Nonstopdrivel
14 years ago

Instant replay: Alleged yo-yo champ dupes TV shows 

By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: May 8, 2010

Kenny Strasser, who either lives in Antigo or Neenah or maybe somewhere else, says he a yo-yo champion, loves talking to schoolchildren and wants to save the Earth.

He's been divorced twice, doesn't have any kids, and has personal issues with members of his family. He also says he's had drug and alcohol problems.

Or so he says.

It's not entirely clear who Strasser is. What is clear is that a person who called himself Kenny Strasser, Kenny Strassburg, or K-Strass managed to persuade at least five television stations - four of which are in Wisconsin - to put him on live television in recent weeks.

Two other stations - both in La Crosse - came close to putting him on, but were warned ahead of time that Strasser was not who he says he is.

His latest appearance occurred Thursday morning on KQTV's "Hometown This Morning," in St. Joseph, Mo.

"He got us," said Bridget Blevins, the station's news director. "I hate that we got duped."

And how good was he with the yo-yo, a skill Strasser has said made him a champion? "He did some really lame things. He hit himself in the face and the groin with his yo-yo," Blevins said.

Lisa Malak, who anchors the "Sunday Morning" show on WFRV in Green Bay, thought it would be fun to book somebody who said he was a yo-yo champion. When Strasser showed up April 11, he said he forgot the string for his yo-yo. With no tricks, Malak and Strasser spent their live TV segment talking.

"It was the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to me on the air," Malak said.

The stunts Strasser pulled appears to be similar to the performance artistry practiced by the late comedian Andy Kaufman. Kaufman created characters like Tony Clifton, a down-and-out lounge singer who abused audiences.

The way Strasser managed to get on TV followed a familiar pattern and laid bare the pitfalls of live television, where stations are always looking for somebody to fill air time in the morning.

Elaborate hoax

In each case, producers at the television stations received an e-mail from Joe Guehrke, saying he represented Strasser and ZimZam Yo-Yo, "the world's first 'green' " nonprofit toymaker.

Guehrke told the stations that Strasser, whom he called a "master yo-yo artist," would be in their area to bring his environmental message and "zany sense of humor" to kids.

Guehrke wrote in one e-mail to a TV station that Strasser was a dynamic talk-show guest who comes "equipped with a roster of amazing yo-yo tricks, juggling and fun tips about how kids and adults alike can take small steps to make the world a greener place."

The e-mail solicitation stated that Strasser was a runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 1995, grand champion at the Pensacola Regional and was nominated for the Walt Greenberg Award in 2000.

There is no Walt Greenberg Award in yo-yo, and there is no evidence Pensacola ever hosted a yo-yo tournament or that Strasser won a rookie of the year award.

But the solicitation was good enough for the bookers on the TV stations.

In one particularly bizarre segment on WSAW's "Sunrise 7" show in Wausau on April 20, Strasser told interviewer Amy Pflugshaupt that he is just a 35-year-old kid at heart. "I don't have a girlfriend, don't want one. My parents, they live in Denver, they just got divorced. My dad is now in Oshkosh. . . . I have a brother in Portland who I don't get along with very well because of his wife."

And then, incredibly, his cell phone rings on the air. Pflugshaupt halts the interview, throws it back to the anchors, but later comes back to Strasser.

In the solicitation, there is a reference to ZimZam yo-yos, and a related Web site. But in registering the domain name, Zimzaminc.com, Guehrke gave a fictitious Milwaukee address and provided a phone number that is now disconnected.

At WISC in Madison, Strasser was booked and ready to go on "News 3 This Morning." But things took a strange turn when Strasser said on the air, "Do you want to hear a scary story?"

Colin Benedict, the station's news director, said the anchors were confused. They thought a yo-yo champion was supposed to be on.

Instead, Strasser started talking about his personal story of alcohol and drugs.

And the yo-yo tricks? Benedict said Strasser tried one but the yo-yo fell apart and onto the studio floor.

That was enough for WISC. The anchors took over and Strasser was off the air.

Strasser also got on WMTV in Madison.

Strasser apparently left Wisconsin and headed west, where he appeared at the St. Joseph, Mo., station.

Strasser has not been spotted since. Mikel Lauber, a reporter with Wausau's WSAW, tried to find him and located a phone number for Guehrke. The number was traced to Joe Pickett, who is a comedy filmmaker and operates a business with partner Nick Prueher. Both men have Wisconsin ties.

Their business, "The Found Footage Festival," tours the country showing obscure, unusual and bizarre home videos, promotional clips, outtakes and training films to comedic effect.

Neither Pickett nor Prueher returned repeated phone calls, but in e-mails to the Journal Sentinel, Prueher said his festival "had nothing to do with this yo-yo guy."

"Wish we could take credit for it, but we've never met this Kenny fellow," Prueher said.

But the Found Footage Festival was in Missouri last week, not far from St. Joseph.

A video of Strasser's appearance on WSAW can be viewed at www.wsaw.com/home/headlines



Some videos of his appearances can be found on Deadspin .
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Formo
14 years ago
Wow. Sounds definitely like an Andy Kouffman. Only Andy took credit for his bizaar actions.
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Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
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Zero2Cool (3h) : LB Isaiah Simmons. Signed. Called it!!! Oh yeah!
Martha Careful (3h) : ty bboystyle...fat fingers
bboystyle (3h) : Tom*
Martha Careful (11h) : RIP Packer Safety Tim Brown
beast (27-Apr) : Yeah, but also some of the wording suggestions Jax only pranked called the QB, not the others... and if he had an open spreadsheet & 3 calls
beast (27-Apr) : Thank goodness he's not leaving the Turtle in the Red Tide
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : Cowboys 1st round pick Tyler Booker will indeed be bringing his pet turtle to Dallas with him
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : that contained all prospects info and contact
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : beast, according the Falcons statement Jax came across it on an ipad. If I had to guess, probably an open spread sheet or something
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : Simmons put up an emoji with cheese.
beast (27-Apr) : Not sure anyone is interested in Isaiah Simmons... Collin Oliver might of taken his potential slot
beast (27-Apr) : I'm going with Jax Ulbrich is not telling the whole truth... he accidentally came across it? Why would a defensive coordinator have a QB #?
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : He's not that great, but final piece of the script.\
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : If we add Isaiah Simmons, book your Super Bowl tickets
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : Colts 1st round TE Tyler Warren also got prank called, was that Jax Ulbrich as well?
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : Jax Ulbrich, Jeff Ulbrich’s son, released an apology for his role in the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
Martha Careful (27-Apr) : apparently he did not participate in practice or play on the east west shrine game nor the NFL combine. The kid was a mediocre spoiled brat
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : Yeah that one that was a super wounded duck that Sanders supporters are highlighting to prove a point
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : Shough is the guy who missed guys at combine isn't he?
beast (27-Apr) : It's not official until I'm dead! I have a chance still! (Not really)
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : I could feel my body decomposing in real time when I read that
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : @MIKEYSAINRISTIL Tyler Shough will officially be the last person drafted to the NFL born in the 1900’s
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : saw the tweet, he meant the city
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : Was that for the team or the city?
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m Draft grade is in: Green Bay gets an A. The people, the city, the venue were all superb. NFL Draft’s next
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matt LaFleur says Jaire Alexander is participating in #Packers offseason program, which has been conducted virtually during this first week
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : ✅ ...
buckeyepackfan (26-Apr) : Check
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matthew Golden cahanged 81 to 22??
TheKanataThrilla (26-Apr) : Sam Howell to Vikings...guess no Aaron
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : 1 round 7 min, with one extra minute if there is a trade. 2nd round 4 minutes, 3rd -3, 2 thereafter IMO
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Agree
dfosterf (26-Apr) : Great idea imo
dfosterf (26-Apr) : 1st round to 7 minutes with one extension
dfosterf (26-Apr) : NFL comissioner wants to shorten the 2st
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : @jalenreagors They’re discussing if Sheduer can go back to college on NFL Network LMFAOOOOO
beast (26-Apr) : Great point Martha
beast (26-Apr) : Buddy Ryan used to say if a candy bar goes missing, there are two to blame, Rex and Rob 🤪 jk 😁
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Bum Phillips used to say there are two ways to get better. Get better players or get players to play better. We have a new DL coach
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Yes. Look at the losses last year. They can win.
beast (26-Apr) : Can Packers win with their current DL?
bboystyle (26-Apr) : waiting for a pass rusher.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes between picks in the 3rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 3rd. Hate this phone
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 4rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes in the 4
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 7 minutes between picks in the 2nd round
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : Sorry to bitch, but the headline writers in that section absolutely mislead, or don't know how to read. It is maddening
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : No thanks. Not a dependable guy to be in the right place and run the right route. Dumb as a box of rocks.
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : Losing 2nd round pick for a one year rental, not ideal. Especially a headcase.
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