In the wake of the untimely death of nationally syndicated radio host David "Kidd" Kraddick, his fervent fans are asking that his morning show stay on air, and they have launched a petition that's being deluged with signatures.
Kraddick died unexpectedly in New Orleans on July 27 of apparent cardiac disease. His morning show, Kidd Kraddick in the Morning — broadcast in Dallas on KHKS 106.1 KISS-FM — reached millions of listeners across the country.
The petition was started July 30. It reads in full:
We are unsure of what the future holds for our beloved Kidd Kraddick in the morning show! So we have decided to start this petition as a backup to show our loyalty to the late Kidd Kraddick and show them that the decision is easy to keep the show on air!
At 10 am, the petition had more than 4,600 signatures. By 10:30 am, it had climbed to 7,500, with about 200 signatures being added every minute.
Although KISS-FM has not announced plans for Kraddick's morning show, the station has basically served as an ongoing memorial, with fans calling in to express their condolences since his death. Co-host Kellie Rasberry along with Big Al, J-Si and Jenna, held a special tribute show for Kraddick on Monday, July 29.
Kraddick was a nationally syndicated radio host who recorded a popular morning show from a studio in Las Colinas.
khmx.radio.com
Kraddick was a nationally syndicated radio host who recorded a popular morning show from a studio in Las Colinas.
Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.
That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.
Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.
Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.
The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.
The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.
Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.
Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.
