Talk Radio
written by Eric Bogosian
Barry: Hold the calls. I'm here, I'm here every night, I come up here every night. This is my job, this is what I do for a living. I come up here and I do the best I can. I give you the best I can. I can't do better than this. I can't. I'm only a human being up here. I'm not God,...uh,...a lot of you out there are not...I may not be the most popular guy in the world. That's not the point. I really don't care what you think of me. I mean, Who the hell are you anyways? You..."audience"...You call me up and you try to tell me things about myself...You don't know me. You don't know anything about me. You've never seen me. ...You don't know who I am, what I want, what I like, what I don't like in this world. I'm just a voice. A voice in the wilderness...And you...like a pack of baying wolves descend on me, 'cause you can't stand facing what it is you are and what you've made. can't stand facing what it is you are and what you've made....Yes, the world is a terrible place! Yes, cancer and garbage disposals will get you! Yes, a war is coming. Yes, the world is shot to hell and you're all goners... Everything's screwed up and you like it that way, don't you? You're fascinated by the gory details... You're mesmerized by your own fear! You revel in floods and car accidents and unstoppable diseases...You're happiest when others are in pain! And that's where I come in, isn't it?...I'm here to lead you by the hand through the dark forest of your own hatred and anger and humiliation...I'm providing a public service! You're so scared! You're like the little child under the covers. You're afraid of the boogeyman, but you can't live without him. Your fear, your own lives have become your entertainment! Tomorrow night, millions of people are going to be listening to this show, and you have nothing to talk about! Marvelous technology is at our disposal and instead of reaching up for new heights, we try to see how far down we can go...how deep into the muck we can immerse ourselves! What do you wanna talk about? Baseball scores? Your pet? Orgasms? You're pathetic. I despise each and every one of you...You've got nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No brains. No power. No future. No hope. No God. The only thing you believe in is me. What are you if you don't have me? I'm not afraid, see. I come up here every night and make my case, I make my point...I say what I believe in. I have to, I have no choice, you frighten me! I come up here every night and I tear into you, I abuse you, I insult you...and you just keep calling. Why do you keep coming back, what's wrong with you? I don't want to hear any more, I've had enough. Stop talking. Don't call anymore! Go away! Bunch of yellow-bellied, spineless, bigoted, quivering, drunken, insomnatic, paranoid, disgusitng, perverted, voyeuristic little obscene phone callers. That's what you are. Well, to hell with ya...I don't need your fear and your stupidity. You don't get it. ..It's wasted on you. Pearls before swine... (Catches his breath) If one person out there had any idea what I'm talking about...(Suddenly starts taking callers again) Fred, you're on!
Editor's note: I cheated somewhat. This I transcribed from "Talk Radio" the stage play, not the movie. But if you compare the two, they're almost completely the same