OK, for those of you new to the American Cultural Scene, there’s a guy named Ryan Seacrest. A couple of years ago, he was the afternoon, drive-time DJ (err, “radio personality”) for Star 98.7 in Los Angeles (a ClearChannel, pop hits type station). Then he was picked to co-host the first season of a television show called “American Idol”. He was successful enough in that position to be offered the sole host position for the second season, and is now in the middle of hosting the third season.
Meanwhile, back at the radio station, he was continuing to host the afternoon program, until about six weeks ago, when left Star and went to be the morning drive time DJ at KIIS-FM in Los Angeles (another ClearChannel station), replacing Rik Dees (a semi-famous, and fairly popular, long-time fixture of LA morning radio).
The move to KIIS evidently left his afternoons dangerously unscheduled, so he has also recently begun hosting an afternoon entertainment type talk show on Fox, called “Ryan on Air”. (So, now he has the morning radio gig starting at 5am and going to 10am, the afternoon TV gig, which is taped for an hour starting at noon, and the twice-a-week plus specials TV gig, which is “live” on the east coast at 8pm, so must start in LA at 5).
Beyond the quite legitimate discussion of the morality/legality of time-reversal charms or human cloning, my question has to do with his radio ratings – is this guy a major draw? Was his replacement of Rik Dees a good move for ClearChannel? Have the Star afternoon ratings been hurt by his move?
My theory is that he, Rick Dees, Casey Kasem, and Dick Clark are all actually the same genetic entity: they just keep popping out a new clone every fifteen years or so.
I don’t have an answer for the OP, but I just want to say that Ryan Seacrest is a tool of the highest order and I hate him with a white-hot passion. He is a talentless, smug little sh*t and I hate that he is seemingly everywhere (don’t forget about his AT&T commercials, now!).
In fact, the only other person on television with less visible talent and more high-profile jobs has been Tom Bergeron, whom nobody I’ve ever met has liked. Or even vaguely tolerated.
If there is a Hell, it will be a badly air-conditioned room containing a television. On this television will be two shows – “Live with Ryan Seacrest,” and some kind of mind-numbingly crap-assidy show with Tom Bergeron.
With occasional breaks for commercials featuring Carson Daly.
I kind of figured that’s why he keeps getting work. He’s totally untalented, but he’s also pretty bland, and everyone just kind of vaguely hates him. That’s pretty much how I feel about every radio DJ, anyway.
Neurotic confession: I watch American Idol (not ashamed to say it… I tell you might proud to say it…) but I literally have to change channels before he says
There’s just something about the self-serving ego bloated annunciation of that line that’s like fingers on a chalkboard to me. (Seacrest is very sensitive about his height on the interviews I’ve seen him on, saying that he’s irked by being called “short” when he’s in fact 5’9- unless AI has some major giants and she-giants in the finals, he’s not 5’9, and while I couldn’t care less about somebody’s height [I’ve known some super-cute guys who were damned near hobbits] don’t be a media figure if you can’t take superficial criticism [ala Simon, who I understand isn’t faking- he really can’t stand Seacrest.)
BTW, here’s David Letterman’s Top Ten List of Catch Phrases Ryan Seacrest Rejected Before “Seacrest Out!”.
Rick Dees actually had an opinion and expressed it. I have heard him go off on someone who was being a jerk. He was sometimes irritating but usually I found him funny and tollerable for the drive into work.
Ryan Seacrest. I have yet to actually hear him. He just plays songs. No funny stuff in the morning. So if I wanted to hear anything that is close to funny I would be forced to listen to Jamie (White) and Danny (Bonuduce) ugh the worse drivel there is. Jamie goes off on men then rationalizes her bad choices. So I now just listen to sport radio in LA.
Boy what a choice, would I rather listen to Rick Sleeze or Ryan Cheesecrest?
That is like asking would I rather have a root canal W/O any pain killers or my wisdom teeth out again W/O painkillers.
Both are equally bad choices.
I really liked Seacrest when he was on Star, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I don’t think he translates well to television, but I always found him amusing and likeable on the “Ryan for the Drive” show. Especially when his co-host, Lisa Foxx, would start saying goofy shit about astrology and seances with the dead and psychics and he would basically mock her and made it very clear he thought it was a load of shit.
That’s when he was my favorite. It seems to me, especially in L.A., you never hear any DJs who aren’t giant flakes. Even Jamie and Danny on Star have their flakey moments…
So, I wish he would quit television and return to Star and be there for the top five at five and make fun of Lisa again. I miss it. His replacement is even more bland than Seacrest, if that’s possible, he never does or says anything interesting, and blah.
Conan O’brien thought it would be cool to use this catch phrase for an episode last week… This exact phrase. He said “seacrest out” before every commercial, and I thought that was funny. Never watched american idol, or anything else with Seacrest in it really, so I can’t comment about him.
If you’re hard up for a decent morning show in L.A., I suggest tuning in to Kevin and Bean (KROQ, 106.7). Not every morning will leave you laughing up phlegm, but most mornings will; it’s by far the funniest and genuine morning show I’ve heard. And they skewer each other almost as much as they skewer Seacrest. The big downside is that their morning music is alternative hard rock, which ain’t everybody’s cup o’ tea, mine included.
As for the man in question on this thread – Seacrest – I had one run-in with him while bartending an awards show. He was about five feet away from me and just staring at me with such intensity I quite honestly thought he wished he could start a fight with me. I’ve had my share of surreal Hollywood moments and this one by far takes the cake as most comical. I’d avert his stare, try to stay busy, and then I’d look up and… he’s still staring at me! My friends and I used to theorize that he had a coke problem, but I just don’t see how he could keep up with an addiction and that workload (which demands he keep a certain jocularity) without eventually flipping out. He has to love his work; not even an out of control ego could juggle all those commitments.
As for his talent, I thought he and Lisa made a pretty cool duo for the drive home. Haven’t heard him anywhere else.
