I haven’t listened to much of Howard Stern since his move to satellite radio many years ago. Like a lot of folks in the 90s and aughts, I listened to him frequently on work commutes. What I appreciated about Stern was that he was able to remain a likable and compelling despite the fact that he found a way to piss me off at least once a commute. He was the original shock jock. He was provocative. He pushed the envelope. He went where other talk show hosts were too scared to go. His radio show racked up over $2.5 million in fines.
Now? He’s a “sweet old man,” barely recognizable as the pioneering shock jock he once was. He hosts a lame — no, the lamest — talent competition on the networks, and he earnestly loves it. I don’t watch “America’s Got Talent,” but this description of Stern from WaPo almost sounds made up.
This mellower Stern came to “America’s Got Talent” as a self-avowed true believer in the show’s hunt for amateurs who have something intangibly winning about their acts. He came to dish out a tiny bit of brutal honesty, but mainly he seemed to want to bask in the show’s trademark combination of awkwardness, ingenuity and love. He hugged everyone he saw. He leaped on stage to hug contestants. He tried to hug his notoriously germaphobic fellow judge, Howie Mandel. He hugged Ozzy Osbourne, the immortal rock legend who is married to Stern’s other fellow judge, the ubiquitous Sharon.
Stern delivered apple-pie pronouncements more typical of presidential candidates. When a dance troupe used glowing costumes and props to simulate dinosaurs and prehistoric plant life, Stern gushed:
“This is going to sound sappy,” he said. “We are the greatest country in the world. You are everything that makes America great.”
Apple-pie pronouncements? Who is this guy, and what did he do to Howard Stern? Whoever he is, this kindler, gentler Stern is not helping “America’s Got Talent,” which premiered this season 16 percent down from where it premiered last year, despite HEAVY, omnipresent promotion both on NBC and Stern’s radio show. This wouldn’t happen with the old Stern. If things slowed down on the show, he’d make the contestants remove their clothes and then he’d judge their bodies. THAT’S Howard Stern.
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For those who haven’t tuned in since the move to satellite: Stern’s transformed into something of an octogenarian yenta-lady.
All he mostly seems to talk about these days are AGT, his wife, Dancing With the Stars and any iteration of The Bachelor.
Does he have a ranch for kids with cancer yet?
” omnipresent promotion both on ABC and Stern’s radio show.”
They should have promoted it on NBC instead.
The Sirius show is better than anything he ever did on the radio, Biggest Whore Contest? Women on the Sybian? Yeah, he’s a yenta.
I always thought the best part of his radio show back in the day was the last hour and a half or so where they would just bullshit about the headlines and whatever else.
Da-da-dadada-da-da-circus, da-da-dadada-da-da-afro-circus, afro-circus, afro, polka dot, polka dot, polka dot afro!
I’m pretty sure that’s the song of the summer this year
It’s been my ringtone for 2 months.
I’ve always been fairly indifferent to him, which seems to be out of the norm. Everyone is supposed to have a strong opinion of him. Now that he’s homogenized, I care even less.
I bailed after Artie…umm…”left”…and they never decided to fill the chair. It’s just too much Robin for me without someone else there to balance it out and pitch in carrying the conversations with Howard.
As someone who has listened to him for the last 20 odd years I was saddened by the level of homogeneity he has sunk to on AGT as well! As for the Sirius show, I vow to cancel every day and then they do something that reminds me why I subscribed and put it off another day, quite vexing! That being said, dude loves to get paid so hopefully the ratings slide continues and he refocuses on his higher paying satellite gig! And Baba-Booey to your oil fields!
Are your periods broken?(!)
Nope, and the period key on my keyboard works fine as well.
I watched about 20 minutes of this program last night out of channel flipping apathy (until some guy started sticking knitting needles through his face and I peaced out) but I’d wager that dinosaur act wasn’t even “everything that makes America['s Got Talent] great.” The enthused gushing was just embarrassing. Like, settle down, old timer, it’s just some people flapping their arms with glowsticks taped to them. It’s really not that impressive.
Will Daniel Carver be guest judging one night? If so, things could go off the tracks very quickly.
Loved the Stern radio show when it was free and always saw Howard as a lovable asshole. I do remember his wife in Private Parts proclaiming that his shock jock persona was “just an act.” So maybe there was some truth to that film.
Anyhoo, no matter how bad boy he acted, Howard Stern always loved money, and I’m sure he gets buckets of money to judge amateur hour with Nick Cannon, Gizmo and Sharon Osbourne.
Eh, I like soft Stern more than shocking Stern. But I doubt soft Stern does any good for ratings.
The shtick-y parts of his show are what he’s more famous for, but once you get past all that he’s a big nerd who talks about comic books and tv and complains about his parents and his penis size. How’s that not relate-able?
America’s Got Talent’s always been a weird, sappy, emotional manipulator. I thought he did good, and it’s kinda interesting seeing how he is with the other hosts since he’s seemed friendly with them on his show over the years.
Funny, thought the same thing about this blog when Matt left.
what the fuck did you expect stern to do? its not live. if he started telling contestants to take their tops of they’d just edit it out. they do plenty of fucked up shit on the radio show. give it a listen maybe before writing such a retarded post.
I’m not a super fan of Howard Stern, so I can’t speak with a huge amount of experience, but could it be that his radio personality is a kind of character, ala Stephen Colbert (but far less sophisticated)? So wouldn’t it be silly to expect him to play a character in a role where he is supposed to be himself?
Money Walks, Bullsh!t talks.
He has softened, but I think he’s turned into the best celebrity interviewer around. His interview with Sash Baron Cohen last week was incredibly insightful. As for AGT, I think it’s ok. You have to remember 1 hour of programing comes from 2-4 full days of filming. So they are editing out a lot of Stern’s edgier stuff. On his show, obviously, there is no editing.
Wednesday’s show he had Strongest Naked Woman contest. One of the events was doing situps as many times as possible. Each situp you had to hit a cowbell hanging from Sal’s balls and wiener while Sal hovered above with his asshole staring the girls in the face. Another event was sitting on the sybian and holding dumbbells above thier heads as long as possible. Porn star Nikki Benz won. Great Radio.
I think the “real” Stern is the guy who kept his wits on the radio Sept. 11th. But yeah, the suitcase full of cash the AGT people showed up with probably affected him as well.
Stern’s radio show is still great, and Howard remains the best interviewer and most provocative host out there. The “shock jock” label got stuck to Stern early in his career, but that was never why I liked him. I enjoy his show because he’s intelligent and honest, and always relevant. He brings those same attributes to his gig on AGT, and I feel as though he has improved what was never more than a summer fill-in show. And don’t forget, no matter who they put on as a judge on AGT, that person will NEVER be edgy. It’s just not that kind of show. Stern is doing it for the money and the enjoyment, and who can fault him for that? Maybe it will occur to Dustin Knowles that by merely mentioning Stern’s name I read a retarded post that makes no sense. So he can thank Howard for some page views. Peace.
BTW the AGT season premiere was facing the finales of American Idol and other shows, yet still won the 18-49 demographic, which is the only demo that matters. I sometimes wish that writers on the Internet were required to do at least a little research before posting nonsense.
I wanted to post my opinion but the process to post has just destroyed my point. Nevermind.