Its So Hard To Say Goodbye To Lisa May

As someone that was born and raised in Los Angeles I am used to radio stations disappearing, changing format completely, or becoming Spanish. So when I find something that I like I do not take change well. Listened to Howard Stern, it became Adam Carolla (which I got to be on quite a few times), then a dance station. But in that situation I knew what was happening the entire time, months in advance in some cases. But recently a show that I've listened to since I was about 12 years old changed. It didn't go away. It changed and somehow that feels worse.

Lisa May who was the traffic reporter was let go from the radio station KROQ. Lisa May has been on the show for decades and I loved her on there. I have seen many people come and go on that show like the aforementioned Carolla. There's Jimmy Kimmel and “Psycho” Mike Catherwood. They went on to bigger things and eventually Ralph Garman will be doing the same. He's been getting more roles on TV and movies and he has his successful podcast with Kevin Smith. The writing has been on the wall for a while now.

But the way Lisa May left felt dirty. It was so corporate. Yes, she was the traffic lady but she was far more than that to people who have listened to the show. When it was said on air, after she was gone mind you, that she was never even an employee of the station I was like “You serious?” If I'd known that then this news would've been a tiny bit easier to swallow. Just a tiny bit. There was no goodbye show. No tribute. She's just gone and now there's a new woman there.

There's a term that radio personalities Opie & Anthony had for this particularly type of woman that I won't repeat here but it is very fitting. Lisa May was not that type of woman. As odd as it may sound I didn't listen to her as “the woman” on the show. She was Lisa May. Hot White woman that people thought was Black for some reason. She brought something to the show for all these years and it was felt when she was dealing with illnesses or on vacation. It was more noticeable when she was missing than any other member of the staff. I sounds like bullshit but its not. Ralph would be gone and replaced with Brad Williams. Bean or Kevin would be gone and someone would pick up the slack. Lisa May was gone and everyone that had her spot stank.

Doc on the Rock was let go from the station as well but since I listen primarily to the podcast I never even got to hear him anymore. I should say listened because it is past tense now. I gave the new woman a shot. I really did. It was weird and then the latest episode made me ask myself “Why am I doing this?” After hearing the new woman say “How dare you?” so many times (it was bad enough Beermug did it so much) in two minutes I stopped the podcast and removed it from my iTunes. Just as the station believes Lisa May is not needed because people can get news and traffic elsewhere I know I can get entertainment the same way.

I know it sucks for her in some way as well as the people still on the show. People have been going on Facebook and Twitter voicing their disapproval. I know Kevin & Bean can't bring her back and even if they did the damage has been done. It was handled terribly and you can't redo it. If the show is still around for Acoustic Christmas I'll be shocked. Hell, if they are around for the Weenie Roast in the summer I'll be shocked. As much as I enjoy Lisa May I am sure she loves not racing to work at the ass crack of dawn. She gets to stay home, hang with her man and Boner, and try to forget when I called in a few months ago and laughed at her liking chocolate. Click here to listen to that. Thank you Lisa May for your many years of making not just those of us in L.A happy, but around the world.