Listeners tuning into Public Radio’s KCUR’s popular “Up to Date” show today to listen to Steve Kraske and his guests may have thought they had inadvertently tuned into Johnny Dare’s crude morning show on “The Rock” on KQRC. Or Howard Stern. Or Imus.
But no, this was public radio where the language seemed to hit a new low as ”Dirty Harry” was discussed as the “anti-a–hole.”
With Maria Carter subbing on the show (along with Danie Alexander and Greta Wendelin) she interviewed linguist Geoffrey Nunberg, who was plugging his new book titled “Ascent Of The A-Word: A–holism, The First 60 Years.”
At times Carter and the author simply referred to it as the “a-word.” Then they simply began using the word “a–hole” routinely. She often giggled.
“No doubt about it, the world is full of, well…a–holes,” was the show write-up on the KCUR site. ” The self-assured, the snotty, the blowhards, and the all-around jerks are everywhere, whether its in our daily life or in the media.”
The word “a–hole” was tossed around routinely by callers and the show even played a clip of a song by Denis Leary, where he seemed to also mention “piss” and then seemed to drop the “f-bomb” at the end…
I use public toilets and I piss on the seat I walk around in the summer time saying “how about this heat?”
Im an a–hole (hes an a–hole) Im an asshole (hes the worlds biggest a–hole)
Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces While handicapped people make handicapped faces
Im an a–hole (hes an a–hole) Im an a–hole (hes a real f–king asshole)
One would be hard-pressed to think Kraske would ever lower his show to such depths.
Or that volunteers who work on the station’s never-ending pledge drives would use the show to brag about KCUR’s unique programming offerings.
Or imagine the surprise by a parent who listens to KCUR knowing it’s a “safe” station as he/she drives the children somewhere to hear this show.
UPDATE: On the “Fresh Air” show on National Public Radio host Terry Gross interviewed Nunberg (8/29) and it was agreed she would say the word once and from then on they would simply say “A-Word.” (LINK TO PODCAST)
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
Folks keep wanting to “push the envelope” … well, the envelope has been gone for years. Now it’s just crudeness.
NEVER HEARD OF DARE, IMUS
I doubt if the average KCUR listener has ever heard of Johnny Dare or Don Imus.
WHY IS IT OKAY TO USE WORD HERE?
Why is it ok to write “asshole” (12 times by my count) in your item, but it is somehow a “new low” when the word is spoken on a radio show (listened to mostly by adults interested in adult-level conversation?
Valid point. Thanks for calling me out on it. I was trying to show how coarse the language was and it backfired.
I have made corrections.
A PENETRATING PROBE
A Penetrating Probe into the Author’s Thought Process:
“I simply wanted to write a book, then go on the radio to promote it – that was my goal.
You see, I’m an expert on my subject … the Great American A–hole.”