Wendy Williams Found Being Called a Shock Jock Distasteful
Wendy Williams has been known for stirring up controversy on her platforms. And although some would’ve labeled her a shock jock for her content, Williams couldn’t have disagreed more.
What Wendy Williams thought of the term shock jock
Williams was one of the most candid radio and television hosts during her time on air. Her directness has caused her to feud with several celebrities, from Ellen DeGeneres to Dionne Warwick. But despite Williams’ reputation, she asserted that she wasn’t the shock jock others might’ve made her out to be.
Shock jocks were usually the type of radio hosts that would deliberately cause controversy with provocative commentary. Williams confided that her only intention when on her platform was to speak her truth.
” I don’t particularly care for the term ‘shock jock.’ It brings up distasteful man humor and I don’t find anything that I say so shocking. My delivery is not so shocking—I speak like you speak,” Williams once told Edge.
However, Williams didn’t outright hate being called a shock jock. If only because it linked her to one of her role models.
“But I’ll take it as a compliment, only because it put me in good company with my friend Howard Stern, who is one of the greatest personalities on radio ever…which means that I must be one of the greatest personalities ever,” Williams said.
Wendy Williams explained why her authenticity could be challenging
Williams’ habit of speaking her mind may have made her a few enemies in the entertainment industry. But it also made the star one of the biggest hosts during her time. Still, her openness came with its fair share of challenges that went beyond celebrity feuds.
“When I walk in a room, people sort of react as if Godzilla walked in. They’ve always wanted to see or be near me, but they don’t know how to react. It’s like, “If I touch her will I burn? If she catches me looking at her, will she say something?” It’s partly my reputation and partly my presence,” she said.
She also believed that her stature was a trigger for this reaction.
“I’m taller than most men and women once I put my heels on, and I have a larger frame than the average woman—but it all works for me. I actually enjoy walking into a room and watching everyone scatter, because the truth is that I’m a pussycat. I’m honest, not mean-spirited, so whatever is making them scatter, I know that if they gave me a chance, they would love me,” she said.
Why Wendy Williams preferred live TV
Williams didn’t just succeed off the strength of her personality. She also felt she succeeded off the strength of her almost error-free work ethic. One of the reasons why she made the seamless transition from radio to television was due to how meticulous she was.
“I may make it look like perhaps something will go wrong, but remember, I had almost 25 years of broadcasting live radio four hours a day,” she said. “I’ve been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. I’ve won several awards. I’m part of an elite group. You don’t get that far by slipping up; you get that far by making it look easy. But it really is not. I curse like a sailor in real life but I’ve never cursed on the radio. I’m a trained broadcaster. So, for me, live TV? It’s the best.”
Additionally, doing live tv came with a lot of freedom for Williams.
“They told me You’re going to be live and I said, Great. I’ve got stuff to do after the show. I’ve got groceries to buy. Nobody has time to be up in this dusty studio all day. At 11:01, I’m free,” she said. “I go home, I become Wendy Hunter. We’re live out of New York four days a week. We tape Friday’s show on Thursday afternoon, so Friday I’m free to go to Home Depot, work on an outside project, whatever.”
