The Life of "WTLK"

Eric Bogosian portrays the listeners that call in to WTLK as being somewhat lower-class and poorly educated. Many of the callers are critical of Barry’s character and his harsh and opinionated tone. Chet, for example, is racist and unafraid to admit it, accusing Barry of being a know-it-all “jewboy.” Debbie calls in to ask advice about her good-for-nothing boyfriend, and is clearly a confused loser herself. Most of these caller characters express anger or discontent, either about Barry himself, their personal relationships, or the world’s current state of corruption. WTLK essentially provides an outlet through which people can speak freely and argue for or against something important to them. In my eyes, it is precisely this constant flow of complaint and opposition that fuels Barry’s own hatred and abrasiveness. If these callers are representing a significant portion of American society, what does that say about their purpose and about the typical ailments plaguing this lowly form of humanity? I can understand Barry’s distress...

I believe that every talk radio show attracts a certain group of listeners. From listening to music stations that focus around celebrity dirt and relationship advice, I’ve learned that they attract a younger, often frivolous portion of listeners. However, when tuning into NPR, the callers tend to be older, more politically savvy, and seemingly well-educated. Their opinion not only contributes to the discussion, but enhances understanding of the subject at hand. Music station talk shows tend to be more geared around public entertainment with the underlying purpose of inducing laughter. WTLK was an open forum for debate that stemmed from hostility and criticism. One’s intersectionalities drive him/her to identify with certain types of political authority and media outlet. A white, upper-class male will tend to tune in to “x,” while a lower-class high-school dropout may choose to tune into “y.”