Randi Rhodes worked with Dj Randy in Mobile on the “Randy and Randi” morning show. She was able to improvise easily on the air, rather than just reading from cue cards between the records. Some of the improvised banter included observations about the ordinary things around the radio station such as products for janitorial services. For one week there would be a running commentary on the different types of toilet paper that one encounters in various types of restrooms. Randi would muse about how that particular brand and ply toilet paper was chosen. One, two or three ply toilet paper. What is the most important facts when choosing toilet paper for a specific venue- cost, softness, strength? Once the janitorial riff on toilet paper ended after a week, Randi would then choose another common janitorial supply and dissect and discuss it for the next week. Her tirades and questioning were very entertaining not to mention her quirky sense of fashion. She loves cubic zirconia rings and has a number she wears when she works. Even though no one can see them on the radio, I can tell you those cz rings are stunning. Cubic zirconia is more brilliant than diamonds, so they are very glittery and thus impressive as diamonds to the untrained eye. She loves the attention and mentions them all the time when broadcasing. Perhaps at a later time in radio history she would have become a talk show personality.
And I would love to hear how she would treat a product such as an std exam kit for home use. I’m talking about the kind where you do the test yourself and get results in 15 minutes. Now there are some sites that offer Private STD testing – but the small print says: “private, not anonymous, STD testing. This means that your name and other identifying information will be linked to your test results.” Those sites you take a swab or whatever and then send it off in the mail to a lab that does the actual testing. Randi would have a blast with the 95-99% accuracy of the tests. What to do with a negative result, but symptoms persist or a positive result but no symptoms. And then she could berate our state and federal government as to why these kits aren’t available at your favorite Walmart pharmacy section or drugstore. After all you can buy pregnancy test over-the-counter. Why not STD test kits? STD’s have been around forever….hello, government officials. Europe sells them over-the-counter. What’s your hangup? Randi Rhodes where are you now? Enough time has gone by since your last boot off the radio.
In the 1980’s, she was hired to an even larger market straight to New York City. She was hired by Apple WAPP-FM which was owned by Doubleday Broadcasting at the time. This is when she took the name “Randi Rhodes” to honor the guitar player, after she had previously been using the name “Randi St. John”………… quite confusing.
Her next job was with Perry Stone- host of WQFM at Milawaukee’s. However, unfortunately she was suspended from this job when the program offended the gay community in 1987 which lead to many business’ to cancel their sponsorship and advertisement on the WQFM show.
Finally getting back on track. Rhodes started a new job in Miami working at WIOD. She started working 5 years after her suspension on the WQFM, getting herself grounded again with a solid job working the eight o’clock to eleven o’clock night shift. In 2004. Randi began working for Air America Radio, when she began the Randi Rhodes Show. It included monologue and callers with comedic segments, equalling a three hour long show. However, occasionally her three hour long show would consist of small interviews. She had a distinct Brooklyn/ Queens accent that she used to express her political views at times on her show.
Randi Rhodes was then awarded ‘Woman of the Year’ by Talkers Magazine in 2007 given her a large audience and a big name!
Very open about her views, brought Randi into trouble sometimes after already being suspended from Milwaukee’s WQFM in 1987, Rhodes was suspended again from Air America after her quote to Geraldine Ferraro at the KKGN even in San Francisco, California in 2008 on the twenty- first of March.