Is it me?

Am I just old fashioned?

I must have moved the side dial on my clock radio because I woke up this morning at 6 to a news item that inspired great hilarity. The female news reader was telling us about a British couple. The woman had bitten off 1/3 of the man's tongue while they were kissing. The reason she gave was that they were having difficulty conceiving.

It was the husband's reaction to all this that caused the three people on the radio show to crack right up. The husband said he could no longer taste curry. He couldn't tell whether his toast was toast with cheese or merely toast.

At this point someone said, "Couldn't he just look?"

The news reader continued through restrained laughter that the man was no longer able to speak or work.

And then ... one of the men on this show, I think his name was Rush, immediately began to speak as if he had lost a large portion of his tongue and were East Indian. The original news reader completely lost it. She giggled till I was sure she would wet her pants.

One of the two male hosts said, "That's not funny," and the the man mimicking the husband just rode right over his protest and even began to read the next news items in the East Indian handicapped accent. The woman couldn't even attempt to contain her laughter. Wave after wave of uncontrollable giggles erupted.

A year ago I was traveling in the Toronto area and listened for a while to another on-air racist exchange, and I wondered how they got away with this on Canadian radio. This morning I realized that it is happening in Ottawa too.

I was listening to 89.9 ... the hot radio station ... the fastest growing radio station in Ottawa.

I have thought for some years now (that tells you how old and crotchety I am becoming) that CBC has really lowered its bar in an attempt to garner more of the radio audience, but CBC just rose miles in my estimation after listening to today's competition.

I guess I spend most of my life cocooned from life. I listen to CBC. I watch movies instead of television. I live forty minutes from the nearest urban area. I spend more time with dogs than I do with people.

Maybe that is why I was shocked this morning.

Funny, I was just thinking I should probably get out more. Now I am not so sure.