93.9 Reality Radio Skit Goes Wrong; “Babysitter” Comes Forth
- Akilah Dia-Amadi
- Mar 16, 2018
- 3 min read
Most of us are aware of the “Danni Star Ambush” on 93.9 last week on International Women’s Day. The incident was followed by public apologies, live video, and a women’s takeover on The Fam in the Morning show. On behalf of the network, Kathy Hughes herself came on the show sharing sentiments of solidarity and strength with Danni Star.
What we didn’t know was that the babysitter was an actress hired to play in a skit that Danni Star, DJ Quicksilva, and DJ 5’9” were all part of. The skit was developed to create a conversation around women discrimination. In this particular discussion, it was brought to light that women who are considered attractive also get discriminated against especially among other women. The discussion hit home for a lot of people who sided with Danni Star in that they would also not openly welcome a “pretty” babysitter into their homes to be around their husband.
This is where Reality Radio took a turn. The actress brought on the show was not “the babysitter” that inboxed Danni Star, however she played the role well. She accused the radio personality of being insecure and from what we heard it was not taken well. Danni Star, who was also acting, threw down her mic and “pretended” to quit her job right there on the show when her co-hosts did not defend her. While those in the room expected her to return shortly after, she did not. Danni Star instead went live on social media to give further clarity to the incident, yet did not reveal that the incident on air was totally made up.
A lie with good intentions began to spiral out of control. The cast apologized on social media for how things transpired and Danni Star publicly “forgave” her co-host brothers calling them “Fam” akin to the show. This is where damage control became harder to accomplish. Many fans, listeners, and outside spectators did not accept apologies by DJ Quicksilva. A highly revered DJ in the DMV became a villain overnight. Forgiveness by Danni Star made her seem weak and/or career driven despite the blatant “disrespect” brought upon her. It was a skit, remember. Unfortunately, fans were not offered that minor detail and coming forward jeopardizes the station’s credibility which is now at stake.
Since the incident, Danni Star has deleted her social media pages. The entire cast of the radio show “The Fam” is taking time off for mental recuperation. The remaining women of 93.9 have taken over the segment for the time being. Morgan Sherm, the producer of the show, has been let go as someone had to take the fall for the unfortunate events. That same producer leaked behind the scenes footage of that morning’s skit. Most recent, “the babysitter” has stepped forward hoping to set the record straight.
The question now is how does the broadcast show move forward? The radio show is entertainment no different than reality television. There is real people, real issues, and real backstories that is packaged in a way to entertain and even educate. There was a dialogue in the story line that was worth discussing. Whether the issue is discrimination, infidelity, marriage, families, or professionalism; women deal with such complex issues every day. The power of media today is that the audience feels so connected to personalities that they too felt and expressed the hurt that Danni Star reportedly felt. Entertainment is meant to invoke emotion in a controlled setting and thus the station is strategizing to regain control.
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