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Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4084
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 02:47 pm: | 
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Steve Harvey Explodes Onto Morning Radio
By LARRY McSHANE
March 19, 2007
NEW YORK -- Steve Harvey arrived 18 months ago in the kingdom of the radio shock jocks, where the royalty included Howard Stern, Don Imus and Opie and Anthony. The "King of Comedy" surveyed the raunchy landscape and launched his morning drive-time show with some trepidation.
"I was concerned about it," Harvey said recently after finishing his four-hour weekday show at WBLS-FM. "But I am who I am. I can't stop being who I am. I'm not a mean-spirited guy."
And so Harvey started his nascent show each morning with 12 minutes devoted to gospel music and God -- a stark contrast to Stern's salacious satellite shenanigans, or Opie & Anthony's weekly Wednesday hunt for female flesh.
Skeptics abounded, but Harvey was resolute -- and, it turned out, he was right.
The latest Arbitron ratings show his morning show as No. 1 among urban stations and No. 5 overall in the nation's largest and most competitive radio market. His audience more than doubled Opie & Anthony's, and far outnumbered Imus'.
There was more good news: The 50-year-old star of sitcoms and stand-up watched "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" take off nationally. The program now airs in 45 markets, including Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Miami and Philadelphia.
Harvey "has emerged as a real star on the national stage," said Tom Taylor, editor of the trade publication Inside Radio. "Folks in radio syndication talk about it as one of the most explosive debuts in long-form syndication in many years."
Harvey credits God, but also his own comedic skills: "You can't beat me in the funny department. You can beat me in the information department, you can get me in the looks department -- not many guys."
"But in the funny department," he said, "you can't beat me."
He arrived at WBLS on Sept, 19, 2005, and went into syndication two weeks later with just four affiliates -- two of them in one city, Chicago. A year and a half later, the show was airing coast to coast, with ratings climbing almost everywhere.
The Cleveland native, while best known for his stand-up and television work, also is a radio veteran. He hosted a show in Chicago and did five years in Los Angeles at KKBT-FM, where he battled with management over his refusal to play rap with offensive lyrics and his insistence on playing a daily gospel song.
Harvey said radio's appeal is a freedom he finds lacking in other venues.
"In TV, you can't be as funny as you want to be," Harvey said. "They've got standards and practices, restrictions. ... In stand-up, the thing I love the most, you can't be too serious too long, because people are paying a lot of money for you to make them laugh."
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/wire/sns-ap-steve-harvey,0,1212405.story
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7896
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 03:22 pm: |
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I never thought Steve Harvey was that funny. He's so "country" and the way he fractures the English language seemed so deliberate, almost as if he was mocking black folks. But I haven't heard his radio show so I will reserve judgment on that. Whatever. This past week-end, my guy Chris Rock gave a really funny rant in his one-shot appearance as the opening act of Saturday Night Live. On the subject of Hillary Clinton he gave props to her "b i t c h" constituency, while in regard to Obama, he said that if America could elect a retard to the presidency, why not a black man. All to no avail when it came to attracting a big turn-out for his latest movie, "I Hate My Wife" which made a poor showing at the box office. Rock's latest stab at being a comedic actor apparently wasn't what his fans wanted to see. Your pop culture vulture, signing off. |
Serenasailor
Veteran Poster
Username: Serenasailor
Post Number: 1439
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 05:24 pm: |
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I like Steve Harvey alot. Some of my friends and family don't like him however, I love his willingness to speak his mind.
He did the morning show here in L.A for five years and I was sad to see him go.
He is a very positive voice for the community, and while he was here he tried to set-up a gang truce!! |
Doberman23
Veteran Poster
Username: Doberman23
Post Number: 897
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 05:39 pm: |
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cynique chris rock should never be the lead character in any movie, period. actually that whole class from saturday night live sucks (w/ the exception of adam sandler) when they are the lead characters. but if their paying him, then i guess he's gotta eat too ... so i don't blame him. but if i where a actor and he was dissing me at an awards show, i would be more than happy to bring up his esteem acting career. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7904
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 06:11 pm: |
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When it comes to Saturday Night Live alumni, Dobes, I'm not a big fan of Adam Sandler, but I love Mike Myers and his Austin Power spoofs which were blockbusters at the box office. And Ol Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Bill Murray haven't done so bad, either. |
Doberman23
Veteran Poster
Username: Doberman23
Post Number: 900
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 10:59 pm: |
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yeah but i'm talking about the chris rock era ... which include chris rock, david spade, adam sandler, chris farley, and a couple others who are probably telling jokes at some local clubs or being writers at the least.
to me steve harvey and cedric the entertainer aren't funny when they do their stand up. but i did like the steve harvey show when he was hightower the teacher. that's just the way it goes sometimes ... the suckier the comedian is the better they are on sitcoms and movies. will smith is a funny dude, but i bet if he tried to do stand-up it wouldn't be anything to brag about. that's what made eddie murphy one of the greatest of all time to me ... and dave chapelle isn't far behind (even though dave's movies aren't that great ... his show was outstanding) |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7908
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 11:35 pm: |
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Yes, Dobes, I realized after I posted that you specified the "class" that included Chris Rock. But I think that Mike Myers was a part of that group. And now that you mention it, I actually like Cedric the entertainer in any format. But I would agree that certain comedians fare better in some venues than in others. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4091
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 11:54 pm: |
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I don't find Steve Harvey that funny either, Cynique. It's almost as if he strains to be funny. My favorite comedian is Bernie Mac. He's just funny no matter what and I love it when he calls everything a mother •••• er.
My favorite SNL alumnus is John Belushi. Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger. That was some classic funny stuff. LOL!!!
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Doberman23
Veteran Poster
Username: Doberman23
Post Number: 901
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 12:12 am: |
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you're right cynique .. myers is a part of that crew. lol ... but chris rock still sucks as a lead actor 
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7914
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 12:57 pm: |
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Yes, Mzuri, it was rumored that Steve Harvey was really jealous of Bernie Mack's success, unable to understand how Mack leap-frogged over him and went on to success in Hollywood. |
Moonsigns
Veteran Poster
Username: Moonsigns
Post Number: 1852
Registered: 07-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 03:33 pm: |
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A lot of people seem to like his show. However, I've heard, in person, he is an a$$. It doesn't surprise me. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4105
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 04:17 pm: |
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Hi MoonSigns!  |
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