The Howard Stern thread

[Booker Floyd]

Did Stern back Kerry or Bush in '04?

From MarksFriggin.com:

"Howard has seen some wild stuff on his bulletin board. There is one thread where people are discussing Steven Hawking's theories. Robin said she saw the thread but avoided it because she knew she wouldn't understand any of it. Howard was impressed with the things they were discussing in there. There was also a note on the board from ''Arties Stomach'' who says he's being sent to Iraq in November. He's supposed to be in service for 525 days and he was wondering if there's anything he can do. Howard said ''Vote for Kerry'' of course."

"The guys spent a few minutes talking about how Bush, Cheney and Ashcroft avoiding going into the service any way they could. He said that Kerry is a hero for volunteering to serve and actually going over to Viet Nam to fight. He also brought up the fact that Maureen Dowd pointed out that the voting process down in Florida hasn't been taken care of since the last election. Howard went off on the President and his administration for a few minutes. He wonders why Kerry hasn't fought back in his ads. The whole Viet Nam thing is a ridiculous argument anyway. Howard said that they dug up Bob Dole who is demanding that Kerry apologize for the things he's said about the Viet Nam war. Howard pointed out that the men who died over there were taking place for people like George W. Bush who managed to avoid serving over there. Howard read an article about how his audience is going to effect the vote in November. He said that a lot of the swing voters that listen to his show are swinging toward voting for Kerry after listening to his show."

"Janks and Howard talked about how they really have to get Bush out of office."

"Cabbie also talked about the NFL player Pat Tillman who died over in Afghanistan and how a lot of people seem to be forgetting that 800 other people have died over there in the Middle East as well. Howard talked about how weird it is that Tillman was a big fan of his show and he went over to fight for the freedom of this country but Howard thinks his show is like the arch enemy of President Bush."

"Howard was also pointing out that George Bush wasn't fighting over in Viet Nam and he's no leader like John Kerry is. He talked about this show he watched and how sick it made him. He talked about how Bush was asked if he spoke to his father about some of the problems they might have when they went into Iraq and Bush says that his father is not the right man to talk to about that stuff. He spoke to a ''higher'' power instead. Howard said that the guy is a moron and a dummy. He was talking to himself about that stuff when he asked the higher power."

"Howard said that he's now going to vote for anyone but Bush in the Presidential election."

[D]

As I said in the O'Reilly thread, Stern was once great.? His current show is just lame and his outrageous self-aggrandizing is embarassing.? Just a few weeks ago he actually claimed to "invent" having artists perform acoustically on the radio after taking credit for the MTV UnPlugged series. That kind of delusion seems to have dominated the show in recent years.? He sounds asleep at the microphone nowadays, he cowers from competition only to make behind-the-scenes power plays with management, and the show consists largely of prattle about sushi restaurants and trips to the Hamptons and incredibly lame bits such as "Wheel Of Sex" (which I believe he also took credit for, despite The Man Show doing essentially the same months, if not a year or so, before Stern).? Its painfully obvious that Sterns lost his spark and is just going through the motions, and the entire show just sounds very, very tired.?

In fairness, this is based on occassional visits to MarksFriggin.com, clips played on other radio shows and reports on various websites, because I havent listened to Sterns show in over a year.? I strongly recommend fans of Stern get a free 3-day trial from XMRadio.com and check out the Opie & Anthony Show, a show that resembles Sterns in its prime (the late 80s into the "Billy West Era") in terms of energy, but is completely fresh and singular.? Its more clever, more honest, and just plain funnier than Sterns present show.? I havent listened to more than a minute of Stern since they returned to radio last year.?

Do u know why Booker?

Stern isnt played out cause he wants to be, he is handcuffed by the FCC.

once he gets on Sirius his show will kick ass again.

U gotta remember, he basically cant do anything even remotely obscene.

He said it best, it would be like taking a Chris Rock HBO show and tryin to put it on NBC or something. It wouldnt be any good on NBC whereas its brilliant on HBO.

Stern has no choice but to suck and be watered down cause the FCC started fining him for everything.

So trust me, once he goes to Satellite, he will be awesome again.

[Booker Floyd]

Do u know why Booker?

Stern isnt played out cause he wants to be, he is handcuffed by the FCC.

once he gets on Sirius his show will kick ass again.

U gotta remember, he basically cant do anything even remotely obscene.

He said it best, it would be like taking a Chris Rock HBO show and tryin to put it on NBC or something. It wouldnt be any good on NBC whereas its brilliant on HBO.

Stern has no choice but to suck and be watered down cause the FCC started fining him for everything.

So trust me, once he goes to Satellite, he will be awesome again.

 

That doesnt really address anything in my post but you seem to specialize in believing and parroting back talking points.  If thats what you believe, then fine.  I dont. 

[Charity Case]

stern is lame....its the same sophmoric bullshit everyday...its mindless...let me see your tits....i'd like to sleep wit you....its the same show day in and day out.....i stopped listening years ago

orlando has a good morning show called the fiasco, much much better than sten and they play music to boot   

[sandman]

does anyone know how much stern will be making at sirius? is it public information? i've heard some crazy numbers ($100M per year).

i like stern alot. but if i listen too much, he does get annoying sometimes.

and i think the whole FCC thing is a scam to get people motivated to pay for sirius.

after all, he's going there for the money. no other reason. and it would be a tough sell to his fans to say, "i'm getting paid a ton of money, and guess who is footing the bill....my fans."

[Sterlingdog]

does anyone know how much stern will be making at sirius? is it public information? i've heard some crazy numbers ($100M per year).

i like stern alot. but if i listen too much, he does get annoying sometimes.

and i think the whole FCC thing is a scam to get people motivated to pay for sirius.

after all, he's going there for the money. no other reason. and it would be a tough sell to his fans to say, "i'm getting paid a ton of money, and guess who is footing the bill....my fans."

Its reported that its $500 for 5 years.  But I don't know if that number has ever been confirmed by official sources.  He doesn't argue when anyone quotes it though.

As far as the FCC, if you listened, you'd know how much his show has had to change since the stupid Janet Jackson bullshit.  He hasn't made up the FCC fines in order to scam people into buying sirius.  I've been listening for over 10 years, and his show is very different now.

[D]

Im just sayin Booker you dont know much about Howard Stern, He didnt all of a sudden become lame cause he wanted to become lame.

You have all the answers though, I really dont even know why you post cause you never take anything from anyone else's opinions.

If you think the FCC fining Stern had nothing to do with his show becoming lame then you truly know nothing.

Stern had a great show for over 2 decades and all of a sudden he starts to suck?

HMMMMMMMM wonder why?

The FCC started fining Clear Channel and whoever else he works for, he started getting hit hard in his pocket book and he watered his show down.

If you think the show on Sirius isnt gonna kick ass then you need to seriously get a clue.

[Booker Floyd]

Im just sayin Booker you dont know much about Howard Stern

  That shows how much you know...

He didnt all of a sudden become lame cause he wanted to become lame.

I dont think anybody becomes lame because they want to.

Stern had a great show for over 2 decades and all of a sudden he starts to suck?

HMMMMMMMM wonder why?

I actually explained why I think his show is lame, and it has nothing to do with the FCC or a lack of outrageous content.  Its the opposite, really.  Lame, recycled bits such as "The Wheel Of Sex," boring Playboy model interviews, a general dullness and lack of energy, Jackie Martlings departure (and Billy Wests before that), obnoxious, humorless megalomaniacal rants, etc.  His show has steadily declined for a decade now, and its probably due more to the fact he has done it for so long and is understandably tired, not to mention personal changes.  But the FCC is an easy cop-out talking point, and you accept those pretty easily.  The show I referred to earlier, the Opie & Anthony show, had to abide by the same FCC standards (not to mention a company gag order brought down Mr. Free Speech himself) at their terrestrial peak in 2001-2002 and they still put on what I consider a great show.  Sterns show was already lame at that at that point.  Yes, the FCC certainly made things worse after last years Superbowl incident, but if you think that was the point Sterns show began declining, then we cant agree.

The FCC started fining Clear Channel and whoever else he works for, he started getting hit hard in his pocket book and he watered his show down.

Stern has worked for Infinity Broadcasting since 1985, and has never been fined personally...his "pocket book" has never been hit.  Perhaps you dont know much about Howard Stern? 

If you think the show on Sirius isnt gonna kick ass then you need to seriously get a clue.

Im sure it will be better than it is now, and it might even revitalize Stern significantly which is great, but it wont be as good as it once was and I dont think Id like it much more than I do now.  However, it should be said that Stern is such an extraoridinary natural talent that even when his show is sub-par, as I believe it has been for a good 7 years or so, its still better than 98% of radio.

[Booker Floyd]

Howard Stern in Space
Coming to you via satellite, a brave new radio world, from the once and future king of all media......featuring the Craptacular.

By Steve Fishman


(Photo credit: Dan Winters; hair by Toni Coburn; makeup by Eva Scrivo; styling by Ralph Cirella and Marie Blomquist)?

Ahhhh, the shower. All day, Howard Stern has felt so goddamned pressured. He?s in one of his obsessive funks, so frequent lately, and can?t wait to get under the hot water. And freaking relax. So Howard sneaks off, pads across the whitish bathroom tiles, a towel secured around his waist. Howard?s not one to run around the apartment naked. Not with his very small penis?no need for Beth to see him unaroused.


Howard steps into the shower, a palace of curved, floor-to-ceiling glass, determined to escape the stress that is freaking brutal. Every morning, Howard does four-plus hours of America?s most popular morning-radio show. In a few weeks, he will join Sirius, a satellite-radio company, where he vows to reinvent the medium. Sirius is betting $500 million (and, probably, its future) on Howard; it?s given him two entire channels. That?s 48 hours of dead air to fill every single day. Plus, Beth seems to feel a little ignored right now. No wonder he?s barely sleeping.


In the shower, Howard powers up the hot water. There are nozzles everywhere, like eight of them. His hair, that dense wheel of curls, which, thank God, he still has, flattens against his head. Just stand there, Howard tells himself. Zone out. He?s a Transcendental Meditation guy. Every morning and night, he empties his head, which is what he?d like to do right now. Except the vibe?s not right. Is it the freaking bathroom mirror? From the shower, Howard can catch a glimpse of himself, enough to disturb anyone. ?Fat!? is Howard?s reaction to a mirror. ?Ugly!?


Just freaking breathe. In TM, you let distracting thoughts float right out of your mind. Some thoughts, though, are like fish bones. Like how about that ad Howard?s boss took out? Good riddance to twenty years of stale fart jokes, as if he couldn?t wait to usher Howard out the door. Infuriating! Reduce Howard to fart jokes! What about his penis and vagina material? He practically invented saying penis and vagina on the radio! And his stripper bits and lesbian gags and his legion of deformed and defective characters? Howard?s boss ought to drop to his knees and thank him. Those fart jokes built an empire! That genius should get testicular cancer!


Which might be about the time that Howard hears the voice. Where the fuck is this coming from? Howard thinks. He hears a series of sharp, percussive notes, like an old Teletype machine. It?s the way WINS, the all-news radio station, introduces its newscast. Then Howard hears a news anchor?s sonorous voice. Except that instead of introducing the WINS newscast, Howard hears the voice intone, It?s ?he Howard 100 News.?


It?s like the radio gods are sending Howard a radio show. All the news you want about the universe that is Howard Stern. Everything about the characters in Howard?s world, their fascinating lives, including, yes, the gases they pass. And not just the gases! Howard hears that rich newscaster?s voice say, The Howard Stern Sports Department. But our sports, thinks Howard. Like how about High Pitch Eric, one of his characters, who?s fat and disgusting and speaks like a girl, eats for a whole day. People could bet on his, uh, output. It?ll be the . . . Craptacular! Howard can imagine the hushed, reverent tones of the sportscaster, as if he?s describing Tiger Woods. There in the steamy shower, Howard puts his fist to his mouth, like it?s a microphone: High Pitch approaches the Porta Potti. He appears ready. Concentration is on his face . . . That?s funny! That?s genius!


Howard?s boss no longer permits fart noises on the air. But on satellite, anything goes. Yes, Howard thinks, I want to host the Craptacular.


Howard?s so excited about ?The Howard 100 News? he?s got to tell Beth. He rushes out of the shower, almost forgetting the towel. Six foot five and hung like an acorn! Where?s the goddamned towel? ?Honey?!?


In recent years, Howard Stern claims to have harbored a deep secret. It?s a notion that seems, on the face of it, preposterous. After all, Howard has a confessional urge like no one?s ever heard. Before Howard, radio was mostly comforting, discreet, tasteful. Emotion, if it surfaced at all, was happy (later on, and even worse, it was mellow). ?[Radio] was a lot of people who didn?t say shit,? grumbles Howard. To Howard, that was all phony, and Howard despises phonies. ?The show is about honesty,? he says earnestly. But Howard?s honesty is not the honesty of, say, Oprah. Howard hates Oprah. Howard?s earliest professional instinct was to erase the line between private and public, which often mirrors the one separating discomfort and comfort. Howard says, ?Discomfort is something interesting to explore.? Starting, of course, with his own. His anal fissures? His ex-wife?s miscarriage? Howard wants you to know.

(Continued at link)

[Sterlingdog]

I actually explained why I think his show is lame, and it has nothing to do with the FCC or a lack of outrageous content.? Its the opposite, really.? Lame, recycled bits such as "The Wheel Of Sex," boring Playboy model interviews, a general dullness and lack of energy, Jackie Martlings departure (and Billy Wests before that), obnoxious, humorless megalomaniacal rants, etc.? .

Personally I didn't even notice Billy West's departure.? Jackie leaving improved the show, I like Artie better.? Of course its just a matter of personal taste.

The show I referred to earlier, the Opie & Anthony show, had to abide by the same FCC standards (not to mention a company gag order brought down Mr. Free Speech himself) at their terrestrial peak in 2001-2002 and they still put on what I consider a great show.? Sterns show was already lame at that at that point.? Yes, the FCC certainly made things worse after last years Superbowl incident, but if you think that was the point Sterns show began declining, then we cant agree.

O&A had to abide by those FCC standards, and they were fired, remember?? They had to go to satellite to be left alone too.? As far as if they are better -? I can't stand them.? They used to be on the same station as Stern was so I would listen to them in the afternoon, and I thought they were pathetic.? They just sounded desperate to be outrageous.? You think Howard doesn't try hard enough, I say O&A tried way too hard to "outdo" Stern.? ?But I've never listened to Stern for his outrageous behavior, or playboy model interviews.? I listen for all the other stuff.? Which is why when someone tells me that Stern is all about? sex,? I know they haven't ever really listened.? Watching the E! show doesn't count.

Stern has worked for Infinity Broadcasting since 1985, and has never been fined personally...his "pocket book" has never been hit.? Perhaps you dont know much about Howard Stern??

You are correct about this.? But the threat has become real in the past year that the FCC will start fining individual broadcasters

[Booker Floyd]

Personally I didn't even notice Billy West's departure.?

Really?? I thought Billy was phenomenal on the show.? The Marge Schott bits are legendary.

Jackie leaving improved the show, I like Artie better.? Of course its just a matter of personal taste.

Yeah, I obviously disagree.? Arties presence creates a very different, distinct dynamic to the show, but I dont prefer it to Jackies.

O&A had to abide by those FCC standards, and they were fired, remember?

Yes, but the FCC didnt have much to do with it.? And my point in using them as an example was to illustrate that they did a great show under FCC scrutiny for years, just as Howard had done before 1997.

They had to go to satellite to be left alone too.? As far as if they are better -? I can't stand them.? They used to be on the same station as Stern was so I would listen to them in the afternoon, and I thought they were pathetic.? They just sounded desperate to be outrageous.? You think Howard doesn't try hard enough, I say O&A tried way too hard to "outdo" Stern.

Again, I disagree.? And my qualm wasnt that Stern doesnt try hard enough to be outrageous, he doesnt try hard enough, period.? I dont like the outrageous stuff on either show, really.? Sometimes it works, but more often than not, I just dont find it funny or compelling.?

As for your criticism of O&A, I actually used to think the same.? As a loyal Stern fan, I wrote them off as imitators when they debuted in the summer of 2001 on WYSP in Philly.? But a month or so later, I could no longer deny their talent.? They were extremely clever and clearly passionate about doing good radio.? They werent the average corny, hack radio guys (see Howards new hire, Bubba The Love Sponge).? They had the same raw talent and energy Stern did in his prime.? And Stern mustve sensed something too, considering the behind-the-scenes vendetta he had with them...He imposed a gag order (so his name couldnt be mentioned on their show) and pulled rank to discourage guests from appearing on their show.? While Stern he created a legacy of destroying his rivals on-air,? he wouldnt even mention their names until they were off-the-air in 2002 and couldnt respond.? He even announced on-air that he wouldnt sign with whatever satellite company they worked and lied about it just a few days ago (from MarksFriggin.com: "Howard said that he was approached by both satellite companies and they told him that they'd avoid hiring Opie and Anthony if he meant that they could have him. Howard claims that he would never do that to anyone and stop them from being hired because he's had that done to him in the past."  In the past week, theyve been doing Sterns proposed "Tissue Time" bit (phone sex on the radio) to illustrate how lame it really is.

Basically, Howard turned into Imus...or at least the caricature of Imus that he created.

In fairness to Stern, satellite radio has allowed O&A to do a much better show (again I recommend at least checking them out with a free 3-day trial).? And while Ive said it will benefit his show, I dont think hell be returning anywhere near top-form.

But I've never listened to Stern for his outrageous behavior, or playboy model interviews.

Same here.? But the "outrageous" bits are lamer than ever: throwing baloney at girls, the "Robo Spanker," the tickle chair, and lamest of all: the Wheel of Sex.? "Its Just Wrong" is a bit more interesting, though.

You are correct about this.? But the threat has become real in the past year that the FCC will start fining individual broadcasters

Im aware, but it is just that: a threat.? And as Ive said, in my opinion Sterns show has declined greatly in the past 10 years, long before that theat became an issue.

From what I understand, hell only be doing 4 days a week on Sirius.? Also, hell probably be taking his usual 10 weeks of vacation on top of it.

[Sterlingdog]

From what I understand, hell only be doing 4 days a week on Sirius.? Also, hell probably be taking his usual 10 weeks of vacation on top of it.

I haven't heard that, and I've never counted how many vacation weeks he takes.  But I do wonder what they will play when he's on vacation, since they won't have all his "best of" tapes.

I didn't want to take the time to go back and quote the rest you said about O&A, only to caution you that you sound like you are parroting what they claim to be the truth.  And isn't that what you were criticizing D for?  I know for certain that Howard did talk about O&A before they were fired, and they talked about him.  I heard them both.  Who you want to believe is probably just in line with who you prefer to listen to.  Just as I probably can't convince you that O&A are full of shit, you probably can't convince me that they are any better than second rate Stern imitators. 

[Booker Floyd]

I didn't want to take the time to go back and quote the rest you said about O&A, only to caution you that you sound like you are parroting what they claim to be the truth.

Stern actually admitted it the same day he used their names for the first time (in fact, I have it on cassette tape)...saying he told Mel Karmazin "to put a muzzle on those guys."? Its really common knowledge to those who follow radio at all.?

I know for certain that Howard did talk about O&A before they were fired, and they talked about him.

He talked about them, but referred to them only as "the clones" or "my imitators."? He would dump out when their names were mentioned by callers.

Yes, they talked about him...thats what led to the gag order.? Then they tried getting around it by referring to him as "Radio Edit."? That was soon squashed.? Then they signed a new contract in 2001 that supposedly gave them freedom to talk about him...that was circumvented by management telling them that while they could talk about him, WNEW Ken Stevens would punished, and possibly fired, as a result.? And the gag order extended past O&A and to everybody employed by Infinity.? Don & Mike (from Washington D.C. and syndicated to NY and Philly at the time) have also spoken about it.? Its no secret, and its not a talking point.? In fact, that reason Opie & Anthony waited so long to come back was to outlast a contract stipultation allowing an early buy-out on the condition they didnt talk about Infinity or Howard Stern.? Its what actually took place.? For a guy who built a reputation on taking on rivals and even trashing people on the same station (Imus, Soupy Sales, etc.), it seems pretty hypocritical to avoid referencing them directly and instead whine to Mel Karamazin to shut them up, doesnt it?

And he said it himself: "Ill go to whatever company doesnt Opie & Anthony."

Just as I probably can't convince you that O&A are full of shit, you probably can't convince me that they are any better than second rate Stern imitators.

Well, those who call O&A "Stern imitators" usually dont have much to back the claim.? In fact, theres more to suggest Stern has lifted from O&A in recent years.  Hes even played songs played on their actual show.

But the crucial difference between you and I is that while you are admittedly not familiar with the O&A show, Im very familiar with both.? So I dont really need convincing either way, - Im very knowledgeable of both.

[Booker Floyd]

I understand some of you already dislike the Opie & Anthony show, but heres a few of their best segments on XM Radio for those unfamiliar:

"Tony Danza Meets A Fan"

"Tony Danza Meets Another Fan"

"Interview With Author Of "Everything You Know About Sex Is Wrong""

"Interview With Writer From Coed Magazine" (Featuring Bill Burr from Chappelles Show and Lazlow from Grand Theft Auto; fast forward if you must, it changes a bit)

"TV Edits"

"Jim Norton"

And possibly my favorite segments from their old show:

"Crazy Irene": 1/ 2/ 3/4

"Anthony At The Movies"

[Sterlingdog]

Do you work for O&A, Booker?  You really think anyone who likes Stern is going to hear your little clips and suddenly conver to O&A fans?  Why do you care, anyway?

[Booker Floyd]

Do you work for O&A, Booker?

No

You really think anyone who likes Stern is going to hear your little clips and suddenly conver to O&A fans?

I dont know what makes the clips "little," apart from your disingenuous condescension and inability to counter my previous post, but I think people who like Stern might like O&A...it might sound crazy, but Ive actually known a few people who like both.  Therefore, "conversion" isnt necessary.  So, no.

Why do you care, anyway?

I brought them up and you called them "pathetic" and "Stern imitators."  Since I think they do a great show (far better than Sterns), I put up a few clips to let somebody else decide if they want to.  If somebody recommends a song similar to one they know I like, I dont ask why they "care," I check it out and decide for myself.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

Stern has something no one else has...an ability to connect with his audience on a personal level. It is not just about shocking your audience. I've heard Opie and Anthony, they are not in the same league. As far as Stern being considered lame....Stern admits he can't do the material he was allowed to do 15 years ago due to the FCC. He'll either prove or disprove this when he goes to Sirius.

[Sterlingdog]

I dont know what makes the clips "little," apart from your disingenuous condescension and inability to counter my previous post, but I think people who like Stern might like O&A...it might sound crazy, but Ive actually known a few people who like both.? Therefore, "conversion" isnt necessary.? So, no.

Its not that I can't counter your previous post, its just that there is no point.? You believe it, I don't.? You say its common knowledge, I disagree.? We could go around like that for a long time, but why bother?? I disagree with you on this, other than that, I usually consider you a pretty smart person.? (Though perhaps,? at least a little condescending).? But me calling anyone smart is? a compliment, since I consider most people to be idiots.

I brought them up and you called them "pathetic" and "Stern imitators."? Since I think they do a great show (far better than Sterns), I put up a few clips to let somebody else decide if they want to.? If somebody recommends a song similar to one they know I like, I dont ask why they "care," I check it out and decide for myself.

I actually ignored you bringing them up the first time or two, but it was only because you didn't drop it and kept trying to sell them that I finally responded.? I don't care who listens to O&A.? My opinion is that they aren't worth the time or the money.? And even though you said I wasn't familiar with them, I'll state again that I did listen to them, not one time, but as long as they were on the air in my area until they were finally fired.?

[Booker Floyd]

You say its common knowledge, I disagree.

I said its common knowledge to those that follow radio, particulary NYC radio...and even to those who follow either show (or Ron and Fez/Don & Mike) closely.  So I dont expect casual fans to be aware of their history...if youre more than just a casual fan, then you probably just missed it.  But like I said, I actually have that Sept. 3, 2002 Stern show on tape, and he admitted to putting "a muzzle" on O&A.  You dislike O&A - its not even about them as much as it is about Sterns own hypocrisy, and even an O&A detractor can see that.  When Stern says plainly "Ill go to whichever company doesnt have Opie and Anthony," and then claim later that he would never do that to somebody because others did it to him, its typically hypocritical of him. 

However, most wont care about that and thats fine.  Youve only got a few weeks before he arrives at Sirius and I hope you enjoy the show. 

[D]

Why cant you like Opie and Anthony as well as Howard Stern?

I use to listen to John boy and billy and they were pretty funny it just seems like Booker that you are tryin to put down Stern to enhance O&A.