British disc jockey Steve Penk is the recipient of both a negative press backlash and numerous “thank you” emails this week after playing Van Halen’s “Jump” at the request of one his listeners. His listener was stuck in traffic because someone on the bridge he was driving on was threatening to kill herself by jumping off of it. Via AP:
A British radio DJ is being criticized for playing Van Halen’s “Jump” as police tried to talk a suicidal woman down from a highway bridge last week.
“This audience was just climbing the wall. They were frustrated” in traffic on the highway that rings the northwest English city of Manchester.
Penk refused to apologize for the decision, saying he was standing by his audience. He said he was stunned by the media coverage. The Sun newspaper quoted a listener saying that playing the song was “pathetic and nasty.”
Obviously, it’s funny because “Jump” is so on the money, but would it have been any less cruel to play “Panama” or “Hot for Teacher”? I want to jump off a bridge when I hear those songs, too. By the way, the chick did in fact jump – and live. All she got out of the deal was some shattered heel bones. See? All in fun. If the DJ really wanted to kill her, he would have played Judas Priest, because no one survives a self-inflicted shotgun blast to the head. Except for the guy who did.
No comments yet.