Jim Florentine
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Jim Florentine is an American comedian best known for his characters "Special Ed" and "Bobby Fletcher" created for a series of prank phone calls featured on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers. He is also a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and a cohost of Miserable Men on Sirius Satellite Radio's Howard 101 with the Reverend Bob Levy and Shuli. He also had a small role as the redneck radio host Bobbie Ray in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
Florentine has a series of prank call CDs known as Terrorizing Telemarketers Volumes 1-4 [1]. The CDs feature a series of recorded telephone conversations, often with Florentine receiving calls from telemarketers, wherein he turns the tables on often aggressive salespeople by being deliberately difficult and creating awkward situations.
On more than one occasion, Florentine has had police show up at his home because the victims of his pranks, believing the fictitious and often heinous scenarios he presents (including allusions to murder and conducting home abortions), traced the calls and contacted authorities.
Florentine has recently come out with a series on comedycentral.com's "Motherload" called "Meet the Creeps." This show is very similar and hugely based on his two DVDs of the same name available exclusively through his website.
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[edit] Personal life
Based on revelations made on the Howard Stern Show, it could be said Florentine has had a hectic private life. On January 2, 2007, comedian Artie Lange reported on the Howard Stern Show that Florentine's 26 year old on again/off again girlfriend Jade died suddenly at the end of 2006. Florentine himself discovered that she was dead in their residence. It was mentioned on the show that she had been dealing with psychological issues for many years and that "now her pain is over". No additional details were provided on the show.[1] Florentine had discussed his therapy and changes in his personal life including his relationship with her during his December 5, 2006 Stern show appearance. The two were no longer an intimate couple but Florentine was remaining close friends with her and trying to help her progress through her own personal problems.[2] Before this incident Florentine claimed on the show that he had been molested as a child.[3]
[edit] Trivia
- He shared an apartment with fellow comic Jim Norton up until 2000.
- Occasionally performs with The Killers of Comedy Tour.
[edit] References
- ^ Kaplan, Jason, Thomas Panasci. "The Rundown", Howard Stern Show, 2007-01-02, pp. 1. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.
- ^ Kaplan, Jason, Thomas Panasci. "The Rundown", Howard Stern Show, 2006-12-05, pp. 1. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.
- ^ Kaplan, Jason, Thomas Panasci. "The Rundown", Howard Stern Show, 2006-12-05, pp. 1. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.
[edit] External links
| The Killers of Comedy Tour | |
|---|---|
| Performers | Reverend Bob Levy • Sal the Stockbroker • Richard Christy • Jim Florentine • Yucko the Clown • Shuli • Gary the Retard • Beetlejuice |
