Boycott WJJO
Posted by: "Angela Prestil
Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:35 pm (PST)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE . . . PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY!!
Contact: Nikki Baumblatt, OutReach Development Director
(608) 255-8582 * (608) 255-0018 Fax
nikkib@outreachinc. com * www.outreachinc.com
Steve Starkey, OutReach Executive Director
sstarkey@outreachin c.com
Subject: WJJO RADIO DJ REPEATEDLY STEPS OVER THE LINE
Madison, WI — Recently WJJO-FM DJ, Snuff made questionable remarks about Ryan Seacrest being selected to host the pre-game show for the Superbowl. Snuff referred to Seacrest as a "Shirley" and then instead of cutting off further discussion regarding Seacrest’s sexuality, he encouraged his listeners’ equally offensive comments. Seacrest’s sexual orientation obviously has nothing to do with his appropriateness for the position. In response to a community member who wrote Snuff rationally listing his concerns, Snuff replied, "Sorry I mistook you for a Rational Human. I feel like I’m talking to my Lil Brother about Sticks & stones."
Obviously not a thoughtful or appropriate response.
After discussions with WJJO Program Director Randy Hawke, I was assured that this was not acceptable behavior as far as they were concerned, that in fact, WJJO was an open and affirming workplace. I was told that he would discuss Snuff’s attitudes with him and ensure that we wouldn’t be dealing with any similar situations in the future.
Unfortunately, in the wake of the Senator Craig (R-Idaho) scandal, Snuff once again took the opportunity to make threats, stating that he would stomp on the hand of anyone who reached under the stall he was in. He once again made this about being gay as opposed to making it an issue of improper behavior regardless of one’s sexual orientation. We have even received calls that his co-host and other callers suggested to Snuff that he had taken the issue too far.
And now, in the wake of Ellen Degeneres’ emotional display concerning her dog on of her show last Tuesday (10/16/07), Snuff took the opportunity to refer to Ellen as a "crazy psycho lesbian." What part of her emotional display had anything to do with her sexual orientation?
Wasn’t it possible to substitute the word lesbian with comedian or animal activist? Instead, Snuff compounded his insensitivity by remarking that he thought Ellen was into "beaver, not dogs." He then capped off his comments by attributing her emotional display to PMS!
We have worked with WJJO over the past six weeks to clear up this situation, unfortunately they have been less than cooperative. Our original intent was a public apology from Snuff on his radio show and a set of objective criteria to eliminate insensitive, homophobic and improper comments. Failing to achieve this, we are calling for a boycott.
It is because of these statements, that OutReach is encouraging our LGBT community and fair-minded allies to not only boycott WJJO, but their advertisers. Below you will find a partial list of advertisers. We encourage you to contact them and let them know that you will no longer be patronizing them and the reason for your decision, as well as calling WJJO and letting them know of your actions. You may also choose to contact WJJO and let them know about your concerns. Please feel free to contact OutReach with additional WJJO advertisers and we will make sure to update the list on a regular basis.
Advertisers:
Chalmer’s Jewelers
Dean/St. Mary’s Family Birth Center
Einstein PCs
Herzing College
Hooters
Kayser Automotive Group
Kearns Auto
Lasting Skin Solutions
McDonalds
Music Go Round
Paradise City
Prairie Athletic Club
Rob’s Performance
Rogan’s Shoes
Rogers & Hollands
Shoepp Motors
Summerfest
Turville Bay MRI
US Cellular
UW Credit Union
Weaver Auto Part
Steve Starkey, Executive Director
OutReach
600 Williamson Street, Suite P1
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 255-8582 (phone)
(608) 255-0018 (fax)
www.outreachinc. com
Our mission is "To promote equality and quality of life for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people."
Add comment October 24th, 2007
The Demix, a guy out of Milwaukee got added to Gimp Radio this week. The Demix is a one-man show with a computer, a drum machine and a turntable. He has a lot of the same vibe as General Patton vs. The executioner. It’s very controlled chaos, just like The Dillinger Escape Plan. This will make you think of every sound you hear in your everyday life and how it fits, and/or clashes with every other sound. It just proves that there is music everywhere, all the time. To find out more about The Demix, check out his myspace page, 
Left of Reason hits us with their four song demo, which shows you how diverse these guys are. If you are a soulless sheep you might mistake them for another Stained knockoff. However, I can hear a remnence of early Punk Rock and Metal such as Aerosmith, Nirvana and Shotdown. It would be great to have them put out a full length record. If you ever get a chance to see them live, it’s a must! The energy that gets thrown at you will take you places you haven’t been in a while.
