ahead and stop the interview here"

The Good interview was a bit sad. As though he had done this so many times and was going through the motions. There was no effort to engage with what the interviewer was asking, it was a case of finding the right place in his script and going on from there. I think he must be knocking on a bit in years and he sounded old and tired with it all. One good thing about Art coming back after a lay-off is that there are always new people coming up with different things to say, and there is no need to keep coming back to the same old people all of the time. It would be nice to find out Art's opinion about some of these interviews that don't come off, but he is probably not the sort of guy to dish the dirt.

[blitzer850]

lol I dare someone to call in like the 3rd or 4th night of Art returning and say something like this:  Art I need to read a few passages from the Bah bul (Bible) I need 10 minutes Art.
Art: uh um we don't read scriptures  then interupptly say, no Art I'm reading this & theres nothing you can do!  Click!
Haha!  He will rumble grumble for about a minute then take the next caller.. lol

[DanTSX]

lol I dare someone to call in like the 3rd or 4th night of Art returning and say something like this:  Art I need to read a few passages from the Bah bul (Bible) I need 10 minutes Art.
Art: uh um we don't read scriptures  then interupptly say, no Art I'm reading this & theres nothing you can do!  Click!
Haha!  He will rumble grumble for about a minute then take the next caller.. lol
[/quote
Yeah someone besides jazmunda

[lasertron]

"turn your radio off, sir. ALL THE WAY OFF."

[GuerrillaUnReal]

Lets see Art string six months of programming together without quitting before worrying about anything else.

[slippingaway]

Lets see Art string six months of programming together without quitting before worrying about anything else.

Radio is Art's life.  I'm more worried that his heart fluttering before broadcast might trigger a heart problem.  He gets an adrenaline rush every time before he broadcasts.

Shame on you for doubting Art.  Too bad he didn't build his brand and THEN bring SiriusXM on, that way they couldn't take it away from him for 2 years with a non-compete agreement.

[slippingaway]

One of my favorite Annoyed Art moments was the interview with the DMT researcher who sounded like he was, umm, impaired in some fashion.

OMG I just heard that a few weeks ago for the first time. He sounded like he was having a panic attack. Perhaps he was super nervous, but giving the subject matter, he could have been tripping, coming down or having the ole d.t.'s

[boilingpitsofsewage]

I'm sure the maniacs calling in on Skype will be annoying lol.