Straight From the Mouth

By the way, if anyone had any question about what we did on the air. You can go to - bubbatv.com. We video tape everything from the strippers to the lesbians to the various antics. It's all there. You know, the person who dates me just has to realize that its show biz. Rocky's not the heavy weight champion of the world. Bruce Willis isn't Die Hard when he goes home. I have an open door policy with any person that I have a relationship with. They can come in and watch. That's one of the first questions I ask someone before I date them, 'can you handle all of this.' 90% of them can't.

What's the normal side of Bubba the Love Sponge?

Unlike any other personality in America, I've parlayed what I do on the radio into an empire. I have restaurants and night clubs. I am a professional wrestler. I box. I race 800 horsepower sprint cars on the weekends. I got that sponsored by Budweiser. I have a big $200,000 race rig. I don't just put three or four hours in and go home and stay with my girlfriend. I am at home working on my race car. Or I'm looking at the financials at my restaurant. Or I'm worrying about one of my promotions at one of my night clubs. I am non stop.

Did you really start to put it all together when you got to Tampa?

By all means. I was a nomad before I got here. I was so misunderstood. Nobody would give me a chance. I'd lost like $15,000 on housing deposits alone. I worked for some good people and had learned a lot, but I was never allowed to do my schtick.

How do you learn to become a shock jock?

You don't. You have to have the balls not to be afraid to get fired.

Who inspired you?

You know who inspired me the most? Kevin Matthews from Chicago. And maybe Steve & Gary. Steve use to call up his wife and Gary would talk about whatever woman he was dating that week. Gary had a restaurant in Chicago and Steve & Gary. When I was in Chicago I listened to Kevin Matthews a ton. I didn't steal anything but I was inspired.

If I hung up the phone and called your Mom and Dad and asked them what you were like growing up, what would they tell me?

Class clown. An athlete. I always played sports. My dad was always really funny cutting jokes. My mom was even funnier. My mom would make us breakfast and fart, and then blame it on the dog. All of us kids would crack up. 'Our Mom's crazy.'

Does your Mom and Dad know what you do on the air?

Oh yeah. My dad doesn't know too much. I haven't had much contact with my father. In fact, I had my mother on today. Her name is Jane and she loves football, so we do Jane's Picks every Friday. She sucks. She was 0 for 7 last week. She will pick teams because they have pretty uniforms. Today she said, 'I'm going to pick Dallas, because they are going to have the white quarterback this weekend.' That's what she said.

When you make the 6 o'clock news, is it mostly for the outrageous things you do on your show?

Oh no. I make TV so much. I just made TV because I fought Dave McKay, the Country afternoon drive guy here for a celebrity boxing match. I fought him and beat his ass. Every December I do a Toys for Tits drive. I do a drive thru tittie joint. I put a big tent up and get like 50 dancers. Guys stay in their trucks and drive through the big tent. They give me a toy at the entrance and the girls jump in their trucks and give them a free lap dance. Then I give the toy to the Spring Organization, which is an abused women's shelter. It is a very nonconventional way to get toys for the kids, but it's a Bubba the Love Sponge way.

Positive coverage here, too?

Yeah. Well, usually negative, which is good. I am getting ready to wrestle for when the WWF comes to town in November for the Survivor Series. I am going to be the opening Dark Match for that. I'll get TV for that. I got a lot of TV for my controversial commercial. Me and Warren Sap did a commercial together. The old look at his penis in the locker room gimmick. We got good coverage on that. Usually the coverage I get is, 'Can you believe this heathen is allowed to do this kind of stuff.' People thrive on the underdog.

How are your ratings?

Number one and two in every demographic. Dominate men by at least ten points. Number 2 in 25 to 54 persons by like a ten.

Have you ever faced Stern?

No, and I can't wait for the day that I get to. It will happen soon.

Do you want to have kids one day?

I want to have as many kids as I can.

Would that change your act?

I think it will. First of all, I will make sure my wife doesn't allow them to listen to my show, because it gets a little risque at times. I'll have good enough parenting skills to regulate what they are listening to. Secondly, they will be a part of my life, so I will talk about them. 'Me and my little son did this. Me and my daughter did this today. We went out fishing.' It's going to put a soft edge to my show, a well needed soft edge. Another life-style break, being able to talk about my life in a 'I love my kids' type fashion.

When we began this interview, I was greeted by two of your lesbian guests. I won't bore people with their requests, but I'm curious with shows like yours, Stern and others, if these type guests haven't become old hat. Is it getting cliche?

The day that Stern is not successful at it, I'm sure he will start tweaking it. I have the same opinion on it. Unfortunately, society thrives on controversy, on sex, and on misfits.

What is the one thing that works most on your show? The thing you do with regularity that every time you do this the phones, comments, feedback, e-mail, etc. are just crazy?

If I told you, you would freak. The most popular thing on my show is every other Thursday I bring a urologist in, his name is Dr. Mark. Guys call in and ask questions about their penis. Whether 'I got a bump here', or 'I can't keep an erection', or 'my prostate swollen,' or whatever. We have a Yamaha SPX 100 that we can run them through. We call that 'Witness Protection.' They usually call in say that they need protection, because they don't want people to know who they are. And guys call in because guys are fascinated with their penis and they are so afraid to ask a question to their family doctor. They are too embarrassed to go to the urologist.

Do women ever call?

Oh yeah, most of the time guys prod their women into calling. Or, they will call about their female genitalia. It's all clinical.

How do you explain the success of shows like Survivor, Big Brother and other shows of this type?

Everything the media has been given us for years has been pre-produced and hisses in their cd recordings to give it a real type of old time feeling. The life we live as citizens isn't slick and produced. When you are at the dinner table you don't say, 'Honey, will you please pass the potatoes.' You might say, 'Pass the potatoes, freak.' Everything is reality and that's the world we live in. When we can finally see that as a medium, whether it be in print, television or radio. It works real good.

Who else do you have with you on the show?

Spiceboy, he's a producer and host. Manson, he's a songwriter and co-host. Ned, he's a songwriter and co-host. Brent is a producer and host.

Do you require your studio guests to sign release forms?

Oh yeah. We have them sign a right to be on the air, relinquish the right to be on the internet, pictures, their likeness. Don't hold us liable. If you feel uncomfortable leave. We have it pretty detailed.

Have you ever had the occasion to walk into Marc Chase's office and say, "I'm kind of stuck in a rut. I'm in a funk. Can you give me some ideas to work on?"

I'll go to my friends first, the ones who listen to the show and are very honest about it. 'Well Bubba it's been a little stale, but I liked it when you did this and this.' I won't ever go to my management. Some guy who has to be entertained not some guy who has to worry about selling advertising and worrying about formats.

Have you ever done anything on the air and afterwards felt bad about it?

Yeah. I can't really give you any specifics. That happens a little bit. Like when I'm really hard on a guest or I'm on the phone and I'm really ripping somebody a new ass.

Have you ever had a friend call you after a show and told you that you went too far and you shouldn't have done something?

Yeah. Some of my female friends and some of the girls I've dated.

Even though you target males. You still listen to females and friends that say you have gone over the line.

Most definitely.

As someone who's experienced the best and worst of radio, what do you tell young jocks?

The more real you are the better chance you have of dealing with your audience. They aren't fortunate enough to have a four or five hour a day job in air conditioning making a good living. We are very fortunate to be doing what we do. The more real you are about it and the more try to intermingle with your audience the more successful you will be. One thing I do, my producer writes songs about how I'm fat, stupid, and illiterate. Cut on yourself. Make fun of yourself. Like, 'my penis is small' or 'I'm horrible in bed.' Don't always try to be yuckity yuck and make yourself look so good. Make yourself look horrible. People love to pull for the underdog. Everybody out there listening to you are underdogs. They don't have good lives. They don't have 12 inch penises. They aren't the best looking guys in the world and neither are we.

How would other morning shows in Tampa describe you?

...that he is truly the most talented guy in Tampa, because he is able to do what he wants. It's the most real show in town. On the bad things, he's disgusting. I can't believe that he is allowed to do that.

Has there ever been anything suggested to you that you refused to do because it was unacceptable and in poor taste?

I'll never exploit children in any shape or form. I won't whore myself out and let the Sales people put clients on the air.