Morton Downey, Jr.

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Morton Downey, Jr.

Born December 9, 1932
Los Angeles, California, United States
Died March 12, 2001 (aged 68)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation Talk show host, Singer, Actor, DJ
Website
http://www.mortondowneyjrhome.com

Morton Downey, Jr. (born Sean Morton Downey; December 9, 1932 - March 12, 2001) was a controversial and influential American television talk show host of the 1980s who pioneered the "trash TV" format.

Contents

[edit] Career

In the 1980s, Downey was working as a talk show host at KFBK-AM in Sacramento, California,[1] where he established his abrasive and much imitated right wing, populist style, relentlessly deriding anyone who disagreed with him or had a liberal point of view. Downey's success, coupled with the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, laid the groundwork for more aggressive, opinion-based talk radio. His work led to the "trash talk" genre of Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, Ricki Lake and many more. His fight with fellow radio talk show host Wally George (with each charging that the other was not conservative) on George's talk show led to police tackling Downey to the ground.[2] The man who succeeded Downey at KFBK was Rush Limbaugh.

Downey later headed to Secaucus, New Jersey where his highly controversial television program The Morton Downey Jr. Show was taped for two years before it was canceled for low ratings. The program featured screaming matches among Downey, his guests, and his audience members. He would chainsmoke during the show and blow smoke in his guests' faces.[3] Downey's signature phrases pablum puker (referring to political liberals) and "zip it!" briefly enjoyed some popularity in the contemporary vernacular. He particularly enjoyed making his guests angry with each other.[3] The Washington Post wrote about him, "Suppose a maniac got hold of a talk show. Or need we suppose?" David Letterman said, "I'm always amazed at what people will fall for. We see this every 10 or 12 years, an attempt at this, and I guess from that standpoint I don't quite understand why everybody's falling over backwards over the guy."[4]

The success of the show made Downey a pop culture celebrity, leading to an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1988[5], Wrestlemania V in 1989 and later roles in movies such as Predator 2 and Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation.[6] He was also cast in several TV roles, often playing tabloid TV hosts or other obnoxious media types.

[edit] Controversies

In 1984, at KFBK radio, Mort uttered a politically incorrect word while telling a joke: Chinaman. His use of the word upset portions of the sizable Asian community in Sacramento. One Asian City Councilman called for an apology and pressured the station for Downey's resignation. Downey refused to apologize and was forced to leave.

In 1989, as fascination with Downey's show began to wane, he was involved in an incident in a San Francisco International Airport restroom in which he claimed to have been attacked by neo-Nazis who painted a swastika on his face and attempted to shave his head. Some inconsistencies in Downey's account (e.g., the swastika was painted in reverse, suggesting that Downey had drawn it himself in a mirror), and the failure of the police to find supportive evidence, led many to suspect that the incident was a hoax and a plea for attention.[7] A few months later, the show was canceled.[7] Years later, during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Downey admitted that he had orchestrated the entire "attack" -- even shaving the front of his own head in the desperate effort to save his show from cancelation, by its syndicator, MCA. MCA already had problems selling the show to stations and to advertisers because of Downey's antics and the show's overall content. At the time of its cancelation, The Morton Downey, Jr Show had been cleared on less than 30 stations across the country, and its advertisers had been limited to "direct-response" ads (900 chat line and phone sex numbers).

Downey was sued for allegedly appropriating the words and music to his theme song from two songwriters.[8] He was sued for $40 million after bringing a stripper onto the show and calling her a "slut," a "pig," a "hooker," and a "tramp," saying that she had diseases, and banging his pelvis against hers.[9] At one point, he was arraigned on criminal charges for attacking a gay guest on his show, in a never-aired segment.[10] In another lawsuit, he was accused of slandering a newscaster (a former colleague), and of indecently exposing himself to her and slapping her.[11]

Downey infamously hit Stuttering John with a boom-microphone and a chair on The Howard Stern Show and punched him.[12]

In interviews, he expressed regret for some of the extreme theatrics of his TV show, saying he had taken things too far.[citation needed] He added that he had been a "bastard."[3] However, he also claimed that his show was of a higher quality and not as "sleazy" as Jerry Springer's.[7]

[edit] Attempted comeback

In 1993, Downey attempted a comeback in talk radio on Dallas radio station KGBS, where he would scream insults at his callers.[13] He was also hired as the station's VP of Operations.[14] The following year he had a short-lived television show, Downey on CNBC, that was similar in theme to his earlier, more popular show.[15] In one episode, Downey claimed to have had a psychic communication with OJ Simpson's murdered ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.[7]

A second attempt at a talk radio comeback occured in 1997 on Cleveland radio station WTAM in a late evening time slot.[16] It was a return to the Cleveland market, where Downey had been a host for crosstown WERE back in the late 1980s.[17] This stint came shortly after the surgery for lung cancer that removed one of his lungs. But on August 30, Downey quit his WTAM radio talk show to work full-time on persuing legal action against Howard Stern. Downey had accused Stern of spreading rumors that he resumed his smoking habits, which publicist Les Schester rebuked, "He hasn't picked up a cigarette."[18] His replacement was former WERE host Rick Gilmour.[19]

Like his father, Downey pursued music as a career, recording in both pop and country styles. One song, "Green Eyed Girl" charted on the Billboard Magazine Country chart, peaking at #95 in 1981. After the success of his talk show, Downey returned to the recording studio to cut an album of songs based on his show, Morton Downey Jr. Sings. The album's only single, "Zip It!" (a catch-phrase from the TV show, used to quiet an irate guest), became a surprise hit on some college radio stations. Following his death, news reports and obituaries incorrectly (according to the Orange County Register)[20] credited him as the composer of "Wipe Out."[21] As of 2007, Downey's official website (and others) continue to make this claim.[22]

[edit] Personal life

His parents were also in show business; his father Morton Downey was a popular singer, and his mother Barbara Bennett was a singer and dancer. His aunts included Hollywood film stars Constance and Joan Bennett, from whom he was estranged, and his maternal grandfather was the celebrated matinée idol Richard Bennett. Born into a life of luxury, he was raised next door to the Kennedy compound at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.[7]

Downey was married four times and had four children from three of those marriages.[3][7] With wife Helen he had Melissa, with Joan he had daughters Tracey and Kelli, and with fourth wife and widow Lori he had Seanna.[3] He and Lori met when she appeared as a dancer in a show he attended in Atlantic City.[3]

In the late 1960s Downey was one of the owners of the New Orleans Buccaneers basketball team in the American Basketball Association.

[edit] Death from lung cancer

In 1996, Downey was diagnosed with lung cancer and had one of his lungs removed. He did a complete about-face on tobacco use, going from a one-time member of the National Smokers Alliance to a staunch anti-smoking activist. He continued to speak against smoking until his death from lung cancer in 2001 at age 67.[23] After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he said, "I had spawned a generation of kids to think it was cool to smoke a cigarette. Kids walked up to me until a matter of weeks ago, they'd have a cigarette in their hand and they'd say, 'Hey, Mort,' or, 'Hey, Mouth, autograph my cigarette.' And I'd do it."[3] He also blamed tobacco companies for lying to consumers about cigarettes.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Downey's entry at 440 International
  2. ^ YouTube - Wally George vs. Morton Downey, Jr!!!
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Remembering Morton Downey Jr.. transcript. CNN (2001-03-13). Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  4. ^ Shriek! Chic! It's Morton Downey!; Talk's Mr. Nasty, Coming On Strong With the Art of Abuse, The Washington Post, July 6, 1988, Tom Shales
  5. ^ Episode 4, Season 14 of Saturday Night Live at imdb
  6. ^ Downey's entry at imdb
  7. ^ a b c d e f 'Mort the Mouth' Downey Jr. Dies; 'Trash TV' Talk-Show Host's Draw Was Shocking, Mocking", The Washington Post, March 14, 2001
  8. ^ Suit alleges Downey stole song, Chicago Sun-Times, May 5, 1989, Adrienne Drell
  9. ^ Zzzzip It. article. Washington Post (1989-02-25). Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  10. ^ Gay News From 365Gay.com
  11. ^ Talk show host Downey named in defamation suit, Chicago Sun-Times, December 11, 1988
  12. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20040308/ai_n10949440
  13. ^ Talk Show Culture. Report. Ellen Hume. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  14. ^ Downey's entry at 440 International
  15. ^ Downey at imdb
  16. ^ Morton Downey Jr. back with WTAM talk show, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 14, 1997, pg. 5 sec. E, Roger Brown
  17. ^ Talk hosts talk about talking on Morton Downey show-il, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 9, 1988, pg. 33 sec. SU, Bob Dolgan
  18. ^ Smoking Report Spurs Threats Of Lawsuits, San Jose Mercury News, August 30, 1997, page 4A, Mercury News Wire Services
  19. ^ Best Radio Personality: Rick Gilmore of WTAM, Cleveland Scene, September 17, 2003
  20. ^ Wiping Out a Myth. article. Orange County Register (2002). Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
  21. ^ Morton Downey Jr. Dies, Combative Talk Show Host Was An Icon Of The 1980s - CBS News
  22. ^ Morton Downey Jr.'s Home Page
  23. ^ Seattle Post-Intelligencer account of Downey's death

[edit] External links

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