When Antonio met Ryan: a radio fluff-fest

Here's how radio talk-jock and "American Idol" ringleader Ryan Seacrest’s interview with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa started this morning on KIIS-FM (102.7):

Seacrest: "All right friends, thanks for plugging in, 10 minutes after the hour, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is here and his skin is perfect."

Seacrest then grilled the mayor on how many zzz’s he catches a night (4 1/2 to five hours) and zingers like "Mr. Mayor, who are you wearing?" ("I’m not wearing anyone. I 'm wearing a blue tie.")

OK, it was a light interview, complete with a few listeners calling in fawning over the mayor and his record over the last three years.

To their credit, both Seacrest and a caller did try to pin down Villaraigosa on whether he’ll run for governor. Villaraigosa sidestepped the question with his pat answer: "I love what I do, I really do.... I get up in the morning and just thank God for the opportunity to be mayor, and that’s my focus. I’m focused on being mayor. I’m running for reelection."

Villaraigosa did say, after being badgered, that after all his focusing on being mayor he will "look at opportunities down the line."

Seacrest couldn’t help but admire his evasiveness.  "He’s good," Seacrest said. "He’s like me when I get asked who I’m dating."

During the interview, Villaraigosa also gave a healthy plug for this weekend’s "CommUNITY Day of Service" in Los Angeles, in which volunteers will do everything from cleaning up neighborhoods to planting trees.

You can listen to a podcast of this morning’s interview — all 17 minutes — on KIIS-FM.

—Phil Willon

 

Comments

[Chuck]

Why is Seacrest still on the air?? He must be some burly radio exec's hot bottom.