-
10 Questions with ... Brooke "Peanut Butter" Sawyer
March 11, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2011 and did an internship with Bob and the Showgram morning show on WDCG (G105). They initially rejected me but I kept showing up and I think they just assumed they weren't getting rid of me.
I interned for the summer of 2011 and in Sept. 2011 was hired as a phone screener for the show. When our producer left in July 2012 I acted as a fill in producer for about six months.
In January 2013, I was officially hired as a Board Op/Assistant Producer/co-host.
About a month ago I started middays on our sister station New Rock 95X. I also do a Sunday show every week from 12-4p on WDCG.
1) What led you to a career in radio?
I hear a lot of people in radio with stories about playing radio as a kid in their rooms and it being a passion since they were in grade school. That wasn't the case for me. I fell in love with radio by accident, but I fell hard. My plan was to go to law school, but I decided to take a summer to just "have fun," then I would go to back to school. The first day of my internship I went home and told my parents I was never going back to school and I wanted to be in radio forever. I just kept showing up each day and thought "either they have to hire me or tell me to stop coming." The latter never happened.
2) What's it like being a part of a very high-profile morning show?
It's amazing. It's incredible. It's baffling. It blows my mind that I get paid to talk music, movies and personal stories with my three best friends ... and people listen! Bob has been on the show for 22 years and he has created something magical, although he's far too humble to admit it. Whenever we are out in public I see the way people gravitate towards him and just talk to him like they've known him for, well, for 22 years. Our listeners are what make it so special.
3) Your show has seen its share of controversy over the years, but the many good things that the show does for the community don't seem to get as much coverage. Fill us in on those good deeds.
Yes, unfortunately controversy is more exciting to report on, I suppose. I guess we don't get noticed for all the good things we do because we don't broadcast it all. We don't want to be THAT morning show. Bob Dumas had a brain tumor about six years ago and that's when he started Bob's Buddies to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. We host an annual radio-thon the day before Thanksgiving, and last year we raised around $230,000 in just 12 hours. Those kids are so close to all of our hearts. We try to do as much as we can with them throughout the year as well. If people saw Bob's interaction with these kids and how much he puts into Bob's Buddies, it would really put other things into perspective.
4) What's your favorite bit or promotion that has been recently done on the show?
Right now we're doing "The Showgram Bachelor" and it is unintentionally really funny. It went the opposite way as we planned. There is so much drama and "wait ... really?" moments. Through the process we found one guy's mugshot, another guy had some baby mamma drama, and one guy who applied was married! The e-mail from his wife was entertaining, to say the least. Instead of giving the girls flowers, they receive biscuits. Welcome to the south!
5) What's your favorite all-time bit?
I really love whenever we get a chance to do "street stunts" live. The filming of Iron Man 3 took place in Cary and Raleigh around a year-and-a-half ago. The show sent me out to try to get on set and interview Robert Downy Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. I was 22 and was so naive they pretty much set me up for failure. They were really surprised when I actually got on set. I made it as far as the extras tent but I was in a G105 T-shirt. Rookie mistake. That day was just so fun and it felt like everyone in the area was waiting to see what happened next. I always love when we can connect with what's going on in that moment in the area.
6) What's your morning routine like? What time do you get in, and what tasks to you tackle first?
First I tackle my Keurig. I pledge my love to that thing every morning; it completes me. I get to the station everyday around 4-4:30a. I don't know if it's a product of my generation, but my first move is to Twitter and Facebook. As we know a lot of the time news breaks first on social media so that's where I get a lot of prep for the show. I'm a planner ... I like to be scheduled. But our show is so stream-of-conscious and so character-driven that sometimes we forget we are on-air. And those are the BEST days. We are four best friends driving in a car, making fun of each other and having real conversations. Then we look up and think; damn we have to have a commercial break ... like, five minutes ago.
7) What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite thing about this job is our listeners. They are the absolute best. They've seen me have many "life fails" and learning experiences. They've always been there to help me out and give advice. They genuinely care about what each of us are going through and we genuinely want their opinions and suggestions. It can be as simple as me going on-air, saying the first one of my friends is getting married, I'm a bridesmaid and I have to throw a shower, please help! Or I'm in a long-distance relationship, it's hard and I need advice. I've cried on-air, laughed, embarrassed myself to no end, but the listeners always keep me going. Also I love that I never have to use my fake laugh because the people I sit across from make me laugh so hard each morning.
8) Who would be a "dream guest" to have on your show?
I would love to have Justin Timberlake on. He is someone who has it all. I've never met him, but he seems down-to-earth. He would mesh well with our humor. I don't know if they would let me in the room if he came in studio ... I may have a slight panic attack and possibly turn into a 13-year-old girl and cry. So maybe just a phoner? I am a movie nerd so I'd love the chance to interview Steven Spielberg. To just try to get inside a guy's head like that would be incredible.
9) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
A lot of people assume that since I'm in radio and I talk to people for a living that I can work a room or get on stage and speak. Sometimes I just completely freeze up and say the most awkward thing or make the cheesiest jokes. My co-workers end up having to take the microphone from me most times.
10) What music do you listen to when you're not working?
People always tease me and say I'm a 24-year-old trapped in a 50-year-old's body. I love music from the '70s and I have a pretty decent vinyl collection. In terms of songwriting, I don't think it gets any better than Paul Simon or the Eagles. But I really am all over the place. If someone picked up my iPod they would be so confused. I love everything from Loretta Lynn, '90s Alt Rock to Taylor Swift. Basically I really appreciate people that write their own songs and can play instruments. Then when I drink and sing karaoke I usually pick a Dr. Dre song and know all the lyrics.
Bonus Questions
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I'll never forget the first time I saw the movie "Pretty Woman." I was way too young to fully understand, but I remember thinking man I wish I could be her when I grow up. She was so beautiful and had so many nice things. I told my mom my plan and later she gently explained what Julia Robert's character actually did for a living. I was horrified and decided maybe I'd be a lawyer or a writer instead.
-
-