Ron and Fez

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Ron and Fez.

Ron Bennington and Fez "Buttlick" Marie Whatley are a talk radio duo who host The Ron and Fez Show.

With a background as professional comedians known for their sharp minds and lightning fast delivery, over their almost twenty year career in talk radio, the Ron and Fez show has evolved and grown, from market to audience to timeslot.

They moved their show to XM Satellite Radio on High Voltage Channel 202, airing from 11am until 2pm ET, with encores airing from 2am-5am ET.

Florida (1986-2000)

Fez Whatley grew up in the Tampa suburbs, and for almost 15 years it was home to Ron Bennington, a transplant from Philadelphia, PA. Appropriately, this location became the testing ground for both Ron and Fez's blooming broadcasting careers.

On July 7, 2004, while Ron and Fez were still on terestrial radio, they briefly returned to the Tampa airwaves when "The Ron and Fez Show" was syndicated from Washington D.C. for a six month stint.

The Ron and Ron Show (1986-1997)

The cast of the "The Ron and Ron Show", from left, Billy the Phone Freak, Flipper, Ron Bennington, Fez Whatley, Ron Diaz, Fast Eddie

In the mid-1980s, stand up comedian, Ron Bennington joined Ron Diaz in creating the hugely popular, and raunchy, morning radio show "The Ron and Ron Show." The show eventually was syndicated all over the southeastern United States, and became a launching pad for show regulars like Gary Spivy, The Curtain Boy (comedian Warren Durso) and Larry The Cable Guy. Producer Fez Whatley and regular guest Paul O. all took advantages of on-air opportunities and became popular and more prominant show personalities.

For a brief period of time, Fez hosted a second show - "Hooters On The Radio" - with Hooters girls. It was during this time that he also developed the very popular "Nature Boy" character, as a tribute to the wrestler Ric Flair. "The Ron & Ron Radio Network" made national headlines when, during the height of the success of "Miami Vice," Ron and Ron got into a verbal screaming match with actor Don Johnson. This segment is often repeated and aired on television biographies on Johnson, to illustrate his lowest point when battling alcohol addiction. Eventually, Diaz left the show, and on September 29, 1997, after an eleven year run and after several replacement hosts failed to gel with Bennington, "The Ron and Ron Show" was officially cancelled.

"Let The Puppies Breathe"

In the early 1990s, to meet the needs of their fans, the Ron and Ron Show produced CDs and videotapes with show highlights and specially produced material. While their two videos, "Pup Friction" and "Let The Puppies Breathe" included footage from the show and original bits in between segments, much like the popular "Girls Gone Wild" video series or Opie and Anthony's "WOW" promotion, both of which they predated, the underlying request behind the phrase "Let the Puppies Breathe" was to encourage women to expose their bare breasts, which was featured on both tapes.

Florida Appearances

While in Florida, Ron and Fez hosted several commedy shows that were very racy, explicit and very adult in nature. These included:

Diaz Live From The Riveria Deli (1989)
Ybor City (1991)
Tampa Convention Center (1992)
Celebrites in Orlando (1992)
The Button South, Hallendale (1993)
Daytona, Beach (1993)
Frankie's Patio, Ybor City, Tampa (1995)
The Ron and Ron Christmas Party (1996)
The Ron and Ron New Years Party (1996)
Hammerheads in Key West (1997)
Fez Whatley's Birthday Party (1997)

In addition, in the late 1990s, Ron and Fez hosted one of the country's first adult dodge ball matches in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Disciples of Comedy

In the mid-1990s Ron Bennington, Fez Whatley, Jimmy Shubert, Mitchell Walters, Carl LaBove and Warren Durso were some of the comedians who toured the southeast of the United States as "Ron Bennington's Disciples of Comedy." Several of them had previously been part of Sam Kinison's comedy posse - "Sam Kinison's Outlaws of Comedy" before Sam Kinison was killed in a 1992 car accident.

In addition, Ron managed Ron Bennington's Comedy Scene, a comedy club in Clearwater, Florida, where he is credited by actor and funnyman Jim Breuer for helping discover him. Whenever Ron talks on the radio about these times running a comedy store, they are often shrouded in mystery and intrigue.

WKRO-FM (1998-2000)

On August 24, 1998 "The Ron and Fez Show" debuted on Daytona Beach's WKRO in the mornings. A few months earlier, On May 22, 1998, Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando's midday show, and friends of Ron and Ron, The Monsters of the Midday (today known as The Monsters of the Morning), gathered together many of the regulars from the cancelled "Ron and Ron Show" in for a reunion - Ron Bennington, Fez Whatley, Billy the Phone Freak, Paul O. and Mitchell Walters. After explaining their side in the the split with Ron Diaz, Ron and Fez announced they were getting back into radio.

Using the formula they had created in Tampa, they rebuilt the show and recruited new employees, interns and characters. They were on the WKRO for about a year and a half until they were hired by Infinity Broadcasting and moved to New York.

WNEW-FM (2000-2003)

Ron and Fez's new show in New York City debuted on February 21, 2000, one week earlier than had been originally planned. During this time, they reworked and improved their show, and through the help of their popular lead-in ("The Opie and Anthony Show") they discovered a receptive and excited fan base of listeners. Ron and Fez also made a conscious decision at this time to evolve the tone of their new show away from their "shock jock" roots as a way to balance out WNEW's line-up.

RonAndFez.com

When WNEW-FM in New York switched to an all-talk format in 1999, after years of being known and respected as a rock station, the "masthead show" became the afternoon drive team of Opie and Anthony. Ron and Fez were signed to host an overnight talk show named "Ron and Fez Dot Com," which started on February 21, 2000 and was broadcast from 11PM - 3AM. The show's original premise was two comedians discussing the internet into the wee hours of the morning. Ron and Fez were eventually moved to the early afternoon hours (12:00-3:00 p.m.) and later to the evening hours (7:00-11:00 p.m.), where buoyed by Opie and Anthony's lead-in ratings, Ron and Fez began to enjoy success.

During this period, several memorable characters joined their on-air staff, including their mostly-silent producer Hawk, Tasteless Ginny, and the call-in prankster Joe Poo. The show's web-based premise led to the founding of several sites devoted to the show, including RFBabies.com (once a haven for the show's cadre of young female fans), and the unoffical website for the show ronfez.net . Though the "Dot Com" was dropped from the show's title soon after their debut, Ron and Fez have since inspired an enormous cult-like following on the Internet.

Big ASS Cards

Helping to foster the sense of community between themselves and their listeners, Ron and Fez came up with the "Big ASS Card" for any of their fans that wanted to be part of their "all secret society". Aside from giving the recipient discounts at sponsors' establishments, the "Big ASS Card" also gave an identity in relation to the show. Everytime a Big ASS card holder would call in and give their card number, a recording of Al Pacino yelling "Who-AH!" would be played. Years later, even after they discontinued the promotion, listeners still call in announcing their "B.A.C." number.

An offshoot of the Big ASS card was the much coveted Big ASS Bathroom Inspection Award sticker. It was an actual promotion done on April 12, 2002 (see Billy Staples) but only a few stickers were ever seen plastered around town. The problem with the sticker was that it only said Ron and Fez and 7PM on it with no 102.7 WNEW-FM or ending time of the show. The failure of this promotion was blamed on producer Billy Staples but actually another Al Dukes mis-production because of his lack of interaction with promotions.

September 11th Attacks

For many listeners, Ron and Fez showed their true colors during the tumultuous weeks following the September 11th attacks. On the evening of September 11, the team stayed in the on the air taking calls from distressed listeners, some of whom were still unsure whether loved ones inside the Twin Towers were alive. Ron and Fez expressed heartfelt sympathy and related the feelings many New Yorkers wanted to express. Throughout this tough time, Ron and Fez staged several "bar crawls" and other events under the motto "New York Forever", designed to get their listeners to come into New York and support restaurants and bars in lower Manhattan. One of the more memorable crawls, from the turnout and hilarious drama that followed from it, was the 2001 Halloween Bar Crawl.

Some of the frequented bars included The Slaughtered Lamb and Karavas' Place. Additional public appearances soon followed:

Big Ass Promotions

Because of Ron and Fez's timeslot and the fervor of their fans, the New York version of the show had several highly successful and memorable promotions in 2002. These included:

Big Ass Night of Fights I (February, 2002) - The Big Ass Night of Fights held at the Downtown in Farmingdale, Long Island featured the boxing matches of Perrynoid vs. Billy Staples, Tuttle vs. Too Cute and Lobster Claws, and Mikey D vs. Jesse Grubman (roommate of producer Rory Hamptons). The main event was Al Dukes vs. Joe Poo. The gathering also included appearances by the Nature Boy and Retard Martin, and live moan by Sweet Melissa, Crazy Clare cutting the clothes off of French Bread Pizza, and Paul O. in a "sucky bed".

The Cruel Circus - (April, 2002) A live broadcast in the basement of Karavas Place, a Greek restaurant in the middle of Greenwich Village in New York City. Featured some of the Ron and Fez girls dancing in cages.

Big Ass Night of Fights II - (May, 2002) This was the second incarnation of the Big Ass Night of Fights held at The Wreck Room in Wallington, New Jersey. The boxing matches included Hard Rock Johnny vs. Casper, GVac vs. Matty Fridays, Billy Staples in a Diggstown Challenge, a father and son bout, and the main event of Al Dukes vs. Black Earl, with Al's actual masters degree diploma on the line. AL Dukes lost the match, had his diploma ripped up and was taken out by ambulance.

Loser Leave Town Match: Al Dukes vs Rory Hamptons - (June, 2002) A way to get rid of the incompetent Al Dukes, a loser leave town boxing match between himself and Rory Hamptons occurred on June 14, 2002 down the block from the WNEW studios outside of Hooters. In the rain, AL Dukes lost his producer job in a hard fought battle.

The Ron and Fez-tival of Rock and Ribs (August, 2002) - The Ron and Fez-tival of Rock and Ribs held at the Hard Rock Cafe was a "battle of the bands" between local bands (Monty Love was the winner). The festival also included a rib eating contest.

Big Ass Night of Frights (October, 2002) - The Big Ass Night of Frights held at the Hard Rock Cafe was a Halloween party which included listener "Nurse Mira" in body paint and Billy Staples getting "chicken parmed". Brother Joe's old U2 tribute band, "Joshua Tree", headlined the party.

In addition, Ron and Fez gathered with listeners every Tuesday night after the show held court at a bar/club in New York called "Bar 9." The house band that played was usually fronted by "Brother Joe," and "Laird", former frontman of U2 tribute band, "Joshua Tree".

AFRO Shows

Ron and Fez shared amicable relationships with all of WNEW's other programs, particularly Opie and Anthony. O&A, as they are often known, would sometimes sit in on the Ron and Fez show, leading to what became known as "AFRO Shows" (AFRO standing for Anthony Fez Ron Opie).

Demise of WNEW

Ron and Fez's motley cast of characters grew as the show entered 2002; Billy Staples, their phone screener and producer, became more of an on-air personality, often confronting his problems of substance addiction, and Al Dukes, their producer, became the butt of many jokes, often ridiculed for his strange habits and perceived managerial ineffectiveness. As the show developed over spring 2002, Ron and Fez began to earn increasingly higher ratings.

After Ron and Fez's increasing popularity throughout the summer of 2002, the Opie and Anthony show was cancelled. After losing what was considered its flagship show, it seemed certain that WNEW would shift from its all-talk format. Still, Ron and Fez remained in their time slot for another five months until WNEW's format "flipped" in January 27, 2003 and Ron and Fez moved to sister station WJFK-FM in Washington, D.C.

WJFK-FM (2000-2005)

Jeremy Coleman, the PD from New York's WNEW in 2000, had become aware of Ron and Fez when he was still a program director for WJFK-FM, the sister talk station in Washington D.C. he helped put on the map. He had intended to bring them to DC, but he soon became PD of WNEW. One month later, however, on March 27, 2000 Ron and Fez began tape delay syndication in DC where they found a small, but loyal, group of listeners during the early hours of the morning. Finally, in November 2002, WJFK's evening radio show, The Sports Junkies relocated to WHFS, opening up a timeslot for Ron and Fez to syndicate their show live in Washington, D.C. (7p.m. - 11 p.m.), following The Don and Mike Show.

Relocation To Washington D.C.

After WNEW changed formats in early 2003, Ron and Fez began broadcasting their show on WJFK. Although only heard in Washington DC, Ron and Fez chose to remain in New York until June 2003, when they finally relocated to the WJFK studios in Virginia. Over the course of the next year, several memorable characters, listeners and staff helped give this era its own identity. While the WNEW show had been heavily influenced by a dedicated, and funny, core group of callers, WJFK proved to be fertile ground for unique regulars who came on the show, each bringing a different level of compulsion and humor to the show. Perrynoid, Cherrynoid, David Lee Kinison (aka: Elfish), Cigar Sid, Bobo Golem and Crazy Jen became call-in and studio regulars.

Known for being team players, Ron and Fez worked on split shifts, did drop-ins for Redskins broadcasts, did live commercials and appearances, helped mentor the hosts of a weekend show, The Hideout, and develop a positive relationship with Don and Mike, their lead-in show. This, along with improved calls, fresh and funny game shows and bits, a community that needed a good laugh during the 2004 election and a sense of momentum propelled Ron and Fez to a stellar ratings book in January 2005.

The Fastest Hour In Radio

In mid 2003, after being on WJFK (and Washington) exclusively for just a few months, Ron and Fez agreed to host a one hour mid-day show entitled "The Fastest Hour in Radio", between Howard Stern, and conservative talker Bill O'Reilly. This timeslot would be in addition to their evening duties, and would not be caller driven. Instead, they relied on themselves, and a brisk and humorous discussion of the day's headlines. When the nighttime show became syndicated in Baltimore, Maryland and Tampa, Florida in the summer of 2004, Ron and Fez went back to concentraiting on their evening show, where they hosted the "Fastest Hour" between 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Politics

Until 2003 Ron and Fez were not known for their political observations, however with them moving to the Nation’s Capital, with the recent addition of “The Fastest Hour of Radio” to their resume, where they talked more and more of the news of the day, the War in Iraq (which turned Fez from a lifelong Republican to a vocal critic of the President and his administration), and the 2004 Presidential Election, they began to contribute some of the most interesting political discourse on the radio. Not only did they allow themselves to be passionate, but they encouraged all sides to call and participate.

In 2003, before he became a cornerstone for Air-America, Al Franken did an interview, and in 2004, shortly after the election, Tom Shales, from the Washington Post, called and discussed the political ramifications of the FCC crackdown. Always keeping it fun, Ron and Fez also managed simulcasts of the 2004 debates and election returns to become, for many, the radio equivalent of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

DC Area Appearances

Ron and Fez's continued to reah out to their listeners with several local appearances during their time in DC. These included:

Ron and Fez Pool Tournament (2003) - Included a billiards tournament, Fez performing a karaoke version of "Harper Valley PTA", Cigar Sid performing "Sugar Sugar", J Dubs' "Hot Pepper Challenge" and "Fairyoke" (listeners performing karaoke versions of effeminate songs).

Caddyshack Movie Night (2003) - Included a screening of "Caddyshack" (with Paul O featured as a waiter), "Nut Putt" (where listeners tried to putt golf balls at J Dubs' genitals), "Bobbing for Baby Ruths" (where listeners bobbed for fecal looking candy bars in a kiddy pool), "Gopher Hunt" (where listeners fired paintballs at Paul O), and a new "I Blow" tattoo for Paul O.

Ron and Fez Poker Tournament (2003) - Included a poker tournament, the "Honeymooner Game", the "Gong Show", the "Mating Game", J Dubs' and Crazy Jen's Fire and Ice Challenge", performances by Monty Love, and a very drunk Silera.

Hard Rock Cafe - New York Reunion (2003) - Ron & Fez returned to New York for a Crankcase gig at the Hard Rock Cafe and played to a packed upstairs room. Many of the staff alumni like Hawk, Tasteless Ginny, MikeyD, Tenacious C and Billy Staples came by along with many NY friends of the show. Anthony Cumia made a surprise appearance and a huge O&A chant erupted causing WJFK to pull the plug on the show for over an hour, playing a Best-Of and saying that it was because of technical difficulties.

The St. Pats Spat (2004) - included the following boxing matches: Spoon vs. Tommy Bateman, El Jefe vs. J Dubs, and Mikey D vs. Wonderboy where Mikey D. Also featured were the "Monster Toss" (competition to see who could throw intern Monster the furthest) and Crazy Jen's attempt to eat 50 hard boiled eggs.

2nd Annual Ron and Fez Pool Tournament (2004) - included billiards tournament, hypnotism of Fez, Crazy Jen and listeners, a performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on sitar by Chapin and Bobo, football trivia, and a listener jingle contest.

Battle of the Local, Unsigned Bands (2004) - Ron & Fez hosted a showcase of unsigned area bands.

In addition, Fez raced in 2004 and 2005 in an annual charity 5K with fans of the show. In 2005 Fez would meet listeners and friends of the show every Friday night at a Fairfax, Virginia bar called "Thursdays" for drinking and laughing in a tradition that became known as "Friday Night Lights." Ron made his only appearance at Friday Night Lights at the last one on July 29, 2005.

Stunts & Bets

For whatever reason, seemingly normal and well-adjusted people are willing to do outrageous things on the Ron and Fez Show, for the sake of the show. This is something that goes back to their “Ron and Ron” days and their good friend Paul O., and resurfaced with a vengeance when they showed up in Washington.

During the WJFK years, interns have tackled eating challenges and bets, producers have been involved in head-to-head matches with other staffers and listeners, there have been boxing matches, and then there were some show regulars that made wild claims of stunts they knew they could not possibly do.

The old stand-by has been the “Hair On Hair” bet. J. Dubs got to shave El Jefe when he beat him at “The St. Pat’s Spat,” Giant Brian and Benicio shaved Elfish when he lost a bet with Fez on the outcome of the 2004 MLB American League Championship Series, and Fez, when he lost a 2005 summer movie bet to ADF (his nemesis), shaved all of his air completely off.

In one of the odder show moments, Fez, for no particular reason, seemed to make a bet with himself to go the entire 2004-2005 NFL season without shaving. After the Super Bowl, in February 2005, Fez spent a week removing his big, gross beard in stages, and having the process documented by an avalanche of photographs taken by remote producer Mikeyboy. Friend of the show, Bobo, collected some of the clippings, and planned to begin working it into a painting of Fez he was planning. Little did anyone know, this new content, which was shared on the web within minutes, would provide so much joy to so many people. These pictures of Fez with big beard, with giant mutton-chops, with a wacky handle-bar mustache and finally clean shaven, became the cornerstone of inspired photoshop material (See Photoshop Mike).

Crazy Jen has been at the center of much of this, since they first arrived to Washington. Whether if it's attempting to drink a gallon of milk in less than an hour, get a date with Fezzie, enduring Chinese water torture, eating hot sauce while sitting in a tub of ice, super gluing quarters to her bottom, attempting the world record for number of clothespins attached to her face, or trying to eat 50 hard boiled eggs like Paul Newman did in the movie Cool Hand Luke , Jen and her mullet seems to enjoy her stunts more if she knows she will fail. In the spring of 2005 Crazy Jen was punished for making a dumb bet and was “banned” from the show for 30 days. Always going with "the bit," her most recent dumb wager with Ron and Fez involves a documentary winning the "Best Picture" Oscar in 2006, and her bare ass hanging out of a polar bear costume.

Parody Song Outbreak

Ron and Fez have been working with this radio staple since their earliest “Ron and Ron” days in Florida. Their original “Parody Guy” is still writing and performing music in Atlanta. When they arrived to New York, a number of people made attempts to be go to parody song creator, but it was Perrynoid, out of the Washington D.C. region, who stepped forward with consistently funny and timley observations on the show. This relationship continued when Ron and Fez moved to DC in 2003, with more frequent in-studio appearances, occasionally providing themes to game shows, and sometimes as “The Trubanoid.”

In 2005 Perry finally had some real competition when WJFK listeners Bobo and Tender began dependable and funny contributions of parody songs to the program. Both men had interesting musical backgrounds and stories – Bobo played with many of the Mid-Atlantic regions punk and blues musicians for the better part of 30 years, including Half Japanese, and Tender was part of the rock combo “The Bouncing Balls,” whose video was one of the earliest played on MTV.

Some of Perry’s many stand-out originals include ones he wrote on "Circus Boy," the hysterical "Fat Baby," and his goodbye to “J. Dubs.” Bobo’s prolific songbook, which he performed on a variety of musical instruments, includes "You Can’t Say Taint on the Radio," "Pope Bobo, Baby," and the almost controversial "Your Mom's Box.” And Tender’s most notable tunes includes the "Friday Night Lights" theme, "Pee-Shy Fezzie" and "The Call that Melted Fezzie Down," about the on-air meltdown by Fez on his 2005 birthday.

And while it wasn’t a parody song, Bobo’s 2004 Dave & Busters performance of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the Sitar, featuring intern Chapin on vocals left many people scratching their heads (see above).

"The Worst Kept Secret In Radio"

Things began to look bleak for Ron and Fez's future at 106.7 in January 2005 when (after their best ratings book to date at WJFK) the station was forced to absorb the talent from WHFS - a "sister station" that switched formats from modern rock to spanish dance. Ironically, this talent included The Sports Junkies, who were given the midday spot many had hoped would have gone to Ron and Fez. The first station casualty, however, was "The Hideout" who lost their late night shift, and eventually relocated to Florida. With nowhere to advance in the station line up, and with a seeming lack of respect shown the show by frequent pre-emptions for infomercials on University of Maryland Terrapins basketball ("Man on Man") the hosts had no choice but to entertain the internet rumors that they would leave terestrial radio and would join their WNEW friends, Opie and Anthony, on XM satellite radio. Much of 2005 was filled with speculation and hints, but nothing was confirmed until the very last segment, of their very last night on in Washington D.C. - Friday, July 29, 2005.

XM (Now)

On Monday August 1, 2005, three days after Ron and Fez signed off from WJFK, the official announcement was finally made that they would be going to XM satellite radio beginning September 12 [1] [2]. There have been numerous hints that this is the first of several new shows that might be added to the High Voltage (XM202) talk channel, which had for the previous year been exclusively Opie and Anthony. On August 9, 2005, Ron and Fez went on The Opie and Anthony Show and provided more behind-the-scenes stories about their times at WNEW and the years since they last worked with each other.

Ron and Fez are scheduled to broadcast weekdays from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. ET exclusively on XM Channel 202, directly after Opie and Anthony, with two scheduled encores airing from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. ET, and 2:00 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. ET.

Comedy

Ron and Fez are seasoned comedians who can make being funny and interesting on the radio sound easy. While they seldom rely on old material for laughs, they do know that several of the characters, bits and catchphrases that have developed over the years have become popular with their listeners, and weave and repurpose them into the show when appropriate.

Characters

Andre the Giant - Caller claming to be the late wrestler and actor Andre the Giant. Known for becoming angry and scared at the mentioning of snakes; loves giving his physical stats at a moment's notice.

Bertha - Whenever "Roxie Carmichael" or "Joey from the Bronx" aren't calling in for Crazy Jen (see below for all), sometimes this large, husky sounding woman will do the trick.

Bobo The Handyman - Fictional employee of the Whatley family. Was featured in the Fezitorials Fez told of his childhood in Florida. Not to be confused with real life friend of the show "Bobo Golem".

Clementine - Real life WJFK sales person, in early 2005 Clementine also became a popular fictional character for the members of the Ron and Fez family to mock.

Fez's Fiance - Fez has never taken a bride, but that's not for the lack of game. The never seen or heard from fiance from Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada conveniently could never be reached on the phone whenever Fez's radio partner, Ron, began questioning him on whether or not she even existed. In 2003 Fez and his supposedly lady love finally set a date, but they did not close the deal. In 2004 this bit was retired to make way for "2005 - The Year of Fez Dating."

Fuzz Whatley - At the urging of long time friend and WJFK uber-sales woman, Julie Follman, in 2004 Fez allegedly took in a kitten he named "Fuzz." Oddly enough, this was also about the same time he became the WJFK spokesperson for a national cat food company. Interestingly enough, when the ads stopped running in September 2004, "Fuzz Whatley" stopped being mentioned on the show.

Foul Mouthed Elmo - Sesame Street puppet who called with a nasty demeanor. Most of his calls would usually be self-censored with "beeps" due to his heavy use of curse words.

Fred Rogers- During the 2005 "Giant Brian" era of producing R&F, "Fred Rogers" often called in during the "Bad/Awkward Guest" segments, often praising the guests for the little things that he "knew they could."

Jan Brady - The middle daughter of Mike and Carol Brady, there is rarely a topic that is brought up on The Ron and Fez Show that can't be related to Jan's own sad life as a member of "The Brady Bunch." In the summer of 2005, Jan crossed over to The Don and Mike Show when it was rumored that D&M producer, Beth Ann McBride, was going to date "George Glass" - Jan's boyfriend.

Joe Lieberman - During the 2004 Presidential election, "Joementum" and "Liebermania" was sweeping the country. Whenever a story about this conservative Democrat would be mentioned in the news (usually during "The Fastest Hour in Radio"), suddenly there "Joe Lieberman" was in studio, sounding more like "Droopy Dog" than a distinguished U.S. Senator.

Joey from the Bronx- In 2005 "Joey from the Bronx" called in several times to plead on the behalf of Crazy Jen (see below) whenever she found herself banned from the show ("Thirty Days In The Hole!") A sexist loud mouth, he is in no way related to the real life "Kathleen from the Bronx".

Iris - Raspy voiced elderly woman from Bay Ridge Brooklyn who often complained about the Jewish community who inhabited parts of Brooklyn. Long time member of the Ron and Fez Show, you never know when Iris will call in with her perspective of current events, or her impression of the show, or it's guests. Often the first one on the phones whenever R&F have a "Bad Guest," in 2005 Iris frequently confused the guests with her intriguing questions that often didn't pertain to the subject.

Kenny Allen - Young boy caller, recognizable by his overly whiney voice. Loved to play games with Ron & Fez and slurped a lot, but often threatened to tell his mother. Had very creative theories about robots. Hasn't been heard from since 2002.

Later Day Jim Morrison - Very bad impression of Jim Morrison done by Joe Poo .

Joe Pee - Very young caller who claimed he "drank his own pee" (Joe Pee is a takeoff of Joe Poo's claim that he "ate his own poo").

Martin the Retard - Originally Retard Eddie during the Florida days, Martin was a mentally challenged young man who loved puppies and was tormented by Fez played by Joe Poo.

The Nature Boy - Wrestler who would drop by the show to give entertainment updates.

Roxie Carmichael - From Savannah, Georgia, this Southern belle would often call with questions during the bad guest segment in 2005. Roxie made her first appearance at the beginning of 2005 when R&F announced they were getting rid of all the old characters, and had (once again) banned Crazy Jen.

Regular Bits

Comedy Pyramids
Spy Reports
Radio Psychic
Your Life's a Movie with Paul O.
Catty Moments with Fez
Fez's Open Letters
Fez's Audio-Diary
Game Shows
The Bad Guest
Hair vs. Hair Match/Head Shaving
Big Ass Simulcasts
Fezatorials
The Fastest Hour
Fake Guests
Web Poll Position
Crack Babies
Light's Out Parties
Siren/Toilet Shoutout
The Power Hour Drinking Games

Catch phrases, Clichés and Drops

7'4", 520 pounds, from Grenoble France" - Andre the Giant's tagline; another favorite line: "Snakes!! I hate SNAKES!"

12 Step Programs - Jokes about things pertaining to "the program" are a constant on the show.

"And I'm your announcer..." - Phrase used by the announcers to close the introduction segment of the show open. Was used by Joe Poo, Tenacious C, Wonderboy, Mikey D, NM the Remote Producer and others. Mikey D's version was turned into a drop.

"Bring Me the Big Knife!!" - Oftentimes said by Ronnie, the quote is "Bring me the big knife! I'm gonna cut my throat!" from the movie Moonstruck. Fez will usually respond with "DON'T YOU GET HIM THAT KNIFE!"

Cocaine - Is constantly used as punchline supplement by Ron, usually pertaining to their days in Florida.

Chicken Parm - Running joke about Billy Staples (WNEW staff member) who had his date leave him and hook up with another guy later the same night - this happened twice to him with the same girl.

Flair Chops/Neck Slaps - Administered by Ron or Fez to someone (usually an intern or producer) if they lose a bet or screw up. The Flair Chop is from wrestler Ric Flair - it is an open-palm strike delivered to a bare chest in a sweeping motion (like Ric Flair. The Neck Slap is a smack to the back of the neck; Crazy Jen taught them that it hurts more if you wet the palm first.

"From the sky to the ground and the whole world round" - This is what Tuddle would say to Ron and Fez to show his love and never ending loyalty.

Heterosexuality - Is Fez...or isn't Fez? Does it even matter? The debate rages on.

"Hey!!!!" - Fez Whatley's safety word when surprised by something unexpected. Don and Mike picked this up during commercials and helped make it his identifier.

"Hey Buddies!" - Bobo's standard greeting.

"Hey Geeeeeeeery." - Fez's response to any caller name "Gary" is actually an impersonation of Diane Wiest from the movie "Parenthood."

"Hi Fezzie. || Oh, hi, Elfish." - Seinfeld-like greeting exchange between Elfish and Fez.

"HowCanIBeTheManIfYou'reTheMan" - Drop and catchphrase from former WNEW morning man Scott Ferrall. Another audio drop they play of his is "Shake it up."

"I Could Have Used a Little More Cowbell/I Got a Fever! And the only prescription...is more cowbell!" - Saturday Night Live skit where Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken), manager of Blue Oyster Cult in a Behind the Music expose tells the band their songs needs more cowbell. This was played at the start of the show, whenever Foghat is played, and whenever Ron needs to hear a little cowbell.

"I'm the one who says things!" - Kenny Allen catchphrase, played at the start of the show for over a year.

"I blow." - Fez's voice captured out of context. For much of 2003 into 2004 Ron would play this at inappropriate times. While this clip was eventually retired, it was what began their fun of isolating themselves for playing later (see "Isolate that!" below). This phrase was tattooed on Paul O. when he visited Washington for the Caddyshack movie screening.

"Isolate that!" - Usually yelled out by Ron if Fez makes an innocent statement that would be funnier out of context, usually of a sexual nature. Occasionally Ron will say something that he realizes would be embarrassing if isolated and will yell at the producers or interns that he will be pissed if they "isolate that!" Since they were around when this began, this phrase has been adopted by El Jefe and J. Dubs of The Hideout on their new show in Orlando.

"It don't make you a bad person" - Ron's response when someone relates their actions to addictive behavior, usually reserved for alcohol or drug use.

"News You Can Use For the Jews" - Iris opening line when she would call in. Other favorite "Iris" lines include, "My husband won't go near my patch," "Iris loves you," and "I'l hang up and listen."

"Nice Girl, Nice Family... SHE'S A HOOKER!!" - A line from an episode of Kojak that Ron and Fez co-opted and repeat in unison if a woman is mentioned as being "a nice girl."

"Now I'm starving." - Ron's pavlovian response to any mention of any food.

Orange Ball of Failure - Billy Staples nick name after his stand-up comedy routine (in Red Bank) bombed. He was wearing an orange t-shirt. "I am at the point in my career where I am above open auditions," "I was a 5 letter man in high school," and "I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star," were some of Billy Staples more memorable show quotes.

"Radio Psychic - Radio Psychic" - On air bets between Ron and Fez are called "Radio Psychics"; this audio drop is played whenever they make a bet.

"Red State Update! Red State Update!" - Drop played for conservative or rural callers.

"Remote Producer" - A listener who does more show-prep than the paid producers, or even the unpaid interns coined by NM the Remote Producer.

"Rude and Rude!!!" - Early Fez catch-phrase, usually describing someone who was sarcastic to Fez. It was used as a near automatic response if Fez's sexuality was questioned.

"See-YUH!!" - Closing for the show; Crazy Jen's typical close for any phone call. Additional Crazy Jen-isms include her saying "Uh-uh!" or "No! No! No!" and lots of tape of her saying "I am just a dumb, southern, crackbaby retard."

Sheepy Horn - Sad horn fanfare drop is that used to be reserved for people who bomb on the show.

Spy Report - Played if a host or caller has breaking news.

"That's the end of my show... DONK!" - A clip from the Flash cartoon site HomestarRunner.com, in 2004/2005 this was played to indicate the abrupt end of a show.

"You May Not Like It, But You Will Learn to Love It, Whoooooo" - Main catchphrase of The Nature Boy.

"White People Are So Scared...of Black People" - This line from Ani DiFranco's song "Subdivision" is played whenever someone says some sort of racist view on the show - perceived or otherwise.

"Who-Ha" - Drop of Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman, typically played when a caller says his Big Ass card number (see above).

"Your Mom's Box" - Opie and Anthony catchphrase meant to be used as the last words before being taken off the air, Ron and Fez appropriated the phrase four times in 2005, at the end of 4 different shows show. The first three times they put the condition "Because you never know..." before it, but on the last WJFK show (July 29, 2005) it was said by everyone in the studio.

Music

Ron and Fez are also known for the eclectic music they use as part of their show opening, closing or the various beds they use coming in and out of commercial breaks. Often times punk, funk, blues, rock or soul, reflecting Ron's personal taste, and occasionally Fez will be allowed to bring in one of his "Best Of" compilations. Often times when remote producers Mikeyboy or Jafter were in studio, they were asked to man the choosing of the bumper music.

Some of the more noted included:

"Battle Without Honor or Humanity" - Tomoyasu Hotei - Music from the first "Kill Bill" trailer, this was immediately used as their opening music.

"Cruisin' For A Love" - J. Geils Band - 2005's opening theme used in 2005.

"Cow and Chicken Theme" - From the Cartoon Network series, originally edited to include crowds shouting "RON"!! "FEZ"!!!, "RON and FEZ DOT COM" and eventually the "DOT COM" was dropped.

"Facts of Life" Theme Song" - A favorite childhood televison show for Fez, he and his brother wrote a parody version of the song he can still recite.

"Happy, Happy Birthday to Me" - Cracker - Played during the "Dot Com" days when a listener's birthday was being shouted out.

"Harper Valley PTA" - Jeannie C. Riley - To divert family arguments, Fez, as a child, would sing this song for his family while shaking his bottom.

"Mas Que Nada" - Sergio Mendez & Brazil 66 - The song that headed the last hour of the "Dot Com" show.

"Oddities" - Insane Clown Posse - Originally featured as the theme music for the Oddities stable in the WWE during its "Attitude" era, it was adopted by Ron and Fez as the show opener during the entire WNEW era.

"Vertigogo" - Combustible Edison - Closing song during some of the WNEW and most of the WJFK days; originally from the movie Four Rooms.

The opening and closing theme music in 2005 received a lot of attention from listeners who were familiar with the speculation that Ron and Fez might be leaving WJFK at some point and heading to satellite radio. Some of this, like the opening choice in January 2005 of the J. Geils Band "Crusin For A Love" (with it's lyric "I'm back on Broadway") turned out to be merely prophetic - listeners in late 2004 knew that Ron had a rediscovery of the J. Geils Band, and that the song and the band was back into rotation months before any legitimate thought of leaving Washington D.C. began. However, when they switched out their closing song for versions of "I Shall Be Released" at the beginning of the summer of '05, it was a clear sign that they were hoping to be out of their contract, which they admitted on their final WJFK show. Also on that final D.C. broadcast: "We Want The Airwaves," "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," "Radio, Radio," "So Long Baby Goodbye," and "Satellite of Love, which was their last song played on terrestrial radio.

Fez's Aliases

Fatty Pneumonia
A Big Feeeezzzzzzz
Butt Lick
Snowball

External links

XM Radio - The new home of Ron and Fez.
ronfez.net - Ron and Fez fan website
Ron and Fez Show Log - Log of topics of discussion on the show. Compiled by Mikeyboy
XM channel 202 channel 202 message board
Ron and Ron - 95 WYNF-Where it all started. Great tribute site, still maintained by Ron and Ron's original intern, Flipper. Check out the photos, sound archive, and history of the most entertaining talk radio Florida ever produced.

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