ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996                 TAG: 9603150028
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1    EDITION: METRO 


GOOD WORDS FOR SAM AND MARK

I was born and raised in Virginia and I have spent all my life trying to tell people that Southerners are not all bigoted, ignorant rednecks. I abhor anything that perpetuates that stereotype, particularly the ``Big Show,'' or the big mistake as I like to call it.... Sam and Mark are enlightening, they're compassionate, and they have just enough sick humor to make it all entertaining. I like to think they represent a new world order for the South today.

The new ``Big Show'' is grating on my ears.

This morning, it happened to be on because I had turned it back [to WROV]in the afternoon, and all I heard was a commentary about urinating in the shower. My daughter was in the car with me. That's not what I want my child to hear...Get it off.

I definitely don't like the redneck, road race radio show of the ``Big Show.'' It's very, very juvenile, a bunch of guys sitting around laughing at their own jokes, which I can't find funny at all.

Jim Bob and Billy Boy are an embarrassment to those intelligent listeners who are from Charlotte. They are not a representation of people from Charlotte. We are not all that red or stupid.

Now that they switched to Billy Bob, my 5-year-old, when I take him to preschool, he likes it, and he laughs and thinks it's funny. So, you've now got something that appeals to a 5-year-old when it's supposed to be the king rock 'n' roll station of the world.

I didn't think anything was worse than watching auto racing, rednecks going around a track. But I found it. It's two rednecks talking about it every morning.

I don't have a problem with the fact that these guys are hicks, which they are, or a problem with the fact that they think they're funny, which they're not. But they don't play good rock 'n' roll music and they're aren't rock 'n' roll DJs. If I was to get one of them on the phone, they could not answer my rock 'n' roll question. And I think Sam and Mark have a background in music. That's why they're DJs at a rock 'n' roll station, and I think they belong back on the morning show - together.

I was never a big fan of ``Hee Haw'' when it was originally on, and I sure don't want to hear it in the mornings.


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