Ahhh, Xmas fill-ins on radio.... Whilst alledged radio "personalities" are on Xmas holidays, radio stations from coast to coast have replaced their regular morning teams with Summer fill-ins.
Their regular "high-profile" team members are taking, and I quote, "A well deserved rest, before the start of the new year". Yes, how exhausting it must be to be that consistently un-funny! I mean man oh man, commercial radio in this country really does melt your brain, and probably is the main reason why road rage seems to be on the increase amongst the morning commuter-traffic crowd.
Now what is the point of this I hear you ask? What's Ginger complaning about today? Why is this blog such a whinge-fest? Well I'll tell you...
One of the neat Xmas gifts Mrs Ginger & I received this year was one of those waterproof shower radios - you know the ones, they have a big suction cup on them so you can stick them to your shower screen or tiles, and then listen to the radio whilst you're washing your hair. I've never had one of these before, so it was with some anticipation that I jumped under the shower this morning, and tuned the radio into whatever station I could find that wasn't too offensive.
Here in Melbourne there is a "Golden Oldies" station called Gold 104, which I know has affiliates in both Sydney & Bris-vegas, and although a recent radio survey revealed that it plays more advertisements per hour than any other station in the country, it often plays those classic Led Zep/Stones/Beatles/Kinks/The Who tracks which are just grouse, and can be absorbed easily after one too many reds the night before.
So I've tuned the radio into the "Gold" station only to find the regular hosts, "Grubby & Dee Dee" (mercifully) on holidays, which can only be a blessing as they are at the top of the pile in terms of dumb-arse radio. Their replacement is a guy affectionately known as "Huggy", whom (disappointingly) has nothing at all to do with Antonio Fargas, the fedora-wearing, king of the pimp-daddys from the original "Starsky & Hutch" TV series. "Huggy" had just finished playing "I Can See for Miles" by The Who, and as the first guitar lines of "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac commenced (a horrifying thought all on it's own), he made the following comment. Now this is not a direct quote, but this is pretty much what he said :
"Now for the song which Bill Clinton used to be re-elected into the White House - he managed to find the little room out the back all on his own though, here's the Mac..."
With that, I yelled "You Fuckwit!", which of course caused Mrs Ginger to come a-running - "What's wrong?" she asked, as I stood starkers in the shower, now making that sound effect for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" used when Anthony Perkins was stabbing Janet Lee, and making the stabbing motion towards the new radio...
"This knob on the radio just got himself a contract put on his head", and went on to advise the good woman what crime had just transpired.
It was after this, as we munched on our toast, when I turned to the good lady and asked whether she thought it was a bit harsh if I should wish harm to come upon "Huggy" for not just making that stupid comment, and playing such lame music (adnauseum), but because he represented part of the reason why this country's mainstream media is so crap. Gold 104 and their many other contemporaries represent what Australia seems to be striving for - mediocrity!
They play shit music, for mindless fools, and wrap it in brainless ads for useless products, all presented by ego-centric losers whom should be stabbed in the eye with a fork for prolonging the agony of commercial radio!
This is why I support community radio, as there is no hidden agenda, and if the presenters or the songs they play do not provoke thought, discussion or toe-tapping, they get relegated to the grave yard shift, or off the air entirely. Viva la difference the likes of Triple R & PBS provide this fair city, and I just hope that more non-profit ideals and genuinely interesting entertainment are continued to be embraced by discerning folk far into the future.
Oh yes, I've included a photo of "Huggy" form the Gold 104 website, so if you see this guy on the street, you have Ginger's permission to knee cap him, spit in his eye, and kick him the bollocks, but only if you sing "Don't Stop" whilst doing so...
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