Laugh your ass off
Click here and skip ahead in Real Player to 8:50.
If you insist on knowing what it's about first,
I love the Canadian radio program As It Happens, which is available on some US public radio stations through PRI (in the DC area it's carried on WAMU from 11 pm to midnight). The format of the show is live telephone interviews of individuals in the news, with a mix of hard news and human interest.
Like all non-US media it provides a different perspective on the news and covers items we never hear about from our own media -- but the reason I love it is because it's much more relaxed than the usual NPR fare. The hosts aren't afraid to show emotion, especially laughter. They enjoy cutting up, and their introductions and wrap-ups of the odd news segments are full of bad puns and chuckles -- and they occasionally crack up right in the middle of an interview.
A segment aired last Thursday got so much reaction to their "Talkback" line that the next day they ran the funniest part of the interview again! Here's their intro to Friday's segment, the one linked above: Last night we brought you a unique NIMBY-esque tale that centred around an unlikely villain. Texas oilman John Cantrell was the one saying "not in my backyard" -- about his neighbour's donkey, Buddy.
Mr. Cantrell took Buddy's owner, Gregory Shamoun to court. And last night, Mr. Shamoun -- a lawyer by trade -- explained why his star witness was, in fact, his ass.
Well, that interview had our listeners braying for more. David Sarpal wrote from Takoma Park, Maryland, that:
"Never before had a radio show caused me to laugh as uproariously as it you guys did when you broadcast that story. Thank you for a very memorable moment indeed. I reckon I laughed so hard I may have regained several years of life as a result. You are a breath of fresh air south of the border (don't think for a moment that we don't listen!)"
And Paul Dunphy added his comments from south of the border, too. He sent this e-mail from Lorain, Ohio:
"Your story this evening regarding the neighbour dispute and subsequent court proceedings with the donkey, or ass, as Exhibit A just reminded me how much I enjoy your show and its originality. The play on words had me laughing almost uncontrolled, as I motored down the Interstate. I thoroughly enjoy your show via NPR station WCPN 90.3."
We also received many requests from listeners who wanted to hear that entire interview again. Jake, who was "laughing (his) ass off" somewhere out in cyberspace, wanted a repeat. Mat Wright in Victoria BC, suggested a special podcast, in his e-mail to "As It Happens". More on that later -- but first, ASS-k and ye shall receive. For the record, here is an excerpt of last night's interview with lawyer Gregory Shamoun about his donkey.. er.. ass, Buddy.
They closed the segment this way:Thanks for all those calls. So glad you enjoyed our broadc-ASS-t. And yes, you can listen to that interview again and play it for your friends. Check out our website at cbc.ca/aih. That's where you'll find the audio files of our past programs, and a link to download the "As It Happens" podcast.
Not all of the original interview was as hilarious as the excerpt, but it was still very funny. To hear the whole story, click here and skip to 18:44. The interview was introduced this way:Texas oilman John Cantrell was fed up with his neighbour's braying, pooping donkey. So he took his beef with Gregory Shamoun to court. But he didn't expect to have his objections overmuled.
Mr. Shamoun, a lawyer, decided there was only one way to deal with the situation. So yesterday, he hauled his ass into the courtroom, and let Buddy speak for himself.
We reached Mr. Shamoun in DallASS, Texas.
There's a picture of Mr. Shamoun's ass -- and a story that refers to the animal only as a donkey -- in the Washington Post.
If you insist on knowing what it's about first,
I love the Canadian radio program As It Happens, which is available on some US public radio stations through PRI (in the DC area it's carried on WAMU from 11 pm to midnight). The format of the show is live telephone interviews of individuals in the news, with a mix of hard news and human interest.
Like all non-US media it provides a different perspective on the news and covers items we never hear about from our own media -- but the reason I love it is because it's much more relaxed than the usual NPR fare. The hosts aren't afraid to show emotion, especially laughter. They enjoy cutting up, and their introductions and wrap-ups of the odd news segments are full of bad puns and chuckles -- and they occasionally crack up right in the middle of an interview.
A segment aired last Thursday got so much reaction to their "Talkback" line that the next day they ran the funniest part of the interview again! Here's their intro to Friday's segment, the one linked above: Last night we brought you a unique NIMBY-esque tale that centred around an unlikely villain. Texas oilman John Cantrell was the one saying "not in my backyard" -- about his neighbour's donkey, Buddy.
Mr. Cantrell took Buddy's owner, Gregory Shamoun to court. And last night, Mr. Shamoun -- a lawyer by trade -- explained why his star witness was, in fact, his ass.
Well, that interview had our listeners braying for more. David Sarpal wrote from Takoma Park, Maryland, that:
"Never before had a radio show caused me to laugh as uproariously as it you guys did when you broadcast that story. Thank you for a very memorable moment indeed. I reckon I laughed so hard I may have regained several years of life as a result. You are a breath of fresh air south of the border (don't think for a moment that we don't listen!)"
And Paul Dunphy added his comments from south of the border, too. He sent this e-mail from Lorain, Ohio:
"Your story this evening regarding the neighbour dispute and subsequent court proceedings with the donkey, or ass, as Exhibit A just reminded me how much I enjoy your show and its originality. The play on words had me laughing almost uncontrolled, as I motored down the Interstate. I thoroughly enjoy your show via NPR station WCPN 90.3."
We also received many requests from listeners who wanted to hear that entire interview again. Jake, who was "laughing (his) ass off" somewhere out in cyberspace, wanted a repeat. Mat Wright in Victoria BC, suggested a special podcast, in his e-mail to "As It Happens". More on that later -- but first, ASS-k and ye shall receive. For the record, here is an excerpt of last night's interview with lawyer Gregory Shamoun about his donkey.. er.. ass, Buddy.
They closed the segment this way:Thanks for all those calls. So glad you enjoyed our broadc-ASS-t. And yes, you can listen to that interview again and play it for your friends. Check out our website at cbc.ca/aih. That's where you'll find the audio files of our past programs, and a link to download the "As It Happens" podcast.
Not all of the original interview was as hilarious as the excerpt, but it was still very funny. To hear the whole story, click here and skip to 18:44. The interview was introduced this way:Texas oilman John Cantrell was fed up with his neighbour's braying, pooping donkey. So he took his beef with Gregory Shamoun to court. But he didn't expect to have his objections overmuled.
Mr. Shamoun, a lawyer, decided there was only one way to deal with the situation. So yesterday, he hauled his ass into the courtroom, and let Buddy speak for himself.
We reached Mr. Shamoun in DallASS, Texas.
There's a picture of Mr. Shamoun's ass -- and a story that refers to the animal only as a donkey -- in the Washington Post.