Original subtitles

- [Male Caller] This country is about ensuring

the rights of its people.

- Oh I see, so you got an A in Social Studies.

Well riddle me this, Batman.

Why do you deny me the right to say what I think?

- [Male Caller] Because you're filth!

- Well you heard it here, folks,

only clean people have rights.

Next victim.

- [Male Caller 2] Hello, Mr. Stricher?

- Yeah.

Yeah?

Hey look, pal, just because

this is a college radio station

doesn't mean the airtime is free.

What do you want?

- [Male Caller 2] Well, let's be honest.

This country could save a lot

of money if we legalize drugs.

- Oh, for crying out loud.

Will somebody please put the 60s out of its misery?

I mean it was the most embarrassing

period in this country's history.

We let the pinkos get totally out of control

because we felt sorry for Kennedy being shot.

- [Male Caller 2] How can you say that?

- Listen, Moonbeam, you're having another

acid flashback, so do me a favor, would you?

Gather up your paisley, your bong,

your Grateful Dead records,

and get the hell off the planet

so the rest of us can get back to reality.

Peace, love, dove, baby.

Next victim.

- [Male Caller 3] Yes, I'd like to talk about genocide.

- Uh, uh, genocide?

What's that, an antacid?

Oh wait a minute, I know what you wanna talk about.

You wanna talk about the Holocaust.

What's your name, friend?

- [Male Caller 3] My name's not important.

And I'm not your friend.

- Well, the Mad Rabbi has no name.

Well, tell me, Rabbi, how many times

do we have to hear about the Holocaust and why?

I mean it's terrible that so many Jews were killed,

but Stalin killed just as many Russians.

I mean the Turks slaughtered over two million Armenians,

and the Khmer Rouge killed more than a million Cambodians!

So why do we have to keep hearing about the Holocaust?

Is it A: Jews control the print

and media in this country?

Or is it B: Jews own all the banks in this country,

or is it C: the Americans need the Israeli grunts

to do their dirty work in the Middle East,

so we tolerate it.

- [Male Caller 3] You're a fascist!

- I'm an American, pal!

Born in the USA, I fly a flag

in front of my house every day!

I live and breathe the red, white, and blue.

Which is more than I can say about you

whimpering, pink-bellied crybabies.

The Holocaust happened half a century ago!

You're still using it to make us feel guilty!

We are sick of it!

America, wake up!

Stop feeling guilty!

We didn't cause the Holocaust,

and we're tired of hearing about it!

There's nothing to feel guilty about!

Next victim!

? We never thought we'd find a place where we belong

? Don't have to stand alone, we'll never let you fall

? Don't need permission to decide what you believe

? I said jump, down on Jump Street

? I said jump, down on Jump Street

? Your friends will be there when your back is to the wall

?You'll find you'll need us

? cause there's no one else to call

? When it looks hopeless, a decision's what you need

? You'd better be ready to, be ready to jump!

? 21 Jump Street

- [Stricher] Where's your head, pal?

Sounds to me like you're talking out of your belly button.

- [Caller] Listen, Stricher I think you--

- [Stricher] Hey, Jughead, thinking got you

in trouble in the first place.

Anyone who can't see that the Japanese

are invading this country has been

eating too much bran and spending

all their time on the toilet!

It's Pearl Harbor again, America.

Next victim.

- What a jerk.

- [Patty] Hi, this is Patty.

I think you're funny and probably real cute.

- [Stricher] Well if it isn't the Airhead Brigade,

led by Patty, bimbo extraordinaire,

who obviously called to herself talk.

Unfortunately, I'm interested in ideas, Patty.

- And a feminist to boot.

- [Stricher] Here's one, sexual harassment.

Another way to say feminist castration.

Now I'm betting Patty here

hems her skirt just below the crotch

so us guys can ogle her legs all day.

But comment on those legs,

and Patty screams rape, runs to the boss,

and gets some poor dimwit fired.

- Opinions?

- Well, he's disgusting.

Entertaining, but totally disgusting.

- Guy's just goofin'.

- That recording was made Friday night,

about three hours before the attack.

- He was asking for it.

- Well from the size of the bomb,

looks as though they were

just trying to scare him.

Unfortunately, the explosion ignited the fuel line

and the whole car blew up.

- Do we have any suspects?

I mean besides everyone in the city with a radio.

- We've got evidence that Stricher was involved

with the campus group known as the United Front.

Believers in, among other things, a Zionist conspiracy,

and the genetic superiority of the Aryan race.

- The guys just after ratings.

I bet he doesn't believe a word of that crap.

- Yeah, well from now on you're

gonna be doing it for ratings.

I'm sending you in to fill his slot.

- Good choice.

- Who knows, may be a backup career.

- Fan mail.

Those are some of the threats and hate letters

that Stricher's received over the past few months.

Now if you'll notice, most of them are

signed with the initials SAR.

- Students Against Racism.

- Yeah, that's the campus group formed

in opposition to the Front.

They're led by a man named Michael Capeman.

Also, I want you to check him out.

Harry, you and Penhall are gonna be working backup.

- Oh, great, Captain, we're gonna go in

to bust someone for fighting Nazis.

- Wrong, Sherlock.

We're going in to bust someone for attempted murder.

- Hope Hitler's watching.

- You know, Stricher does have the

right to his opinion, Douglas.

Simply because someone doesn't agree

with that opinion doesn't give them

the right to firebomb his car.

- Or drive a stake through his heart.

- Or rip his lungs out.

- Or nuke his family.

- Kill his dog.

- Hi, David Drake, running for student board.

Hope I can count on your support.

David Drake, hope I can count on your support.

- Here you go, take a pamphlet.

Thanks a lot.

- Hey, the United Front's there for you.

Be there for us on Election Day, okay?

Alright, take one of these, here you go.

Hello, hello.

David Drake, running for student board, how you doing?

David Drake, how you doing?

Hey, the United Front's there for you,

be there for us on Election Day.

- I'll take one of those.

Do you mind?

You make me sick.

- Whoa, ah ah, come on, come on, come on.

Don't give these jerks the attention,

because that's all they want.

- Hey, Capeman.

Saved my life, buddy.

- [Roy] You got a problem?

- What?

- You got a problem?

That was your show at Community State, right?

- Oh yeah, Dennis Steel, how you doing?

- Alright, I'm Roy Hodges.

I'm the station manager.

I'll also be your engineer.

I hear your show was a knockout, man.

- Yeah? You liked it?

- Well, I haven't actually heard it,

you know with all the chaos around here.

Eric getting hurt, you know.

You know what kind of show we're doing here, right?

- Yeah.

- I mean this is not Community State.

I mean we run a commercial radio station.

It's all about numbers, man.

- Right.

- Now I want you to push this thing to the limit.

You know, get these people frothing with hatred.

- Frothing, right.

- Uh huh, just ram your opinion right down their throats,

and scare the bejesus out of this community.

- When do I start?

- [Announcer] Its "Back Talk, with Eric Stricher."

The number to call, 555-TALK.

- Go.

Go, talk.

- Oh hi, this is Dennis Steel.

You got a problem?

I'm filling in for Eric Stricher,

and I'm ready to take your phone calls, it's 555-TALK.

So if you got a problem, you want to talk,

it's 555-TALK, we'll talk about

anything you want to talk about.

You got a problem?

Hello, you got a problem?

- You hit the intercom button.

The caller's on line two.

- What?

- You hit the intercom button, the caller is on line two.

- Did I cut him off?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Next victim.

It's 555-TALK.

- [Chrissy] I really, you know I like him,

but I'm overweight,

and I'm afraid he'll laugh at me.

- Well, Chrissy, it sounds like you have

a little problem with your confidence.

Actually...

- [Chrissy] Yeah?

Yeah?

- What are you saying?

- [Chrissy] Uh, you were telling me.

- No, no, hang on, hang on.

You got a problem?

- [Chrissy] I told you my problem.

(bomb sound)

- What the hell was that?

Chrissy, hello?

Chrissy?

Line three, you got a problem?

- [Black Male Caller] Yeah, man.

You's a big problem.

You talkin' some trash, man.

- What are you talking about?

- [Black Male Caller] Naw, all that stuff

about black people, not being able to speak no

proper English or nuttin' like that.

- Wait I--

- [Black Male Caller] Now what you be callin' proper, man?

- Wait, what are you--

- [Black Male Caller] Look at you, look at you.

You ain't even got the respect to talk to me.

- I never, I never--

- [Black Male Caller] What?!

You callin' me a nigga?!

- Wait a second, what are you,

what are you talking--

- [Black Male Caller] No, no, no, go on and say it, man.

I know you want to say it.

Just go on and say it.

Go on, man, say it.

You know you wanna say it.

No, what's your problem, huh?

- My problem is, I don't know what to call you.

One day it's colored, the next day it's negro,

then it's black,

and now it's Afro-American, I mean

why don't you make up your mind, huh?

- You know, normally I would say not to

confront these guys directly on their own turf,

but in your case--

- In my case?

- Spitting was a very effective approach.

- Well I just can't hold back on people like that.

- Yeah, well, you're a fighter.

- Well I wouldn't say that.

- No, hey look, I think it's important

to stand up to a guy like Drake, you know?

A lot of people just wave 'em off and say,

"Hey, he's just one guy,"

but that's how this crap starts to build momentum.

- Think you got a chance?

- Of being elected?

Yeah, sure, why not.

- But he's such a--

- Such a fascist.

He's a fascist who knows exactly what people want to hear.

How do you think Reagan snowed the country

for the past eight years?

- I take it you're not the spokesperson

for the Young Republicans.

- Democrats aren't much better, you know.

I mean, you're look in your

thesaurus under "self-destruct..."

You wind 'em up every four years,

they nominate the guy who's least likely to win.

- Why couldn't you be president?

- Of the country or the university?

- First one, then the other.

- I think, you know, if you want to change society,

you can't do it from the inside.

- Hey, Michael!

- Yeah?

- You hear this new guy on KTMB?

- No.

- [Dennis] Hey listen, Knucklehead.

What you call fascism is what I call expressing an opinion.

And that's the principle that this

country was founded upon called freedom of speech.

- [Male Caller] But you're saying people on welfare--

- [Dennis] I'm saying if a man can stand up

and get out of bed in the morning,

he can put in eight hours of work--

- [Male Caller] Steel, you're just kissing

your rich white boss' butt!

- [Dennis] As long as I ain't kissing yours, Cheesehead.

Next victim.

- That's good, that's really great.

They replace a lunatic with a moron.

- Why do those damn Europeans hate us Americans so much?

- Well they're jealous.

I mean look at France.

I mean how many times do we have to liberate those people

before their cab drivers pay us some respect?

- Damn straight, partner!

- How 'bout a cheer for the French?

(fart noise)

- Thanks, Lars.

Lars, our Norwegian engineer, 220 pounds of Aryan muscle.

- Ya, ya.

- Next victim, you got a problem?

- [Female Caller] There's a lot of programs on television

that I find offensive.

(bomb noise)

(machine gun sound)

(woman moaning)

- Next victim, you got a problem?

- [Male Caller] Yeah what about that oil spill in Alaska?

- Oh give me a break, pal.

Next victim.

- [Male Caller 2] Yeah, you think the Dodgers can repeat?

- Go back to the clinic, buddy.

Next victim, you got a problem?

- [Male Caller 3] Yeah why do you think Orientals

are such bad drivers?

- I'm glad you called.

(suspenseful music)

- Hey, Steel.

Heard your show tonight.

Hell of a job.

We buy you a drink?

- This is the Man of Steel in his studio,

with his guest, Simon Rusty.

Welcome aboard, Sam.

- Thank you, Dennis.

- Sam will be answering questions later

on his new book, "Buddha, That Fat Jerk,"

but first we're going to answer some phone calls.

Who's my first victim?

- [Chrissy] Hi, Dennis, it's me again.

Chrissy?

How are you?

- Chrissy, Chrissy, read my lips alright, honey?

The reason why your boyfriend has

no interest in you is because you're a big fat pig!

So take the Twinkie out of your mouth, alright?

And take your chunky thighs to the gym, alright, baby?

Next victim.

- [Female Caller] Yeah, Dennis, what's going on

with all this Mid-East garbage?

- I'm glad you called.

Historically, people who look alike kill each other.

You got the Japanese and the Chinese,

you got the Pakistanians and the Indians,

you got the Arabs and the Jews,

but hey, the question we must ask ourselves is,

hey, why do we care?

- [Female Caller] You know, Dennis, you are the best.

- Yeah you're super, hun.

Next victim.

- [Male Caller] This apartheid thing, it's slavery man.

It's no different than the Civil War.

- Yo, caller you know what you have in common

with the Civil War?

- [Male Caller] What?

- You're both history. (bomb noise)

- Sam.

You've been after Mohammad.

You've been after Buddha.

I mean who's left, pal?

Jesus, Moses, Bruce Springsteen, what?

- Well it's interesting that you mention that, Dennis,

because I've been interested in de-mythifying

the most sacred of American icons.

Elvis Presley.

- You fiend.

- I have this theory that Mr. Presley

never actually sang on his records,

but in fact it was Colonel Tom Parker,

who felt he didn't have the proper physique

to pursue a theatrical career.

- You mess with Elvis Presley,

and I'm gonna kill you on the air.

Hey, Lars, Lars.

Hand me my squirrel gun, pal.

You're out of here, buddy.

(machine gun sounds)

Let's get back to some white people, alright?

Next victim.

Okay, caller, you got a problem?

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] You're high on it,

aren't you, Steel?

- What?

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] It's addictive and you're hooked.

- What the hell, what are you--

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] Too late to turn back.

(dial tone)

- Must be a full moon.

Hello.

- [Male Caller] Dennis, blow me up, guy.

- Come on, come on, you got a problem?

- [Male Caller] I wanna be blown up on your show, dude.

- Alright, man.

I hope it's to smithereens, buddy.

(bomb sound)

- Nice place.

- It's my folks'.

I promised I wouldn't burn the place to the ground,

so they agreed to let me use it while they're away.

- Hey. - Hey.

- Nick and I were beginning to think you bailed on us.

- I ran into Dennis down at Mackenzie Hall.

We got to talking, I figured you could use some refreshment.

- Dennis, your show was incredible tonight.

- Thanks.

- I mean it, really, you're the best.

- Thank you.

- I keep telling him.

You're the man.

Come on, I'd like you to meet somebody.

- See you.

- Yeah, see you.

- All the phone lines are lit,

but a lot of you concerned voters are

coming up and asking me,

"Who do you want in the campus election?"

Well I hear Mike D. is a bit depressed,

and I here Teddy's too busy taking swimming lessons.

Hey, Lars.

Can we vote for The Great One again?

No, Lars, not Wayne Gretzky, pal.

Ronald Reagan, alright?

(Hail to the Chief plays) Alright, I'm gonna do a

little contemplation, a little soul-searching,

then tomorrow, I, Dennis, the Man of Steel,

will be at the candidates rally to announce,

in person, my endorsement.

And then we will see if you have a problem with it.

Next victim.

- The time has come to put the voice of

the student back in student government.

We need to seize the bright promise of tomorrow,

and make it a shining example for today.

And so, my fellow students,

when you step to the polls this Thursday,

I hope you will consider carefully,

and cast your vote for me.

Thank you.

- And now, to introduce our next candidate,

the voice of Campus Radio's "Back Talk" program,

Dennis Steel.

(booing and applause)

- Thank you.

I would like to introduce a man.

- Nazi.

- A man who is not afraid to speak the truth.

(booing)

And stand up to the criticisms of liberal,

do-nothing little twerps, who kowtow.

(booing)

You know, if you would just listen

to a little clear-headed logic,

and stop acting like a bunch of crybabies,

you just might learn something.

- Enough of you, pal.

- [Male Caller] Hey, Steel.

What do you think about these Russians playing baseball?

- I think it sucks!

- [Male Caller] Oh yeah, why's that?

- Well think what would happen if the commies

start beating us at the one thing that's

the essence of America, pal.

- [Male Caller] Never happen, man.

- Oh, never happen?

Just remember that Fidel Castro supports

a designated hitter rule, alright?

Next victim.

- [Female Caller] Hey, Dennis.

What do you think happened to Jimmy Hoffa?

- Oh, no.

You didn't hear?

When Orson Welles died, they cut him open,

and Jimmy Hoffa fell out.

Boy, you've been in the dark, honey.

Next victim.

- [Male Caller 2] Hello, Dennis. Henry Kissinger.

- Oh, Henry, you space shuttle diplomat, you.

How you doing?

How's Dan Quayle doing in night school, huh?

- [Henry] Just fine, thank you.

The Vice President can now say "maybe" in ten languages.

- "Maybe" in ten languages.

Wow.

Let's see Jesse Jackson top that.

Lars tells me I have to read this thing

that the lawyers sent down, so here goes.

The opinions on KTMB are not necessarily

those of the management of KTMB,

but then again, maybe they are.

Next victim.

- Hey, Judy.

Is Captain Fuller around?

- No, he left about an hour ago.

- Some rally today, huh?

Can you believe that guy?

- How's your jaw?

- He's got a decent right hook.

Get anything from him?

- No.

Nothing definite, not yet.

- Listen, I want you to stay on your toes with this guy.

I mean, his elevator doesn't go

all the way to the top floor,

if you know what I'm saying.

- He believes deeply in what he's doing.

I mean, sure, he can go a little overboard sometimes.

- Yeah he can use a few lessons in diplomacy.

- All I'm saying, Dennis, is I can understand

what he's so angry about.

- And I do too.

Judy, I believe in the politics he's screaming about.

That's the problem.

No one's gonna listen to a nut.

- They listen!

- No they don't.

You need somebody with some

political savvy, some smooth talk.

- Like Drake?

- Unfortunately, guys like that have

a better chance of being heard and believed.

I'm just telling the truth here.

- Oh yeah, you're real big on the truth aren't you, Dennis?

As a matter of fact, I've been

listening to your truth all week.

And it seems to me you're getting real good

at doing spewing that crap out onto the airwaves.

- Listen, I'm sorry if my show's offended you.

But we're police officers, remember?

- Do you?

- Yeah, I do.

Listen, I'm the one who's sticking his neck in the noose.

If anyone's taking the role too seriously, it's you.

I think you've been letting that idiot get to you.

And if that's the way we have to solve

the world's problems, then I like our chances.

Because our President can kick butt on

some diaper-headed old poofter.

- [Male Caller] Keep 'em flying, Steel!

- Wow, man, I feel mondo vicious.

Come on, Lars, feed me some raw flesh.

Who's this now?

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] Is this the Man of Steel?

- Able to leap tall liberals in a single bound, pal!

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] Can we talk on the level?

- On the level?

Okay, I'm game.

Let me guess, you're from outer space.

No, no, wait a second.

You're the son of the Devil, right?

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] In a way.

- Hmm.

(howling wolf sound)

Okay, Satan Junior, let's rumble, pal.

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] How are you gonna top this?

- Well I don't know, I thought maybe we could

have your dad come on.

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] Exactly, Dennis.

That's the only way, isn't it?

- Well no, we could do a remote,

and me and Lars could go to Hell and do a "Back Talk."

We can interview all the greats, like Caligula, Napoleon

and wait, too bad Muhamar won't be there,

but hey, what the hell.

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] You'd do great numbers.

- You bet we would.

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] Great.

See you there.

- Oh, this is great!

- Just a slogan though, doesn't really

mean much unless you back it up.

- How's your hand?

- Probably doing better than his face is.

- It's kind of extreme.

You don't think you might have

made people feel sorry for him?

- Hell with them.

I wish I'd have broken his jaw.

Could have kept him off the air a day or so.

- You guys keep files on people?

- No, we keep files on fascists.

- Isn't that an invasion of privacy?

- You think these guys care about the protection of privacy?

They have files on all of us.

Hell, J. Edgar Hoover had files on

everybody from Martin Luther King

all the way to President Kennedy, himself.

You want to talk about the invasion of privacy,

the government invented the term.

Still though I uh,

can't seem to find much on this Dennis Steel guy here.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Says he did a show over at Community State,

but I know a bunch of guys over there,

they never heard of him.

- Well did you call the station?

- Yeah I did, they said he was on the air

for a few months last year.

I don't know, it just doesn't add up for me.

You want to take this?

- You want me to spy on him?

- I want you to join the fight, okay?

Because if you scratch the surface

on a guy like this Steel here,

there's no telling what you're gonna find underneath.

- [Male Caller] Mr. Drake, how do you feel

about black sports coaches?

- Well that's a loaded question.

You're trying to coax me into saying that

blacks aren't smart enough to coach.

- [Male Caller] I'm not trying to coax you

into anything, you fascist.

- Pipe down, idiot.

Dave, you tell us, do you think blacks have the brain power?

- Well let me answer that in a scientific way.

Would you and our caller agree that

blacks are the greatest athletes in the world?

- [Male Caller] No.

- Come on.

Blacks dominate every sport that

requires purely physical talents.

Basketball, football, track, boxing,

they have it all.

I mean why do you think you never see

a white man in a basketball dunking contest?

You think they don't want to be there?

- Dave I would sell my soul to dunk a basketball.

- So would I, Dennis, it would be great.

But we can't,

because we have what's called "White Man's Disease."

We can't jump.

- [Male Caller] So what's your point?

- My point is that there are well-known black scientists

who agree that for the last 200 years the American Negro

has been bred to be physically superior.

So why is it not beyond the realm of belief,

that white people have superior brains?

- [Male Caller] You're a damn Nazi!

- Nazi, I see.

Is that the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" type Nazi,

or the "Hogan's Heroes" type Nazi?

- [Male Caller] I mean the Hitler Nazi, jerk.

- Hey, hey, hey, no name-calling.

You treat my guests with some respect, pal.

Next victim, you got a question for Mr. Drake?

- [Capeman] Let me ask you something, Drake,

these well-known black scientists who

figured all this breeding stuff out?

Would you say their brains are inferior as well?

- I was expecting your call, Capeman.

- Is that the Michael Capeman?

- Head of Students Against Racism.

He's an activist with a rather impressive 3.7 GPA?

- Give the man a gold swastika!

You've done your homework, there, huh, Drake?

- Yeah, I've got a 3.9 GPA to show for it.

- Yeah, that's because you fatten the pot up

with all those Nazi term papers.

- Whoa, Lars, those are fighting words.

Sounds like we got ourselves a major title fight.

What do you think, another Thrilla in Manila?

- Ya, ya.

- Hey, Capeman, what do you say you and Drake

duke it out on the airwaves on my show tomorrow night?

What do you say Dave?

- It'd be a pleasure.

- Michael Capeman?

- I'll be sure to bring plenty of Pepto Bismol.

- You heard it right here, round one tomorrow night.

The tale of the tape.

David Drake, candidate for office,

respected leader of the United Front,

and masterful counter-puncher,

versus Michael "Mad Dog" Capeman, infamous radical

with a devastating left hook.

(cheering crowd sound)

- Well that's great.

- What's great?

- Well it's great, you can go on the air,

you can tell people the truth.

- Yeah, great!

I could stoop to the level

of a bunch of rabid Nazis.

- Michael come on, you're a hundred times

more articulate than those guys.

Maybe if you threw more metaphors,

and a few less punches, people will listen.

- Don't tell me what to do.

These guys preach hatred and death.

They're psychopaths in preppy clothing.

I have no qualms about whether they live or die.

In fact, I think they should die.

They're horrible human beings.

Tomorrow night is his night.

This whole thing is gonna be settled.

- Dennis Steel!

Now this is a real honor.

I hear your show every night, wouldn't miss it.

- Great, thanks.

- I want you to know there's a lot of us out there

who like the things you have to say.

- Next victim!

- Right.

- How's that, Dennis?

- It's great.

- Hey, if you ever need a partner.

- You're doing a heck of a job.

I think you're just great.

- Dennis, I'd like you to meet Joe Peterson.

Councilman Peterson, Dennis Steel.

- Good to meet you, Dennis. - Pleasure.

- Two more days till the election,

and my supporters have doubled.

- Great news, isn't it, Dennis?

- Yeah. - It's only the beginning.

- What are you talking about?

- David has a very promising future in politics.

- See once I get into power, we can start making changes.

We're not talking about some little

jack-toed student council.

I would have real power over curriculum, hiring,

scholarships, admissions, I'd be able to

influence what's being taught, what's being learned.

And not just me, we have people

on campuses all across the country.

Once I win, it'll pave the way for others.

- The future leader of this city,

this country, is right here.

- We owe a lot of this to you, Dennis.

- What?

- It was you, Dennis.

You opened the door.

- No, Stricher did all that.

- Stricher never cared about anything except

the sound of his own voice,

the power of the radio.

Corrupted him.

Attacking, attacking everything

and everyone, including me.

Including his own principles.

It was you, Dennis.

You helped make it all happen.

- Excuse me.

- [Male] Hey, Dennis, great show tonight, man.

- [Female] We love you, Steel.

- [Male 2] You're great!

- [Male 3] Next victim, buddy!

- Really gave it to those nigger lovers tonight.

- So what do you have to tell me?

- I think we might have been way off.

I found out last night that Drake and Stricher

had a major falling-out.

- So you think Drake blew Stricher up?

- It's a possibility.

I mean he didn't confess anything,

but he clearly hated the guy's guts.

- You tell Fuller this?

- No, I want to see how close I can get.

I want to see if Drake is sloppy enough

to let something slip.

Judy I'm--

- Look, I don't think Drake's our problem.

This radio show tonight.

Look, Capeman's been making a lot of threats, Dennis.

- Towards me?

- He swears he's coming after you,

and I think he means tonight.

So I'm gonna go on the show with him,

I'll watch his every move.

Ioki, Penhall and Fuller are gonna

check the SAR headquarters and your car.

Make sure what happened to Stricher

doesn't happen to you, too.

- Live, from the top of KTMB,

the event you've all been waiting for.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen.

This is Dennis, the Man of Steel,

with a special show tonight.

In my left corner, I have Michael "Mad Dog" Capeman.

Michael, since you're the challenger,

why don't you introduce yourself and your guest?

- I'm Michael Capeman, president of

the Students Against Racism,

and here we have Judy Brown, who is one of our members.

(boxing bell sound)

Two now for Mad Dog tonight,

but don't worry folks,

because in my right hand corner,

we have the reigning champion.

- Hi, David Drake, founding member of the United Front,

and candidate for student board.

- Renowned as campus expert on fascism

and wholesale discrimination.

- Well the bell hasn't even rung yet,

and Mad Dog is already swinging.

Wow.

Okay, let's can the cheap shots and play by the rules.

Micheal, what exactly is your big

gripe with David Drake anyway?

- Well it's the same gripe I have with you, Steel.

People like you feed off hatred and racism.

- Nap time, Capeman, tell something we haven't heard.

- Why don't you let him talk?

- Alright, alright, Mad Dog, instead of

bellyaching about David Drake,

why don't you tell us what you want to see in a candidate?

- Actually, I have a better question for Mr. Capeman.

If he wants to change things so much,

why doesn't he run himself?

- Excellent question, champ.

We're waiting, Mad Dog.

- The elections in this country have become

the ridiculous posturing of a single elite group,

and I feel that I can reach people in other ways.

- So basically you don't believe in our democratic system.

- It's worked for the past couple hundred years,

I don't know what's the problem.

- What the problem is, the problem is a lot of people

aren't getting represented in the voting process.

- It doesn't surprise me that you believe that, Judy.

- Why don't you say what you really mean there, pal?

- I mean seeing how Judy is black and a woman.

- What does that have to do with anything?

- Because people like you and Mr. Capeman

have no faith in our system.

I, on the other hand, happen to believe

very deeply in this country.

- Are you listening to this, America?

Because this is how it starts.

First Mein Kampf, then Nuremberg, then Auschwitz.

- And now we're back to the Nazi name-calling.

You believe this, Dennis?

- If it were to you, Drake, this country

would be nothing but white men!

- Who do you think built this country into what it is today?

- Sure, but on the blood, sweat,

and tears of every immigrant imaginable, you idiot.

Your blacks, Mexicans, Chinese--

- The very same people who are dragging this country down.

Face it.

Blacks in this country aren't productive.

They eat up tax dollars with welfare,

unemployment, food stamps.

- You're a disgusting pig!

- I'm stating fact, right, Dennis?

Niggers are lazy.

- [Roy] Hey, hey, hey, hey, come on, come on, come on.

Everybody out of here.

(door slamming)

Come on, Dennis!

Dead air!

Let's go!

- What the hell is your problem?

- [Gravelly-Voiced Male] That's the thing, boy.

Get the ratings.

No matter who you hurt.

- [Announcer] Tune in tomorrow for more

"Back Talk with Dennis Steel", here on KTMB.

- I can't believe I let that happen.

- What?

- That had to be the ugliest garbage

ever to go over the airwaves.

It made me sick!

- Dennis, we just made college radio history.

They're gonna be talking about that show for years.

- And that doesn't bother you?

- Why should it?

I mean that's just a bunch of morons

shooting their mouth off on the radio.

Hey, why should I be threatened by that?

- Because people believe that crap.

They act on it.

- Dennis, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

If we don't tap into all that nastiness out there,

somebody else will.

And then they'll be the ones getting the blowout ratings,

while we're sitting around doing responsible programming,

and getting four listeners.

Hey, the audience share that we got tonight

is gonna bring us some great offers, man.

Maybe New York, Los Angeles.

- Congratulations.

- Dennis, lighten up, man.

What you did tonight is gonna

do great things for your career.

Hey, and you didn't even have to get blown up for it.

- I guess you liked the show, huh?

- It had its moments.

- But you could have done it better, right?

- Nobody does it like I can do it.

I have no fear.

Gentle folk beware.

Anything is possible with Stricher at the helm.

- Why'd you do it?

Was it an accident or a

publicity stunt that went wrong?

I mean you didn't mean for that explosion

to melt your face, did you?

Look.

Look at your face, man.

Look at it.

Was it worth it?

- It's not in the face.

It's in the voice.

Everybody in America wants to hear Stricher tell the truth.

- But it's not the truth.

It's a bunch of crap.

You're selling hatred as a way of life.

- Wake up, dream boy.

Everybody needs targets for their hatred,

that's why they listen to my show.

That's why they vote for thieves who

tell 'em what they want to hear.

Truth is a perception.

This country is full of losers,

and I'm just reaping what they've sown.

- [Roy] Alright, alright, let's build on that

momentum from last night, okay?

Make 'em hurt.

- [Announcer] It's "Back Talk, with Dennis Steel."

Got a problem?

Call 555-TALK.

- Tonight we're gonna talk about pain.

And we're gonna talk about fear.

And holes in your soul so big

you can drive a truck through 'em.

You're all scared.

But you just can't see what you're afraid of.

Hey, I'm scared too.

I'm scared of dying of lung cancer.

I don't quit smoking.

I just get angry,

and then I get angry,

and I yell at some Arab,

because he's making more money than I am.

Then you call me up and I yell at you,

and you yell about some minority

who you think is keeping you from being whole.

I mean, you think if I humiliate some stranger,

it's gonna give you back a

part of your life that was missing?

Well it won't.

You all listen to all this hatred,

because you're terrified of

finding out your life is hopeless.

And then you want me to make you

feel better by tearing other people apart.

Well I can't do that anymore.

Because words hurt.

Ideas kill.

You know, I used to think it

was funny telling racist jokes.

I mean, I thought it was harmless.

I never thought I would have owe up to it.

And then yesterday, I hurt somebody I really care about.

And I found out the power of hateful words.

And now I'm apologizing to her,

and I'm apologizing to you.

I'm not going to tell you to turn off your televisions,

or not to listen to your radios,

because that's not the answer.

I believe there is truth,

and I believe there is a light,

and I believe there is a way

for us to talk to one another,

and understand one another

to make things better.

I mean, it's not gonna be easy,

but that's what I'm gonna try to do from now on.

So if you want to talk to me without hatred,

the phone lines are open.

Hello?

- [Female Caller] Hi.

- Hi.

What's your name?

- [Female Caller] Deborah.

- What would you like to talk about, Deborah?

- [Deborah] I just wanted to call and thank you.

I'll be listening.

- Hello?

- [Judy] Dennis?

It's Judy.

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