Ep. 385 Today's Peep Pays Tribute To The National Lampoon Radio Hour: How It Shaped My Life & My Mic, Satire As a Compass, Catch It and Keep It, A Fake Oil Spokesman Tells the Truth Corporate PR Won't and You Are A Fluke of the Universe

A 46-ton “prize” falls from a balcony, a children’s show meets a jaded bassist, and a fake oil spokesman tells the truth corporate PR won’t—this is the unruly radio lineage that shaped our mic. We rewind to the 1970s and the National Lampoon Radio Hour, the short, blazing run that launched Belushi, Radner, Chase, Guest, Murray, and more, and taught a generation how to make sound paint pictures, punch upward, and still land a clean joke.

We start with the lesser-known spark: the News Blimp, an FM-era segment that treated young listeners like thinkers and made alternative news feel inevitable. Then we dive into Lampoon’s studio on Madison Avenue, where writers like Michael O’Donoghue built sketches that moved fast, cut deep, and felt dangerous. You’ll hear “Catch It and You Keep It,” a game show parody that turns consumer joy into a safety hazard; “Monolithic Oil,” a high-gloss confession that skewers energy doublespeak; a Jill St. John spoof laying bare ad-speak; Dick Ballantine’s jittery call-in chaos; a pulp-perfect OJ send-up; and the cult-favorite Mr. Rogers interview with a rock bassist played by Bill Murray. We close with “Deteriorata,” a perfectly straight-faced anthem that makes you laugh and wince in the same breath.

Along the way, we talk about why these bits endure: clean premises, ruthless structure, and trust in the audience. There’s a direct line from those sketches to how we build our show today—tight intros, sharp pivots, jokes with a point, and a refusal to play it safe when satire can tell the truth. If you love radio history, SNL’s roots, or just want to hear how sound can still shock you awake, press play and come with us.

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