The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern on Howard 100, a SIRIUS Satellite Radio station developed by Stern during his transition from terrestrial radio.
For over twenty years[1] the radio show was syndicated on FM radio stations (and a few AM stations) throughout the United States until the last broadcast via terrestrial radio on December 16, 2005. The Howard Stern Show began broadcasting via the United States subscription-based Sirius Satellite Radio satellite radio service on January 9, 2006. It began broadcasting to Canada via the Canadian version of Sirius on February 6, 2006.
The Howard Stern show is a free-form comedy show consisting of banter between the cast, various games (often with sexual themes) involving the cast or listeners, taped bits such as prank phone calls and celebrity interviews. Common themes include current events, Hollywood gossip, politics, and ridiculing staff members for their mistakes and incompetence. Traditionally, producer Gary Dell'Abate (also known as "Baba Booey") and Scott the Engineer take the brunt of Howard's anger most frequently, but no person or topic is considered sacred and every cast member, including Robin Quivers and Howard himself have taken ridicule on the show.
[edit] Terrestrial radio history
[edit] 1970s and 1980s
The earliest recognizable incarnation of the Howard Stern Show started in 1979 at WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut. Stern decided to apply for the job after reading a WCCC ad in Radio & Records looking for a "wild, fun, morning guy". Stern was hired for $12,000 a year. It was at WCCC that Stern met Fred Norris. Norris was working evenings under the pseudonym "Earth Dog".
In 1980, Stern again noticed an advertisement in Radio & Records, this time for WWWW in Detroit, Michigan. He met with management and signed a contract for $30,000 and moved his family to Detroit. At WWWW, the show was further refined with bits such as Dial-a-Date being invented. The show started to get noticed by the industry, and Stern won the Billboard award for best AOR disc jockey. With this new-found recognition, job offers started to come in and the show moved to DC-101 in Washington, D.C.
In one typical example of the radio show, Stern persuaded a female caller to have phone sex with him on the air.[2] He made deep buzzing noises into his microphone, and had her sit on a speaker with the volume turned up (this incident appeared as a scene in Stern's 1997 movie Private Parts). Another notable episode was on WWDC-FM (DC101 Radio) in Washington, D.C., in which Stern called Air Florida and asked what the fare was for a one-way ticket from Washington National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge (on the Potomac River, less than one mile from the airport). He was making light of the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 one day earlier, on January 13, 1982, which had killed 78 persons (both on-board the airplane and in vehicles stopped in traffic on the bridge). On June 29, Stern was fired from DC-101 radio after being suspended for criticizing his station management and two other radio stations. Stern's lawyer alleged:
It's our view that the real reason they've [fired Stern] is they would like to get new DC-101 deejays 'GreaseMan' and 'Adam Smasher' on the air as soon as possible, and hope the audience forgets about Howard, and that's a perfectly rational business judgment.[citation needed]
In 1982, the Stern Show made it to New York City to work at NBC's flagship AM radio station, WNBC (66 WNBC). Also working at NBC at that time was David Letterman, who became a fan of Stern's radio show. Stern's guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on June 19, 1984, launched Stern into the national spotlight and gave his radio show unprecedented exposure. Stern would appear on Letterman's show many times thereafter.
Stern and his crew were fired from NBC in 1985, ostensibly in response to a particularly outrageous sketch — "Bestiality Dial-A-Date" — although relations between station management and Stern had been strained from the beginning (as well-documented in his book Private Parts). He quickly returned to FM radio by joining local rival station WXRK, premiering November 18, 1985, moving permanently to the morning drive time slot in February 1986. By year's end, 1986, Stern's show was syndicated in Philadelphia via WYSP, which he announced on Late Night with David Letterman. The local media initially doubted that Stern would be a success in the Philadelphia market;[3] however, in a move that would repeat itself many times over in his career, Stern was successful in knocking off the local morning talent (John Debella) to become number one in the ratings.[4] Before long, it was also heard in Washington, D.C., and was then syndicated nationwide by Infinity Broadcasting. The program made great sport out of feuding with other cities' top-rated deejays, and soon Stern's broadcast was number one in several major markets, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. His Arbitron numbers were strongest in the country's number one radio market, New York City, where his morning ratings more than tripled his station's average numbers the rest of the day.
Early in his career, the show was already becoming lucrative for advertisers, due to Stern's promotional ability. Defying critics like Don Imus, who in 1986 responded to Stern's success with, "Talk to me six months from now... Prestige accounts are not going to advertise on that kind of program no matter what Howard does. You can get local retailers on who don't care what he says about them and there are only so many of them out there." [5]
[edit] 1990s
It has been suggested that Fartman (Howard Stern) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
In 1991, The Howard Stern Show began to broadcast in Los Angeles, a move that was considered risky at the time, on the station KLSX 97.1. Predictions about the success of his show like the one of a local L.A. radio listener, "Vulgarity has reached a new low. I think he's going to bomb beautifully out here. At least I hope he does. I'm sure he'll find the Los Angeles market is more sophisticated", proved in the end to be untrue.[6]
In 1992, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Infinity Broadcasting $600,000 after Stern discussed masturbating to a picture of Aunt Jemima. His exact statement was, "The closest I came to making love to a black woman was I, uh, masturbated to a picture of Aunt Jemima on a pancake box. I did it right on her kerchief."[7]
Stern made national news in 1994 by preventing a suicidal man from leaping to his death off the George Washington Bridge.[8]
[edit] Selena controversy
In March 1995, one day before the funeral of slain Tejano singer Selena, Stern played the sounds of gunshots in the background over some of her music. He also made comments that were considered racist by many people, such as "Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul," and "Spanish people have the worst taste in music... it has no depth."[9][10]
[edit] A brief stint in Canada
Also in 1997, Stern's show aired for the first time in Canada, appearing on CILQ (Q107) in Toronto and CHOM-FM in Montreal.[11]
CHOM cancelled Stern's show (in 2000), after frequent listener complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission; for most of the time that the stations did air Stern's program, they were required to monitor the show for offensive content through the use of broadcast delays. CILQ in Toronto cancelled the Stern show after John Hayes, who Stern refers to as Virus became program director of Corus Radio. This was a personal vendetta against Stern by John Hayes, as Stern was the most highly rated radio morning show in Toronto in November 2001 when the show was pulled from the air. Howard Stern's fans in Toronto were able to hear the uncensored show on a Buffalo station until the move to Sirius Radio in 2005.
Stern has claimed on-air that the Canadian government disapproved of his use of the ethnic slur "Polack", and that this was one of the reasons why his show was not broadcast in Canada until February 6, 2006, when "Howard 100" debuted on Sirius Canada.
[edit] Columbine controversy
Stern's April 21, 1999 show drew angry criticism and official "censure" from the Colorado State Legislature for his comment regarding the motives of the two male students who murdered 12 classmates and one teacher in the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado:
There were some really good-looking girls running out with their hands over their heads. Did those kids try to have sex with any of the good-looking girls? They didn't even do that? At least if you're going to kill yourself and kill all the kids, why wouldn't you have some sex? If I was going to kill some people, I'd take them out with sex.[12]
Stern did not apologize for his words but instead argued that his comments were an attempt to figure out what was wrong with the two attackers. Stern believes much of the furor was roused by deejays at competing stations in the Denver market. He said:
There has been a tragic shooting in Denver. It's a national horror and what are the deejays doing? They're announcing my sponsors trying to get them to pull out. Are they really caring about the Denver community, or are they really just saying, 'Hey, maybe we can get Howard Stern off the air?' If I'm so vicious, why would you draw attention to me?
Stern explained his remarks this way: "Maybe my intent was poorly worded, but... the point in making that comment was an attempt to try to understand a motive."[13]
[edit] 2000s
[edit] Jackie leaves the show
On March 5, 2001, the Howard Stern Show officially announced that longtime show regular Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling had left the radio show after failed contract negotiations. Over the next several months, various comedians auditioned in the "Jackie Chair" for the job, with comedian Artie Lange landing the position.
[edit] September 11, 2001 attacks
Stern was on the air in his New York City studio during the September 11, 2001 attacks and stayed on the air with his cast/crew while many other broadcasters fled the city.[14] Fittingly, he was in the middle of a rousing story about a rendezvous with Pamela Anderson when he first mentioned the World Trade Center was on fire. His coverage of the tragedy increased as the gravity of the situation became clear. His live reporting was one of the first news of the incident for many East Coast residents. The show had a somewhat subdued tone, with many listeners calling in to share their own stories of survival or personal loss. As other comedy performers like David Letterman and Jon Stewart later returned to the air, many with emotionally-charged monologues, Stern was furious at the glowing response they received in the press, as he had been on the air the whole time without any positive reaction. This reinforced his long-held belief that there is a bias against him in the mainstream media. Stern's September 11, 2001 broadcast was replayed in its entirety on the first and fifth anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2002 and September 11, 2006, respectively. Among Stern fans - many of whom work in the broadcasting and entertainment fields - the September 11th broadcast was a watershed moment; as Stern remarked before the gravity of the situation was truly apparent, "I'm auditioning for Dan Rather's job".
[edit] Parting ways with Clear Channel
On February 25, 2004, Clear Channel Communications "indefinitely suspended" Stern from six markets because of indecency involving sexual and racist dialog during his show.[15] The show in question featured Rick Salomon, whose claim to fame includes a publicly released home video showing him having sex with hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton. During this broadcast, Stern held a sexually-provocative and racially insensitive interview with Salomon, asking him graphic questions about anal sex and making light of a caller's use of the word "nigger". Clear Channel president John Hogan said, "Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content, and Howard Stern's show blew right through it... it was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African-Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency." The move came only a day after Clear Channel fired Bubba the Love Sponge for similar reasons. Due to the timing of the incident, this is considered to be part of a wide-ranging backlash against obscenity triggered by the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.
On April 8, 2004, Clear Channel Communications announced it would "permanently terminate" its relationship with the shock jock after being fined $500,000 by the FCC.[16][17] However, on July 19, Stern returned to four of the six markets Clear Channel had booted him from, and added five new ones to the roster, this time on Infinity-owned stations. [18] In late August, he returned to a fifth market, Miami, on an independent station. Here, as was often typical with Stern, his return was greeted with controversy as the Miami Dolphins threatened to revoke their broadcast deal with the station in question if the station did not fire him.
[edit] Political tones
Because Clear Channel and some of its executives have donated over $200,000 to the Republican Party, Stern claims the company was trying to penalize him for his harsh criticisms of President George W. Bush. Stern normally avoids political commentary, but told his listeners:
There are a lot of people saying that the second that I started saying, 'I think we gotta get Bush out of the presidency,' that's when Clear Channel banged my ass outta here. Then I find out that Clear Channel is such a big contributor to President Bush, and in bed with the whole Bush administration, I'm going, 'Maybe that's why I was thrown off: because I don't like the way the country is leaning too much to the religious right.' And then, bam! Let's get rid of Stern. I used to think, 'Oh, I can't believe that.' But that's it! That's what's going on here! I know it! I know it![19]
Stern turned against Bush because neither Clear Channel nor Bush "got the FCC off my back." Stern perceived Bush's religious beliefs as fanatical and has described George W. Bush as a "Jesus freak," a "maniac" and "an arrogant bastard".[20]
Stern endorsed John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign, and urged his listeners to vote for him, the latest in a long string of political endorsements Stern has made.[21] In the past, he had also supported former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. In one on-air stunt, Stern promised then-gubernatorial candidate Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey that he would endorse her candidacy if she promised to name a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike after him if she were elected. She won and kept her promise, although one of her successors, Democrat Jim McGreevey, later claimed impropriety by Whitman and revoked the honor. In recent years, Stern has been a staunch opponent of Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. On July 25, 2006 Stern launched into a tirade against the Senator. He attacked Lieberman's past support of indecency laws and his current support of the War on Terror[22]. In February of 2007, Stern announced on his radio show that he is currently supporting Hillary Clinton for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
[edit] Stuttering John leaves the show
On February 27, 2004, long-time Stern show regular John Melendez left the show to become the on-air announcer for The Tonight Show. Stern has consistently claimed the move was an attempt by Jay Leno to steal ideas from Howard's show. Many late-night talk show bits are said to have been stolen from the Stern show, including Jay Leno's bit "Jaywalking". After a lengthy search and auditioning process, Richard Christy of the heavy metal band Iced Earth was chosen as John's replacement.
[edit] Infinity contract ends
On April 6, 2005, Stern pleaded on-air for Infinity Broadcasting to let him out of his contract, citing the reason of possible prosecution, per House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner's recommendation. FMQB.com quoted Stern as saying:
They're (Viacom) holding me to the contract and I'm afraid to break the contract, because I don't want to ever do anything illegal or wrong. I'm very, very clear on that. I'm a pretty honest guy. I try to live by the laws, but it seems like I'm being set up.[23]
It must also be added that within Stern's contract with Viacom/Infinity, if he were to have been fired or his show canceled, his employer would have had to pay him and his production company $20 million dollars.
[edit] Artie’s drug abuse
In early June 2005, Lange began missing work at the Howard Stern Show, prompting concerns of a possible relapse into the substance abuse which had affected him previously. The situation climaxed in Lange behaving incoherently and belligerently while on the air. He infamously sneered at Stern and the crew that: "Artie's going to do what Artie's going to do!" Howard later commented that this statement had scared him. Lange subsequently missed the next two days of work.
At the time, Lange's absence from the show went largely unmentioned and was written off as stress from doing the radio show and beginning production of his movie Beer League. The real reason for Lange's absence was made public in a spontaneous revelation on the September 21, 2006 Howard Stern Show, on which Lange acknowledged that he was regularly snorting heroin from February to June 2005. Lange discussed prior episodes of heroin use, beginning when he was a stand-up comedian and continuing until Beer League was set to begin shooting. Lange detailed his painful withdrawal, which included common side effects such as cold sweats, shaking, and vomiting. Lange recalled disconnecting the telephone to avoid speaking with his mother, who ultimately intervened and helped Artie recover. Lange was threatened with legal action by the Beer League producers (whom he later described as having "waste management connections") if he failed to show up for the first day of shooting in June 2005, which led Lange to secure a home visit from a doctor who prescribed Lange with buprenorphine (Subutex) to alleviate his heroin dependency. Since starting the medicine, Artie claimed to be free of any illegal substances, but on May 24, 2007 he stated that he has abused Subutex. He stated that taking more than his recommended dose gave him a small high.
[edit] The E! show ends
On June 22, 2005, Stern announced that production of the Howard Stern television show on E! would also be ending. The last new episode was taped on July 1, 2005, and aired on July 8. E! continued to rerun the show until December 31, 2005.
[edit] The move to Sirius Satellite Radio
On October 6, 2004, Stern announced on his show that he had signed a five year, $500 million deal with the satellite radio service Sirius.[24]The deal also contained an additional $225 million one-time stock bonus which he would receive if the show attracted a certain amount of listeners in a given time, which it did.
The $500 million contract and $225 million stock deal placed Stern at the second richest celebrity of the year at $302 million, ahead of George Lucas, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones and Tom Cruise.[25] The deal, which took effect on January 1, 2006, enabled Stern to broadcast his show without the content restrictions imposed by the FCC. In addition, the deal enabled Stern to program an additional Sirius channel.
The move to satellite radio met with controversy, as Stern talked about his move to Sirius on his terrestrial show, including telling listeners how to purchase Sirius equipment and subscriptions.[26] To promote his move, Stern held a rally in New York City where he gave out coupons for free or discounted Sirius equipment. Stern's touting of his move to Sirius resulted in some radio stations censoring him every time he mentioned the words "Sirius" or "satellite radio". In one incident, Farid Suleman of Citadel Broadcasting billed Stern $200,000 for the plugs he gave Sirius on his show. Stern's responded publicly on his show "Keep sending me bills. Like I'm going to pay 'em". Citadel eventually pulled Howard Stern off 4 stations in Grand Rapids, Rochester, Syracuse, and the lower Susquehanna Valley area of Lancaster, Harrisburg, and York during Howard's Christmas break in 2004.
On November 7, 2005 Infinity Broadcasting suspended Stern from going live on air on November 8, 2005 because Stern was excessively promoting his move to Sirius Radio.[27]
The December 12, 2005 issue of New York Magazine revealed that XM Satellite Radio had been prepared to offer Howard a $30 million per-year contract in 2004, but its executives were slow to close the deal, giving Sirius the chance it needed. When asked why he picked Sirius over their competitor XM, Howard replied that he "always liked the underdog. Every radio station I ever went to was a toilet bowl."[28] He has also stated that during very preliminary negotiations with XM, he found the management to be slow and unresponsive while Sirius was "nimble". Stern's budget with Sirius, including all operating costs, is $500 million for the five-year contract.
In addition, Sirius gave Stern two channels, "Howard 100" and "Howard 101". Both of these channels launched in October 2005. Although Stern himself was not able to broadcast on Sirius until his Infinity contract expired, he had been producing content to fill the otherwise dead air. Shows included a live 24-hour broadcast of Wack Pack member "Wendy the Retard", a 24-hour broadcast of Wack Packer "High Pitch Eric" featuring the weighing of his excrement, and auditions of other Wack Packers for their own permanent shows. A news team of award-winning journalists was put together to launch "Howard 100 News," a nightly broadcast of "all things Howard." Stern also announced fellow shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge would have his own nightly talk show starting in January 2006 on one of his channels. Since the move to Sirius, Stern has created "The Friday Show", which is an extended version of "The Wrap-up Show", which airs every day after his Morning Radio Show. "The Friday Show", hosted by Jon Hein, Gary Dell'Abate and Ralph Cirella, aired live on those Fridays when Howard's show was not on the air, although it has since been replaced by "Master Tape Theatre", replays of selected pre-Sirius Stern Shows.
Due to his former contract with Infinity Broadcasting, now CBS Radio, neither Stern nor anyone under contract from his show could be heard on Sirius before January 1, 2006. Stern called in to a New Year's Eve broadcast on Howard 100 a few minutes past midnight on January 1, and spoke to hosts from Howard 100 News for over an hour. On January 1, 2006, Stern did a commercial-free segment on his two stations Howard 100 and Howard 101, playing clips from his days as a child, to working at WTBU (Boston University college radio), WCCC, W4, WWDC, WNBC, and WXRK.
On January 3 and January 5, 2006, Stern and other members of his show conducted live broadcasts, 70-minutes and 130-minutes respectively, in which he tested various components of his new studio, including audio levels, call-in functions, and studio ease-of-use. Various callers congratulated Stern on his new venture, although he reiterated that the broadcast was nothing more than a test designed to give users a sneak peek, and not an actual show. He made a point to reaffirm that the first show would be technically clean but completely uncensored, and would take place on January 9, 2006.
[edit] Goodbye to terrestrial radio
Howard 100 LogoHoward's last show on conventional AM/FM "terrestrial" radio was on December 16, 2005[29]. The studio segment of the show ended when the Stern staff each gave a final farewell, then walked to a stage on the streets of New York City below K-Rock, simulcast live accompanied by video on the Internet through Yahoo!. Several thousand fans attended the event. Stern was the last to leave the studio. On the stage, many members of the show's "Wack Pack" gave speeches and Staind performed. Speeches were given by each member of the show: Gary, Artie, Fred, Robin, and finally Howard, who frequently referred to himself and his fans as "the last of a dying breed." During his speech, Stern thanked the New York City Police Department and dedicated the show to Sergeant Keith Manning, a friend of the show who at the time was serving in Iraq. Stern was then bussed to the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, where Martha Stewart (who also has her own Sirius talk channel) was on hand to induct Howard Stern into the Sirius family. Much of the show took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City where Sheryl Crow performed and mentioned on stage the debt America and musicians should pay towards Stern.
True to the last broadcast, many of Stern's final statements were edited out on the radio and even on the Yahoo! Internet broadcast. These statements largely pertained to Stern's animosity towards Clear Channel and the future at Sirius. As a response to Stern leaving FM radio, many of the radio stations under ownership of CBS Radio, including K-Rock in New York, changed their format from music to a hot talk format. Select stations were rebranded "Free FM." Stern's flagship station changed its name from 92.3 K-Rock to 92.3 Free FM. Stern himself was a harsh critic of the "Free FM" format in his last days on terrestrial radio, arguing that the name was a joke due to continued FCC and industry censorship. CBS Radio revenue fell eight percent after Stern's departure.[30]
Eight months following the changeover to satellite radio, Ad Age reported that advertising revenue from Stern's show is a third of what his terrestrial radio show commanded for a live read spot.[31] Analysts partially attributed this to the lack of measurable listener data Sirius makes available for its individual channels, but also due to the smaller satellite audience when compared with Stern's previous terrestrial broadcasts. What Advertising Age failed to mention was that Sirius Satellite Radio is a pay radio service, similar to HBO or Showtime, and as such, airs approximately 8 minutes of commercials per hour, compared to Stern's show on FM radio, which aired approximately 22 minutes of commercials per hour.
[edit] The Sirius show
The Howard Stern Show debuted on Sirius, on January 9, 2006[32]. In addition to his regular morning show, which can be heard on Howard 100 at 5:55 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and noon – 5:55 p.m., several "spin-off" shows have emerged, such as The Wrap Up Show (aka "the show about the show"), The Super Fan Roundtable, and The Intern Show, all dedicated to discussion of the Stern Show from the points of view of Howard's producer, fans, and interns, respectively.
On the earlier Sirius shows, Stern placed a gag order on himself and other members of his staff regarding excessive use of profanity.[citation needed] Sal the Stockbroker and Ronnie the Limo Driver were especially singled out for excessive cursing and were forbidden to curse. However, since then, profanity has become a regular part of the show.
[edit] Howard 101
Along with Howard 100 on Sirius, which carries the live morning feed of Stern's show, the Howard 100 News hourly updates, and show replays all day, Stern is also in charge of Howard 101.
Howard 101 carries the West Coast feed of Stern's morning show, along with Bubba the Love Sponge in the afternoon and Scott Ferrall in the evening. In addition, the 7 o’clock hour is devoted to weekly original content, such as The Intern Show, The Superfan Roundtable, Miserable Men, "Hello, Earth" with Riley Martin, and Basic Training, a show dedicated to military issues hosted by Brent of the Bubba the Love Sponge Show.
Stern has promised to provide more original content on his channels. In April 2006 Sam Simon, co-creator of and writer on such shows as The Simpsons and Cheers, announced he was writing a radio show for Stern's channels, a satirical take-off on ABC's hit Desperate Housewives, which would follow the daily lives of the cast members' significant others. The show, The Bitter Half, aired on October 24, 2006.
[edit] Sirius Canada
Initially, Sirius Canada chose not to carry Stern because of the possibility of a future issue with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Josef Radomski, a Canadian writer, announced on the January 11, 2006 show that he has started an online petition to bring Stern to Sirius Canada. On February 1, 2006, Sirius Canada announced that they would start airing Howard 100 starting February 6.[33] On Stern's first day on Sirius Canada a caller claiming to be Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister-designate who was sworn in as Prime Minister that same day, welcomed Stern back to the Canadian airwaves.
[edit] The first show
The "Howard 100 Heartbeat" broke away to "Also Sprach Zarathustra" tunefully performed with flatulence. Howard's theme music, "Great American Nightmare," played a few bars before George Takei introduced himself as the show's new announcer. Callers were soon invited to call into the show using their new toll-free line, 1-888-9-ASSHOLE
During the show, Stern revealed that there were 180,000 Sirius receivers activated the day before his inaugural broadcast. He also revealed that he was not married, squashing rumors which appeared (and he happily fed) during his hiatus. One of his first radio acts on Sirius included the playing of Pat O'Brien's sex tapes uncensored and his uncensored versions of parody songs using the sex tape.
Later Stern began his long-awaited Revelation Show where staff members of the show revealed dark secrets about themselves.
For a complete recap, see The Howard Stern Show Revelations Game.
[edit] Terrestrial radio return controversy
In May 2006, Stern said that he had received offers from three major terrestrial radio companies to return. Stern said that while he would not return "It would be cool to go back and kick their [CBS] asses." None of the companies involved were named or came forward.
Media organizations announced that he was thinking of returning to terrestrial radio and to clear up the rumors Stern called Associated Press on-air on May 10, 2006. While talking to Associated Press Stern said, "The story is I wouldn't do [terrestrial radio] for any reason."[34]
In September of 2006 rumors once again arose that Stern would be returning to terrestrial radio. These rumors were once again denied by Stern and Sirius. Sirius representative Patrick Reilly told UPI "There has never been any discussion of Howard Stern in any way, shape, or form being anything but exclusive to Sirius. Published reports suggesting otherwise are wrong,".[35]
[edit] The Howard Stern Film Festival
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Howard Stern Television Shows. (Discuss)
Howard Stern Film FestivalOn April 27, 2006, the first annual Howard Stern Film Festival debuted at The Hudson Theatre in New York City. The film festival took entries from fans and featured a grand prize of $35,000 in cash and prizes. Stern said of the festival "People want access. The Tribeca Film Festival is too commercial. This is the one where the next great comedy directors will be discovered. This is good for New York, and it's good for the listeners. They get to come down here, participate, make creative films, and all the films are about me. What better topic is there?"
The winner of the festival was Scott Masterson whose film "Radio Play" was a sentimental tribute to Stern that wondered what it would be like if Stern, Quivers, and Norris met over amateur radio as children.[36]
The winner of the staff competition in the Howard Stern Film Festival was a tie between Fred & Robin and Doug. Robin gave her award to Sal because she said the crowd seemed to like Sal's best.
[edit] Television shows
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Howard Stern Television Shows. (Discuss)
Howard Stern's national television shows include The Howard Stern Show on WWOR-TV (aka "The Channel 9 Show"), which ran in the early 1990s; Howard Stern, consisting of segments from his radio show, which ran from 1994 to 2005 on E!; and The Howard Stern Radio Show, which ran from 1998 to 2001 in syndication. The Howard Stern Show was a weekly skit-driven show that was produced in the Secaucus, New Jersey studios of WWOR-TV and shown in selected markets. The other shows were produced from video footage of his live radio broadcast.
On November 18, 2005, iN DEMAND launched Howard TV, a Video on demand pay service that is available through various cable TV systems. Current content includes uncensored versions of shows which previously aired on E! and video from his Sirius show. Howard TV also includes movies (i.e. Supertwink), skits, bits, Wack Packer videos, behind-the-scenes videos, and anything else related to the show.
Bubba The Love Sponge shocks Stern staffers on HowardTVThe Howard Stern Show (WWOR-TV show): 69 episodes; July 14, 1990–August 1, 1992; often called "The Channel 9 Show" because WWOR is Channel 9 in the New York City metropolitan area.
The Howard Stern Interview (E! show): 36 episodes; 1993
Howard Stern (E! show): 2,278 episodes; 1994–July 8, 2005
The Howard Stern Radio Show (syndicated): 1998–2001
Howard TV (formally Howard Stern on Demand) (iN DEMAND): uncensored E! shows available since November 18, 2005; new shows became available April 2006
[edit] Controversy and criticism
Stern is a polarizing figure in the entertainment industry. While beloved amongst his fans, he is loathed by his critics[37] [38]. In 2005 aides to former FCC Commissioner Michael Powell admitted that Stern is a lightning rod (for FCC action), while entertainers like Oprah who also discuss issues like sexuality are "untouchable".[39]
[edit] Government
The FCC has fined stations for content on the Howard Stern Show upwards of $5 million since 1990.[40]
[edit] FCC fines
Over Stern's career, the Stern Show has drawn FCC complaints for indecency. These complaints are paid by the broadcast station against which the complaints were filed, not by Stern or the Stern Show. The first complaint was filed in 1986 when Stern asked a caller "Have you ever had sex with an animal?", to which the caller answered no. Stern continued, "Well, don't knock it. I was sodomized by Lamb Chop--you know, that puppet Shari Lewis holds?"[41]. He was not fined for this complaint, but after his first fines in 1988 they continued until he left terrestrial radio.
FCC Fines leveled against The Howard Stern Show Notice Date Total Amount Incidents Company Fined
Dec. 16, 1988[41] $6,000 3 Infinity
Oct. 27, 1992[41] $105,000 12 Greater Media
Dec. 1992[42] $600,000 N/A (Settlement) Infinity
Aug 1993[42] $500,000 N/A (Settlement) Infinity
Feb. 1, 1994[41] $400,000 4 Viacom
Oct. 1996[41] $10,000 1 WVGO Richmond
Jul. 2001[43] $27,500 1 Infinity
Apr. 8, 2004[41] $495,000 18 Clear Channel
2004[41] $1,750,000 N/A (Settlement) Clear Channel
2004[41] $3,500,000 N/A (Settlement) Viacom
[edit] Selective prosecution
Stern feels that he has been selectively targeted by the FCC. Though this defense has never been used against the agency, some legal scholars believe that Stern's case passes the selective prosecution test and that the FCC's regulation of indecency is not proper.[44] However, in a 2004 interview the FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein stated that the FCC was not out to drive Stern off the air and was just enforcing the law. "I don't think it's a necessary outcome that good content is driven away from the radio," Adelstein told Billboard Radio Monitor.[40]
[edit] Watchdog groups
Media watchdog groups have been especially aggressive in attacking The Howard Stern Show, and Stern personally. Jack Thompson, a Florida attorney, has stated he thinks Stern should be in jail.[45]. The Parents Television Council headed by Brent Bozell has been one of Stern's chief critics[45], organizing write-in campaigns to the FCC and frequently appearing on television to speak against Stern.
[edit] Needing an enemy
A frequent criticism of the show is that Howard is only funny when he has an enemy to rail against. After his move to Sirius in 2006, Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield wrote, "No wonder he's bored - he's got nobody to piss him off anymore".[46]. Stern has responded to these criticisms by making analogies like, "That's like saying Chris Rock's HBO special would have been better if he had a censor to fight."[47]
[edit] Show staff
Main article: The Howard Stern Show Staff
[edit] Regular guests
It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled The Howard Stern Show Staff, The Wack Pack and List of celebrity guests on the Howard Stern show. (Discuss)
For the Wack Pack regulars see: The Wack Pack
Pamela Anderson: actress, former Playboy playmate
Alec Baldwin: actor
Jim Breuer: comedian
Bubba the Love Sponge: former rival, now a fellow Sirius DJ
Dr. Sal Calabro: plastic surgeon who has treated many Stern show guests
Andrew Dice Clay: comedian
Andy Dick: comedian
Heidi Cortez: model, formerly host of Tissue Time on Sirius
Carmen Electra: actress
Fake Arnold: an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator
Jim Florentine: comedian
Gary Garver: celebrity interviewer
Craig Gass: comedian
Gilbert Gottfried: comedian
Kathy Griffin: comedian
Jessica Hahn: actress, former Playboy playmate
Insane Clown Posse: rap duo
Jenna Jameson: porn star
Kendra Jade: porn star
Jimmy Kimmel: comedian, talk show host
Reverend Bob Levy: comedian
Norm MacDonald: comedian
Beth Ostrosky: Howard's fiancée
Ozzy Osbourne: musician
Sharon Osbourne: talk show host,and wife of Ozzy
Red Peters: comedic musician
Dennis Rodman: athlete
Joan Rivers: comedian
Robert Schimmel: comedian
Debbie Schlussel: political columnist
John Stamos: actor
Bob Saget: actor, comedian
Ben Stern: Howard's father
Raye Stern: Howard's mother
Tabitha Stevens: porn star
George Takei: actor, frequent announcer of the Howard Stern show
Pat Cooper: comedian
Donald Trump: real estate mogul
Mike Walker: columnist for the National Enquirer
Chuck Zito: actor, former celebrity bodyguard
Vinnie Favale (CBS Television Late Night producer)
Leslie West (musician)
[edit] Former regulars
[edit] Deceased
Bigfoot
Grandpa Al Lewis
Dana Reeve
Milton Berle
Anna Nicole Smith
Rodney Dangerfield
Sam Kinison
Ted the Janitor
Tiny Tim
The Ramones (Most members deceased)
Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf
Richard Jeni
[edit] Feuds, splits
Alison Stern (Howard's ex-wife; since their split, she no longer calls in to show)
Bill Maher (angry at the show staff, refuses to appear anymore)
Jerry Seinfeld (angry at show staff, refuses to appear anymore)
Jay Leno (personal feud with Howard)
[edit] No longer appears
Gina Girl
Gina Man
The Jesus Twins
[edit] Banned
Chaunce Hayden (for misrepresenting Howard in the media)
Crazy Cabbie: former WXRK DJ [48][49] (Cabbie was presumably banned for planning to sue[50] Howard over disparaging comments about a weight loss product Cabbie was promoting on a June 2007 appearance;[51] as well as taping a porno in Howard's old studio.[citation needed] Cabbie also appeared on the rival Opie & Anthony show, stating Fuck Howard Stern.[citation needed]
[edit] Hosting on other radio shows
Penn Jillette Hosted program on CBS Radio's Free FM. He no longer has a radio show.
Adam Carolla (The West Coast terrestrial radio replacement for Stern. Stern joked that when Adam gets fired, he is welcome back on the show.) Adam has called into Howard on Sirius and aired it on FreeFM in Los Angeles.
Kidd Chris Hosts radio show on WYSP
Dead Air Dave former WXRK DJ and show censor on terrestrial radio. Now on WWFS New York.
[edit] Others, and might come back
Nancy Sirianni - Jackie's ex-wife. Howard announced that she would appear on Dial-a-Date, a segment periodically featured on the show.
Barrett Moore also known as Veronica Caine (adult film star)
Richard Simmons (may return as a regular, as they had been close friends on and off the air; he recently reconciled with Stern on the air after more than 10 years but again left in tears. Afterward Robin and Howard doubted the authenticity of Richard's emotional outburst.[52])
[edit] See also
Howard Stern Show Games and Bits
List of celebrity guests on the Howard Stern show
The Wack Pack
The Wack Pack is the name given to a wide assortment of regular guests of The Howard Stern Show. As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, they were often as memorable as Stern's regular airtime celebrity guests. Wack Packers tend to be unusual in some way, such as blatantly racist, mentally disabled, sexually deviant or having a comical voice or appearance. Not every regular guest is considered a member of The Wack Pack, nor are staff members like Robin Quivers, Fred Norris, Gary Dell'Abate, Artie Lange, or the now-departed Stuttering John.
Some Wack Packers appear to serve as cautionary figures; for example, with every appearance, Crackhead Bob would effectively remind Stern's several million listeners of the dangers of crack cocaine, while Joe Cancer would be a powerful testimonial to the evils of tobacco. Jeff the Drunk and the deceased Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf seem to reinforce the value of moderation and the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
Through their appearances on Stern's radio program and the now defunct E! television show, some Wack Packers have gained notoriety for personal appearances around the country and occasionally, have gotten small roles in movies and television.
On October 20, 2005, Stern announced plans for the Wack Pack to elect their own "Pope" from their ranks. In addition to the honor of leading the Wack Pack, the winner would receive a $10,000 prize. This bit appears to have been abandoned as it has not been mentioned on-air since Stern's Sirius Radio debut. Though it seems Stern exploits them wantonly, Wack Packers are well-respected (yet mocked like most Stern regulars) and are fiercely protected by show staff and fans alike. During the December 16, 2005 terrestrial finale webcast on Yahoo!, one of the hosts remarked that Yahoo! had received instructions for Wack Pack to be treated "better than celebrities."
On June 19, 2006, Howard Stern announced a contest for the next Wack Packer, with the winner receiving $5000. The winner was Bigfoot
Angry Black, whose real first name is Shelley, is a black man who attended the School of Broadcasting and works for the Telephone Company. He is known for angry tirades regarding racism against blacks in America. Angry Black is an avid New York Giants fan, and once fought Crazy Cabbie in a five-round boxing match which ended in a draw. He recently scammed his way into the audience during the roast of Daniel Carver, earning the ire of Stern and crew. In October of 2007, Angry Black was arrested for assaulting a woman in a Chili's restaurant. Angry is an avid boxing and New York Yankees fan. When asked why he's so angry, he stated: " I would rather be feared than loved because fear lasts longer."
[edit] Beetlejuice
Main article: Beetlejuice (entertainer)
Beetlejuice (real name: Lester Green) is a mentally challenged microcephalic dwarf who has appeared in porno, feature films, and recorded music. He is known to make outrageous claims (ie, that he is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) in height) which are rarely consistent. In a 2006 show, Green admitted to taking Paxil and smoking pot to alleviate depression.
[edit] Big Black
Ron Benjamin, often labeled a black nerd, Big Black was a regular on The Howard Stern Show until being evicted from his apartment. Known for being extremely antisocial, if not downright misanthropic, Black left his job as representative for NYNEX for, among other things, being unable to get along with co-workers. He used his position at NYNEX to learn of WXRK radio's "inside" lines, which he called constantly, until discovered by Howard. He managed to survive on savings and credit cards for several years, eventually amassing a huge debt. After being evicted, he chose to remain homeless for a time.
In September 2005, after a year-long absence, Big Black called in to tell Howard of his activities, revealing that he is currently living in a government-subsidized project. When asked about being relegated to such a place, Big Black explained that he is only employed part-time as a security guard at Yankee Stadium. On June 28, 2006, Howard officially dubbed Big Black a Wack Packer, although Black's appearances are rare.
[edit] Bigfoot (Mark)
Not to be confused with Bigfoot.
Hailing from Newport, Vermont, Mark Shaw, a.k.a. Bigfoot is the winner of the "Pick the Newest Wack Packer" contest held August 3, 2006 (the first Wack Packer to receive entry to the group by contest). Stern once suggested that Bigfoot's nickname be changed to "Sasquatch" (or other name) to avoid confusion with the deceased Matthew McGrory, an earlier Wack Packer who had the "Bigfoot" moniker.
The deep-voiced Bigfoot is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall and has size 14EEE feet. He claims to be a schizophrenic suffering from sleep apnea and multiple personality disorder, and claims to be a former lighter fluid sniffer with a lengthy criminal record, including an 18-month jail term for breaking and entering. He is a self-described gigolo engaging in homosexual oral and anal sex in exchange for "happy smoke". He tends to finish many of his sentences with, "it is" (for example, "My nickname is Bigfoot, it is."), and never with any apparent reason or regard to proper conjugation.
It was alleged on February 5, 2007 that his girlfriend Lori, with whom he had been living since recently winning $8,333.33 in Stern's annual football pool, had kicked him out of her house, claiming not only that he falsely accused her and her daughter of having an incestuous relationship, but that he threatened to overdose in her home. Bigfoot claims to have ingested “14 trays, it is” of pills due to distress over the breakup, adding that he would find happiness even if it meant "he had to move to f’ Africa...it is.” After a telephone spat with Lori on the February 6, 2007, show, Bigfoot admitted that life was much simpler when he blew guys instead of dating girls.
At recent "Killers of Comedy" show (March 11th, 2007) at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont, Bigfoot was a special guest. During the show, Shuli and Bob Levy were searching for a girl to have him eat blue cheese dressing off of her stomach. Instead, Bob suggested a hefty fan from the audience named Tom to come on stage. Bigfoot was reluctant at first, but then Shuli offered him $100 to do it, and he accepted. Currently, a video of the event can be seen on Shuli's Myspace webpage.
According to a July 20, 2007 Howard 100 News report, Bigfoot attempted suicide and was in intensive care. On September 17th, 2007 Bigfoot won a contest to star in a porno film opposite Tabitha Stevens.
[edit] Blue Iris
Blue Iris (aka Ellen Niemer Pinsky) performs in "granny porn", and guest-hosted the Howard 100 program Tissue Time with Heidi Cortez. She rode the Sybian on April 6, 2006, and sidelines as a stand-up comic who performs weekly with her comedy troupe 'The Ding Dong Show'. She reportedly had shock therapy in her 20s which she blames for her many ailments. Iris's popular catch phrases (used during Stern Show prank phone calls) include "I love a black cock", "Can I put my finger in your ass?", "This is better than rejuvenation" and "I'm getting myself hot!"
Her first Stern Show appearance occurred on February 4, 2004, but was not until Stern's show went to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006 when Iris finally gained Wack Packer status. On October 18, 2006, Artie Lange engaged in a ten second French kiss on-camera with Blue Iris, to settle a bet made with pro wrestler Chris Kanyon when the New York Yankees failed to advance past the New York Mets in the 2006 Major League Baseball playoffs. On January 30, 2007 "Howard 100 News" (on Howard Stern Sirius channel 100) reported that Iris was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. On January 31, 2007 she called Stern's show to explain that she was experiencing weakness on her left side, as well as impaired verbal and math skills.
[edit] Captain Janks
Main article: Captain Janks
Thomas Cipriano, better known as Captain Janks, is known for prank calling publicly aired radio and television programs, especially in times of crisis.
[edit] Crackhead Bob
George Harvey (born August 23, 1959), a recovering crack cocaine addict whose right side was paralyzed by crack cocaine-induced strokes. He named himself "Bob" as he was unable to pronounce the name "George" due to his paralysis. In the summer of 2001 Harvey retired from The Howard Stern Show and went on to make anti-drug commercials. He revisited the show on October 18, 2005 after a four year absence and attended Stern's last day on terrestrial radio on December 16, 2005.
Harvey reemerged on Howard's Sirius show in 2006. The clarity of his speech and phrasing has improved noticeably since reducing his use of marijuana. He claims that the money he received from The Howard Stern Show appearances and promotions contributed to his addiction. Along with Jon Hein and Will Murray, he provided the color commentary for the "Stupid Bowl" which first aired half time during Super Bowl XLI on Howard TV.
On the October 8th, 2007 Howard Stern Show, Bob stated he was moving to Texas for financial reasons, and will no longer be appearing in person on the show. He said he would still particapte as a caller from time to time.
On October 24th, 2007, someone claiming to be Crackhead Bob called to say that he had a fight with his friend and was back on crack. He sounded distraught but Howard didn't believe it was the real Bob and hung up on him. It has been confirmed that it was not the real Bob on the phone.
[edit] Crazy Alice (a.k.a Angry Alice)
Originally hailing from Alabama, Crazy Alice claims to be half African-American and half Italian (with the surname Gotti), who freely admits to hating black people. Alice was discovered when she called the show from her California home, after which she flew to New York to appear live in Stern's studio on December 9, 1999. She is best known for filibustering during arguments (as heard in the Touch-Tone Terrorists, particularly with "Junkyard Willie"), having wild mood swings, and engaging in long screaming rants when called "Crazy Alice". During her long-winded rants, it is common for Stern to turn down the send (audio) from his microphone to the phone patch, while the crew discusses her lunacy or wagers on the duration of a given rant. On May 4, 2006 she expressed a preference for the moniker "Angry Alice", as she blames domestic abuse for her temper and erratic behavior. The "Whodis?" soundbite, commonly used throughout the show, was spoken by Crazy Alice.
Since the move to Sirius Alice has had a tremendously disdainful relationship with Artie which came to a head on June 15th, 2006, when the two engaged in an on-air feud which lasted for approximately twenty-five minutes, and was spurned during a quasi-apology that she tried to deliver to show announcer, George Takei.
About six minutes into her phone-call, Artie started a Star Trek-themed Crazy-Alice-rant-impersonation, which quickly spiraled into a lengthy squabble dubbed by meticulous show archiver, Mark's Friggin, "Crazy Alice vs. Crazy Artie". This argument lasted at least 15 minutes.[1]
Her latest feud is with Howard News reporter, Steve Langford.
[edit] Daniel Carver
Main article: Daniel Carver
Daniel Carver is a Klan leader and Wack Pack member since the 1980s. He has often been the target of Stern crew prank calls, and was roasted in one of the Stern's Sirius shows by comics from the gay, lesbian, black, Hispanic and Jewish communities. The roast was regarded as a dud as Carver simply used offensive epithets before dismissing each comedian with a wave of his hand.
[edit] Dan the Farter
Dan the Farter is a flatulist capable of passing gas on command.
[edit] Debbie the Queef(er)
Debbie the Queef(er) is capable of passing vaginal air on command. She was on the air the very first day Howard 100 broadcast.
[edit] Double A
Double A's name is derived from one of his favorite wrestlers Arn Anderson who used to be called "Double A", the two a's stand for Awesome Angelo. He is best known for his obsession with all things Stern, his intense "crush" on Stern's fianceé Beth Ostrosky, and his love of professional wrestling (often wearing replica wrestling belts).
Double A sports multiple Stern-related tattoos including one of Stern's face and another of the Howard 100 "fist" logo. His phone calls to the show invariably begin with the phrase "Hey Howard, how's it goin', what's goin' on?" in a strong, nasal New Jersey accent. He claims that his family won a large sum of money in a lottery, enabling him to invest in real estate and retire early. In 2006, he "revealed" that, at the young age of 12, he had sexual intercourse with a friend's mother.
Double A's behavior was a subject of controversy at The Howard Stern Film Festival. He allegedly tried to extort extra tickets from Howard Stern On Demand producer Doug Goodstein beforehand. Later, he was apparently caught on video sneaking a girl into the "after party" and then leaving the affair with a few gift bags, which Double A categorically denies. Irish John, Angry Black, and Bobo support Double A's version of the events, while Zolar and Joey Boots insist that he is lying.
Double A most recently used irrelevant association with the Howard Stern Show to get dinner reservations at NYC's Nobu restaurant. When calling he was told there were no tables available for his party. He then said "This is Double A from The Howard Stern Show" (a title he gave himself), the hostess pushed him ahead on the list. Nobu's manager Richie Notar was annoyed by this and informed Howard 100 News.
On September 20th 2007, Double A bad-mouthedPlayboy's Haydn Porter during a call-in segment when Haydn accused Double A of stalking her and inviting her over to "watch Goodfellas and cuddle."
On November 15, 2007, Double A was on Stern and he claimed to have a tape of he and Hadyn Porter having phone sex. In an ironic turn of events, Double A claimed he had too much class to play it on the air. In a quick interview after the show, he raised concern of Porter possibly being underage and wanting to burn the tape.
[edit] Elephant Boy
Fred "Elephant Boy" Schreiber is best known for his severe speech impediment, poor personal hygiene, and homosexual experimentation. Schreiber works as an accountant in New York City, but originally hails from Cleveland. Fred was referred to the Stern show in the late 1980s by a coworker and Stern fan who thought Fred's speech impediment would be show-worthy. In September 2005, Fred recounted a story in which he soiled himself on a train to a public appearance with High Pitch Eric and Gary Dell'Abate. Rather than go home, he cleaned up as best he could in a restroom and attended the appearance, reeking of excrement.
Elephant Boy once called a dateline to solicit couples for swinging, with the stipulation that the male partner be bisexual or bi-curious but only succeeded in humiliating himself once a Stern fan alerted the show about the dateline voice message. Fred admits to picking up older, unattractive homosexual men, including ones with whom there was no mutual attraction, but they managed to sodomize him anyway. He has long been known to have an unnatural attraction to wrestlers, especially Cactus Jack.
[edit] Elliot Offen
"Elegant" Elliot Offen is a flamboyant crossdresser who speaks in his own gangster slang. He often appears on the show yelling about his "healthy lifestyle", which consists of eating only raw fruits and vegetables and running 20 miles a day in women's lingerie. Because he wears women's clothing, many believe that Offen is a homosexual. To disclaim these allegations, Offen visited the show with hired actresses pretending to be his girlfriend, and often rants that he is heterosexual (Stern discovered that Offen had hired a woman to pose as his girlfriend when he asked them to kiss).
Elliot was known as a con man long before his first appearance on the Stern show. In 1988, Offen was arrested in New York City for fraud. According to the charges against him, Elliot would convince manufacturers of products such as light bulbs, tape, sunglasses and luggage send him large shipments on consignment. He would represent himself as the head of a legitimate company, and ask for thirty days to pay for the goods. He would sell the products to an unsuspecting buyer, and then disappear before the manufacturer could collect money from him. Elliot was ultimately nabbed at a telephone booth at the corner of 58th Street and 7th Avenue,[2] where authorities claim he was attempting to close one of his illegal deals. According to the NYPD, Mr Offen earned more than $15 million in illicit transactions.
He recently starred in a degradation video with a dominatrix. Oddly enough, he went through a period where he used the word "right" to punctuate his sentences, in a manner similar to 1920s-era mobsters. He also has a penchant for mispronouncing large words, perhaps deliberately, or using them in nonsensical ways. He often shows a preference for technical scientific or medical terms, often using them in bizarre or incorrect ways. He shows a preference towards alliteration, often in a way similar to what psychologists call 'clanging'.
He is known for rewording his sentences into what he calls "gangster talk", and in his October 2006 fallout with the show, started using a "maniacal laugh."
In the early 1980s, Offen absconded with his young daughter in the midst of a custody battle with his first wife. For seven years, Offen and his daughter drifted from apartment to apartment as he worked various scams, never remaining in one place for more than a few months at a time. During this period, he did not allow his daughter to have any schooling or friends, and trained her in the art of deception in the event he was apprehended.[3] Offen's daughter contacted The Howard Stern Show in 2003 and came on the show to confront him, but Offen steadfastly denied the woman to be his daughter, labeling her a fraud. In his recently released video "Violet Dehumanizes Elegant Elliot" however, he seems to acknowledge that she is his daughter, while taunting her about the psychological abuse he gave her. He once knocked out Joe Corsin, a maitre d'/bouncer at the Stage Delicatessen in New York City for insulting his father. Offen also occasionally alludes to an alleged attempted robbery in Queens where he claims he was accosted by three individuals who demanded money. According to Offen, he "had the guy who was six-foot-six around his trachea, cutting off his air supply".[4] It is not known or discussed by Offen what happened to the remaining two perpetrators and why they did not react to his act of self-defense.
[edit] Eric the Midget
Main article: Eric the Midget
Eric Lynch aka Eric the Midget is a little person born with a medical condition that confines him to a wheelchair. Lynch insists that he not be called a midget, preferring to be called Eric the Actor. Lynch is known for his devotion to American Idol and professional wrestling as well as his distinct squeaky voice. Eric is considered extremely ungrateful by Stern fans and staff for only hesitantly expressing gratitude at any favors he receives from Stern show staff despite the fact that he has had acting opportunities and met celebrities due to his connection with the Stern show. Eric's Stern Show claim to fame also results from accepting and declining invitations to become levitated with balloons. As of June 27, 2007, Eric vowed to never call into the show ever again after, according to Eric, Howard disrespected Chris Benoit and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Eric also has obsessed about American Idol contestants like Diana DeGarmo and Kelly Clarkson. Howard, along with his staff & fans believe Eric won't live up to this and will be calling in to future shows. He did, in fact, call in again on 11 September 2007, and again the next day for a full hour. Howard is trying to set him up on a date in the near future.
[edit] Evil Dave Letterman
Evil Dave Letterman, (more commonly known as Evil Dave) is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show who is able to very accurately imitate the voice of late night show host David Letterman. Due to his strikingly accurate impersonation, Evil Dave is sometimes able to confuse people into thinking he is the real Letterman, and has duped several people over the phone (e.g. George Takei and Riley Martin). While portraying the real Letterman, Evil Dave typically makes politically incorrect comments that the real Letterman would not say, which are often along the lines of being anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic, paedophilia-inspired, sexually suggestive, homosexual, or autoerotic. While delivering lines, Evil Dave has a tendency to mispronounce words and names, ruining the punch line of many jokes.
Evil Dave is also known to improvise with his own material despite being warned repeatedly (and sometimes physically restrained) from doing so. While he is generally a "hit" early in the broadcast, he tends to "wear out his welcome" near the end, although this effect is typically well received by the cast members.
In addition to his Letterman impersonation, Evil Dave is also known for his tendency to be easily duped by Stern Show staff, often being persuaded into performing ridiculous tasks, such as bogus public service announcements and unnecessary apologies for people suffering from illness.
Evil Dave is often the subject of intelligence-related tests that highlight his below average level of intelligence or inability to pronounce words and names. Evil Dave describes his own physical appearance as similar to fellow albino Edgar Winter.
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=simonalvelos Evil Dave audio on YouTube
[edit] Gary the Retard
Gary Loudermilk, a.k.a. Gary The Retard (born February 29, 1952 and currently living in Albany, Oregon), is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. Despite the fact that Gary is mentally challenged, his toothless grin, thick glasses and cheerful attitude make him a favorite among Stern show listeners. He is frequently antagonized by Artie Lange, who often merely has to say "RETARD!" to elicit an angry tirade from Gary. On August 12, 1998 he was scheduled to appear on the show but got lost at the airport. A listener who worked at the airport eventually found him and called the show. In 2003, Gary was a member of the show's weekly football pool along with Daniel Carver, Gary Dell'Abate's son Jackson, and a chicken named Sanders. Gary the Retard picked the Seattle Seahawks to win every week. They seem to be the only NFL team he knows. He works at Burgerville, USA and recently claimed to have a girlfriend who was just released from incarceration. It has been indicated that the woman has been taking advantage of his handicap to get money and access to the show. According to employees at the local Radio Shack, Gary is a CB radio and scanner enthusiast.[original research?]
Gary is also frequently tormented by The Retarded Flu. Early in 2005, staff member Sal "the Stockbroker" Governale, pulled a prank phone call on Gary, using an assumed name and informing him that a flu was in his phone line, coming to "get him" and that he would have to repeat the phrase "Shoo, shoo, retarded flu!" in order to keep it away. In doing this, the flu would be weakened. Gary was warned to be careful though - the flu could disguise his voice. Since then, the "retarded flu" prank has been pulled on Gary numerous times, including at live appearances, and he always falls for it, chanting "Shoo, shoo, retarded flu!".
[edit] Gay Ramon(e)
Gay Ramon(e) is a frequent caller and guest of The Howard Stern Show. He often talks about his homosexual experiences and has participated on the show in various games in which straight men must do gay things in order to win prizes.
[edit] Hate Man
Hate Man is a caller who leaves strange racist messages, screaming "I love you monkey, monkey, monkey!" in reference to Robin Quivers. He was heard previously on terrestrial radio and was heard on the Sirius show for the first time on June 7, 2006.
Hate Man has recently reappeared on Stern's Sirius show with his "monkey monkey monkey" tirades against Robin Quivers and perhaps moving towards an eventual in-studio appearance, although no one associated with the show had ever (knowingly) met him.
[edit] Hate Woman
Hate Woman (or Hate Lady) is another caller who makes very vocal her disgust of Howard, in particular, of his face. Over the years, she has left numerous voicemails (and possibly emails, as Howard once alluded to) obsessing over how gross Howard's face is, how large his nose is, and how freakish he looks. She has also composed songs and poems to this effect. She is notable for her grating New York accent and her "Yaaawzzaa!" (Yowser for the rest of us). Not much else is known about her except for the fact that she posts on alt.fan.howard-stern under the name "Vicki." Her most famous phrase is "I saw you..." with heavy emphasis on the word "saw" and proceeds to say that she saw Howard here or there and that he is hideously ugly. Show staffer Artie Lange used to imitate her delivery of that line.
[edit] High Pitch Eric
Eric Bleaman a.k.a High Pitch Eric, is known for his trademark falsetto speaking voice and for his obesity, poor hygiene, willingness to submit to degrading acts just to please Howard Stern, and failure to return owed money and favors. He has used notoriety garnered from multiple appearances on The Howard Stern Show to shamelessly ask for free money, services, event tickets and favors. He first appeared on the Stern Show on 8/15/1997, where he was brought in off the street into the studio because of his unusually high voice and "superfan" demeanor. High Pitch was recently confronted on the air by several businessmen he had scammed by writing bad checks for various services, such as limousine rides, a fully catered holiday dinner for his family, and an industrial coffee machine installed in his apartment. High Pitch Eric also has an unnatural fear of fish, and flees in terror whenever the show staff bring fish near him. He also has tried unsuccessfully to imitate other people such as Gary Dell'Abate and even Kelly Clarkson. This lead to his much played sound drop, "Who's High Pitch?" in response to his intended phone prank victim recognizing his voice to be High Pitch Eric, and not Kelly Clarkson. He has, however, somewhat successfully fooled people into believing he was former show staffer KC Armstrong. As "KC" he created another much used sound drop of him saying, "Nice!" in the manner that KC would use it to emphasize something nasty or inappropriate.
He has recently been suffering from Gout, possibly due to his ever-increasing weight and bad dietary habits.
On 7/27/2007 it was mentioned by the Howard 100 News Team on Sirius Radio that Eric is also facing eviction for not paying his rent for over 8 months. He was evicted on 8/2/2007.
In the Summer of 2007, Eric was a member of the Corporate Sports League Central Park, New York, mens softball team "Don't Give A Hit" where he was that team's backup catcher. During the 11th game of the season in the heat of a division race, Eric made a game saving tag play at home plate with his team up by one run in the seventh (and final) inning of that game.
According to the Howard 100 News Team on Sirius Radio, Eric is currently working as a laborer for a construction company on Long Island. He was hired in late August 2007 as a laborer, but fired after two weeks due to the length of time it took him to paint a door.
[edit] Irish John
Irish John is a regular caller to the show who works selling and renting construction equipment in the Bronx. He hangs out with the likes of High Pitch Eric, Angry Black, Double A, Eddie the Produce Guy. Irish John was allegedly kicked out of 2 Amsterjam concerts for drunkingly demanding VIP status, which Irish John denies. Irish John and Joey Boots have had an ongoing feud because of Joey's accusations that he is trying to buy his way on to the show. This feud escalated during the High Pitch Erik Craptacular and almost came to blows. His brother was featured on the show because he dated and slept with former porn star Tabitha Stevens. Irish John was also called by Howard TV to take part in there first national commercial filmed in Bloomfield, New Jersey in early April, and is set to premiere in late April. Also featured in the commercial are Nicole Bass, Siobhan, Double A, High Pitch Erik, and Eddie the Produce Guy. Irish John called in during a bit where Joey Boots claimed in yet another revelation that he was gay. Irish John claimed Joey was just an attention whore looking for a new angle to get on the show. After High Pitch Erik was evicted, Irish John invited High Pitch to live with him along with his dog. Irish John told Howard that the tenants in his building were complaining about the dog, and that he would keep them there out of spite. When asked about how it is living with High Pitch Erik, Irish John said he was pretty neat, but because of the frequent usage of the air conditioning, he equated it to living with Mr. Freeze. Artie told Irish John that the colder his place is, the better, this way whatever was festering on High Pitch Erik would not be able to come to life. On September 12th, Irish John competed in a segment to win a date with the exwife of Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling, along with 2 other contestants. The date went to a listener to the show Paulie, who is also known for his threatening on air calls to former mobster-turned-artist Henry Hill of Goodfellas fame.
[edit] Jeff the Drunk
Jeff Curro, better known on The Howard Stern Show as Jeff The Drunk, is an alcoholic with a paralyzed arm, who frequently gets into trouble because of his alcohol and drug problems. His paralyzed arm is the result of an injury suffered in a drunk driving accident. In 2007, he underwent several surgeries to remove a large ulcer and graft skin on his buttocks. Jeff lives in a trailer in East Berne, New York with his brother (since the death of his mother). He is known for drunken rants featuring the epithet "little bitch" and the catch-phrase "ni-i-ice."
He is currently banned from the popular New York strip club, Scores.[citation needed]
Jeff Curro attended and graduated from Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District in Berne, NY.
On March 26th, 2007, televangelist Bill Keller — who was making a guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show — counselled Jeff and offered to get him a job as a carpenter's assistant — Jeff's life-long dream.[5]
[edit] Jeff the Vomit Guy
Jeff "the Vomit Guy" Levy has appeared on the The Howard Stern Show to meet women interested in emetophilia, or vomit fetish. Due to the difficulty of finding willing participants for the fetish, Levy usually resorts to paying prostitutes to vomit on him. On the show, a number of women including Glen Zolar's girlfriend Tara and porn stars such as Kendra Jade and Paris Gable (May 24, 2006) have vomited on him, a practice also known as a "Roman Shower". Show members Benjy Bronk and Richard Christy have also vomited on him, but Levy insists that he is strictly heterosexual and is only aroused by women's vomit. Levy seems to feel this practice is normal, and that people who do not enjoy this fetish are abnormal. He is a former garbage man and postal worker who receives SSI. Levy has been a guest on the Jerry Springer Show and was featured in Hustler magazine.
It was revealed on September 17, 2007 that he has a very odd looking penis during a contest in which the winner would be in an oral sex scene with Tabitha Stevens
[edit] Joey Boots
Joey Boots is a longtime fan and frequent caller to the show. Joey is also a regular on the Super Fan Round Table that airs at 7:00pm Eastern on Thursdays on Howard 101 on Sirius Satellite Radio. Recently Joey has been passed over for the Super Fan Round Table due to his emotional outbursts and extremely difficult-to-handle attitiude. According to show producers Joeys presence on the round table has been causing issues and new views are needed. Joey once participated in a stunt where he had "Icy Hot" applied to his very small testicles. He has admitted to having problems with drugs and alcohol and once announced on the Stern Show that he was entering into rehab. He then relapsed, snorting coke on webcam and embarrassing himself, the owner of Sinus Buster who employed him, and the late Leslie Armstrong ("Meet the Shrink"). Prior to entering rehab, Joey revealed on 2/15/2006 that he once had been anally raped when he was 15 years old. This revelation was to be a part of the "Wack Pack Revelations," but Joey had to make his revelation early due to his entering rehab. Boots also once admitted on the show that he used to pretend to be a gay hustler, and then rob his "Johns" but claims that he never actually engaged in any sexual activities with the Johns, he only robbed them. On Thursday, June 28, 2007, Joey came on the show to make another revelation. The staff speculated on what he was going to say. Howard and Fred thought Boots was going to admit that he was gay. Artie guessed that Joey had HIV. Robin guessed that Boots was going to have a sex change operation. Shuli guessed it was either something gay, or that he'd been "born again." Boots said that he hoped getting the revelation off his chest would help him with his recovery process. Boots revealed that he was gay, and said that he'd been going out to gay clubs "on the sly" to get oral sex and "hook up." Boots said he wasn't bisexual but since he slept with women he must be about "80/20." He said that when he falls asleep he always thinks about guys, but he says he has slept with about 100 women in trying to "not be gay. This is widely accepted as a phony stunt to get air time as his character/act was getting very old.
On Thursday, September 6th, 2007 Joey attempted to prove to the world that he was gay by making out with a gay male porn star on the Howard Stern Show.
[edit] John the Stutterer
John the Stutterer (not to be confused with Stuttering John Melendez) first appeared on the Howard Stern Radio Show as a "Dating Game" contestant with the Dahm Triplets. He won the contest and, due to his severe nervous stuttering, is considered an official Wack Packer. John is unemployed and relies on SSI. He lives in the Rittenhouse Square region of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John has had several on-air fights with Yucko the Clown, who has repeatedly called John a "stuttering prick," while John often accuses Yucko of being a child molester. Recently, John called Yucko a Robin Williams look-a-like. Stern often asks John to act as a judge for various on-air contests. Like 'Wack Packer' Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, John is very good at classic rock trivia.
Sound effects man Fred Norris often tries to exacerbate John's stuttering by doing a stammering impression as John speaks. Some have accused John of faking his stutter, either for the publicity or malingering. He can speak clearly on some occasions, especially when angry. Norris will frequently call attention to instances where John loses his stutter.
John claims to suffer from psychological problems including obsessive compulsive disorder and depression. Some Stern Show staff have suggested that the stuttering may be a side-effect of drug use. John has refused offers of free professional treatment, arguing that without the speech impediment, he would have no excuse for his failures in life. John has appeared in a few low-budget porno films, but on August 16, 2006, John declared himself "retired" from the industry after being embarrassed on-air by "G-Spot", a former porn co-star.
On March 8th, 2007 he defeated Howard TV director Scott Depace in a political debate dubbed the "Not So Great Debate" by 3-1 margin as voted by the listeners. Although he won, he was ridiculed by the staff for talking too long and not getting to the point quick enough.
Debuting on July 30th, 2007, John got his own show on Howard 101, discussing various political topics. Surprisingly Howard and the staff were impressed with the show, and Tim Saeban said it will go on for another episode.
[edit] Junior the Farter
Junior the Farter is a young man who can fart on command. He holds the record for most farts in a five-minute period (505 during a pre-show warm-up, and 464 during the actual show). Howard Stern has compared Junior the Farter to Muhammad Ali.
[edit] Kenneth Keith Kallenbach
Kenneth Keith Kallenbach appeared several times on the Howard Stern Television Show in the early 1990s, and is famous for his ludicrously unsuccessful attempts to blow smoke out of his eyes, which once resulted in his vomiting on camera. During a "Howard Stern Celebrity Bowling Match" (including participants "Grandpa" Al Lewis, Jessica Hahn, Young MC, Pat Cooper, Marilyn Michaels and Frank Stallone), Kallenbach pulled a cooked chicken out of his pants, rubbed it all over his face, then proceeded to light firecrackers taped to his genitals. Show producer Dan Forman then removed him from the studio.
Kallenbach is now on Sirius and has participated in many Howard Stern shows. A video of his comedy was shown on Maximum Exposure and many other shows. He has also released new DVD of his comedy show called "American Icon". Kenneth Keith Kallenbach has been in many different TV shows, movies and commercials. He has a band, "The Kenneth Keith Kallenbach Band". He does stand-up comedy. He writes and directs and acts in his own comedy sketches. He released a sketch comedy DVD nationally called "American Icon".
[edit] King of All Blacks
King of All Blacks, a.k.a. Lawrence Coward, is an Englewood, New Jersey garbage man, and a frequent Stern caller. He claims to be the only black home-owner in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. He currently is involved in a lawsuit against his employer, the local sanitation department, claiming he was sexually harassed by his female supervisor, leading to his demotion from the position of street sweeper. His many years of work in the sanitation industry has given him the uncanny ability to identify peoples' race or ethnicity based upon the trash they discard, a skill at which he proved adept when Howard put him to an on-air test. He is known for his knowledge of fancy lifestyles and criticizes other blacks for having poor style and taste. He was born into a wealthy family, and admits that he looks down on people with less money. He is known for mentioning brand names of expensive items he owns, especially Moen faucets, wearing a fur coat, and having cosmetic surgery to improve his appearance. Recently, he had his own show on Sirius Howard 100 (Sirius Satellite Radio) but was quickly canceled.
[edit] Mark the Bagger
Mark the Bagger is grocery bagger from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, who works at the local ACME supermarket and newer member of the Wack Pack. Mark is best known for his high-pitched voice. (In a prank call often played in early 2006, Mark tells High Pitch Eric that he is the new High Pitch Eric, which set off an ongoing feud between them). He probably has below-average intelligence but denies being mentally retarded. He claims to be bisexual, having engaged in sexual relations with a single man and a single woman in his lifetime. He was introduced to the show by The Bloodhound Gang on January 26, 2006 when they pitched Howard for their own radio show, with Mark as the announcer. During the pitch, Mark showed his penis to Howard (upon request), who commented on its very large size. Almost two months elapsed before Mark reappeared, explaining that his mother did not allow him to go places without the Bloodhound Gang. As of October 2006, Mark has told several ACME customers that he has "quit the show". He has a role in Bam Margera's upcoming film, "MingHags". Prior to being named Mark the Bagger, he was known as Mark from the Park to the local cool kids that live off of Park Ave.
[edit] Mariann from Brooklyn
Mariann from Brooklyn is a frequent caller obsessed with Howard. Due to her gravelly and grating voice, Fred plays sounds of crows cawing when she calls. (She likes to sing the line, "All I need is Howard in my life" to the tune of Enrique Iglesias' The Rhythm Divine). Mariann is a 47 year-old homemaker who lives with her 22 year-old son Patrick, 13 year-old daughter Nicole and husband (name and age unknown). The first time the Stern crew met her in person, they were shocked to discover that she is relatively attractive. She recently rode the Sybian fully clothed and did not like it.
Mariann called the show on September 11, 2001 to report her sister missing, who, as it turned out, perished in the terrorist attacks.
On May 17, 2006, she called the show and tried to talk to Artie about the dysfunctional situation with his girlfriend Dana. Artie became defensive, calling Mariann an "unfunny cunt", to which everyone responded in mild disgust, as Mariann seems to have good intentions. She "diagnosed" Artie with "Sad Clown Syndrome". She did not ask for an apology, but instead participated in Lange's roast on the evening of June 8, 2006.
[edit] Melrose Larry Green
Melrose Larry Green (real name: Larry Greenblatt) once carried signs promoting Howard Stern at the intersection of Melrose and Highland Avenues in Los Angeles, California, near his apartment. He appeared on Howard's show after hounding "Stuttering" John Melendez and Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate in a coffee shop. He previously performed standup comedy in Los Angeles and handed out a business card proclaiming to be a "C.P.A., Piano Player and Marathon Runner". He is well known for screaming "Good morning, murderer" as O.J. Simpson headed to the court house during his trial. He has stated that he will also stand outside and scream at Simpson during his robbery trial.
While frequently calling (and sometimes appearing on) Stern's show during the 1990s, Green's time on the show has been curtailed since about the year 2000, and is currently only heard on brief call-ins before Howard disconnects him. Like other Wack Packers, Green has vied for greater fame. He self-published his life story, made several personal appearances, and had a cameo in a Madonna music video. Politically, he is right-leaning, and is a harsh critic of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
[edit] Miss Howard Stern
Andrea Brooke Ownbey (born February 28, 1983) is a former stripper from Georgia who won the title 'Miss Howard Stern' contest on February 8, 2002 during The Howard Stern Show broadcast from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ownbey first appeared on Howard Stern's show on January 22, 2002, where she was billed "The World's Dumbest Stripper". She was home-schooled from the age of 15; Stern asked her some general knowledge questions, of which she got 2 out of 8 correct. She lives with her father, who once bought her breast implants in an unsuccessful bid to get her to stop stripping. Ownbey is notable for her baby voice, her "thank you" catch phrase, her table dancing, and her apparent low intelligence (IQ: 88). She is known to have poor self-esteem, which many fear will drive her to ruin her looks with excessive plastic surgery.
On the 19 July 2007 edition of The Howard Stern Show, Miss Ownbey admitted to recently having her fifth abortion.
[edit] Nicole Bass
Main article: Nicole Bass
Nicole Bass is a large female bodybuilder and former professional wrestler often teased for her masculinity and deep voice, which sounds similar to Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster character from The Munsters. Fred Norris often impersonates this voice, especially during her appearances.
[edit] Rappin' Granny (a.k.a. Fruity Nutcake)
Rappin' Granny, born on September 12, 1922, is a coquettish 85-year-old, who performs rap songs for the show.
On May 8, 2006, she rode the Sybian[6] and had an orgasm, arguably one of the most disturbing incidents on The Howard Stern Show. Several staffers were especially upset by the use of a combination of the Sybian and a cane. On September 12, 2006, she came into the studio for her birthday, and rode the Sybian again, this time with one of her two granddaughters.
[edit] Siobhan
Main article: Siobhan Meow
Siobhan (pronounced /ʃɨˈvɑːn/) is a male-to-female transsexual often mocked by Stern and staff. In October 2006, Siobhan had sex with a man known as 'KDK', co-founder of Prank Call Underground Radio, for the first time. Richard Christy, assigned to document the event, supposedly vomited at the sight of it.
High Pitch Mike, a news producer for Howard 100 news had Siobhan sit on his face as part of a contest to win a 50 inch TV. Mike won, however the prize allegedly still sits in a box, untouched because of the trauma he suffered.
[edit] Sour Shoes
Sour Shoes (real name is Michael DelCampo) enjoys singing and playing classic rock songs on keyboard and talking in silly voices. He sometimes calls the Stern Show for song requests, and has the uncanny ability to recall and play a song instantly. He still lives with his parents and works part-time helping autistic children, and claims to have graduated from St. John's University with a degree in communications. He does an accurate impression of Scott Ferrall. Sour Shoes is a frequent caller to other New York radio shows. He is known as "Mike from Mahopac" on the "Mike and The Mad Dog" sports show, where his specialty is spot-on impressions of broadcasters Jon Sterling, Howie Rose and Bob Murphy. Stern has frequently quipped "He's very talented. I'm just not sure what that talent is." On October 22, 2007 Gary from the Howard Stern Show claimed that Sour Shoes actually graduated from Columbia University yet had a mental breakdown years later, which explains why he lives with his parents.[7]
[edit] Wendy the Retard
Wendy the Retard (born May 15, 1980) lives in Ormond Beach, Florida and is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. She is a retarded adult like fellow Wack Packer Gary the Retard, who lives with her mother and sister. She enjoys bumper bowling and singing pop song karaoke in her bedroom, and will occasionally do so while calling Howard's show, clearly to the amusement of those in the studio. In many of her on-air telephone calls, she answers "yes" to any question from Stern, no matter how insulting or sexual. Based on her recent conversations with Daniel Carver, she may also be a racist -- or merely impressionable. She is known for an inconsistent ability to pronounce difficult words, and claimed on-air that, while drunk, she shoved a tomato up her ass, and ate it. Miss Howard Stern beat Wendy in a trivia contest, and her family lost to Daniel Carver's in Wack Pack Family Feud. She claimed to have eaten an entire large pizza, pancakes, and a McDonald's meal in one day. She has been the target of Stern prank calls, including one from fellow Wack Packer Bigfoot (Mark). She was also a frequent caller on a central Florida morning radio talk show The Monsters in the Morning (on Real Radio 104.1 as well as XM Channel 152), wheres she proclaimed her love for Dirty Jim (show co-host).
[edit] Will the Farter
Will the Farter can fart on command. At birth, his anus was flawed, and after doctors corrected it surgically he gained the ability to suck in and expel air from his rectum at will. In November 2006, Will the Farter proposed to his girlfriend in Howard Stern's studio at Sirius, which she accepted.
[edit] Yucko the Clown
Yucko the Clown is a foul-mouthed insult comedian who dresses like a clown. Yucko is also a street performer who has nearly won two of Stern's contests; coming second in the World's Meanest Listener contest (losing to the Reverend Bob Levy) and coming third in the Win John's Job contest (losing to Richard Christy). He wears clown makeup, including the signature red clown nose, and carries a bugle horn which he honks to punctuate a punchline. Yucko will happily insult anyone based on their physical appearance, religious belief or ethnicity. It has been noted on the Stern show that Yucko has never once washed the clown suit, and this is obvious due to the general smell and stains found on the costume.
While part of the Stern Show, Yucko was the star of a sketch comedy show titled "Stankervision" on MTV2 but was not renewed for a second season. Many of the skits and gags featured on Stankervision originated on a DVD that Yucko produced called "The Damn Show."
[edit] Former Wack Packers
[edit] Big Mike
Big Mike hails from Milford, Connecticut, and can fart at will.
[edit] Bigfoot
Not to be confused with Bigfoot(Mark).
Matthew McGrory (1973-2005), known on the The Howard Stern Show as Bigfoot, was an actor with gigantism and was known for his height(7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)) and large feet. After gaining attention in films such as Bubble Boy and Big Fish, he stopped appearing on the show. He later gained fame as Tiny in the Rob Zombie films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. He passed away in 2005, shortly after filming of The Devil's Rejects ended.
[edit] Cleft Palate
Lynn Zimmermann (1952-2006), known as Cleft Palate (aka Lispy Lynn to North Texas listeners), was a Wack Packer whose speech was very difficult to understand. Zimmermann claimed to have a cleft palate which was never surgically corrected, and was therefore on SSI for not being able to find employment. He lived at home with his mother, much like Jeff the Drunk Curro.
Zimmermann revealed on March 7, 2006 that he lied about his cleft palate, but insisted he had a speech impediment from a partially paralyzed tongue. Stern briefly considered renaming him Pinocchio on account of his dishonesty. Just six hours after admitting to Stern he had no cleft palate, Zimmermann apparently collapsed and died from complications related to myelofibrosis and aneurysms on his kidneys.
Many local Stern fans attended his funeral.
[edit] Croix
Croix (pronounced "Croy") is an older woman convinced that Ronald Reagan had stolen her "architecture". (She has not been on the show recently).
[edit] Debbie the Space Alien
Debbie the Space Alien, also known as Debbie Tay (real name Debbie Roach, from Los Angeles, California, ?-1995), was a mentally ill lesbian contestant in Howard Stern's New Year's Rotten Eve who committed suicide by overdosing on heroin in 1995. A saddened Chaunce Hayden announced her death via telephone on the air and later brought her cremated but unpulverized remains into the studio during an appearance. Her mother appeared in a video with Debbie which was preproduced for the pay-per-view pageant special but died shortly before the actual pageant. Reportedly, Roach's relatives objected to Hayden trying to capitalize on Debbie's remains, and filed a lawsuit against both the Stern show and Chaunce, which was later settled.
[edit] Doug Bady
Doug Bady (?-1996) was a little person with muscular dystrophy who hated Jerry Lewis and once participated in a Stern Show stunt in which he was hidden inside a trunk while talking to befuddled passersby in New York City. He appeared on the Sam Kinison album Leader of the Banned, and died in 1996.
[edit] Dr. Remulak
Obsessive-compulsive caller who would incessantly repeat the phrase "I am Dr. Remulak" to any reply Howard and company would offer. The only person who would verbally interact with Remulak was Stuttering John Melendez. He would only have conversations with Stuttering John during the call screening process. If he slipped up and said something other than his name to anyone else, he would supposedly smack himself. Remulak asserted that he was in fact a Doctor and had OCD, hence his repetition of the phrase "I am Dr. Remulak" ad infinitum. Eventually, he was forced to face his disorder in-studio, and he has not been heard from since. It is widely believed among Stern fans that Dr. Remulak was in fact one of Stuttering John's friends calling in to get air time for John as "the only one he would talk to".
[edit] Gina Girl
Gina Girl (pronounced like the end of the word 'vagina'). A feeble minded monstrosity who debuted on Stern as a protégé of Crazy Jerry. Around `88 or `89 Howard invited undiscovered potential wack packers to call in to try and get invited to the Super Bowl party show. With her weird speech impediment (combined with Jerry's prodding in the background) she expressed her desire to come to the Super Bowl party on the show and do what she called, "a `gina-dance" (Jerry was trying to get her to say: "vagina dance"). Everyone looked forward to seeing the person that matched that voice and she did not disappoint.
She was reportedly huge, disgusting, and wore like a crude jogging suit. Her "`gina-dance" consisted of her abruptly yanking her pants off by the elastic waist band and rolling her fat, naked body around on the floor while everyone yelled/gagged in disgust. The infamous `gina-dance ended in a chorus of the entire room chanting, "put it on, put it on..." Jackie said, "probably the only time in my life I've ever averted my eyes to the sight of a naked woman." Later she spoke of her "Mini" skirt and her love for "Tom Fruise" (Cruise). Within weeks her guardian found out about this and ordered Howard not to have her on the show, which Howard reluctantly had to accept. Any recordings of her are no-longer played on the air, and her parts have been edited out of produced bits she was a part of (e.g., the Speech Impediment Christmas Carol).
Jerry later went out and found a postal worker who also had mental problems called, Gina man and basically at Jerry's prompting would yell out nonsequiturs, the most famous being "This is Mother Theresa speaking from the bed, God don't want me yet, man, I got more feet to taste." Jerry and Gina Man can be seen on Howard Stern's US Open Sores video. Jerry has since retired to Florida.
[edit] Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf
Main article: Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf
Hank Nasiff Jr (1962-2001), known as Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, was an alcoholic dwarf known for his tirades and ongoing feud with Beetlejuice. His passing from complications due to alcoholism were mourned on the Howard Stern show until his passing was wiped from the front pages by the events of September 11th, 2001.
[edit] Ian the Drunk
Ian the Drunk was a very well-spoken, very well-educated, and very obviously-intoxicated-at-early-morning-hours Russian man who would call into the show to insult and ridicule Stern. True to form, Stern would allow Ian to rant and rave but would turn down the send from the microphones to the telephone patch. Show participants could then freely ridicule each statement from Ian, who believed he had a rapt audience. (This gag was also played on celebrities such as Richard Lewis, and Dick Cavett on whom Stern once hung up in mid-sentence).
Perhaps his funniest show moment occurred in December 1993 when Howard called Joe Walsh to put him on the phone with Ian while ranting. Walsh, also inebriated, tried (unsuccessfully) to have a reasonably coherent conversation with Ian. Ian was oblivious to the fact that he was talking on the phone to a world-renowned rock star, and Walsh seemed equally oblivious to the fact that Stern and company were having fun at his expense. (A few months later, Walsh entered rehab and rejoined The Eagles for a new album and tour. As part of his recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism, Walsh "abstained" from Stern's radio show, which he had often visited while stoned. He eventually returned as a Stern Show guest in 2005). Ian was last heard on the show in 2005, when he declared that he was to be deported to Ukraine.
[edit] Irene the Leather Weather Lady
Irene De Cook, who played the Leather Weather Lady in Howard Stern's Private Parts was a leather designer and costumer for several recording artists including The Romantics, Eric Burdon of The Animals, Alice Cooper and Blondie's drummer, Clem Burke. She is also a radio personality, a make-up artist (on-call for Pope John Paul II for his 1987 Papal visit), and works as a webmistress.
DeCook was heard on The Howard Stern Show in Detroit, Michigan on WWWW Radio as "The Leather Weather Lady" from May of 1980 through January of 1981. She also guested on 89X (Detroit/Windsor) morning drive radio from 1991-1992 as "The Leather Weather Lady".
[edit] Joe Cancer
Joe Cancer was facially and vocally disfigured by cancer. His last appearance occurred during the 'Artie Lange vs the WNBA' special from Las Vegas. During this appearance, he mentioned that he was no longer receiving treatment, and that he had already outlived doctors' expectations. Joe Cancer's passing was confirmed on the air before the Stern show moved to Sirius.
[edit] King of All Messengers
King of All Messengers was a phony phone caller, whose real name was Chris. (He has not been heard from in several years).
[edit] Ponce de la Phone
Ponce de la Phone, like King of All Messengers, was a practitioner of prank phone calls whose work on the show has not been heard since the 1990s.
[edit] Quentin the Stutterer
Quentin the Stutterer was a man with a severe stuttering problem who stopped appearing on the show around 1992 at the request of his wife. In March of 1997, Quentin attended the premiere of Private Parts and was a guest at the after-party show. He once appeared on Howard's Channel 9 show as a contestant trying to win a date with Tawny Kitaen. Quentin still stutters at his job with Verizon, where he is a Foreman for Splicers and Linemen at the garage in Pomona Rockland County, New York.
[edit] Slow Adam
Slow Adam has sub-normal intelligence, a slight stutter, very slow speech, and myriad psychiatric disorders. He appeared on "Politically Incorrect With The Wack Pack", a segment where Bill Maher hosted a parody of his show with guests Slow Adam, Daniel Carver, Gary the Retard and Beetlejuice. Adam has not been on the show since the early 2000s. Gary Dell'Abate, the producer of the show, mentioned in late 2001 that the particular group home in which Adam was living, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, did not like his appearances, forbidding him to be on the show.
[edit] Speech Impediment Man
Speech Impediment Man is a man with a speech impediment. He appeared multiple times on the show, in 1996 and 1997, and joined the Howard Stern Vegas special in 2004. He most recently called in on October 30, 2006 to give Artie advice on his troubled relationship with longtime girlfriend Dana.
[edit] Ted the Janitor
Ted the Janitor was a janitor at WXRK, who made popular the game "Road", which he wanted to play with Robin. The hypothetical game would be played by having a woman lie down, whereupon Ted would "blacktop" her -- ie, throw his body on top of her. He is now deceased. He was on the show occasionally for his unique voice or just for everyone to hear him hit on Robin. The most memorable bit he was in was "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", a spoof on the movie of the same name. The raspy voiced "excellent" Fred used to play often was taken from that bit. He was also use in the many parodies of New York's first black mayor, David Dinkins.
[edit] Underdog Lady
Underdog Lady, whose real name is Suzanne Muldowney,[8][9] is a woman who does performance art pieces focusing on the exploits of the cartoon character Underdog, and believes the character was underserved by being comically portrayed on television. She often asserts that Underdog deserves to be considered among the pantheon of great superheroes, and uses her performance pieces to emphasize this belief. After a falling out with Stern, whom she came to view as vulgar and crude, Muldowney described him in an interview as a "classic supervillain". During attempts at reconciliation, Stern often tries to curry favor by mentioning that his father Ben Stern did the audio for the Underdog cartoon show. Muldowney made her longest show appearance yet on October 5, 2006, in a nineteen minute telephone interview before hanging up abruptly. During the conversation, she reluctantly admitted to having no sexual feelings for men, and was told as a young girl by a health education teacher that such feelings were wrong. The following day, Muldowney left a voicemail confiding to Howard's producer Gary "Bababooey" Dell'Abate that she was "deeply troubled" by Stern's frequently sexually-oriented questions. Stern noted that a cartoon was playing in the background as she recorded her message. Muldowney is perhaps the most reluctant member of the Wack Pack.
[edit] Vin the Retard
Vin the Retard is a man with cerebral palsy and a stand-up comedy act. Despite his nickname, he seems of normal intelligence.
[edit] Wheelchair Steve
Wheelchair Steve received sexual favors as a show bit, for which his parents expressed gratitude. Gary mentioned him briefly during the June 5, 2006 show, during the Wackipedia discussion with Eric the Midget.[verification needed]
[edit] Yaqi (the Tickler)
Yaqi is a lanky, gray-haired purveyor of tickling fetish-themed DVDs. During Yaqi's visits, women (of whom Jenna Jameson was most notable) were strapped to a specially designed "Tickle Chair" and subjected to prolonged tickling at the hands of Yaqi and Howard himself; Howard continued this routine long after Yaqi stopped appearing on the show.
Yaqi was known for his effeminate Southern drawl and for recording impassioned speeches which sought to legitimize tickling as a healthy, life-affirming activity suitable for man, woman and child. Yaqi was mocked mercilessly by Artie Lange and other members of Howard's crew for these speeches, and for being generally "creepy".
Yaqi was a regular guest in early 2002 and sporadically thereafter. In August 2004, Yaqi called in to the show claiming to be terminally afflicted with sarcoidosis.
[edit] New Members
[edit] Ass Napkin Ed
A caller from Buffalo who asked Howard for help with his hygiene problems. After a few minutes of conversation we learned that Ed lodged a napkin between his cheeks to keep from staining his underwear. His insanity made everyone on the show laugh and he was called to make an appearance shortly after his call.The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern on Howard 100, a SIRIUS Satellite Radio station developed by Stern du...all »The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern on Howard 100, a SIRIUS Satellite Radio station developed by Stern during his transition from terrestrial radio.
For over twenty years[1] the radio show was syndicated on FM radio stations (and a few AM stations) throughout the United States until the last broadcast via terrestrial radio on December 16, 2005. The Howard Stern Show began broadcasting via the United States subscription-based Sirius Satellite Radio satellite radio service on January 9, 2006. It began broadcasting to Canada via the Canadian version of Sirius on February 6, 2006.
The Howard Stern show is a free-form comedy show consisting of banter between the cast, various games (often with sexual themes) involving the cast or listeners, taped bits such as prank phone calls and celebrity interviews. Common themes include current events, Hollywood gossip, politics, and ridiculing staff members for their mistakes and incompetence. Traditionally, producer Gary Dell'Abate (also known as "Baba Booey") and Scott the Engineer take the brunt of Howard's anger most frequently, but no person or topic is considered sacred and every cast member, including Robin Quivers and Howard himself have taken ridicule on the show.
[edit] Terrestrial radio history
[edit] 1970s and 1980s
The earliest recognizable incarnation of the Howard Stern Show started in 1979 at WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut. Stern decided to apply for the job after reading a WCCC ad in Radio & Records looking for a "wild, fun, morning guy". Stern was hired for $12,000 a year. It was at WCCC that Stern met Fred Norris. Norris was working evenings under the pseudonym "Earth Dog".
In 1980, Stern again noticed an advertisement in Radio & Records, this time for WWWW in Detroit, Michigan. He met with management and signed a contract for $30,000 and moved his family to Detroit. At WWWW, the show was further refined with bits such as Dial-a-Date being invented. The show started to get noticed by the industry, and Stern won the Billboard award for best AOR disc jockey. With this new-found recognition, job offers started to come in and the show moved to DC-101 in Washington, D.C.
In one typical example of the radio show, Stern persuaded a female caller to have phone sex with him on the air.[2] He made deep buzzing noises into his microphone, and had her sit on a speaker with the volume turned up (this incident appeared as a scene in Stern's 1997 movie Private Parts). Another notable episode was on WWDC-FM (DC101 Radio) in Washington, D.C., in which Stern called Air Florida and asked what the fare was for a one-way ticket from Washington National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge (on the Potomac River, less than one mile from the airport). He was making light of the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 one day earlier, on January 13, 1982, which had killed 78 persons (both on-board the airplane and in vehicles stopped in traffic on the bridge). On June 29, Stern was fired from DC-101 radio after being suspended for criticizing his station management and two other radio stations. Stern's lawyer alleged:
It's our view that the real reason they've [fired Stern] is they would like to get new DC-101 deejays 'GreaseMan' and 'Adam Smasher' on the air as soon as possible, and hope the audience forgets about Howard, and that's a perfectly rational business judgment.[citation needed]
In 1982, the Stern Show made it to New York City to work at NBC's flagship AM radio station, WNBC (66 WNBC). Also working at NBC at that time was David Letterman, who became a fan of Stern's radio show. Stern's guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on June 19, 1984, launched Stern into the national spotlight and gave his radio show unprecedented exposure. Stern would appear on Letterman's show many times thereafter.
Stern and his crew were fired from NBC in 1985, ostensibly in response to a particularly outrageous sketch — "Bestiality Dial-A-Date" — although relations between station management and Stern had been strained from the beginning (as well-documented in his book Private Parts). He quickly returned to FM radio by joining local rival station WXRK, premiering November 18, 1985, moving permanently to the morning drive time slot in February 1986. By year's end, 1986, Stern's show was syndicated in Philadelphia via WYSP, which he announced on Late Night with David Letterman. The local media initially doubted that Stern would be a success in the Philadelphia market;[3] however, in a move that would repeat itself many times over in his career, Stern was successful in knocking off the local morning talent (John Debella) to become number one in the ratings.[4] Before long, it was also heard in Washington, D.C., and was then syndicated nationwide by Infinity Broadcasting. The program made great sport out of feuding with other cities' top-rated deejays, and soon Stern's broadcast was number one in several major markets, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. His Arbitron numbers were strongest in the country's number one radio market, New York City, where his morning ratings more than tripled his station's average numbers the rest of the day.
Early in his career, the show was already becoming lucrative for advertisers, due to Stern's promotional ability. Defying critics like Don Imus, who in 1986 responded to Stern's success with, "Talk to me six months from now... Prestige accounts are not going to advertise on that kind of program no matter what Howard does. You can get local retailers on who don't care what he says about them and there are only so many of them out there." [5]
[edit] 1990s
It has been suggested that Fartman (Howard Stern) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
In 1991, The Howard Stern Show began to broadcast in Los Angeles, a move that was considered risky at the time, on the station KLSX 97.1. Predictions about the success of his show like the one of a local L.A. radio listener, "Vulgarity has reached a new low. I think he's going to bomb beautifully out here. At least I hope he does. I'm sure he'll find the Los Angeles market is more sophisticated", proved in the end to be untrue.[6]
In 1992, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Infinity Broadcasting $600,000 after Stern discussed masturbating to a picture of Aunt Jemima. His exact statement was, "The closest I came to making love to a black woman was I, uh, masturbated to a picture of Aunt Jemima on a pancake box. I did it right on her kerchief."[7]
Stern made national news in 1994 by preventing a suicidal man from leaping to his death off the George Washington Bridge.[8]
[edit] Selena controversy
In March 1995, one day before the funeral of slain Tejano singer Selena, Stern played the sounds of gunshots in the background over some of her music. He also made comments that were considered racist by many people, such as "Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul," and "Spanish people have the worst taste in music... it has no depth."[9][10]
[edit] A brief stint in Canada
Also in 1997, Stern's show aired for the first time in Canada, appearing on CILQ (Q107) in Toronto and CHOM-FM in Montreal.[11]
CHOM cancelled Stern's show (in 2000), after frequent listener complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission; for most of the time that the stations did air Stern's program, they were required to monitor the show for offensive content through the use of broadcast delays. CILQ in Toronto cancelled the Stern show after John Hayes, who Stern refers to as Virus became program director of Corus Radio. This was a personal vendetta against Stern by John Hayes, as Stern was the most highly rated radio morning show in Toronto in November 2001 when the show was pulled from the air. Howard Stern's fans in Toronto were able to hear the uncensored show on a Buffalo station until the move to Sirius Radio in 2005.
Stern has claimed on-air that the Canadian government disapproved of his use of the ethnic slur "Polack", and that this was one of the reasons why his show was not broadcast in Canada until February 6, 2006, when "Howard 100" debuted on Sirius Canada.
[edit] Columbine controversy
Stern's April 21, 1999 show drew angry criticism and official "censure" from the Colorado State Legislature for his comment regarding the motives of the two male students who murdered 12 classmates and one teacher in the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado:
There were some really good-looking girls running out with their hands over their heads. Did those kids try to have sex with any of the good-looking girls? They didn't even do that? At least if you're going to kill yourself and kill all the kids, why wouldn't you have some sex? If I was going to kill some people, I'd take them out with sex.[12]
Stern did not apologize for his words but instead argued that his comments were an attempt to figure out what was wrong with the two attackers. Stern believes much of the furor was roused by deejays at competing stations in the Denver market. He said:
There has been a tragic shooting in Denver. It's a national horror and what are the deejays doing? They're announcing my sponsors trying to get them to pull out. Are they really caring about the Denver community, or are they really just saying, 'Hey, maybe we can get Howard Stern off the air?' If I'm so vicious, why would you draw attention to me?
Stern explained his remarks this way: "Maybe my intent was poorly worded, but... the point in making that comment was an attempt to try to understand a motive."[13]
[edit] 2000s
[edit] Jackie leaves the show
On March 5, 2001, the Howard Stern Show officially announced that longtime show regular Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling had left the radio show after failed contract negotiations. Over the next several months, various comedians auditioned in the "Jackie Chair" for the job, with comedian Artie Lange landing the position.
[edit] September 11, 2001 attacks
Stern was on the air in his New York City studio during the September 11, 2001 attacks and stayed on the air with his cast/crew while many other broadcasters fled the city.[14] Fittingly, he was in the middle of a rousing story about a rendezvous with Pamela Anderson when he first mentioned the World Trade Center was on fire. His coverage of the tragedy increased as the gravity of the situation became clear. His live reporting was one of the first news of the incident for many East Coast residents. The show had a somewhat subdued tone, with many listeners calling in to share their own stories of survival or personal loss. As other comedy performers like David Letterman and Jon Stewart later returned to the air, many with emotionally-charged monologues, Stern was furious at the glowing response they received in the press, as he had been on the air the whole time without any positive reaction. This reinforced his long-held belief that there is a bias against him in the mainstream media. Stern's September 11, 2001 broadcast was replayed in its entirety on the first and fifth anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2002 and September 11, 2006, respectively. Among Stern fans - many of whom work in the broadcasting and entertainment fields - the September 11th broadcast was a watershed moment; as Stern remarked before the gravity of the situation was truly apparent, "I'm auditioning for Dan Rather's job".
[edit] Parting ways with Clear Channel
On February 25, 2004, Clear Channel Communications "indefinitely suspended" Stern from six markets because of indecency involving sexual and racist dialog during his show.[15] The show in question featured Rick Salomon, whose claim to fame includes a publicly released home video showing him having sex with hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton. During this broadcast, Stern held a sexually-provocative and racially insensitive interview with Salomon, asking him graphic questions about anal sex and making light of a caller's use of the word "nigger". Clear Channel president John Hogan said, "Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content, and Howard Stern's show blew right through it... it was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African-Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency." The move came only a day after Clear Channel fired Bubba the Love Sponge for similar reasons. Due to the timing of the incident, this is considered to be part of a wide-ranging backlash against obscenity triggered by the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.
On April 8, 2004, Clear Channel Communications announced it would "permanently terminate" its relationship with the shock jock after being fined $500,000 by the FCC.[16][17] However, on July 19, Stern returned to four of the six markets Clear Channel had booted him from, and added five new ones to the roster, this time on Infinity-owned stations. [18] In late August, he returned to a fifth market, Miami, on an independent station. Here, as was often typical with Stern, his return was greeted with controversy as the Miami Dolphins threatened to revoke their broadcast deal with the station in question if the station did not fire him.
[edit] Political tones
Because Clear Channel and some of its executives have donated over $200,000 to the Republican Party, Stern claims the company was trying to penalize him for his harsh criticisms of President George W. Bush. Stern normally avoids political commentary, but told his listeners:
There are a lot of people saying that the second that I started saying, 'I think we gotta get Bush out of the presidency,' that's when Clear Channel banged my ass outta here. Then I find out that Clear Channel is such a big contributor to President Bush, and in bed with the whole Bush administration, I'm going, 'Maybe that's why I was thrown off: because I don't like the way the country is leaning too much to the religious right.' And then, bam! Let's get rid of Stern. I used to think, 'Oh, I can't believe that.' But that's it! That's what's going on here! I know it! I know it![19]
Stern turned against Bush because neither Clear Channel nor Bush "got the FCC off my back." Stern perceived Bush's religious beliefs as fanatical and has described George W. Bush as a "Jesus freak," a "maniac" and "an arrogant bastard".[20]
Stern endorsed John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign, and urged his listeners to vote for him, the latest in a long string of political endorsements Stern has made.[21] In the past, he had also supported former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. In one on-air stunt, Stern promised then-gubernatorial candidate Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey that he would endorse her candidacy if she promised to name a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike after him if she were elected. She won and kept her promise, although one of her successors, Democrat Jim McGreevey, later claimed impropriety by Whitman and revoked the honor. In recent years, Stern has been a staunch opponent of Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. On July 25, 2006 Stern launched into a tirade against the Senator. He attacked Lieberman's past support of indecency laws and his current support of the War on Terror[22]. In February of 2007, Stern announced on his radio show that he is currently supporting Hillary Clinton for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
[edit] Stuttering John leaves the show
On February 27, 2004, long-time Stern show regular John Melendez left the show to become the on-air announcer for The Tonight Show. Stern has consistently claimed the move was an attempt by Jay Leno to steal ideas from Howard's show. Many late-night talk show bits are said to have been stolen from the Stern show, including Jay Leno's bit "Jaywalking". After a lengthy search and auditioning process, Richard Christy of the heavy metal band Iced Earth was chosen as John's replacement.
[edit] Infinity contract ends
On April 6, 2005, Stern pleaded on-air for Infinity Broadcasting to let him out of his contract, citing the reason of possible prosecution, per House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner's recommendation. FMQB.com quoted Stern as saying:
They're (Viacom) holding me to the contract and I'm afraid to break the contract, because I don't want to ever do anything illegal or wrong. I'm very, very clear on that. I'm a pretty honest guy. I try to live by the laws, but it seems like I'm being set up.[23]
It must also be added that within Stern's contract with Viacom/Infinity, if he were to have been fired or his show canceled, his employer would have had to pay him and his production company $20 million dollars.
[edit] Artie’s drug abuse
In early June 2005, Lange began missing work at the Howard Stern Show, prompting concerns of a possible relapse into the substance abuse which had affected him previously. The situation climaxed in Lange behaving incoherently and belligerently while on the air. He infamously sneered at Stern and the crew that: "Artie's going to do what Artie's going to do!" Howard later commented that this statement had scared him. Lange subsequently missed the next two days of work.
At the time, Lange's absence from the show went largely unmentioned and was written off as stress from doing the radio show and beginning production of his movie Beer League. The real reason for Lange's absence was made public in a spontaneous revelation on the September 21, 2006 Howard Stern Show, on which Lange acknowledged that he was regularly snorting heroin from February to June 2005. Lange discussed prior episodes of heroin use, beginning when he was a stand-up comedian and continuing until Beer League was set to begin shooting. Lange detailed his painful withdrawal, which included common side effects such as cold sweats, shaking, and vomiting. Lange recalled disconnecting the telephone to avoid speaking with his mother, who ultimately intervened and helped Artie recover. Lange was threatened with legal action by the Beer League producers (whom he later described as having "waste management connections") if he failed to show up for the first day of shooting in June 2005, which led Lange to secure a home visit from a doctor who prescribed Lange with buprenorphine (Subutex) to alleviate his heroin dependency. Since starting the medicine, Artie claimed to be free of any illegal substances, but on May 24, 2007 he stated that he has abused Subutex. He stated that taking more than his recommended dose gave him a small high.
[edit] The E! show ends
On June 22, 2005, Stern announced that production of the Howard Stern television show on E! would also be ending. The last new episode was taped on July 1, 2005, and aired on July 8. E! continued to rerun the show until December 31, 2005.
[edit] The move to Sirius Satellite Radio
On October 6, 2004, Stern announced on his show that he had signed a five year, $500 million deal with the satellite radio service Sirius.[24]The deal also contained an additional $225 million one-time stock bonus which he would receive if the show attracted a certain amount of listeners in a given time, which it did.
The $500 million contract and $225 million stock deal placed Stern at the second richest celebrity of the year at $302 million, ahead of George Lucas, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones and Tom Cruise.[25] The deal, which took effect on January 1, 2006, enabled Stern to broadcast his show without the content restrictions imposed by the FCC. In addition, the deal enabled Stern to program an additional Sirius channel.
The move to satellite radio met with controversy, as Stern talked about his move to Sirius on his terrestrial show, including telling listeners how to purchase Sirius equipment and subscriptions.[26] To promote his move, Stern held a rally in New York City where he gave out coupons for free or discounted Sirius equipment. Stern's touting of his move to Sirius resulted in some radio stations censoring him every time he mentioned the words "Sirius" or "satellite radio". In one incident, Farid Suleman of Citadel Broadcasting billed Stern $200,000 for the plugs he gave Sirius on his show. Stern's responded publicly on his show "Keep sending me bills. Like I'm going to pay 'em". Citadel eventually pulled Howard Stern off 4 stations in Grand Rapids, Rochester, Syracuse, and the lower Susquehanna Valley area of Lancaster, Harrisburg, and York during Howard's Christmas break in 2004.
On November 7, 2005 Infinity Broadcasting suspended Stern from going live on air on November 8, 2005 because Stern was excessively promoting his move to Sirius Radio.[27]
The December 12, 2005 issue of New York Magazine revealed that XM Satellite Radio had been prepared to offer Howard a $30 million per-year contract in 2004, but its executives were slow to close the deal, giving Sirius the chance it needed. When asked why he picked Sirius over their competitor XM, Howard replied that he "always liked the underdog. Every radio station I ever went to was a toilet bowl."[28] He has also stated that during very preliminary negotiations with XM, he found the management to be slow and unresponsive while Sirius was "nimble". Stern's budget with Sirius, including all operating costs, is $500 million for the five-year contract.
In addition, Sirius gave Stern two channels, "Howard 100" and "Howard 101". Both of these channels launched in October 2005. Although Stern himself was not able to broadcast on Sirius until his Infinity contract expired, he had been producing content to fill the otherwise dead air. Shows included a live 24-hour broadcast of Wack Pack member "Wendy the Retard", a 24-hour broadcast of Wack Packer "High Pitch Eric" featuring the weighing of his excrement, and auditions of other Wack Packers for their own permanent shows. A news team of award-winning journalists was put together to launch "Howard 100 News," a nightly broadcast of "all things Howard." Stern also announced fellow shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge would have his own nightly talk show starting in January 2006 on one of his channels. Since the move to Sirius, Stern has created "The Friday Show", which is an extended version of "The Wrap-up Show", which airs every day after his Morning Radio Show. "The Friday Show", hosted by Jon Hein, Gary Dell'Abate and Ralph Cirella, aired live on those Fridays when Howard's show was not on the air, although it has since been replaced by "Master Tape Theatre", replays of selected pre-Sirius Stern Shows.
Due to his former contract with Infinity Broadcasting, now CBS Radio, neither Stern nor anyone under contract from his show could be heard on Sirius before January 1, 2006. Stern called in to a New Year's Eve broadcast on Howard 100 a few minutes past midnight on January 1, and spoke to hosts from Howard 100 News for over an hour. On January 1, 2006, Stern did a commercial-free segment on his two stations Howard 100 and Howard 101, playing clips from his days as a child, to working at WTBU (Boston University college radio), WCCC, W4, WWDC, WNBC, and WXRK.
On January 3 and January 5, 2006, Stern and other members of his show conducted live broadcasts, 70-minutes and 130-minutes respectively, in which he tested various components of his new studio, including audio levels, call-in functions, and studio ease-of-use. Various callers congratulated Stern on his new venture, although he reiterated that the broadcast was nothing more than a test designed to give users a sneak peek, and not an actual show. He made a point to reaffirm that the first show would be technically clean but completely uncensored, and would take place on January 9, 2006.
[edit] Goodbye to terrestrial radio
Howard 100 LogoHoward's last show on conventional AM/FM "terrestrial" radio was on December 16, 2005[29]. The studio segment of the show ended when the Stern staff each gave a final farewell, then walked to a stage on the streets of New York City below K-Rock, simulcast live accompanied by video on the Internet through Yahoo!. Several thousand fans attended the event. Stern was the last to leave the studio. On the stage, many members of the show's "Wack Pack" gave speeches and Staind performed. Speeches were given by each member of the show: Gary, Artie, Fred, Robin, and finally Howard, who frequently referred to himself and his fans as "the last of a dying breed." During his speech, Stern thanked the New York City Police Department and dedicated the show to Sergeant Keith Manning, a friend of the show who at the time was serving in Iraq. Stern was then bussed to the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, where Martha Stewart (who also has her own Sirius talk channel) was on hand to induct Howard Stern into the Sirius family. Much of the show took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City where Sheryl Crow performed and mentioned on stage the debt America and musicians should pay towards Stern.
True to the last broadcast, many of Stern's final statements were edited out on the radio and even on the Yahoo! Internet broadcast. These statements largely pertained to Stern's animosity towards Clear Channel and the future at Sirius. As a response to Stern leaving FM radio, many of the radio stations under ownership of CBS Radio, including K-Rock in New York, changed their format from music to a hot talk format. Select stations were rebranded "Free FM." Stern's flagship station changed its name from 92.3 K-Rock to 92.3 Free FM. Stern himself was a harsh critic of the "Free FM" format in his last days on terrestrial radio, arguing that the name was a joke due to continued FCC and industry censorship. CBS Radio revenue fell eight percent after Stern's departure.[30]
Eight months following the changeover to satellite radio, Ad Age reported that advertising revenue from Stern's show is a third of what his terrestrial radio show commanded for a live read spot.[31] Analysts partially attributed this to the lack of measurable listener data Sirius makes available for its individual channels, but also due to the smaller satellite audience when compared with Stern's previous terrestrial broadcasts. What Advertising Age failed to mention was that Sirius Satellite Radio is a pay radio service, similar to HBO or Showtime, and as such, airs approximately 8 minutes of commercials per hour, compared to Stern's show on FM radio, which aired approximately 22 minutes of commercials per hour.
[edit] The Sirius show
The Howard Stern Show debuted on Sirius, on January 9, 2006[32]. In addition to his regular morning show, which can be heard on Howard 100 at 5:55 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and noon – 5:55 p.m., several "spin-off" shows have emerged, such as The Wrap Up Show (aka "the show about the show"), The Super Fan Roundtable, and The Intern Show, all dedicated to discussion of the Stern Show from the points of view of Howard's producer, fans, and interns, respectively.
On the earlier Sirius shows, Stern placed a gag order on himself and other members of his staff regarding excessive use of profanity.[citation needed] Sal the Stockbroker and Ronnie the Limo Driver were especially singled out for excessive cursing and were forbidden to curse. However, since then, profanity has become a regular part of the show.
[edit] Howard 101
Along with Howard 100 on Sirius, which carries the live morning feed of Stern's show, the Howard 100 News hourly updates, and show replays all day, Stern is also in charge of Howard 101.
Howard 101 carries the West Coast feed of Stern's morning show, along with Bubba the Love Sponge in the afternoon and Scott Ferrall in the evening. In addition, the 7 o’clock hour is devoted to weekly original content, such as The Intern Show, The Superfan Roundtable, Miserable Men, "Hello, Earth" with Riley Martin, and Basic Training, a show dedicated to military issues hosted by Brent of the Bubba the Love Sponge Show.
Stern has promised to provide more original content on his channels. In April 2006 Sam Simon, co-creator of and writer on such shows as The Simpsons and Cheers, announced he was writing a radio show for Stern's channels, a satirical take-off on ABC's hit Desperate Housewives, which would follow the daily lives of the cast members' significant others. The show, The Bitter Half, aired on October 24, 2006.
[edit] Sirius Canada
Initially, Sirius Canada chose not to carry Stern because of the possibility of a future issue with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Josef Radomski, a Canadian writer, announced on the January 11, 2006 show that he has started an online petition to bring Stern to Sirius Canada. On February 1, 2006, Sirius Canada announced that they would start airing Howard 100 starting February 6.[33] On Stern's first day on Sirius Canada a caller claiming to be Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister-designate who was sworn in as Prime Minister that same day, welcomed Stern back to the Canadian airwaves.
[edit] The first show
The "Howard 100 Heartbeat" broke away to "Also Sprach Zarathustra" tunefully performed with flatulence. Howard's theme music, "Great American Nightmare," played a few bars before George Takei introduced himself as the show's new announcer. Callers were soon invited to call into the show using their new toll-free line, 1-888-9-ASSHOLE
During the show, Stern revealed that there were 180,000 Sirius receivers activated the day before his inaugural broadcast. He also revealed that he was not married, squashing rumors which appeared (and he happily fed) during his hiatus. One of his first radio acts on Sirius included the playing of Pat O'Brien's sex tapes uncensored and his uncensored versions of parody songs using the sex tape.
Later Stern began his long-awaited Revelation Show where staff members of the show revealed dark secrets about themselves.
For a complete recap, see The Howard Stern Show Revelations Game.
[edit] Terrestrial radio return controversy
In May 2006, Stern said that he had received offers from three major terrestrial radio companies to return. Stern said that while he would not return "It would be cool to go back and kick their [CBS] asses." None of the companies involved were named or came forward.
Media organizations announced that he was thinking of returning to terrestrial radio and to clear up the rumors Stern called Associated Press on-air on May 10, 2006. While talking to Associated Press Stern said, "The story is I wouldn't do [terrestrial radio] for any reason."[34]
In September of 2006 rumors once again arose that Stern would be returning to terrestrial radio. These rumors were once again denied by Stern and Sirius. Sirius representative Patrick Reilly told UPI "There has never been any discussion of Howard Stern in any way, shape, or form being anything but exclusive to Sirius. Published reports suggesting otherwise are wrong,".[35]
[edit] The Howard Stern Film Festival
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Howard Stern Television Shows. (Discuss)
Howard Stern Film FestivalOn April 27, 2006, the first annual Howard Stern Film Festival debuted at The Hudson Theatre in New York City. The film festival took entries from fans and featured a grand prize of $35,000 in cash and prizes. Stern said of the festival "People want access. The Tribeca Film Festival is too commercial. This is the one where the next great comedy directors will be discovered. This is good for New York, and it's good for the listeners. They get to come down here, participate, make creative films, and all the films are about me. What better topic is there?"
The winner of the festival was Scott Masterson whose film "Radio Play" was a sentimental tribute to Stern that wondered what it would be like if Stern, Quivers, and Norris met over amateur radio as children.[36]
The winner of the staff competition in the Howard Stern Film Festival was a tie between Fred & Robin and Doug. Robin gave her award to Sal because she said the crowd seemed to like Sal's best.
[edit] Television shows
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Howard Stern Television Shows. (Discuss)
Howard Stern's national television shows include The Howard Stern Show on WWOR-TV (aka "The Channel 9 Show"), which ran in the early 1990s; Howard Stern, consisting of segments from his radio show, which ran from 1994 to 2005 on E!; and The Howard Stern Radio Show, which ran from 1998 to 2001 in syndication. The Howard Stern Show was a weekly skit-driven show that was produced in the Secaucus, New Jersey studios of WWOR-TV and shown in selected markets. The other shows were produced from video footage of his live radio broadcast.
On November 18, 2005, iN DEMAND launched Howard TV, a Video on demand pay service that is available through various cable TV systems. Current content includes uncensored versions of shows which previously aired on E! and video from his Sirius show. Howard TV also includes movies (i.e. Supertwink), skits, bits, Wack Packer videos, behind-the-scenes videos, and anything else related to the show.
Bubba The Love Sponge shocks Stern staffers on HowardTVThe Howard Stern Show (WWOR-TV show): 69 episodes; July 14, 1990–August 1, 1992; often called "The Channel 9 Show" because WWOR is Channel 9 in the New York City metropolitan area.
The Howard Stern Interview (E! show): 36 episodes; 1993
Howard Stern (E! show): 2,278 episodes; 1994–July 8, 2005
The Howard Stern Radio Show (syndicated): 1998–2001
Howard TV (formally Howard Stern on Demand) (iN DEMAND): uncensored E! shows available since November 18, 2005; new shows became available April 2006
[edit] Controversy and criticism
Stern is a polarizing figure in the entertainment industry. While beloved amongst his fans, he is loathed by his critics[37] [38]. In 2005 aides to former FCC Commissioner Michael Powell admitted that Stern is a lightning rod (for FCC action), while entertainers like Oprah who also discuss issues like sexuality are "untouchable".[39]
[edit] Government
The FCC has fined stations for content on the Howard Stern Show upwards of $5 million since 1990.[40]
[edit] FCC fines
Over Stern's career, the Stern Show has drawn FCC complaints for indecency. These complaints are paid by the broadcast station against which the complaints were filed, not by Stern or the Stern Show. The first complaint was filed in 1986 when Stern asked a caller "Have you ever had sex with an animal?", to which the caller answered no. Stern continued, "Well, don't knock it. I was sodomized by Lamb Chop--you know, that puppet Shari Lewis holds?"[41]. He was not fined for this complaint, but after his first fines in 1988 they continued until he left terrestrial radio.
FCC Fines leveled against The Howard Stern Show Notice Date Total Amount Incidents Company Fined
Dec. 16, 1988[41] $6,000 3 Infinity
Oct. 27, 1992[41] $105,000 12 Greater Media
Dec. 1992[42] $600,000 N/A (Settlement) Infinity
Aug 1993[42] $500,000 N/A (Settlement) Infinity
Feb. 1, 1994[41] $400,000 4 Viacom
Oct. 1996[41] $10,000 1 WVGO Richmond
Jul. 2001[43] $27,500 1 Infinity
Apr. 8, 2004[41] $495,000 18 Clear Channel
2004[41] $1,750,000 N/A (Settlement) Clear Channel
2004[41] $3,500,000 N/A (Settlement) Viacom
[edit] Selective prosecution
Stern feels that he has been selectively targeted by the FCC. Though this defense has never been used against the agency, some legal scholars believe that Stern's case passes the selective prosecution test and that the FCC's regulation of indecency is not proper.[44] However, in a 2004 interview the FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein stated that the FCC was not out to drive Stern off the air and was just enforcing the law. "I don't think it's a necessary outcome that good content is driven away from the radio," Adelstein told Billboard Radio Monitor.[40]
[edit] Watchdog groups
Media watchdog groups have been especially aggressive in attacking The Howard Stern Show, and Stern personally. Jack Thompson, a Florida attorney, has stated he thinks Stern should be in jail.[45]. The Parents Television Council headed by Brent Bozell has been one of Stern's chief critics[45], organizing write-in campaigns to the FCC and frequently appearing on television to speak against Stern.
[edit] Needing an enemy
A frequent criticism of the show is that Howard is only funny when he has an enemy to rail against. After his move to Sirius in 2006, Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield wrote, "No wonder he's bored - he's got nobody to piss him off anymore".[46]. Stern has responded to these criticisms by making analogies like, "That's like saying Chris Rock's HBO special would have been better if he had a censor to fight."[47]
[edit] Show staff
Main article: The Howard Stern Show Staff
[edit] Regular guests
It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled The Howard Stern Show Staff, The Wack Pack and List of celebrity guests on the Howard Stern show. (Discuss)
For the Wack Pack regulars see: The Wack Pack
Pamela Anderson: actress, former Playboy playmate
Alec Baldwin: actor
Jim Breuer: comedian
Bubba the Love Sponge: former rival, now a fellow Sirius DJ
Dr. Sal Calabro: plastic surgeon who has treated many Stern show guests
Andrew Dice Clay: comedian
Andy Dick: comedian
Heidi Cortez: model, formerly host of Tissue Time on Sirius
Carmen Electra: actress
Fake Arnold: an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator
Jim Florentine: comedian
Gary Garver: celebrity interviewer
Craig Gass: comedian
Gilbert Gottfried: comedian
Kathy Griffin: comedian
Jessica Hahn: actress, former Playboy playmate
Insane Clown Posse: rap duo
Jenna Jameson: porn star
Kendra Jade: porn star
Jimmy Kimmel: comedian, talk show host
Reverend Bob Levy: comedian
Norm MacDonald: comedian
Beth Ostrosky: Howard's fiancée
Ozzy Osbourne: musician
Sharon Osbourne: talk show host,and wife of Ozzy
Red Peters: comedic musician
Dennis Rodman: athlete
Joan Rivers: comedian
Robert Schimmel: comedian
Debbie Schlussel: political columnist
John Stamos: actor
Bob Saget: actor, comedian
Ben Stern: Howard's father
Raye Stern: Howard's mother
Tabitha Stevens: porn star
George Takei: actor, frequent announcer of the Howard Stern show
Pat Cooper: comedian
Donald Trump: real estate mogul
Mike Walker: columnist for the National Enquirer
Chuck Zito: actor, former celebrity bodyguard
Vinnie Favale (CBS Television Late Night producer)
Leslie West (musician)
[edit] Former regulars
[edit] Deceased
Bigfoot
Grandpa Al Lewis
Dana Reeve
Milton Berle
Anna Nicole Smith
Rodney Dangerfield
Sam Kinison
Ted the Janitor
Tiny Tim
The Ramones (Most members deceased)
Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf
Richard Jeni
[edit] Feuds, splits
Alison Stern (Howard's ex-wife; since their split, she no longer calls in to show)
Bill Maher (angry at the show staff, refuses to appear anymore)
Jerry Seinfeld (angry at show staff, refuses to appear anymore)
Jay Leno (personal feud with Howard)
[edit] No longer appears
Gina Girl
Gina Man
The Jesus Twins
[edit] Banned
Chaunce Hayden (for misrepresenting Howard in the media)
Crazy Cabbie: former WXRK DJ [48][49] (Cabbie was presumably banned for planning to sue[50] Howard over disparaging comments about a weight loss product Cabbie was promoting on a June 2007 appearance;[51] as well as taping a porno in Howard's old studio.[citation needed] Cabbie also appeared on the rival Opie & Anthony show, stating Fuck Howard Stern.[citation needed]
[edit] Hosting on other radio shows
Penn Jillette Hosted program on CBS Radio's Free FM. He no longer has a radio show.
Adam Carolla (The West Coast terrestrial radio replacement for Stern. Stern joked that when Adam gets fired, he is welcome back on the show.) Adam has called into Howard on Sirius and aired it on FreeFM in Los Angeles.
Kidd Chris Hosts radio show on WYSP
Dead Air Dave former WXRK DJ and show censor on terrestrial radio. Now on WWFS New York.
[edit] Others, and might come back
Nancy Sirianni - Jackie's ex-wife. Howard announced that she would appear on Dial-a-Date, a segment periodically featured on the show.
Barrett Moore also known as Veronica Caine (adult film star)
Richard Simmons (may return as a regular, as they had been close friends on and off the air; he recently reconciled with Stern on the air after more than 10 years but again left in tears. Afterward Robin and Howard doubted the authenticity of Richard's emotional outburst.[52])
[edit] See also
Howard Stern Show Games and Bits
List of celebrity guests on the Howard Stern show
The Wack Pack
The Wack Pack is the name given to a wide assortment of regular guests of The Howard Stern Show. As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, they were often as memorable as Stern's regular airtime celebrity guests. Wack Packers tend to be unusual in some way, such as blatantly racist, mentally disabled, sexually deviant or having a comical voice or appearance. Not every regular guest is considered a member of The Wack Pack, nor are staff members like Robin Quivers, Fred Norris, Gary Dell'Abate, Artie Lange, or the now-departed Stuttering John.
Some Wack Packers appear to serve as cautionary figures; for example, with every appearance, Crackhead Bob would effectively remind Stern's several million listeners of the dangers of crack cocaine, while Joe Cancer would be a powerful testimonial to the evils of tobacco. Jeff the Drunk and the deceased Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf seem to reinforce the value of moderation and the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
Through their appearances on Stern's radio program and the now defunct E! television show, some Wack Packers have gained notoriety for personal appearances around the country and occasionally, have gotten small roles in movies and television.
On October 20, 2005, Stern announced plans for the Wack Pack to elect their own "Pope" from their ranks. In addition to the honor of leading the Wack Pack, the winner would receive a $10,000 prize. This bit appears to have been abandoned as it has not been mentioned on-air since Stern's Sirius Radio debut. Though it seems Stern exploits them wantonly, Wack Packers are well-respected (yet mocked like most Stern regulars) and are fiercely protected by show staff and fans alike. During the December 16, 2005 terrestrial finale webcast on Yahoo!, one of the hosts remarked that Yahoo! had received instructions for Wack Pack to be treated "better than celebrities."
On June 19, 2006, Howard Stern announced a contest for the next Wack Packer, with the winner receiving $5000. The winner was Bigfoot
Angry Black, whose real first name is Shelley, is a black man who attended the School of Broadcasting and works for the Telephone Company. He is known for angry tirades regarding racism against blacks in America. Angry Black is an avid New York Giants fan, and once fought Crazy Cabbie in a five-round boxing match which ended in a draw. He recently scammed his way into the audience during the roast of Daniel Carver, earning the ire of Stern and crew. In October of 2007, Angry Black was arrested for assaulting a woman in a Chili's restaurant. Angry is an avid boxing and New York Yankees fan. When asked why he's so angry, he stated: " I would rather be feared than loved because fear lasts longer."
[edit] Beetlejuice
Main article: Beetlejuice (entertainer)
Beetlejuice (real name: Lester Green) is a mentally challenged microcephalic dwarf who has appeared in porno, feature films, and recorded music. He is known to make outrageous claims (ie, that he is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) in height) which are rarely consistent. In a 2006 show, Green admitted to taking Paxil and smoking pot to alleviate depression.
[edit] Big Black
Ron Benjamin, often labeled a black nerd, Big Black was a regular on The Howard Stern Show until being evicted from his apartment. Known for being extremely antisocial, if not downright misanthropic, Black left his job as representative for NYNEX for, among other things, being unable to get along with co-workers. He used his position at NYNEX to learn of WXRK radio's "inside" lines, which he called constantly, until discovered by Howard. He managed to survive on savings and credit cards for several years, eventually amassing a huge debt. After being evicted, he chose to remain homeless for a time.
In September 2005, after a year-long absence, Big Black called in to tell Howard of his activities, revealing that he is currently living in a government-subsidized project. When asked about being relegated to such a place, Big Black explained that he is only employed part-time as a security guard at Yankee Stadium. On June 28, 2006, Howard officially dubbed Big Black a Wack Packer, although Black's appearances are rare.
[edit] Bigfoot (Mark)
Not to be confused with Bigfoot.
Hailing from Newport, Vermont, Mark Shaw, a.k.a. Bigfoot is the winner of the "Pick the Newest Wack Packer" contest held August 3, 2006 (the first Wack Packer to receive entry to the group by contest). Stern once suggested that Bigfoot's nickname be changed to "Sasquatch" (or other name) to avoid confusion with the deceased Matthew McGrory, an earlier Wack Packer who had the "Bigfoot" moniker.
The deep-voiced Bigfoot is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall and has size 14EEE feet. He claims to be a schizophrenic suffering from sleep apnea and multiple personality disorder, and claims to be a former lighter fluid sniffer with a lengthy criminal record, including an 18-month jail term for breaking and entering. He is a self-described gigolo engaging in homosexual oral and anal sex in exchange for "happy smoke". He tends to finish many of his sentences with, "it is" (for example, "My nickname is Bigfoot, it is."), and never with any apparent reason or regard to proper conjugation.
It was alleged on February 5, 2007 that his girlfriend Lori, with whom he had been living since recently winning $8,333.33 in Stern's annual football pool, had kicked him out of her house, claiming not only that he falsely accused her and her daughter of having an incestuous relationship, but that he threatened to overdose in her home. Bigfoot claims to have ingested “14 trays, it is” of pills due to distress over the breakup, adding that he would find happiness even if it meant "he had to move to f’ Africa...it is.” After a telephone spat with Lori on the February 6, 2007, show, Bigfoot admitted that life was much simpler when he blew guys instead of dating girls.
At recent "Killers of Comedy" show (March 11th, 2007) at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont, Bigfoot was a special guest. During the show, Shuli and Bob Levy were searching for a girl to have him eat blue cheese dressing off of her stomach. Instead, Bob suggested a hefty fan from the audience named Tom to come on stage. Bigfoot was reluctant at first, but then Shuli offered him $100 to do it, and he accepted. Currently, a video of the event can be seen on Shuli's Myspace webpage.
According to a July 20, 2007 Howard 100 News report, Bigfoot attempted suicide and was in intensive care. On September 17th, 2007 Bigfoot won a contest to star in a porno film opposite Tabitha Stevens.
[edit] Blue Iris
Blue Iris (aka Ellen Niemer Pinsky) performs in "granny porn", and guest-hosted the Howard 100 program Tissue Time with Heidi Cortez. She rode the Sybian on April 6, 2006, and sidelines as a stand-up comic who performs weekly with her comedy troupe 'The Ding Dong Show'. She reportedly had shock therapy in her 20s which she blames for her many ailments. Iris's popular catch phrases (used during Stern Show prank phone calls) include "I love a black cock", "Can I put my finger in your ass?", "This is better than rejuvenation" and "I'm getting myself hot!"
Her first Stern Show appearance occurred on February 4, 2004, but was not until Stern's show went to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006 when Iris finally gained Wack Packer status. On October 18, 2006, Artie Lange engaged in a ten second French kiss on-camera with Blue Iris, to settle a bet made with pro wrestler Chris Kanyon when the New York Yankees failed to advance past the New York Mets in the 2006 Major League Baseball playoffs. On January 30, 2007 "Howard 100 News" (on Howard Stern Sirius channel 100) reported that Iris was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. On January 31, 2007 she called Stern's show to explain that she was experiencing weakness on her left side, as well as impaired verbal and math skills.
[edit] Captain Janks
Main article: Captain Janks
Thomas Cipriano, better known as Captain Janks, is known for prank calling publicly aired radio and television programs, especially in times of crisis.
[edit] Crackhead Bob
George Harvey (born August 23, 1959), a recovering crack cocaine addict whose right side was paralyzed by crack cocaine-induced strokes. He named himself "Bob" as he was unable to pronounce the name "George" due to his paralysis. In the summer of 2001 Harvey retired from The Howard Stern Show and went on to make anti-drug commercials. He revisited the show on October 18, 2005 after a four year absence and attended Stern's last day on terrestrial radio on December 16, 2005.
Harvey reemerged on Howard's Sirius show in 2006. The clarity of his speech and phrasing has improved noticeably since reducing his use of marijuana. He claims that the money he received from The Howard Stern Show appearances and promotions contributed to his addiction. Along with Jon Hein and Will Murray, he provided the color commentary for the "Stupid Bowl" which first aired half time during Super Bowl XLI on Howard TV.
On the October 8th, 2007 Howard Stern Show, Bob stated he was moving to Texas for financial reasons, and will no longer be appearing in person on the show. He said he would still particapte as a caller from time to time.
On October 24th, 2007, someone claiming to be Crackhead Bob called to say that he had a fight with his friend and was back on crack. He sounded distraught but Howard didn't believe it was the real Bob and hung up on him. It has been confirmed that it was not the real Bob on the phone.
[edit] Crazy Alice (a.k.a Angry Alice)
Originally hailing from Alabama, Crazy Alice claims to be half African-American and half Italian (with the surname Gotti), who freely admits to hating black people. Alice was discovered when she called the show from her California home, after which she flew to New York to appear live in Stern's studio on December 9, 1999. She is best known for filibustering during arguments (as heard in the Touch-Tone Terrorists, particularly with "Junkyard Willie"), having wild mood swings, and engaging in long screaming rants when called "Crazy Alice". During her long-winded rants, it is common for Stern to turn down the send (audio) from his microphone to the phone patch, while the crew discusses her lunacy or wagers on the duration of a given rant. On May 4, 2006 she expressed a preference for the moniker "Angry Alice", as she blames domestic abuse for her temper and erratic behavior. The "Whodis?" soundbite, commonly used throughout the show, was spoken by Crazy Alice.
Since the move to Sirius Alice has had a tremendously disdainful relationship with Artie which came to a head on June 15th, 2006, when the two engaged in an on-air feud which lasted for approximately twenty-five minutes, and was spurned during a quasi-apology that she tried to deliver to show announcer, George Takei.
About six minutes into her phone-call, Artie started a Star Trek-themed Crazy-Alice-rant-impersonation, which quickly spiraled into a lengthy squabble dubbed by meticulous show archiver, Mark's Friggin, "Crazy Alice vs. Crazy Artie". This argument lasted at least 15 minutes.[1]
Her latest feud is with Howard News reporter, Steve Langford.
[edit] Daniel Carver
Main article: Daniel Carver
Daniel Carver is a Klan leader and Wack Pack member since the 1980s. He has often been the target of Stern crew prank calls, and was roasted in one of the Stern's Sirius shows by comics from the gay, lesbian, black, Hispanic and Jewish communities. The roast was regarded as a dud as Carver simply used offensive epithets before dismissing each comedian with a wave of his hand.
[edit] Dan the Farter
Dan the Farter is a flatulist capable of passing gas on command.
[edit] Debbie the Queef(er)
Debbie the Queef(er) is capable of passing vaginal air on command. She was on the air the very first day Howard 100 broadcast.
[edit] Double A
Double A's name is derived from one of his favorite wrestlers Arn Anderson who used to be called "Double A", the two a's stand for Awesome Angelo. He is best known for his obsession with all things Stern, his intense "crush" on Stern's fianceé Beth Ostrosky, and his love of professional wrestling (often wearing replica wrestling belts).
Double A sports multiple Stern-related tattoos including one of Stern's face and another of the Howard 100 "fist" logo. His phone calls to the show invariably begin with the phrase "Hey Howard, how's it goin', what's goin' on?" in a strong, nasal New Jersey accent. He claims that his family won a large sum of money in a lottery, enabling him to invest in real estate and retire early. In 2006, he "revealed" that, at the young age of 12, he had sexual intercourse with a friend's mother.
Double A's behavior was a subject of controversy at The Howard Stern Film Festival. He allegedly tried to extort extra tickets from Howard Stern On Demand producer Doug Goodstein beforehand. Later, he was apparently caught on video sneaking a girl into the "after party" and then leaving the affair with a few gift bags, which Double A categorically denies. Irish John, Angry Black, and Bobo support Double A's version of the events, while Zolar and Joey Boots insist that he is lying.
Double A most recently used irrelevant association with the Howard Stern Show to get dinner reservations at NYC's Nobu restaurant. When calling he was told there were no tables available for his party. He then said "This is Double A from The Howard Stern Show" (a title he gave himself), the hostess pushed him ahead on the list. Nobu's manager Richie Notar was annoyed by this and informed Howard 100 News.
On September 20th 2007, Double A bad-mouthedPlayboy's Haydn Porter during a call-in segment when Haydn accused Double A of stalking her and inviting her over to "watch Goodfellas and cuddle."
On November 15, 2007, Double A was on Stern and he claimed to have a tape of he and Hadyn Porter having phone sex. In an ironic turn of events, Double A claimed he had too much class to play it on the air. In a quick interview after the show, he raised concern of Porter possibly being underage and wanting to burn the tape.
[edit] Elephant Boy
Fred "Elephant Boy" Schreiber is best known for his severe speech impediment, poor personal hygiene, and homosexual experimentation. Schreiber works as an accountant in New York City, but originally hails from Cleveland. Fred was referred to the Stern show in the late 1980s by a coworker and Stern fan who thought Fred's speech impediment would be show-worthy. In September 2005, Fred recounted a story in which he soiled himself on a train to a public appearance with High Pitch Eric and Gary Dell'Abate. Rather than go home, he cleaned up as best he could in a restroom and attended the appearance, reeking of excrement.
Elephant Boy once called a dateline to solicit couples for swinging, with the stipulation that the male partner be bisexual or bi-curious but only succeeded in humiliating himself once a Stern fan alerted the show about the dateline voice message. Fred admits to picking up older, unattractive homosexual men, including ones with whom there was no mutual attraction, but they managed to sodomize him anyway. He has long been known to have an unnatural attraction to wrestlers, especially Cactus Jack.
[edit] Elliot Offen
"Elegant" Elliot Offen is a flamboyant crossdresser who speaks in his own gangster slang. He often appears on the show yelling about his "healthy lifestyle", which consists of eating only raw fruits and vegetables and running 20 miles a day in women's lingerie. Because he wears women's clothing, many believe that Offen is a homosexual. To disclaim these allegations, Offen visited the show with hired actresses pretending to be his girlfriend, and often rants that he is heterosexual (Stern discovered that Offen had hired a woman to pose as his girlfriend when he asked them to kiss).
Elliot was known as a con man long before his first appearance on the Stern show. In 1988, Offen was arrested in New York City for fraud. According to the charges against him, Elliot would convince manufacturers of products such as light bulbs, tape, sunglasses and luggage send him large shipments on consignment. He would represent himself as the head of a legitimate company, and ask for thirty days to pay for the goods. He would sell the products to an unsuspecting buyer, and then disappear before the manufacturer could collect money from him. Elliot was ultimately nabbed at a telephone booth at the corner of 58th Street and 7th Avenue,[2] where authorities claim he was attempting to close one of his illegal deals. According to the NYPD, Mr Offen earned more than $15 million in illicit transactions.
He recently starred in a degradation video with a dominatrix. Oddly enough, he went through a period where he used the word "right" to punctuate his sentences, in a manner similar to 1920s-era mobsters. He also has a penchant for mispronouncing large words, perhaps deliberately, or using them in nonsensical ways. He often shows a preference for technical scientific or medical terms, often using them in bizarre or incorrect ways. He shows a preference towards alliteration, often in a way similar to what psychologists call 'clanging'.
He is known for rewording his sentences into what he calls "gangster talk", and in his October 2006 fallout with the show, started using a "maniacal laugh."
In the early 1980s, Offen absconded with his young daughter in the midst of a custody battle with his first wife. For seven years, Offen and his daughter drifted from apartment to apartment as he worked various scams, never remaining in one place for more than a few months at a time. During this period, he did not allow his daughter to have any schooling or friends, and trained her in the art of deception in the event he was apprehended.[3] Offen's daughter contacted The Howard Stern Show in 2003 and came on the show to confront him, but Offen steadfastly denied the woman to be his daughter, labeling her a fraud. In his recently released video "Violet Dehumanizes Elegant Elliot" however, he seems to acknowledge that she is his daughter, while taunting her about the psychological abuse he gave her. He once knocked out Joe Corsin, a maitre d'/bouncer at the Stage Delicatessen in New York City for insulting his father. Offen also occasionally alludes to an alleged attempted robbery in Queens where he claims he was accosted by three individuals who demanded money. According to Offen, he "had the guy who was six-foot-six around his trachea, cutting off his air supply".[4] It is not known or discussed by Offen what happened to the remaining two perpetrators and why they did not react to his act of self-defense.
[edit] Eric the Midget
Main article: Eric the Midget
Eric Lynch aka Eric the Midget is a little person born with a medical condition that confines him to a wheelchair. Lynch insists that he not be called a midget, preferring to be called Eric the Actor. Lynch is known for his devotion to American Idol and professional wrestling as well as his distinct squeaky voice. Eric is considered extremely ungrateful by Stern fans and staff for only hesitantly expressing gratitude at any favors he receives from Stern show staff despite the fact that he has had acting opportunities and met celebrities due to his connection with the Stern show. Eric's Stern Show claim to fame also results from accepting and declining invitations to become levitated with balloons. As of June 27, 2007, Eric vowed to never call into the show ever again after, according to Eric, Howard disrespected Chris Benoit and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Eric also has obsessed about American Idol contestants like Diana DeGarmo and Kelly Clarkson. Howard, along with his staff & fans believe Eric won't live up to this and will be calling in to future shows. He did, in fact, call in again on 11 September 2007, and again the next day for a full hour. Howard is trying to set him up on a date in the near future.
[edit] Evil Dave Letterman
Evil Dave Letterman, (more commonly known as Evil Dave) is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show who is able to very accurately imitate the voice of late night show host David Letterman. Due to his strikingly accurate impersonation, Evil Dave is sometimes able to confuse people into thinking he is the real Letterman, and has duped several people over the phone (e.g. George Takei and Riley Martin). While portraying the real Letterman, Evil Dave typically makes politically incorrect comments that the real Letterman would not say, which are often along the lines of being anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic, paedophilia-inspired, sexually suggestive, homosexual, or autoerotic. While delivering lines, Evil Dave has a tendency to mispronounce words and names, ruining the punch line of many jokes.
Evil Dave is also known to improvise with his own material despite being warned repeatedly (and sometimes physically restrained) from doing so. While he is generally a "hit" early in the broadcast, he tends to "wear out his welcome" near the end, although this effect is typically well received by the cast members.
In addition to his Letterman impersonation, Evil Dave is also known for his tendency to be easily duped by Stern Show staff, often being persuaded into performing ridiculous tasks, such as bogus public service announcements and unnecessary apologies for people suffering from illness.
Evil Dave is often the subject of intelligence-related tests that highlight his below average level of intelligence or inability to pronounce words and names. Evil Dave describes his own physical appearance as similar to fellow albino Edgar Winter.
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=simonalvelos Evil Dave audio on YouTube
[edit] Gary the Retard
Gary Loudermilk, a.k.a. Gary The Retard (born February 29, 1952 and currently living in Albany, Oregon), is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. Despite the fact that Gary is mentally challenged, his toothless grin, thick glasses and cheerful attitude make him a favorite among Stern show listeners. He is frequently antagonized by Artie Lange, who often merely has to say "RETARD!" to elicit an angry tirade from Gary. On August 12, 1998 he was scheduled to appear on the show but got lost at the airport. A listener who worked at the airport eventually found him and called the show. In 2003, Gary was a member of the show's weekly football pool along with Daniel Carver, Gary Dell'Abate's son Jackson, and a chicken named Sanders. Gary the Retard picked the Seattle Seahawks to win every week. They seem to be the only NFL team he knows. He works at Burgerville, USA and recently claimed to have a girlfriend who was just released from incarceration. It has been indicated that the woman has been taking advantage of his handicap to get money and access to the show. According to employees at the local Radio Shack, Gary is a CB radio and scanner enthusiast.[original research?]
Gary is also frequently tormented by The Retarded Flu. Early in 2005, staff member Sal "the Stockbroker" Governale, pulled a prank phone call on Gary, using an assumed name and informing him that a flu was in his phone line, coming to "get him" and that he would have to repeat the phrase "Shoo, shoo, retarded flu!" in order to keep it away. In doing this, the flu would be weakened. Gary was warned to be careful though - the flu could disguise his voice. Since then, the "retarded flu" prank has been pulled on Gary numerous times, including at live appearances, and he always falls for it, chanting "Shoo, shoo, retarded flu!".
[edit] Gay Ramon(e)
Gay Ramon(e) is a frequent caller and guest of The Howard Stern Show. He often talks about his homosexual experiences and has participated on the show in various games in which straight men must do gay things in order to win prizes.
[edit] Hate Man
Hate Man is a caller who leaves strange racist messages, screaming "I love you monkey, monkey, monkey!" in reference to Robin Quivers. He was heard previously on terrestrial radio and was heard on the Sirius show for the first time on June 7, 2006.
Hate Man has recently reappeared on Stern's Sirius show with his "monkey monkey monkey" tirades against Robin Quivers and perhaps moving towards an eventual in-studio appearance, although no one associated with the show had ever (knowingly) met him.
[edit] Hate Woman
Hate Woman (or Hate Lady) is another caller who makes very vocal her disgust of Howard, in particular, of his face. Over the years, she has left numerous voicemails (and possibly emails, as Howard once alluded to) obsessing over how gross Howard's face is, how large his nose is, and how freakish he looks. She has also composed songs and poems to this effect. She is notable for her grating New York accent and her "Yaaawzzaa!" (Yowser for the rest of us). Not much else is known about her except for the fact that she posts on alt.fan.howard-stern under the name "Vicki." Her most famous phrase is "I saw you..." with heavy emphasis on the word "saw" and proceeds to say that she saw Howard here or there and that he is hideously ugly. Show staffer Artie Lange used to imitate her delivery of that line.
[edit] High Pitch Eric
Eric Bleaman a.k.a High Pitch Eric, is known for his trademark falsetto speaking voice and for his obesity, poor hygiene, willingness to submit to degrading acts just to please Howard Stern, and failure to return owed money and favors. He has used notoriety garnered from multiple appearances on The Howard Stern Show to shamelessly ask for free money, services, event tickets and favors. He first appeared on the Stern Show on 8/15/1997, where he was brought in off the street into the studio because of his unusually high voice and "superfan" demeanor. High Pitch was recently confronted on the air by several businessmen he had scammed by writing bad checks for various services, such as limousine rides, a fully catered holiday dinner for his family, and an industrial coffee machine installed in his apartment. High Pitch Eric also has an unnatural fear of fish, and flees in terror whenever the show staff bring fish near him. He also has tried unsuccessfully to imitate other people such as Gary Dell'Abate and even Kelly Clarkson. This lead to his much played sound drop, "Who's High Pitch?" in response to his intended phone prank victim recognizing his voice to be High Pitch Eric, and not Kelly Clarkson. He has, however, somewhat successfully fooled people into believing he was former show staffer KC Armstrong. As "KC" he created another much used sound drop of him saying, "Nice!" in the manner that KC would use it to emphasize something nasty or inappropriate.
He has recently been suffering from Gout, possibly due to his ever-increasing weight and bad dietary habits.
On 7/27/2007 it was mentioned by the Howard 100 News Team on Sirius Radio that Eric is also facing eviction for not paying his rent for over 8 months. He was evicted on 8/2/2007.
In the Summer of 2007, Eric was a member of the Corporate Sports League Central Park, New York, mens softball team "Don't Give A Hit" where he was that team's backup catcher. During the 11th game of the season in the heat of a division race, Eric made a game saving tag play at home plate with his team up by one run in the seventh (and final) inning of that game.
According to the Howard 100 News Team on Sirius Radio, Eric is currently working as a laborer for a construction company on Long Island. He was hired in late August 2007 as a laborer, but fired after two weeks due to the length of time it took him to paint a door.
[edit] Irish John
Irish John is a regular caller to the show who works selling and renting construction equipment in the Bronx. He hangs out with the likes of High Pitch Eric, Angry Black, Double A, Eddie the Produce Guy. Irish John was allegedly kicked out of 2 Amsterjam concerts for drunkingly demanding VIP status, which Irish John denies. Irish John and Joey Boots have had an ongoing feud because of Joey's accusations that he is trying to buy his way on to the show. This feud escalated during the High Pitch Erik Craptacular and almost came to blows. His brother was featured on the show because he dated and slept with former porn star Tabitha Stevens. Irish John was also called by Howard TV to take part in there first national commercial filmed in Bloomfield, New Jersey in early April, and is set to premiere in late April. Also featured in the commercial are Nicole Bass, Siobhan, Double A, High Pitch Erik, and Eddie the Produce Guy. Irish John called in during a bit where Joey Boots claimed in yet another revelation that he was gay. Irish John claimed Joey was just an attention whore looking for a new angle to get on the show. After High Pitch Erik was evicted, Irish John invited High Pitch to live with him along with his dog. Irish John told Howard that the tenants in his building were complaining about the dog, and that he would keep them there out of spite. When asked about how it is living with High Pitch Erik, Irish John said he was pretty neat, but because of the frequent usage of the air conditioning, he equated it to living with Mr. Freeze. Artie told Irish John that the colder his place is, the better, this way whatever was festering on High Pitch Erik would not be able to come to life. On September 12th, Irish John competed in a segment to win a date with the exwife of Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling, along with 2 other contestants. The date went to a listener to the show Paulie, who is also known for his threatening on air calls to former mobster-turned-artist Henry Hill of Goodfellas fame.
[edit] Jeff the Drunk
Jeff Curro, better known on The Howard Stern Show as Jeff The Drunk, is an alcoholic with a paralyzed arm, who frequently gets into trouble because of his alcohol and drug problems. His paralyzed arm is the result of an injury suffered in a drunk driving accident. In 2007, he underwent several surgeries to remove a large ulcer and graft skin on his buttocks. Jeff lives in a trailer in East Berne, New York with his brother (since the death of his mother). He is known for drunken rants featuring the epithet "little bitch" and the catch-phrase "ni-i-ice."
He is currently banned from the popular New York strip club, Scores.[citation needed]
Jeff Curro attended and graduated from Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District in Berne, NY.
On March 26th, 2007, televangelist Bill Keller — who was making a guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show — counselled Jeff and offered to get him a job as a carpenter's assistant — Jeff's life-long dream.[5]
[edit] Jeff the Vomit Guy
Jeff "the Vomit Guy" Levy has appeared on the The Howard Stern Show to meet women interested in emetophilia, or vomit fetish. Due to the difficulty of finding willing participants for the fetish, Levy usually resorts to paying prostitutes to vomit on him. On the show, a number of women including Glen Zolar's girlfriend Tara and porn stars such as Kendra Jade and Paris Gable (May 24, 2006) have vomited on him, a practice also known as a "Roman Shower". Show members Benjy Bronk and Richard Christy have also vomited on him, but Levy insists that he is strictly heterosexual and is only aroused by women's vomit. Levy seems to feel this practice is normal, and that people who do not enjoy this fetish are abnormal. He is a former garbage man and postal worker who receives SSI. Levy has been a guest on the Jerry Springer Show and was featured in Hustler magazine.
It was revealed on September 17, 2007 that he has a very odd looking penis during a contest in which the winner would be in an oral sex scene with Tabitha Stevens
[edit] Joey Boots
Joey Boots is a longtime fan and frequent caller to the show. Joey is also a regular on the Super Fan Round Table that airs at 7:00pm Eastern on Thursdays on Howard 101 on Sirius Satellite Radio. Recently Joey has been passed over for the Super Fan Round Table due to his emotional outbursts and extremely difficult-to-handle attitiude. According to show producers Joeys presence on the round table has been causing issues and new views are needed. Joey once participated in a stunt where he had "Icy Hot" applied to his very small testicles. He has admitted to having problems with drugs and alcohol and once announced on the Stern Show that he was entering into rehab. He then relapsed, snorting coke on webcam and embarrassing himself, the owner of Sinus Buster who employed him, and the late Leslie Armstrong ("Meet the Shrink"). Prior to entering rehab, Joey revealed on 2/15/2006 that he once had been anally raped when he was 15 years old. This revelation was to be a part of the "Wack Pack Revelations," but Joey had to make his revelation early due to his entering rehab. Boots also once admitted on the show that he used to pretend to be a gay hustler, and then rob his "Johns" but claims that he never actually engaged in any sexual activities with the Johns, he only robbed them. On Thursday, June 28, 2007, Joey came on the show to make another revelation. The staff speculated on what he was going to say. Howard and Fred thought Boots was going to admit that he was gay. Artie guessed that Joey had HIV. Robin guessed that Boots was going to have a sex change operation. Shuli guessed it was either something gay, or that he'd been "born again." Boots said that he hoped getting the revelation off his chest would help him with his recovery process. Boots revealed that he was gay, and said that he'd been going out to gay clubs "on the sly" to get oral sex and "hook up." Boots said he wasn't bisexual but since he slept with women he must be about "80/20." He said that when he falls asleep he always thinks about guys, but he says he has slept with about 100 women in trying to "not be gay. This is widely accepted as a phony stunt to get air time as his character/act was getting very old.
On Thursday, September 6th, 2007 Joey attempted to prove to the world that he was gay by making out with a gay male porn star on the Howard Stern Show.
[edit] John the Stutterer
John the Stutterer (not to be confused with Stuttering John Melendez) first appeared on the Howard Stern Radio Show as a "Dating Game" contestant with the Dahm Triplets. He won the contest and, due to his severe nervous stuttering, is considered an official Wack Packer. John is unemployed and relies on SSI. He lives in the Rittenhouse Square region of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John has had several on-air fights with Yucko the Clown, who has repeatedly called John a "stuttering prick," while John often accuses Yucko of being a child molester. Recently, John called Yucko a Robin Williams look-a-like. Stern often asks John to act as a judge for various on-air contests. Like 'Wack Packer' Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, John is very good at classic rock trivia.
Sound effects man Fred Norris often tries to exacerbate John's stuttering by doing a stammering impression as John speaks. Some have accused John of faking his stutter, either for the publicity or malingering. He can speak clearly on some occasions, especially when angry. Norris will frequently call attention to instances where John loses his stutter.
John claims to suffer from psychological problems including obsessive compulsive disorder and depression. Some Stern Show staff have suggested that the stuttering may be a side-effect of drug use. John has refused offers of free professional treatment, arguing that without the speech impediment, he would have no excuse for his failures in life. John has appeared in a few low-budget porno films, but on August 16, 2006, John declared himself "retired" from the industry after being embarrassed on-air by "G-Spot", a former porn co-star.
On March 8th, 2007 he defeated Howard TV director Scott Depace in a political debate dubbed the "Not So Great Debate" by 3-1 margin as voted by the listeners. Although he won, he was ridiculed by the staff for talking too long and not getting to the point quick enough.
Debuting on July 30th, 2007, John got his own show on Howard 101, discussing various political topics. Surprisingly Howard and the staff were impressed with the show, and Tim Saeban said it will go on for another episode.
[edit] Junior the Farter
Junior the Farter is a young man who can fart on command. He holds the record for most farts in a five-minute period (505 during a pre-show warm-up, and 464 during the actual show). Howard Stern has compared Junior the Farter to Muhammad Ali.
[edit] Kenneth Keith Kallenbach
Kenneth Keith Kallenbach appeared several times on the Howard Stern Television Show in the early 1990s, and is famous for his ludicrously unsuccessful attempts to blow smoke out of his eyes, which once resulted in his vomiting on camera. During a "Howard Stern Celebrity Bowling Match" (including participants "Grandpa" Al Lewis, Jessica Hahn, Young MC, Pat Cooper, Marilyn Michaels and Frank Stallone), Kallenbach pulled a cooked chicken out of his pants, rubbed it all over his face, then proceeded to light firecrackers taped to his genitals. Show producer Dan Forman then removed him from the studio.
Kallenbach is now on Sirius and has participated in many Howard Stern shows. A video of his comedy was shown on Maximum Exposure and many other shows. He has also released new DVD of his comedy show called "American Icon". Kenneth Keith Kallenbach has been in many different TV shows, movies and commercials. He has a band, "The Kenneth Keith Kallenbach Band". He does stand-up comedy. He writes and directs and acts in his own comedy sketches. He released a sketch comedy DVD nationally called "American Icon".
[edit] King of All Blacks
King of All Blacks, a.k.a. Lawrence Coward, is an Englewood, New Jersey garbage man, and a frequent Stern caller. He claims to be the only black home-owner in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. He currently is involved in a lawsuit against his employer, the local sanitation department, claiming he was sexually harassed by his female supervisor, leading to his demotion from the position of street sweeper. His many years of work in the sanitation industry has given him the uncanny ability to identify peoples' race or ethnicity based upon the trash they discard, a skill at which he proved adept when Howard put him to an on-air test. He is known for his knowledge of fancy lifestyles and criticizes other blacks for having poor style and taste. He was born into a wealthy family, and admits that he looks down on people with less money. He is known for mentioning brand names of expensive items he owns, especially Moen faucets, wearing a fur coat, and having cosmetic surgery to improve his appearance. Recently, he had his own show on Sirius Howard 100 (Sirius Satellite Radio) but was quickly canceled.
[edit] Mark the Bagger
Mark the Bagger is grocery bagger from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, who works at the local ACME supermarket and newer member of the Wack Pack. Mark is best known for his high-pitched voice. (In a prank call often played in early 2006, Mark tells High Pitch Eric that he is the new High Pitch Eric, which set off an ongoing feud between them). He probably has below-average intelligence but denies being mentally retarded. He claims to be bisexual, having engaged in sexual relations with a single man and a single woman in his lifetime. He was introduced to the show by The Bloodhound Gang on January 26, 2006 when they pitched Howard for their own radio show, with Mark as the announcer. During the pitch, Mark showed his penis to Howard (upon request), who commented on its very large size. Almost two months elapsed before Mark reappeared, explaining that his mother did not allow him to go places without the Bloodhound Gang. As of October 2006, Mark has told several ACME customers that he has "quit the show". He has a role in Bam Margera's upcoming film, "MingHags". Prior to being named Mark the Bagger, he was known as Mark from the Park to the local cool kids that live off of Park Ave.
[edit] Mariann from Brooklyn
Mariann from Brooklyn is a frequent caller obsessed with Howard. Due to her gravelly and grating voice, Fred plays sounds of crows cawing when she calls. (She likes to sing the line, "All I need is Howard in my life" to the tune of Enrique Iglesias' The Rhythm Divine). Mariann is a 47 year-old homemaker who lives with her 22 year-old son Patrick, 13 year-old daughter Nicole and husband (name and age unknown). The first time the Stern crew met her in person, they were shocked to discover that she is relatively attractive. She recently rode the Sybian fully clothed and did not like it.
Mariann called the show on September 11, 2001 to report her sister missing, who, as it turned out, perished in the terrorist attacks.
On May 17, 2006, she called the show and tried to talk to Artie about the dysfunctional situation with his girlfriend Dana. Artie became defensive, calling Mariann an "unfunny cunt", to which everyone responded in mild disgust, as Mariann seems to have good intentions. She "diagnosed" Artie with "Sad Clown Syndrome". She did not ask for an apology, but instead participated in Lange's roast on the evening of June 8, 2006.
[edit] Melrose Larry Green
Melrose Larry Green (real name: Larry Greenblatt) once carried signs promoting Howard Stern at the intersection of Melrose and Highland Avenues in Los Angeles, California, near his apartment. He appeared on Howard's show after hounding "Stuttering" John Melendez and Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate in a coffee shop. He previously performed standup comedy in Los Angeles and handed out a business card proclaiming to be a "C.P.A., Piano Player and Marathon Runner". He is well known for screaming "Good morning, murderer" as O.J. Simpson headed to the court house during his trial. He has stated that he will also stand outside and scream at Simpson during his robbery trial.
While frequently calling (and sometimes appearing on) Stern's show during the 1990s, Green's time on the show has been curtailed since about the year 2000, and is currently only heard on brief call-ins before Howard disconnects him. Like other Wack Packers, Green has vied for greater fame. He self-published his life story, made several personal appearances, and had a cameo in a Madonna music video. Politically, he is right-leaning, and is a harsh critic of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
[edit] Miss Howard Stern
Andrea Brooke Ownbey (born February 28, 1983) is a former stripper from Georgia who won the title 'Miss Howard Stern' contest on February 8, 2002 during The Howard Stern Show broadcast from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ownbey first appeared on Howard Stern's show on January 22, 2002, where she was billed "The World's Dumbest Stripper". She was home-schooled from the age of 15; Stern asked her some general knowledge questions, of which she got 2 out of 8 correct. She lives with her father, who once bought her breast implants in an unsuccessful bid to get her to stop stripping. Ownbey is notable for her baby voice, her "thank you" catch phrase, her table dancing, and her apparent low intelligence (IQ: 88). She is known to have poor self-esteem, which many fear will drive her to ruin her looks with excessive plastic surgery.
On the 19 July 2007 edition of The Howard Stern Show, Miss Ownbey admitted to recently having her fifth abortion.
[edit] Nicole Bass
Main article: Nicole Bass
Nicole Bass is a large female bodybuilder and former professional wrestler often teased for her masculinity and deep voice, which sounds similar to Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster character from The Munsters. Fred Norris often impersonates this voice, especially during her appearances.
[edit] Rappin' Granny (a.k.a. Fruity Nutcake)
Rappin' Granny, born on September 12, 1922, is a coquettish 85-year-old, who performs rap songs for the show.
On May 8, 2006, she rode the Sybian[6] and had an orgasm, arguably one of the most disturbing incidents on The Howard Stern Show. Several staffers were especially upset by the use of a combination of the Sybian and a cane. On September 12, 2006, she came into the studio for her birthday, and rode the Sybian again, this time with one of her two granddaughters.
[edit] Siobhan
Main article: Siobhan Meow
Siobhan (pronounced /ʃɨˈvɑːn/) is a male-to-female transsexual often mocked by Stern and staff. In October 2006, Siobhan had sex with a man known as 'KDK', co-founder of Prank Call Underground Radio, for the first time. Richard Christy, assigned to document the event, supposedly vomited at the sight of it.
High Pitch Mike, a news producer for Howard 100 news had Siobhan sit on his face as part of a contest to win a 50 inch TV. Mike won, however the prize allegedly still sits in a box, untouched because of the trauma he suffered.
[edit] Sour Shoes
Sour Shoes (real name is Michael DelCampo) enjoys singing and playing classic rock songs on keyboard and talking in silly voices. He sometimes calls the Stern Show for song requests, and has the uncanny ability to recall and play a song instantly. He still lives with his parents and works part-time helping autistic children, and claims to have graduated from St. John's University with a degree in communications. He does an accurate impression of Scott Ferrall. Sour Shoes is a frequent caller to other New York radio shows. He is known as "Mike from Mahopac" on the "Mike and The Mad Dog" sports show, where his specialty is spot-on impressions of broadcasters Jon Sterling, Howie Rose and Bob Murphy. Stern has frequently quipped "He's very talented. I'm just not sure what that talent is." On October 22, 2007 Gary from the Howard Stern Show claimed that Sour Shoes actually graduated from Columbia University yet had a mental breakdown years later, which explains why he lives with his parents.[7]
[edit] Wendy the Retard
Wendy the Retard (born May 15, 1980) lives in Ormond Beach, Florida and is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. She is a retarded adult like fellow Wack Packer Gary the Retard, who lives with her mother and sister. She enjoys bumper bowling and singing pop song karaoke in her bedroom, and will occasionally do so while calling Howard's show, clearly to the amusement of those in the studio. In many of her on-air telephone calls, she answers "yes" to any question from Stern, no matter how insulting or sexual. Based on her recent conversations with Daniel Carver, she may also be a racist -- or merely impressionable. She is known for an inconsistent ability to pronounce difficult words, and claimed on-air that, while drunk, she shoved a tomato up her ass, and ate it. Miss Howard Stern beat Wendy in a trivia contest, and her family lost to Daniel Carver's in Wack Pack Family Feud. She claimed to have eaten an entire large pizza, pancakes, and a McDonald's meal in one day. She has been the target of Stern prank calls, including one from fellow Wack Packer Bigfoot (Mark). She was also a frequent caller on a central Florida morning radio talk show The Monsters in the Morning (on Real Radio 104.1 as well as XM Channel 152), wheres she proclaimed her love for Dirty Jim (show co-host).
[edit] Will the Farter
Will the Farter can fart on command. At birth, his anus was flawed, and after doctors corrected it surgically he gained the ability to suck in and expel air from his rectum at will. In November 2006, Will the Farter proposed to his girlfriend in Howard Stern's studio at Sirius, which she accepted.
[edit] Yucko the Clown
Yucko the Clown is a foul-mouthed insult comedian who dresses like a clown. Yucko is also a street performer who has nearly won two of Stern's contests; coming second in the World's Meanest Listener contest (losing to the Reverend Bob Levy) and coming third in the Win John's Job contest (losing to Richard Christy). He wears clown makeup, including the signature red clown nose, and carries a bugle horn which he honks to punctuate a punchline. Yucko will happily insult anyone based on their physical appearance, religious belief or ethnicity. It has been noted on the Stern show that Yucko has never once washed the clown suit, and this is obvious due to the general smell and stains found on the costume.
While part of the Stern Show, Yucko was the star of a sketch comedy show titled "Stankervision" on MTV2 but was not renewed for a second season. Many of the skits and gags featured on Stankervision originated on a DVD that Yucko produced called "The Damn Show."
[edit] Former Wack Packers
[edit] Big Mike
Big Mike hails from Milford, Connecticut, and can fart at will.
[edit] Bigfoot
Not to be confused with Bigfoot(Mark).
Matthew McGrory (1973-2005), known on the The Howard Stern Show as Bigfoot, was an actor with gigantism and was known for his height(7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)) and large feet. After gaining attention in films such as Bubble Boy and Big Fish, he stopped appearing on the show. He later gained fame as Tiny in the Rob Zombie films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. He passed away in 2005, shortly after filming of The Devil's Rejects ended.
[edit] Cleft Palate
Lynn Zimmermann (1952-2006), known as Cleft Palate (aka Lispy Lynn to North Texas listeners), was a Wack Packer whose speech was very difficult to understand. Zimmermann claimed to have a cleft palate which was never surgically corrected, and was therefore on SSI for not being able to find employment. He lived at home with his mother, much like Jeff the Drunk Curro.
Zimmermann revealed on March 7, 2006 that he lied about his cleft palate, but insisted he had a speech impediment from a partially paralyzed tongue. Stern briefly considered renaming him Pinocchio on account of his dishonesty. Just six hours after admitting to Stern he had no cleft palate, Zimmermann apparently collapsed and died from complications related to myelofibrosis and aneurysms on his kidneys.
Many local Stern fans attended his funeral.
[edit] Croix
Croix (pronounced "Croy") is an older woman convinced that Ronald Reagan had stolen her "architecture". (She has not been on the show recently).
[edit] Debbie the Space Alien
Debbie the Space Alien, also known as Debbie Tay (real name Debbie Roach, from Los Angeles, California, ?-1995), was a mentally ill lesbian contestant in Howard Stern's New Year's Rotten Eve who committed suicide by overdosing on heroin in 1995. A saddened Chaunce Hayden announced her death via telephone on the air and later brought her cremated but unpulverized remains into the studio during an appearance. Her mother appeared in a video with Debbie which was preproduced for the pay-per-view pageant special but died shortly before the actual pageant. Reportedly, Roach's relatives objected to Hayden trying to capitalize on Debbie's remains, and filed a lawsuit against both the Stern show and Chaunce, which was later settled.
[edit] Doug Bady
Doug Bady (?-1996) was a little person with muscular dystrophy who hated Jerry Lewis and once participated in a Stern Show stunt in which he was hidden inside a trunk while talking to befuddled passersby in New York City. He appeared on the Sam Kinison album Leader of the Banned, and died in 1996.
[edit] Dr. Remulak
Obsessive-compulsive caller who would incessantly repeat the phrase "I am Dr. Remulak" to any reply Howard and company would offer. The only person who would verbally interact with Remulak was Stuttering John Melendez. He would only have conversations with Stuttering John during the call screening process. If he slipped up and said something other than his name to anyone else, he would supposedly smack himself. Remulak asserted that he was in fact a Doctor and had OCD, hence his repetition of the phrase "I am Dr. Remulak" ad infinitum. Eventually, he was forced to face his disorder in-studio, and he has not been heard from since. It is widely believed among Stern fans that Dr. Remulak was in fact one of Stuttering John's friends calling in to get air time for John as "the only one he would talk to".
[edit] Gina Girl
Gina Girl (pronounced like the end of the word 'vagina'). A feeble minded monstrosity who debuted on Stern as a protégé of Crazy Jerry. Around `88 or `89 Howard invited undiscovered potential wack packers to call in to try and get invited to the Super Bowl party show. With her weird speech impediment (combined with Jerry's prodding in the background) she expressed her desire to come to the Super Bowl party on the show and do what she called, "a `gina-dance" (Jerry was trying to get her to say: "vagina dance"). Everyone looked forward to seeing the person that matched that voice and she did not disappoint.
She was reportedly huge, disgusting, and wore like a crude jogging suit. Her "`gina-dance" consisted of her abruptly yanking her pants off by the elastic waist band and rolling her fat, naked body around on the floor while everyone yelled/gagged in disgust. The infamous `gina-dance ended in a chorus of the entire room chanting, "put it on, put it on..." Jackie said, "probably the only time in my life I've ever averted my eyes to the sight of a naked woman." Later she spoke of her "Mini" skirt and her love for "Tom Fruise" (Cruise). Within weeks her guardian found out about this and ordered Howard not to have her on the show, which Howard reluctantly had to accept. Any recordings of her are no-longer played on the air, and her parts have been edited out of produced bits she was a part of (e.g., the Speech Impediment Christmas Carol).
Jerry later went out and found a postal worker who also had mental problems called, Gina man and basically at Jerry's prompting would yell out nonsequiturs, the most famous being "This is Mother Theresa speaking from the bed, God don't want me yet, man, I got more feet to taste." Jerry and Gina Man can be seen on Howard Stern's US Open Sores video. Jerry has since retired to Florida.
[edit] Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf
Main article: Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf
Hank Nasiff Jr (1962-2001), known as Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, was an alcoholic dwarf known for his tirades and ongoing feud with Beetlejuice. His passing from complications due to alcoholism were mourned on the Howard Stern show until his passing was wiped from the front pages by the events of September 11th, 2001.
[edit] Ian the Drunk
Ian the Drunk was a very well-spoken, very well-educated, and very obviously-intoxicated-at-early-morning-hours Russian man who would call into the show to insult and ridicule Stern. True to form, Stern would allow Ian to rant and rave but would turn down the send from the microphones to the telephone patch. Show participants could then freely ridicule each statement from Ian, who believed he had a rapt audience. (This gag was also played on celebrities such as Richard Lewis, and Dick Cavett on whom Stern once hung up in mid-sentence).
Perhaps his funniest show moment occurred in December 1993 when Howard called Joe Walsh to put him on the phone with Ian while ranting. Walsh, also inebriated, tried (unsuccessfully) to have a reasonably coherent conversation with Ian. Ian was oblivious to the fact that he was talking on the phone to a world-renowned rock star, and Walsh seemed equally oblivious to the fact that Stern and company were having fun at his expense. (A few months later, Walsh entered rehab and rejoined The Eagles for a new album and tour. As part of his recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism, Walsh "abstained" from Stern's radio show, which he had often visited while stoned. He eventually returned as a Stern Show guest in 2005). Ian was last heard on the show in 2005, when he declared that he was to be deported to Ukraine.
[edit] Irene the Leather Weather Lady
Irene De Cook, who played the Leather Weather Lady in Howard Stern's Private Parts was a leather designer and costumer for several recording artists including The Romantics, Eric Burdon of The Animals, Alice Cooper and Blondie's drummer, Clem Burke. She is also a radio personality, a make-up artist (on-call for Pope John Paul II for his 1987 Papal visit), and works as a webmistress.
DeCook was heard on The Howard Stern Show in Detroit, Michigan on WWWW Radio as "The Leather Weather Lady" from May of 1980 through January of 1981. She also guested on 89X (Detroit/Windsor) morning drive radio from 1991-1992 as "The Leather Weather Lady".
[edit] Joe Cancer
Joe Cancer was facially and vocally disfigured by cancer. His last appearance occurred during the 'Artie Lange vs the WNBA' special from Las Vegas. During this appearance, he mentioned that he was no longer receiving treatment, and that he had already outlived doctors' expectations. Joe Cancer's passing was confirmed on the air before the Stern show moved to Sirius.
[edit] King of All Messengers
King of All Messengers was a phony phone caller, whose real name was Chris. (He has not been heard from in several years).
[edit] Ponce de la Phone
Ponce de la Phone, like King of All Messengers, was a practitioner of prank phone calls whose work on the show has not been heard since the 1990s.
[edit] Quentin the Stutterer
Quentin the Stutterer was a man with a severe stuttering problem who stopped appearing on the show around 1992 at the request of his wife. In March of 1997, Quentin attended the premiere of Private Parts and was a guest at the after-party show. He once appeared on Howard's Channel 9 show as a contestant trying to win a date with Tawny Kitaen. Quentin still stutters at his job with Verizon, where he is a Foreman for Splicers and Linemen at the garage in Pomona Rockland County, New York.
[edit] Slow Adam
Slow Adam has sub-normal intelligence, a slight stutter, very slow speech, and myriad psychiatric disorders. He appeared on "Politically Incorrect With The Wack Pack", a segment where Bill Maher hosted a parody of his show with guests Slow Adam, Daniel Carver, Gary the Retard and Beetlejuice. Adam has not been on the show since the early 2000s. Gary Dell'Abate, the producer of the show, mentioned in late 2001 that the particular group home in which Adam was living, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, did not like his appearances, forbidding him to be on the show.
[edit] Speech Impediment Man
Speech Impediment Man is a man with a speech impediment. He appeared multiple times on the show, in 1996 and 1997, and joined the Howard Stern Vegas special in 2004. He most recently called in on October 30, 2006 to give Artie advice on his troubled relationship with longtime girlfriend Dana.
[edit] Ted the Janitor
Ted the Janitor was a janitor at WXRK, who made popular the game "Road", which he wanted to play with Robin. The hypothetical game would be played by having a woman lie down, whereupon Ted would "blacktop" her -- ie, throw his body on top of her. He is now deceased. He was on the show occasionally for his unique voice or just for everyone to hear him hit on Robin. The most memorable bit he was in was "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", a spoof on the movie of the same name. The raspy voiced "excellent" Fred used to play often was taken from that bit. He was also use in the many parodies of New York's first black mayor, David Dinkins.
[edit] Underdog Lady
Underdog Lady, whose real name is Suzanne Muldowney,[8][9] is a woman who does performance art pieces focusing on the exploits of the cartoon character Underdog, and believes the character was underserved by being comically portrayed on television. She often asserts that Underdog deserves to be considered among the pantheon of great superheroes, and uses her performance pieces to emphasize this belief. After a falling out with Stern, whom she came to view as vulgar and crude, Muldowney described him in an interview as a "classic supervillain". During attempts at reconciliation, Stern often tries to curry favor by mentioning that his father Ben Stern did the audio for the Underdog cartoon show. Muldowney made her longest show appearance yet on October 5, 2006, in a nineteen minute telephone interview before hanging up abruptly. During the conversation, she reluctantly admitted to having no sexual feelings for men, and was told as a young girl by a health education teacher that such feelings were wrong. The following day, Muldowney left a voicemail confiding to Howard's producer Gary "Bababooey" Dell'Abate that she was "deeply troubled" by Stern's frequently sexually-oriented questions. Stern noted that a cartoon was playing in the background as she recorded her message. Muldowney is perhaps the most reluctant member of the Wack Pack.
[edit] Vin the Retard
Vin the Retard is a man with cerebral palsy and a stand-up comedy act. Despite his nickname, he seems of normal intelligence.
[edit] Wheelchair Steve
Wheelchair Steve received sexual favors as a show bit, for which his parents expressed gratitude. Gary mentioned him briefly during the June 5, 2006 show, during the Wackipedia discussion with Eric the Midget.[verification needed]
[edit] Yaqi (the Tickler)
Yaqi is a lanky, gray-haired purveyor of tickling fetish-themed DVDs. During Yaqi's visits, women (of whom Jenna Jameson was most notable) were strapped to a specially designed "Tickle Chair" and subjected to prolonged tickling at the hands of Yaqi and Howard himself; Howard continued this routine long after Yaqi stopped appearing on the show.
Yaqi was known for his effeminate Southern drawl and for recording impassioned speeches which sought to legitimize tickling as a healthy, life-affirming activity suitable for man, woman and child. Yaqi was mocked mercilessly by Artie Lange and other members of Howard's crew for these speeches, and for being generally "creepy".
Yaqi was a regular guest in early 2002 and sporadically thereafter. In August 2004, Yaqi called in to the show claiming to be terminally afflicted with sarcoidosis.
[edit] New Members
[edit] Ass Napkin Ed
A caller from Buffalo who asked Howard for help with his hygiene problems. After a few minutes of conversation we learned that Ed lodged a napkin between his cheeks to keep from staining his underwear. His insanity made everyone on the show laugh and he was called to make an appearance shortly after his call.«
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