Jitters plague Franken during show's debut

TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press ^ | Pioneer Press | BRIAN LAMBERT

[veronica]

History will record that it was the celebrated author, comedian and Hollywood hobnobber Al Franken who sounded most ill at ease in the early going of his new radio adventure, while the kid from the provinces, former Minnesota Public Radio host Katherine Lanpher shined.

“The O’Franken Factor”, the marquee program of the new liberal network, Air America Radio, staring Minnesotans Franken and Lanpher debuted this morning. (It is heard locally, and temporarily, on WMNN 1330-AM from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.) The first hour provided dollops of palpable, opening night jitters, satirical swagger and old-fashioned partisan invective in pretty much equal measure.

Franken, the “Saturday Night Live” alumus and conservative-bashing best-selling author of “Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot” and “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,” was clearly feeling the pressure of being the tent-pole of the much-publicized new network. His first few minutes, reading a script promising, “A battle for truth, justice and indeed America itself … not to be too grandiose,” was funny enough, but was read with enough tension in his voice you’d have looked away in embarrassment were he performing stand-up in front of you.

Fortunately, Franken acknowledged his unfamiliarity with the tricks of the talk radio trade and the value he places on Lanpher, who sounded reassuringly poised. At least for the time being, Lanpher is cast in a kind of Mother Hen/Voice of Reason role. She kept Franken on his cues, introduced and re-ID’d guests and cut to commercials. Happily, her trademark laugh, so problematic for MPR, appears to have been unfettered here.

By the second hour, when former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey came on, Franken found a comfort level, although the interview itself was a slightly more informal version of what you’d get on public radio.

The show flashed more of the comic colors and tone the network has been promising when filmmaker-provocateur Michael Moore arrived. The sound of Franken and Lanpher trying to embarrass Moore into publicly apologizing to former Vice President Al Gore, stifling a laugh on the phone, hit the kind of mischievous-insiders tone the network’s listeners are probably eager to hear.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is scheduled for Thursday’s show. Former Bush administration counter terrorism expert Richard Clarke will be a guest on Friday

[Ichneumon]

noe kneed to pruuf reed

Ewe mispelled "two".

[michigander]

Rush should call him live during his own show ......

The minute his name is formally mentioned, that is what should happen.

[yankeedame]

Jitters plague Franken during show's debut
Making excuses already?

What's more we all know "they" would have been no where near this forgiving if this has been the premier of a conservative talk radio.

[longtermmemmory]

did not hear it however, I am surprised they needed to give him a crutch of a sidekick. What happens if the sidekick becomes more popular, whill franken get upset like sybil shepard did?

[yankeedame]

Now we find out he is an alumus.
Sounds like a nickname for an aluminum oxide compound.

LOL!!

[BenLurkin]

"By the second hour, when former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey came on, Franken found a comfort level, although the interview itself was a slightly more informal version of what you’d get on public radio."

[Ichneumon]

At least for the time being, Lanpher is cast in a kind of Mother Hen/Voice of Reason role. She kept Franken on his cues, introduced and re-ID’d guests and cut to commercials.

Translation: Franken couldn't handle a simple call-in radio show, so they provided him with a babysitter.

The first hour provided dollops of palpable, opening night jitters. [...] Franken, [...] was clearly feeling the pressure of being the tent-pole of the much-publicized new network. His first few minutes, reading a script promising, “A battle for truth, justice and indeed America itself … not to be too grandiose,” was funny enough, but was read with enough tension in his voice you’d have looked away in embarrassment were he performing stand-up in front of you.

The author of this piece appears to be trying to make excuses for Franken's lame performance ("opening night jitters") but Franken is a veteran of live TV (SNL) and live stand-up comedy. If he's this much of a stumblebum just because he's sitting at a microphone in a studio, a much easier task, the problem isn't "opening night jitters", it's a general incompetence and inability to think and respond in realtime (both the live TV and the stand-up routines were pre-scripted, this is not).

[Ichneumon]

Now we find out he is an alumus. Sounds like a nickname for an aluminum oxide compound.

Maybe a typo for "animus" or even "anus".

an·i·mus    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (n-ms)
n.

1. An attitude that informs one's actions; disposition.
2. A feeling of animosity; ill will. See Synonyms at enmity.
3. In Jungian psychology, the masculine inner personality as present in women.

---

[Latin. See an- in Indo-European Roots.]

Hell, *all* the definitions fit...

[yankeedame]

He is a Pitbull with the heart of a Yorkshire Terrier and the brain of a gnat.

"He has all the characteristics of a dog, except loyality."-- Mark Twain

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"...within 2 weeks, he'll be interviewing phil donahue for ratings..."

He might think that's a good idea, too. After all, it's his turn to be the "Big Fat Idiot" that Rush never was.

[PsyOp]

Franken? Isn't he a character played by the Smalley guy on SNL?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I read your entire post 33 to my mom. She got a good laugh. Well done!

[Petronski]

Just another day's compelling programming on:

[PsyOp]

He says he's a comic, but the show had all the hilarity of a root canal.

I've never thought he was funny. Heck, PeeWee "The Pervert" Herman is funnier than Franken.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Hey! They messed with Coulter? They made her sound racist? They will regret that. Verbal carpet bombing begins. Names like Byrd, Roger Clinton, and Hillary flash to mind-- people with actual witnesses of racist remarks. Conservative talk radio does not insinuate someone is a racist without evidence to back it up. That was a slimy cheap shot, and only a big, fat idiot would try that on Coulter. Ann Coulter might believe in profiling swarthy looking young men on airlines. So do I and most Americans. That isn't racism. That is a desire to protect innocent people from harm. FReegards....

[kennedy]

Host: Well, er, let's...uh...let's take another call. Caller number 2, you there?

Caller: Yeah man, do you have Prince Albert in a can?

[pregnant pause]

Host: er, no, this is a radio talk show.

[pregnant pause]

Caller: Oh. ... Can you page Mike Hunt?

[pregnant pause]

Host: Well, er, let's...uh...let's take another call.

Co-Host: There are no other callers on the line yet.

Host: er, um, ... what should we talk about while we wait for another caller?

Co-Host: How about Bush? I hate him.

Host: Oh, me too...[crosstalk]

...

[Adam36]

This show will last a year at best. The impersonators Franken had were horrible. They weren't even funny. He tried to copy what Rush does when Rush has impersonators do Clinton, Al Gore etc. Franken also does not have a good radio voice. Michael Moore would probably have been a better choice then Franken.

[My2Cents]

Who do they get after they've have Richard Clarke as a guest? I suppose they'll be down to pulling weirdos in off the street.

[My2Cents]

Preaching to the choir.

[cyborg]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA