List of Stephanie Miller Show bits and gags

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The Stephanie Miller Show, a liberal talk radio show featuring host Stephanie Miller, voice artist Jim Ward, and engineer/producer Chris Lavoie, incorporates a variety of recurring comedic elements.

Contents

[edit] Impressions

Impressions of political figures, media personalities, and celebrities are used throughout the show. Ward performs most of the impressions, though Miller includes a few of her own. Some imitations are nearly indistinguishable from the subject, while others are zany parodies highlighting a particular aspect of the subject's personality. Frequent targets of impressions include:

  • Wolf Blitzer: Blitzer is depicted as extremely constipated based on a supposed diet of hard cheese and drywall, sometimes followed by an explosion sound effect. The impression may be used in conjunction with the similar Rita Cosby impression, with Miller and Ward sometimes imitating a hypothetical passionate liaison between the two.
  • Tom Brokaw: Ward's impersonations of the former NBC newsanchor features an exaggerated elongation of "L" sounds in words, and, subsequently, all the stories that "Tom Brokaw" reports have a liberal use of the letter L (Slobodan Milošević, Jalalabad, etc.). When Harry Shearer calls in, Miller gets Ward to compete with Shearer for the best Brokaw impersonation.
  • George W. Bush: Ward's impression exaggerates the long pauses and prolific use of "uh" or "er" (hence, "President Dial Tone"), and is often punctuated with rhetoric such as "Freedom's on the march" or "Smoke 'em out". Sometimes the sound of riding a bicycle and a ringing bike bell play during the impression, in reference to one of Bush's frequent exercise activities . Another running gag is the character's use of the non-sequitor "I like toast". When President Bush delivers a speech that is carried live on network television, the show broadcasts the speech with side comments by Miller and Ward and occasional sound effects in a style similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000. Ward's imitation of President Bush is so accurate that listeners have complained that they cannot distinguish which words are said by the president and which are said by Ward.
  • Dick Cheney: For Cheney, Ward talks into a coffee cup and imitates Darth Vader while the Imperial March theme from Star Wars plays in the background. The impression almost always ends with so-called "Dick Vader" suggesting that those who do not like what he says "can go <bleep> themselves with" some random object in Star Wars canon (examples range from lightsabers to the planet Hoth). The quote refers to a 2004 remark that Cheney made to Senator Patrick Leahy.
  • Bill Clinton: Ward's impression usually includes some sexual suggestiveness (in reference to the Lewinsky scandal and other alleged affairs), which ends with a sound effect representing Hillary hitting Bill with a frying pan.
  • Hillary Clinton: Miller's impression is reminiscent of the martians from the Mars Attacks! movie, featuring a nasal, high-pitched squawking sound. Originally, the entire impression consisted of only squawks, but now includes words highlighting what Miller calls "Hillary's flat 'a'" pronunciation. With the start of Hillary's presidential campaign, her frying pan (see Bill Clinton's entry above) has been used against other people besides Bill.
  • Rita Cosby: Both Miller and Ward perform a similar characterization of the MSNBC reporter. Miller sometimes apologizes for this impression, which exaggerates Cosby's husky voice, because Miller hopes that her voice is only a temporary effect after being "hit in the throat by a dodgeball". After the death of Anna Nicole Smith, the impression included a loud helicopter sound effect, referencing her penchant for reporting from them.
  • Mark Foley: Performed by Ward as an exact Snagglepuss imitation, backed by the cartoon show's theme music.
  • Newt Gingrich: Ward performs Gingrich with a decidedly "Kermit the Frog" cadence and flair (earning him the nickname "human Muppet" from Miller). Miller speculated that Newt is "paid by the 'frankly'".
  • Alberto Gonzales: Ward's impersonation is reminiscient of Mr. Rogers making blatant threats against those listening to him, while horror-themed sound effects play in the background. Lavoie and Miller have stated that they are scared by this character.
  • Sean Hannity: In reference to his claim that Ray Nagin left hundreds of buses unused during Hurricane Katrina, Ward impersonates Hannity making a heartfelt plea involving: "The buses... why?" This is always accompanied by the flute ballad from "Terms of Endearment" that has become Hannity's leitmotif on the show. At times, Ward resorts to a "talking point frittata", where he randomly spouts Hannity's often-used talking points.
  • Dennis Hastert/James Sensenbrenner: Ward impersonates these two Congressmen with a heavy Midwestern accent, rife with references to meats followed by a "Lipitor chaser" when their blood "gets all chunky". Their catchphrase is "Oh God" pronounced "Oh Gadd!". The two characters have only been heard together once, and remain difficult to distinguish from each other.
  • Arianna Huffington: Miller's impression of the progressive columnist and owner of The Huffington Post blog exaggerates her accent so what she says is unintelligible. The style is reminiscient of Eva Gabor (the Green Acres theme sometimes plays in the background). Occasionally, Miller and Ward perform a hypothetical round table discussion between Huffington, Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, all of which are done in exaggerated accents which are nearly unintelligible.
  • Kim Jong-Il: For the North Korean dictator, Ward uses an exaggerated Korean accent with a stereotypical Asian speech pattern (transposing L's and R's). He is depicted as a parody of hip hop culture, using the appropriate slang such as "K-to-the-J-to-the-I-L in the hizzie!" (or sometimes "hizzouse"). The political incorrectness of this impression is a point of exasperation for Lavoie, who says "Oh no" when Miller sets up Ward for the character.
  • Rush Limbaugh: Usually performed by Miller, the impersonation features a lot of loud breathing into the microphone and the phrase "my friends" after almost every sentence. It is accompanied by the shaking of a pill bottle and shuffling of paper.
  • Chris Matthews: Ward responds "Fair enough, hah!" in the MSNBC host's voice, reflecting a reluctance to challenge blatant lies told by guests. More recently, though, Ward's Matthews questions those lies with an exasperated, "NOT fair enough!"
  • Bill O'Reilly: The content of Ward's Bill O'Reilly impression often reflects tidbits from his sexual harassment lawsuit.
    • Typical O'Reilly Fan: Ward based this impression on Billy Bob Thornton's Karl Childers character in the movie Sling Blade, using a strong stereotypical Southern accent. The character always agrees will Bill O'Reilly and usually references "biscuits and mustard". Sometimes the character has a back-and-forth dialogue with an O'Reilly sound bite consisting of "A'right then." "All right." "A'right then." "All right." "A'right then." The character also uses the phrase "Get'er done" as popularized by Larry the Cable Guy.
  • Ozzy Osbourne: Ward impersonates Osbourne using a mumbling, breathy, unintelligible voice.
  • Randi Rhodes: This Miller impersonation of the Air America Radio host lampoons the host's measured "time checks" after a heated, breathless rant.
  • Keith Richards: Another Ward impression consisting of unintelligible mumblings.
  • Geraldo Rivera: This impression usually occurs during "Right Wing World" after playing a clip of dialogue between Bill O'Reilly and Geraldo. Ward then continues the subject into blatantly homosexual territory, using a stereotypical lisp accompanied by the Village People's "In the Navy." During these impersonations, Ward sometimes delves into masochism with Rivera complaining that O'Reilly won't stop (accompanied by the sound of a whip cracking) even after Rivera shouts the safeword, "Mizrahi!"
  • Pat Robertson: Accompanied by organ music, Ward exaggerates Robertsons' chuckling, with frequent threats to various groups (liberals, feminists, homosexuals, etc.) of being "tossed into the lake of fire" and/or being subjected to various diseases. The character gets more and more chuckly and giggly as his rant progresses.
  • Donald Rumsfeld: Ward exaggerates Rumsfeld's penchant for answering his own rhetorical questions, and use of outdated slang such as "heavens to Betsy" or "my stars". More recently, Ward highlights that his voice is "getting higher and higher" whenever Rumsfeld fervently defends a position.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger: The most understandable of the "unintelligible" impressions, Ward uses an exaggerated Austrian accent and ends his sentences with "...and these kinds of things" or "...and things of this nature". Miller sometimes asks "Exactly, what kinds of things?"

[edit] Nicknames

Miller applies nicknames and mock titles to make fun of certain media and political figures, which include:

  • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: "Mahmoud I'm a Dinner Jacket" (or sometimes simply "I'm a Dinner Jacket"). Ward notes that this deliberate mispronunciation originated with comedian and fellow voice actor, Harry Shearer, who uses it on his weekly public radio program Le Show.
  • Michele Bachmann: "Bat<bleep> Crazy Congresswoman". This nickname was originally used for Katherine Harris.
  • George W. Bush: Miller rarely uses a nickname for President Bush, though callers and e-mailers sometimes do. The nickname "Chimpy McCokespoon" was occasionally used, referring to his appearance and to the allegation that Bush was arrested for possession of cocaine.[1]
  • Tucker Carlson: Miller makes fun of Carlson's tersely titled cable show Tucker by adding "exclamation point" after mentioning the show. After Carlson's appearance on Dancing with the Stars, Miller appended two phrases related to choreography, "jazz hands" and "spirit fingers". Thus, the show is now referred to as "Tucker, exclamation point, jazz hands, spirit fingers".
  • Michael Chertoff: "Skeletor" (in reference to his emaciated look that is similar to the cartoon character Skeletor). Sometimes "Skeletor" is also used for Alan Colmes for a similar reason.
  • Ann Coulter: Originally, "noted transsexual plagiarist" (in reference to her visible adam's apple and her reported plagiarism[2]). Miller switched to using the nickname "noted female impersonator" to avoid offending transsexuals; the title "Junk-toting stick figure" has also been used before. Occasionally, the very mention of Coulter's name is followed by Mike Myers as Austin Powers saying "It's a MAN, baby!!". In light of Coulter's bigoted comment about John Edwards at the CPAC convention in March 2007, Miller insisted that she be called "Republican Party Spokesperson" Coulter, arguing that Coulter says what many conservative Republicans believe, but are too afraid to say.
  • Tom DeLay: "Drunky McPukeshoes" (in reference to a couple of his speeches where he slurs some words). He is often "interviewed" at Barfy's Bar & Grill, where the sounds of clinking bar glasses and the song "Tequila" are heard in the background.
  • Al Edwards: A Texas state representative nicknamed "Representative Squeezy McFeelpants" (in reference to his support of banning "suggestive clothing" for cheerleaders[3]). "Squeezy McFeelpants" has become a frequent character on the show and has led to a series of related characters (see #Other running gags). Interestingly, Edwards is the only Democrat to get a nickname, and his actual name was never used on the show until March 6, 2006. When told of his name and political affiliation, Miller took pride in being an equal opportunity offender.
  • Ted Haggard: "The Fabulously Reverend Ted Haggard". Since his "restoration", Miller has referred to him as "The Formerly Fabulous Reverend Ted Haggard", accompanied by a harp flourish.
  • Katherine Harris: Formerly "Bat<bleep> Crazy Congresswoman". Miller adopted the nickname "Looney McBoobjob", suggested by a listener, in reference to Harris' appearance on the Hannity & Colmes show where she emphasized her bust.[4]
  • Dennis Hastert: "Beefy McBratwurst" (referring to his size and from the meat culture prevalent in the Midwest).
  • Terry Jeffrey: "Pocket Pundit" (because of his high-pitch voice). Sometimes Miller or Ward will respond to his soundbite in a similar pitch.
  • Scott McClellan: "Puffy McMoonface" (in reference to his puffy cheeks), or alternatively "Chummy McSharkbait" (in reference to journalists taking him to task) or "Presidential Spokesliar" (when he was the White House spokesperson).
  • Dick Morris: "Prostitute toe sucker" (in reference to the story that led to his dismissal from the 1996 Clinton re-election campaign).
  • Vladimir Putin: "Pooty-Poot", from President Bush's nickname for the Russian President.
  • John Roberts: Called "The Manchurian Candidate" prior to his confirmation as Chief Justice of the United States by the Senate (the news of his confirmation broke while the show was broadcasting live, to which Miller commented "good, who needs all those rights anyway?"). His son was nicknamed "Dancey McSaddleshoes" (in reference to his dancing during the news conference where President Bush's introduced his father).
  • Pat Robertson: "Evil Uncle Chuckles" (from his chuckling, as evident in Ward's impression).
  • Rick Santorum: "Senator Man-on-Dog" (in reference to a statement he made at an interview[5]).
  • Antonin Scalia: "Anton flip the bird Scalia" (in reference to an obscene gesture he made[6]).
  • Tony Snow: After receiving suggested nicknames from listeners, Miller settled on "Crony McSnowjob" for the new "Presidential Spokesliar". Other proposed nicknames included: "Snowy McFoxtrot", "Phony McSnowjob", "Foxy McHenhouse", and "Baloney McSnowjob".

[edit] Vocabulary

Miller's speaking style incorporates many offbeat words and expressions, including:

  • -berries: A suffix used to describe copious amounts of something; for example, "Freedom's on the march, now with extra freedom-berries!"
  • Captain Obvious: A nickname used for someone when they say something that should be obvious.
  • Celebutard: A portmanteau of "celebutante" (itself a portmanteau of "celebrity" and "debutante") and "retard". This nickname is applied to celebrities who do bad (or stupid) things. People acquiring celebutard status include Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
  • Conspiracy Snausage: A tidbit of information relating to a conspiracy theory, in reference to the show's "Conspiracy Corner" segment.
  • The Deliverance Wing of the Republican Party: The far right of the Republican Party, especially on social issues (usually accompanied by "Dueling Banjos").
  • Extra Crispy Bucket of ...: Indicates something extraordinary, in reference to Kentucky Fried Chicken's menu and packaging. Usually followed by the word "Republicans" to refer to the ultra-conservative Republicans.
  • Flaven(s): A nonsense word used in various contexts, from the style of a Jerry Lewis comedy routine where he would begin to blurt out gibberish. There has been debate on the show about whether or not the word was actually used by Lewis, or if it has come into use from Lewis-inspired characters such as Professor Frink on The Simpsons. The word was included in the list of mock side effects caused by listening to the show, which ranged from benign ("heebie-jeebies") to the fanciful ("Steinberg-Flaven").
  • Fox Question: A question that is so loaded, to bias the answer (an alleged technique of some Fox News hosts).
  • Foxpert: A person who is not an unbiased expert but is treated as one on the Fox News Channel.
  • Frittata: A conglomeration, especially an awkward attempt to combine individual talking points into one argument.
  • Fun Facts: Useless, but interesting, trivia.
  • Hello, Ripley's: Applied to a story that might be taken as surprising or unexpected, but isn't.
  • Jihad Boots: A ridicule that the only preparation that the Miami Seven did for their alleged plan to blow up the Sears Tower was to buy boots.
  • (Lovely) Lady Lumps: Breasts, from the Black Eyed Peas song My Humps.
  • Mooks: The mildly derogatory term Miller uses to collectively refer to Ward and Lavoie.
  • Nambibia: Variation of Namibia. Sometimes, Miller would "mistakenly" say "NAMBLA" instead. The term was used in reference to the "Brangelina" baby, whose middle name according to Miller ("because she was named by the 'Governor' of Namibia") is a bunch of random clicks reminiscent of the Khoisan languages spoken in the country.
  • Participation Ribbon/Tee-Ball Trophy: These are imaginary awards given to callers for their attempts at humor. Slightly funny jokes get a Participation Ribbon, while better jokes get a Tee-Ball Trophy. Some callers get both if their humor is extraordinary.
  • Penalty box: Whenever a person intimates something sexual in nature or something they know is blatantly wrong, such as "salacious rumors" about President Bush and Condoleezza Rice, they get sent to the "penalty box" as a "punishment", accompanied by a buzzer.
  • Pillsbury Shi'a Crescent Rolls: A play on the phrase "Shi'a crescent" that pundits applied to the Shi'a dominance over a large area of the Middle East.
  • Political crazy car: Applied to politicians and pundits whose opinions shift frequently between liberal and conservative. Most commonly used with Chris Matthews, but also recently with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  • Scooby-Doo Moment: The confusion caused by realizing that something being said does not make sense, as expressed by Scooby-Doo's often-used exclamation, "Huh?!"
  • Snarf: To expel various liquids through nose, caused by laughing hard while drinking, as reported by the show's listeners.
  • Speculatate: A variation of the word "speculate". It has other variants such as "speculatation" and "speculatated".
  • Springtime for Hitler Face: As in The Producers, a Springtime for Hitler face is a look of shock, disgust, or surprise over something repugnant, usually associated with wide eyes, open mouths, and being pushed back in your chair.
  • -stack: Literally, a stack of stories, usually thematically related. The "Fun Stack", for example, is a collection of stories that are "fun", but sometimes become sexually-oriented or otherwise overtly adult. The Fun Stack is used to help distract from the abhorrence of the main news stories. When Miller announces that she is about to do a story from the Fun Stack, Lavoie responds with a child-like "Yay!"
  • Stupid O'Clock/Insane O'Clock: The early hours that the show's hosts must go to bed and get up, due to the show starting at 6 AM local time.
  • Wargasm: Used to describe apparent giddiness by some conservatives over the prospect of war.

[edit] Sound effects

Another staple of the show is the prolific usage of sound effects, including, but not limited to, quotes from movies, animal calls, and other sound effects. These include:

[edit] Movies and TV

Single quote sources:

  • "Be quiet, you eediot!" - From Ren and Stimpy, this quote from Ren is played whenever Miller and company play a quote from a right-wing pundit saying something that they believe to be idiotic.
  • "Computer Says No" - From the character Carol Beer in the BBC show Little Britain. This quote is used to underscore and answer of "No." Newly added is Carol Beer saying "Computer says yes!" to go with the new Democratic congress.
  • "Get...those...puppies!" - From 101 Dalmatians, this quote from Cruella de Vil is played when talking about Congresswoman Katherine Harris.
  • "Ha ha ha ha, it's a little joke!" - From Arthur, this quote from Arthur is played when Miller and company say something that they and their audience know is blatantly wrong.
  • "I'm not a drunk!"
  • "I am a lady. If you say I'm not, I'll bop you." - From The Brady Bunch, this quote from Cindy Brady is played when referring to Miller.
  • "I just hate you, and I hate your ass face." - From Waiting for Guffman, this quote from Corky St. Clair is played for nearly any reason.
  • "I just think I'm gonna barf!" - From Fargo, this quote from Marge is played whenever something disgusting is said or intimated.
  • "Nice Beaver!" - From The Naked Gun, when Jane climbs a ladder and Frank remarks, "Nice Beaver!" Jane responds with, "Thank you, I just had it stuffed." Used when Miller relates her problem with the local wildlife, also to denote the double-entendre the movie quote provides.
  • "No, no. Don't speak. Don't speak. Silence, silence. Don't speak!" - From Bullets Over Broadway, when Helen interrupts David and commands him to not speak. This is used when Miller doesn't want a topic to continue, among other reasons.
  • "No! No, Stefania! Noooo!" - From the 1984 television movie, "Nadia," about the life of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci. This clip is played from the perspective of either Chris or Jim (usually Chris), when they feel the need to admonish Stephanie.
  • Sam Kinison - A short clip of Kinison's trademark scream, "Oh, oh, OOOOOHHHH!" Used to denote something disgusting or odious. Also used whenever a "popular" right-winger's host's name is mentioned and/or prefaced before an odious story.
  • Three Stooges - The Three Stooges fighting each other is sometimes used when people on the same side of the political spectrum disagree with each other.
  • When Harry Met Sally... - The scene where Meg Ryan's character performs a fake orgasm (the one that ends with "I'll have what she's having."). This sound clip is sometimes played during times when someone vehemently espouses left-wing opinions... or when truckers or firefighters call in... or any time, actually.
  • "What?" - From Heathers, when a stoner girl is asked a high school survey question.
  • "You're going the wrong way!" - From Planes, Trains & Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and John Candy

Multiple quote sources:

  • Death Becomes Her
    • "Could you just not breathe?" - This quote from Madeline is sometimes played when someone says something idiotic or just blatantly wrong; used to imitate others within the same political party wishing that that person didn't say that.
    • "En garde, bitch!" - This quote from Helen, is played whenever Miller and a female guest or caller tries to take one of Miller's "Future Husbands" or similar.
    • "You should learn not to compete with me. I always win! Hah!" - This quote from Madeline is played whenever someone is in a contest with Miller.
  • Mommie Dearest
    • Joan Crawford: "Why can't you give me the respect that I'm entitled to? Why can't you treat me like I would be treated by any stranger on the street?" Christina: "Because, I am NOT one of your FANS!" - Sometimes used when someone criticizes the show or Miller.
    • "No...wire...hangers...EVER!" - This quote is used especially in reference to the abortion issue.
    • "Tina! Bring me the axe."
  • Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
    • "Didn't I ever tell ya about Bumbles?" "Bumbles Bounce!" Mainly used to donate heavy or tall people, mainly Karen Hughes.
    • "From now on, gang, we won't let Rudolph join in any of our reindeer games!" Used to parody politicians or right-wingers threatening to exclude someone for their beliefs.
    • "I'd like to be... a dentist!" - Used to possibly denote that those people who work on the show care more about other things than just the show.
    • Thump! Thump! Thump! "Looky what he can do!" *ding* "whoa" - From the scene where the Abominable Snow Monster walks heavily into the Christmas Tree room to put the star on the top of the tree. The thumping sounds are used to denote a heavyset (or tall) person, mainly Karen Hughes.
    • "Whaa-hoo! Nothin'." - Used in response to investigations that turn up nothing.
    • "We're a couple of misfits." - This song is sometimes used when liberals call or write in explaining their displeasure with something Miller said. Miller explains that she is too liberal for conservatives and too politically incorrect for liberals.
  • "Sunset Boulevard" Norma Desmond quotes are usually used when referring to Katherine Harris, although recently Miller claimed her friends called her Norma Desmond.
    • "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."
    • "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
    • "Max! Max! Max!" When talking about her new puppy, Max.
  • The Liar Cannon - The "Liar Cannon" is a collection of movie quotes wherein various people relate about people lying. These include:
  • "Trading Spouses - The episode with Marguerite Perrin, also known as "the Christian Mommy", used in reference to Miller.
    • "She's not a Christian, no!" - Used humorously against Miller, even though she, herself, is a professed Christian.
    • "She's dark-sided, too!" - Used to mock fundamentalist Christians who feel that liberals (including Miller, Ward, and Lavoie) are evil.
    • "Get the hell out of my house -- in Jesus' name, I pray!"

[edit] Jingles

The show also uses short jingles to make a point.

  • "Ain't Nuthin' but a She Thing": the show uses a snippet of this song ("It ain't a man's world You go, girl! No more sugar and spice And everything nice ") by Salt-N-Pepa, used whenever a female says or does something of note.
  • "Bill O'Reilly was a Man": a jingle written to the tune of the Daniel Boone theme, to skewer Bill O'Reilly
  • "I Believe the Children Are Our Future": A portion of the song "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston, used whenever a clip from a child is played or a child calls in.
  • Imagine: The intro to the song by John Lennon mixed with quotes by Bush administration officials saying that no one could imagine certain events.
  • "Isn't It Ironic": From the Alanis Morissette song, applied to stories that are ironic in nature.
  • "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah.": From The Waitresses song "I Know What Boys Like", used as "Schadenfreude".
  • "Der Fueher's face": the tune by Spike Jones and his City Slickers that plays during particularly odious comments or far-right statements, played to indicate dictatorship and lack of human rights.
  • Springtime for Hitler from The Producers is often used with the words "George Bush" inserted for "Hitler" and "Iraq" for "Germany."
  • Tap Dancing: From Taco Ockerse's Puttin' on the Ritz, this song featuring tap dancing plays whenever someone tries to explain a position only to stumble and try to explain away a position that is abhorrent.
  • "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister is the opening theme and beginning of the hour bumper.
  • You're a Lying Sack of Crap: used whenever someone is caught in a lie. The jingle has also been remade by listeners and other contributors in many forms, including as a waltz and a patriotic march, and the remakes always include some rendition of the sound "Plink, Plink!", heard at the end of the original.
  • A jingle written to skewer Rush Limbaugh

[edit] Other media

  • "Oh... my... God." - This quote, from the beginning of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" song, is used when there is a particularly odious or otherwise unbelievable is said, by the targets of Miller and company, or even Miller and company themselves.
  • "Momma's Happy Place" - A version of Kelis's "Milkshake" song, sung by self-proclaimed lounge legend Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, who performs the song at a faster tempo than the original version. Usually played by Miller after a particularly rough segment or during the last couple of segments of the show, in which Miller needs to "cleanse her palate" and "fun stack" just won't do.
  • "Lovely Lady Lumps" - A short snippet of the song "My Humps" by The Black Eyed Peas. As in the song, Miller refers to her breasts as her "lovely lady lumps" on occasion, humorously playing on the idea of allowing disillusioned Republicans to "nuzzle into my lovely lady lumps" for comfort.

[edit] Future husbands

Being single, Miller has referred to some liberal men which she likes as "her future husbands". Miller admits that she is very fickle when it comes to future husbands, usually with a certain person "rocketing up to the top" of her list, depending on what they did recently. Mentions of her future husbands are usually done to the tunes of 'Going to the Chapel' or 'He's So Fine'. The future husbands list includes:

However, Miller's first love is for firefighters which she has stated "transcends the political divide". She also likes truck drivers. Miller asked one driver who called the show to honk his horn several times during the call. With each horn honking, Miller made sounds as if she is turned on.

[edit] Self-deprecating humor

Miller pokes fun at herself quite a bit.

  • When criticized by a listener that the show is "sophomoric", Miller actually took the comment as a compliment.
  • Although she has no children, Stephanie Miller often refers to herself as "Mama", as do her listeners. She also has a soundbite "she's a slut" which Miller allows Producer Chris Lavoie to apply to her when talking about her future husbands. One time, when Chris called her a whore, she replied with a "thank you".
  • She read on her show, as well as posted on her web site,[13] a humorous, but true, biography written by a fan. While reading the biography on her show, she said that the only inaccuracy in the letter is that the "minor plastic surgery" should be replaced with "major plastic surgery".
  • Claims that she started her career as a dancer at the "Itchy Kitty" in Reseda, California, and if it wasn't for her radio show, that would be the only thing she would be qualified to do. The Itchy Kitty story is probably false, based on the biography mentioned above.
  • She publicized a very stinging hate e-mail she received.[14][15]
  • Uses a soundclip describing the show as "Ex-Catholic Girl Gone Wild". This is a parody on the Girls Gone Wild videos.
  • Uses a soundclip "She puts the broad back in broadcasting".
  • Uses a soundclip "She's the life of the Democratic Party. Ignore the lampshade."
  • Miller sometimes makes fun of her childhood appearance, including her unibrow, afro, fangs, hammer toe, and gray teeth. Usually, Ward and Lavoie join in on bashing Miller's childhood appearance.
    • Claims that she was "abandoned by wolves, and raised by Republicans". The "abandoned by wolves" phrase is her way of explaining the fangs.
  • Jokes that because the producer of the show has taken out a life insurance policy on her life, that he wants her dead.
  • Claims to have the supernatural ability to make men gay, because men that she dated in the past have come out of the closet. It has been suggested by Ward, Lavoie, and callers that she use her "gay-ray" to sabotage campaigns and tenures of various politicians.
  • Calls herself a "modern-day Jezebel" and a "Happy Harlot", after a call from "Reverend Dan" who accused her of being one.[16]

[edit] Other running gags

Throughout the show, Miller, Ward and Lavoie do gags that are frequently used.

"...allegedly."

Miller, Ward and Lavoie sometimes deal in falsehoods, fallacies, or outright slanderous lies, merely for humorous purposes; they don't really believe these, as evidenced by the fact that they tag "...allegedly" on to the end of the sentences.

Boner Watch 2006

The Republican Party's selection of Ohio congressman John Boehner as House Majority Leader spawned the new feature "Boner Watch 2006", which tells stories of Boehner's links to Jack Abramoff and other lobbyists. The feature's name comes from the show's humorous pronunciation of Boehner's last name. According to Miller, "Boner" is the correct pronunciation because as the saying goes, "When two vowels go out walking, the first one does the talking." This is usually accompanied by the soundclip "Boner Watch 2006. How long will this Boner last? If your Boner lasts more than four hours, call your lobbyist."

Guess the Quote

Jim has a prominent role in the "Guess the quote" section of the show, where Stephanie reads a quote (or sometimes plays the clip), and Jim is supposed to guess who said the quote. Although Jim usually knows the person making the quote, he purposely makes outlandish guesses of people who could not have possibly made the quote, including people who have been dead for decades (or sometimes, even centuries). Just as Miller often has a "theme" to the quotes she pulls (usually all quotes said by the same person), Ward also often has a "theme" to his incorrect guesses. As such, a sort of "mini-game" in this segment is guessing the "theme" of Ward's guesses.

Game Shows

The show features imaginary game shows in which the game show titles are applied to certain situations. Often these drops are accompanied by the "Wheel of Fortune" theme. The "game shows" include

  • "Republicans Eating Their Own"
  • "Wheel of Right Wing Hypocrites"
  • "Grasping for Straws"
  • "Really Bad Analogies"
  • "People Who Need to Be Thinned From the Herd"
  • "You're Completely Wrong"
  • "To Tell the Truth"
  • "Democrats Eating Their Own"

Homoerotic Corner

Originating from the O'Reilly Factor, the Homoerotic Corner sometimes out-of-context quotes, but sometimes in-context quotes of conversations that could be taken (if one had a dirty mind) as blatantly homosexual. Still, Miller insists that her jokes and jabs at homosexuals are out of love and not meant to be hurtful. In fact, she only makes fun of hard-right-wingers espousing seemingly homosexual tendencies due to their opinions of homosexual behavior.

Out of Context Theatre

To parody claims by Bill O'Reilly (as well as some other pundits) that the left-wing media takes advantage of out-of-context quotes of right-wing figures, "Out-of-Context Theatre" was introduced. "Out-of-Context Theatre" features clips of O'Reilly with blatant misuses of context. Other than "Out-of-Context Theatre", quotes are usually in the form of original recordings, or transcripts when a recording is not available.

September the 11th: Apply directly to the forehead

The parody of the commercial for HeadOn features a clip of George W. Bush saying "September the 11th" followed by the commercial's "Apply directly to the forehead." and then repeats it. This is used to explain that, everything will be okay as long as one remembers that September 11th is the cause of all the problems. Also, it is used to show how many times Bush refers back to the attacks.

Squeezy McFeelpants

This Ward character originated with a story about Texas State Representative Al Edwards (see #Nicknames), but is now often used in conjunction with news items that have sexual connotations. Miller almost never introduces "Representative Squeezy McFeelpants", instead allowing Lavoie to say it. Squeezy expresses outrage over the story while 1970s porn music plays in the background. His comments become more and more lascivious, typically vowing to personally investigate further, until he is hauled away by the authorities.

The nickname was also used in reference to another American, Donald Thompson, a Former Oklahoma Judge who was convicted of using a penis pump while presiding over court cases.[17] He was nicknamed "Judge Penis Pump" and "Judge Squeezy McFeelpants".[18]

For stories in other countries, the Squeezy McFeelpants character has spawned many international counterparts (sometimes called collectively "the International House of Perverts"):

  • Australia: Fingers Billabong, a fictitious Australian who investigated Sheilas involved with mixing Botox with Booze parties.[19]
  • Britain: An unidentified (male) person in the British Cheerleading Association has been named "Mashy McGrabbass" (or "McGrabbarse", per Ward's pronunciation), following the organization's ban on skimpy uniforms due to concerns that they may "encourage dangerous crash diets".[20]
  • Bulgaria: A fictitious Bulgarian person who wanted to investigate the Bulgarian woman whose life was saved when her breast implants acted as air bags when she was involved in an automobile accident.[21] The Bulgarian Squeezy was not given an official name.
  • France: A fictitious French legislator Miller and Ward invented and named "Squeezy de Press Patelone"[22] This character would like to curb French teen binge drinking.[23]
  • Germany: An unidentified German radio station manager has been nicknamed Squeezling von Fühlhosen after he fired a female disc jockey named DJ Lady Ray because she was wearing skirts which were "too short" and tops which were "too low"[24]
  • Italy: Father Felice, an Italian priest has been nicknamed "Padré de fia Pataloné"[25] after he posted a sign at the entrance to his church which reads "God knew what your navel looked like before you were born, so there is no need to expose it in church".[26]
  • Mexico: A fictitious Mexican legislator Miller and Ward invented and named "Squeezy a poca patalones".[27] This character would have wanted to ban nude bicycling, following a protest by nude bicyclists in Mexico City.[28]

Tiny Kiss/Mini Kiss

After a story involving KISS tribute bands, Miller was introduced to Mini Kiss [1] and Tiny Kiss, two tribute bands noted for being made up of little people. Miller hopes to have either (or both) bands at her fictional weddings with her "Future Husbands". When commenting on either of these two bands, Miller plays a sped-up version of KISS's "Rock and Roll all Night." They also recently did a variation of the gag with a sped-up version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the fictional Mini Queen.

[edit] References

Note: Because of a website redesign, many of the links from stephaniemiller.com are not currently active.

  1. ^ "Book: Bush was arrested for cocaine in 1972", Salon, October 18, 1999. Retrieved on September 22, 2006.
  2. ^ Byrne, John, Ron Brynaert. "Coulter caught cribbing from conservative magazines", The Raw Story, July 20, 2005. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  3. ^ "Lawmaker Slams Sexy Cheerleaders", CBS News, March 18, 2005. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  4. ^ "Katherine Harris Shakes her Booty", Crooks And Liars, August 09, 2005. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  5. ^ Raw Data: Excerpts of Santorum's AP Interview. Retrieved on July 4, 2006.
  6. ^ tmatt. "(Write your own witty headline here)", GetReligion, April 1, 2006. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  7. ^ Hall, Randy. "Impeaching Bush Is 'Cause Worth Fighting for,' Actor Says", CNSNews.com, February 17, 2006. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  8. ^ Paul Hackett Calles the show (MP3). Retrieved on August 26, 2006.
  9. ^ Maj. Paul Hackett Phone Call (MP3). Retrieved on November 10, 2006.
  10. ^ Doug Thompson (9/9/2005). A Very, Very Good Idea. Retrieved on September 2, 2006.
  11. ^ The Great Debate. 960AM The Quake. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  12. ^ Whitmire, Tim. "Citizen gets chance to criticize Bush", News 14 Carolina, 4/6/2006. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  13. ^ Stephanie Miller Daily Blog. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  14. ^ Steph_Hate_Letter. Photoshop fun with Steph. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  15. ^ Audio file clip in which she reads the letter (MP3). Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  16. ^ Audio file clip of the call from Rev. Dan (MP3). Retrieved on September 14, 2006.
  17. ^ Schafer, Shaun. "Okla. Ex-Judge Convicted in Penis Pump Case", Associated Press, 2006-06-30.
  18. ^ Stand Up News featuring Judge Penis Pump (MP3). Retrieved on June 30, 2006.
  19. ^ Introduced in "Stand Up News", 3/23/07
  20. ^ Nevin, Charles. "The Third Leader: Shake it all about", The Independent, 29 March 2006. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  21. ^ Haines, Lester. "Breast implants save car-crash Bulgarian", 2006-10-03.
  22. ^ Stand Up News featuring Squeezy de Press Patelone (MP3). Retrieved on September 26, 2006.
  23. ^ Bremner, Charles. "French teenagers get the taste for binge-drinking", The Times, 2006-09-14.
  24. ^ "That's how she got the job in the first place", Boise Weekly, 7 June 2006. Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
  25. ^ Stand Up News featuring Padré de fia Pataloné (MP3). Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
  26. ^ Judah's Journal for June 7, 2006. Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
  27. ^ Stand Up News featuring Squeezy a poca patalones (MP3). Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
  28. ^ "Nude Cyclists Want Respect From Motorists", Associated Press, June 11, 2006. Retrieved on June 13, 2006.
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