#HMB 236 - Take a Knee, I've Got Some News for You with Tampa News Force (@TampaNewsForce)
John Jacobs and Josh Santos from TampaNewsForce.com stop by The #HMB on 05/25/2018.
Hang on a minute, take a knee. It was kind of a back-burner issue at this point but the players who opted to take a knee during the National Anthem at NFL games are back in the news. Earlier last week the NFL announced a policy to fine teams whose players opt to take a knee during the ceremony. So, everyone is freaking out again. For the vast majority, it's another tribal issue and you feels a certain way about it based on whether you have a D or an R next to your name on your Voter ID Card. If you're a D, Trump is an A-Wipe and all of a sudden you're worried about rights again and if you have an R next to your name you like the move because these players are disrespecting the country and military and those things rule. Again, however, this is another thing where it's not black & white, nuance exists. I thought a lot about it this week because I see both sides of the argument. I believe that people should have the right to protest peacefully but I also agree that you shouldn't necessarily have the right do it at your place of business. From what I can tell, the kneeling thing started as a statement against a perceived injustice of police brutality against black Americans. Now agree or disagree with the sentiment, it has nothing to do with military or America but that compartmentalized issue. You can't blame the other side for believing it's about bashing America though seeing as the protest takes place during the time when the anthem is played. It's a timing thing. When else would the players have the time during a game to make that statement during a game? They wouldn't, it's kind of the only time. Should they? I mean, look, the bottom line for me is these guys are at work and if the boss says "not on my time" then fair enough. If they're activists outside of the game then there's little the NFL and owners can do about it; so players, save it for interviews and social media and just stand during the anthem. It's apparently part of the job.
Well, now that issue is solved, get up and let's get to the goods. Tampa News Force is in the building. It's a fascinating concept trying to make the news entertaining and funny. It's not the Daily Show it's more hitting the streets and just asking people involved, "what's going on here"? It's weird, to be frank but oddly engaging. It's brought criticism from major news outlets like the Tampa Bay Times' Tony Marrero and Howard Altman who thought it was in poor taste and after a brief Twitter spat, John went to confront them and ask why they were upset with what he was doing...as journalists do:
It's just a different spin on news but it's not fake. Tampa News Force is just asking what's going on and trying to also bring some comedic flare to it. I know that most journalists see themselves us some moral gate-keeper but people are sick of it. Go cry on your blog and just tell us what's happening in the world, A-wipes...
I know many are over-worked and underpaid and just miserable people in general. I work in radio, I get it but lighten up would ya? Anyway, Tampa News Force is bringing comedy and journalism together in one evening at the Tampa Improv on May 31st. You can get free tickets if you enter code "TNF" at checkout. Listen to the podcast with the fellas here:
The #HMB airs Sunday's on Radio St. Pete @ 6:15PM & Monday's at 10:15PM or on demand via Stitcher (http://bit.ly/2wuLR7a) or iTunes (https://goo.gl/xKN5OY) Leave a voice or text message for the show @: (813) 693-2124 or hit me up on our Facebook page or on twitter. Don't forget to tune into Stay Woke with Anna Hummel & myself weeknights after the Johnny B Show at midnight on 102.5 The Bone. The Homemade Broadcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: Taphouse 61 , Truvy Salon & Spa & Homemade Podcasts. We like them more than a friend.
#HMB 223 - ...but it's my Turkey Leg & Going Viral with Zebra Corner
Zac Townsend & Ali from Zebra Corner stop by 2/21/2018
I really love comedy but I've grown to really despise comedians. Most are really nice people when you talk to them in person but most tend to fit a profile. They're many things at once on opposite sides of the spectrum. They tend to be the most un-confident-confident people in the galaxy. The way they speak on the internet is far from how they talk in person. Online, you'd think they had a spine. Most, are also horribly unfunny which is a problem for obvious reasons. They seem to not understand their craft. Many don't understand satire and in an effort to be "inclusive" have made many subjects off-limits so most of them just bitch about their Dad's and other heterosexual white men, comic books or the worst of the worst...REPULICANS. Granted, those are also some of my favorite people to trash but I also like the variety of anyone being a target because there are a lot of A-Hole's in every subset. Also, their only "People of Color" friend is the black dude who is nice to them at Open Mic's just in case they ever put on a show and want to be booked. One of our friends that moved to Los Angeles to continue a comedy career said it's even worse over there and I believe it. Make an off-color joke that doesn't pop and you might be banned forever. Poof, your dream is dead because the dunce that runs the open mic is thinks your "having a hard time with chop sticks" joke bombed. I saw it with my own eyes; a pink dreadlocked, drunk woman curse out a comic out in the middle of the open mic because he refereed to his dog as a "bitch". I heard about one of these local "comics" calling for a boycott of Dave Chappelle over his transgender joke in his latest Netflix special. Yea, good luck with that. I saw on Facebook, a comic who now lives in Portland, Oregon post a picture of a swastika with a heart drawn around it on her car with a "This was on my car this morning. Fucking. Portland." caption because as we know, Portland is known for it's large intolerant Nazi population. They can't decipher basic satire because they're either dumb or intentionally naive, perhaps both. Dude, it's a JOKE. They are MESSING with you. As Zac pointed out, it's the equivalent of drawing a penis. Go to any public school bathroom and it's filled with drawings of dicks and swastikas because they're awful things to draw. It's a juvenile act that still makes most of us giggle, even as adults. THEY'RE FUCKING WITH YOU! If you're going to make jokes the first thing you need to be able to do is to take a joke. Nothing should be off limits, give things a chance to be funny because trust me, if you don't laugh with all the things going on in this world, you will certainly cry.
They're not all bad though. Ali from Zebra Corner, a homegrown Tampa Bay sketch comedy collective anchored by the fan favorite character "Mahk" stopped by this week to talk about how the group got started and going viral earlier this week with their hilarious parody of an Apple and NASCAR commercial:
Zac Townsend, banned occasional co-host is on this one too. The ban was temporarily lifted, however, it is now back in full effect. We talk about the local comedy scene in Tampa Bay, the challenges of navigating the entertainment industry and the rise of new media. Check out the podcast here:
The #HMB airs Sunday's on Radio St. Pete @ 6:15PM & Monday's at 10:15PM or on demand via Stitcher (http://bit.ly/2wuLR7a) or iTunes (https://goo.gl/xKN5OY) Leave a voice or text message for the show @: (813) 693-2124 or hit me up on our Facebook page or on twitter. Don't forget to tune into Stay Woke with Anna Hummel & myself weeknights after the Johnny B Show at midnight on 102.5 The Bone. The Homemade Broadcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: Taphouse 61 , Truvy Salon & Spa & Homemade Podcasts. We like them more than a friend.