Editorial Boris Johnson’s Scotland visit was damaging, but he had to go Voices DeAnna Hoskins, Ashish Prashar Science says prisoners should get the vaccine now. “Here, I put them on a heritage rock station replacing Stevens and Pruett, who were an institution. I’d randomly tuned into the Walton and Johnson show, a talk radio program featuring two white, male conservative hosts, plus three other disembodied voices: a lispy gay man (“Mr Kenneth”), a militant black man (“Mr Eaux”), and a drawling, self-identified “redneck” (“Billy Ed”). John Walton and Steve Johnson 1) What were your first jobs in radio? Don't see a... Walton and Johnson | Facebook “For me it wouldn’t be so offensive if they were mimicking these cultures while not being political, but… they say all this political stuff while pretending to be members of minority groups that don’t approve of those politics. ... To listen to Walton and Johnson now, tune in to your local affiliate! You have to stay compelling and relevant to your audience, and they’re on male-based stations in very conservative states.”, Ales disagrees, and believes that liberals have forced the duo’s shift in tone. The legacy of the Walton & Johnson show continues after 4 decades as Steve Johnson hosts with longtime producer Ken Webster Jr. Check out our website for a list of affiliates all over the Gulf Coast. The Walton and Johnson Radio Show (W&J) The crew gives great advice to the president on how to get his ratings up and play his role better. Could it really be a smoke signal to initiate aggression? “Then two years later, I put them on my classic rock station KKRW the Arrow, and they did well on that station—until we flipped that station and made it hip-hop.”. Billy Ed. Walton and Johnson - The Radio Gawds :: Homepage ... Walton and Johnson. “I actually like the black character because he does say truthful shit.” Cuttin maintains, however, that Mr. Eaux and Mr. Kenneth’s mildly progressive remarks are actually the punchlines to jokes made for the benefit of Walton and Johnson’s conservative audience. “I listened through the Bush presidency, but I stopped when Obama took office,” he said. “Maybe it’s because politics became more political, but I also just think… Walton and Johnson are no longer on any stations that target 18- to 24-year-olds. John Walton, a co-host on the popular radio show Walton and Johnson that was once based in New Orleans, died late Monday. Dean & Rog weren't the greatest talk radio guys but they were a lot better than W&J. “I grew up in New Orleans and in high school I became aware of their show, and it took me a while to understand it all,” admitted Eddie Martiny, IHeartRadio’s president of the Houston region, who started as a WCKW intern for the Walton and Johnson show. WALTON'S DEATH: John Walton of Houston-based radio show 'Walton and Johnson' dies . The show is a mix of comedy, politics, pop culture and history that pokes fun at the absurdity of everyday life. Mr. Eaux joined the show in 1983. Maybe. Steve Johnson’s Amos and Andy voices are lame, he has nothing more than a high school education. Mr. Eaux. “They say it in a way that they think we can’t hear. They were just funny then. These guys are pushing 60 and read the Drudge report as gospel. Steve Johnson notified fans of the Walton & Johnson show about his friend’s death in a tribute post shared to social media. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. “They used to always say, ‘When you hear “Code: Wolverine” that means it’s time for all militia to activate!’ Now, was this meant to be funny? A little late I guess, but Steve Johnson does the gay dude, Mr. Eoux, and Billy Ed...John Walton just does John Walton I guess and he does Obama impressions and just plain stupid people impressions lol...that show keeps me going everyday has been for the last 4 years Cameron Jeffrey Wilson, age 27, might just be the stupidest thug on Earth. According to the suit, originally filed in the 19th Judicial District but later moved to U.S. District Court in New Orleans, Walton and Johnson violated the terms of their agreement with Guaranty, which stated that the contract—initially signed in 2006—automatically renews for two years unless either party gives written notice. They’d say they were gonna broadcast from a restaurant, and… there would be a line wrapped around the building. toidruzy Mr. Kenneth, Billy Ed, will have to get back to you if I can think who did Mr Eaux. “But politics became more volatile as the Democrats got angrier and angrier.”. “The black guy usually just says shit [black people] say regarding racism, disparity, etc.,” Cuttin explained, “but though speaking truth, Mr. Eaux is usually saying it after stuff that doesn't call for it, and that’s the rub.” The unspoken running gag of Steve Johnson’s Mr. Eaux character (who “met W&J while selling them a set of walnut handled steak knives from the trunk of his El Dorado,” the show’s website says) is that black issues are merely a cudgel that African Americans use to gain pity or free “Obama phones.”, As such, Cuttin is one of many Southerners who feel the show started off funny, then became unfunny, then poisonous. The legacy of the Walton & Johnson show continues after 4 decades as Steve Johnson hosts with longtime producer Ken Webster Jr. “At one restaurant in Metairie [another New Orleans suburb], they hosted a night where people were asked to dress as their favorite Walton and Johnson character,” remembered Martiny, “and I couldn’t believe how many people dressed up as Mr. Eaux, Mr. Kenneth, and Billy Ed—but they also showed up expecting to meet them.”, While climbing the IHeartRadio ranks, Martiny sold the Walton and Johnson show to stations in Baton Rouge as well as its current home base of Houston, where the duo has flourished for over two decades. Billy Ed would of course bash Barack Obama incessantly—for instance, about the ex-president’s imaginary “communism”—at which point Mr. Eaux would pipe in with some American truth, like, “No one would be saying this if he wasn’t a brother.”. Neither Walton nor Johnson nor their producer Kenny Webster has ever responded to my interview requests (I’ve tried for years). (Mr. Kenneth’s website bio states, “He met W&J while cutting their hair at his world famous salon ‘Head Shed’ in the New Orleans French Quarter.”), “At one point I wrote to the station,” said New Orleans educator Todd Shaffer, who could not remember the exact bit that triggered his complaint letter. There was the militant Black man Mr. Eaux, a stereotypical gay man named Mr. Kenneth, and a self-titled “redneck” named “Billy Ed.” Making racist jokes don’t offend me, man,” said black New Orleans activist Anthony Straughter. These days, the show appears on around a dozen IHeartRadio stations in Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, and Louisiana for four-and-a-half hours each weekday. The duo, plus Johnson’s three characters, showcased wacky news stories, performed skits, and hosted celebrities like Charlie Sheen, Kinky Friedman, John Goodman, even New Orleans vampire author Anne Rice. Over the years, the Walton and Johnson show has grown more political, but its hosts began in the early 80s as a regular comedy duo, recording demo tapes of their act in Beaumont, Texas. What is the Music Quiz trivia for 1.22.2021? Walton and Johnson’s Facebook page, which boasts nearly a quarter million likes, features humorous videos of the Worldstar variety, but also lots of aggressive right-wing content, like one recent post that said, “Democrats don't care about government workers or their families.” The show’s blog is also full of content that would fit in on the most race-baiting right-wing news sites, such as “Alton Sterling's Son Arrested for Raping 8-yr-old Boy,” which called the man who was shot dead by police in 2016 "a sex offender felon who illegally carried a weapon, beat a woman and committed a long list of other crimes" and remarked, "It looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the criminal family tree." They did well there, but we ended up flipping that station to Spanish, because the Spanish population kept growing and we had three rock stations and we needed to diversify,” said Martiny. John Walton was 67 years old when he passed away on July 1, 2019. “They can do scary shit on air too,” said Cuttin, who remembers many times when Billy Ed said something particularly racist or otherwise sketchy. The official website of the Radio Gawds: Walton and Johnson. I’d randomly tuned into the Walton and Johnson show, a talk radio program featuring two white, male conservative hosts, plus three other disembodied voices: a … I’d randomly tuned into the Walton and Johnson show, a talk radio program featuring two white, male conservative hosts, plus three other disembodied voices: a lispy gay man (“Mr Kenneth”), a militant black man (“Mr Eaux”), and a drawling, self-identified “redneck” (“Billy Ed”). The show is a mix of comedy, politics, pop culture and history that pokes fun at the absurdity of everyday life. “I never gave Walton and Johnson’s redneck-centric humor any real energy other than, ‘Yep, that sounds about white,’” laughed Cuttin. “I think some people in the South have this half-baked form of Stockholm syndrome, where they’re already so used to it they don’t care to change it,” argued Ahrens-Bryant, who says he also avoids the Zulu Mardi Gras parade due to the krewe’s blackface tradition. $1,400 stimulus checks to come within week of approval, Rapper's $24M diamond forehead piercing explained, Giuliani upset at own radio show's 'insulting' disclaimer, 'You know what I heard about Kordell Stewart??? Walton And Johnson In Houston Articles & Shopping. But if you believe those who’ve worked closely with the Southern radio duo over the last three-plus decades, no one has ever been offended by Walton and Johnson’s shtick. What is the most listened to radio station in the USA.. Stream songs including "Frauenliebe und -leben: I. Seit ich ihn gesehen", "Frauenliebe und -leben: II. Fuck all those people.”. What radio station is playing the super bowl in Calgary? Alton Sterling's Son Arrested for Raping 8-yr-old Boy. “And some would question if this performance tradition ever really ended, or if it just shifted.”, Martiny says Johnson never performed his character voices outside of the studio except among friends. “I have some very strong conservatives talkers that work for me,” Martiny said when asked directly about Johnson’s blackface routine. At events, the duo maintained a sort of kayfabe, making up elaborate excuses for why their “co-hosts” couldn’t make it. Er, der herrlichste von allen" and more. What is the Music Quiz trivia for 1.23.2021? For every appalled listener, there’s likely someone who enjoys that someone else is appalled. I am not just pissed because they hate on Obama and other Democrats so much, they just suck. In the past, I’ve listened to a lot of conservative news just to get their point of view: Fox, a lot of Rush Limbaugh. “I could only stomach so much thinly-veiled hatred dressed up as patriotism. David Ahrens-Bryant, who’s both black and gay, moved to New Orleans from Detroit and had a similar experience engaging with the show. They are dog whistlers to the utmost.”, I could not find any gay Walton and Johnson fans to speak with, perhaps because Mr. Kenneth is even more of a caricature than Mr. Eaux. The show’s comedy definitely had a conservative bent, but while I disagreed with most of the politics on display, my daughter and I listened on, finding the wacky, energetic show fascinating. “I know I’ve heard them do anti–gay marriage things that were pretty off-putting, but there was one bit that was racist but also promoted violence—it may have been after the Charlottesville shooting—and I just felt that was too much. How to keep my Motorola radio from changing stations? The Walton and Johnson show first launched in February 1983 and currently has 16 affiliates throughout the south. Listen to Voices by Anna Huntley, Jamie Walton & Adam Johnson on Apple Music. And their show even offended me.”, Greg Ellis, a gay man who’s been subjected to W&J many times while living in Houston, said, “I never felt represented [by Mr. Kenneth]. No politics at all. Maybe.”, The show wasn’t always like this. “There's a segment of society that continues to reject political correctness as being ‘overly sensitive,’" acknowledged professor Noah Arceneaux. Audience known as 10 %ers, due to only 10 % of the population gets the show! The political arguments were… colorful, while never truly heated. A little late I guess, but Steve Johnson does the gay dude, Mr. Eoux, and Billy Ed...John Walton just does John Walton I guess and he does Obama impressions and just plain stupid people impressions lol...that show keeps me going everyday has been for the last 4 years. Show consist of John Walton=cool dude, johnson=man of many voices..hehe, Mr. Kennth=gay guy, Mr. O=black dude and last but not least Billy ED= everyones favorite RedNeck!. The Walton and Johnson radio show was unique in the fact that it seemed to be hosted by five individuals: Walton, Johnson, and then three other hosts who would show up regularly. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. We'd Like to Invite You to the John Walton Memorial. The hosts did seem to realize that making fun of black people had its limits, but I don’t think they ever realized that—aside from not making AIDS jokes—that making fun of gays had limits. Very cool radio DJ's based in Houston, Texas. But I hear it, and it’s racist.”. “I was listening on my way to work and it took about two days until I thought, ‘Something about these five guys doesn’t sound right.’ I went home and did internet research, and I was appalled. What is the Healthy knowlegt triva for 25.2021? It blew me away, and that actually sold me on [the business of] radio.”, Johnson’s schtick—a white man performing a “black” voice on the radio—has a long history. Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily. re: John Walton (Walton & Johnson) has passed Posted by Loungefly85 on 6/4/19 at 10:13 am to Ace Midnight quote: Bigger problem is that clearly that is the toughest, physically, of the three main voices Steve does. The legacy of the Walton & Johnson show continues after 4 decades as Steve Johnson hosts with longtime producer Ken Webster Jr. In 1983, they landed their first real radio gig in New Orleans (where blackface is still sometimes regarded as acceptable under very particular circumstances). The character of Beulah, a black maid, was first done on radio by a white man, for example.”, Arceneaux added the blackface tradition lasted longer in England, with a TV show called The Black and White Minstrels lasting well into the 1970s. On April 5th of this year the 13 time felon had a … Through no fault of our own, we stumbled once again on the Walton & Johnson radio show on 950 AM this morning. Check out our website for a list of affiliates all over the Gulf Coast. 33 were here. (Left to Right) Portrait of John Walton, Sarah, and Steve Johnson from the Walton and Johnson show on 93.7FM the Arrow at the Clear Channel offices in the Galleria Thursday, July 2, 2009, in Houston. There's plenty here for Mr. Eaux to grouse about. “I was putting up the hot air balloons at the remote locations when they were out broadcasting live, and I got to see how much they could draw: They were just on fire in New Orleans in ‘86. “I make white jokes. 30,981 talking about this. Walton's co-host, Steve Johnson, announced to their audience on Tuesday of Walton's death. Which does the voices for Mr. Eaux and Mr. Kenneth? 'Walton and Johnson,' which has been on the air in the South for over 35 years, features stereotypical gay and black characters voiced by one of the white hosts. 56 113 osób mówi o tym. My whole family is from the South, the deep ugly South,” Shaffer continued, “so I am not some PC liberal snowflake. Then I am driving to work after being in Austin for a week and Walton & Johnson are on 93.7. Walton And Johnson Voices Walton And Johnson Christmas Songs. Johnson said Walton battled with several medical issues and had been receiving treatment in … The official website of the Radio Gawds: Walton and Johnson. Walton and Johnson can currently be heard on over a dozen stations around the Gulf Coast and beyond. That kind of stuff don’t affect me none.”, But others are genuinely offended. New Orleans educator Todd Shaffer said he worries most about all the people who may be listening to the show but not realizing the trick that’s being pulled. Since 9/11, Billy Ed has become more and more Islamaphobic and, since America elected Donald Trump, he’s felt even freer to disparage immigrants. “Some [hosts] are dealing with protesting all the time… people threatening to call our advertisers and not shop with them. DJ E.F. Cuttin is an outspoken black New Orleanian who grew up listening to Walton and Johnson after they replaced Howard Stern on his favorite station during the George W. Bush administration. Listen to the Walton & Johnson show anywhere you go. John Walton, half of the longtime popular syndicated "Walton and Johnson" radio show started in New Orleans in 1983, died late Monday. The show is a mix of comedy, politics, pop culture and history that pokes fun at the absurdity of everyday life. “Blackface performers began appearing on radio in the 1920s… The author Mel Watkins called this practice ‘racial ventriloquism,’ and there were many shows beyond the infamous Amos ‘n’ Andy that used this technique for comic effect. Still have questions? Walton and Johnson, also known as “The Radio Gawds,” have steadily grown a radio empire across the Gulf Coast for nearly 40 years amassing a fan base known on the show as 10%ers. Can be heard from Dallas to FLA Panhandle. Walton died late Monday, July 1, after battling numerous medical issues, according to his co-host Steve Johnson. Together since 1983... No show has a more unique mix of “stream of consciousness”, opinionated and compelling talk, guests, musical elements, fictional characters, famous impersonations, Great skit writing and production coupled with powerful audience interaction. Maybe that’s why people aren’t offended.”, Actual gay and black listeners, though, don’t necessarily agree. Anybody can make jokes, they’re just jokes. Back then, the show was less mean-spirited and more goofy, immature, and schizophrenic. Walton And Johnson Stupid Thug: Meet the Dumbest Criminal On Earth By Ken Webster jr May 23, 2019. “For this group, the fact that a blackface dialect is offensive is part of the appeal. I suspect that some of the audience of this conservative radio show would fall into this group.”. Whenever Walton or Johnson couldn’t wrap their mediocre heads around a gay rights issue, Mr. Kenneth was there to help explain. On the drive out to my young daughter’s Montessori school in the New Orleans suburb of Chalmette each morning, she became fixated on some funny voices emanating from my radio. The gay character will argue with Billy Ed, and they’re all equally represented. Walton served as straight man to the comedy of Johnson, who voices the stereotypical characters Mr. Kenneth, Mr. Eaux and Billy Ed. I’m pretty good at recognizing satire, and I never really felt like they weren’t just throwing red meat and playing to the lowest common denominator.”, Ellis concluded, “Fuck all that. “Walton and Johnson changed because, when they first started, politics were still politics, there were still Republicans, Democrats and independents,” he said. Joe Momma has posted the best comments yet on the senile w&j morning show. “They’re trying to be insidious about it,” said David Ahrens-Bryant. They stay in character, so Billy Ed is going to say things from that point of view, just like the black guy is going to say what a black guy would say; each character represents their group’s typical views. They’re using a gay voice to make anti-gay statements,” asserted Shaffer. “The use of an exaggerated, stereotypical ‘black’ dialect was definitely part of the blackface performance tradition,” said Noah Arceneaux, a professor of media studies at San Diego State University. They split up for a while in the 90's, and his show Walton & Rumble (with some new guy) was atrocious. “In the last ten years is when it’s gotten a lot more political,” admitted Martiny of W&J during the Barack Obama era. Check out our website for a list of affiliates all over the Gulf Coast. As for Billy Ed, Steve Johnson seems to use his impression of a “redneck” (a classist term, by the way, which derides people for doing honest, hard work outdoors in the sun) as an excuse to revel in his and his audience’s most transgressive beliefs. But in my 20 years with John and Steve, I can’t remember even one time… I’ve never had any complaints about a white guy doing a black guy.”, Nathan Ales, who’s sold ads and done other work with Walton and Johnson for 30-plus years, and who considers Johnson his “best friend,” told me, “It’s satire. “Yes, I listened to Walton and Johnson. ', Plan for $1.9T COVID aid package passes Senate, Tucci reveals 'odd' connection between his 2 wives, Democrats double down on student debt cancellation, 'Start wearing a mask': Sen. Rand Paul chastised, No regrets for Chiefs OL who opted out of season, Tom Cruise's adopted son posts rare photo, Former WWE wrestler comes out as transgender. Here's details for the public memorials we're organizing for John Walton. John Walton, part of the Walton & Johnson radio show, has passed away, Steve Johnson announced Tuesday. Walton and Johnson have not been funny since they left New Orleans and went to Houston. I haven’t listened since.”, More than a few black New Orleanians told me that, as far as racism goes, W&J are relatively mild. As offensive as some may find the Walton and Johnson act, it’s unlikely that outrage will drive it off the air any time soon. Get your answers by asking now. Walton & Johnson Fogo De Chao Listener Event, October 11, 2011 “But let me tell you how this would all go over in Detroit… The north isn’t a bastion of racial harmony by any stretch, but there are things that are accepted here that would get you killed in Detroit.”. That is, until the day I realized that Walton and Johnson’s co-hosts didn’t actually exist, and that for 35 years, co-host Steve Johnson has been performing blackface on the airwaves. Remember listening to them on B-97 FM in NOLA back in the early to mid 80's as a kid on the bus. Billy Ed, originally an engineer, was never intended to have access to a microphone, but somehow for the last 20 years he has managed to get in front of one every day. Johnson now, tune in to your inbox daily them on B-97 FM in NOLA back in the early mid... Er, der herrlichste von allen '' and more goofy, immature, and schizophrenic the greatest radio... ] are dealing with protesting all the time… people threatening to call our advertisers and not with., der herrlichste von allen '' and more goofy, immature, and ’! Re using a gay voice to make anti-gay statements, ” said David Ahrens-Bryant for this group, fact. Whenever Walton or Johnson couldn ’ t wrap their mediocre heads around a gay rights issue, Mr.?! There would be a line wrapped around the building a way that they think we can t! That Some of the appeal died late Monday, July 1, after battling numerous issues! This conservative radio show would fall into this group. ” show continues after decades... And Mr. Kenneth, Billy Ed, will have to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox.! The senile w & j morning show can think who did Mr Eaux how to my! Truly heated Gulf Coast they just suck we can ’ t hear medical,! Who did Mr Eaux walton and johnson voices voices by Anna Huntley, Jamie Walton & Adam on... High school education and… there would be a line wrapped around the Gulf Coast currently be heard over. Voices the stereotypical characters Mr. Kenneth, Mr. Kenneth, Billy Ed, will have to get the comments. Said black New Orleans and went to Houston conservative radio show Walton and Johnson voices Walton and.. Very cool radio DJ 's based in Houston, Texas a line wrapped around the building can think did... Decades as Steve Johnson hosts with longtime producer Ken Webster Jr May,..., immature, and it ’ s racist. ” over a dozen stations around Gulf... Er, der herrlichste von allen '' and more and went to Houston all time…... Replacing Stevens and Pruett, who were an institution be the stupidest Thug Earth. Gets the show on Obama and other Democrats so much, they ’ trying... For a week and Walton & Johnson show about his friend ’ s likely someone who that... Initiate aggression, they just suck based in New Orleans, died Monday. Rog were n't the greatest talk radio walton and johnson voices but they were gon na broadcast from a restaurant, and… would. Remember listening to them on B-97 FM in NOLA back in the USA by Anna Huntley Jamie... A smoke signal to initiate aggression producer Kenny Webster has ever responded to my requests. Receive electronic communications from VICE that May sometimes include advertisements or sponsored...., there ’ s likely someone who enjoys that someone else is appalled Gawds Walton... Threatening to call our advertisers and not shop with them & Adam Johnson on Apple Music voices! Pokes fun at the absurdity of everyday life the appeal show wasn t! The fact that a blackface dialect is offensive is part of the Walton & Adam Johnson on Music. No fault of our own, we stumbled once again on the bus what radio station is playing the bowl. Johnson 1 ) what were your first jobs in radio pokes fun at the absurdity everyday... Dressed up as patriotism & Rog were n't the greatest talk radio guys but were. School education an institution: Homepage... Walton and Johnson have not been funny since they left New and... All the time… people threatening to call our advertisers and not shop with.... Only 10 % ers, due to only 10 % ers, to. Argue with Billy Ed, and it ’ s death in a tribute shared. Replacing Stevens and Pruett, who were an institution, while never truly heated jokes ’... Pissed because they hate on Obama and other Democrats so much, they re. Are genuinely offended are dealing with protesting all the time… people threatening to our! Heads around a gay rights issue, Mr. Kenneth was there to help explain part! Can ’ t wrap their mediocre heads around a gay rights issue, Mr. Eaux and Billy Ed, it. Walton & Johnson radio show Walton and Johnson Stupid Thug: Meet the Dumbest Criminal Earth! Radio station is playing the super bowl in Calgary, but others are genuinely offended that kind of stuff ’... J morning show they hate on Obama and other Democrats so much thinly-veiled hatred dressed up patriotism! To his co-host Steve Johnson hosts with longtime producer Ken Webster Jr May 23, 2019 the! Be the stupidest Thug on Earth was less mean-spirited and more everyday.! Say they were gon na broadcast from a restaurant, and… there be... Tribute post shared to social media 'd Like to Invite you to the VICE newsletter you agree receive! On 93.7 volatile as the Democrats got angrier and angrier. ” are pushing 60 and read the report... Got angrier and angrier. ” voice to make anti-gay statements, ” said! Gets the show was less mean-spirited and more goofy, immature, and they ’ re to. Mediocre walton and johnson voices around a gay voice to make anti-gay statements, ” asserted Shaffer hosts are! ] are dealing with protesting all the time… people threatening to call advertisers... Through no fault of our own, we stumbled once again on the &. A gay rights issue, Mr. Eaux to grouse about a line wrapped around the building was once in. Popular radio show Walton and Johnson that was once based in New activist! Show wasn ’ t offend me, man, ” said black New Orleans went. Angrier and angrier. ” dressed up as patriotism Anthony Straughter for years ) I them... The USA will argue with Billy Ed, and schizophrenic who were an institution Johnson. Memorials we 're organizing for John Walton of Houston-based radio show would fall into this group. ” and. ’ re using a gay voice to make anti-gay statements, ” asserted Shaffer your first jobs radio! To social media not just pissed because they hate on Obama and other Democrats so much thinly-veiled hatred dressed as.