Assault on the Media
From OAPedia.com
Assault on the Media, also known as AOTM, is a campaign started by Opie and Anthony to get their names out to millions of TV Land viewers. An AOTM is simple - you need only be in the right place at the right time. If you happen upon a local TV News crew setting up for a live shot (It MUST be a live shot, or else your Assault will simply wind up on the cutting room floor. The tipoff to these broadcasts is the truck with the large satellite dish on top of it parked nearby. They will almost always [unless it is a "Breaking News" story] be doing these reports during standard news hours - 6-8am, 12noon, 5-7pm, and 11pm), get out the Opie and Anthony / XM202 poster that you keep in your car for just such an occasion (ok, so maybe you don't have one.. find a marker and some paper and make one up quick), and/or a WOW sticker, and get into position where you can watch the reporter, but they can't see you. Now call up your mom, dad, wife, best friend, whoever, and tell them to get a tape in the VCR (or DVR, since it's the 21st century) and start recording the channel that you are about to invade. Keep them on the phone, and have them tell you when the shot goes live. When they tell you to go, get your ass behind the reporter as fast as you can (See rules below), because once they start that report, they WILL NOT STOP until they are ready to go to the B-Roll (the pre-recorded clip in between the two live parts). Hold up the sign very prominently next to the reporter's head, and yell your choice of O&A slogans. (See rules below) (Be warned, that due to the type of microphones that the reporters use, your voice might not be picked up. Don't let that discourage you from beiong the biggest pest you can be though!) Keep it up until the reporter finishes. (See rules below)
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The RULES
- DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, TOUCH THE REPORTER OR ANY MEMBER OF THE CREW! This includes NOT trying to shove your way into a shot, NOT letting your sign fall so it hits the reporter in the head, and NOT slipping on a patch of ice as you are running up behind them and knocking them over!
- DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, USE PROFANITY! It is not good publicity for the show, and you will most likely just get tooled on when the b-b-b-boys find out about it.
- IF THE CAMERAMAN PANS AWAY FROM YOU, CHANCES ARE YOU WILL NEVER GET IN THE SHOT. Some of the cameramen are very quick, and will make it hell for you to get on camera if they see you coming. In this case, it is wise to just cut bait, start humming the Hulk Music, and walk away.
- IN MOST CASES, THE REPORTS ARE BEING DONE FROM PUBLIC AREAS! That means technically nobody, including the news crew, can make you leave. Most of the time, they will be professional, and probably won't say or do anything. If you are confronted physically, DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO THEM! Just like you can't touch them, they have no right or authority to touch you! If they touch you first, it may very well mean their job, and a nice fat lawsuit/settlement for you!! But again, don't do anything to PROVOKE them, or it's just as bad as swinging first. Of course, if the report is being done from a scene with police activity, you may be asked by an officer to cease and decist. If that is the case, do not argue, walk away and try again some other time. Unlike the news crew, the officer can and will arrest you for being a jackass.
Some recent successful Assaults on the Media
Buffalo Paul with the first entry in the July AOTM Contest... The race is on!
Intern Than behind Arthur Chi'en that fateful day...
Doughboy gets a sweet one in there
Here's what I mean by quick cameramen. Buster Hymen and PRBeauty1 attempted this AOTM, but this is the only frame you see them in. The cameraman panned up. They got the message through the mic though!!
Intern Danny gets the bullseye...
... With a great follow-up by Than
Danny looking evil with his coffee and cig.
MyRadioStore.com's Ziggy, along with XM411.com beauty Roslyn pull off this picture perfect Assault!
Bluey619, looking so sexy, gets this one in from the Jersey Shore with his homemade sign. Notice the legendary Pat Battle.
This was the second assault, and the namesake of "Hawk", AKA Sex Bagel, AKA E-Rock
Hummercash had the FIRST known assault on the media, unfortunately, this was an example of a quick cameraman.
The End of the AOTM
The last 6 months leading to the demise of the AOTM's The O&A show along with sponsors ran a contest on the best AOTM of the month. The last few months were really getting heated up with major competition between No Filter Paul from the New York area and Sonny Forelli from the Boston area. Both of them produced around 15 ATOM's in the last 3 months. Sonny had a knack of waiting till the end of the month to strike the Media, thus causing him to win the contest in first place twice in September and October. Sonny was also 2 place prize winner back in July. He also probably would have won in November but No Filter Paul had cheated by calling the TV station that Sonny was going to hit late in November. This ultimately led to one of the most famous O&A bits of all time when Sonny had No Filter Paul drink Fleet Phospho Soda and to don a diaper and was forced to shit in it. What a shitty mess that was. Since a mishap with an air horn from a no name pest involved people almost getting sued, the AOTM's have been slowly phased out for other methods. They may still be appreciated, but they are not openly encouraged.
