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And again, a radio host fired for mouthing off
Posted on November 3, 2006 3:12 PM
Now I haven't been blogging very long for the charming, sophisticated, and dead sexy people at SimplyHired for very long on the Fired blog. But I've learned something over the past couple of months. Ok, the last couple of days.
If you are a radio DJ, mouthing off about other people is a time-honored part of the job. It is expected that you will irritate someone somewhere, because if you don't no one else will listen and you'll lose your job anyway.
There are three ways the truly dedicated DJ can accelerate the firing process.
1) Offer to sexually abuse the 4-year-old daughter of a rival DJ
2) Call a star wide receiver on the local NFL squad a racist.
3) Refer to a political candidate as a fat lesbian.
Haven't heard about that last one yet? Call it dateline Boston then, and wave those pink slips at John DePetro, ex DJ...
"The comments were completely inappropriate, derogatory and will not be tolerated," said Jason Wolfe, a vice president at Entercom Boston, which owns WRKO, in a statement. "I met with our corporate staff last night after listening to the tapes, and we decided to terminate John at that meeting."The potential ballot listings would be a lot more interesting if John created them. Imagine going into the booth and your choices for governor are "condom-pilfering poozer" and "elevator gas-passer" instead of Democrat and Republican. That would make the exit poll reports a lot more interesting.
DePetro told the Globe today said he was "stunned" by his firing and that he called Grace Ross to apologize for calling her a "fat lesbian." He explained that he was exasperated that Ross and independent Christy Mihos were eating up time during Wednesday's debate. Recalling his remarks on the radio, DePetro told his listeners that he wished someone would "tell the fat lesbian to shut up."
"I didn't violate any laws. There was no obscene language," DePetro said Friday. "I know it's mean but she is technically obese and lives an alternative lifestyle. It's kind of mean. What if someone yelled about Kerry Healey being a spoiled white b---h or Mihos being an arrogant wealthy egomaniac."
DePetro apologized on the air after making the remark. Ross describes herself on her campaign website as "a white lesbian living in Worcester" and life-long activist for gay/lesbian civil rights and other "progressive causes."
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