Oh brother, it's Franken's birthday

[malatesta1137]

I love AAR but Franken's show is the weakest. If I want real comedy, I'll put on my old tape of The Lucy Show. Beating Bush is a serious business, you want to be funny about it, at least BE GOOD at it! Franken's is hardly funny, he has to laugh at his own jokes and his co-hostess is annoying.

Plus he's obsessed with Limbaugh, Hannity and O'Reilly and sometimes sounds like he's on a personal vendetta against those slobs. Can we move on?

PLUS he's self-centered and is kinda using his radio show to defend his position on issues, looking ahead to his own running for office in a few years. Gimme Randi Rhodes or Garofalo any time.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

1. And nobody's buying his books

nt

[gratuitous]

2. Yeah, he's had, what, a whole month already?

Why isn't he a perfect combination of Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Garrison Keillor and Stan Freberg all rolled into one? Sure, he makes some salient points against the corrupt Bush administration, and in a medium that hasn't been terribly accustomed to critical commentary on the Republican uberclass, but it's not perfect, so there's no sense listening to it.

Did I hit all the right notes? Will I get a pat on head from Ed?

[Puglover]

4. I love Al

Minnesotan here and think the guys great....however, I do think he needs to polish his schtick....which, it would seem to me doesn't happen overnight. Katherine keeps him going which is good and seems to be comfortable with 2nd string. For cripes sake give them some fucking time!

on edit I replied to you gratuitous but meant to reply to the orig poster.

[Stew225]

3. As a retired longtime radio veteran......

I have to commend you on your astute observation, malatesta1137. Some talent can do a variety of media well but, well, Al shines on TV, movies, and as a writer.

I love Al Franken but he simply doesn't make it on the radio. It's too forced and unfocused. The worst kind of commercial, they say, is a bad commercial. It perpetuates a bad image. I don't know where AA got some of these talent, but sometimes it sounds like a broadcast school tape.

Randi is, of course, tops, (although sometimes she doesn't let her phone guests talk enough), Janean does a credible job, and I think Marty Kaplan is really good at night. The rest of these people, I'm afraid to say, are not offering either a good or credible image to the proverbial cause.

Hell, there are some dynamic people who would really shake things up, like Guy James, Thom Hartmann, and, especially Mike Malloy. I guess it must be about money? I don't know.

Clowning around has its place but within the context of a political environment humor should not be forced.

[mzmolly]

5. As a listener and common liberal... I think Franken is making it, and he's

GREAT!

[Jeebo]

12. YES! Hartmann, James, Malloy!

I think Franken's all right, but he's on at the same time as Hartmann, and there is NO comparison between the two, Thom Hartmann is not merely all right, he's GREAT! I listen to Hartmann until Sirius starts with Lynn Samuels, then I turn over to Franken. I WISH Sirius would play all three hours of Hartmann, then I'd never listen to Franken. I also love Guy James, although the only times I've listened to him were when he guest-hosted a few times on ieamerica a few months ago. And as for the INCOMPARABLE Mike Malloy, I miss him SO much! If what Air America truly wants is to be a liberal alternative to right-wing talk radio, they could not go wrong in adding Hartmann, James and Malloy, and also perhaps Peter Werbe, to Randi Rhodes (who is by far the best host they've got right now) and Janeane Garofalo, who is a left-wing talk show BABE, IMHO. (Yes, I am a heterosexual male, and yes, I do have the hots for her.)

As for Mike Malloy, I think the reason he's still unemployed almost three months after his network went belly-up is because he does, admittedly, have somewhat of a harsh edge that turns off potential employers. But it's that edge that makes him so appealing to true liberals like me, because listening to Malloy is like a catharsis, a three-hour venting of our collective spleens over the outrageous things that have been happening for the past three and a half years. I always felt a lot better after listening to Malloy. So maybe a late-night or wee-hours-of-the-morning slot would be a good one for Malloy on Air America? Shucks, I'D stay up late and lose sleep to listen to him.

Ron

[heidiho]

6. I love Al - he has a very intellectual and funny show

stop dissin' him - let's just enjoy listening to someone other than Rush and Hannity for a change on the radio.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

7. frankly, i enjoy franken's show. nt.

[eissa]

8. I love Al

I have to stream it as our inbred little conservative city wouldn't dare carry it. I think he puts things in perspective brilliantly, has had some great guests on who have opened up (more so than on those stuffy programs) and revealed some great insight, AND the guy is just hilarious!

[FlaGranny]

9. I like Al Franken,

I really do, but his unending supply of Republican "buddies" gotta go, or, at least, he should confront them just a little more. He quite often seems too naive.

Edit: to add word "more."

[utopian]

10. I Love Franken

It's the one show I try not to miss. Yes, his jokes are hit and miss, but he does his homework (or, rather, his staff does), and he does a great job exposing lies and hypocrisy.

As for his vendetta against Rush, O'Reilly, et al., that's a primary reason he's there--to counter those jerks.

[onecitizen]

11. I like Al but.........

I agree with alot of what you said. He needs some polishing. I did worry that his talent would not shine in this venue though. He does need to quit talkin' 'bout rush, bill and Hannity. And naming his show the O'Franken factor was just idiocy to me. Get rid of the conservative friend. Don't like him. Don't WANNA like him. And please PLEASE quit interrupting the guests! He's got great guests, let them do their thing. I felt sorry for the guy from American Progress till I figured out it was to be part of the shtick. Not funny though. It makes him sound extremely rude.

But I think if you left the comedy out of it, it would be alot better. I'll definitely give him a chance. I'm grateful to have AAR.

[PretzelWarrior]

13. I think he's great. I'm entertained by him. You just like "ranters"

which is what Garafalo and Rhodes are. I can take those latter two in small doses. BUt I like how systematically Franken goes after the chief lying troglodytes of the right wing. I think it's having a positive impact on the agenda we want to see vocalized.

Ratings and time will tell. Oy oy oy oy.