This is one of those great Scharpling turn-arounds. IMO, this shows his mastery of knowing ahead of time whether a caller is going to tank and be boring, or lead down a hilarious trail. I imagine you only get a skill like this after years and years of experience.
Date: 12/15/2009
Time: circa 58 minutes
Tom: 'FMU, you're on the air.
Caller: Oh. hey.
Tom: Hello?
Caller: Hey. What's goin' on? Hello? Hello?
Tom: Hello. What's goin' on? You're on. Who am I speaking to?
Caller: Theresa.
Tom: Theresa, where are you calling from?
Caller: Oh, I'm calling from the Hudson Valley in New York.
Tom: How are things tonight in the Hudson Valley?
Caller: Very clear...
Tom: ....alright
Caller: Crystal clear. Crystal clear.
Tom: Okay. Clear. What can I do for you tonight,
Theresa?
Caller: I don't know what the program dictates. What is the genre of the evening?
Tom: Well, basically this is a talk show. We do a thing where we do a lot of personal talk up front, and we do a thing where we transition to hardcore political discussions.
Caller: Oh really now?
Tom: Yes. So, if you want to kick off the political discussion, the floor is yours.
Caller: Really? Hey. Okay. Alright. Well then, why don't we discuss what Steve Perry was discussing as a correspondent in (sic) CNN; he was discussing all the violence that's going on in Chicago and the big problem in the country of the violence of children and children on children. And how we're very concerned with this overseas conflict when we have this conflict here.
Tom: So, tonight's topic, as suggested by Theresa from the Hudson Valley, is Child-on-Child Violence. Let's get to the bottom of this tonight. It is an epidemic ravaging our country, when our own children fight our own children. Is there really hope for our society?
Now, Theresa are you against this Child-on-Child violence going on in our country?
Theresa: Well isn't everyone? Children are our future. They learn what they live. And as Steve Perry said as the CNN correspondence, the ministers in the community should be ashamed to take their tithe money on Sunday with that much violence in the community, and the politicians well, and the teachers who have a charter school in the country who...
Tom: Now, Steve Perry, he's on what network?
Theresa: CNN. I should say that his school is out of East Orange and for many many years East Orange would garner the award for Cleanest City in America.
Tom: When did East Orange get that award? 1803?
Theresa: No, in I don't appreciate your sarcasm.
Tom: Now what a minute. Where are you? Aren't you in the Hudson River Valley? Why aren't you in East Orange making it better?
Theresa: I'd love to.
Tom: Then do it.
Theresa: I'd love to.
Tom: So, do it!
...
Tom: Now you got mad when I suggested that East Orange won the award in 1803.
Theresa: Yeah, they won the award up until the 70's.
Tom: Now, when you say "70's" do you mean the year 70? Alright let me read this note from my producer. Okay it says "Hang up on this call. It is a boring call and no one wants to listen to it." Theresa, I just want to say thank you for kicking off the show. We're going to have a great topic and a great show so thank you for your contribution.
Caller: Okay, and just the other day on Sunday...
Click.