Show Business: Audiences Love to Hate Them

On politics, sex or race, hardball hosts relish a verbal brawl

They call their guests boobs and liars and taunt callers to "get off the phone, you jerk." They shout, hang up and cut people off in midsentence. They sound off pugnaciously on politics and make brash forays into sex. Among their most frequent targets are homosexuals, women, and ethnic and racial minorities. When challenged, they are apt to say things like, "You come down here, boy, you yellow-bellied, egg-sucking dog, bedwetter, pinko Commie " They are the abrasive breed of radio and...

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