By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

The bad thing is that folks who get paid to be funny in national media would even say something so extremely insulting.

The good thing is that, this time, Hawai'i listeners and local station managers immediately and decisively stood up and called the foul.

On Sunday night, syndicated radio show "Loveline," aired locally on KPOI 97.5, contained the following interchange between hosts Dr. Drew Pinsky, a medical doctor, and Adam Carolla, a comic and former host of Comedy Central's "The Man Show":

Dr. Drew: I wonder if Hawai'i has weathermen.

Adam Carolla: I'm sure.

D: Cause it's the same everyday, no matter what.

C: Maybe they don't. Hawaiians are too dumb. They can't figure out barometric pressure. They don't know what that means.

D: They have wind some days.

C: Here's the problem with weather in Hawai'i. There's a bunch of big words.

D: Yeah.

C: And they can't handle big words over there, because they're the world's dumbest people.

D: Well, they can't (sic) handle big words, but they must have three letters.

C: Yeah, they handle big words, but it's got to be the name of a fat chick or some drink. They don't do science. Close your eyes and picture all the great Hawaiian scientists over the years. (Laughs) They're retarded people. They stay on the island. They're in-bred, obviously. They're the dumbest people we have.

D: I have met some smart South Pacific people. Not who lived there.

C: People are smart enough to move. Everyone close your eyes and think of all the amazing contributions the Hawaiian scientific community has made over the years. (Long pause) Uh ... They're stupid people.

D: All right. Let's hear from them. Let's hear what they have to say. It'd be interesting to hear what they have to say.

C: What, the Hawaiians? First off, they don't know how to dial the phone. They can't call. They don't know what they're doing. They have big calves. That's all. They're stupid people. We really should start bringing some of them in 'cause they're strong. They're a strong, sturdy breed.

Whoa.

OK, yeah, it's a show about sex, drugs and assorted weirdness and, yeah, a good deal of talk radio these days is all about the value of shock and insult. But whoa.

Much to their credit, KPOI management, after fielding "a bunch" of angry phone calls from listeners, decided to pull the show immediately and permanently.

"It was pretty bad. I can see why people listening can take offense to it," said Ryan Kawamoto, KPOI program director. "To have something like that is pretty horrible."

So now, Carolla and Dr. Drew can say what they want. Hawai'i just doesn't have to listen. We're smarter than that.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.