September 30, 1985

I was going to title this Pig Vomit and then I feared you’d think I was talking about Hillary with whom I have many policy differences but I’m sure (because I know people who know, you know) she’s just as much fun to hang out with as Bill and waaay smarter (though he’s no mental midget).

No, Pig Vomit is John Hayes.

Anyway I remember the whole sorry turn as if it were yesterday. There was a Hurricane raging that took out our Cherry Tree which was precariously rooted next to a retaining wall. Mid-afternoon, as was my custom at the time, I tuned into the last few minutes of Imus who hadn’t at that point so thoroughly tarnished his reputation that I did not appreciate the rare Reverend Billy Sol Hargis bit.

I don’t care if it rains or freezes
‘Long as I got my plastic Jesus
Riding on the dashboard of my car.

I can go 10,000 miles an hour
‘Long as I got the Almighty Power
Riding on the dashboard of my car.

Good clean fun, but behind the scenes Don was a BillO level asshole and basically owned WNBC, 50,000 Watts of Clear Channel from Miami to Maine. Howard constantly called him out on it with a sub plot of people ate in the Studio so it stank of Elderberry and Old Man.

I don’t think NBC ever understood Howard, I don’t know that I do today. As far as I’m concerned Gary Dell’Abate has no talent except for public embarrassment. Robin is all around great and much funnier than people give her credit for. Howard is frequently painful and wrongheaded, but a talented interviewer (although he has a questionable sense of humor).

It was… spectacular.

A 90 minute On Air meltdown followed by silence.

WNBC got sold to WFAN (Sports) and I listened to them for a while (c’mon- Mets!), Don was still ruling the roost but (because he’s really a shameless copycat for the most part) was all up in the Rush Biz. I don’t follow Howard anymore either because he’s gone too blue and gross for my taste and pretends a Libertarian streak to cover for his basic perversion.

However, if you can work past that, he recently chatted with Hillary and, she’s great.