Hey, remember this? It’s still super-creepy, not news, and borderline depressing. Apparently, noted Reading weirdo Kenny Tessel’s fake-tit-havin’ sandwich board is turning one.
On one hand, I get the whole bizarro, carnivale-grotesque “look at this nutso” draw from the Enquirer’s perspective, but on the other, I can’t help but think about that documentary about the dudes who are totally into those Real Dolls. Is this just me? I have a full understanding of the fact that I’m nothing if not grumpy about these sorts of news stories–yet at the same time, I get it. They spur conversation and reader engagement, and that’s what newspapers are after, it seems.
Back to the mannequin, though: are you fucking serious? Do mannequin titties really bring in that much traffic? Here’s a test. Can anyone name for me, without looking back at the story, the name of Tessel’s BBQ house? Bet you a nickel you can’t. I’m also willing to bet that the whole mannequin hoopla is a thin veil for crappy, crappy food.
Only vaguely related, but equally of interest in my mind: my mother, when I was in middle school, worked 3rd shift at Toys R Us. According to her, there was a mannequin fetishist who worked with her that happened to collect large-size dolls and took great pride in the items he was able to procure to dress his figures with. He apparently had a thing for satin lingerie and fishnet stockings. Totally unrelatedly, I seem to remember my mother telling me that the guy also spoke fluent Klingon. The more I think about the stories she has about this guy (and for the record, not a single one isn’t bowel-rumblingly creepy), the less I understand about the whole Tessel/Bar Be Q relationship. That is, assuming there’s a relationship there. This is something that’s understood, isn’t it?
Creepy sex doll (that also happens to be really fascinating) documentary after the jump.
In 1983, WOXY began broadcasting their “Modern Rock” format out of Oxford, OH at 97.7 on the FM dial. Its fame increased due to the Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man shouting their familiar catch phrase, “BAM! The future of Rock & Roll!” In 2004, the station was sold by its owners and the WOXY name and format went online-only at www.woxy.com. In 2006, the station was purchased by lala.com (recently acquired itself by Apple), and then in 2009 was sold again to Future Sounds, which relocated the broadcasting crew to Austin, TX.
This morning, one of the DJs posted the following message on Facebook:
Dear friends –
It is absolutely mindboggling to me that I have to sit down and write these words: WOXY.com is being shut down today by our owners at Future Sounds.
Mike, Joe, Brian, and I uprooted our lives to Austin under the belief that we were finally under ownership that would take things at the station to the next level. We also brought on Paige Maguire from here in Austin to help us do things on a promotional and marketing level that hadn’t really been in place for years. Yes, we have been dubbed “zombie radio” in the past after ownership shutdowns and resurrections, but it will take a pretty incredible company/plan coming around now to make me want to stick around at this point (although I guess we have to wait to see if anything shakes out in the days ahead). This time around, we no longer own WOXY and the entire situation is completely out of our hands.
The WOXY staff continued working last week during SXSW under good faith because a deal was “in motion” to continue funding for our operation. We were informed yesterday that that the deal fell through and now it is time for us all to walk away. There will be no farewell shows or weepy goodbyes. Our listeners deserve more than this, but I don’t think any of us on staff have it to give right now. It is, to be perfectly honest, quite a kick in the dick to have this occur again right on the heels of our most successful SXSW ever. But, I guess it would pretty much be a kick in the dick no matter what since we’ve only been living in Austin for *6 MONTHS* and have already had the rug pulled out from underneath us.
I am told that this address will continue to work, but if it ends up failing in the future, you can also hit me up at: mattshiv@att.net and my cell (hit me up if you need the #). I will probably take a few days off to let this all digest and figure out what happens next. I am VERY happy living in Austin, but will have to entertain any and all opportunities that may present themselves now. If you have any leads, please reach out.
Thanks to everybody who has been SO amazing to me and this station over the years. I’ve been on this wild ride now for 12 years. I am thrilled that I have had a part in helping to program this station since 1998 and am incredibly proud of WOXY’s legacy.
cheers,
Shiv
And so, yet another attempt to keep WOXY going has come to a close. The reputation for the station as the zombie of independent radio is well deserved. Will there be another savior, or will they go quietly into the night? I don’t think anyone knows. As of this moment, the woxy.com web site is still online and an active discussion about the closure is happening in their forum.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
UPDATE:
A note from the owners, Future Sounds.
We are not taking WOXY off the air because we want to. We love the station as much as you do. The fact is that we have had multiple sponsorship deals with major corporations fall through…not because of Woxy or Future Sounds…but because of internal politics at those companies. That compounded with the fact that funding for our parent company has been taking longer than usual has exacerbated the situation.
There are many people circling that want to do a deal. But no one has pulled the trigger. We had to take this drastic action because we can’t cover the monthly burn rate of WOXY without funding/underwriting/investment.
People know how great WOXY is…i hope one of those people, with money, will actually step up and help out.
We are working around the clock to bring it back on the air…but we can’t have employees working if they can’t get paid as they are the life blood of the station.
jcm
John Mascarenhas
FUTURE SOUNDS
6121 Santa Monica Blvd., ste 102
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I think Ocho’s an out-and-out yahoo attention sponge. I legitimately think the guy’s an entertainer. Also, I have a deep appreciation for his whole “DIY PR and Marketing Department” approach. Honestly, the DWTS appearance makes perfect sense in the way that he’s clearly looking to stay in the public eye as much as possible. Being on Dancing With the Stars‘ll do just that.
Here’s the thing: I just can’t bring myself to care even a little bit, and that has little to nothing to do with the personalities on the show–it’s that there’s a freaking goldmine of good entertainment out there that we, as people, could be filling our time with.
I hear you. “Jason, I work all day and just want to unwind a little bit in front of the tube.” Maybe you’re an Ocho aficionado, scary a proposition as that might be. And yes, I’m pretty much a pretentious goon typing into the void. But if we’re just taking in the entertainment that we’re being spoon-fed, what good are we? Whatever happened to the accompanying sense of adventure that used to come with entertainment? As an example, have you ever flipped through a stack of rare early-to-mid 90′s hardcore 7″ records, randomly buying ten or twelve just to see what gold you might have struck upon? What was the last thing that you got excited about because you thought you were the first person amongst your friends to discover it?
I’m guessing that something wasn’t Dancing With the Stars.
All this said, I completely understand that there’s some gigantic subset of the country’s population that is TOTALLY enraptured by the glitz of DWTS. I’m not saying these people are stupid. I am, however, saying, that the greater majority of these people don’t think about the entertainment that they take in, and that my guess is that they don’t think about the fact that they don’t think about that. I’m not seeing one iota of this that isn’t depressing.
But what do I know? Maybe it’s fun to watch good dancing. Maybe it’s something I’d be good at, despite the fact that I’m pretty uncoordinated, and my wedding dance was barely a step or two beyond that Frankenstein box dance that we all did in 7th grade. But that’s part of the point: why just watch, when you can get out there and do it?
Dale
So, Mr. Ben took my answer. And because I value my originality, I won’t reiterate Mr. Tarbell other than acknowledging my agreement. My vote for Manliest Cincinnatian is Jerry Springer. Because despite his moments of proven manly stupidity (here’s some advice- don’t pay a hooker with a check), he still has mojo. He went from being the mayor to hosting the biggest freak show in history. Yet, he still gets respect! He’s like the anti-Rodney Dangerfield. Springer proves that being manly is an art form (just not necessarily good art).
Mike Hickerson
I assume you mean for all dates other than March 19-21, because, really, who could compete with Bobcat Goldthwait? I’m not much for looking up to athletes as “manly” – seriously, sports are fun to watch and fun to play, but being good at them doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Well, except for being better at sports. Still, you have to give credit to Anthony Muñoz for making the most of his God-given immensity: a way-beyond-successful-best-left-tackle-ever NFL career, lots of post-NFL philanthropy and community service, a bit part in one of the manliest movies of all time, raising two kids who seem to have become decent human beings, a crazy-scary looking pinky finger…
Hipp
While he may be considered a disgrace by some in the baseball community, Pete Rose is a home-grown Cincinnati baseball hero and one of the best to play the game. He still holds MLB records for hits, games played, and career at-bats, and made the All-Star game 17 times in his career. Sure, he gambled a little on baseball games he was managing, but he never bet against his own team. Just more incentive to win.
Jason McGlone
Without bending over backwards for the all-too-obvious Marge Schott joke, or shuttling so far back into history to pick someone nobody knows about, it seems sensible to go with Oscar Robertson as Manliest Cincinnatian. He’s got the history: stellar college career, Olympic gold, hall of fame NBA career. His early life was pockmarked by incidences of racism, and he rose above all that to become one of the most celebrated individuals in his profession, and, to be sure, Cincinnati’s long and storied history.
The Rock is-a-flowing as far as new releases go this week. You can start off your week in the same mundane rat race as usual, or you could get your ass to Shake-It and support some fucking artists. You can bang your head to Metal outfit Abcess’s new one, Dawn Of Inhumanity or you could sit in your car and cry on your commute to the new Brand New album The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me, which is rumored to be the group’s last one. With the release of the movie based on career of all chick Punk pioneers The Runaways you can expect a opportunity for former band members to rake in some dough, former lead guitarist Lita Ford releases a live album entitled In Concert. Underground Emo pioneers Northstar, releases POLLYANNA. Alternative Rock is churning its wheels with the release of The Radar Brothers newest The Illustrated Garden as well as Roadside Graves, You Won’t Be Happy With Me. My two personal faves for this week is the return of the OG, Snoop Dogg taking time off from his relentless reality television schedule for his new More Malice. Last but not least, Dillinger Escape Plan is back with Option Paralysis.
This week one show and one band overshadows the rest. Wednesday at The Southgate Houseis Duluth, MN acoustic quintet Trampled By Turtles. Not quite rock, not quite folk, and not entirely bluegrass. I mean, yes there is a fiddle, a banjo, and a mandolin but, these guys play their instruments with such a raw, intense, ferocity that just saying that they are just another bluegrass/folk band would just be a flat-out injustice. Back in 2003, Singer/songwriter Dave Simonett decided to play acoustic in bars for fun, and later added a mandolin eventually the rest of its members and a new band was born. Since then, the group has released 4 EPs and 1 live record including their most famous 2008′s Duluth. The album went straight to #8 on the Billboard Bluegrass Heatseekers chart and pushed them towards a much larger following. With some great lyrics backed with amazing musicianship, Wednesday should make for a great night of music better than any in past weeks, hell even months. So go check em out!
if Vengeance Be My Destiny is TCM’s Sunday comic. This is installment #44, and finds your favorite killer robot trapped in a space station with a cranky loner and a smug old man. You can catch up on the story right here.
Loading ...
