Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, Feb. 28, 2024 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

by Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien, commentary

WHERE IS WENDY WILLIAMS?

Over the weekend I have watched parts of that really, really, really depressing documentary the Lifetime Network released about WENDY WILLIAMS, entitled “WHERE IS WENDY WILLIAMS”. She’s a loved and hated radio talk show host, gossip TV personality and as of late, raging alcoholic, who is literally killing herself while we all rubber neck the car wreck.

You’ll have to watch the show to grasp the intensity and seriousness of what I’m telling you which really is counter intuitive to what I’m saying in this column… but the fact is this show is out there now and I believe we can think deeply and get introspective about how imperfect we ALL are by watching any of it. I said this on my FB page (which you can find me by searching for Jennifer Brien on FB), and I mean it. Watching this show makes me feel as though I’m peeking through a keyhole into her private life at the WORST POSSIBLE moments. She is at her lowest of lows after the death of her mother, the loss of her show/career, a divorce from her two timing husband who had a baby with his mistress, and finally, the loss of her sanity due to alcohol induced dementia. Yeah. That’s a lot. A REAL LOT and we are sitting in our living rooms watching the aftermath of this total implosion of a life?

My GOD!

I watched one episode and was so convicted about being entertained by someone’s suffering I spent time with God and asked for forgiveness. Imagine you personally, struggling and going through the worst kind of personal trauma you could think of while people gasped, judged, laughed at, and ridiculed. Stop and IMAGINE that. 

I never liked this woman or paid attention to her, but I am now. She has been exploited and turned into a FREAK sideshow for our entertainment. My heart breaks for her and breaks into more pieces knowing there are people out there taking advantage of her frail mind and spirit. Face it, she’s a hot mess times 50. Maybe this is payback for all the $@+T she stirred in people’s lives over the years causing great distress. Idk. What I do know is, if you are a decent human being, part of you feels repulsed watching this, and the other thing I know for SURE is – we ALL have secrets. WE ALL HAVE SECRETS and have gone through dark, dark times… difference is, you’re blessed enough to not have them splattered on television all over the world. 

Finally, we hear Wendy has received a new diagnosis of frontal lobe dementia. Couldn’t we all see something was terribly wrong, and this wasn’t a sideshow?

Till next week – Jen

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“ALL THAT”… WHAT?

What’s with the big deal of trying to be edgy when it comes to a state tourism slogan and campaign? Didn’t we learn our lesson with COOLER & WARMER? Exactly what does ALL THAT mean? The RI Commerce Department and a Florida based agency teamed up for a campaign costing $483,000 and plan to roll out a fiscal 2024 three million dollar nationwide advertising campaign. Lt. Governor Sabina Matos says [come] for the music scene, and sample world-class cuisine here in the Ocean State – “This new campaign will ensure that travelers know that whatever they are looking for in their next trip, Rhode Island is ALL THAT.”

Why not return to that catchy jingle that became an ear worm “The Biggest Little State in the Union”, or simply look at our license plate “Ocean State”? And why are we sending $483K off to a Florida agency? Don’t we have enough creative minds here to come up with something better than ALL THAT? And lastly, a 3 million dollar ad campaign to get people to visit the state while we battle the Washington Bridge debacle that’s already bringing us a national black eye? Yikes. ALL THAT…TRAFFIC!

COOLER AND WARMER

That wasn’t just a bust for Rhode Island. It was a big bust for McDonalds too. In the mid 80’s Mickey D’s introduced a burger (targeted at adults) called the McDLT. It was a simple burger with lettuce and tomato, but it came in a 2-sided Styrofoam package separating the lettuce and tomato on one side (the cooler), and the beef patty (the warmer)  on the other. It was around for a little while before McDonalds pulled the plug because of environmental issues over 2-sided Styrofoam containers.

CHANGING TIMES

Macy’s revealed this week they plan to close 150 stores nationwide within the next few years… 50 in ’24, the rest to follow. No locations have been announced yet. Rhode Island has two Macy’s stores, one in Warwick Mall the other in Providence Place. Also, Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, just closed 41 underperforming locations across its brands including Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Flemings. The closures were primarily focused on Outback Steakhouse establishments.

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Read all of Ron & Jen’s columns, here: https://rinewstoday.com/ron-st-pierre-jen-brien/

Ron St. Pierre is a veteran broadcaster whose career has spanned over four decades. Ron has programmed, performed on and managed WHJJ, WPRO, WWRX, 790 The Score in Providence, as well as WBZT and WKGR in West Palm Beach and WABC in New York City. Ron also anchored sports on WPRI Ch 12 in Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He was born and raised in Pawtucket.

Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit.

Hazel, Ron’s dog, makes regular appearances.

“Ron and Jen’s Great Escape” podcast, a more lighthearted look at the events happening around us, can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes premiering each Wednesday and listen to Ron and Jen’s Great Escape on NewsRadio 920 and 104-7 FM, Saturday morning, 7am!