Jesse Ventura sees 'American Conspiracies' in places Mr. Media only sees incompetence

By BOB ANDELMAN

Jesse Ventura came to national prominence as a wrestler nicknamed “The Body,” took a turn on the silver screen in Predator with Ah-nuld, and even went by “Governor” for a term.

Now he’s bidding for you and me to start thinking of him as “The Brain.”

Don’t get me wrong; Ventura hasn’t asked anyone to call him that—yet. But reading his new book, American Conspiracies, it’s clear he’s given considerable thought to the real story behind some of this country’s most nagging unsolved mysteries.

Whether you believe what he believes or think he’s nuts, a reader of American Conspiracies can’t deny Ventura has thought out his positions on everything from the Kennedy assassinations and 9/11 to the world financial collapse we’re just starting to come out from under.

I should mention this is ground also covered in his new TV show, TruTV’s “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura,” every Wednesday at 10 p.m.

Not that Ventura is all drama and no fun these days. Anyone who’s caught him on the radio with Howard Stern knows he’s just as comfortable talking smack about Hulk Hogan and telling wild stories about his days as a Navy SEAL as he is discussing conspiracies.

GOV. JESSE VENTURA AUDIO EXCERPT: "I took the side of the conspiracy. We brought out the facts; ultimately, it's up to the reader to decide. It's called 'learning the truth.' And if the truth causes panic, we're in big trouble." 

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You can LISTEN to this interview with JESSE VENTURA, author of AMERICAN CONSPIRACIES, by clicking the audio player above!

Copyright 2010 Bob Andelman. Click here for copyright permissions!

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Pamela S. Allyn, Robert Allyn, THE SOLIE CHRONICLES Gordon Solie family biographers: Mr. Media Radio Interview

By BOB ANDELMAN

There is something about professional wrestling that you just can’t look away from on television. The costumes, the oversize personalities, the inflated drama and comedy—it all plays even bigger on the tube.

I remember watching Haystacks Calhoun and friends on crummy UHF channels growing up in New Jersey. It was like watching live television broadcasts from another dimension, sci-fi sports, if you will.

And when I got to the University of Florida, my then-girlfriend wanted nothing more for a birthday gift than to drive into Tampa and see her favorite rassler, Jerry Briscoe, taking on challengers live and in person at the Fort Homer Hesterly Arena. That was a crazy day.

AUDIO EXCERPT: "Pam told me her dad was a 'television announcer.' Then she told me he announced professional wrestling. Oh. In Chicago, where I grew up, wrestling wasn't a big deal. When I came to Florida, I found Gordon Solie was a big deal. He was a household name."

Pamela S. Allyn knows a few things about what goes on behind the scenes of pro wrestling that you don’t. She’s the daughter of the late Gordon Solie, the whiskey-voiced ring announcer who put wrestling on the map way back in 1949 and stayed with it for the next half-century.

Pam, her husband Robert Allyn and Scott Teal have written a fascinating new book about her dad, The Solie Chronicles: The Life and Times of Gordon Solie. It is a refreshing, honest look at a legend who was more than a little bit human.

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You can LISTEN to this interview with ROBERT and PAMELA S. ALLYN, co-authors of THE SOLIE CHRONICLES: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GORDON SOLIE, by clicking the BlogTalkRadio.com audio player above!

Copyright 2009 Bob Andelman. Click here for copyright permissions!

Mike Edison, I HAVE FUN EVERYWHERE I GO author and former High Times editor: Mr. Media Audio Interview

In his new book, I Have Fun Everywhere I Go, Mike Edison does for sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll what Hulk Hogan did for wrestling!

No, scratch that. Edison hates Hogan. Saying that will just piss him off.

How about:

Mike Edison does for sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll what Lennon & McCartney did for elevator music!

Damn, that won’t work either. Edison hates the Beatles, too.

Here’s a thought:

Let me just read the subtitle of Edison’s book. It’s so long, people will think it’s an introduction and not notice that I left out all the stuff about him being a former editor of High Times, Cheri, and Main Event, a contributor to Screw and Hustler magazines, and drummer in bands such as Raunch Hands, Pleasure F*ckers, and Rocket Train Delta Science Arkestra.

Please welcome my guest today, Mike Edison, author of I Have Fun Everywhere I Go: Savage Tales of Pot, Porn, Punk Rock, Pro Wrestling, Talking Apes, Evil Bosses, Dirty Blues, American Heroes, and the Most Notorious Magazines in the World.

You can LISTEN to this interview by clicking the BlogTalkRadio.com audio player below!

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© 2008 by Bob Andelman. All rights reserved.