Reminder: The OG sub attacked Opie because he didn’t like Uncle Paul.

[BonnieMcFarlaneMe2]

That movie, and everything surrounding it, was where it all changed. First, the actual filming and his endless hype just killed the whole vibe and flow of the show for the better part of a year. The fun, "anything goes" anarchy that fueled much of his appeal started to fade, as Howard's focus became getting out the door as soon as he could. And he just never stopped blathering about that stupid movie, it was ceaseless. By the time it finally premiered, regular listeners were begging for it to stop, and looking forward to it being over.

Then it premiered, and during his vacation (I think it was two weeks but I'm not positive) that gay movie came and went with a weak fizzle. It debuted on a Friday, and by Sunday the theaters were empty, and Private Parts was dead and gone a few weeks later. There were no riotous throngs lining up to see it in packed theaters, no one was acting out the dialog in the aisles, and the consensus was that it was a real letdown all around. Stern fans anxiously awaited his return, to see how'd he address the undeniable fact that his much-hyped movie debut was a dud. And he kind of did, but it was weak, and sort of feeble. And that hurt his credibility, as he came across as a cheap carnival barker who'd just fleeced the pigeons again. And while he always was a carny, the show was "edgy" and "wild" enough to give listeners the impression that they were getting something they couldn't get anywhere else. And the movie debacle, and his urge to become a beloved pop-culture figure, killed that.

I recently listened to some of the post Artie shows mixed in on YouTube and the entirety of his time at AGT just seemed like he was complaining about traveling and hyping up the show. “What happens in Vegas will really surprise you.” Will it? He also said that he assumed most of his listeners were watching that show too.

 

[LingerLonger]

Howard really thought having a stuttering person on the radio was instant hilarity.

Radio misfits and wack packers are classic shock jockery though. Lots of people hate stuff like Lady Di, Bobo, Big A, and so on. Or for Stern people like Eric the Midget, Gary the Retard, or Daniel Carver or whatever. But some of their segments are the funniest on the show. People like Stuttering John, Sal Governale, or Intern David or Erock were usually good radio fodder as well and were basically wack packers who got hired full time. Lady Di's internship is still one of the greatest O&A bits of all time because of how big of a trainwreck it was.

I personally love outrageous individuals like Crazy Cabbie or Stuttering John when they are characters that get time on the air here or there. John interviewing celebrities is a top Stern bit. And John was a shit stirrer who was willing to attack everyone including Howard. Once their egos became out of control they stopped being funny. But John had an amazing run on Stern.

That movie, and everything surrounding it, was where it all changed. First, the actual filming and his endless hype just killed the whole vibe and flow of the show for the better part of a year.

The filming year of Private Parts is basically unlistenable. It might as well just be a black hole or blank space in the Stern archives. Stern essentially fulfilled his radio obligations down to the second then ran away to the set of Private Parts.

Then it premiered, and during his vacation (I think it was two weeks but I'm not positive) that gay movie came and went with a weak fizzle. It debuted on a Friday, and by Sunday the theaters were empty, and Private Parts was dead and gone a few weeks later.

When Stern came back from vacation you would have thought that his entire family died. Totally somber and monotonous. Obviously just trying to blow right by Private Parts not being a box office hit. And you could also tell that the show members were told not to bring it up nor any callers to go on air to talk about the movie.

 

[BonnieMcFarlaneMe2]

Radio misfits and wack packers are classic shock jockery though. Lots of people hate stuff like Lady Di, Bobo, Big A, and so on. Or for Stern people like Eric the Midget, Gary the Retard, or Daniel Carver or whatever. But some of their segments are the funniest on the show. People like Stuttering John, Sal Governale, or Intern David or Erock were usually good radio fodder as well and were basically wack packers who got hired full time. Lady Di's internship is still one of the greatest O&A bits of all time because of how big of a trainwreck it was.

I personally love outrageous individuals like Crazy Cabbie or Stuttering John when they are characters that get time on the air here or there. John interviewing celebrities is a top Stern bit. And John was a shit stirrer who was willing to attack everyone including Howard. Once their egos became out of control they stopped being funny. But John had an amazing run on Stern.

The filming year of Private Parts is basically unlistenable. It might as well just be a black hole or blank space in the Stern archives. Stern essentially fulfilled his radio obligations down to the second then ran away to the set of Private Parts.

When Stern came back from vacation you would have thought that his entire family died. Totally somber and monotonous. Obviously just trying to blow right by Private Parts not being a box office hit. And you could also tell that the show members were told not to bring it up nor any callers to go on air to talk about the movie.

John was the best. Having interns carry his golf bag and painting his house, never having money on him even though he was kind of wealthy, getting arrested for pissing at a park, pissing off AJ Benza, etc.

 

[satanssockpuppet]

The filming year of Private Parts is basically unlistenable. It might as well just be a black hole or blank space in the Stern archives. Stern essentially fulfilled his radio obligations down to the second then ran away to the set of Private Parts.

When Stern came back from vacation you would have thought that his entire family died. Totally somber and monotonous. Obviously just trying to blow right by Private Parts not being a box office hit. And you could also tell that the show members were told not to bring it up nor any callers to go on air to talk about the movie.

The post 10 o'clock stuff was often the funniest part of the show, like when they'd start goofing on Jackie during his plugs, and it'd go on for a half hour, forty-five minutes. While he was doing that gay movie, it was 10 AM on the button, for like a year. And by early 1997 he was testing everyone's patience with the hype.

That's how I remember his return too. That was, at the time, one of the most eagerly-anticipated shows ever. How would he address the movie bombing? Would he go off on the studio, his staff, or his listeners? And instead, he did nothing. I recall it being mentioned briefly, where he was all meekly defensive about it, but otherwise yeah, no one was talking about it and the mood was quite downcast and tense. And at the time, this was way out of character, and came across as really strange and weak.