History Creator / HowardStern

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

->''"Never before has a man done so much with so little."''

Stern's syndicated radio show, ''Radio/TheHowardSternShow'', has run from 1982 until present day, but the start date could be placed earlier if his college radio career is factored in, and his show didn't actually start syndication until the early 1990's. Regardless, Stern's show was instrumental in breaking down many barriers in radio by deviating from regular talk and corny morning routines, instead focusing on entertaining and comedic political, pop culture, and news commentary. The show was also groundbreaking in that it was one of the first mainstream media outlets to approach many of the time's taboo subjects, including but not limited to, homosexuals, gross out jokes, strippers, prostitutes, and mentally or physically challenged sideshow style characters.

Due to the controversial nature of his show, Stern can be a polarizing figure. There's almost no middle ground opinions about him. There are rich, poor, conservative, liberal, and people of all different ages, races, and nationalities from around the world that believe him to be a very prolific and entertaining satirist, and there are just as many people in all those categories that believe him to be nothing short of a foul mouthed, sexist, racist, sleaze peddling, antichrist. Regardless of whether you actually like him and his show, Stern has often been quoted as saying "I just care whether they listen or not."

* Creator/BillyWest: West worked in radio before he got into voicing animation, and he was a regular cast member of The Howard Stern Show from 1989-1995. He is remembered fondly by fans for his various impressions including the Jackie Puppet. Interestingly enough, despite the two's [[WeUsedToBeFriends falling out in 1995 after Stern invited]] Creator/JohnKricfalusi on the show primary to egg West on, Stern was still the one to recommend West to Ivan Reitman as a possible actor to voice characters in ''Film/SpaceJam''.

* Music/RobZombie: In 1997, Zombie contributed a song entitled "The Great American Nightmare" for ''Private Parts''. Howard can actually be heard in the song too - a clip from the show is used as SpokenWordInMusic, and he even does some backing vocals, albeit with a heavy amount of electronic processing done to his voice. Since January 6, 1999, it has been the opening theme for Stern's radio show.

With a career spanning over 30 years, Stern has written two books (both of which topped the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list within weeks of their release), starred in the autobiographical film of his life, aptly named ''[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Howard Stern's Private Parts]]'', (it too opened at number one at the box office), and produced and or starred in numerous successful late night television shows and pay per view specials, most of which also had high selling video releases. Oh yeah, taking place during all the previously mentioned accomplishments, Stern and his four hour, five day a week radio show were also almost always the number one syndicated radio program during morning drive in most major radio markets in The United States for nearly fifteen years.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Basically what his show consisted of during his entire pre-satellite career. With executives listening to his every word, the FCC considering him the highest priority target, and the rules for what could be said on radio becoming less and less lax as the years progressed, Stern had to constantly invent and reinvent new and clever ways to speak his mind without getting chastised or fined. Sometimes though the FCC would fine the show for, apparently, the hell of it. In a bit of irony, Howard would often report of similar radio shows doing similar acts and would never hear of them being fined. See BerserkButton.

* BlackBestFriend: Subverted with Robin Quivers. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of The Howard Stern Show since 1981, although originally she was only given the job of news anchor by [[ExecutiveMeddling executives]] in the hopes that she would calm Stern down and fulfill the normal role of Black Best Friend. As common with Stern, this only served to increase his wild tendencies, and he interacted and involved Quivers with the show so much through the years that it's obvious she's fully a realized person with flaws, likes, and dislikes.

* Creator/BillyWest: West worked in radio before he got into voicing animation, and he was a regular cast member of The Howard Stern Show from 1989-1995. He is remembered fondly by fans for his various impressions including the Jackie Puppet.

* PlatonicLifePartners: Howard and Robin. Howard has stated that he'd refuse to do his show without her and consider each other best friends off air.
* ProudToBeAGeek: Howard admits to being a Star Trek fan and reading Superman and Batman comics. Ralph to an even bigger extent.

* EvilLaugh: Fans and show members alike have this opinion of Robin's laugh. Also, a soundbite of Jackie's over the top laugh (usually him laughing at a joke he wrote) is also sometimes considered evil when it's played during inappropriate news stories.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Richard and Sal, although the "heterosexual" part seems not to apply at times. Also Gary and Jon Hein.

* {{Jerkass}}: Howard can be one at times, and almost everyone associated with the show has had their moments seeing as the show often encourages you to let out all of your most hateful thoughts and feelings.
* {{Joisey}}: Artie Lange. Despite having more class and intellect than he lets on, sometimes on the show and in his comedy act, he'll exaggerate his Joisey characteristics to the point of becoming the epitome of a stereotypical Hudson County resident.
* LargeAndInCharge: He's 6' 5" (1.98 meters) tall.

* ButtMonkey: Producer Gary Dell'Abate A.K.A. BabaBooey. Not only is he regularly called a ''monkey'' due to some ... let's say, simian stereotypes (he is a hairy dude), but he's been relentlessly mocked by show members AND fans since the mid 80's during his days as an intern for the show. Whenever a bit doesn't go as planned, a guest doesn't show up, or Stern is just in a bad mood, Dell'Abate will be viciously mocked and berated, regardless of the severity of his mistake, or whether or not he actually did anything wrong to begin with. Case in Point, Dell'Abate gained the nickname "Bababooey" in 1989 when he repeatedly and unknowingly mispronounced the name of cartoon character WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw's sidekick Baba Looey as "Baba Booey". Twenty years of grief for a two minute mistake.

* DefeatMeansFriendship: Many other radio hosts and celebrities competed with and denounced Stern at the height of his popularity. Now in what may be the twilight of his career, Stern has made up with many of his former enemies, Bubba The Love Sponge, Rosie O'Donnell, and Chevy Chase to name a few. Can Kathy Lee Gifford be far behind? [[BrokenBase This has proved very controversial with some fans]].

* {{Pixellation}}: On the weeknight televised broadcast of his daily radio show on the E! Network, many of the graphic antics that passed radio censors had to be pixellated in order to get on TV.

* SmarterThanYouLook: Despite having plenty of toilet humor and naked women on his show, Stern is a graduate from Boston University and is well versed in current events.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Comedian Artie Lange replacing Comedian Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling. Both were alcohol drinking, drug taking, comedians that loved to gamble and both had attempts at a film career.

* TheChewtoy: Gary, though not as much as he once was.
* TheChick: Robin Quivers

* Music/InsaneClownPosse: Have appeared on his show many times, because of not only the entertainment value, but Stern's admiration for the duo's independence.
* JeopardyThinkingMusic: Often played by Fred, usually when someone has been asked a difficult question or is taking an unusually long time to answer.

* {{Radio}}: Yeah, this one's pretty hard to figure out.
* RefugeInAudacity: A staple of his career.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Howard is notorious for being a jerk on air, but people who work with Stern have stated that off-air, Howard is actually very generous and polite, a stark contrast from his on-air persona. It's this side of him that NBC felt comfortable enough to sign him to the judging panel for ''America's Got Talent'', much to the surprise of many people who just know him as the shock jock.

* Music/RobZombie: In 1997, Zombie contributed a song entitled "The Great American Nightmare" for ''Private Parts''. Since January 6, 1999, it has been the opening theme for Stern's radio show.

Howard Stern. What can you say that hasn't already been said about him, or more likely, [[AwesomeEgo by him]]. Born January 12, 1954, Stern went from being a poor Jewish kid living in a bad neighborhood on Long Island, New York, to eventually becoming one of the highest rated and highest paid radio personalities of all time. Also known as the self-proclaimed ''King of All Media'' (a title he gave himself to parody Music/MichaelJackson being dubbed The King of Pop).

->''"Never before has a man done so much [[TeenyWeenie with so little.]]"''

* BlackBestFriend: Subverted with Robin Quivers. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of The HowardStern Show since 1981, although originally she was only given the job of news anchor by [[ExecutiveMeddling executives]] in the hopes that she would calm Stern down and fulfill the normal role of Black Best Friend. As common with Stern, this only served to increase his wild tendencies, and he interacted and involved Quivers with the show so much through the years that it's obvious she's fully a realized person with flaws, likes, and dislikes.

* CorruptTheCutie: "Stuttering" John Melendez for many years was a lovable enough intern partaking in the celebrity interviews where John would go to events and ask celebrities embarrassing questions. Years later, Jay Leno gave him the announcer spot on TheTonightShow, which played right into Howard's own hate for Jay. John later on would blast Howard in interviews for not paying him enough. It came to a bigger head in 2009 when John responded to Howard's continued verbal attack on Jay by telling people "not to drink the Kool Aid". Howard has cut off any and all ties to Stuttering John, even forbidding his wife to contiune her friendship with John's wife.

* ''Series/SonOfTheBeach'' (a ''{{Baywatch}}'' {{parody}} , executive producer)

** His knowledge of both past and current events was ''very'' well showcased on the show that aired during [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCbmD1pGGZw September 11, 2001]]. Within minutes of the hijacked planes hitting the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, Stern said that OsamaBinLaden was probably behind the attacks due to his knowledge of past terrorist events that bin Laden had been involved in.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Howard is notorious for being a jerk on air, but people who work with Stern have stated that off-air, Howard is actually very generous and polite, a stark contrast from his on-air persona.

* ''TheHowardSternShow'' radio show (host, overseeing creative director, King of All Media)

* Jerkass: Howard can be one at times, and almost everyone associated with the show has had their moments seeing as the show often encourages you to let out all of your most hateful thoughts and feelings.

-->--tagline to his {{biopic}} ''Literature/PrivateParts''

Due to the controversial nature of his show, Stern can be a polarizing figure. There's almost no middle ground opinions about him. There are rich, poor, conservative, liberal, and people of all different ages, races, and nationalities from around the world that believe him to be a very prolific and entertaining satirist, and there are just as many people in all those categories that believe him to be nothing short of a foul mouthed, sexist, racist, sleaze peddling, antichrist. Regardless of whether you actually like him and his show, Stern has often been quoted as saying "I just care whether [[MoneyDearBoy they listen or not]]."

* ColbertBump: In 1998, ''People'' magazine held an online vote for "Sexiest Man Alive." After being mentioned on the show, Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf won by ''tens of thousands of votes.'' The magazine, naturally, ignored the results.

* CreatorBreakdown: Some fans believe Stern to have been at his most vile, vicious, and [[ArsonMurderAndJayWalking entertaining]] during the mid to late [[TheNineties 90's]], and although not known at the time, this ran concurrent with the breakdown of his marriage and his eventual divorce.
* DawsonCasting: In his autobiographical movie, 43yr old Stern played the role of himself from college on.
** Lampshaded by Stern himself in the narration.
--> "I know I seem a little too old to be in college. But for this movie you've gotta [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief suspend disbelief]]."

* ExecutiveMeddling: Stern constantly battled against radio and TV executives during the span of his career over the format and content of his show. When he began his career, if you weren't on a political or news show, most hosts just repeatedly played music, interjecting bits of humor and commentary during the breaks between songs and commercials, the news anchor only spoke when delivering the news, guests never stayed longer than their allotted segment time, and the content was as sober as a priest on Sunday. Stern had to continuously fight against executives to change all of those things, and he eventually revolutionized morning radio because of it.
* FetishFuel: While there are so many examples, this one bears special mention. He lets female guests ride his Sybian, including Carmen Electra.
** To elaborate, a Sybian is, for the want of a better description, an industrial grade vibrator, extremely adjustable, with several different attachments. As close as you can get to the real thing without having to deal with the rest of the dude. '''Cannot be moved to YMMV as YMMV on this page is locked!'''

* {{Hatedom}}: As mentioned above, what could bring multiple groups of Conservatives, Liberals, feminists, concerned parents, and extremely religious people together? Hating Howard Stern of course.
** Ironically former fans of Howard might make up his biggest {{Hatedom}} now.

* JerkAss: Howard can be one at times, and almost everyone associated with the show has had their moments seeing as the show often encourages you to let out all of your most hateful thoughts and feelings.

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: Howard is notorious for being a jerk on air, but people who work with Stern have stated that off-air, Howard is actually very generous and polite, a stark contrast from his on-air persona.

* OneOfUs: Stern has been an avid comic book fan since childhood, to the point that he specifically tries to have many of the directors, producers, and actors of comic book inspired movies on his show to be interviewed. He's also been quoted as saying most of the television shows he watches are science fiction or superhero based. Stern also enjoys chess so much that he plays online almost every day and hired a coach to help better improve his game.
** Somewhat subverted since Howard has made a career out of mocking geeks, Star Trek/Star Wars fans, wrestling fans, and people who read comics past the age of 13. The happened mostly during TheNineties,

* ColbertBump: In 1998, ''People'' magazine held an online vote for "Sexiest Man Alive." After being mentioned on the show, Hawk the Angry Drunken Dwarf won by ''tens of thousands of votes.'' The magazine, naturally, ignored the results.

* ''SonOfTheBeach'' (a ''{{Baywatch}}'' {{parody}} , executive producer)
* ''AmericasGotTalent'' (judge)
* ''TheHollywoodSquares'' (1986-89 syndicated version, fill-in announcer when normal announcer Shadoe Stevens was a fill-in host)

* ''TheHollywoodSquares'' (1986-89 syndicated version, fill-in announcer when Shadoe Stevens was unavailable)