Star & Buc Wild
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Star & Buc Wild are American radio personalities. Their New York City top-rated morning show was on radio from 2000 to 2006. At its peak, the Star & Buc Wild Show rated higher than The Howard Stern Show. [1] On May 10, 2006, the show was canceled by Clear Channel Radio because of extremely controversial on-air comments made about DJ Envy's family. Recently, as of February 2008, the show is back on New York City's morning drive on 87.7 FM - pulse87.com.
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[edit] History
Star (real name: Troi Torain) and his stepbrother Buc Wild (real name: Timothy Joseph) began their career as publishers of their own magazine "Around the Way Connections" from 1993 to 1997. They then went on to write a monthly column called "Reality Check" in The Source magazine (1995 - 1998). The duo then started producing and directing their Public Access show (1998 – 1999). From there the boys became the host of MTV's Beat Suite show (1999 - 2000).
In March 2000 they became the host of the Star & Buc Wild Morning Show on Hot 97 in NYC. The show gained popularity but gained negative attention in 2001 for playing obnoxious sound effects while reporting the death of R&B singer Aaliyah.
Nonetheless, Star & Buc Wild had continued success, later beating rival shock-jock Howard Stern for the #1 spot on morning radio.[citation needed] However, in 2003 Emmis Communications and the show parted ways. Soon thereafter, the show signed a lucrative deal with Emmis Communications' rival Clear Channel. The show however, would not be heard in NYC for quite some time as a contractual non-compete clause with Emmis was in effect. In the meantime, they worked in Hartford, Connecticut on Power 104.1 (the same signal that once hosted Bubba the Love Sponge in mornings when it was modern rock WMRQ) and then in Philadelphia on Power 99. Syndication of the Star & Buc Wild Morning Show grew to expand much of the east coast. By early 2006 over ten stations began hosting the show from New York City, NY to Atlanta, GA.
The show again drew attention in 2004 for playing a recording of a prank call to an Indian call center in which the show hosts heaped racist and misogynistic abuse on the Indian call center operator. They called the woman a "bitch", "dirty rat eater", "filthy rat eater", and threatened to "choke the fuck out of her". The show hosts received a one-day suspension over this incident. [2]
The Star & Buc Wild show's primary personalities are White Trash Helene, DX 21 (news man), and Torain's half brother Timothy Joseph aka Buc Wild.
[edit] Objective Hate
In a 2003 interview while in between radio gigs, Torain revealed that there was a philosophical basis for what he presented to the airwaves. However, his experiences as a “man of color” living in America led him to appreciate man’s true nature as hateful and to evaluate objectivism from that perspective. Thus evolved his personal branded philosophy of “objective hate.”
Objective hate developed from what Torain terms “explorations of hate as a man of color, without subscribing to tribalism.” According to his book, Objective Hate: The Prequel, the first of a three-part manifesto on his self-proclaimed personal branded philosophy, objective hate is “a practical philosophy formulated through the knowledge and wisdom of first-hand experience with mankind’s true nature.” As a personal form of thinking it is “a product of a determined egocentric journey into the realms of infinite possibilities, a testament to the holy and unholy powers of the mind of man.”
In a 2005 interview on the subject, Torain defined objective hate as “the total belief in one’s self with the full understanding of man’s true nature.” Professing to be informed by an awareness of man’s moral record, Torain concluded that man’s true nature is hateful, not inherently evil, but hateful, and using this understanding helps one to maneuver through the world.
Among some of the other principles and supposed benefits of objective hate: The processes of assumption, perception and intention release mankind from the stamp of being evil by nature. To declare man's true nature evil would mean to be devoid of a vision of hope. To insist that there is no hope would be to leave no room for man to manifest. Survival is merely a choice of man’s will. Rage, obsession, and greed are conflicts of ideals, standards, or morals and the hatred of mankind is one of our greatest motivators.
Objective hate also holistically informs the thinking process and exposes the falsehood of subjective truth. It seeks to expand the possibilities of thought and encourage the explorative minds of the young. And finally, it asserts that the absolute value of an individual’s work is the only thing that can condemn or authenticate one’s genius.
Torian receives flak from the high-brow intellectual community who say his personal philosophy is a perversion of Ayn Rand’s vision of objectivism. Star addressed the topic in his interview. “The reason I had to add hate to Objectivism is because of the reality of my existence, my will to survive and my lust for living life to its fullest. Let me expand on this for you. There is no parallel between Objectivism and hate. I've simply tied two ends of the rope together. Who is to say that my philosophy is wrong? I live it every hour. I experience it every day.”
[edit] White Trash Helene
White Trash Helene is the on-air name of radio sidekick Helene Sola, the only regular on-air female of the show. Listeners know Helene for her distinctive laugh and up-beat personality, and whose mic is frequently turned off by Torain. On the segment previously named "Losers, Burnouts and Wannabes, and Those Creepin' on a Come-up Celebrity Report," Sola reports on entertainment and celebrities. Like many of the staff, she opines on current events. Her segment is now titled "Losers, Media Freaks, Degenerates and Tax-Evaders".
Sola had previously worked for the Red Cross. She speaks Spanish and was once an ESL teacher in New York City. She is currently learning Arabic.
Sola is a native of Hamden, Connecticut, where the show previously aired out of WPHH, Power 104.1. She joined the show as a winner among 900 other females candidates for the on-air job as entertainment reporter.
Sola is a graduate of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.
[edit] DX 21
DX 21 is the on-air alias of David Allan Blanks. DX has been an associate and instrumental force of the Star & Buc Wild brand since 1995 when he penned “Bedroom Talk” a column for the duo's “Around the Way Connections magazine.” Blanks continued to work with Star and Buc Wild throughout their rise, penning material for Beat Suite and eventually landing the slot of the show’s original newsman and head writer for their Hot 97 morning show. During this time, DX 21 penned and voiced “The Ghetto Network News” and delivered Top Five lists. Blanks then went on to pursue a career in journalism while remaining close to the Star & Buc Wild fold and returned to the show in a supporting role during its Clear Channel run on Power 105.
Blanks is a graduate of Baruch College with a degree in journalism and has written for several mainstream publications including The Village Voice and The Source. Blanks is a native of New York, NY.
[edit] Mainstream media exposure
On May 8, 2006, Torain made on-air remarks in response to threats made to his mother by DJ Envy (real name Rashawn Casey), a rival DJ on Hot 97. Among some of the on-air remarks included "I will come for your kids" and I want to "do an R. Kelly...on your seed". Torain also offered $500 to any listener who could provide information about the rival DJ's daughter's school and used racial slurs when talking about Casey's wife. Torain went on to say that he wanted to "put mayonnaise in the ass cheeks" of the rival DJ's young daughter, immediately adding that he also desired to take a bite out of it.[3]
Councilman John Liu, Gia Casey, and several other elected officials appeared at New York City Hall on May 10, 2006, to denounce Torain's remarks. Clear Channel quickly announced that Torain was being suspended pending an investigation. A few hours after that statement was released, the station decided that the comments went too far and Torain's relationship with Clear Channel was terminated. [4]
[edit] Troi Torain vs. Clear Channel
Torain filed a lawsuit against Clear Channel in 2006, claiming that the Media giant not only hired him to be controversial but encouraged his rogue style and then wrongfully terminated him. The suit is currently under review by a federal court.
[edit] Pulse 87
The Mega Media Group announced on November 28, 2007 the return of the Star & Buc Wild Show as part of a format change for WNYZ-LP to Top 40 Dance as Pulse 87. [5] On Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Star and Buc Wild began their new morning show.
Troi Torain aka Star has also stated that he and Buc Wild will now be focusing more on writing, producing and starring in feature films.
[edit] Previous Show Members
Chris the Queer (Chris Hart) is a native of Bridgeton, New Jersey and now lives in Montclair, New Jersey. He joined the show as a news reader in November 2005 at POWER 105.1. Hart, who replaced the resigned E. Reese Hopkins, worked on the show until its May 2006 cancellation. He described himself as a "gay virgin." Hart worked as a field producer for MTV, and was a producer in its news division.
Hart graduated from Monmouth University with a Bachelor's degree in Communications.
[edit] References
- ^ http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYW06328112007-1.htm
- ^ YouTube - DJs Star & Buc Wild racially abuse woman in India
- ^ Celebrity Scandals and Gossip - NY Daily News
- ^ 7online.com: New York City and Tri-State News from WABC-TV 5/10/06
- ^ http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYW06328112007-1.htm
