Turn your crank to Frank

[Alleged]

Huzzah, we can finally turn our collective cranks to Frank.

According to Sampo (big "S):

Frank Conniff has signed on as a writer, producer and performer for
"Air
America," the much-discussed "liberal" radio network. He tells us the
network will
make its debut in April in several major media markets, and will also
stream
on the Web and on satellite radio.
By the way, Lizz Winstead, Frank's co-star on the short-lived Oxygen
Network
series "O2Be," and emcee of the 2001 MST3K "reunion" event in New York
City,
is also on board as program director and will have her own show.

[BeatnikChick]

I've been listening fairly steadily, and I have yet to actually hear Frank on the air. But if he's writing for the network, he's doing a damn fine job. Thank heavens for Air America, lemme tell you... Go Frank!!! ;D

[Richard 23]

I was afraid this might be some sort of cruel hoax.

It took me quite awhile to accept that TV's Frank was never coming back.

I was able to find Frank in the unofficial Air America Radio archives (over at www.airamericaplace.com)

Most if not all AAR shows are archived in mp3 format but many have no descriptions.

Frank Conniff appeared on the Majority Report on May 13, 2004 in the first segment (10:20 - 20:00) and was referred to as one of the Air America comedy writers. Janene said that none of his material had been used so far due to time constraints. She also hinted that she'd have him back frequently. Who knows?

The segment is all too short, but it's the same old Frank, same dry wit. Fortunately there was no Winona or Brooks and Dunn.

The show is here: www.airamericaplace.com/upload/aamr051304.mp3

If I come across anything else about Frank on AAR, I'll post it here.

R23

[yousonuva]

Winona!

Hey, thanks for the link Richard 23!

And welcome to the board

[BeatnikChick]

Yay!!! Excellent, Richard!! Thanks!!!

[Richard 23]

I just heard Frank in an ad hocking AAR hats, shirts and whatever else they sell with the AAR label. So he's still on board.

Not huge but a good sign. This comes on the heels of a pro-Frank post I added to the Majority Report Weblog. If the two are related all the better! I highly doubt AAR has any idea about how devoted MSK3K fans are to their little puppet show. What is it that causes people to cheer TV's Frank, a silly character played by Frank Conniff in a tv puppet show that he left behind a decade ago? Not many former Arby's employees share this distinction.

Here's what I posted on the weblog:

Yo Janene and Sam!
Excellent show. It's hard to believe that
you've come so far in such a short time.
I honestly haven't missed a show in weeks.

But I really have to ask: is Frank Conniff still with AAR?
If so, I can't understand why he isn't being used on the air.

If he's up to it, I think it would be great for him and especially for MST3K/AAR fans if he were given at least a 15 minute slot at regular intervals. There's a pent up demand out here. People everywhere want to turn their Crank to Frank!

Marty's So What Else Is News is an excellent buffer between the edgy Randi Rhodes Show and the biting Majority Report. I overlooked Marty's show at first, but it has since grown on me. He makes very effective use of that hour.

I think that Frank, TV's Frank or maybe even something like Frank and Friends (as opposed to Fox and Fiends) might be useful as a segment midway through the Majority Report, at midweek or daily if appropriate. It would provide Janene and Sam a short "smoke" break and give the listeners a chance to catch their breath. I love Majority Report's hard edge and often rapidfire pace, but sometimes it seems like a breather in the middle might make it more effective. It's sometimes a lot to take in. If he's still onboard, Frank's droll wit and cult celebrity might be just the ticket.

As far as I can tell, he's only been heard on AAR once, on the Majority Report, back on May 14 for about 10 minutes during the first segment. TV's Frank still has a loyal cult following despite leaving MST3K about a decade ago. MSTies are a devoted bunch, a good example for liberals and progressives everywhere. If democrats were as devoted to John Kerry as MSTies are to Frank, millions of dollars worth of campaign ads would be unnecessary. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit.

Sandstorm.... Sandstorm....

The positive feedback on May 14th's blog, followed by the postings of a couple of diehard Frankophiles on May 25 and May 31, I think are a clear sign that the nation needs TV's Frank now more than ever. Conniff fans and fans-to-be are still out here, even if the cries have temporarily died down.

Let's face it, with an unsympathetic President George W Bush in office, busily taking from the needy and giving to the greedy, reasonable people to the left of Wolfowitz and Cheney (or those in lower income brackets) are used to not getting what they want.

If management isn't familiar with the the TV's Frank MySTique, they should really get ahold of some Mystery Science Theater host segments. They cannot be described, they must be experienced. Or maybe read some of TV Frank's Pix. You'll be glad you did. Well, I was. Or ask maybe ask Lizz Winstead. I'll bet she knows....

If nothing else, TV's Frank was and is the ultimate sidekick, in the best sense. The only other person who came close was the incredible John Candy in roles like William B Williams on the Sammy Maudlin Show (SCTV). While Frank is certainly no Johnny La Rue, John Candy was no TV's Frank. If that doesn't convince you, then...something else will.

I haven't seen Frank perform lately, but ten minutes of airtime was enough to tell me, he's still got it. Seriously, put Frank to work. To be honest, the idea of Mr Conniff having idle time on his hands scares the living daylights out of me. Let's just say I'm glad to be over on the left coast.

Love that Frank! Sure hope if nothing else that he's forced to read this drivel. Oh, poopy.

Posted by R23 at June 26, 2004 11:19 PM

[BeatnikChick]

Word, Richard! Sounds like it's time for a major letter-writing campaign... AAR needs Frank - and so do we!! Only comedy can keep us sane in the face of the sheer insanity they report on, day in and day out... They have an incredible resource in Frank - they'd be foolish not to put him to work.

BTW, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your "drivel"!! It's nice to know I'm not the only lefty 'round these here parts...

[Richard 23]

AAR needs Frank - and so do we!! Only comedy can keep us sane in the face of the sheer insanity they report on, day in and day out...

I'm glad you brought that up. I know this isn't a political site so I'll restrain myself (a bit).

Warning: This is a bit of an opinion piece (hopefully accurate) about how comedians and satirists seem to be taking up the slack as the whore media abandon journalism in favor of cheerleading.

I've noticed that corporate media has been more favorable towards the government in their reporting lately. I'm out in the boonies without cable so get my news from the internet and PBS. I don't see mainstream and cable tv news. From what I have read, this seems to be occurring in network and cable news as well as in a lot of newspapers. Talk radio has been polluted by mostly virulent right wing shows for quite a number of years.

Part of the reason for this may be that the big players in corporate media, who have been buying everybody else, want more deregulation from the FCC and thus are attempting to curry favor with government. They also realize that they'll have a better chance of getting what they want if Bush is re-elected/appointed. So they may be filtering or shading things a bit. The big stories they obvious have to report but can quietly downplay others.

Disney showed it's true colors recently by not only refusing to allow Mirimax to release Fahenheit 911 (too political), but also by suddenly releasing a more positive documentary "America's Heart and Soul" if the SF Chronicle article is to be believed.

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/30/ANTIMOORE.TMP

Disney doesn't want to offend a big Saudi investor or the FCC and probably has a grudge against Moore who did a story several years ago about the low wages that Disney paid many of its theme park employees.

Another reason may have to do with years of conservative pundits, columnists, talk radio hosts and politicans screaming "Liberal Media" every chance they get. Considering the year of Monica-related coverage and the impeachment Clinton got for lying about a BJ compared to the free ride Bush has been given for his gamble in Iraq. He took advantage of our desire for justice after 911. Afghanistan was justified. Iraq was not. In my opinion, Afghanistan was used as a stepping stone to get into Iraq where more than 800 US soldiers have died. It was never debated. Alleged ties to terrorism, hidden weapons, an active weapons program possibly nuclear, and a vague implication of some future attack on the US were all lies. Iraq had been planned years ago; 911 (a new Pearl Harbor) and lies provided the justification. www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf And worse, the more significant "War on Terror" seems to have been abandoned.

I wouldn't call the media "liberal" anymore (although the usual folks still do). I think they call this playing the refs, an often successful psyops technique, where a coach screams at referees for bad or missed calls hoping to influence future calls. One can expect to continue to hear the "Liberal Media" refrain as long as it continues to influence the press.

At least so-called "liberal" media usually tried to bend over backwards to show all sides even for small minority (as a percentage not racial) viewpoints. Outlets like Fox News don't even bother to be "fair and balanced" unless one thinks the inclusion of Alan Colmes, a timid moderate chosen as the token "liberal" for Hannity and Colmes, qualifies as balance. During the planning stages it was referred to a the Sean Hannity and a liberal show, a platform primarily for Sean Hannity to express his viewpoints and ability to shout over non-conservative guests.

Another reason I have heard is that much of the press (especially in DC) consider themselves an extension of government rather than an independant adversary or watchdog, free from government intrusion. They're supposed to keep us informed so that government doesn't get too powerful or secretive. When they don't, the public is not well-informed. Selective reporting and/or misinformation (corrections are always printed much later and buried if at all) always favors those with influence. So much for we, the people.

My point is, much of the whore press hasn't been doing their jobs. It seems odd to me that people like Jon Stewart, Al Franken, Janene Garofalo, Michael Moore and other comedians and satirists are now taking on roles that the press is supposed to play.

As far as corporate media and deregulation, how does it benefit all Americans that only a handful of big corporations own the majority of major media outlets?
Just a few well-placed phone calls phone calls to kill or downplay a story. Clear Channel discourages diversity as well. Now everywhere in the country music stations play from the same set of playlists. How are lesser known or politically outspoken (Dixie Chicks) bands going to get airplay? Pirate or Internet radio?

Also shocking to me is that the New York Times, still the standard for much of the nation's newspapers, doesn't seem to be the bastion of liberalism (reporting multiple viewpoints) it once was an the right still claim it to be. The NYT was beating the war drum leading up to and during the war in Iraq. Only after the public started having doubts about reasons for and staggering cost of the adventure did they finally publish a half-hearted mea culpa.

Frank would be great on AAR especially if allowed to do lighter material than many of the harder edged hosts as a bit of a breather. Too much of the truth, or a left of center view of it, can be a bit of a downer as the world views the US less favorably and the national debt, nearly under control a few years ago, grows out of sight once again.

I'll restrict my posts to Frank Conniff info in future posts.

R23

[BeatnikChick]

Richard - YOU ROCK. That is all. ;D

[Richard 23]

A good thread never dies. And so it goes.

At the start of Unfiltered on Air America Radio today (9am EST) it was announced that Frank was out because Duke, his cat for 18 years, had passed on. So Frank still lurks in the background as a writer at AAR.

Last time I checked Frank's picture was on the Randi Rhodes website where he was listed as a writer.

That's all I've heard about Radio's Frank since last post.

R23

[Afgncaap5]

You know, I have to say: as a fairly right-wing conservative, Frank is one of the few things that could get me to listen to Air America.

Of course, it might help if I listened to the radio too, but....meh.

They need Frank on the air, I agree there.

[Skyroniter]

Afgncaap5 said:

You know, I have to say: as a fairly right-wing conservative, Frank is one of the few things that could get me to listen to Air America.

I must be even more right-wing conservative because even Frank couldn't get me to listen to Air America.

Ok, throw your tomatoes now.

[TarlCabot]

Hmm...if I listen, I always run the chance of having to hear Al Franken's opinions...so...thats pretty dangerous water....I'll just wait until he's on and someone posts a sound byte...

[Afgncaap5]

TarlCabot said:

Hmm...if I listen, I always run the chance of having to hear Al Franken's opinions...so...thats pretty dangerous water....I'll just wait until he's on and someone posts a sound byte...

As I'm too lazy to actually look into this network, methinks that I'll probably be doing about the same.