Phil Hendrie

Phillip S. Hendrie (b. September 1, 1952, Pasadena, California) is the host of "The Phil Hendrie Show," a comedy talk radio program syndicated throughout North America on Premiere Radio Networks and on XM Satellite Radio weeknights from 7:00 to 10:00 Pacific time. While "The Phil Hendrie Show" has become renowned for its unique and controversial guests, those guests are not real people at all — they are characters created by Hendrie. Though Hendrie often alludes to the fact that he is, in fact, doing the voices, listeners are invited to call and many are duped into believing that the guests on the show are real. He rapidly switches back and forth between an ordinary telephone and a studio microphone, creating the illusion that his "guest" has called into the show. Phil began doing voices on his program at KVEN in Ventura, California during the First Gulf War when he created "Raj Fahneen," an Egyptian who was demanding that George H. W. Bush bow down to Iraqis. He moved to Minneapolis and then to Miami where he further developed his show. The show then moved to KFI Los Angeles and has since been nationally syndicated. In February 2005, "The Phil Hendrie Show" moved from its longtime Los Angeles base at KFI to sports talk KXTA.

Contents

1 Show format 2 Online fan community 3 Hendrie's "guests" 4 Related topics 5 External link

Show format

When Hendrie has one of his guests on, the opening segment is usually cordial and the unusual premise for discussion for that hour is brought up. In the second segment, a new element is usually brought in to the ongoing discussion, and callers are introduced. The callers are usually angry and outraged at what the guests are discussing, and the guest usually responds back in a caustic manner. In the third segment, a third and final element enters the conversation and more calls are taken. The caller and guest converse in downright bellicose tones, which usually gives Hendrie the opportunity to both "hang up" on his "guest" and be apologetic to the caller.

On some segments of the show he provides his opinions and rants in his actual voice on matters of the day. The number of these segments increased following 9/11. There is a flurry of ethnic slurs, such as referring to Middle Eastern people as "ragheads" or "Ay-rabs". Hendrie defends the use of such language as a satirization of America's terrorist enemies. An avowed Democrat and staunchly liberal on a number of issues, Hendrie has strongly voiced opposition to the Democratic Party as of late, accusing it of having lost touch with its core constituents and failing to adequately engage with a philosophy to win the war on terror.

Beginning in January of 2004, "The Phil Hendrie Show" began a kind of renaissance, decreasing the number of segments in Hendrie's own voice and returning to the commentary-through-satire which originally made him famous. He did not completely abandon political commentary in his own voice, however, and throughout 2004 frequently mentioned that he backed the re-election of President Bush because of his handling of the war.

Hendrie's other segments include "How to Read a News Story," "Phil's Mailbag," "Flashback" and "Life Imitates Phil," a segment where an outrageous stunt that had been invented on his program was later duplicated in real life.

Hendrie often promotes CortiSlim (a weight loss system) and My Friend's Place (a resource center for homeless youth based in Hollywood, California).

Online fan community

Phil Hendrie once had an active online fan community consisting of dozens of fan sites providing difficult-to-find audio from Phil's pre-syndication days. But in late 2001, Premiere Radio Networks began a legal campaign to shut down all fan sites hosting audio of "The Phil Hendrie Show," even pre-syndication audio. Audio is now available via "Backstage Pass" subscriptions to Hendrie's website.

Hendrie's "guests"

Some of the "guests" include:

• Austin Amarka: Construction worker specializing in cabinets and can lights. Really bad con-artist. Now owner of a service station in Lancaster, California.

• Bob Bakian: News helicopter reporter who reports on insane reactions from people after hearing celebrity gossip. Bob reported that "Michael Powell has resigned so he can go on food stamps like other black people," and he was reprimanded along with Phil by David G. Hall for doing the same material twice, only that David makes Bob fly the helicopter until the fuel runs out and he crashes.

• Art Bell: Real-life weekend host of syndicated on-air and Internet radio program "Coast to Coast AM." Hendrie lampoons him ("I have news out of NASA--and it's shocking") from time to time. Hendrie opens the segment with a parody of "Coast to Coast's" opening with their own announcer, Ross Mitchell repeating Hendrie's single call-in number of 800-449-8686 as opposed to Bell's multiple numbers. Theme music is "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, a song Bell himself often uses. Art often advertises outlandish products from a fictitious sponsor, "Peenman Enterprises" ("But first, this from Peenman Enterprises"), selling things such as the "Earth Handle" and the "Human Waste Chili Maker." A frequent guest of "Art's" is "General Johnson Jameson" who reports from his underground bunker "deep within the Saskatchewan Crust." General Jameson was inspired by Art Bell's real guests, Richard C. Hoagland and Major Ed Dames. So uncanny is Hendrie's impersonation that callers to Bell's program often ask when "General Jameson" will return to the show, much to Bell's delight.

• Ted Bell: Owner of "Ted's of Beverly Hills," an upscale steakhouse with the motto, "We want to put our meat in your mouth." Ted Bell also brags that he was the first to put tinfoil on a baked potato. Also inventor of the cocktail called a "Ted", simply the very common rum and Coca-Cola. One of Phil's "sponsors." Frequently interjects with "I'm Ted Bell" when speaking to the callers. Ted has a chronic phobia of the disabled. Ted is also an automobile enthusiast and the president of the "Beverly Hills Automobile Association."

• Logan Benson: An infrequent caller to Phil's show, Logan is an eight year-old child with dubious living conditions and guidance. His overbearing and controlling, yet lingering in the background, Grandpa, "Papa Frank," tells Logan what to say when calling Phil. A few examples of Logan's calls: " My grandpa says that its not fair that cripple in Florida gets more press than the chimp that ate the man's weiner," or "My grandpa says that Thanksgiving is a crock and we should have slaughtered the Indians right off the bat when we came." Logan is also told to drink some blue sparkling liquid - glass cleaner - by his Grandpa.

• Clara Bingham: School administrator. One of Pastor Rennick's flock (which see) in the "Joyful Union Congregation" of Bellflower, California. Now married to Pastor Rennick.

• Lloyd Bonifide: Korean war veteran and RV enthusiast from Alhambra, California, Lloyd has a history of battle fatigue. No "monkey" should ever lay a hand on him, and that includes Lloyd's five-year old grandson.

• Steve Bosell: Owner of "B&B Construction" of Corona, California and frequent litigant. One of the show's most popular guests. His name was once brought up by radio host G. Gordon Liddy because of the frequent "lawsuits." In one skit, "Bosell" threatened to sue his wife for emotional trauma. She was accused of eating Mexican food before breastfeeding their baby and leaving it in his care. When the child loudly soils its diaper during a visit to the bank, Bosell concludes that his wife planned to humiliate him by feeding the baby Mexican food via her breast milk. "B&B" stands for "Bosell & Bosell." Steve is not in business with his father, son, brother, uncle, or anyone else. The "B&B" is supposed to represent the intensity he brings to his business: "Bosell and Bosell yet again, just non-stop Bosell comin' at ya."

• Colleen Kristin Brewster: Travel agent and young businesswoman. She has "tragically hip" fashion sense (think banana yellow pantsuit) and is an all-around slut. This character was difficult for Phil to perform and no longer appears on the show.

• Rudy Canoza: Amorous Argentine lingerie store owner. His fictional boutique is called "Je T'aime Lingerie" in Sherman Oaks, California. Known for his sexual come-on, "la-la-la-la-la," which he claims is used by all Argentine men.

• R.C. Collins: A young pubescent cadet attending "Bradley Miltary Academy" in Altadena, California. R.C. has a very long story arc that has stretched for many years. The character actually "died" of a rare kidney disease in 1998 but was found alive and well at a KFI "Radio in the Park" event several weeks later. At the time, R.C. was into Goth and worshipping Satan since he claimed that "Jesus didnt give him a good kidney." He was a popular student who played high school basketball while wearing a top hat, a black cape (with "R.C." embroidered in red letters) and while carrying a staff. R.C. has had his share of medical problems while living with his mother, who was always drunk and passed out and not a part of his home life. He lost a testicle as a result of the loss of his kidney, thus suffering for years afterward with "phantom nut." R.C. had a short stint on air working for Phil doing "The Force Report" with Bud Dickman before the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The pair mostly got in trouble and took drugs and rarely had anything to say about either the Star Wars movie or the fans waiting outside the "Chinese Man" Theater. Now attending Bradley Miltary Academy under the watchful eye of Harvey Wireman, he has no contact with his mother but expects "father to send for him" at any moment to be shop foreman in his dad's factory. Always image conscious, R.C. refuses to ride in the dilapidated automobiles of his friends, referring to them as "taco-mobiles."

• Comb-Over Boy: A send-up of popular talk show host Tom Leykis. He recently "killed" himself due to the fact that nobody takes him seriously. However, "Comb-Over Boy" has made a comeback as of late.

• Doug Dannger: an one-time straight and now openly gay newspaper columnist of the fictitious "Orange County Courier." Frequent catch phrase: "I'm a gay man and a gay journalist."

• Bud Dickman: the show's mentally deficient intern and friend to R.C. Collins. Often rats out Phil to David G. Hall. A loyal fan of Dr. Laura Schlessinger, or as Bud calls her, "Dokor Lor." Bud has a metal plate (zinc) in his head, and brain damage, which is the result of a motorcycle accident that sent him head first through an oak tree on Highway 33 on the way to Ojai, California.

• Bobbie Dooley: officious president of the "Western Estates Homeowners' Association" of Westlake Village, California and arguably the show's most popular character. Husband "Steve Dooley" is the vice-president of Western Estates who frequently cuts in on conversations but says very little, mostly supporting his "wife's" statements. "Bobbie" has a trademark "mmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm" when listening to the callers which almost always annoys them. Her father was a circus clown and her mother a prostitute. Hendrie often does "Best of Bobbie Dooley" shows during holiday periods.

• Jeff Dowder: a stoner, a drummer in the band "Darkhorse" (aka Darque Hoarse) and Professor of Mechanical Physics at Caltech. Jeff is based on real-life pal "Sundown" from Hendrie's days in Miami. Jeff has also been known (in at least one bit) as Dr. Jeff Raley. He frequently appears in another skit called "Extreme Nudity," where extreme sports are perfomed "in the buff."

• Vernon Dozier: High school football coach, math teacher and all-around tough guy who once expressed his desire to propose to one of his students during her graduation.

• Raj Fahneen: Raj is an Egyptian and Phil's first "guest," performed during the first Gulf War to incite people to call in. Raj has a difficult time grasping the intricacies of American culture (you mean it's not okay to wipe my dog's ass with the American flag!?). He often tells callers to "shut your mouth" and accuses native-born American citzens of knowing more about offerings at fast food restaurants than they do about their own Constitution.

• Margaret Gray: This character "writes" a celebrity newspaper column called "A Little Bird Told Me;" overbearing mother of child actor "Jason Jay Delmonico," so named after Margaret saw a package of Delmonico steaks in the supermarket. "Margaret" tends to incite callers by blaming any and all of the world's ills on President Bush.

• Bob Greene: Owner and CEO of the SoCal grocery store chain Frazier Foods and owner of a $20,000 hair system. He insists it is NOT a toupee. Bob frequently invades into the lives of his employees and seems to have a lot of trouble as an employer. He is the manager/player of the Frazier Foods softball team, which is mandatory for all employees, even for one employee with diabetes. Bob has a Porsche Boxster that he drives home and blows off steam, driving in the left lane, slowing up faster traffic, honking, flashing his lights and having a blow-up doll simulate oral sex while he is driving. Bob Greene is modeled after a real person, who was station manager at WIOD during Phil's stint in Miami.

• Art Griego: Private pilot, good friend of D.B. Cooper and a former minor league first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Larry Grover: Former president of "Conservatives of Kern County;" currently lives on the service porch of his mother's home. His marriage fell apart while he was devoting his every waking minute to getting President Bill Clinton impeached.

• David G. Hall: Phil's overbearing boss based on his program director at KFI. Now, "Hall" is usually referred to as "vice president of syndication." Always having "the hot seat dusted off" for him by his superiors when it appears he can't control Phil's show. Hall's appearances are heralded by The Imperial March from Star Wars.

• Paul "Tubby" Lane: From the rural South, Paul Lane is a NASCAR and sometime SCCA racing veteran. Has a phobia about speed otherwise he would have been good. Tends to offend Southerners in particular with his gay-oriented ideas of how to promote NASCAR, including "Dinner With a Driver" in which a fan can enjoy dinner, nighttime beach walks, and a shower with their favorite driver.

• Mavis Leonard: African-American woman similar to Clara Bingham. Mavis often has trouble with her nephew and is fond of singing old Negro spirituals.

• Hal and Viola Levolier: This semi-wealthy retired couple are always in their private plane - listening to Phil whom they absolutely adore - while darting to such places as Laughlin, Nevada. Continually fighting each other for control of the plane's telephone, the couple invariably stalls the aircraft and they "die" in a crash after each appearance.

• Father James McQuarters: Irish Catholic priest who comments on current events in a lilting brogue which occasionally drops to a rather dark, threatening register. Father McQuarters is known to drink while on air, usually taking a "snort" of Makers Mark or Johnnie Walker, eventually drinking himself to an unintelligible state. Recently, Father McQuarters voiced that he thought he "had a shot at being Pope."

• Chris Norton: "Sessy" ("sexy" to you and me due to the character's speech impediment) telemarketer and an aspiring porn actor.

• Dave Oliva: An aspiring LAPD officer who frequently berates older people.

• Earl Pants: Owns and operates "Earl Pants' Automotive." Earl hosts "Car Talk" live in Phil's studio. Do not bother to take your "Jap car" to Earl's shop as he has a circle driveway that you can just circle your "Jap car" out of his shop. Also, don't say the two words he hates: "mint condition."

• Pastor William Rennick: Boisterous African American Pentecostal minister from the "Joyful Union Congregation." He'd "bend over for Jesus." Husband to Clara Bingham, they both enjoy whirlwind vacations in the Holy Land using the church's money. Once bought a gun and silver bullets for Halloween to defend himself against a werewolf.

• Dr. Jim Sadler: A veterinarian/dentist/psychiatrist with interesting views on women and religion.

• Jay Santos: "Brigadier Admiral" in the "Citizens' Auxiliary Police" of Hawthorne, California. His uniform consists of a blue arm band, a pith helmet and Bermuda shorts. An overbearing, officious "rent-a-cop," Santos' motto and excuse for his behavior is "It's About Saving Lives."

• Roland Schwinn: Morbidly obese at 5'11" and 395 pounds, Schwinn is also a nudist. Owns and operates "Camp Bountiful" where kids can eat all the junk food they want without feeling guilty. Recently, Roland's voice has become that of a new character, Chef Carl Chodillia.

• Herb Sewell: Criminally insane individual rehabilitated after a long stay in the California state mental hospital in Atascadero. "Herb" comments on high-profile criminal cases from his rather unique point-of-view. He frequently punctuates his commentary with fits of nervous laughter which in turn unnerve the callers. Often mentions his friends Walter Belhaven and Randall Toomey, both still at Atascadero, and the fact that they'll never let them out.

• Skippy and Frank are two morning "shock jocks" who are invariably fired from their jobs at the ends of their segments. Unable to land jobs in major radio markets, their "show" originates from some of America's most rural markets, each one a little smaller than the last.

• "Brass" Villanueva: A proud, young Latino from East Los Angeles who claims that he's not allowed to speak Spanish because he's "oppressed" by the Anglo culture. Obsessed with neck tattoos.

• Dean Wheeler: New-age, Birkenstock-wearing, America-hating, yoga-teaching apologist from a Northern California political activist group. He was the spokesman of the Kentucky Tobacco Growers' "Tobaccy Truck" which allowed kids under the age of 18 to get free "tobaccy" if they had consent of any adult, even Mr. Wheeler.

• Harvey Wireman, Esq.: World War Two veteran, retired lawyer and commandant of R.C. Collins' military academy. Harvey also hosts "Senior Chat" and "Law Talk" live in Phil's studio. Harvey has chronic problems with his throat, usually claming to have some sort of "cheese wedge" lodged in his throat and requests a "plastic bottle of squirt" to help dislodge it. This character is based on Hendrie's late father.

Related topics

• Talk radio
• Talk show

External link

• Phil Hendrie's home page (http://www.philhendrieshow.com/)
• Phil Hendrie fan page (http://www.fhwrdh.net/philhendrie/)
• Hester Music (http://www.hestermusic.com/philhendrie.html) Creates music for Phil's show, notably the Ted's of Beverly Hills instrumental.
• Phil Hendrie Show ratings (http://www.rateitall.com/showitem.aspx?itemid=29036)
• The Many People of Phil Hendrie (http://billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/format/talk/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000847604) (Billboard Radio Monitor news article, March 22, 2005)