The Monsters in the Morning is a
talk radio showTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
on
WTKS-FMWTKS-FM 104.1 is a FM radio station airing a talk radio format. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast from Cocoa Beach, Florida , and serves mainly the Orlando and Central Florida areas.Most of the programs are designed to appeal to young adults...
Real Radio in
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
, USA and
XM Radio Channel 152XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
. It is a
morningThe word morning originally referred to the sunrise. Morning precedes midday, afternoon, and night in the sequence of a day.Morning is the part of the day usually reckoned from dawn to noon...
show that runs from 6 am-11 am ET. The show is a mix of
current events,
comedyComedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece...
, and stunts. Discussions involve the serious to the totally bizarre. Guests include comedians visiting the local Improv
comedy clubA comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
, local celebrities, and sometimes national celebrities. Stunts have involved
skywritingSkywriting is the process of using a small aircraft, able to expel special smoke during flight, to fly in certain patterns to create writing readable by someone on the ground...
, hanging a Monsters banner on a local eyesore, getting married, and blowing oneself up with firecrackers.
The Monsters consist of Russ (Triple R) Rollins, Dirty Jim, Daniel Dennis, Drunky The Bear, Tiffany and Tuddle. Occasionally, former members Jeff Howell, Bubba "Whoop Ass" Wilson, "The Sexy Savannah", and Bo "The Big Man" Rhodes will stop by.
History
Russ Rollins made his first foray into radio by paying for airtime to promote his party rental business on an Orlando AM station, which eventually changed frequencies to become WTKS 104.1. The first show was called
Party Talk w/ Russ & Bo. After his first show with his buddy Bo Rhodes, they brought in Russ's then brother-in-law, Dirty Jim.
The Russ & Bo Show with Dirty Jim was on Saturday mornings, when they were offered the evening timeslot at WTKS. The show picked up the Sexy Savannah, Jeff Howell and The Musical Genius Bubba "Whoop Ass" Wilson.
When
Ed TyllEdward Tyll is an American comedian and radio personality.Tyll was born in The Bronx, New York USA the only child of Italian-Polish-American parents. He earned a B.S...
departed WTKS for a syndicated show on the
West CoastThe "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Coastline" are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. It most often comprises California, Oregon and Washington...
,
The Russ & Bo Show with Dirty Jim moved to middays. Bo Rhodes, Russ' longtime friend, was asked by WTKS to enter rehab for an alleged drug problem. Bo refused, and left the show.
Before Bo left, the show was renamed
The Monsters of the Midday. With Bo gone, Bubba took up the slack and the show became popular in the Orlando market. It was during this time that the show picked up Daniel Dennis, formerly with the Drew Show, and Blackbean, an intern, as producers.
When
Howard SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio and media personality most notable for his radio show which since January 9, 2006, has been broadcasting on Sirius XM, an uncensored satellite radio service...
was removed from
Clear ChannelIn the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, a clear-channel station is an AM radio station which is given extraordinary protection from interference to its nighttime signal...
stations, The Monsters took up the morning slot.
The Monsters in the Morning had a rough start, with low ratings in its first year.
In addition to being placed on XM Satellite radio the show was unsuccessfully simulcast in several other markets, including West Palm Beach, FL, Jacksonville, FL, Naples, FL, Macon, GA, Tampa, FL, and Jackson, MO. It was eventually canceled in all other radio markets, bringing them back to local radio status.
In January 2005 Jeff Howell announced that he would not be returning to the show, claiming that the early mornings were too rough for him to adjust to, and that he wanted to spend more time with his son. Later in the year, the Sexy Savannah unexpectedly left The Monsters for
The Shannon Burke ShowThe Shannon Burke Show was a radio show on WTKS Real Radio in Orlando, Florida, USA.- 2008 :Edward Shannon Burke was arrested in 2008. After Burke pleaded No Contest Nov...
; she was terminated February 6, 2006. She resurfaced on a competing morning show, called The Morning After Show, with fellow terminated WTKS host Drew Garabo until that station changed formats in 2007.
The show searched for new talent: Drunky the Bear replaced Jeff Howell, and Tiffany, a "Shape Up" contest winner, has succeeded in the new "Monster Chick" position.
On August 13, 2007, Blackbean left the show. It was later revealed on-air that he was fired due to his poor attitude and hatred for some fellow show members bringing down morale and putting a strain on the show.
On April 28, 2009, Bubba "Whoopass" Wilson was terminated due to budget cuts by Clear Channel Communications.
Segments
- The Triple-R Segment @ 7 - Each morning at 7AM, Russ Rollins holds a short discussion on his topic of choice where daily prizes are awarded for the caller who's answer is best according to the other show members.
- The 6 things you just knew we'd talk about - A Monday morning bit in which callers try to guess the six big things that happened over the weekend that Russ deemed "segment worthy." The winner get something of their choice from Drunky's prize cave
- Drunky the Bear's one minute of comedy - Drunky the Bear mumbles his way through a "minute" of comedy, usually complaining about married life with his wife Elizabeth Longhair. Other times it will be concerning random subjects and usually ending with a "top 5". The actual "one minute of comedy" refers to the fact that no matter how long his segment is, it supposedly contains at least "one minute of comedy," something questioned by Russ' bosses Katherine Brown and Linda Byrd. "Fans are still trying to find the "one minute of comedy".
- Drunky's Prize Cave - The presentation of prizes awarded to listeners. Is used in the "6 things" segment and the "rrr segment at 7". Former incarnations of the segment have been called "Tiffany's Panty Drawer", "The Prize Hooptie", "Tuddle's Fanny Pack", etc. It was announced on November 15, 2007 that the segment would be formally referred to as Drunky's Prize Cave, or as Russ likes to call it, "the old bear cave", as it had been picked up by a permanent sponsor.
- Tell The Truth - Friday segment where listeners can submit questions to the show members that they would normally not talk about on the show. Show members then vote on the question that they think is the most entertaining and the listener who asked the question is awarded with both a prize from the prize cave and the "truthful" answer to their question.
- You Be The Lawyer - A segment where Dirty Jim takes a question from a listener that pertains to a certain legal problem for which the answer is complicated. Show members guess as to the proper legal approach to the problem and an attorney from Jacobs & Goodman (Typically "Sweet Lou") speaks about the real legal approach to the situation.
Cast
The show's current cast members are:
Russ "RRR" Rollins (The Commissioner, Triple R) - Russ Ray Rollins - A graduate of Edgewater High School, Rollins got into radio as a way to promote his party rental business. Russ is the mastermind and inspiration for the show using the rock group
KISSKiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972. Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid and late-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
as a model. He pays very close attention to the quality and branding of the Monsters. Russ has also been involved with professional wrestling, and has wrestled matches for the
WCWWorld Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
,
WWEWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, and TNA. Often one can see the scripted nature of professional wrestling come through into the show. Russ is recently married to Kate. As of 2007, the couple is working on starting a family, and Russ recently underwent a vasectomy reversal. As of February 2009, Russ and Kate have amicably parted ways.
Dirty Jim - Jim Colbert - Ex-husband of Russ Rollins' sister, Karla, and is now married to Tori. He is often accused of claiming to know far more than he truly does, and of inventing facts without basis. This reputation is based on an incident in which Dirty Jim vehemently claimed that catfish can stab people's hands with their whiskers. His wry sense of humor has earned him the nickname "The Dark Hitman of Comedy", and he is generally seen as the show's resident antagonist and whiner. When not actively participating in a segment, he is often seen doing crossword puzzles instead of paying attention to the rest of the show.
Daniel Dennis - Daniel Dennis is a minister in the
Universal Life ChurchThe Universal Life Church is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the pre-ordination process required by other religious faiths...
, and is the main character talent on the show. In addition to general-purpose voices, Daniel frequently provided counterpoint to former show member Blackbean's "Russ" character with impressions. Daniel started out at WTKS as producer for the midday host Ed Tyll, then moved on to the
Drew Garabo ShowDrew Raymond Garabo was a radio talk show host known primarily for hosting "The Drew Show" on Real Radio 104.1 WTKS-FM Orlando from 1997 to 2005. From 2004-2005 he wrote a sports column for the Orlando Weekly called "Bad Sport". He currently hosts "The Drew Show" podcast.- Early career :Drew...
. Tensions between Garabo and Daniel ultimately led to Daniel quitting the station. He was quickly picked up for the Monsters by Russ, who believed his comedic talents were being underutilized on his previous show.
Drunky The Bear - Thomas C. Vann - Drunky provides comedy for the show, and performs stunts, along with his daily "One Minute of Comedy". Drunky tells stories of his life of drunken debauchery, his wife "Elizabeth Long Hair", and redneck lifestyle. Drunky wears a bear suit to events, including when performing stunts. The bear suit is a Halloween costume based on the Disney program
Bear in the Big Blue HouseBear in the Big Blue House is a television program for young children produced for the Disney Channel by Mitchell Kriegman and The Jim Henson Company...
. He also has a stunt
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
entitled "Counterparts". Recently there have been questions about the veracity of his "stunts". He has admitted on air that he "paid off" certain members of the Orlando Predators, during a "bit", in order to win a cash prize.
Tiffany - Tiffany Martin - was introduced to the Monsters in 2005, as a contestant in the Makos/SuperSlow Challenge. The fan response to her during this challenge prompted Russ to ask her to sit in shortly after Savannah left the show. Tiffany provides vocals for the Monsters band, and the sole feminine voice in the studio.
Tuddle - Patrick Fowler - A former intern for the Monsters, Tuddle was also the former producer of the Ron and Fez show, and Bo Rhodes and the Drew Garabo show. Since the cancellation of the Garabo show, he has worked part time at the station, including work on the Phillips Phile and the now-canceled Hideout. He is one of the Monster's two main stunters, and is frequently the source of ridicule and verbal or even physical abuse at the hands of the remainder of the cast.
Former Monster Cast
Bubba "Whoop-Ass" Wilson - Donald Burton Wilson Jr. - The primary musical talent on the show, responsible for writing the Monster Band's original songs, as well as providing piano or keyboard accompaniment. He is known for his ability to come up with a song on the spot, earning him the nickname "A Damn Musical Genius". He is also affectionately known as "The Redneck Messiah". Bubba was a former member of a 50's revue band called
Clutch, along with former Monster Jeff Howell, and to have met many famous musicians throughout his career, including Michael Jackson. He and Jeff Howell collaborated in
The Rock-afire ExplosionThe Rock-afire Explosion was an animatronic robot band that played in Showbiz Pizza Place restaurants from 1980 to 1991. The show was created and manufactured exclusively for Showbiz by Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. In later years, the show was sold to other restaurants and...
, providing songs and lending voices to the audio-animatronics at
Showbiz Pizza PlaceShowbiz Pizza Place was a restaurant chain popular in the 1980s. Its history is greatly intertwined with that of its main competitor and eventual successor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. Both companies found early success, owing partially to the rise in popularity of arcade games at the...
. He is inseparable from his best friend (and primary instrument) "Everett the Drunken Piano." In January of 2006 Bubba took a medical leave from the show citing problems with his diabetes. He was continually citing problems with his diabetes because he could not keep up with what was going on with the show. In June 2006, after informing Russ that he was in "Diabetes Boot Camp," he admitted to a relapse in his painkiller habit. After 10 days of in-patient rehabilitation, Bubba returned to the air. His signature saying is that if you don't believe that, Bubba will take you out behind a relevant building and "whoop yer damned ass". Due to the financial struggles of Clear Channel, Bubba was part of the company's April 28th, 2009 job cuts along with WTKS on-air personality Oddo from the Philips Phile.
E.T. - The first regular African-American on the show, he was called "The Brother Man from the Other Land." E.T. used his on-air popularity to start performing stand-up comedy around Central Florida. One day he came on the show claiming that he had been beaten by police officers; After investigation it became clear this event never happened and was fabricated by E.T. He was subsequently banned from the show.
Dafoe - Former producer for the Monsters. He is best remembered for his voice characters including "The Evil Dan Stone."
Bo "The Big Man" Rhodes - Lifelong friend of Russ Rollins.
SBK - "Soul Brother Kevin" (Kevin Alexander Caswell) - Kevin left the Monsters to work in another market, he returned to Orlando as co-host
The Shannon Burke ShowThe Shannon Burke Show was a radio show on WTKS Real Radio in Orlando, Florida, USA.- 2008 :Edward Shannon Burke was arrested in 2008. After Burke pleaded No Contest Nov...
in the mid days following the Monsters. SBK now has his own show that airs on WTKS from 7:00 to 11:00pm, called SBK Live.
Jeff "Big Red Dog" Howell - Jeff Howell left the show in January 2005. The official reason is that he was not adjusting well to the early mornings and wanted to spend more time with his minor child. Recently Jeff has been appearing on the show on Fridays.
The Sexy Savannah (Heather K. Boan) - The show had been rocked at times by the tumultuous relationship of the host Russ, and the Sexy Savannah. The two met socially at a strip club (where Savannah worked as a stripper) and eventually dated. In 2005, citing a hostile work environment, Savannah abruptly left the Monsters for
The Shannon Burke ShowThe Shannon Burke Show was a radio show on WTKS Real Radio in Orlando, Florida, USA.- 2008 :Edward Shannon Burke was arrested in 2008. After Burke pleaded No Contest Nov...
. She co-hosted
The Morning After Show with
Drew GaraboDrew Raymond Garabo was a radio talk show host known primarily for hosting "The Drew Show" on Real Radio 104.1 WTKS-FM Orlando from 1997 to 2005. From 2004-2005 he wrote a sports column for the Orlando Weekly called "Bad Sport". He currently hosts "The Drew Show" podcast.- Early career :Drew...
on O-Rock 105.9, WOCL, but was released from O-Rock, in early 2008 as the radio station reformatted.
Black Bean - (Carlos Navarro) Black Bean was originally an intern with the Monsters, screening phone calls. He expanded into bits, comedy writing and producing. Black Bean is no longer on the show as of August 13, 2007. An aspiring actor, he has appeared on
Prison Break and in small roles and as an extra in various movies and TV shows, as well as a 'Bob Evans' commercial. It was reported by Scott Maxwell in his column in "The Orlando Sentinel" on August 21, 2007 that Black Bean got a part on the Fox TV show "Prison Break."
Fan base
The fans of the show have been alternatively called "The Monsters Militia" or "The Chronics". The Monsters Militia is based on a sponsor of the show producing military type dog tags for the show, and eventually for the fans. The dog tags are numbered, with the Monsters dog tags starting with #001 belonging to Russ Rollins. The fan version of the dog tags are stamped with "Monsters Militia" and are also numbered.
The "Chronics" is based on discussions on the official WTKS webboard (which has now been disbanded and replaced with an unofficial webboard). The name stuck with Real Radio fans, and even the station's email newsletter is now called "Club Chronic".
Discography
| CD |
Cover |
Tracks |
| Monsters Volume 1 |
Red M |
25 |
| Monsters Volume 2 |
Blue M |
22 |
| Monsters Volume 3 |
Green M |
19 |
| Monsters Volume 4 |
Purple M |
24 |
| Monsters Volume 5 |
Red Silouettes of Monsters Cast |
23 |
| Monsters Double Brown (Volume 6) |
Brown Paper wrapping |
22 & 21 |
| Best of Bubba |
Black & White Bubba |
14 |
| Best of Buddy (Original Dolphin Lube) |
Blue and Yellow "Dolphin Lube" logo |
27 |
| Miss Monster 10th Anniversary |
Miss Monster logo |
17 |
They currently have on their website free downloadables of new songs that, as of yet, have not been released onto CD.
Affiliates
| Callsign |
Freq. |
City |
Airtime (eastern) |
Webcast |
WTKS-FMWTKS-FM 104.1 is a FM radio station airing a talk radio format. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast from Cocoa Beach, Florida , and serves mainly the Orlando and Central Florida areas.Most of the programs are designed to appeal to young adults...
|
104.1 MHz |
Orlando, FL |
6am - 11am |
wtks.com |
| XM Radio |
Channel 152 Extreme XM |
Nationwide |
6am - 11am |
xmradio.com |
External links