KLBJ Morning Show Pranks Ellen/Housewives/Us

Over the weekend the internets were buzzing over a video of the latest Austin weblebrity. Last week on Ellen, the quirky daytime talk show with equally quirky host Ellen DeGeneres, set up a toll free number so viewers could give feedback about her show. One was from "Gladys Hardy", an 88-year-old woman from Austin who voiced concerns, opinions and suggestions all in one thirty-second message to Ellen. She liked her so much, she called "Gladys" the next day. Ellen is eating it up, the entire American daytime viewing public is eating it up and yes, we admit, we fell for it also.

But we figured it out pretty quickly--"Gladys Hardy" is in fact the folks down at KLBJ In The Morning, and their prankster antics have rocketed "Gladys" to temporary internet stardom. This week's YouTube favorite, with tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments. Since the show, even her MySpace page is getting heavy traffic.

Real or fake, the folks have the imitation of a Texas grandma down to a science. And we realize we're probably a little late to jump on the bandwagon, but now we'll just sit back and watch other people fall for it. Congratulations KLBJ, you got us.

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By patrickdentler in Other on January 23, 2007 6:28 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Duke

I saw this photo on Flickr today. Have a look and read the comments below. I guess Gladys isn't real afterall. But the question remains..does it really matter?

Heres the link: www.flickr.com/photos/artmack2...

Jen

Ellen called her again on today's show, and Ellen had a bunch of emails with questions to ask Gladys. One question, of course, asked if she was real. Hmmm... I originally didn't even think that this was fake, but now I am doubtful.

Sarah

Really hard to tell if it is a fake or not! She sounds exactly like my Nana; "keep on keepin on" and "I like to stay local" is definitely something she would say and her overall style and tone of voice is very like an elderly woman.

Saying that, her consistent funniness seems unreal - either Gladys should have been a comedian or she is a comedian.

Lykos

You know, it doesn't explain when she is trying to hang up the fone and she can't find the button, and there's a younger girl in the back ground calling her nana. that may support she is real.

john

come on.. the guy is trying to make a living as a comic, and it's certainly not because of klbj or dale dudley - who is currently black-mailing the guy so that he doesn't make any other radio appearances. ridiculous. let the guy entertain, he's damn good.

screw dudley.

Jean

Yeah, it was funny. But it still pisses me off that it was a prank. Yet, Ellen did benefit from it. It made me laugh. Now, though, it will never be the same. The first call was funny.

After she called a couple of times since, I did think it was fake. It ruined it for me. Still, I loved watching Ellen laugh so hard during the first call. It was the best.

Anyway, I CARE that it's fake. It would be different if she/he showed up on the show in drag and costume though, to make up for the "prank" I'd watch that.

teddybear

I am a regular caller and friend of the KLBJ-FM MORNING SHOW, better known as The Dudley and Bob Show. Gladys is not a member of the show. In fact they got upset at her for being on another morning show in Austin.

Claudia

From the first time I heard "Gladys" I said it sounded like a guy imitating his grandmother. That would explain the familiar sayings. Jonathan Winters did a very similar routine in the past. C'mon, how many 88 year old women would say "keep on keeping on"?

Bob

Ellen sucks. KLBJ sucks. I love Rachael Ray...belch.

secede78704

You know, anyone can create a MySpace page for anyone else - it's not like they check social security numbers. Just because she now has a MySpace page doesn't she she even had anything to do with it - might just be morning show goofs trying to get free publicity from an Austin sensation.

fausto

I have a hard time believing this is fake because it is too close to my own grandmother and other Austin elderly women I've known (my family has lived in Austin since the 1930s)... it is too good to be a prank!

Austin Skeptic

I don't believe for a minute Gladys has anything to do with KLBJ. They don't have the talent to pull this off.

austin girl livin' in nyc

oh, c'mon y'all - gladys totally sounds like an old man imitating an old lady.

real or not, she's pretty fucking funny.

Karen

Doesn't anyone remember the big controversy when Gladys guest-hosted the morning show for KASE 101? The guys over at KLBJ were PISSED, definitely going to say that she isn't one of them. Also, Joe Sears sounds like a man doing a fake old lady voice. Gladys sounds like my grandmother, both her voice (sounds like a real old lady to me) and her way of speaking, I know I've heard my grandma tell me to call her anything but late for dinner.

Who the hell cares anyway? Gladys is hilarious! I, for one, am going to watch and listen to as much of her as I can get.

Miggo

It's not Joe Sears or anyone else from the Tuna group.

DvS

It sounds nothing like Joe Sears.

Aaron & Allen

It's Joe Sears, foo!

apv

So you're also admitting to watching the Ellen show? I think that confirms a lot of things that we've fallen for.

pd

JoJo, If you were able to see the MySpace page you'd see plenty of references to KLBJ--including clips in the Standalone Player and even the 'website' link on the page goes directly to the KLBJ Morning Show.

Cooter

I can't believe the Ellen show can't afford cordless phones.

JoJo the Dog Faced Boy

Eh, not exactly. Nobody's too sure who Gladys is. She's certainly not "the folks down at KLBJ In The Morning," as Gladys has called in to various radio stations and shows in the past. In other words, she has appeared *ON* the show, but she's not *FROM* the show.

Is she really an 88 year old woman? Who knows? Frankly, who cares? She's pretty damn funny.