Peter Greyson wants to be able to like the good qualities of Howard Stern without remorse.
“Oh yes, Roger Moore is still alive. I heard him interviewed on Howard Stern the other day.” ERRRRRRRRRRRRR TSSSS! The conversation train had come to a screeching halt and suddenly every eyeball in the faculty lounge was on me. “HOWARD STERN! You mean you listen to that filthy pig?” exclaimed Mrs. Volpe the school librarian, holding back a vomit. As though I had just declared my intentions of creating a local N.A.M.B.L.A. chapter, suddenly I was under assault from an over caffeinated pack of self-righteous educators. Like a frightened turtle, I shriveled in my chair as the onslaught came on fast and furious. “That man is disgusting!” retorted the band director. “He is a blatant misogynist and a horrible role model for kids!” blurted Mr. Jarvis our P.E. coach. I couldn’t believe that even he could throw me under the bus like that. What happened to the Code of Men?
These people who I had taught along side with for the last eleven years, who personally knew my family, my values, and would entrust me with their own children were now judging me as a disciple of the Anti-Christ. You’d think we were discussing an issue of life or death by the intensity level in the room. Words like vulgarity, sexualization of young women, sadomasochism, and detriment to society were being bounced around as I sat there, mouth agape and contemplating my rebuttal. Should I stick up for this guy who I’d never even met and destroy my reputation or just accept defeat and chalk it up as a lesson learned? With one deep breath I mustered up the courage to stand and utter these words as I left the room, “He makes me laugh!”
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I remember the first time I heard his name. It was back in 1982 during family dinner when I noticed my father quietly chuckling into his RC Cola. When my mother inquired as to why, he replied, “There’s this new guy on NBC named Howard Stern who is really wild! Today he was calling the traffic reporter whose name is Donna FaDoucha… Donna FaDouche Bag! I almost pulled off the road from laughing!” “Eww, what an animal! Please don’t bring up his name again while we’re eating!” pleaded my mother. At 10 years old I didn’t even know what a douche bag was, but I could feel in my gut that it was something edgy and controversial. So I just stored the name away in the depths of my subconscious and continued being a kid.
It would be another decade before I would be enticed into the magical world of drunken dwarfs, granny porn stars, racist clowns, limo driving celebrities, high voiced slackers, and pineapple headed anomalies. As I became part of the labor force in my early twenties and realized the sheer misery of the morning commute, I was in desperate search of anything to ease the pain. One day as I considered filling my car with noxious fumes and taking a peaceful garage nap, I stumbled upon a familiar name as I turned the radio dial. It was one of the defining moments of my life. A day when I learned what real honesty in media was about, that genuine belly laughter soothes the soul, and also the reason why I would see people hysterically laughing in the cars around me on the dreaded Long Island Parking Lot.
Each day as I absorbed his side-splitting humor and brilliant social commentary my stress melted away and suddenly my morning commute was something I actually looked forward to. He interviewed celebrities, athletes, politicians, and rock and roll royalty with real questions we all wanted to know and never kissed their ass or avoided touchy subjects. He also gave airtime to controversial guests like the Grand Dragon of the KKK and The Westboro Baptist Church on occasion. In doing so he wasn’t supporting their messages but making us aware of the unfiltered world around us. He was like our unofficial tour guide through a crazy world full of crazy people.
As time passed and I learned more about Mr. Stern and his legion of fans numbering in the millions the more I was proud to be one of them. Sure, there were “Wack Pack” regulars like Captain Janks, Bobo, and Speech Impediment Man endlessly waiting on the phones for the chance to contribute, but there were also regular Joes like me who never called in but just loved being within earshot of the melee. There were people from all walks of life among us…doctors, lawyers, truck drivers, actors, homeless people, socialites, even over-opinionated street sweepers creating a rich tapestry of personalities to fuel the show’s genius. Although our lives were worlds apart we all banned together during weekday morning drive time with one common goal…keepin’ it real in the field!
♦◊♦
Why is this man who I have faithfully listened to for that last 20 years looked upon with such repulsion? I mean, as far as I know, he’s a faithful husband, loving father, caring son, staunch supporter of no-kill animal shelters, honorable businessman, loyal boss, and a superlative voice of truth in a time when mainstream media inundates us with deceit. And because of his affinity for lesbians and toilet humor he is considered a detriment to our culture? It literally boggles the mind. Everyday I see loving parents dropping their kids off sporting athletic jerseys with famous athlete’s names on the back. Some of which have been either accused or convicted of heinous crimes in the past like sexual assault, drug trafficking, vehicular manslaughter, and domestic violence to name a few. Are these the role models we allow for our offspring while Mr. Stern is brutally vilified for harmless acts like burping into microphones and using real everyday language? No scandals, no arrests, no intern love-nests, just raw honesty.
How are we to judge a man’s goodness by today’s standards? Is it by wealth, looks, college degrees, acting prowess, marital status or even how someone throws a football or drives a racecar? Or should it be something of much more importance…the depth of his character? I think if we all looked within ourselves and asked this question our hearts would reveal the answer. Does he live by a certain set of principals that he is hell-bent on adhering to? Does he admit to his shortcomings and try to improve himself from the inside out? And does he accept others for who they are and not be quick to pass judgment? And in my heart of hearts I believe the answers for Howard are yes, yes, and yes!
As I listen to the droves of phony broadcasters out there forcibly invading our ear canals with their political agendas and religious dogmas I am further solidified in my stance that Mr. Stern is a brilliant entertainer, a friend to animals, a hero of the misunderstood, and a resilient voice of integrity in a world full of liars, cheats, and thieves. And, yes, in my eyes, he’s a good man. He’s pro gay, pro choice, pro cops, pro military, pro America, pro equality, and pretty much pro everything else that liberty and freedom were built upon. So all you haters can hate and pass blame on him for the breadth of society’s evils. But I for one will forever raise my fist in solidarity with the king of all media. Long live The Howard Stern Show! Baba Booey, Baba Booey, Baba Booey…
photo: AP
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Peter Greyson has been enriching young minds for over ten years. He holds a B.S. in Education and a Masters degree in Literacy from Brooklyn College. An avid runner, soulful musician, and perpetual teenager, Peter currently resides in South Florida with his wife Gina, their four children, and two dogs. His first book “Dear Lilly” has gained critical acclaim and sold thousands of copies worldwide. Please join the Dear Lilly Facebook page or find it on Amazon.
Howard Stern is incredibly ignorant. He’s a racist, a mysogonist, and generally a complete scumbag.Anyone who admires him, or thinks that he’s “funny” is in dire need of a life. “King of All Media”? That’s a joke. He’s nothing more than a talentless loser who’ll be completely forgotten 50 years from now, as he hasn’t achieved anything that remotely approaches being of importance. The LEGENDARY SELENA, whose murder he laughed about, is looking down, and laughing at HIS sorry ass, because he’s a NOBODY.
Couldn’t have said it better myself… I thought he was disgusting too until 9/11. I started listening to him that morning and haven’t stopped since. And I’m a woman! More women should listen to him! He keeps me from getting too uptight, when as a woman, it’s easy to do… There’s plenty out there for us to be offended by, but its not Howard Stern!
I’m 43, and started listening to Howard when I was a 20-year-old U.S. Army military police K9 handler. I completely agree with everything in this post. Babooey to all of you!
I’be had a love /hate relationship with Howard for many years but now I have come to understand him more. He surprised me as a judge on America’s got talent and I now find myself among those who are a fan of his! Excellent article!
I love Howard. In fact, I’m obsessed with him. The negative comments I’m seeing seem to be made by people who either don’t listen to the show at all, or do so very infrequently. We regular listeners know and understand Howard as 1. Having a beautiful relationship with his wife, Beth. They are extremely devoted to one another. Have you ever heard him talk about her? And her about him? Most people would give anything to have what they have. 2. He is an extremely devoted father. While not giving details about his life with his daughters, he does discuss… Read more »
I agree with the author for the most part but question why anyone cares what other people think of who they like and don’t like. Howard Stern is a shrewd businessman who also happens to have a forum that is quite welcoming to “crazy” people. Are the guests really “crazy” tho. They speak to Howard to gain national notariety and advance whatever their cau$e may be. Peter Greyson, or whatever his name is, seems to be someone who enjoys childish humor. Who the hell doesn’t? I think good is relative term. Whether Howard is good or not, is a personal… Read more »
I’m not a big Howard fan myself, but my husband is. It definitely makes me see him from another perspective and explains my husband’s fascination with the show. Maybe I will even give it another chance! I liked the authors writing style as well.
That article was amazing! I’m a 25 year Stern listener and the author couldn’t have expressed the strong emotions we all have about The King of all Media any better. He said everything I’ve been feeling about him for years when people look down on me for being a fan. I’m going to amazon now to buy his book! Kudos Peter
Excellent article! First my own background. I am a devoted Clinical psychologist dedicated to improving the mental/spiritual health of my clients .I am also quite passionate about being anti-racist and assisting others with eradicating internalized/externalized racial prejudice Now, I want to add a few thoughts based on my observations and relative infatuation with the Howard Stern show. Not only is he Pro-Gay Rights, but he has virtually always taken this stance since his early days on the radion. In other words he was Pro-Gay Rights when the movement was not as widely embraced as it is today. More importantly, I… Read more »
Bottom line is that I love and respect a person that speaks their mind and is truthful. Great article and I wholeheartedly agree with your stance. Rock on Howard!
I love Mr. Stern, but this was painful to read. The author’s ham-handed writing style made my head hurt.
Personally, I reject the idea that people can so easily be categorised as categorically good or bad. Notions of goodness and badness are highly subjective to begin with and any individual will find that they have attributes that would be considered both good and bad, if cross-examined by a diverse representation of the world’s population. Having said that, there are unpleasant people out there who do cause a lot of damage and harm, and who would be considered bad across most demographics. Howard Stern is not one of them. Using the term more colloquially, I would consider Howard to be… Read more »
Pete, you nailed this article on the head! I love Howard and the gang for a myriad of reasons, but I too have been ostracised by other women for loving him. As a 33 yr old teacher and mother of two, many people are shocked to hear I have been listening to Howard for about 20 straight years religiously. Sure I can leave the hookers and boobs alone, but its still funny even if I’m not into it. The other 95% of the show I adore. Everyone on the show is real…dealing with real issues and just being themselves. Eveey… Read more »
Stern deserves major credit for changing 2 landscapes. He created “pay-per-view” as we knew it, which paved the way for so much of what cable TV is. (I’m not a Sat-radio guy, so I can’t opine on what he did for that medium.) Having his boy ask Donna Rice if she was planning on sleeping with any other presidential pretenders was watershed and for this I can forgive him a lot. Just think if someone had gaffed Paris Hilton, the Khardashians or Te’O similarly- our national IQ would be that much higher. Oh, and with his books he almost saved… Read more »
Okay I am obsessed with Howard Stern and I am a FEMINIST! Here’s the thing, I really don’t like about 60% of the show – I hate prank calls, couldn’t care less about the sibian, and don’t need to hear any more porn sounds for the rest of my life. But I love the celebrity interviews, the stupid shit that happens in their office, and just the stories from Howard’s life (though seriously, complaining about not getting his bonus? That was the first moment I thought, “You’ve lost touch, dude.”) There are no interviews like Howard’s. Seriously. Nobody can interview… Read more »
I’ve had this discussion with my boyfriend recently because he likes Howard Stern and defends him. When he first told me he liked him I felt really let down. I don’t like Howard Stern and I believe him to be largely derogatory toward many groups of people. It bothers me that my boyfriend likes someone that I find to be really disrespectful to women. But I have learned that a lot of men have a different set of rules about how they want to be treated and respected vs what they are okay with seeing women or even other people… Read more »
The overwhelming majority of female-centric entertainment is hostile to men. Romantic comedies are riddled with divorce porn. The Lifetime may as well be called the ‘men are all rapists and wife beaters’ channel. DTMF is the motto of every talk-show guru in the country. The hosts of The View look like someone just took a crap on their coffee table every time a man shares an opinion differing from them. To put this bluntly: what we want doesn’t seem to matter. The women in our lives consume this stuff anyway. They literally do not care if it offends us. You… Read more »
Women would say Maury is a good man and his show is popular with women more than men. A lot of people agree he is very biased agains men. He clearly shows more sympathy towards women for sufering the same problem as a man. He clearly judges men more harshly and encourages audience to hate them for comitting the same wrong as a woman. He is so biased that even when a man is the victim, for eg of paternity fraud, he sympathizes with the woman and jidges the man for being angry . But women love him and think… Read more »
Spoken like someone who has obviously not spent much time listening to the show.
A word of advice : don’t spout of on things you know next to nothing about.
If you’ve heard a few minutes here or there, it doesn’t make you an expert.
I only ask men to think about how they would feel if women enjoyed listening to a host that made jokes at men’s expense, had men come on her show where she exploited them for their money and made them into jokes. Mocked them for whatever Howard Stern turns into jokes for entertainment.
Probably the same way that women who enjoy material that makes jokes at men’s expense or is hostile to men.
It’s a cycle of “if they think that way of me, then why should be considerate of them?”.
Excellent article!! Lots of food for thought!