Fresh air may refer to:

• Fresh Air, a radio talk show hosted by Terry Gross, broadcast on National Public Radio in the United States
• Fresh Air (Edinburgh), an alternative music student radio station serving Edinburgh, Scotland
• Fresh Air (airline), defunct a cargo airline based in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
• Tamarack Camps, run by the Fresh Air Society, a Jewish summer camp organization in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, United States
• The Fresh Air Fund, a charity that provides free summer vacations to New York City children from low-income communities
• Fresh Air was a band that was formed and performed in Okinawa, Japan in the mid-1970's.

See also[link]

• Fresh Aire, the first album released by new age musical group Mannheim Steamroller

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Mike Birbiglia
Birth name	Michael Birbiglia
Born	(1978-06-20) June 20, 1978 (age 34)[1] Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, United States[1]
Medium	Stand-up comedy, Theatre, Radio, Television
Nationality	American
Website	birbigs.com

Mike Birbiglia (born June 20, 1978) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and director.

Professional work[link]

Birbiglia has starred in three Comedy Central specials and has released three albums with Comedy Central Records: Two Drink Mike (2006), My Secret Public Journal Live (2007), and Sleepwalk With Me Live (2011). My Secret Public Journal Live was named one of the best comedy albums of the decade by the Onion AV Club^[2]and Sleepwalk With Me Live debuted at #1 on the Billboard Magazine Comedy Charts.^[3]

From 2006 to 2009, Birbiglia was a commercial spokesman for Suddenlink Communications, the seventh largest cable/broadband provider in the United States. He appeared in a number of humorous commercials promoting cable, internet and telephone service for Suddenlink.

In 2008, Birbiglia opened Sleepwalk WIth Me, a one-man show that straddled standup comedy and theater, off-Broadway at the Bleecker Street Theatre.^[4][5] The show was presented by Nathan Lane and the New York Times called the show "simply perfect."^[6] Time Out New York named it their "Show of the Year" in 2009.^[7]

Birbiglia followed up his theatrical debut with Sleepwalk With Me & Other Painfully True Stories, ^[8] a book which debuted as number 29 on the hardcover nonfiction New York Times Bestseller List^[9][10] and number four on the hardcover nonfiction section of the Washington Post Political Bookworm Best Sellers.^[11] Birbiglia was also a finalist for the 2011 Thurber Prize for American Humor for Sleepwalk With Me & Other Painfully True Stories.^[12]

In 2011, Birbiglia mounted his second one-man show My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, which ran for 4 months off-Broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre and won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show. ^[13] Birbiglia is currently touring My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend around the world with tour dates in the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK.

Birbiglia recently made his feature film debut with Sleepwalk With Me, a film based on his one-man show of the same name that he wrote, directed, and starred in. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and won the NEXT Audience Award.^[14] It was also selected in the "Festival Favorites" category at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX. ^[15] The film was produced by Jacob Jaffke and This American Life's Ira Glass and stars Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, and Cristin Milioti and has cameos by Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, David Wain, and Marc Maron.^[16]

As an actor, Birbiglia has appeared in the films Going the Distance, Cedar Rapids, and Your Sister’s Sister, as well as the HBO series, “Girls.” ^[17]

Birbiglia on This American Life[link]

Birbiglia is a regular contributor to the Public Radio International-distributed program This American Life.^[18]

Personal life[link]

Birbiglia attended St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts for one year,^{[citation needed]} graduated from St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts in 1996 ^[19][20] and subsequently graduated from Georgetown University in 2000.^[21] During college Birbiglia performed as a member of the Georgetown Players Improv Troupe.^{[citation needed]}

Birbiglia lives with his wife, Jen Stein, on New York's Upper West Side.^[22]

He has rapid eye movement behavior disorder (sleepwalking), which caused him to run out of a second-story window of a motel he was staying in Walla Walla, Washington, while on tour. As a result of the accident, Birbiglia received 33 stitches in his leg.^[23][24][25]

Discography[link]

• 2004: Dog Years (out of print) (self-produced, winner of the "Just Plain Folks" comedy album of the year)
• 2005: Invite Them Up (Comedy Central Records compilation CD of NYC indie comics)
• 2005: My Secret Public Album, Volume 1a (weekly guest spots on The Bob and Tom Show)
• 2006: Two Drink Mike
• 2007: My Secret Public Journal Live
• 2008: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing (DVD)
• 2011: Sleepwalk with Me Live

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Mike Birbiglia at the Internet Movie Database

Birbiglia on This American Life[link]

• Episode 361: The Fear of Sleep
• Episode 370: Ruining it for the Rest of Us
• Episode 374: Somewhere Out There
• TAL: Live: Scene of the Crime

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2009)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (March 2009)

Brother Ali
Brother Ali performing at SoundFest June 11, 2011
Background information
Birth name	Jason Newman
Born	1978 (age 33-34)
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres	Hip hop, rap
Occupations	Rapper, Producer
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Rhymesayers Entertainment/Warner Music Group
Website	brotherali.com

Ali Newman (born Jason Newman in 1978),^[1] better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Brother Ali was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and spent his early childhood moving from city to city in the Midwest (mostly in Michigan). Ali's family settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1992. He attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, Minnesota. He has a son, Faheem, from his first marriage, and remarried in 2008. On the song "Real As Can Be" off his [EP] "Truth is Here" he says he also has a daughter on the way. According to the song "Fresh Air" on his September 2009 album Us, he goes on to say "Just got married last year/ treated so good that it ain't even fair/ already gotta boy now the baby girl's here/ Bought us a house like The Berenstein Bears." He has family in the Minneapolis area. Brother Ali takes family very seriously and sees it as a major part of life.

Ali was born with the rare genetic condition of albinism, a disorder characterized by a lack of pigment in skin, eyes, and hair. Brother Ali often makes fun of the media's constant urge to mention his condition in the first lines of their reviews or newspaper articles. He is also legally blind which is caused by his albinism.^[3]

While Brother Ali's family is white, he has often described a childhood marked by cruelty and exclusion by his white classmates as a result of his physical abnormality. He's often explained that, from an early age, he felt "most at home amongst African Americans."

When Ali's career began to blossom, he began to field questions about his race. Due to his stage name (a common reference among religious communities, particularly Muslims), many writers assumed Ali was black. When questioned on the subject, Ali declined to comment however stating in his album, "The Undisputed Truth"; "they ask me if I'm black or white, I'm neither/ race is a made up thing; I don't believe in it". He then goes on to explain how black people have played a major role in his life:

"My genes tie me to those that despised me/ Made a living killing the ones that inspired me/ I ain't just talking about singing and dancing/ I was taught life and manhood by black men/ So I'm a product of that understanding/ And a small part of me feels like I am them"

He has been practicing Islam for the past 13 years.

Career[link]

Ali's first release was a cassette-only demo tape called Rites of Passage; which Ali produced, recorded and arranged himself. The tape cemented his relationship with the local independent hip-hop label Rhymesayers Entertainment. Rites of Passage was released in 2000 and was sold almost exclusively at shows.

In 2003 Brother Ali released his first studio project, entitled Shadows on the Sun. Atmosphere producer, Ant, provided all of the instrumentals. Although the album had no major national distribution, it was heavily praised by independent hip-hop fans and publications. Ali used the album to explain his childhood and identity.

Ali's next CD was The Champion EP, released a year after Shadows on the Sun. It was presented as an extension of the full-length. Leading with a reggae inspired remix of Shadows' "Champion," the 9 song EP offered up highlights such as "Rain Water," a song about Ali losing his mother and grandfather to cancer and suicide.

In spring of 2007 Rhymesayers released The Undisputed Truth, Ali and Ant's full-length follow-up to Shadows on the Sun. "Truth" tells the story of Ali's divorce from his first wife, his struggle to gain custody of their young son, Faheem and the homelessness he faced as a single father. The first of his releases to be distributed by Warner Brothers Music, the album debuted at #69 on Billboard 200.

Brother Ali released an EP and DVD package titled "The Truth Is Here" in March 2009. The album is made up of 9 tracks including a collaboration with Rhymesayers label-mate Slug of Atmosphere.

In September 2009, Brother Ali released his follow-up to 2007's Undisputed Truth. The album was originally titled "Street Preacher" but was later changed to Us. It debuted at #56 on the Billboard 200. Ali, his DJ BK-One, and fellow Rhymesayers crew members Toki Wright and Evidence recently finished their Fresh Air Tour this fall.

Brother Ali will release his next album "Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color" on August 13th 2012.

Production[link]

Brother Ali produced the tracks "The Feeling" and "Little Girl" on Rhymesayers artist Toki Wright's debut album, "A Different Mirror."

Press[link]

Brother Ali has twice been featured in the hip-hop magazine The Source, first in August 2007, when the "Hip Hop Quotable" was from a verse in "Uncle Sam Goddamn", and second in October 2007, when he was interviewed. In May 2007, he was featured in Rolling Stone as a "New Artist to Watch". Brother Ali's personal struggle with race issues, his politics and his music are discussed in the 2011 book "From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap and the Performance of Masculinity".

TV appearances[link]

On August 13, 2007, Brother Ali appeared on The Late Late Show and performed his single "Uncle Sam Goddamn" from The Undisputed Truth. On October 19, 2007, Ali appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and performed "Take Me Home" from The Undisputed Truth.^[4] On December 16, 2009 Ali appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and was featured with late night band, The Roots.

Inspirations[link]

Brother Ali has said many times in interviews that he finds much of his inspiration in the early 1980s rappers of the golden age of hip hop, especially KRS-One and Rakim.^[5][6]

In an interview in early 2007, Ali responded to a question about the response to his and his label's music, and the current music industry:

They just like to see something new. Like, we benefit so much right now from the fact that music sucks, and that there's so little originality. And there's so few people that are really trying to do something a little bit different so that if you're just even a little bit different...you know what I mean? People are just like "yeah," you know. As long as you're good and as long as you know how to present yourself, and, you know...but I think that people are just happy to see something a little bit different for a change, you know.^[7]

He has, however, spoken against coastal beef and mainstream vs. underground divide in hip-hop, claiming that worthwhile rap music is made by many rappers from across the spectrum, and expressing fandom and appreciation for "mainstream" artists such as Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, T.I. and 50 Cent as well as respected artists who are more associated with the underground or the purist tradition, such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Lupe Fiasco, Jay Electronica, and his friends and frequent collaborators Murs and Joell Ortiz. Among his personal favorites are several rappers who are less acclaimed by the traditional rap purist canon, such as WC, Joe Budden, Chubb Rock and Paris.

"Uncle Sam Goddamn" Controversy[link]

Brother Ali has been under pressure from the recording industry due to lyrics from his song "Uncle Sam Goddamn", claiming creative interference from "somebody I don't wanna name, but some of you probably has their cell phones." The unnamed corporation ultimately withdrew its sponsorship of Ali, causing him to truncate parts of his 2007 tour.^[7][8] Furthermore, on the song "Second Time Around" with Benzi and Wale, Ali makes references to being kicked off a tour followed by the line "Verizon dissed me too, cuz I was too political." The song is notably critical of the United States government, with accusations that the political system is addicted to war.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

EPs[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Artist profile at Rhymesayers Entertainment
• Live at SXSW 2007 on 89.3 The Current
• 2009 State of Mind interview
• 2009 National Public Radio - All Things Considered interview
• "Dark Star," City Pages, April 11, 2007
• Interview on GermanRhymes.de

Artie Lange
Lange in September 2006
Birth name	Arthur Steven Lange, Jr.
Born	(1967-10-11) October 11, 1967 (age 44)[1] Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, Television, Film, Radio
Nationality	American
Years active	1987–present[2][3]
Genres	Observational comedy, Improvisational comedy, Insult comedy, Black comedy
Subject(s)	Personal life, Self-deprecation, Human sexuality, Pop culture, Italian American culture, Professional sports, Recreational drug use, Drinking culture, Current events
Influences	Howard Stern, John Belushi, Richard Pryor,[4] George Carlin, Woody Allen, Bill Murray, Jackie Gleason, Peter Sellers, David Letterman, Richard Lewis[5]
Website	artie-lange.com

Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. (born October 11, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv.

Lange performed his first stand-up comedy routine at 19 years of age. He took up work as a longshoreman to help support his family, following the death of his quadriplegic father. In 1995, Lange starred in the first season of MADtv before leaving halfway through the second due to cocaine abuse and his subsequent arrest. After a period of rehabilitation, Lange featured in Dirty Work with Norm MacDonald, who brought Lange into the second season of his sitcom, The Norm Show. In 2001, Lange replaced Jackie Martling on The Howard Stern Show and stayed until late 2009, before a suicide attempt in early 2010 led to an eight-month stay in a psychiatric ward. Lange has released recordings of comedy performances – It's the Whiskey Talkin' (2004) and Jack and Coke (2009). He co-wrote, produced and starred in his film Artie Lange's Beer League in 2006, and co-wrote, with Anthony Bozza, the book Too Fat to Fish in 2008, which entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number one. In 2011, Lange returned to radio with Nick DiPaolo to co-host The Nick and Artie show.

Early life and education[link]

Lange was born on October 11, 1967 in Livingston Township, New Jersey, United States and was raised in Union Township. His mother Judy (née Caprio) was a housewife while his father, Arthur Sr., was a general contractor. His sister Stacy is a fashion designer.^{[citation needed]} Two weeks after Lange's birth, his father went on trial for counterfeiting money but was spared jail time out of the court's sympathy for his young son.^[1] In 2003, after some of the staff on The Howard Stern Show submitted a sample of their DNA for testing, it was revealed that Lange was approximately 25 per cent American Indian.^[6]

Lange played baseball during his time at Union High School, where he became an all-county third baseman.^[7] He spent his free time working with his father, who in October 1985, fell from a ladder and broke his back, becoming quadriplegic.^[8][9] Money soon became an issue within his family, and Lange's mother took a secretary job for income. "We took out a second mortgage. Medicaid paid for a nurse eight hours a day. When my mother got back from being a secretary all day, she had to take care of him. Every night, she set her alarm clock to turn him so he wouldn't get bedsores."^[8] The family contacted celebrities asking them to donate items for auction, and Howard Stern was the only one to respond, who sent an autographed K-Rock jacket in 1987, joking on the air "does this guy think that if he puts the jacket on he's going to walk again?" which Lange and his father found funny.^[8] His father died from an infection on February 1, 1990, four-and-a-half years after the accident.^[1][10]

In August 1985, Lange was arrested for attempted bank robbery. He claimed he was trying to flirt with the teller by passing her a note that said he was armed and demanded $50,000. The teller took it seriously, triggering a silent alarm. He was charged with disorderly conduct and entered community service in March 1986.^[11] As part of his probation, Lange attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting from March to June 1987 as well as Seton Hall University for a short time before leaving. On June 12, 1987, at 19 years of age, Lange performed his first stand-up comedy routine at The Improv in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. "I bombed for five minutes. Everyone thinks that they can do better. I was unprepared, I mumbled, and I forgot stuff. But I'm proud that I did it."^[3] In February 1991, Lange took up work as a longshoreman at Port Newark to help support his family.^[12][13]

Career[link]

[edit] Early comedy career and MADtv (1992–1997)

In 1992, Lange quit his job at Port Newark to focus on his comedy career. While searching for such work, his regular form of employment was driving a taxi in New York City.^[14] The flexibility of the job allowed him to perform 20-minute sets at the Comic Strip and resume work afterwards.^[15] Within the year Lange landed a role in a dinner theater play, touring restaurants and catering halls in New Jersey.^[16] He then co-formed an improv troupe called Live on Tape, which led to the group performing sell-out shows at Caroline's on Broadway in Manhattan.^[17] Lange was taken by William Morris Agency, where he first met Peter Principato, his manager of ten years.^[17]

In May 1995, Lange flew to Los Angeles to shoot the television pilot for MADtv, a sketch comedy show that was picked up by the Fox network.^[18] He landed a role as one of the eight original cast members from 8,000 comics who were screened, and moved to the West Coast in July.^[19] Lange attributed his hiring to the fact that he fit the John Belushi "mold" that was popular in sketch comedy.^[20] His most popular recurring character on the show was "That's My White Mama".^[21] Lange returned for the filming of the second season of MADtv in August 1996,^[22] but his time with the show came to an end when fellow cast and crew members attempted to have an intervention for him after a cocaine binge. Lange fled the studio, running through streets with his co-workers chasing after him. It ended in a supermarket, where he was arrested and sentenced to time served and probation.^[21]

In March 1997 the producers persuaded Lange to enter rehabilitation, and he checked into Honesty House, a rehab center in Stirling, New Jersey, for two months.^[23] His contract was not renewed for the third season, but Lange would make cameo appearances during the fifth and tenth seasons, including the show's final episode on May 16, 2009.^[24] That night he also appeared on Saturday Night Live, MADtv's rival show, in a non-speaking role.

[edit] Dirty Work and The Norm Show (1998–2001)

After Lange served a short jail term and a drug rehabilitation program, comedian Norm MacDonald, impressed by Lange's work on Mad TV, offered him a part in the 1998 movie Dirty Work. Although the film was unsuccessful during its theatrical run, Lange credits MacDonald and director Bob Saget with rejuvenating his comedy career, leading to several more film appearances and two lucrative television development deals.^[25] He then joined the cast of MacDonald's sitcom The Norm Show during its second season, staying until its cancellation the following year. Lange has since described this period as a personal high point but a creative low point. He enjoyed being paid $35,000 an episode, sleeping late, and being in healthy physical shape, as well as working with the cast, particularly with MacDonald and Laurie Metcalf; however, he disliked the show itself, referring to the material as "ridiculously lame, easy jokes."^[26]

[edit] The Howard Stern Show (2001–2009)

[edit] Replacing Jackie Martling and It's the Whiskey Talkin' (2001–2004)

Lange was introduced to The Howard Stern Show by his father in 1982.^[8] Following the departure of Jackie Martling, the show's head writer for 15 years, in March 2001,^{[citation needed]} Stern announced a "Win Jackie's Money" contest, in which various comedians would audition for Martling's seat by sitting in during shows. Those who sat in included Craig Gass, Doug Stanhope, Richard Jeni, Jim Florentine and Ron Zimmerman.^[27] "There were a lot of great funny guys - guys that were funnier than me...I remember saying to my manager, 'I am not the most talented guy in this group, but I guarantee that I'm the biggest fan of the show."^[3] After the cancellation of The Norm Show in April, Lange sat in for a number of shows between May and October before beginning full time on October 26, 2001.^[28] Since Lange joined the show, Stern has often teased him for his eating habits, gambling, drinking, drug use, and sleeping at work. Stern also makes a point to praise Lange's comedic talents. Lange had grown up listening to the show and was a fan to the point of being able to recall obscure details from years before on a regular basis.

Stern and his staff have commented that Lange's life is a sort of perpetual adolescence: His mother delivers food parcels and cleans his apartment while he continually gorges himself on pizza, pancakes, and other fattening foods and goes on drunken binges.

In May 2004, while The Howard Stern Show aired at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, local television station KLAS-TV reported Lange was found dead in his hotel room. The story turned out to be a hoax.^[29]

[edit] Beer League and substance abuse (2005–2008)

In early June 2005, Lange missed four days of shows, prompting concerns of a possible relapse into substance abuse.^{[citation needed]} The situation climaxed in Lange's behaving strangely and belligerently on the air.^[30] On July 27, he infamously sneered at Stern and the staff, "Artie's gotta do what Artie's gotta do!"^{[citation needed]} Lange then missed the next two days, writing off his absence as due to stress from doing the radio show and filming his film Artie Lange's Beer League.^{[citation needed]} The truth for his absence was revealed in a spontaneous revelation on September 21, 2006, in which Lange acknowledged that he had regularly snorted heroin.^{[citation needed]} He discussed past episodes of heroin use beginning when he was a standup comedian and continuing until Beer League was set to begin shooting.^[30] He then detailed his painful withdrawal from the drug, which included side effects of aching, cold sweats, shaking, and vomiting. Lange recalled taking his telephone off the hook to avoid speaking to his mother, who ultimately intervened to help him recover.^{[citation needed]} Lange was threatened with legal action by producers of Beer League if he failed to show up for the first day of shooting, which led him to secure a home visit from a doctor, who prescribed Subutex to alleviate his dependency.^[30]

In the days leading up to Stern's departure from terrestrial radio in December 2005, Lange revealed that he and show producer Gary Dell'Abate were approached by Infinity Broadcasting about replacing Stern with a show of their own. He claimed he was offered roughly $5 million to defect, but he and Dell'Abate claimed never to have given the offer much thought.

On April 10, 2008, Lange walked off the show after an on-air argument and subsequent outburst at his personal assistant, Teddy (during which he mentioned that Teddy embarrassed him by referring to Bloomingdale's as "Bloomie's"), resulting in a physical altercation.^[31] Lange expressed his disdain for his assistant of nearly two years because of recent money issues. Later in the broadcast, Lange returned to apologize and tender his resignation, which Stern accepted.

On April 21, 2008, Lange returned to the Howard Stern Show following a scheduled one-week vacation hiatus for the cast members. He apologized and took full responsibility for his behavior. It was revealed that Sirius was allowing him to continue, but that another infraction would end his employment. Additionally, Lange explained that despite their on-air confrontation, he and Teddy will maintain their working relationship.

[edit] Too Fat to Fish, USO tour and Jack and Coke (2008–2009)

In June 2008 Lange embarked on a comedy tour he named "Operation Mirth" with the United Service Organizations to entertain the U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. He was inspired to travel after viewing the documentary film Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie which was about comedian Jeffrey Ross' comedy tour in Iraq. As headliner, Lange picked fellow comedians Jim Florentine, Nick DiPaolo, and Dave Attell to join him, including producer of The Howard Stern Show Gary Dell'Abate, who served as master of ceremonies on the tour.^[3]

On November 11, 2008 Lange released his first book, Too Fat to Fish. The book is a collection of narrative episodes from Lange's life, from his childhood to his USO trip. The foreword is written by Howard Stern.^[32] The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list under hardcover nonfiction.^[33] The softcover edition was released in June 2009 with a change to the back cover from the hardcover edition and includes a bonus chapter.

On November 17, 2009, Lange released his second comedy DVD, Jack and Coke, via Shout! Factory. The 80-minute set was recorded live in New York City.

Return to radio and second book (2011–present)[link]

On July 6, 2011, Lange returned to radio for the first time since December 2009, guest hosting in place of Tony Bruno on Fox Sports Radio with comedian Nick DiPaolo. A caller asked Lange about returning to The Howard Stern Show, to which he replied: "That would be the greatest thing ever, but you know listen, I was on the greatest show of all-time for about nine years and I put them in a very awkward situation to say the least. So what am I gonna do? But I love them all and they were great to me."^[34] On July 21, Lange announced to comedian Joe Matarese on his podcast of the plans to have him and DiPaolo to host a "sports entertainment comedy show" on Fox Sports Radio in. "It looks like it's a definite. They made an offer," said Lange. "Nothing's been signed yet, but we're gonna do it."^[35] On October 3, 2011, The Nick and Artie Show debuted on DirecTV. TMZ reported that Lange and Dipaolo will each make $500,000 per year as part of the contract, which was guaranteed for 3 years.

Lange's second book, Crash and Burn, is set for a late 2012 release.

Personal life[link]

Though raised as a Catholic, Lange has expressed doubts about the existence of God but is "afraid" to identify himself as an atheist in the event that he is wrong.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, Lange began to date his longtime girlfriend Dana Sironi. He announced in 2006 their decision to break up, citing his heroin abuse as the primary reason. However, Lange announced on an early November 2006 Stern Show that they were again together to some extent, but that the situation was a mystery even to him. The couple broke up in early 2007 but began dating again in December 2007. The couple have since parted ways, though Sironi accompanied Lange to an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman in March 2009.^{[citation needed]}

His favorite book is A Confederacy of Dunces.^{[citation needed]} He considers George Carlin to be the all-time greatest comedian and said, "It's easy to follow the funniest guy ever" when he appeared after Carlin as a guest during his first talk show appearance, on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.^{[citation needed]} He has been critical of the "unbelievably positive press" given to comedians such as Jon Stewart and Ricky Gervais, feeling that their acclaim approaches hyperbole; he acknowledges their talents, however.^{[citation needed]}

He has been asked to appear on Celebrity Fit Club for each of the show's four seasons but has declined every time because of his commitment to Stern's show.

Political views[link]

Politically, he has said he does not consider himself to be a "liberal," though he is pro-choice, a supporter of gay rights, and a supporter of unions owing to his former career as a longshoreman.^{[citation needed]} He has called President George W. Bush a "dolt" and supported John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008.^{[citation needed]} He initially supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but has since changed his mind. When documentarian Michael Moore visited The Howard Stern Show in 2007, Lange told him that he had changed some of his political opinions because of Moore's films. Crumbs Bakery currently offers an "Artie Lange" vanilla and chocolate cupcake, with partial proceeds going toward the Lifebeat HIV/AIDS charity.^[36]

Substance abuse[link]

On August 6, 2008, Lange claimed to have begun an intensive outpatient rehab program after missing the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget.^[37] On the August 11 airing of the show, Lange admitted to having been back on heroin for the previous seven weeks. He stated that he had gotten drunk playing pool and was offered the heroin by someone at the pool hall.^[38] Comedian Richard Lewis recommended a therapist to Lange.

On the December 8, 2008 show, Lange admitted that he lied about intensive outpatient rehab and had only gone to the therapist twice, not even making it through the end of the second session.

On the June 17, 2009, episode of The Adam Carolla Podcast, Lange revealed that he had been sober for two and a half months, had lost 45 pounds, and hoped to lose 45 more.^[39] On the August 10, 2009 broadcast of The Howard Stern Show, Stern noticed Lange's weight loss. Lange then confirmed that his current weight was 230 lb. and that he wished to continue in his endeavor to lose more weight.^{[citation needed]}

2010 suicide attempt[link]

On January 2, 2010, Lange attempted suicide by repeatedly stabbing himself in the abdomen with a 13-inch kitchen knife.^[40] He was found on the floor of his home by his mother and taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. Lange was released the following week.^[41] Sirius stated that Lange would be welcomed back onto The Howard Stern Show following his recovery.^[42]

Lange returned to the comedy stage for the first time on September 27, 2010 eight months after his suicide attempt, performing two nights at Comedy Cellar in New York City. He mentioned being in a psychiatric ward for 8 months since the incident. As of September 2011 he has been co host of the Nick and Artie show with comedian Nick Dipaolo every week night at 10.00pm to 1.00 am. ^[2]

Filmography[link]

Roles lost[link]

Lange auditioned for the role of Milton in Mike Judge's film Office Space, and again for the role of Judge Hank "The Hangman" BMW in Mike Judge's film Idiocracy, he lost both roles to Stephen Root.^{[citation needed]} Lange auditioned for Paul Giamatti's role in Man on the Moon. He also auditioned for the role of Nick Volpe (Wass Stevens was ultimately cast) in the 2008 film The Wrestler. During a December 18, 2008 call to The Howard Stern Show, director Darren Aronofsky, a stand-up comedy fan, stated he was impressed by Lange's acting but felt his celebrity would be distracting to the audience; Stern, who said it was his favorite movie of the year, agreed with this assessment and Lange joked it was the most flattering reason he'd ever been turned down for a role.

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Lange, Artie (2008). Too Fat to Fish (1st ed.). Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 978-0-385-52656-2. 

External links[link]

• Official website
• Artie Lange at the Internet Movie Database
• Artie Lange at AllRovi

Interviews[link]

• Artie Lange interview on Rock 'n Roll Ghost
• Artie Lange on National Public Radio in 2006
• Artie Lange on National Public Radio in 2008
• Artie Lange interview on the Best Damn Sports Show Podcast

Others[link]

• Review of "Too Fat to Fish"

Terry Gross
Terry Gross at the Georgia Tech Ferst Center for the Arts, in Atlanta, November 2006
Born	(1951-02-14) February 14, 1951 (age 61)
Show	Fresh Air
Station(s)	WHYY-FM, NPR
Country	U.S.
Website	Official Website

Terry Gross (born February 14, 1951 ^[1]) is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio.

Gross has won praise over the years for her low-key and friendly yet often probing interview style and for the diversity of her guests. She has a reputation for researching her guests' work largely the night before an interview, often asking them unexpected questions about their early career.^[2]

Life and career[link]

Gross grew up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York in a Jewish family.^[3][4] She earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in communications from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. She began a teaching career, but said that she was "totally unequipped" for the job, and was fired after only six weeks.^[5]

Gross began her radio career in 1973 at WBFO, a public radio station in Buffalo, New York, where she had been volunteering. In 1975, she moved to WHYY-FM in Philadelphia to host and produce Fresh Air, which was a local interview program at the time. In 1985, Fresh Air with Terry Gross went national, being distributed weekly by NPR. It became a daily program two years later.

She also starred as a guest-voice on The Simpsons as herself.

Interview style[link]

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that Gross' interviews are "a remarkable blend of empathy, warmth, genuine curiosity, and sharp intelligence."^[6] Gross prides herself on preparation; prior to interviewing guests, she reads their books, watches their movies, and/or listens to their CDs. The Boston Phoenix opined that "Terry Gross … is almost certainly the best cultural interviewer in America, and one of the best all-around interviewers, period. Her smart, thoughtful questioning pushes her guests in unlikely directions. Her interviews are revelatory in a way other people's seldom are."^[5]

Difficult interviews[link]

Gross has drawn added public attention following some occasions when interviews have taken a confrontational turn. Three notable examples include:

• The February 4, 2002, interview with Kiss lead singer and bassist Gene Simmons began with Gross mispronouncing Simmons' original Hebrew last name. Simmons dismissively replied to her that she mispronounced it because she had a Gentile mouth. Gross replied that her mouth was not Gentile. Gross questioned Simmons' views on the importance of money. In the interview, Gross begins a question "so having sex with you" to which Simmons interjects, "you're going to have to stand in line". Gross continued with questioning Simmons about his many liaisons. Later Simmons said "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs," to which Gross replied, "That's a really obnoxious thing to say." Unlike most Fresh Air guests, Simmons refused to grant permission for the interview to be made available online on NPR. However, the interview appears in Gross' book All I Did Was Ask, and unauthorized transcripts and audio of the complete original interview exist.^[7][8][9]
• An October 8, 2003, interview with Fox News television host Bill O'Reilly, who walked out of the interview because of what he considered were biased questions, creating a media controversy fed by the ongoing presidential campaign. Toward the end of the interview, O'Reilly asked Gross if she had been as tough on Al Franken, who had appeared on the program two weeks before O'Reilly. Gross responded, "No, I wasn't ... we had a different interview."^[10] Gross was later criticized by then NPR ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin for "an interview that was, in the end, unfair to O'Reilly" and that "it felt as though Terry Gross was indeed 'carrying Al Franken's water'".^[11] Dvorkin described Gross' interviewing tactic of reading a quote critical of O'Reilly after he had walked out of the room as "unethical and unfair".^[12] Gross was later supported by an NPR colleague, Mike Pesca, who contended that O'Reilly did have the opportunity to respond to a criticism that Gross read to O'Reilly levelled by People magazine, but that he defaulted by prematurely abandoning the interview.^[12] On September 24, 2004, Gross and O'Reilly met again on O'Reilly's television show in which Gross assured O'Reilly "that no matter what you ask me, I'm staying for the entire interview".^[13]
• A February 9, 2005, interview of Lynne Cheney, conservative author and wife of then-Vice President Dick Cheney. The initial focus of the interview was on Cheney's latest history book, but Gross moved on to questions about Cheney's lesbian daughter Mary and her opinion of the Bush administration's opposition to same-sex marriage.^[14] Cheney declined to comment on her daughter's sexuality, but repeatedly stated her opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which was being endorsed by President Bush. Cheney declined to discuss the matter further. Later, when Gross brought the interview back to issues of gay rights, Cheney again refused to comment. According to producers, Cheney had been warned that Gross would be asking about politics and current events.^[15]

Personal life[link]

Gross was married early on in her life, but was in divorce proceedings by the time she started her radio career in 1973.^[16][17][18] She is now married to Francis Davis, jazz critic of the Village Voice. The couple have no children. In an interview with B. D. Wong, Gross said this is a deliberate choice on their part.^[19]

Gross wrote in the introduction to All I Did Was Ask: Conversations With Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists that she is sometimes asked whether she is a lesbian, due to the number of Fresh Air guests from the entertainment industry.^[20] In her interview with Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, she mentioned that she had lived in a commune.

Awards[link]

• 1981 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award for "Best Live Radio Program,"
• 1987 Ohio State Award
• 1993 Peabody Award
• 1999 The Foundation of American Women In Radio and Television's Gracie Allen Award
• 2003 CPB Edward R. Murrow Award^[21]
• 2007 Literarian Award, National Book Foundation
• 2008 WHYY National Book Foundation Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community

Bibliography[link]

• Gross, Terry (2004). All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 1-4013-0010-3. 

Audio collections[link]

• (1998) Fresh Air: On Stage & Screen (cassette)
• (2000) Fresh Air on Stage and Screen Vol 2 (CD)
• (2004) Fresh Air Laughs with Terry Gross [UNABRIDGED] (CD)

References[link]