# Your Worst/Most Obnoxious Local TV Personality **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967 "2004-01-25T06:38:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/61 "2004-01-28T19:09:18Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Oh, and you L.A. people, complete this phrase: Pete Ellis Dodge, Long Beach freeway…" Firestone exit, Southgate. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/62 "2004-01-28T19:25:37Z")
On the WB11 in New York City we have Toni Senecal, whose main claim to fame is THAT SHE TALKS REALLY, REALLY LOUDLY. Then there’s this regular guest on Good Day, New York on FOX5. He wears a suit with a bunch of question marks (kinda like the Riddler from Batman) and he tells you how to get free stuff. Words cannot describe this cocaine-fueled idiot adequately. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/63 "2004-01-28T19:44:12Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > On the WB11 in New York City we have Toni Senecal, whose main claim to fame is THAT SHE TALKS REALLY, REALLY LOUDLY. > > Then there’s this regular guest on Good Day, New York on FOX5. He wears a suit with a bunch of question marks (kinda like the Riddler from Batman) and he tells you how to get free stuff. Words cannot describe this cocaine-fueled idiot adequately. [Matthew Lesko.](http://beatles22.student.cwru.edu/images/lesko.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/64 "2004-01-28T20:34:35Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > [Matthew Lesko.](http://beatles22.student.cwru.edu/images/lesko.jpg) Yeup, that’s the idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/65 "2004-01-29T19:34:19Z")
Even worse, Lesko is apparently wrong, in addition to being annoying. Go read the reviews of his books on Amazon. They’re almost hateful. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/66 "2004-01-29T20:32:41Z")
Egads. Cal Worthington’s spreading around the country like some sort of bug-eating virus. I knew him from Sacramento. What everyone’s forgotten to say about him, though, was his voice and mannerisms. He comes across as a good ole Texan, and in his accident, it sounded more like “Ifn Ah caint sail you a car, Ah’ll eat a buhg!” Oops… odd typo up there. not sure why I wrote accident. Meant accent, although accident is amusing. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/67 "2004-01-29T21:28:27Z")
Rich Thomas, WSFA Montgomery Alabama. He looks like Opie-hooked-on-crack. Distracted, disjointed - after 20+ years on the news he still can’t do chatter and seques. The other anchors just ignore his remarks because they’re so off-base. And Leslie Bailey “Cooking with Leslie” same channel. Wife of local business man, caterer, short fat blond woman. One of those women who smile with her mouth open. She says her cooking segment is about “simple foods”; more like 1001-ways-to-adulterate-a-cake-mix. And the food is just bad. Doesn’t help matters that she had weight-loss surgery a couple of years ago, and lost some. But now she is gaining back the weight and becoming quite bitter. ---
**Author:** ![Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrannosaurus_Volcano)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/68 "2011-06-24T12:49:27Z")
> [@Quack](#): > > Also in the great state of Nevada (Reno area this time), on the ABC station: > A man named Tad Dunbar does the evening news. The thing with Tad is that it appears that he was the victim of some horrible genetics experiment that was designed to breed a pig and an bulldog. Not only is Tad a rather portly fellow, but his jowls almost reach the floor. He may have had jowl implants. Really? Tad Dunbar looks fine to me. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/69 "2011-06-24T13:35:34Z")
In New York, there is Mike Francesa, sports talk show host on WFAN which is simulcast on the Yankees network YES. Goes out of his way to be rude and condescending, which has resulted in him having top ratings for two decades now. I don’t know if sports writer Mike Lupica can count as a TV personality, but he would out rank Fat Mike if he does. ---
**Author:** ![bmasters1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@bmasters1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmasters1)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/70 "2011-06-24T14:15:30Z")
WYFF 4 morning/noon meteorologist Dale Gilbert fits that bill for me (JMO, of course). He is the #1 reason why WYFF 4 ranks last in the morning for me, and why I stick with WHNS FOX Carolina in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/71 "2011-06-24T14:21:47Z")
Billy Fuccillo and his car adverts in Syracuse. “It’s huuuuuuuge-uh!” ETA: Holy zombies, Batman! ---
**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/72 "2011-06-26T07:16:58Z")
Heh. I didn’t know that this was a zombie thread when I opened it, but I _knew_ John Barr would be mentioned. Everyone seems to hate that guy, but his commercials are still on the air seven years later, so what does that say? Of course these days lawyer Glen Lerner has taken over the top spot for obnoxious local TV pitchman, but everyone still claims to hate John Barr. Oh, and John Fredericks [Ran in to a bit of a problem](http://www.8newsnow.com/story/11481640/i-team-former-weatherman-accused-of-stalking) a couple of years ago. Needless to say, there was much schadenfreude in the Las Vegas valley. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/73 "2011-06-26T07:23:11Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > It was Ch 13, and he’s still on! Not for 4 years now. He died in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/74 "2011-06-26T15:23:30Z")
Nothing can top Billy Fuccillo’s car emporium adverts in Syracuse, he is universally loathed, and when there’s a used-car-athon, he is on ALL THE TIME. I notice he has some young woman doing some commercials for him now, so he doesn’t show his face so much…I’m sorry the local morning news has dropped the animal’s birthdays now. I used to laugh to see “Chris Smith is turning 2 today, say happy birthday to Greg Jones who is turning 5, and Foo Foo the poodle is hitting double digits today.” I suppose they were getting too many prank submissions, like tarantulas, goldfish, pet rats, and chickens all ‘celebrating’ birthdays. ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/75 "2011-06-26T16:21:33Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Philly is a major media market, so out-and-out incompetence is fairly uncommon. Luckily, we have plenty of obnoxious personalities to hate. > > The top station is the ABC affiliate, where Peter Boreanz’s father is the main weather guy. He cracks himself up like clockwork – once a week, on the 11:00 Friday broadcast. TGIF this, Dave Roberts. > > I gave up on that station after they led off the 6:00 news one night with a one-two punch of stories on urban violence: One about someone rushing up and pushing a kid off his tricycle in South Philly, and the other about some lowlife punching his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach. Neither of these struck me as particularly newsworthy or edifying items. > > Having sworn off Channel 6, though, I had to figure out which of the other two stations to switch my allegiance to. All the anchors are annoying in one way or another, so I based my decision on the weatherpeople. > > The NBC affiliate had four people: > > \*John Bolaris, a very handsome gentleman who left the station after some kind of scandal involving emails and a female reporter from another station; I (blessedly) do not recall the details. John Bolaris is notorious for hyping the storm of the century (it turned out to be less than an inch of snow) and for his desire to “name” the various winter storms. This idea didn’t catch on. > > \*Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz – short, pudgy, glasses, bowtie. [Just went to their website to see if he has a prissy little moustache or not – and find that – sweet Jesus – “Hurricane” has written a book about Philly weather, “the first since 1847.” Oh, and in one pic he has the 'stache, in the other he doesn’t. 'Nuff said.] I have whiled away whole minutes of my life wondering whether the “Hurricane” moniker was self-bestowed or given by someone else with a spirit of contempt that he failed to recognize. > > \*Some normal guy with a normal name who I can’t recall anything about. God bless him. > > \*Kathy Orr, a smart, competent, schtick-free woman. > > I went with the third station, the CBS affiliate – and was delighted when Kathy Orr came over to said station about a year ago. > > PS: On preview, I note the posts on Cal Worthington – good lord, is he still around? I remember him (and his dog spot) from when I lived in SoCal in the '70s. My Dad hated or I guess still does hate Dave Roberts. To the point of writing angry letters to the station. Which tells you more about my Dad than anything else… John Bolaris is basically a frat boy in a really good suit. Possibly a very self-aware and shameless frat boy, but one nevertheless.[This is his latest incident.](http://articles.philly.com/2011-05-19/news/29560667_1_credit-card-credit-score-john-bolaris) Its so ridiculous that I can help but appreciate the balls it took to publicize the fact that a couple of Russian hookers took you down for 40k+ and have no sense of shame about it. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/76 "2011-06-26T16:58:51Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#): > > Not for 4 years now. He died in 2007. Check when her comment was posted. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/77 "2011-06-26T17:08:54Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Check when her comment was posted. 😉 Damn zombies… ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/78 "2011-06-26T18:11:47Z")
> [@SleepyDuck](#): > > Heh. I didn’t know that this was a zombie thread when I opened it, but I _knew_ John Barr would be mentioned. Everyone seems to hate that guy, but his commercials are still on the air seven years later, so what does that say? Of course these days lawyer Glen Lerner has taken over the top spot for obnoxious local TV pitchman, but everyone still claims to hate John Barr. > > Oh, and John Fredericks [Ran in to a bit of a problem](http://www.8newsnow.com/story/11481640/i-team-former-weatherman-accused-of-stalking) a couple of years ago. Needless to say, there was much schadenfreude in the Las Vegas valley. Yes - it always kind of freaks me out when I see my own zombie thread! And yes again - I was quite pleased to see John Fredericks get his ass booted to door way back when. And the triple yes again - both John Barr and Glen Lerner are like living spam, blaring from the TV non-stop, year after year. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/79 "2011-06-26T22:47:23Z")
LOL… Bridget Smith is still scaring pets and small children here in San Antonio. [http://www.kens5.com/great-day-sa/about/Meet-Bridget-Smith-79437012.html](http://www.kens5.com/great-day-sa/about/Meet-Bridget-Smith-79437012.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cheryl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Cheryl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheryl44)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967/80 "2011-06-26T23:05:36Z")
Hawk Harrelson. He’s the color guy for the White Sox. I’m a Sox fan, but he’s so bad it’s no longer funny. He’s got 7 or 8 catch phrases–including _now that’s what gets you a 16,000 square foot house in Arizona!_ Really! He has started saying that every time Paul Konerko does something well on the field. OMG I wish he’d retire, but I’ll bet they carry him out of the booth feet first. But there’s this [http://www.heavethehawk.com/](http://www.heavethehawk.com/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-worst-most-obnoxious-local-tv-personality/225967.md?page=5)