The Thin Man Returns. Jay Marvin is a new man, or part of one. The 6-10 a.m. talk-show host on KKZN 760-AM is down 60 pounds, headed for 225. He owes it all to gastric-bypass surgery and a new outlook on life.
He had the surgery on Dec. 29. “I only eat about 1 1/2 ounces of food every three hours. I’m trying to walk at least 30 minutes every day, and my Type 2 diabetes is gone. My clothes are getting bigger. It’s not only feeling better, it’s part of my whole mental attitude.”
He has given up a lot – he mourns Cuban food – but hasn’t given up bashing his right-wing radio colleagues. “They need to say why they’re always so angry and vindictive. Why don’t we try to discuss why we should stay or get out of Iraq? Or have a rational discussion about health care?”
He’s just warming up his new, more svelte self. “How do they get on the air and bald-faced lie? Why don’t people go, ‘That’s not true’? Look at (Rush) Limbaugh. He had 20 million listeners, now he’s down to 13 million. He keeps spouting all this stuff and people believe it.”
Marvin swears he’s more mellow, even on the air. “I do my share of bloviating, but I don’t get on the air and give absolute distortions.”
He declines to reveal his weight, or what his peak was, just that his goal is 225. When did he last hit that figure? “Before you were born.”
Weekend highlights
Today
Get a big bag of popcorn, settle in for a movie double bill of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Men in Black” (6 and 8:30 p.m., Turner Classic Movies).
Saturday
Jim Broadbent stars as the controversial Earl of Longford, a passionate social reformer who died at 95 in 2001, in the made-for-TV movie “Longford” (6 p.m., HBO).
Sunday
Who to root for? “Amazing Race” goes all out with its first all-star edition (7 p.m., KCNC-Channel 4).
Around the dial
Gov. Bill Ritter makes his first monthly Colorado Public Radio appearance to discuss immigration, education and other pressing state issues on “Colorado Matters” with Ryan Warner (10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 26) … We’re not going to the Academy Awards so let’s watch it on TV at the second annual “Night With the Stars” at the Denver School of the Arts on Feb. 25. Tickets at 720-424-
1713 … The state’s death penalty is examined on “Colorado State of Mind” (7:30 p.m. Friday, KRMA-Channel 6) … Another zany week of ventriloquists comes to an end on “The Late Show With David Letterman” (10:35 tonight, Channel 4) … Quotable: “Enraging liberals is simply one of the more enjoyable side effects of my wisdom.” Rush Limbaugh
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
