Celebrities beware
Patrick the Angry, Angry Viewer is mad as heck.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
In person, Patrick Beam is a mild-mannered family man, with three boys ages 12, 9 and 9 months, and married to his best friend, his wife Debbie. The 38-year-old account executive for a staffing company is personable and easy-going; intelligent and quick-witted. He’s downright charming, the type of average family man you might strike up a random conversation with while stranded in line at the supermarket.
But for about seven minutes every Friday morning on 100.3 The Edge’s The Corey and Jay Show, Beam is transformed into Patrick the Angry, Angry Viewer, the “p***** off prophet of pop.” The intelligence and quick-wittedness endure, but the personable and easy-going dialogue is exchanged for a vicious, Everyman tirade with celebrities sited in his crosshairs.
“It’s really messed up what comes out of my brain,” Beam said. “It was really either do this or become a serial killer. I hope I chose the best path, or at least the path that pays.
“Friends say, ‘You say what we think but are afraid to say.’ I’m the voice of the p***** off people.”
For the past year Beam has appeared with Corey Dietz and Jay Hamilton each Friday morning at 7:15 a.m., and unleashed his furious insults and insights on celebrities. Recent rants have targeted CNN’s Richard Quest’s early morning arrest in Central Park, and actor Shia LaBeouf’s failures in picking up women.
Beam’s story is one of the self-described class clown all grown up, who rants about celebrities, hammering home the rants’ punch lines with his signature, “Are you frickin’ kidding me!” But his rants are carefully researched, and always confirmed with three sources for accuracy.
“Some weeks it is easy and will only take me two or three hours to create a rant,” Beam said. “Other weeks it might take me eight or 10 hours. I try to make it crisp and come with a punchline every few seconds.
“Radio is tough. There’s no dead air like in stand-up where the crowds laughter allows you to segue into the next bit.”
Beam’s unlikely comedy career began four years ago on The Corey and Jay Show. As a serious movie buff, Beam was watching films left and right, and friends and co-workers would often ask for his opinion on movies. An unsolicited e-mail to The Corey and Jay Show created The Reel Critic, with Beam offering weekly humorous movie reviews on the show. Although a personal issue forced Beam to walk away from The Reel Critic position, Dietz and Hamilton extended an invitation to return to the show.
A little over a year ago, Beam took the duo up on their offer, although with a twist. Instead of attacking the mind-numbing rubbish Hollywood studios produce, Beam would assault the celebrity culture of the world, but mainly concentrate on “stupid celebrities.” And while Web site and late-night comedians often concentrate on the big three of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, Beam is blazing new trails with his rants.
“Britney [Spears] has definitely gotten to the point where she is so oversaturated that I try to leave her alone,” Beam said. “Lindsay Lohan is getting like that. I try to be creative and bring something new to the table. I try to find out the stuff that is not out in the open.”
The response to Beam’s rants on The Edge has been electric, and now Patrick the Angry, Angry Viewer is entering the realm of stand-up comedian with the release of his first comedy album, I’m Angry, and You Should Be, Too!, and a CD release party Friday at Vino’s. Intended to be a slice of The Edge, the night will feature Beam ranting (a mixture of greatest rants and new stand-up material) and appearances by local rock bands Krisoak, Livid and Bodydrop.
“I’m trying to take it to the next level,” Beam said. “I’ve developed a core audience. But this foray into stand-up is really new to me.
“Comedy is serious business. You better be read or they will eat you alive up there. Within five minutes, if I’m not funny, I’m through. I feel confident in what I got.”
Counting comedians Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld, and syndicated sports talk radio host Jim Rome as influences, Beam said he realizes stand-up comedy is wildly different than the safety of a radio studio. But he also feels the radio has made him a better writer, and he has developed a delivery style as a comedian.
“The radio has been great because it has allowed me a chance to create a fan base,” he said. “It has really taken off. After this appearance at Vino’s I will line up another stand-up routine. It looks like it is headed in a very positive direction.”
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