So When Did Fez "Lose It?"

[spainlinx0]

First off, this is not meant to be a bashing thread. Big Ron and Fez fan since WNEW blah blah blah, credentials out of the way.

I never got a chance to listen to R&F when they were on WJFK since I wasn't aware of the underground scene, and therefore missed out on a lot of classic stuff after WNEW. Due to this I have been acquiring their WJFK shows, and have been listening to them since I am a bit of a completist, and I hate that I missed out on a big part of their careers. I haven't listened to the 2002-2004 shows, but I have listened to the 2005 shows. I actually am all the way in July 2005 at the moment, their last month on there, and Fez is all there as far as I can tell. Now I haven't listened to the WNEW shows as a refresher, but it's definitely a 2-mic show.

Fez does get busted a little by Ron about some strange topics or opinions, and Ron does use the "and boom goes the dynamite" drop whenever Fez stumbles over his words, but Fez takes it as a joke. He doesn't seem to get upset about it, at least not on the air. There was also talk of Cameron saying Fez should talk more, but I have to be honest, Fez is on fire. I know he says how much he hated DC, but holy shit he is vicious and hilarious with his lines.

I have had XM ever since R&F announced they were joining, and due to ReplayAV, my mp3 player, and "other methods" I would say I have listened to 99% of everything that has aired since they joined XM. I was trying to think back, and I can't remember when Fez exactly lost it. Was it after the first heart attack? However, I remember Fez killing from the hospital right after that with his list of people who caused the attack. Was it before that? Was it a gradual thing? Was it the second heart attack? Was it ESD edging his way in? I know many people do blame Dave for it, but personally I don't think old Fez would ever let a producer outshine him. Giant Brian was very much an on-air producer from what I have listened to, who was also very funny, but Fez was still the obvious cohost.

Does anyone have an opinion? I was going to start listening right after they were booted from WNEW and moving chronologically through the years until I got to where I am now, but then I thought it might be more interesting if I listened from the beginning of XM on, and if I could see where Fez started his descent, or at least where it became noticeable. I know the secret is considered a reason for this, but he says he has known about the secret for 10 years, and it definitely didn't seem to affect him at WJFK.

Before anyone comments that I have no life, I don't and accept that, but I am an accountant, and can listen to my mp3 player while working, and many times I feel like listening to talk rather than music since I can concentrate better. I also find it funny to hear the opinions of Ron and Fez change over the years, especially Ron's.

So, if anyone is curious or interested I will probably update this thread as I move along the XM timeframe, and I will see if I can point out where I start to notice things, or any other interesting tidbits that current listeners may find funny, and if no one is interested, I'll just let this thread die a well-deserved death.

[ToiletCrusher]

#1fanofESD will have something to say on the matter I assume.

[drjoek]

My theory, short answer: the heart attack

[spainlinx0]

My theory, short answer: the heart attack

I thought that as well, but as mentioned, the letter he wrote from the hospital blaming people for his heart attack was absolutely classic and hilarious Fez. However I think when I relisten that is definitely when I will notice the transition. I just wanted to confirm if it happened then or not.

[Dan G]

Fez lost it March 31, 2005.

[UnrulyX]

When the heartatacks happened I was kind of scared it would be the end of Fez. Hopefully he is doing better and he'll rat out more of his pals.

[spainlinx0]

That may have been the first time he cried on the air, but his ensuing battles with Mikey D after that were fantastic. I definitely don't think it was that, although it was surreal hearing Ron's absolute shock upon hearing it rather than the reaction he gives today.

[Dell]

I too think the heart attack was the catalyst... I sense the slump is over... I've noticed a return of the "vicious and hilarious" Fez that I fell in love with at WJFK... I just hope it's not just creative listening skills that I battle with

[OGC]

Never

[drjoek]

I too think the heart attack was the catalyst... I sense the slump is over... I've noticed a return of the "vicious and hilarious" Fez that I fell in love with at WJFK... I just hope it's not just creative listening skills that I battle with



I agree. I am intrigued by Ron cueing the Apocalypse the last few days when he calls Chris in to help when he thinks Fez may destroy ESD. I think when that actually happens, which seems inevitable, that Fez will be back 100%. Take back his show. Fez seems on the verge of splitting Dave head open any time now. I can't wait to hear this.

[spainlinx0]

I too think the heart attack was the catalyst... I sense the slump is over... I've noticed a return of the "vicious and hilarious" Fez that I fell in love with at WJFK... I just hope it's not just creative listening skills that I battle with

While I have noticed an improvement in Fez's attitude as of late, it's not even comparable to WJFK. I don't say this to be mean, but here is my opinion on the matter. Back then Fez actually seemed happy (I am fully aware that he wasn't), and his jokes were SHARP. He had some really cutting and funny remarks. Right now, it feels to me like Fez is forcing his happy demeanor. Whether this is a way to start getting him back on the path, to sort of retrain his brain, isn't something I know, but the difference is there. It may not be noticeable if you haven't listened to those old shows in a while. Since I have basically been flipping back and forth between 2005 and 2009 daily, it's easier for me to spot.

The quickness isn't there. The confidence isn't there. I don't know if the medication (is he on medication, I can't remember if he's on an off or on cycle, and I am thinking to myself how insane it sounds that I'm trying to remember the prescription status of a radio host) is making him slower, clouding his brain, or if he doesn't remember how to be funny, but it is not the same.

I do notice one thing that may be hurting Fez now. Back then Ron was more willing to engage Fez on "trivial" topics. He would be more willing to interact with Fez on celebrity gossip, comic book movies, random weird stories. Now, Ron basically just gives Fez the "and I should care, why?" response which is not really something that Fez is going to be able to play off of.

Here is also a difference. Today, every now and then Fez will jump in with some random comment, and Ron will just say "what?" Now, I know that some of the comments are out there, but I always understand what Fez is saying. Even though the joke isn't there, I still understand his point, even when I don't agree with. However Ron acts like he has no clue what Fez is talking about. Sometimes, I can tell Ron is being intentionally obtuse, and pretends he doesn't know what Fez is talking about, but other times he will mock Fez's comment by misinterpreting it and totally misrepresenting what he said. Other times I can tell he really doesn't understand what Fez is saying. Yet, Fez lets him, and almost says to himself "I guess that really is what I meant then." I would love to be Fez's interpretor sometimes because I feel like yelling at Ron "how do you not understand Fez's point here?" However, I guess Fez should be explaining himself better.

In the WJFK days, when Fez jumped in with a random comment, I would crack up. Even if it was ridiculous, he would sell it so well, that even Ron would start laughing as he said "what?" And it wasn't a laugh where Fez being a moron was implied, it was genuine laughter, and the "what?" was the bit.

Perhaps I'm overanalyzing things, but I prefer overanalyzing Ron and Fez to doing my actual work, so I'm going to keep doing it.

[yojimbo7248]

I think it was when Rory broke his heart. Now that he is in love again with a very nice Swedish guy, he sounds like a million bucks. Just waiting to hear how good he will sound when he actually starts having sex. I bet the sexually frustrated shrillness will evaporate when he starts getting blown.

[spainlinx0]

Do we have a timeframe of when Rory broke his heart? Was it during the XM days? I would definitely pay more attention during that time to see if I could notice it.

[instrument]

it always seemed like the heart attacks made fez face some things he hadn't yet.... like dying without ever having been loved or his family not knowing his true self.

and the fact that he thought god was their to grant all his personal prayers...which bugs me more than people who lose faith due to the death of loved one....ugh.. so cliche.

anywho, i love fezzy, but with everyone coddling his 58 year old self he's never going to make any progress..so i'll keep on enjoying listen to ron try to show him some tough love.

[Melk]

anywho, i love fezzy, but with everyone coddling his 58 year old self he's never going to make any progress..so i'll keep on enjoying listen to ron try to show him some tough love.
I don't know exactly when the problems started, but Fez believes that his cure is outside of himself and his responsibility. He doesn't diet because he believes that the meds will even his vitals out. He is interested in not-yet-invented procedures or drugs to eliminate bad memories. He believes that people eating calzones in the queue at the drug store can ruin his day. He believes that people who prevent him from closing elevator doors to get to the office ruin his day. He has prayed countless times for his secret to go away. He is mortified at the idea that people might hear him urinate in public restrooms, for what reason, I do not know.

The main thing that seems to have changed his life most of all is that he is constantly measuring himself against other people.

Any time Ron asks, "So what?" or "Why?" I can hear Fez trying to come up with answers. The answers he generates never include his own beliefs. Instead, he tries to guess what the average person would think.

I don't see Fez changing until he gets a psychologist that isn't as gentle with him as his current one.

[SP1!]

I too think the heart attack was the catalyst... I sense the slump is over... I've noticed a return of the "vicious and hilarious" Fez that I fell in love with at WJFK... I just hope it's not just creative listening skills that I battle with

No its not selective listening, fez has been as close to old fez and pretty consistent with it lately, it has made the show the best it has been for a long time.

[mendyweiss]

I blame the runaway bride.

[disneyspy]

old fez aint back,young fez is back

[Brad in Bama]

I lean a little towards the fact that the heart attack definatly brought some things to the forefront, and I don't think Fez has/had the tools to deal with them. He escapes things as Ron has brought up. I think that now that he's starting to face up to some of his shit, he'll be better off. This past week after telling the guys on the show about "the secret" he seems a lot more involved with show things, not just Fez things.

Good for him. Now let's get off Ron's back about his tough love approach. It looks like it's working.

[AKA]

Thank you for the objective comments about going back and listening to the WJFK era - yeah, it was a dark time for many, but it was a brilliant time of radio for the show. I hold a lot of that stuff, including those last few months, up against just about anything else they've done before or sense.

And if you haven't heard much from 2003 and 2004, there are some wonderful things with Crazy Jen, Bobo, J Dubs, Perrynoid, El Jefe waiting for you there!

As far as Fez "losing it," I know what you meant, and while I don't really agree that he's ever lost it, I will admit that the show did change - and I think that became obvious with the heart attack. but even shortly before then, there was some anxiety that came out over the air that really hadn't before. The most nervous I had ever seen Fez publically, to be honest, was their first appearance for XM, at BB Kings, just days before they went on.

After the heart attack, Fez was getting his sea legs back, and did the really funny Memphis bit with Elfish, and after that - there wasn't anything. I began to notice less and less shortly after that, but (for me) it became really clear that things were perhaps tense behind the scenes later that summer (shortly after the second heart attack scare), and they had that appearance in DC at the XM studios. The Monday after that was a very, very tense show, and I never could figure out why and chalked it up to behind the scenes/personal stuff - it was like Ron's reaction to Cameron Gray calling in, but then heightened to an entire 3 hour show.

And for me, it was after that where I could see things were different - whatever had been happening behind the scenes and off the air was now going to be discussed and dealt with on the air. There have been moments when things looked like they turned a corner, like when it was finally announced they would be on Free FM a few months later, but more and more times spotlights were shown on the issues.

But to reiterate - I can always find Fez in any show - and he always knows just the right thing to say to make my day.

[AKA]

I blame the runaway bride.

Word of the day!

[Dell]

old fez aint back,young fez is back

I'll drink to that day... but I think doc is right... one good toe-to-toe with ESD will bring him the rest of the way

[epo]

1 ounce of slack

[mikeyboy]

1 ounce of slack

http://www.ronfez.net/gallery//watermark.php?file=2161

[Death Metal Moe]

Fez, like everyone and everything, CHANGED. Nothing remains the same forever, neither did Fez.

He's still a great on air talent and I have no plans of dropping The Ron and Fez Show.

That wasn't meant as an attack back or in a "dickish" way, just my opinion added to this thread.

[Death Metal Moe]

http://www.ronfez.net/gallery//watermark.php?file=2161

I know what I'm putting in someone's stocking this year so I never get a drunken show rant!

[EliSnow]

So When Did Fez "Lose It?"

Unless things worked out real well with the swedish cook this weekend, I don't think he has lost "It."

[spainlinx0]

July 26, 2005 - Blowhard screams over a caller that he's leaving Brooklyn because Muslims are opening businesses and mosques or something. Did he ever leave?

Also, I still find it amazing that the runtime of these 4 hour shows, minus commercials, is basically the same amount of runtime, if not less, than the 3 hour satellite shows. I remember how brutal it was listening live to the WNEW shows with commercial breaks. How did they ever maintain momentum? Love these guys.

[spainlinx0]

September 8, 2005 - Ron and Fez appear on the O&A show. Special call in by Ferrell as O&A discuss giving him a golden ticket. Man has that relationship changed. Also, good job with those golden tickets. Almost 4 years later and people are still complaining about the dearth of live programming on the schedule.

Earl was absolutely abysmal, and it was obvious from day one he was in over his head.

Also, Ron and Fez keep saying they will be on 11-2. I can't remember if that was their original time.

[mikeyboy]

September 8, 2005 - Ron and Fez appear on the O&A show. Special call in by Ferrell as O&A discuss giving him a golden ticket. Man has that relationship changed. Also, good job with those golden tickets. Almost 4 years later and people are still complaining about the dearth of live programming on the schedule.

Earl was absolutely abysmal, and it was obvious from day one he was in over his head.

Also, Ron and Fez keep saying they will be on 11-2. I can't remember if that was their original time.

It was.

Why are you posting this in this thread?

[spainlinx0]

Well in my original post I said I would be relistening from JFK on to see if I could more closely examine Fez's change. Plus I figured I would just throw in random stuff I noticed as I listened. Problem?