Joe Pyne
Encyclopedia
Joe Pyne was an American radio
and television talk show
host, who pioneered the confrontational style in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members. He was an influence on other major talk show hosts such as Wally George
, Alan Burke
, Morton Downey, Jr.
, Bob Grant
, and Michael Savage
.
. His father, Edward Pyne, was a bricklayer; his mother, Catherine, was a housewife. Pyne graduated from Chester High School in 1942, and immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
. He saw combat in the South Pacific, where he earned three battle stars. In 1943, during a Japanese bombing attack, he was wounded in the left knee. In 1955, he lost the lower part of that leg due to a rare form of cancer.
, Pyne attended a local drama school to correct a speech impediment. While studying there, he decided to try radio. He worked briefly in Lumberton, North Carolina
, before he was hired at a new station, WPWA
, in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania
. However, he argued with the owner and was fired. Next, he got a job at radio station WILM (AM) in Wilmington, Delaware
, the first of three times he would work at that station. He moved to WVCH
, a new station in Chester, which went on the air in March 1948. Seeing little chance to advance his career in Chester, Pyne left after a year and a half. He moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin
, where he was hired at WLIP
, owned by local businessman William Lipman (hence the call letters
). After six months of hosting innocuous programs such as "Meet Your Neighbor" from various grocery stores, he quit during a confrontation with WLIP management in which he threw Lipman's typewriter against a wall. Pyne worked at several stations in Atlantic City, New Jersey
, and began to change his style of broadcasting.
, where he debuted as a talk show host in 1950. He would later tell reporters that he first experimented with two-way talk during his time in Kenosha. His new show was unique. He named it It's Your Nickel, a popular idiomatic phrase when a call from a pay phone cost five cents. The format was Pyne expressing his opinions on various topics. Listeners would call to ask questions, offer their own opinions, or raise new topics. At first, Pyne didn't put callers on the air; he paraphrased for the audience what they had said. Soon the callers and his interaction with them became the heart of the show. Pyne became famous for arguing with or insulting those with whom he disagreed. One of his trademark insults was, "Go gargle with razor blades."
in Wilmington. In 1957, he moved to Los Angeles
. His initial show was unsuccessful, and he returned to the Wilmington area. He hosted a TV talk show WVUE
, Channel 12, which was also seen in Philadelphia, and received positive reviews from critics. Although he was later regarded as a bigot, in the late 1950s the local black press generally praised him for inviting black newsmakers on his show to discuss issues of concern to their community. One of his regular guests was a member of the editorial staff of the area's black newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune
, usually a columnist or the newspaper's publisher. Pyne continued this program until late 1959, when he returned to Los Angeles. This time, he was more successful. By 1960, he was hosting a radio show that was first on KABC (AM)
until 1964 when the acerbic Bob Grant
took over Pyne's show. Pyne continued on KLAC. This led to a television show on KTTV
. In 1965, he began broadcasting a nationally syndicated show that was carried by as many as 85 television stations and 250 radio stations at its peak. At the height of his fame, he was making $200,000 annually.
In 1966, NBC
gave Pyne a daytime game show, Showdown. It lasted only three months and was replaced by The Hollywood Squares.
. He ridiculed hippies (a favorite target), homosexuals
, and feminists
. Though generally a conservative, Pyne spoke in favor of labor unions. His tendency toward insult and vitriol offended most critics, who called him "outrageous," "belligerent," and "self-righteous." Groups like the Anti-Defamation League
accused him of catering to bigots
; however, audiences kept listening and watching.
Pyne was rude and confrontational with guests, often attempting to throw them off, but there are stories of the rare times when someone got the better of him. One famous tale recounted by Steadman Upham, president of Chapman University, in his address Wooden Leg or Table: The Changing Landscape of American Education (1999) is how he lost a verbal duel with Frank Zappa
. Pyne insulted Zappa by saying, "So I guess your long hair makes you a woman." Zappa replied, "So I guess your wooden leg makes you a table." While it sounds plausible, no one who was around at that time recalls it happening, nor is there any evidence that Frank Zappa was ever on the Joe Pyne Show.
But there are many documented cases of Pyne getting into altercations with people on his show. He preferred controversial guests and invited members of the Ku Klux Klan
, the American Nazi Party
and followers of Charles Manson
. Pyne argued this was educational, since it exposed these violent groups to the public eye. The Joe Pyne Show was not only verbally aggressive: at times it became physical with chairs being thrown at him by the person being interviewed. If the "discussion" got too heated, the guest would often walk off, or Pyne would himself throw the guest off the show. Still, Pyne once described himself as an "overly compensating introvert."
There was another story of a notorious confrontation, involving Paul Krassner
, the editor of The Realist
, who was a guest on Pyne's TV show. Pyne made insulting remarks about Krassner's acne scars. Without missing a beat, Krassner asked Pyne if his wooden leg caused any difficulty in having sex with his wife. Pyne was flummoxed, so he sought comments from his audience made up at this point in his career by whoever KTTV
could bring in from Hollywood Boulevard
. The audience happened to include Phil Ochs
, whom Krassner had brought along to the studio. Ochs very calmly remarked, "What Paul Krassner has just done is in the finest tradition of American journalism." No videos of this incident survive, though Krassner insists that it did occur and was edited out.
Ron Karenga
, an African American
author, Marxist
political activist, and creator of Kwanzaa
, was a frequent guest on the show.
Gay activists Harry Hay
and John Burnside
— who were a couple from 1962 until Hay's death in 2002 — appeared on Pyne's show in 1967.
near the peak of his career and died in Los Angeles
on 23 March 1970. Pyne was survived by his wife.
Talk radio
Talk 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...
and television talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host, who pioneered the confrontational style in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members. He was an influence on other major talk show hosts such as Wally George
Wally George
Wally George, born George Walter Pearch , was an American conservative radio and television commentator...
, Alan Burke
Alan Burke
Alan S. Burke was an American conservative television and radio talk show host who was on the air primarily in New York City from 1966 to 1969 on WNEW . -Biography:...
, Morton Downey, Jr.
Morton Downey, Jr.
Morton Downey, Jr. was an American singer, songwriter and later a television talk show host of the 1980s who pioneered the "trash TV" format on his program The Morton Downey Jr. Show....
, Bob Grant
Bob Grant (radio)
Bob Grant , is an American radio host whose real name is Robert Ciro Gigante. A veteran of broadcasting in New York City, Grant is considered a pioneer of the "conservative" and "confrontational" talk radio format.-Early work:...
, and Michael Savage
Michael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
.
Biography
Joseph Pyne was born in Chester, PennsylvaniaChester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
. His father, Edward Pyne, was a bricklayer; his mother, Catherine, was a housewife. Pyne graduated from Chester High School in 1942, and immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He saw combat in the South Pacific, where he earned three battle stars. In 1943, during a Japanese bombing attack, he was wounded in the left knee. In 1955, he lost the lower part of that leg due to a rare form of cancer.
Radio
Discharged from the Marines at the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Pyne attended a local drama school to correct a speech impediment. While studying there, he decided to try radio. He worked briefly in Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,795 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Robeson County. Lumberton, located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, is located on the Lumber River...
, before he was hired at a new station, WPWA
WPWA
WPWA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Religious format. Licensed to Chester, Pennsylvania, USA, it serves the Philadelphia area. The station is currently owned by Mount Ocean Media, L.L.C.....
, in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania
Brookhaven, Pennsylvania
Brookhaven is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,985 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Brookhaven is located at with an average elevation of 98 feet above sea level.According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of ,...
. However, he argued with the owner and was fired. Next, he got a job at radio station WILM (AM) in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, the first of three times he would work at that station. He moved to WVCH
WVCH
WVCH is a radio station broadcasting a religious format. Licensed to Chester, Pennsylvania, USA, it serves the Philadelphia area. The station is currently owned by Wvch Communications, Inc.....
, a new station in Chester, which went on the air in March 1948. Seeing little chance to advance his career in Chester, Pyne left after a year and a half. He moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
, where he was hired at WLIP
WLIP
WLIP is a radio station located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. serving the Chicago-Milwaukee metropolitan region along the west shore of Lake Michigan with 250 watts effective radiated power, and also streams worldwide at www.wlip.com...
, owned by local businessman William Lipman (hence the call letters
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
). After six months of hosting innocuous programs such as "Meet Your Neighbor" from various grocery stores, he quit during a confrontation with WLIP management in which he threw Lipman's typewriter against a wall. Pyne worked at several stations in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, and began to change his style of broadcasting.
Call-in
Pyne gradually tired of being a disc jockey who made comments about politics and current events. He developed his on-air persona as an opinionated host who knew something about everything. He returned to WILM (AM) in WilmingtonWilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, where he debuted as a talk show host in 1950. He would later tell reporters that he first experimented with two-way talk during his time in Kenosha. His new show was unique. He named it It's Your Nickel, a popular idiomatic phrase when a call from a pay phone cost five cents. The format was Pyne expressing his opinions on various topics. Listeners would call to ask questions, offer their own opinions, or raise new topics. At first, Pyne didn't put callers on the air; he paraphrased for the audience what they had said. Soon the callers and his interaction with them became the heart of the show. Pyne became famous for arguing with or insulting those with whom he disagreed. One of his trademark insults was, "Go gargle with razor blades."
Television
By the early 1950s, television was replacing radio as America's main medium. In 1954, Pyne moved to television with The Joe Pyne Show, broadcast by WDEL-TVWVUE (Delaware)
This article is about a defunct television station in Wilmington, Delaware. For the current use of call letters "WVUE" by a station in New Orleans, Louisiana, see WVUE. For the current channel 12, see WHYY-TV....
in Wilmington. In 1957, he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. His initial show was unsuccessful, and he returned to the Wilmington area. He hosted a TV talk show WVUE
WVUE (Delaware)
This article is about a defunct television station in Wilmington, Delaware. For the current use of call letters "WVUE" by a station in New Orleans, Louisiana, see WVUE. For the current channel 12, see WHYY-TV....
, Channel 12, which was also seen in Philadelphia, and received positive reviews from critics. Although he was later regarded as a bigot, in the late 1950s the local black press generally praised him for inviting black newsmakers on his show to discuss issues of concern to their community. One of his regular guests was a member of the editorial staff of the area's black newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune
Philadelphia Tribune
The Philadelphia Tribune is an American newspaper, headquartered at 520 South 16th Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the African American community. Published Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, it is the oldest continually running African-American newspaper,...
, usually a columnist or the newspaper's publisher. Pyne continued this program until late 1959, when he returned to Los Angeles. This time, he was more successful. By 1960, he was hosting a radio show that was first on KABC (AM)
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
until 1964 when the acerbic Bob Grant
Bob Grant (radio)
Bob Grant , is an American radio host whose real name is Robert Ciro Gigante. A veteran of broadcasting in New York City, Grant is considered a pioneer of the "conservative" and "confrontational" talk radio format.-Early work:...
took over Pyne's show. Pyne continued on KLAC. This led to a television show on KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
. In 1965, he began broadcasting a nationally syndicated show that was carried by as many as 85 television stations and 250 radio stations at its peak. At the height of his fame, he was making $200,000 annually.
In 1966, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
gave Pyne a daytime game show, Showdown. It lasted only three months and was replaced by The Hollywood Squares.
Confrontations and controversy
Pyne spoke out against racial discrimination and supported the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He ridiculed hippies (a favorite target), homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and feminists
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. Though generally a conservative, Pyne spoke in favor of labor unions. His tendency toward insult and vitriol offended most critics, who called him "outrageous," "belligerent," and "self-righteous." Groups like the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
accused him of catering to bigots
Bigotry
A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs...
; however, audiences kept listening and watching.
Pyne was rude and confrontational with guests, often attempting to throw them off, but there are stories of the rare times when someone got the better of him. One famous tale recounted by Steadman Upham, president of Chapman University, in his address Wooden Leg or Table: The Changing Landscape of American Education (1999) is how he lost a verbal duel with Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. Pyne insulted Zappa by saying, "So I guess your long hair makes you a woman." Zappa replied, "So I guess your wooden leg makes you a table." While it sounds plausible, no one who was around at that time recalls it happening, nor is there any evidence that Frank Zappa was ever on the Joe Pyne Show.
But there are many documented cases of Pyne getting into altercations with people on his show. He preferred controversial guests and invited members of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, the American Nazi Party
American Nazi Party
The American Nazi Party was an American political party founded by discharged U.S. Navy Commander George Lincoln Rockwell. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Rockwell initially called it the World Union of Free Enterprise National Socialists , but later renamed it the American Nazi Party in...
and followers of Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
. Pyne argued this was educational, since it exposed these violent groups to the public eye. The Joe Pyne Show was not only verbally aggressive: at times it became physical with chairs being thrown at him by the person being interviewed. If the "discussion" got too heated, the guest would often walk off, or Pyne would himself throw the guest off the show. Still, Pyne once described himself as an "overly compensating introvert."
There was another story of a notorious confrontation, involving Paul Krassner
Paul Krassner
Paul Krassner is an author, journalist, stand-up comedian, and the founder, editor and a frequent contributor to the freethought magazine The Realist, first published in 1958...
, the editor of The Realist
The Realist
The Realist was a pioneering magazine of "social-political-religious criticism and satire," intended as a hybrid of a grown-ups version of Mad and Lyle Stuart's anti-censorship monthly The Independent. Edited and published by Paul Krassner, and often regarded as a milestone in the American...
, who was a guest on Pyne's TV show. Pyne made insulting remarks about Krassner's acne scars. Without missing a beat, Krassner asked Pyne if his wooden leg caused any difficulty in having sex with his wife. Pyne was flummoxed, so he sought comments from his audience made up at this point in his career by whoever KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
could bring in from Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
. The audience happened to include Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, whom Krassner had brought along to the studio. Ochs very calmly remarked, "What Paul Krassner has just done is in the finest tradition of American journalism." No videos of this incident survive, though Krassner insists that it did occur and was edited out.
Ron Karenga
Ron Karenga
Maulana Karenga is an African-American professor of Africana Studies, scholar/activist, author and best known as the creator of the pan-African and African American holiday of Kwanzaa...
, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
author, Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
political activist, and creator of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift giving...
, was a frequent guest on the show.
Gay activists Harry Hay
Harry Hay
Henry "Harry" Hay, Jr. was a labor advocate, teacher and early leader in the American LGBT rights movement. He is known for his roles in helping to found several gay organizations, including the Mattachine Society, the first sustained gay rights group in the United States.Hay was exposed early in...
and John Burnside
John Burnside (inventor)
John Lyon Burnside III was the inventor of the teleidoscope, the darkfield kaleidoscope and the Symmetricon, and, because he rediscovered the math behind kaleidoscope optics, for decades, every maker of optically correct kaleidoscopes sold in the US paid him royalties...
— who were a couple from 1962 until Hay's death in 2002 — appeared on Pyne's show in 1967.
Death
He developed lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
near the peak of his career and died in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on 23 March 1970. Pyne was survived by his wife.
Quotes
- Pyne was a chain-smoker who referred to his cigarettes as "coffin nails".
- As an audience member approached the microphone Joe Pyne would say "State your beef."
- Pyne's signature line was, "Take a walk," ( a line still used by Michael SavageMichael SavageMichael Savage may refer to:* Michael Savage , American radio host, author and conservative political commentator* Michael Joseph Savage , Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1935–1940...
) and he would normally put a rude but not vulgar epithet at the end of the phrase: "jerk," "dummy," "jackass," or some other pejorative. Often, he would stand when he said it, adding a subtle threat to the situation. He always wore a suit, and his jacket would be open when he stood, giving him the mien of a plain-clothes cop. - Pyne once suggested a caller "take your false teeth out, put them in backwards and bite yourself in the neck."
- Another retort he used was "Go gargle with razor blades!"
- "Look, lady, every time you call this program and open your mouth to speak, nothing but garbage falls out. Get OFF THE LINE, YOU CREEP." (This "get off the line, you..." line continues to be used today by hosts such as Bob GrantBob Grant (radio)Bob Grant , is an American radio host whose real name is Robert Ciro Gigante. A veteran of broadcasting in New York City, Grant is considered a pioneer of the "conservative" and "confrontational" talk radio format.-Early work:...
, Mark LevinMark LevinMark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
and WFMU's Tom ScharplingTom ScharplingTom Scharpling is an American radio host, comedian, television writer, producer and music video director. He is best known for hosting the weekly freeform radio call-in comedy program The Best Show on WFMU and for acting as a writer/executive producer for the TV show Monk.Scharpling is also noted...
.) - “I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take the credit?”
- "Why don't you go out and play on the freeway?"
- "Why don't you take a long walk on a short pier?"
- Pyne would also end each of his show's with the slogan "straight ahead!" as well, most recently picked up again by Bob Grant.