Just days after a teenager was decapitated at Six Flags Over Georgia by a Batman roller coaster, a spokeswoman for the theme park chain confirms the company
has pulled all advertising from Clear Channel Atlanta Rock station "Project 9-6-1" following comments made by morning host "Giant Brian"
Carothers.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Rodney Ho has a write-up, including links to audio clips here:
Access Atlanta
In the exchange between Carothers and sidekick "Shaffee", the two pondered on-air (less than 72 hours after the accident, which authorities believe occurred when the boy scaled two fences to retrieve his hat before being hit by the coaster) over whatever happened with the head itself.
Below is a text excerpt, written by columnist Ho himself as it appeared on Radio-Info Atlanta:
Now, most of you know I am not a member of the Sensitivity Squad. But this was beyond poor taste. And in a society where people are ruined for simple, innocent comments and poor choices of words, this to me was over the top. This wasn't a slip-of-the-tongue, but clearly a calculated attempt to be badasses.
And to think the Racket recently came under fire for mentioning the word "amputee".
I don't blame Six Flags for yanking the buy, but I suspect it was more of a symbolic gesture-- perhaps aimed at scoring points with the victim's family (as I'm sure there will be a lawsuit on the way). Six Flags generally buys big in the summertime, and despite hardships in the company during recent years, will most certainly be advertising heavily in Atlanta following this incident. If the company really wanted to punish Clear Channel (or, insist the morning host be either fired or suspended), it would have pulled advertising from ALL of the Clear Channel stations. And it appears that hasn't happened. And I doubt it will.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Rodney Ho has a write-up, including links to audio clips here:
Access Atlanta
In the exchange between Carothers and sidekick "Shaffee", the two pondered on-air (less than 72 hours after the accident, which authorities believe occurred when the boy scaled two fences to retrieve his hat before being hit by the coaster) over whatever happened with the head itself.
Below is a text excerpt, written by columnist Ho himself as it appeared on Radio-Info Atlanta:
Giant Brian: "Not to be morbid, but where did that head go? It didn't just fall on the ground. That had to be shot to the moon."After this exchange, they interviewed two people from a company that specializes in crime scene cleanup and body parts retrieval.
Shaffee: "...You never hear from the guy whose job is to pick up the head. Do you use your hands? I assume with rubber gloves? Do you use a shovel? Do you use a pooper scooper?"
"Oh stop it," Giant Brian said.
Shaffee: "Maybe a bigger one."
Giant Brian: "Salad tongs."
Shaffee: "Pitchfork?"
Giant Brian: "Nooo.... stop that!"
Shaffee: "You never find out."
Giant Brian: "You pick it up like you pick up a dead bird or dead rat or something. You open up a garbage can and kick it into the bag and you just tie it up. You go uhhh! Noooo!"
Shaffee: "Then you hold it out with your arm extended as you walk, like 'Clear the way everybody!' "
Giant Brian: "Don't touch me! Head!"
Now, most of you know I am not a member of the Sensitivity Squad. But this was beyond poor taste. And in a society where people are ruined for simple, innocent comments and poor choices of words, this to me was over the top. This wasn't a slip-of-the-tongue, but clearly a calculated attempt to be badasses.
And to think the Racket recently came under fire for mentioning the word "amputee".
I don't blame Six Flags for yanking the buy, but I suspect it was more of a symbolic gesture-- perhaps aimed at scoring points with the victim's family (as I'm sure there will be a lawsuit on the way). Six Flags generally buys big in the summertime, and despite hardships in the company during recent years, will most certainly be advertising heavily in Atlanta following this incident. If the company really wanted to punish Clear Channel (or, insist the morning host be either fired or suspended), it would have pulled advertising from ALL of the Clear Channel stations. And it appears that hasn't happened. And I doubt it will.
