Oregon DJs Ousted for Mocking Berg Beheading (thanks to Karel Kerezman)
Humor can be a double-edged sword. One person's joke can be another's tasteless insult. Any successful comedian knows this and treads the line very carefully, and even the best come down on the wrong side now and again. Of course, no one in Portland is likely to be considering "Marconi" and "Tiny" anywhere close to being the best. This accounts in part for why they are our latest DUMB@$$ AWARD wieners.
Two Portland, Oregon, DJs were fired for making jokes as they aired a recording of American Nick Berg's beheading in Iraq, station management said on Friday, calling their actions "beyond comprehension."
The DJs, named only by their on-air personas "Marconi" and "Tiny," and their producer were fired from their morning show on Thursday after the pair laughed and played background music while repeatedly airing Berg's screams as militant Islamists decapitated him.
"This was way over the line, insensitive and repulsive, by anyone's measure," said Clark Ryan, vice president for FM operations of Entercom Communications Corp. in Portland, where the network runs five FM stations.
Yes, kids, there are certain topics that even us amateurs know enough to steer clear of. Even in this day and age, some things are STILL beyond the pale. Regardless of anything else, it is never acceptable to make fun of someone else's senseless suffering and murder. Apologizing after the fact certainly doesn't make things any better.
Marconi apologized on Friday in an audio recording posted on his personal web site, saying he had made himself sick with his "stupid" actions.
"I say a lot of stupid things on the radio, but this was the most inappropriate thing that I've ever done and I am very ashamed of myself for doing it," the DJ said.
Well, I'm not at all certain that "stupid" or "inappropriate" adequately plumbs the depths explored by these two trolls. Would they have have had the balls to do this in West Chester, PA- Nicholas Berg's hometown? No, cowards and fools generally give themselves the safety of separation.
Whatever, y'all should be ashamed of yourselves, but you now have this shiny new DUMB@$$ AWARD to keep you company as you fade into your richly-deserved obscurity. I'm sure that there's a Buddhist monastery somewhere in the Himalayan foothills that specializes in rehabilitating insensitive dickweeds such as yourselves.
My friend Karel summed things up rather nicely:
Marconi and Tiny, (formerly) of KNRK-FM in Portland, OR. They ran the audio of the beheading, repeatedly, with joking commentary. It got them fired, yes indeedy. They did, however, make the national news...
And doesn't any DUMB@$$ worth their reputation want to make the national news??
When I begin taking nominations for the DUMB@$$ Hall of Fame (Shame?), I suspect I'll be seeing several nominations for these maroons- and deservedly so.
