We’re officially a long way away from Howard Stern wreaking havoc on the terrestrial airwaves when a radio company won’t let a host eat peanut butter as part of a bit.
Earlier this week, CBS Sports Radio afternoon host Andrew Perloff boasted about his love of peanut butter, claiming he can consume an entire jar. In response to the glutenous declaration, co-host Maggie Gray challenged Perloff to bring a jar of peanut butter in the next day to see if he can finish it during their show. Keep in mind, Gray once ate an entire large pizza during a WFAN show.
After citing the potential stomach issues that might occur when eating a full jar of peanut butter, Perloff confidently said, “I’m doing it.”
Thursday afternoon, Perloff brought a 16oz jar of Skippy creamy peanut butter into the studio expecting to see the bit through, but the legal team from CBS Sports Radio’s parent company, Audacy, wasn’t as keen on the challenge idea.
Uh oh… the Perloff #pbchallenge hit a speed bump! pic.twitter.com/Uc378oTrn9
— Maggie and Perloff (@MaggieandPerl) March 2, 2023
“We’re caught up in red tape,” Perloff said after explaining that CBS Sports Radio program director Spike Eskin told them the bit had to be passed through Audacy’s legal team.
Amid concerns that they might need a medic on standby in case Perloff chokes or has an allergic reaction, the rebellious radio host proceeded to open the jar of peanut butter and take a bite anyway. I can only imagine the kind of FCC complaints that is going to garner.
What if they didn’t dub it a challenge and Perloff just started eating peanut butter straight from the jar as a meal? Peanut butter is not banned from Audacy’s New York studios. And he wasn’t attempting to consume the jar in a manner of seconds, negating the choking concern, it was a casual bit that would last throughout their three-hour show.
WFAN morning host Gregg Giannotti ran into similar issues a couple of years ago, when Audacy forced him to sign waivers before attempting to eat as many boneless buffalo wings as he could in 90 seconds. All that concern and jumping through hoops just for Gio to eat six wings. Gray’s pizza bit from 2018 seemed much less official, but maybe getting sick in the studio afterward is what prompted more concern from the company. Still, radio is supposed to be raw and spontaneous, let’s not ban peanut butter from the medium.
Late Friday afternoon, however, they obliged, and Audacy’s legal team allowed Perloff to attempt eating a full jar of peanut butter. Maybe it’s not as spontaneous as it once was, but green lighting the peanut butter challenge is proof that radio is not dying.
