“Don’t call me a liberal. I’m not that conservative.”
Jay Marvin got me through college.
So did a fake ID and battery-operated Magic Banana. But that’s a whole other story.
In the early nineties, I studied political science at USF by day while serving drinks and kraut at Mr. Dunderbaks by night. (SIDE NOTE: Only in America could an Irish-American girl work at a German restaurant owned by Lebanese immigrants.) Anyway, I would drive home surrounded by yellow ribbons and pro-war ideology and wanting to puke. One night, I turned on the radio and discovered Jay Marvin. He spoke for me and the other liberal in town and I loved him for it.
I became a huge Jay Marvin junkie. I called his show almost every night – he always indulged me and my Frank Zappa references. We’d talk for what seemed like hours even though it was probably only five minutes. (I still have tapes of those aired conversations. How sad is that?) Jay encouraged stalking tendencies by inviting me down to the studio and lending me Jack Kerouac books and Che biographies. I was the perfect pupil – lapping up attention like a lovesick puppy.
Then one day, Jay disappeared. Walked right out on me and talk radio fanatics from Largo to Lutz. No more nightly lectures about the evils of television. No more ranting about conservative values ruining our town. I had no idea what happened to him. At one point, rumors floated that he was running a commune in Vermont. Turns out, not so much. He’s still fighting the good fight - this time on Colorado airwaves – drawing in anyone with a radio and a conscience.
Yesterday, I’m tooling around town listening to Air America and guess who’s subbing for Jerry Springer? My old friend Jay Marvin. So nice! Just like old times, I avoided elderly drivers while listening to a passionate progressive rail against President Bush. I almost burst into tears right there on Bearss Avenue. I rushed home and sent him an email. What did this Big Shot do? He responded right away and I'm in love all over again!
If you have access to Air America, tune in this week from 9am-noon. Jay Marvin. My hero. Still.
posted by kate @ 7:30 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Kate,
Is everything that happens to you related to your teenage/college years? Has anything noteworthy happened in your life since you graduated from college?
You haven't posted anything interesting in a while. I've been forced to do battle on other blogs comments sections.
Is everything ok? ;-)
tsk.tsk.
Signed,
Your conservative alter ego.
I love your posts!
Besides which, memory plays a very important part of who we are. We need to weave ourselves a kind of identity tapestry to understand how we're responding to current events. Somtimes, recent events need a little processing before you can weave those strands of yarn, ribbons, bits of fabric, and beads into that identity tapestry we call "me/I."
Kate, you mentioned you were listening on the radio. Do you have satellite or can you get Air America on regular radio? I have to listen from my computer. I will be starting a new job and won't be able to do that anymore. But I sure would love to listen from my car on the way to and from work, since Howard is gone now.
Thanks.
Mr. C: My thoughts on Happy Holidays and local Gay-Straight alliances aren't interesting to you because you find yourself speechless with superior writing and powerless to argue against them. Explaining why I'm thrilled to hear a progressive voice on the radio (i.e. I used to listen to him in college) is "providing context". I talk about current events, life as a teacher and mother, etc. So suck it.
Tam: I listen to Air America on XM Radio. Much better than local alternatives.
Katie: I love how only you can punctuate bylines with 'suck it'. Although I am amused by Mr. C's battles... Why not draw on the past? The past is great fodder!
BTW...That from a "friend from days past" Ah, the irony.
Seriously, didn't our adventures shape who we are today? Why not discuss? Mr. C is just realizing he spent his glory years identifying with Reagan.
Which explains so much...
Ah, the proverbial "suck it." Good to have you back Kate.
Yeah, you got me. Reagan is my hero. Nice insight there.
I know this is the "where parenting and politics meet" website, but how about a little more politics. We've had enough of the girly talk.
And, no more talk about battery powered bananas, ok?
Insecure Man Strikes Again!
Don't worry Mr. C- until they teach me how to mow the lawn, you're still needed!
well, dang, Kate. I didn't mean to send my blogger icon. Mea Culpa. Maxima mea culpa.
Good grief. And all this time I thought parenting _was_ politics. All this talk about the importance of the mommy-daddy-me model of the family, that without it, civilization would crumble under the weight of moral degenercy run rampant. George Gilder told us it was so. Men, he said, are prone to raping and pillaging without the moral guidance of women and progeny to keep them in line.
Reagan made sure everyone in his administration had a copy.
If politics was parenting in Reagan's world, that's good enough for me! :p
You can send anything you want!
:-) I'm glad you're here.
Anything? Hmm. OK. I saw Battery Operated Banana's page. I don't feel so bad now. Phew. You just never know.
come back to dunderbaks and say hello
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