The Showgram's answers to the Blarrrg’s Most Frequently Asked Questions (in no particular order):
1. Showgram main players: JC Corcoran (Host),
- John “the U-Man” Ulett (co-host - news & sports director)
- Laurie Mac (pronounced Law-ree, co-host & producer)
- Carl “the Intern” (associate producer) and, no, I’m not still an intern. It’s just a name that I’ve had since September of 1990. We’ve tried to change it, it stuck, so I’m stuck with it.
- Dave Murray “crack FOX 2 meteorologist” with the weather.
"
On Wednesday August 15th, 2007 we were sorry to have to report the departure of Jen Sparks from KHITS 96. Jen was an integral part of the success of both our show and Mark Klose's show in the afternoon and we wish her nothing but the best. Even with as well as we're doing at the station, the economic realities that exist in the broadcast business these days often produce situations we wish we didn't have to deal with. We're told a replacement for Jen is not in the works anytime soon. Everything else on the show remains as is.” -- J.C.
2. You, the listener, are very important, that is why I always say some sort of “hello” to you as we begin.
3. To see where JC gets his Sharp Cheddar cheese in Wisconsin,
clicky.
4. Our phone numbers for contests are: 314.969.9696 or 866.455.9696. Just to talk to us call 314.969.9630.
5. 99.9% of the Showgram broadcasts begin around 6am like this:
a. “Happ-E-2-C-U-A-Ginn” by Graham Central Station. Larry Graham used to be a member of Sly and the Family Stone. We play a short version of the song every morning and the original version every Saturday on the Best of the Showgram.
b. A JC & the U-Man rewind (this is a replay of a bit we usually did the day before - but not always).
c. Dancing Queen. Yes, the Abba song, but it is the Orchestral/Angelic version from “Muriel's Wedding.”
d. "Don't Be Nervous / Don't Be Rocky / You're our teen-age / Guest Disc Jockey, now." It's an old-time radio jingle.
e. NBC News and one minute of commercials.
f.. The legal ID (The Government makes us do this near the top of the hour.)
g. Laurie does her first traffic report.
h. John does his first news (or Laurie does it if John is on vacation.)
i. Frivolity, laughter, joy & pain ensue (although sometimes not in that order).
6. With generous rounding & much disregard for accuracy, John is off approximately 17.5% of the year, or about 60 days.
7. To buy the Rubber Band’s
Beatmas (Christmas Songs done Beatles’ style): Send a check of $18.99 + $3.99 for S&H (that’s $22.98 for the mathematically challenged) to:
Isba Music Entertainment Inc. / 2860, Boul. De la Concorde East Suite 201 / Laval (Québec) / H7E 2B4 Canada
8. “Wet Dream” is performed by Kip Addotta and is available on
Dr. Demento's 20th Anniversary Collection.
9. Laurie’s dogs are Buddy & Sally (from “The Dick Van Dyke Show”). JC’s cats are Victor the Cat, the Wonderful, Wonderful Cat & Louie, a kitten he acquired in December of 2007. We were sad to announce that JC’s cat, Chloe, passed away at the ripe old age of 16. Dave Murray had two dogs: Sunshine (the chocolate lab) is still with us & Stars (the yellow lab) recently passed. My cat was named D’oh! (after Homer’s annoyed grunt - I wanted to name her Crusty the Pussy, another “Simpsons” reference, but my wife said “absolutely not.”). She passed away in April after 14 years of bringing joy to my family.
10. When JC says “We’ll put that up on the Blarrrg, it is updated everyday by 1pm” sometimes a.) The item doesn’t always make it to the Blarrrg for a variety of reasons and b.) The Blarrrgs are usually turned in by 12pm, but for a variety of other reasons cannot always posted right away.
11. I usually spell out Saint Louis, unless it is used in the abbreviated form in a trademarked item (such as our local sports teams).
12. JC’s fiancé’s nickname was “Shaniqua” when they were dating. Now that they are engaged her nickname is “Triple C.” They are the same person btw.
13. If we have a contest (that isn’t on-going) I will try to put the answers in the Blarrrg. Favorite & Popular contests include (but are not limited to) “Last Man Standing,” “Bock Rackwards,” “The Next Line,” “The Pyramid” and “Smooshes.”
14. We used to do a feature called “What Have You Done for Me Lately? (a.k.a WHYD4ML?).”
15. On Mondays The Showgram compares their weekends to the listeners’ in a feature called “Who did John, Mac, Carl & JC See?” We ask a question afterwards to win a VT. Teddy Bear.
16. In 2007 we gave away 556 tickets to the new ballpark - 0 of them playoff or World Series tickets.
17. We used to do “Movie Clip Monday,” then “Film Clip Friday,” sponsored by Deep Discount. They are now our monthly grand prize supplier for screen test.
18. “The Scotsman” is performed by Bryan Bowers and is available on
Dr. Demento's 20th Anniversary Collection.
19. If power goes off anywhere in the Saint Louis area, then it is probably also off at the Corcoran house.
20. Blarrrg is spelled B-L-A-R-R-R-G.
21. Eric McCormick from "Will & Grace" performed the “Boobies” song on Saturday Night Live (and no, we can’t make a copy for you. Maybe you can find it on “one of the Internets” if you look.)
22. John Ulett is also the Public Address Announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals. I am the Music Coordinator at both Scottrade Center for the St. Louis Blues and the Edward Jones Dome for the St. Louis Rams. (That’s a fancy way of saying I play the music at the games.)
23. Weird things happen to JC Corcoran (especially on the road), I have found the weirder the things, the better the Showgram.
24. Frequent contributors to the Showgram include:
Joe Holleman, Joe Bonwich & Eric Mink from the
St. Louis Post Dispatch, Rosemary Watts -
the Dream Lady, Jon Sloane former radio & television sports personality, and our boss - Richard Balis.
25. The Best of the Showgram airs Saturday mornings from 7-10 am. During the “Best of” we did something called “Captain Carl’s Buried Treasure.” I said something. Whoever remembered & repeated it back to us on Monday won a prize. We have put this contest on hiatus until better prizes come along. So be on the look out for it again in the future.
26. John went to Bishop DuBourg High School. I went to Christian Brothers College High School in Clayton. JC and Laurie both didn’t grow up here so that Saint Louis idiosyncrasy doesn’t apply. (Although, Laurie’s husband went to St. Mary’s and that makes him & John mortal enemies.)
27. The Schnucks Panic Aisle is a popular winter feature. It is a signal to let people know a winter storm is coming and they should run to the grocery store and get milk, eggs & bread (presumably to make French toast.)
28. When someone mentions a business by name, JC usually triggers a cash register sound effect.
29. Laurie & her husband’s play called “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” played at the Playhouse at Westport.
30. The Showgram ends around five minutes ‘til 10am with JC saying, “In the Meantime, we’ve beaten this one to death. Have a good one. See-you-later, bye!” Then we play a little song we call a “Glottal.” JC inserts something funny, and then Dan Aykroyd says, “We’re on a Mission from God” from
The Blues Brothers.
31. The Blarrrgs always end with descriptions of the three elements we do in the 9 o’clock hour: the “Joke’s on You (a.k.a. JoY),” “The Three for All (a.k.a. 3fA) everyday but Wednesday when we do the “Fab Four (a.k.a. F4).” And then the answer to that day’s Screen Test Question (where we "Give stuff away. Make people famous. And keep the world safe for Democracy"). Which happens at the end of the “Real, True, Inside, E!, Extra, Access, Entertainment Report.”