In defense of Howard Stern...

[Queefer Sutherland]

He still has his moments.

 

[SpitballSparky]

I don't blame Howard for a millisecond. He's cashing easy checks and doing the show he wants to do in today's wacky political climate. I'd probably be the same way if I was him.

I do blame SiriusXM for enabling him, though. They paid for "the king of all media" and keep giving him contract extensions despite the fact he has a fraction of the audience that he did in the Bush years and that he takes insane amounts of time off.

Honestly, is it just fear from the money men that keeps him well paid on satellite radio?

 

[THE D]

don’t see another shock jock rising right now. If they did, it would obviously be a podcast but the most popular comedy podcasts now are way more tame than o&a and stern ever were.

Don't blame the medium because the talent isn't there. It wouldn't happen with a podcast, it would have to be live.

Why are there no new shock jocks rising? Because as you said yourself, all the performers are too tame.

There will be one who isn't... He has to make up for his negative qualities and always prioritize the funny. Unfortunately that just doesn't happen anymore.

 

[THE D]

It's like how O&A were a destination for comedians; no actual skill on their part other than setting the scene for funnier people

I don't understand how anyone on this site could think like this unless they missed the entire run of O&A outside of the last few years on satellite... And even then sometimes I'd turn off the show when Patrice was advertised.

We weren't listening for the comics. If anything, we were listening for what the O&A show was going to turn the comics into.

 

[gassers]

If anything, we were listening for what the O&A show was going to turn the comics into.

Well said, sir.

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

He still has his moments.

I think this was one of the last celebrities he went after, I remember shortly after this he said Lena Dunham looked gross being naked on the show “Girls” so much and that she looked like Jonah Hill and he had to beg her for forgiveness. He learned the line that day and pretty much now is only safe to shit on OJ and Trump / Republicans. Everyone else is off limits.

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

I don't blame Howard for a millisecond. He's cashing easy checks and doing the show he wants to do in today's wacky political climate. I'd probably be the same way if I was him.

I do blame SiriusXM for enabling him, though. They paid for "the king of all media" and keep giving him contract extensions despite the fact he has a fraction of the audience that he did in the Bush years and that he takes insane amounts of time off.

Honestly, is it just fear from the money men that keeps him well paid on satellite radio?

That’s also what I don’t understand, are the high ups at Sirius so old and out of touch they believe Stern is actually still important and relevant in 2023? Hes been bland and nothing special for over a decade, he’s doing the same show as any late night talk show at this point and isn’t breaking any ground or making news with his show. His show films but they can’t even get on any kind of streaming network (like he’s been hinting at for years “I’m in talks with big names” bullshit) which is weird they worry about lights, make up, etc and barely any footage is used. That’s a lot of money being spent for something that is just like everything else.

 

[Queefer Sutherland]

I think this was one of the last celebrities he went after, I remember shortly after this he said Lena Dunham looked gross being naked on the show “Girls” so much and that she looked like Jonah Hill and he had to beg her for forgiveness. He learned the line that day and pretty much now is only safe to shit on OJ and Republicans. Everyone else is off limits.

He called Sam Smith fat and ugly.



He called Jamie Foxx gay.

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

One of the things I hate most about stern (I was a huge fan for over 20 years) is how he slowly starting turning his back on guests that he always had on for reasons related to politics (Trump was always a great guest and he many times had said how much he appreciated him doing the show whenever he was needed) or when they felt a certain guest wasn’t the “right direction” for the show (Gilbert Gottfried being a major example, he was told by Gary they “don’t put comedians on the show anymore” yet have Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer on often) and he just went along with it. Gilbert did the show something like 90 times and was always great and could come on if someone cancelled. Even when Gilbert did that critically acclaimed documentary Stern still wouldn’t have him on. I saw after Gilbert died Stern praised him like they were such good friends even though he had been ignoring and avoiding him for over a decade. Gilbert would be asked often about Stern and even then wouldn’t trash him.

I understand him not wanting to deal with Artie but he had plenty of loyal guests that he decided weren’t cool enough anymore for Hollywood Howie who now loved Ellen DeGeneres and watching her dance.

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

He called Sam Smith fat and ugly.



He called Jamie Foxx gay.

I gotta see if I can find it but the Lena Dunham situation was really weird, he didn’t really say anything that bad but he insulted someone off limits and was almost on the verge of tears apologizing to her when she called in after the “controversy”

 

[LingerLonger]

One of the things I hate most about stern (I was a huge fan for over 20 years) is how he slowly starting turning his back on guests that he always had on for reasons related to politics (Trump was always a great guest and he many times had said how much he appreciated him doing the show whenever he was needed) or when they felt a certain guest wasn’t the “right direction” for the show (Gilbert Gottfried being a major example, he was told by Gary they “don’t put comedians on the show anymore” yet have Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer on often) and he just went along with it. Gilbert did the show something like 90 times and was always great and could come on if someone cancelled.

Gilbert was almost always voted as "guest number one" by Stern fans from the early 90s until even today. Gilbert was so popular on Stern that he became one of the only comedians who would regularly sit in for Robin's news. And he would take over the entire segment with his insanity. Stuff like playing Jackie's laugh during awful news stories when Gilbert was in became legendary. Artie and Gilbert on the news was always hysterical.

After George Carlin died, a bunch of comedians were invited to Caroline's to pay tribute to him, and name some street in NYC after him. Gilbert went on stage and did his set but it was not a tribute. He did fifteen straight minutes on how he was glad that Carlin died and glad that he suffered and was in deep pain and distress for several years. And Gilbert said that Carlin's miserable agonizing death was more pleasant than the birth of his own son. Carlin's daughter cried and keeps removing the set from the internet.

 

[Cyberatorquer]

When celebrities sell their soul to Hollywood (Satan) for success, they aren't allowed to retire, lest they die. Rarely does it happen naturally. #boqposting

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

Gilbert was almost always voted as "guest number one" by Stern fans from the early 90s until even today. Gilbert was so popular on Stern that he became one of the only comedians who would regularly sit in for Robin's news. And he would take over the entire segment with his insanity. Stuff like playing Jackie's laugh during awful news stories when Gilbert was in became legendary. Artie and Gilbert on the news was always hysterical.

After George Carlin died, a bunch of comedians were invited to Caroline's to pay tribute to him, and name some street in NYC after him. Gilbert went on stage and did his set but it was not a tribute. He did fifteen straight minutes on how he was glad that Carlin died and glad that he suffered and was in deep pain and distress for several years. And Gilbert said that Carlin's miserable agonizing death was more pleasant than the birth of his own son. Carlin's daughter cried and keeps removing the set from the internet.

I think Gilbert was the only person they had on Sirius that they had to dump out of because he was going insane as usual on the news. Stern claimed his show was be more outrageous than ever of Sirius and little Gilbert was the one that went too far. One of the last times he was on Gilbert and Artie were really being crazy on the news and stern got pissed.

 

[IGotATreeOnMyHouse85]

When celebrities sell their soul to Hollywood (Satan) for success, they aren't allowed to retire, lest they die. Rarely does it happen naturally. #boqposting

It’s funny to me how Stern has really become Imus before he finally retired. He’s just a grumpy old shell of his former self but can’t stop doing radio because without it he has nothing in his life that makes him happy. Even when he’s not broadcasting he usually just sits alone and stares at the wall. Im guessing after he dies Ralph will be the first one to spill all the secrets about stern.

 

[CruisinColin]

reveal previously unknown inside stories.
sets the scene for famous people to dish.

You must have a great time at the salon yapping about it.

 

[Sue Lightning]

Don't blame the medium because the talent isn't there. It wouldn't happen with a podcast, it would have to be live.

Both have to exist. If there’s no medium there can be no talent and vise versa. If you cut podcasts out of the equation, where exactly could a shock jock work? Nowhere besides SXM, and even then they’d have to tame themselves a little in order to not be fired. If anything they’d have to do it on a live service that is be all means just a podcast.

Why are there no new shock jocks rising? Because as you said yourself, all the performers are too tame.

Yes…and no. (I love fencesitting as much as Jim.) Once again, if a performer were to come along with this spirit where would they broadcast? We all know broadcasting is a business and most people who enter a business want success and then fame. You don’t get either by doing a show emulating 90’s shocking humor dropping Niggers, getting strippers in studio, whatever. You would basically have to recreate the conditions of O&A with some added factors: Take two retards who give fuck all about being celebrities and want to put on an entertaining show. Now make them want to recreate a format that’s been dead for 20 years, shocking radio. Now make them want to recreate a format thats been dead for 10 years, a live radio show with callers. Me and Dan Mullen are the only people who would be retarded enough to try this.

There will be one who isn't... He has to make up for his negative qualities and always prioritize the funny. Unfortunately that just doesn't happen anymore.

There are performers who aren’t tame by todays standards but once again they’d never think to do a live show. They’re performers at the end of the day and want fame and money. You don’t get that by doing something genuinely original, you do that by starting another shitty podcast that everyone has or streaming on Youtube.

I will say I agree with you and want something like this to happen, but the odds are just so slim.

 

[Sue Lightning]

That’s also what I don’t understand, are the high ups at Sirius so old and out of touch they believe Stern is actually still important and relevant in 2023? Hes been bland and nothing special for over a decade, he’s doing the same show as any late night talk show at this point and isn’t breaking any ground or making news with his show. His show films but they can’t even get on any kind of streaming network (like he’s been hinting at for years “I’m in talks with big names” bullshit) which is weird they worry about lights, make up, etc and barely any footage is used. That’s a lot of money being spent for something that is just like everything else.

I think the higher ups are getting the point. They’re paying him 9 fucking figures to broadcast on their platform. When Howie went to Sirius no doubt it brought subscribers. When the platforms merged it brought a new audience and people who would have otherwise cancelled now staying for the big star. And it can be argued that at least for 5-7 years Howards presence on the platform attracted new subscribers.

Now though? Who is a new subscriber specifically for Howard? SXM is hiring and promoting already made names like Kevin Hart and Andy Cohen at, no doubt, much lower salaries than Howard. These are people with ingrained fanbases who would subscribe to SXM just for them. Then you have to ask yourself, how many people would unsubscribe from SXM if Howard got canned? They’re gonna miss the celebrity interviews? The incomplete and cherry picked archive? We all saw SXM lay off like 50k people due to cost cuts and their stock is in the fucking toilet. It’s going to get to the point where they simply can’t pay him anymore or they will pay him less and he will leave because of it.

 

[satanssockpuppet]

While no one could fault Bugle Beak for taking that enormous pile of satellite radio money, the time to ditch his tired old radio show format has come and gone, and he missed the boat. He could have been a pioneering podcaster, like Maron or Rogan, but he took the safe, familiar route instead. And now he's doing a lifeless show, on a dead format, with the same sad cast of flunkies like Robin, Fred and Booey.

 

[LingerLonger]

I think Gilbert was the only person they had on Sirius that they had to dump out of because he was going insane as usual on the news.

Gilbert kept referring to Obama as a 'nigger' or other racist terms because he knew it would piss off Howard. Most of those if not all were dumped. One time during a news segment Robin said something like "the fight was started when one man called the other....the n-word". And Gilbert said something like "....we have one of those in the White House".

They've dumped out on Sirius to avoid slander lawsuits and other stuff as well or giving out personal information. Like O&A failing to dump Erock's phone out for example. Or listeners using real names and getting dumped (though sometimes the replays would still have the original call).

There are performers who aren’t tame by todays standards but once again they’d never think to do a live show.

Who is edgy anymore that is even close to mainstream?

 

[Cyberatorquer]

It's money laundering, funsters. Stern's product is closer to worthless than $100 million per annum. Certain foreign intelligence services are the benefactors.
#boqposting