War of the Roses (radio show)
Encyclopedia
War of the Roses is a scripted skit that uses actors alleging to be standard callers, since the FCC prohibits radio stations from broadcasting a person without the person's consent. The skit includes a person in a committed relationship - the initiator - who believes that he or she is being cheated on. With the initiator silent on the phone, the host of the show calls the suspected party using a ruse to get them to talk - usually claiming that the suspect has just won a free dozen
rose
s as part of a promotion to be delivered to anyone of his or her choice, with no other obligation other than to "please tell a friend about our great service".
During the phone call, the host asks the suspect questions that will hopefully reveal the identity of the subject of their affair, and other questions that may help understand the nature of it. For example, the host will typically ask the suspect for one or two sentences to be used as an optional "personal message" to be included with the gift, before asking for the name of the desired recipient. Once the suspect gives up the name and reveals the secret relationship, the spouse or significant other is free to jump in and chastise the guilty party over the phone.
The ruse may be improvised depending on what is believed to most likely attract the suspect's attention. Examples used include free concert tickets for a man who "couldn't stop talking about how Beyoncé is coming to town next week but who still hasn't asked [his wife] to go" with him, or a purported call from a venereal disease clinic. The VD ruse involved stating that "someone with a disease listed you as a recent sexual partner, but we can only tell you more (for confidentiality reasons) if you can tell us the name of the person who might have referred you".
Often, suspects are confused and bewildered when confronted on the phone, because they are unaware that they've been taken in by a ruse, and often believe their significant other is really at home listening on an extension. Suspects who believe this continue with the prize dialogue with the radio station host and continue to embarrass themselves, unaware that the entire call is a prank.
Other suspects turn out to not be cheating at all, and end up sending the roses - and the embarrassment along with them - to their significant other who initiated the call.
One of the earliest known segments was done in 1996 on Andy Savage's radio program "The Edge" based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
War of the Roses was created in early 1994 by Los Angeles radio personality Rick Dees
shortly after receiving word that crosstown KGGI Riverside/San Bernadino morning show host Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton was having tremendous rating success with a similar feature called "Bait Your Mate".
Dozen
A dozen is a grouping of approximately twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the moon or months in a cycle of the sun or year...
rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s as part of a promotion to be delivered to anyone of his or her choice, with no other obligation other than to "please tell a friend about our great service".
During the phone call, the host asks the suspect questions that will hopefully reveal the identity of the subject of their affair, and other questions that may help understand the nature of it. For example, the host will typically ask the suspect for one or two sentences to be used as an optional "personal message" to be included with the gift, before asking for the name of the desired recipient. Once the suspect gives up the name and reveals the secret relationship, the spouse or significant other is free to jump in and chastise the guilty party over the phone.
The ruse may be improvised depending on what is believed to most likely attract the suspect's attention. Examples used include free concert tickets for a man who "couldn't stop talking about how Beyoncé is coming to town next week but who still hasn't asked [his wife] to go" with him, or a purported call from a venereal disease clinic. The VD ruse involved stating that "someone with a disease listed you as a recent sexual partner, but we can only tell you more (for confidentiality reasons) if you can tell us the name of the person who might have referred you".
Often, suspects are confused and bewildered when confronted on the phone, because they are unaware that they've been taken in by a ruse, and often believe their significant other is really at home listening on an extension. Suspects who believe this continue with the prize dialogue with the radio station host and continue to embarrass themselves, unaware that the entire call is a prank.
Other suspects turn out to not be cheating at all, and end up sending the roses - and the embarrassment along with them - to their significant other who initiated the call.
One of the earliest known segments was done in 1996 on Andy Savage's radio program "The Edge" based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
War of the Roses was created in early 1994 by Los Angeles radio personality Rick Dees
Rick Dees
Rigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
shortly after receiving word that crosstown KGGI Riverside/San Bernadino morning show host Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton was having tremendous rating success with a similar feature called "Bait Your Mate".
Station List
- Hollywood Hamilton afternoon show on WKTUWKTUWKTU is a radio station based in New York City that plays an upbeat, gold-based CHR format. The station's broadcast transmitter is located on the top of the Empire State Building and its city of license is Lake Success, New York, with offices formerly in the "Newport" section of Jersey City, New...
103.5FM in New York, NY.
- On-Air with Ryan Seacrest 102.7 KIIS FM (Los Angeles, CA)
- The Wake Up Call on KDNDKDNDKDND is an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California at 107.9 MHz. It is owned by Entercom. KDND broadcasts a Pop Contemporary Hits format under the name 107.9 The End...
in Sacramento, CA
- La jungla de la mañana en la nueva mega 94.9 en Miami, FL
- The Stick on the Radio Show on WXXLWXXLWXXL, also known as XL1067, is a contemporary hit radio station licensed to Tavares, Florida, United States, and is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its studio is located at Clear Channel Orlando's headquarters in Maitland. WXXL primarily serves the Greater Orlando metropolitan area...
in Orlando, FL
- The Rise Guys Morning Show on WTPTWTPTWTPT is an Active Rock station licensed to Forest City, North Carolina and serves the Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina regions, including Greenville, Spartanburg, and Asheville, North Carolina. The Entercom outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast...
in Greenville, SC
- The Kane Show on WIHTWIHTWIHT is a Top 40 formatted radio station that serves the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day. WIHT is licensed to and owned by Clear Channel Communications...
in Washington, DC
- Karson & Kennedy on Mix 104.1 WBMX (FM) in Boston, MA
- The Dave Ryan in The Morning Show on KDWBKDWBKDWB-FM is an American commercial radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, the radio format was known for over fifty years as a major contemporary hit radio Top 40 pop music outlet. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It broadcasts in 5.1 cinema-quality...
in Minneapolis, MN
- The Roula & Ryan Show on KRBE in Houston, TX
- JohnJay And Rich Show KISS FMKiss FM-United States:* KISS-FM , a brand name used for several Top 40 stations, many owned by Clear Channel Communications including:** KBKS-FM, better known as "106.1 KISS-FM", in Seattle** KHKS-FM, better known as "106.1 KISS-FM", in Dallas...
in Phoenix, AZ
- The Mojo Morning Show on KBFMKBFMKBFM is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station serving the Rio Grande Valley. The Clear Channel Communications station is licensed to Edinburg, Texas and broadcast their format at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW....
in the Rio Grande Valley, TXRio Grande ValleyThe Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
- Afentra's Big Fat Morning Buzz on KRBZKRBZKRBZ, FM 96.5 in Kansas City, is an Alternative rock station. The station uses the brand name 96-5 The Buzz. It is the Kansas City market's home for the syndicated program Loveline. The station is owned by Entercom Communications, and is based in Mission, Kansas.-History:KRBZ began broadcasting in...
in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
- Magic Mornings with Jagger and Kristi on Magic 92.5 XHRM in San Diego, Ca
- Brotha Fred's A.M. Mayhem WHQC Channel 96.1 in Charlotte, NC
- The Mojo in the Morning Show on Channel 955 WKQIWKQIWKQI — branded Channel 955 — is a commercial pop/CHR radio station in Detroit, Michigan, owned by Clear Channel Communications. WKQI transmits its signal with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts from an antenna 430 feet in height located at the intersection of Greenfield Road and 10 Mile...
in Detroit, MI