Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the tough-love radio host heard locally on 1160/WCFO-AM, almost didn't become a mom.
Imbued with feminist ideals in the 1960s and ‘70s, she said she only got around to having a child at age 35.
“I never had any intention to be a mom,” she said. “Then it struck me - something is missing in my life. I was a late bloomer!” (Her son is now 23 and in the military.)
Schlessinger is embracing the world of moms for a live show at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on the University of California's Irvine campus May 5. It will be seen at 450 movie theaters nationwide, including eight in metro Atlanta. You can buy tix for $20 each here.
Q: So what’s this show going to be like?
A: It’s just me on the stage, a one-woman show. I’ll be rejoicing motherhood in a positive way when so many negatives are going on. It’ll be a multi-media kind of thing. They’ll be music and video, slides and commentary from people.
Q: Any singing and dancing.
A: I may dance. I won’t sing. I’ve got a great voice for speaking.
Q: Can you sing anything?
A: I can do the Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday.” That’s just being breathy. I couldn’t fill out her dress.
Q: How is this different from your book, ‘In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms”?
A: The show is just about moms. It’s a celebration, all the cute and wonderful and annoying stuff of being someone’s mom.
Q: Some people think your support of stay-at-home moms means you don’t care for those who work.
A: The book is not an attack on working moms. But it’s hard for me to understand why any woman would want to believe that her love, her attention, her voice, her input, her thoughts or feelings could be replaced by hired help. For most of my son’s life, I worked but I worked around him. He didn’t even know I worked.
Q: What has your son done for you on Mother’s Day?
A: He hasn’t been home for Mother’s Day since he’s in the military. But I always get the cutest text messages. He has cute names for me. He says funny smartass things. He has shorthand for things using military terminology. I’ve needed a list of what this means, what that means so I know what he’s telling me.
Dr. Laura is currently the third most popular talk show host behind Sean Hannity and the leader Rush Limbaugh with more than 8 million weekly listeners. But locally, she has gone from the biggest talk radio station WSB-AM to what was once the second biggest (WGST), now to one with very modest ratings (WCFO).
And even there, she just recently got bumped to nights from mid-days. “I was a little flabbergasted when it first happened,” she said. “But they were looking to go more male middays. I’m a team player. I’m glad the ladies and gentlemen in Atlanta can hear me, even at night. I’m grateful for that.”
The theaters that are showing her live show:
Regal North Point 8 Alpharetta GA 30022
Regal Perimeter Pointe 10 Atlanta GA 30338
Regal Hollywood 24 @ North I-85 Chamblee GA 30341
Cinemark Tinseltown USA Fayetteville GA 30214
AMC AMC Barrett Commons 24 Kennesaw GA 30144
AMC AMC Discover Mills 18 Lawrenceville GA 30043
AMC AMC Stonecrest Megastar 16 Lithonia GA 30038
AMC AMC Southlake Pavilion 24 Morrow
Top 10 shows in primetime in Atlanta, week of April 13, 2009:, courtesy of Nielsen Media
1- “American Idol (performance show)” April 14, Fox, 654,000
2- “American Idol (results show)” April 15, Fox 643,000
3- “Dancing With the Stars (performance show) April 13, ABC, 431,000
4- “House,” April 13, Fox, 430,000
5- “24,” April 13, Fox 405,000
6- “Fringe,” April 14, Fox, 355,000
7- WSB-TV special severe weather report, April 19, 346,000
8- “Bones,” April 15, Fox, 325,000
9- WAGA-TV news at 10 p.m., Aug. 13, Fox, 321,000
10- “Desperate Housewives,” April 19, ABC, 316,000
NBC’s top-rated show in Atlanta? “Southland,” April 16, 180,000, ranked No. 28.
Top 5 songs on Hot 107.9 (Courtesy of yes.com)
1. Jamie Foxx (w/ T-Pain) "Blame It"
2. The Dream - "Rockin' That Thang"
3. Keri Hilson (w/ Lil Wayne) - "Turn Off"
4. Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"
5. Pleasure P - "Boyfriend #2″
Top 5 songs on V-103
1. Keri Hilson (w/ Lil Wayne) - "Turn Off"
2. Jamie Foxx (w/ T-Pain) "Blame It"
3. Rick Ross (w/ John Legend) - "Magnificant"
4. Keyshia Cole - "You Complete Me"
5. The Dream - "Rockin' That Thang"
Top 5 songs on 95.5/The Beat
1. Britney Spears - "Circus"
2. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
3. Flo-Rida - "Right Round"
4. T.I. (w/ Justin Timberlake) - "Dead and Gone"
5. strong>Jamie Foxx (w/ T-Pain) “Blame It”
