Larry JohnsonMondays have become WEEI day on the Boston Sports Media Approval Ratings.

Today we’re rating weekend host Larry Johnson.

LJ co-hosts the “Mustard and Johnson” weekend show for the station, known for talking about the Yankees incessantly and featuring a lineup of New York Yankee fan callers. Johnson is also a regular co-host on The Big Show during the week.

A cartoonist by trade, Johnson worked for the Boston Globe for many years, and now creates cartoons for WEEI.com and The Remy Report website. He was also a regular cartoon contributor to ESPN.com’s Page 2 “Daily Quickie.”

WEEI frequently pokes fun at LJ in Pete Gustin’s skits, including portraying LJ at “The Tracer” a moniker that seems apt as shown by Larry Johnson vs Google Image Search. They also enjoy replaying his voicemail messages to station chief Jason Wolfe. Johnson frequently touts his Christian faith on the air, and has objected to some of the bits played on the station.

You can see more of Johnson’s work on his site: Larry Johnson Art.

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{democracy:20}
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Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

61 thoughts on “Approval Ratings – Larry Johnson”

  1. I disapprove; not because Johnson is a jerk ala Butch Sterns, but rather because, “Why him?” I don’t understand how he got his gig at WEEI. Tracing photos? If not tracing, then bad cariactures? Doesn’t bring anything to the table except for a huge appetite.

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  2. How’s that disapproval rating workin’ out for ya? BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

    I despise Larry Johnson. I mean, I do. I really do.

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  5. I don’t no where to start with this outrageously, oversized, tub of gelatinous goo. He’s about as much of an artist as I am a porn star. He traces pictures from Google and calls them his own. When he doesn’t trace, it looks like he drew it with his foot. No artistic talent whatsoever.

    His radio show with Mustard is amongst the worst in radio history. Larry’s goal seems to be to make friends with the mouth-breathing jack-arses that call in.

    He’s also a hypocrite. Pretends to be a strict Christian, but will chime in with the blowhards on the Big Show on anything off-color to try and be one of the boys.

    Should be banned from radio and have no further contact with crayons.

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  6. I gave the thumbs up, but to be fair I never ever listen to EEI, or any sports talk radio. I like to think that each day seems a little sunnier for that. So to me LJ is just the cartoon guy who likes sports. And how can you hate on a cartoonist? Even if he doesn’t draw particularly well…

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  7. This vote should be a litmus test on one’s intelligence. Like asking someone if they enjoy “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

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  8. Totally disapprove. Larry’s lack of sports knowledge and insight is aggrevating. I also find his brand of humor to be completely boring and lacking any comedy. I especially dislike when a legitimate conversation sprouts from a caller or host and Larry immediately throws the topic off course with a cheesy joke that only he laughs at. He could be VERY easily replaced.

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  9. This is just too easy today. Who are the 26% that approve? They should have their voting Privileges revoked.

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  10. More popular than Butch Stearns? Clearly looks aren’t everything and that’s dangerous! Your thoughts?

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  11. What can I said that hasn’t already been said either in the comments or on the board?

    Unprepared? You bet Larry is.

    Uninformed? Sure enough.

    Larry, would slice off one his ample man boobs at the promise of a free shaw’s cake.

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  13. Christian? Check. 4 Bills plus? Check. It’s April so I’m a Draftnik? Check. The artistic chops and Sports Knowledge of a pile of dung on a sidewalk in Calcutta on an especially oppressive summer afternoon? Check and Check. Do I despise Larry Johnson? I do, I really, really do.Disapprove is too mild a term for this survey, and I’m being FAIR.

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  14. I don’t know how anyone could “Disapprove” of Larry Johnson. I work in the fashion business, I don’t want to say the name of my company but it rhymes with “Brane Lyant” and Larry is in all the time shopping for his lovely wife. I’ve never met her, but Larry is always holding up the garment (usually a kaftan or kneelength blouse) and asking if it goes with his eyes. How thoughtful! And he is so wellspoken. I mean he’s like a less radical Sinbad with a Boston accent. I just love him…

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  15. Poor Larry.

    I disapprove, but it’s not Larry’s fault. He seems like a reasonably nice guy- a bit of hypocrite, sure, but everyone is at times, so I could let that go. A follower, a guy who’s eager to be seen as a hanger-on to the “in crowd”, definitely, but not a particularly nasty or offensive person.

    The absolute last place he belongs is sports talk radio, though, and that’s the fault of Jason Wolfe and the rest of the morons at Entercom. Johnson is just the worst of the worst when it comes to “guy radio”- he’s not informed, he’s not intelligent, he doesn’t have anything interesting or thoughtful or new to say. He’s not even offensive- and it’s not that offensive is something you aim to be, but at least some would have the pleasure of at least being infuriated.

    Listening to Larry Johnson is like having to listen to an older relative talk about sports at a family party- they know nothing, but you only see your Uncle Larry twice a year so you grit your teeth and roll your eyes and listen to him blather on about whatever stupid Red Sox topic he’s obsessing over this week.

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    1. “Listening to Larry Johnson is like having to listen to an older relative talk about sports at a family party- they know nothing, but you only see your Uncle Larry twice a year so you grit your teeth and roll your eyes and listen to him blather on about whatever stupid Red Sox topic he’s obsessing over this week.”

      I agree which is the biggest reason I voted disapprove. That and the tracing.

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  17. They should not make lavender clothing in sizes 6XXX and over…it just ain’t right. Maybe for women, but certainly not for a man. Wait, maybe it’s not a Man-Muu, it kinda looks like those Martha Stewart sheets my wife bought for our king size bed, but I know I donated those ugly things to charity ! Something is amiss!

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  18. The question was raised, how can you dislike a cartoonist? For me it’s simple: as a cartoonist you should possess two qualities: artistic talent and some kind of a sense of humor. Larry clearly has neither, and his daily scribbles are a waste of time and add absolutely nothing to the life of any sports fan.

    So many of his cartoons are clearly traced from other people’s photos. And the ones that aren’t look like they were drawn by a third grader.

    And there is absolutely zero humor or insight in any of his work. He never — I mean NEVER — takes an interesting angle on any current event. He’s 1,000,000,000 times more likely to just trace a team logo and give it some attributes that fit it into a situation (bruises, baggage tags, etc.) Slap a “News Item” on for a caption, and there you have it — instant masterpiece! Time for pizza and donuts!

    I stopped listening to EEI a while back, but I’m sure his terrible act has not changed on air either. Zero insight, near-zero sports knowledge, a desire to suck up to every other on-air personality, and that annoying rapport with the horrible “celebrity” callers. Just awful, awful stuff.

    In summary, I wish there was a way I could vote “disapprove” 9,000 times. While Larry may be a harmless, likeable sort of person in his “off air” life, it’s the fact that he is allowed to distribute his childish nonsense to the masses that annoys me. He is part of everything that is wrong with the media in this town right now: crappy, uninformed opinions that are given validation thanks to crappy organizations like WEEI and the other outlets that publish Larry’s scribbles.

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  19. I felt like poking myself in the eyes with a hot stick on Saturday, so instead, I tuned in Mustard and Johnson. Some “callah” was talking about the Bruins and their lack of physical play. Larry mentioned “Chair-Ugh” as a perfect example of a big guy that won’t hit. The “callah” agreed. Larry then goes for the outrageous one-liner that will now send all humans in their 50,000 watt listening range to begin laughing uncontrollably, involuntarily slapping their knees, and immediately hitting the floor and flying into a whirling spin like a young Curly Howard.

    “MAYBE HE NEEDS TO BE LOCKED IN A ROOM FOR AN HOUR AND LISTEN TO OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN TAPES!!!!! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”

    Now, maybe you don’t get it. I find that hard to believe, but perhaps you don’t quickly pick up on the razor-sharp wit of the cartooning catfish.

    Olivia Newton John had a hit song about 99 years ago……The title? “PHYSICAL”…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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  21. I can’t stand larry johnson on that ‘mustard and johnson’ weekend show. his rapport with ‘celebrity’ callers is very annoying. the same ‘celebrities’ (i.e. – “mike from canton”) callers call every week and joke about the same stuff. the mustard and johnson show is completely unprofessional, boring, and unlistenable. I hardly ever listen to WEEI anymore. WFAN in new york is so much better.

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    1. This comment on WFAN is irrefutable. I wonder if the good folks at WEEI know just how inferior their product is to WFAN…Mike & the Mad Dog, Joe Beningo, even Boomer and Cartin.

      I’d rather listen to WFAN and Yankees/Mets talk than WEEI pretend they know what they’re talking about.

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  22. I’ve disliked Larry since the summer of 1983 when he drew a picture of Kevin McHale with a pig nose and eating money. It was the first of many WTF moments I’ve had with Larry’s “art” work. Larry is a sad pathetic human being. The king of bootlicking and tongue baths. Never met an EEI employee he didn’t like, and never had an original thought in his life. He so desperately wants to be with the in crowd that he takes all sorts of crap from anyone at that station. He’s like the friendless kid at school that thinks any kind of attention from his peers is a good thing. Even if everyone if goofing on him, hey it’s all in good fun. It’s guy radio. “It’s what we do.” The holier than thou stuff is annoying also, but his braying laugh (usually at one of his own misfired attempts at humor) is what sends me over the edge and make me lose my proper perspective. He’s grating… he really is.

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  23. The only “talent” Larry supposedly has is cartooning, and yet he steals that from others. Tracing isn’t a talent, it’s theft.

    Thumbs WAAAAY down on this fraud.

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  24. Larry is a hypocrite so what?. I’m a hypocrite too, OK?? GRAHAM CRACKER IS A HYPOCRITE! There…happy? Man alive…

    Why can’t some people keep things in their proper perspective? Trash-talk anonymously on a blog is meaningless. The fact that you take it to such an extreme says wayyyyy more about all of you than it does about Larry. Now run along…I think Teletubbies are on.

    I like sports talk with Larry Johnson and HIHOWAYAS!!

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  26. I feel like he’s probably a truly decent human being and not a bad guy to hang out with at a cocktail party, but he’s pretty GD unlistenable on the radio.

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  28. Mustard and Johnson is less painful to listen to than Planet Mikey only because it’s on 4 less times a week.

    I used to think the problem was Mustard, but now I’m of the mind that the blame is 50/50.

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  29. I think he’s probably a pretty good dude in real life (really, I do). The problem with Larry is that he spends more time trying to impress the “cool kids” at WEEI (and really, it’s not a group worth impressing), so it’s more pitiful than it is bad.

    I disapprove soley on his “art”, which is more of an indictment of the powers that be at WEEI for continuing to, more or less, encourage his intellectual dishonesty. Not only is it fraud, but they’re (I assume) paying for hack work that really isn’t funny.

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  30. he considers himself to be “the voice of the fan” unfortunately he represents the worst of that hypothetical fan. someone who is not particularly well informed or curious about sports but perfectly willing to opine and speculate endlessly about other people’s lives. an over the top christian who is not a bright man, i cant think of a reason to listen to him.

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  31. Still struggle to tell him and Lenny Megliola’s voice apart. Biggest criticism on my end is that, like Burton, Burt and Butch, he has made no effort to improve despite, I assume, a decent amount of constructive criticism through the years.

    Poor bastards like the guy who does the Celts and Sox post-games and Mike Manansky and Jon Wallach who work at their craft must want to jump off that New Balance building when he gets so much airtime.

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  32. Please make your next approval / disapproval forum about Craig Mustard. Please, please, please!!

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  33. Yes, he traces. Yes, it bugs me. But, I approve. Larry is a good person with a kind soul (unlike many at WEEI…hi, Pete, you jackhole!), and genuinely likes what he does. He doesn’t yell, he doesn’t berate callers, and he doesn’t have an agenda. He doesn’t have much talent either, but I can’t kill him for that…few on WEEI do.

    LJ was on WRKO with Mustard one morning a while back, and I was shocked how good they were at engageing in conversation about things other than sports. If Jason Wolfe had a brain in his head…it woulud be 6 inches off the floor, but he’d give them their own show on WRKO.

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  37. Gary’s right. In this color blind world, we should all become unified behind the fact that Larry is indeed, a fat idiot.

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  38. Some people approve of him because he’s a nice guy? Radio is supposed to be entertainment, not a charity. I always turn to music when I hear his voice. He’s incredibly boring and adds nothing to the radio waves. EEI likes him, I’m sure because he eats up a lot of innings on short notice. But no one will notice when he’s gone, which should be sooner rather than later.

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  39. Are these hard to fill shifts on the radio. I have got to think there are thousands of qualified people out there who would kill to have the amount of airtime these two get? They really are painful to listen to.

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  40. Is this market so weak with talent that to justify having Larry Johnson on the air so much? Sad, very sad.

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  42. Have NO IDEA why Larry is on the “Big Show”…even Ordway knows he’s useless, cutting him off in mid-sentence time and time again…(YES I KNOW, Ordway does that to everybody but he does it even more with L.J)…..The Saturday show with Mustard has got to be the WORST show in the HISTORY of radio. ….mark me down for a DISAPPROVE with two thumbs down and add a twist.

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  43. RAMONE!!!! This fat oaf is one of the stupidest guys on EEI! He knows less about sports than Hillary Clinton!

    That said, he’s one of the few who comes off like he’d actually be likable in real life. I sure as hell would NEVER want to run into someone like Denise, Kelly Ann or Craig Ketchup in real life O_O

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  44. not an original thought in his head….remember one Saturday…guy calls in and wants to talk about the Patriots upcoming playoff game….CALLER: “Do you think the Patriots can contain the Jaguars running game” LARRY: “well, let me ask you a question first, DO YOU THINK THE PATRIOTS CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE TAINTED!!??”……L.J is your typical WEEI assclown

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  45. I don’t particularly like or dislike him, but seeing the obvious tracing and/or copying of pictures is pretty sad. As an artist, musician, or writer, your integrity is your #1 priority. He obviously has none.

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  49. Absolutely the worst thing on ‘EEI. A no talent plagiarist with a bad voice, a hideous accent, and a very limited knowledge of sports. Despite all that his worst trait is that he seems to think he’s funny.

    His show with Mustard on Saturdays is the worst show ever.

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  50. Worst co-host on all of WEEI.
    Took Wolfe years to dump Ted Saradis, not wure why it is taking so long to dump LJ. Only reason he has a job is because he had the cancer sympathy vote.

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