ARCHIVE PAGE 2
Archived content from January 2008 to recent:
The Jabberjaw Story As We Know It
According to MJ, this is the REAL story about what went down with Jabberjaw. You can believe what you want:
On Sept. 24, Jabberjaw wanted a personal day off from the show to go to a Barack Obama rally. She told Joey B and Tommy Chuck (the station's program director). Joey didn't tell MJ that she wanted the day off, nor did Jab tell him. When Jab didn't show up for work that morning, Joey made up a story that she had a migraine. He was going to spring a "bit" on MJ the next day that she really didn't have a migraine and instead went to the Obama rally, knowing how much MJ is against Obama. MJ then called Jab's house to find out if she was really sick with a headache. He talked to her mother and found out that she went to the rally. He said he would've been OK with that if she had let him know she was going or if she had simply asked him for a personal day. MJ said the two had a recent conversation in which he told Jab to let her know what she was doing. After talking to her mother, he finally got ahold of her on the phone and said "you're fired." But he said firing her was a joke.
"I fire everyone on this show. She wasn't fired. It was a joke on the air," he said. (This is actually pretty accurate because Froggy, Fester, and others have been "fired" many times before but eventually end up returning to the show, possibly after a probationary period)
According to MJ, Jab came in the following morning (Thursday) after the show to discuss the situation with him. MJ claimed they had "patched up" the problem at that particular meeting, which lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. MJ told her at the meeting that he was working toward getting her a full-time job and more money right away. He said she left the meeting with a smile on her face and told the crew she would see them the next morning. But on Friday morning, she didn't show up for work. She instead chose to go on a competing radio station and stabbed MJ and the crew in the back by spreading what MJ called "lies and slander" about him and the show.It also came out that somehow, MJ's request lines at the station were forwarded to Jab's home, so her mother was receiving calls from listeners that would normally be going to the radio station. He said it was an accident and Joey may have been responsible for accidentally pressing a certain key combination on a phone in the studio that forwarded the lines to her home number.
So this marks the end of Jabberjaw's second stint on the show. She started out as an intern in the summer of 2005, worked her way up to a assistant producer role, and then left for an internship at a local TV station. After not liking that, she came begging to have her job back. MJ surprisingly brought her back in April 2007 to fill in for Rachel the Flying Tomato who lost her mother. Rachel moved on to another show, and Jab got her gig back. She had to endure her fair share of abuse from Froggy, so maybe she's at least glad that stuff appears to be over.
MJ plans to replace Jabberjaw's part-time position on the show while also doing some rearranging with the crew. He hopes to bring in Big Lou, Froggy's good friend who has tried out for the show in the past, to run the show's audio and sound effects. Since that is normally Meredith's job, he may give her a similar role to what Jab had with gathering Hollywood dirt while also having her continue to do some of the tasks she still does, like pulling audio for the show. She just wouldn't be running the board as much anymore, which is something MJ has constantly complained about to her.
Froggy's Date of Fate on the Show is:
Thursday, October 9, 2008
That is when MJ will make a decision about Froggy's future on the show. Since he has acted out and done some stupid things, including putting dog poop in one of Jabberjaw's Coach purses, MJ is giving him a 30-day "trial" period to get his act together and really prove that he can be on the show, be funny and entertaining, and not misbehave like a child, which he has been doing more often than not in the last few months.
MJ's Clear Channel Contract
Expires On:
August 31, 2008
The contract is for both the MJ Morning Show and the Schnitt Show, which was picked up by Jones Radio Networks, a radio syndication company that has already syndicated the show to stations around the country.
MY PREDICTION: MJ will sign a new contract with Clear Channel through at least the end of the year, possibly for one more year (through Aug. 2009). After that, I think he'll focus on the afternoon show full-time and may even move to another radio company or to a bigger market if he can make more money. In doing so, he would keep the afternoon show on in the markets it's always been on in (Tampa, Miami, etc.) while continuing to build up his affiliate base via Jones Radio. In the end, I hope loyal morning show listeners will be able to follow his radio career no matter what happens.
UPDATE: The update is that there really is nothing to report on MJ's contract. I haven't heard him mention anything about it, so we can assume that he did sign some kind of deal to remain with Clear Channel for the forseeable future. However, since he is an "independent contractor" and isn't technically employed by the company, we don't know for sure what the situation is behind the scenes.
Froggy vs. Jabberjaw: Is the battle finally over?
Froggy and Jabberjaw have never really gotten along. Some of the tension between them can be traced back to bits like "Froggy's Bag of Intrigue" where he scared Jab with different items that he made her grab out of a bag, like dog poop. Since then, the tension has mounted even more. Several months ago, Froggy destroyed one of Jab's expensive purses by lighting it on fire.
Recently, Froggy morphed into a character he called "FrogFreak" and went on another destruction rampage by using fireworks to destroy Jabberjaw's favorite boots. He was then suspended for several days following this incident and other instances where he wasn't getting along with the crew. To get back at him, Jab decided to aim for something close to his heart - his video games. She found Froggy's keys in the morning show office, went to his house and took his beloved Xbox 360, and brought it back to the station to have it destroyed. The twist was that she wasn't going to do the destruction herself. She made him do it. MJ gave him a sledgehammer and told him to bash the "mystery item" that was tripple-wrapped in paper bags. Initially he thought it was something of value to someone at the station and refused to do it. But when he was finally coaxed into doing it and smashed it all up, he opened it up and saw the remaining pieces, soon realizing he was looking at pieces and shards of material that once made up his Xbox console.
Froggy stormed out of the studio after the retaliation that Jabberjaw got at him. The next morning, the two made up after Froggy read a statement declaring a truce in the battle. MJ thinks Froggy is now a new man who has turned over a leaf and learned a valuable lesson.
So is this tension between Froggy and Jab finally over? Let's hope so.
Jub Jub steals sweater and gets let go from show
Jub Jub the Intern has done her fair share of bits for the show over the last year or two. But she will no longer be doing any more. On the morning of Thursday, July 24, someone tipped off MJ about something Elena (her real name) did on her 22nd birthday back in June. She swiped a $69 sweater off the shelf at a Dillard's store, made her way into a dressing room and a bathroom, and eventually found an exit she thought would be safe to go out. Little did ehe know, mall security was standing by and nabbed her as she and her friend were walking to their car in the parking lot. She was ultimately arrested and charged with shoplifting and now has to do community service after going to court. MJ confronted her on the phone about the incident that morning, and she admitted to being a thief, although she said it was a stupid mistake. She said the reason she did it is because her parents didn't buy her a new cell phone she really wanted for her birthday, and it was a way to get back at them. The next morning, MJ made the decision to let her go from her intern position on the show because he could not have someone work there who he didn't trust and it would not have been morally right to keep her around.
This was actually Jub Jub's second stint as an intern. She left earlier in the year to go work for what turned out to be a shady operation in a foreign country. She came back wanting her gig back, and she was granted it. During her time back, she got to talk to American Idol judge Paula Abdul about becoming her personal assistant. Paula would probably have second thoughts on that now if she knew what happened. Unfortunately Jub Jub made the wrong move by committing a crime that MJ felt was enough to say goodbye to her for most likely the final time. It also means we won't get to hear her cute little giggle in the background that has become a staple of the show since she's been on it. And no more fat jokes about her, either.
Joey B talking over commercials
Joey B didn't realize his microphone was on during a commercial break on a recent show. Listen to how it sounded and what he said. When they came back on the air, MJ said the conversation was about retired NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer joining ESPN as an analyst. He was glad Joey didn't drop any F-bombs.
Vacation recap: condoms, a watermelon, and a mountain
MJ and his family took the vacation of a lifetime when they traveled across the globe to the earth's largest continent - Asia. Usually MJ will take three full weeks off during the summer months and split them up, like two in July and another in September. But this time he took the full vacation all at once, meaning the crew will be live until Christmas vacation rolls around in December.
Their summer trip started out a little rough with a quick jump to Atlanta in order to catch a direct flight from there to Seoul, South Korea. They stayed overnight in a hotel, and Chloe and Julian found condoms (that they thought were balloons) right next to the Bible in the hotel room. The hotel gave them the room free for the trouble.
While in South Korea, MJ attended the wedding of a friend's son who was getting married. He also stopped by the DMZ and got a brief look at North Korea. Plus he saw a square watermelon on sale at a market for what amounted to $210 in American money.
In Japan, where Michelle lived as a child with her father who was stationed there, the family climbed Mount Fuji - the country's highest mountain standing over 12,000 ft. high. It took them parts of two days to get to the top, and they even stayed in a small shack and slept in sleeping bags with other people around several thousand feet up. According to people who work there, MJ's son Julian (who was just shy of 4 years old on that day) may have been the youngest person to successfully climb to the top of the mountain.
Overall, MJ said he had a great time and really enjoyed interacting with the people who live there.
Congratulations to our winner, Amber Tardino! Amber wins a $40 gift certificate from Amazon.com for answering 14 of the 17 questions correctly. She definitely knows her MJ Morning Show well!
Thought the challenge was too hard? Weren't impressed with the prize being offered? Send me some feedback and let me know your thoughts on it. I'd like to do more of these in the future, but I didn't get much of a response.
Here are the correct answers to the questions:
1. What is Jub-Jub the Intern's real first name?
Elena2. What is Joey B's favorite college football team?
Nebraska Cornhuskers
3. Unscramble this show member's name: ADURITN HET TIENRN
Unitard the Intern4. Kiss 95.1 FM began syndicating the MJ Morning Show in what year?
20075. Instead of Tony Fatso, what name did the crew use for the image of a black-looking Fester on his barbecue sauce t-shirt?
Tony Fatbro6. What is Joey B's favorite (specific) brand of beer?
Bud Light7. From which game show is the theme music for "Guest or No Guest"?
The $10,000 Pyramid or Family Feud8. Which TV court show did members of the morning show tape an episode for that never actually aired?
Judge Joe Brown9. What radio station did MJ work at in Los Angeles?
KQLZ, Pirate Radio10. Which celebrity does Jub-Jub the Intern want to be a personal assistant for?
Paula Abdul11. What is the name of the company in Tampa where the Jesus Door was discovered?
Bay City Plywood12. What basketball player is mentioned in the "Chloe's Mom" song?
Hakeem Olajuwon13. Listen to this Pick Your Plastic jingle here. What song is it a parody of?
Pretty Ricky - "Your Body"14. Where did Meredith go to college?
University of North Florida15. MJ owns land in what mountainous state?
Colorado16. What was the name that Joey B gave to a lizard that got into his house?
Lester17. In this photo, who is the former intern all the way to the right?
Taniya the Intern
Jabberjaw and Meredith Interview
Check out this video interview Jabberjaw and Meredith did with Tampa Bay Media Talk. They interviewed the girls about everything from what it's like working on the show to what their plans were for Valentine's Day.
Froggy 2 - POOFIE
Listen to Froggy's song about MJ's "poof" - when his hair starts to puff out from the top of his head. It's a parody of Aretha Franklin's "RESPECT."
(Note: Better audio quality than previous file)
R.I.P. Noelia the Intern
Our condolences go out to the family of a former MJ Morning Show intern. Noelia, who worked on the show a few years ago, passed away at 26 years of age on May 16, 2008. She had a twin sister, and obviously she and her family are having to deal with this terrible loss. Rest in peace, Noelia, and I hope the family will be able to move forward together.
MJ ponders future of the morning show
MJ created what he called a "firestorm" when he made some comments about his plans for the rest of his career in radio recently. His afternoon Schnitt Show was picked up by Jones Radio Networks, which will syndicate it to stations around the country. He said he hopes to build up a few dozen affiliate stations over the next few years. With that said, it leaves his plans for continuing to do the MJ Morning Show up in the air. With his Clear Channel contract expiring on August 31, 2008, he said he is not sure whether he will continue to pull double-duty every day by doing both shows, or if he will give up the morning show.
MJ has been doing the morning show since 1994 and the afternoon show since 2001. That means he has gotten up at the crack of dawn for over 14 years while doing two shows a day (seven hours of original programming) for almost seven years. You have to wonder how long he wants to continue with that grueling schedule that most radio hosts would probably never take on for more than a few years. He said his long-term plan is to host the afternoon show until he is ready to retire.
So that leaves us with the question: how long will the MJ Morning Show as we know it be on the air? MJ said he could give up his morning gig when the contract expires, or he might continue to do the show after it expires in order to give the station ample time to bring in a new host. He also said that the rest of the crew would probably stay intact, and the only thing that might change is adding a new crew member. Fester said he'd be willing to step up to the main microphone and host the show with a new co-host. Whatever happens, it sounds like someone else would join the program if MJ were to depart any time soon.
I'm guessing that MJ will give up the morning show at some point in the next two years or so. That could mean that he walks away from it at the end of August or he signs on for a little more time until ultimately focusing all of his attention on the afternoon show. I still think he has the drive and work ethic to do more than only three hours of broadcasting a day, which he would be doing if he only did the afternoon show. That would be a dramatic decrease in his work schedule, but maybe it would make the Schnitt Show that much better. We'll have to wait and see what he decides in the end, and that decision shouldn't take too much longer to make.
Froggy - Imagine A Morning
Download the song about Froggy imagining a morning when MJ is nice. Does he actually sound better than John Lennon? You decide.
Jesus Door tour is underway
The MJ Morning Show's tour of the Jesus Door will begin this week. The Jesus Door was discovered at a warehouse when a guy noticed that it looked like an image of Jesus appeared on a door there. In fact, someone who touched the door won a $9-million lottery jackpot shortly afterward, making some believe the door will bring riches (or at least good luck) to people who touch it. The guy who discovered it also said he experienced a warm feeling when he touched the handle. That is why MJ will send out various crew members, probably Froggy and Fester, on a tour with the door and drive it around to listening areas. It will be taken to locations in the Tampa Bay area and around the state of Florida, but MJ did mention that he wanted to take it to St. Louis at some point as well. The crew has collected several religious-looking artifacts over the years, including a Jesus Pipe found on a listener's roof in Spring Hill, Florida in the late 1990s that they also showed off around the area at Crotchety CD signings. Plus MJ found a chicken nugget that looked like the Virgin Mary in a hot food vending machine at the radio station.
Tour stops:
April 15 - Brandon, FL
April 17 - Pinellas Park, FL
April 18 - Tampa, FL
April 23 - Jacksonville, FL
April 24 - Melbourne and Vero Beach, FL
May 1 - Maryland Heights, MO
May 2 - Belleville, IL
May 6 - Port Charlotte, FL
MJ's afternoon show picked up by big radio network
(Courtesy of Radioink.com)
Todd Schnitt Joins JRN Lineup
DENVER -- March 14, 2008: Jones Radio Networks has added "The Todd Schnitt Show" to its afternoon lineup.
"The time has come for Talk radio to get the 25-44 demographic," said JRN VP/Talk Programming Amy Bolton. "JRN will do that with Todd Schnitt. Finally, we have Talk radio with a Rock radio edge."
JRN will handle afffiliate sales for the show, while ad sales will be covered by Jones MediaAmerica.
Schnitt -- who also hosts mornings on WFLZ/Tampa, as MJ Kelli -- said, "This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver my style of an exciting, fast-paced, and unpredictable form of Talk radio. Unlike some shows, I've tossed the obligatory checklist out the window. What's my take on the day's hottest issues? Don't assume, listen!"
---
So now that MJ's afternoon show appears to be going nationwide (probably a few dozen affiliate stations around the country), you can't help but wonder what will happen to the MJ Morning Show. MJ's contract with Clear Channel expires this year on August 31. He mentioned before the two-week Christmas break about "changes" being on the horizon in terms of his career. Plus he has been doing both shows now for over six years, and you have to wonder if he is starting to get tired of the grueling routine. I'm not saying the morning show will end soon, but I think this deal that was just announced might say something about what he is really committed to doing in the long run. Whatever happens, I think it's safe to say that MJ will be on the radio for many years to come in one way or another.
MJ gets tossed out of ice cream shop
All he wanted was some nice cold ice cream to enjoy with his daughter. Instead he found himself going home empty-handed after getting thrown out of the shop. MJ and Chloe were recently at an ice cream shop in hopes of chowing down on some dessert after dining at a sushi restaurant. They went to a place that MJ has been going to for 14 years, and they both ordered their favorite frozen treats. MJ noticed that the guy preparing the desserts was taking money from customers and not washing his hands or even using gloves to handle the food. He called him out on it because he was crumbling a cookie with his bare hands into some ice cream that MJ ordered. The guy got angry with MJ and eventually threw him out of the store because he didn't want to deal with him anymore. MJ does not plan to return to this particular business after the incident, and many listeners who work in the food industry flooded the phone lines in agreement with his observation. The guy claimed to be a "Certified Food Handler," but the way he was handling MJ's food did not demonstrate his title at all.
The Elevator Crotchety Call
This classic Crotchety call is from MJ & BJ's Crotchety Christmas II CD and the Nothing But Crotchety CD. Did Milton Fludgecow survive a scare in which he was trapped in an elevator? Listen to find out.
The Meredith Curse?
Is there a black cloud hanging over the MJ Morning Show? Ever since Meredith joined the show in November, more negative things have been happening in the lives of the show's members. Froggy thinks Meredith is responsible for putting a "curse" on the show, and he is worried about what might happen next. Here are just a few things that have happened to prove his point:
1) Froggy has had a terrible bout with kidney stones that made him miss work for almost 15 days and caused him to have surgery that took hours. He took 140 Vicodin pills during his bout, and he later experienced a "detox" period for a whole weekend when coming off the medication.
2) MJ's hand was harpooned by a palm tree in his yard. He had to have surgery to remove whatever goop was in there, making it the first time in his life that he was knocked out by anesthesia for surgery and preventing him from being able to style the poof on his head, so he had to wear a baseball hat to work. (Joey thought his injury was only a boo-boo)
3) Fester got punched at a local night parade in Tampa by a drunk pirate. He was driving slowly in his truck on the parade route and almost ran the guy over in order to get away from him.4) Meredith broke her finger for the first time right after moving to town to work on the show.
5) Julian has left the water running twice in a bathroom sink at the Schnitt house. MJ thinks it was running for up to a few days straight, and he is concerned about getting his next water bill, expecting it to exceed $1,000.
6) Jabberjaw bought a DVD at Wal-Mart for her young niece's birthday. But to her sister's surprise, there was nothing in the case when she opened it to watch it while the entire family was gathered around the TV one night.
Dave the Dwarf on "Tyra Banks"
Watch Dave the Dwarf and his girlfriend, Jessica, on "The Tyra Banks Show" from February 7th. They appeared as one of the "unlikely couples" mainly because of their differences in age and height. Dave said Tyra wasn't very friendly and would sit backstage away from the guests during the commercial breaks.
Joey B announces the end of his drinking days
He has always been known as a heavy drinker. MJ constantly asks him, "Are you drunk?" if he says something that doesn't make sense. He even had Bud Light logos embroidered onto the seats inside his 1994 Toyota Tercel. But after all of this stuff about drinking, are Joey B's days of boozing it up finally over? That is what he announced to the MJ Morning Show audience on Monday, Feb. 11. MJ thinks it is just another song and dance he has done before where he says he will stop drinking and goes right back to it as fast as he can get his hands on a can of beer. It certainly would help his health if he put down the bottle for good. He went to the doctor awhile back and said he recommended that Joey cut back significantly on his alcohol consumption. Plus, who knows what his liver looks like now. He has said he will ask MJ if he ever needs a liver transplant since he thinks MJ can pull strings and get things done that the average person could never do. But maybe if he stops now, he won't need a new liver in the future.
SIGN THIS PETITION if you are in support of Joey B's decision to stop drinking. Let's try and give him as much support from the fans as possible. (Thanks to Robert in St. Louis for setting it up)
Our condolences go out to Fester and his family
Everyone here at the MJ Fan Page and those who post on the forum are thinking about and praying for Fester and his family. His mother recently passed away. She suffered a stroke a few months ago that had left her incapacitated. This is already the second member of the show to lose their mother in the last year. Rachel the Flying Tomato and her mother were in a serious car accident last April, and her mother did not survive, which was a terrible loss for Rachel because of how close she was to her mother. Fester is undoubtedly in a similar situation, and I hope that he will be able to get through the tough times and return to the show when he feels it is appropriate. Visit the forum and look for the sticky thread titled "Fester" at the very top if you would like to post a message for him.
POLL QUESTION
Hillary Clinton on Idol
Listen to Hillary Clinton's "appearance" on American Idol,
and find out what the judges think of her.
MJ's picking on Froggy is starting to get old
It always seems like MJ has an issue with Froggy these days. At the beginning of most shows, he will ask Froggy whether or not he has something to contribute to the show that day. Sometimes Froggy says he does. Other times he says he will kick back and let the rest of the crew do something for once. Whenever he doesn't have an idea, or he has an idea that MJ isn't particularly fond of, MJ will pick on him, berate him, or remind him that he is part of the Millenials generation that has the reputation of not being motivated and expects everything to be handed to them. He also gets upset if Froggy is out of the studio for just a few minutes. Meanwhile, he is in the production room working on something for the show, or is in the bathroom suffering from IBS.
I think Froggy is a pretty funny guy, and I will stand up for him when it comes to this constant picking that MJ does on him. I'm not a fan of every song, crank call, or bit he comes up with. But he seems to contribute a fair amount of material overall, and he comes up with funny quips here and there that other members of the crew rarely do. MJ's picking on Froggy is starting to get old. It may be a bit or it could all be real. Either way, I hope MJ finds someone else to pick on once in awhile other than the guy who does quite a bit for the show on a fairly regular basis.
NOTE: This website is designed and maintaned by a fan of the MJ Morning Show, Greg Lindberg.
