Any fans here? I’ve never seen him mentioned here.
I’m driving a rent a car and it has Howard 100 & 101. I’ve missed him and wasn’t the biggest fan, but I like him and the wack pack! Bigfoot is crazy on the show! He had a Joan Rivers tribute etc.
Fred was big into industrial and metal in general so he’s played AL/Trent etc.
BabaBooey
Grew up on Howard. Was a big fan for years. Did not follow to satellite radio though. Just didn’t seem worth it to me.
Howard was also a big Meat Beat Manifesto fan. In '97, he saw the “Helter Skelter” video somewhere, and i remember him going on and on about it.
I used to be a huge Howard Stern fan.
The original Howard Stern TV show (the one that came on at like midnight back around 1990) was absolutely incredible. The real magic of it, though, was that since Howard wasn’t really a national megastar yet the guests that got booked obviously had no idea what they were in for. That uncomfortableness was really what made it such a hit for me.
The other thing that was awesome about vintage Stern was that he was always in this hilarious pissing match with the censors and he would dance so close to the line and just piss off everyone. He was like the annoying brother in the back seat of the car, putting his hands and face directly in the center to piss off his sister . . . “Still on my side, I’m still on my side” [sticking tongue out and making faces].
Howard for me represented a flag of freedom and rebellion and a big middle finger to the system.
But then he moved to Satellite radio. That was really the end fo it for me. There wasn’t any walls for Howard to punch and no lines for him to dance on. It just became a big stupid frat party . . . “Weeeee, strippers and profanity . . . fuck yeah motherfuckers, we can say fucking fuck all fucking day and nobody fucking cares!!!”
Boring.
Howard for me represented a flag of freedom and rebellion and a big middle finger to the system.
My sentiments as well. Those early years were so fantastic. Hearing shit you never thought you’d hear on radio.
And the celebrity feuds and shit? Howard calling Chevy Chase’s maid? Enrique Inglesias having to come on to do damage control when that vocal tape of his was released?
Classic.
The original Howard Stern TV show (the one that came on at like midnight back around 1990) was absolutely incredible. The real magic of it, though, was that since Howard wasn’t really a national megastar yet the guests that got booked obviously had no idea what they were in for.
I ended up acquiring an old tape of the show on EP, so I have hours worth of the show. My roommate also scored one of the PPV specials called “BUTT BONGO FIESTA,” back when seeing Howard uncensored was a big deal. He looked like he belonged in a 80’s metal band, “Stuttering” John Melendez actually stuttered and Robin was super hot in those days. First thing on that tape I have is a segment called “Hooker Howiewood Squares,” and the contestants were Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen who played Bobby and Cindy on The Brady Bunch.
By the way, has anyone seen Howard as a judge on America’s Got Talent? Oh, how the mighty have fallen…
I don’t watch the show (America’s Got Talent) aside from catching an occasional featured clip on YouTube or something, but I think Howard is great on it. His comments are actually the most honest and accurate of the bunch while other judges are often prone to just blowing a bunch of smoke and predictably kissing ass where you’d expect it to be kissed.
I remember “Hooker Howiewood Squares”, Eureka. There was also a “Homeless Howiewood Squares” at least once.
They had complete whack jobs on that show too . . . .Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, Daniel Carver the KKK Guy, Underdog Lady, Fred the Elephant Boy, Wendy the Retard, Beetlejuice . . . . damn.
And they had a really solid support crew in those days too. Bababooey, Fred Norris, Jackie Martling, Stuttering John.
Stuttering John’s bits were AMAZING. He’d somehow fake his way into the big press releases and manage to ask a complete ball-ripper of a question that no one else would have the guts to ask. I remember when he asked Gennifer Flowers (some chick that banged Clinton before the election) . . . . “J-j-j-j-jennifer d-d-d-d-do you plan on b-b-b-b-banging anymore Presidential candidate before the election?”
Sometimes you’d wonder if he was gonna make it out alive. There was a really raw and spontaneous excitement and danger to those early low-budget days. Now it’s all safely contained in a fancy studio.
Give me the old days. That stuff was straight up punk rock television. There was absolutely nothing like it.
I don’t watch the show (America’s Got Talent) aside from catching an occasional featured clip on YouTube or something, but I think Howard is great on it. His comments are actually the most honest and accurate of the bunch while other judges are often prone to just blowing a bunch of smoke and predictably kissing ass where you’d expect it to be kissed.
Yeah, he’s still pretty honest from what I’ve seen. I still think he went soft though.
There was also a “Homeless Howiewood Squares” at least once.
I MUST SEE THIS.
They had complete whack jobs on that show too . . . .Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, Daniel Carver the KKK Guy, Underdog Lady, Fred the Elephant Boy, Wendy the Retard, Beetlejuice . . . . damn.
My favorite was Elegant Elliot Offen. Gary The Retard, Hank The Angry Drunken Dwarf and Joe Cancer were also classic in the heyday.
And they had a really solid support crew in those days too. Bababooey, Fred Norris, Jackie Martling, Stuttering John.
Artie Lange used to crack me up. Are Bababooey and Fred still there? And what was the deal with Stuttering John leaving?
Artie Lange used to crack me up. Are Bababooey and Fred still there? And what was the deal with Stuttering John leaving?
I have no idea if Fred is there. I think Bababooey still is. I’ve not followed the show in ages but saw a few clips on YouTube recently (don’t know HOW recent they were) and Bababooey and Robin were still there.
The story of Stuttering John was actually kind of sad. I read an interview with him at some time. He had left the Stern show to take a job with Jay Leno as a support member on the Tonight Show.
He talked about why he left and you could tell he really felt bad about the whole situation. Basically the guy was getting paid just pennies for his work while Howard was upping his contract every time and getting absolute mega-millions. Now, I think from the Howard side of things it wasn’t Howard determining the pay of his crew as Howie was just negotiating his own contract, but he didn’t apparently ever fight for the others (or at least not John) and John really felt slighted.
And when I say he was getting chicken feed, I mean, we’re talking really skint pay . . . like less than the rest of us slobs would be getting for changing tires at Jiffy Lube or waiting tables at Shakey’s.
It was really pretty depressing, to be honest and I felt bad for John when I read it. If I can find an article or interview I’ll post it.
Okay, I just reread that part . . . Howard’s a dick.
I am in no way saying he was obligated to pay John directly, but he certainly didn’t need to trash him the way he did.
I was and am a big fan of his show up until Artie left the show in late 2009. It’s a shell of its former self; it’s basically every reason why it’s stale in every sense - no new material, bad writing, lazy booking and Howard getting old and wanting to be loved by Hollywood…
The satellite shows were good, but honestly the show was the best before that time simply because of how genuinely angry he was. He lost his marriage due to putting more heart and soul into keeping the show his priority.
The best thing (besides the relentless ball-busting) were the guests. So many of them you’d think would be a total bore were the most entertaining, like “Grandpa” Al Lewis, Tiny Tim, Rich Cronin…
Great bits…
Stuttering John vs. Ringo Starr:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdm316jIOXs&t=3m42s
Mike Walker farts on mic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmlCg783HNY
Pig Olympics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7lqb7YGUsI
Interview with Madonna’s “sister” Paula:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oed2_Me3TFo
Huge Stern fan for many many years…I still have all the specials on VHS haha…The new Years eve one is the best…I’ll never forget the skit where he is dressed up like Michael Jackson and he puts the jumper cables on the little boys testicles(little boy played by Marty the Midget)…classic stuff…
I loved the old channel 9 show…it used to beat SNL in several markets…the old whack pack days were so good…I wish I wasn’t at work right now cuz I could go on and on about Stern…
I followed him into satellite but stopped listening about 2 years ago…never the as good once Artie left…
Oh and btw,Fred is still there…Fred will follow Howard til the end…
Remember when Morton Downey assaulted Stuttering John?
Going back to MBM’s Helter Skelter, does anyone recognize the sample of music near the end of the 97version? It seems so familiar, but I cant place it.
Huge Stern fan for many many years…I still have all the specials on VHS haha…The new Years eve one is the best…I’ll never forget the skit where he is dressed up like Michael Jackson and he puts the jumper cables on the little boys testicles(little boy played by Marty the Midget)…classic stuff…
“Hey little Dexter, do you like Barney?”
That NYE Special was outrageous! I think (correct me if I’m wrong) it was the first pay-per-view they did. It was completely insane because they’re like, “Okay, Bitches! It’s OUR time now!”
I remember seeing it at a NYE Party my buddy and I got taken to by his older cousin. We ended up upstairs where there was a bunch of dudes who’d hot-rodded the cable box to get it and next thing you knew there was like 20 of us up there going berzerk. All dudes. I think occasionally a girl would peek in on the sausage fest and just be repulsed at the horrendous display of testosterone-fueled drunkenness.
The ring-leader of the bunch was this dude who was a MEGAFAN of Stern and he STUTTERED! So, for him, Stuttering John was a GOD. He was like, “Stuttering J-j-j-john is f-f-f-f-f-ucking cool!”
I don’t think he knew at that time (I think we were all unsure then) that the stutter was forced and I always wondered if he felt betrayed later to find out.
Haha,that’s awesome…
I also love that anytime they filmed those skits you could always hear Jackie the Jokeman laughing out loud through the bit…no doubt at his own jokes…I wonder if New years Rotten Eve is up on youtube…will have to check later…I gotta dig out those old vhs tapes and covert them…then again this is 2014(I have to keep reminding myself)and you can find anything on the web…duh…
Going back to MBM’s Helter Skelter, does anyone recognize the sample of music near the end of the 97version? It seems so familiar, but I cant place it.
That’s a sample? The fade-out you mean? Actually sounds like an original piece, who knows.
Trivia: director of the “Helter Skelter” video did the intro to the Stern E! show circa 1998 going forward.
I went through a really fanatical period of resistance against anything “too popular” around the time that Howard Stern really began to make waves; and so I missed out on quite a lot.
However, at the very least, I do owe him for introducing me to [url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhy0_jkOXCo]“Reverend X” a.k.a. the “cussing preacher”.
Quote: “He created the heavens, the earth, and every goddamn thing in between!!!”
That’s a sample? The fade-out you mean? Actually sounds like an original piece, who knows.
Yeah, that fade-out[ro] of the 97 version. It sounds familiar. Maybe wherever I heard it sampled it off of MBM?