How many of you miss what the Stern show used to be?

[GoodDog]

I actually like that stuff. Maybe I like it because it's history. MTT was great for that...certainly better than replaying last week's show. Also, back in the day even when I could make my own hours, listening to an entire show was hard.

It’s hard to judge the old shows when we listen to them today. back then, you listened to Stern and hung in there even if it meant listening to Kinison's mindless drug and sleepless induced ranting for the umpteenth time simply because there was nothing else better on the air compared to even the worst Stern segment.

I do like MTT, and I would prefer it to endless replays of shows a few days old. There is a place somewhere on the channels for the old shows.

 

[Jgatie]

I actually like that stuff. Maybe I like it because it's history. MTT was great for that...certainly better than replaying last week's show. Also, back in the day even when I could make my own hours, listening to an entire show was hard.

You like it now, but would you like it every day for weeks on end, interspersed with enough "Best Of" to fill maybe a week at Sirius? Sure it's good to reminisce, but I truly believe the show is what you make of it and I worked in retail long enough to know some people are predestined to bitch about anything. And if they can't find anything, they'll make something up.

I swear, if this forum was transported back in time to 1990, there'd be the same people bitching about Snapple, Channel 9 plugs, Grampa Al Lewis again???, having to pay for US Open Sores, Robin cackling, lousy B guests, too much Jessica, not enough Fred, and "How come Kinison isn't on more, cause Joe Walsh sucks???!!!" The same people would be posting "Enough Rick The Bass Player!! He blows monkey chunks!!!" that post the "I hate ETM!! Get him off the fucking radio!!" threads today.

I truly believe this.

 

[Ifandorbut]

Yep. Honestly, everyone remembers the Jackie Puppet, Billy, Cookie Puss, Kinison, etc. How many remember the third week of October 1990 when they interviewed Travolta's mother for the 5th time and plugged Crucified By The FCC seven time an hour? Or when interviewing the Snapple Lady about how Howard "really put Snapple on the map" was a product placement bit they ran into the ground? How many people gave up on the show because of the relentless Private Parts talk or the book signing plugs that seemed to slip out 10 times an hour?

Personally, I think "Best Of" for 15-20 years has skewed people's memories, and I'm the biggest fan of old Stern there is. But I'm also old enough to know we all tend to romanticize our youth, which is fine until we start living in the past instead of living now. As one who used to do that, all I can say is you can never go home again, so you might as well make the best of where you are.

I never minded the book plugs for Private Parts because it was cool to see Howard being accepted into the mainstream after having such a boner for it all of the years prior to its release. However, his release of the movie Private Parts was around the time that I truly started to turn off the radio and lead a more productive life. For me that was when everything started to turn, when he started to become more careful about the words he used or the celebrities he went after in the news.

I can't say that Best of skewed my attitude towards the Stern show, because when the show went to Best of, I decided not to listen.

I also don't think I'm romanticizing anything when I know damn well that Howard isn't putting his all into it anymore. It bugs me, but I get it, he's older and he's working through his anger and other frustrations through therapy, not the radio. I would really prefer that Howard have a shift that went from whatever time he wanted to start until he truly wanted to go home. If that was two or three hours then so be it, just soundlike you want to be there. That's why the first couple of hours are almost always the best part of the show.

Maybe it true, maybe we never can go home again and that we do need to make the best of where we are. But after living each day in the present, do we need to hear the best of who we are all day Friday when a simple two and half hour trip down into the memory lane scrapbook is sitting on a dusty shelf just waiting to be picked up?

 

[jef]

I'm surprised "Best of the Week" even has intros since back on testicle radio he banished the Baba Booey intros on the old "Best of" they would play during vacations.

I don't mind the weekend replays, but I think they blew it with MTT. I think the biggest gripe was the short 3 hour playtime thanks to the cutting of the endless commercials. Somehow Tim Sabean decided that meant that it needed to be played just once, on Sunday.

Why not rotate through 3 or 4 MTT's on Friday? With a "Best of the Week" bit between each one? And speaking of "Best of the Week", I'd prefer they get to the "Best of" part a lot sooner on some of them, seeing as I'm going to hear all of that stuff again on the replay.

 

[ldivinag]

what's a solid point in the show where it jumped the shark?

1. divorce
2. announced move to sirius
3. 1-9-06
4. met beth
5. marriage to beth

i vote #1.

 

[hank-the-dwarf]

You like it now, but would you like it every day for weeks on end, interspersed with enough "Best Of" to fill maybe a week at Sirius? Sure it's good to reminisce, but I truly believe the show is what you make of it and I worked in retail long enough to know some people are predestined to bitch about anything. And if they can't find anything, they'll make something up.

I swear, if this forum was transported back in time to 1990, there'd be the same people bitching about Snapple, Channel 9 plugs, Grampa Al Lewis again???, having to pay for US Open Sores, Robin cackling, lousy B guests, too much Jessica, not enough Fred, and "How come Kinison isn't on more, cause Joe Walsh sucks???!!!" The same people would be posting "Enough Rick The Bass Player!! He blows monkey chunks!!!" that post the "I hate ETM!! Get him off the fucking radio!!" threads today.

I truly believe this.

Nobody was paying for the show then>

 

[MAJ Badmotherfarker]

what's a solid point in the show where it jumped the shark?

1. divorce
2. announced move to sirius
3. 1-9-06
4. met beth
5. marriage to beth

i vote #1.

I liked the show a lot up until the summer of 2006. That was the first time they did the 2 weeks vacation... 4 days back... 1 week vacation.... 8 days back... 1 week vacation. That's when I started noticing the 4-day work week and a growing lack of devotion. The bits over the last few years have become totally cliche, the callers are obviously fake (wow, Howard TV is sooo cool!!!! LOL!!) and the show has become way too pre-programmed. I don't think I've even listened but maybe an hour or so over the last month. Over the last 6 months, I've pretty much totally lost interest in Stern. I listen to NPR in the mornings now.

With the stock going like it is, Howard may be getting his wish sooner than expected and will be able to play chess in the Hamptons every day.

 

[hank-the-dwarf]

I downloaded the show yesterday-listened to 20 minutes and then deleted it-still have 1-9-06-every once in a while i will listen to it and think man they f***ed up.

 

[71chevyvan]

days off

better, worse, doesn't matter, it's STILL the most entertaining show on the airwaves.

i subscribed to hear his show.so,its only entertaining when he's there.
with the days off including fridays its a let down entertainment wise.
the more they pay him the less he works.

 

[TSS Taylor]

I'm still digging the show. I am very entertained by it. There were points in the last 2 years I thought he just didn't care as much but lately I'm thinking he is into it more. Ever since he got married I think Stern is more committed to the show. He called in 2 days in a row on the wrap up show. That didn't happen for the longest time.

But there were times I thought it was lacking. Now is not one of them.

 

[hank-the-dwarf]

I can only speak about up to 4 months ago before i canceled.

 

[gilpdawg]

I'm surprised "Best of the Week" even has intros since back on testicle radio he banished the Baba Booey intros on the old "Best of" they would play during vacations.

I don't mind the weekend replays, but I think they blew it with MTT. I think the biggest gripe was the short 3 hour playtime thanks to the cutting of the endless commercials. Somehow Tim Sabean decided that meant that it needed to be played just once, on Sunday.

Why not rotate through 3 or 4 MTT's on Friday? With a "Best of the Week" bit between each one? And speaking of "Best of the Week", I'd prefer they get to the "Best of" part a lot sooner on some of them, seeing as I'm going to hear all of that stuff again on the replay.

That's a really good idea.


And as for the show, I've not been a fan for as long as some of you, I've just listened off and on for a long time, but was never a regular listener, because he was never on a station that I could receive very well at home, but from what I can tell, the show HAS gone downhill. Is it a bad show? Not at all. It still has value. But anybody who says it's as good as the glory days is kidding themselves.

 

[Neigh]

You like it now, but would you like it every day for weeks on end, interspersed with enough "Best Of" to fill maybe a week at Sirius? Sure it's good to reminisce, but I truly believe the show is what you make of it and I worked in retail long enough to know some people are predestined to bitch about anything. And if they can't find anything, they'll make something up.

I swear, if this forum was transported back in time to 1990, there'd be the same people bitching about Snapple, Channel 9 plugs, Grampa Al Lewis again???, having to pay for US Open Sores, Robin cackling, lousy B guests, too much Jessica, not enough Fred, and "How come Kinison isn't on more, cause Joe Walsh sucks???!!!" The same people would be posting "Enough Rick The Bass Player!! He blows monkey chunks!!!" that post the "I hate ETM!! Get him off the fucking radio!!" threads today.

I truly believe this.

No I would not. The new Howard lacks some of his energy of the old Howard and seems a bit more imperious then he did before. But overall I like the show far more. For me, the best part of the show is Howard, Robin, Artie and Fred shooting the shit first thing. Next I like Howard interviews. Most of his contests are good... particularly song parody contests. The old show had all of the above but sliced up by commercials and hampered by censorship. Now he can just go with the flow. I do not miss the wack pack of the old show, the skits (very amatuerish, homophobic in an unfunny way ) and Sam Kinison. I do not like the Beth influence, Richard and Sal suck, I miss listener phony phone calls (what happened to Jenks and Ponce de Phone but whattayagonnado? Still better overall.

 

[Fergz99]

what's a solid point in the show where it jumped the shark?

1. divorce
2. announced move to sirius
3. 1-9-06
4. met beth
5. marriage to beth

i vote #1.

When Billy left

 

[goreds2]

When Billy left

When Stuttering John left.

 

[Ifandorbut]

When Billy left

The show took a hit after Billy left, but the show was still great. I'd say it was a few months after Private Parts came out. The self aggrandizing that was once ironic and fun started to turn more blowhardy and self referential.

By the time Stuttering John left, Howard was already knee deep into the "everybody rips me off" spin-a-thon and "turn around and let me see your ass".

Its difficult to pinpoint an actual moment because Howard is very adept at breathing new life into his show. His move to satellite is testimony to that.

But back to your "when Billy left" statement. That was probably the first sizable rock to crumble away from his once solid foundation. After Private Parts was when I started to see that a good chunk of his foundation was swamp land.

 

[jef]

I guess not growing up with the show in my youth maybe gives me a different perspective on the show. I did get to hear some of his early days here on W4 in Detroit, mainly just before school and on those occasions when the bus driver wasn't turning it off because of something she found dirty.

I started my daily listening routine in 1995 when I moved to NYC. And while I definitely see the ebb and flow of the show over the years, I'm certainly not willing to write it off just yet. Billy leaving did leave a hole in the show, a very obvious "quiet" that hung around for a while. However, there were times that even as good as Billy was, he didn't always know when to stop (either on his own, or being pushed by Fred and Jackie).

Stuttering John bits were interesting at times, and he did bring a certain pot-stirring element to the show. However, by the time he left, I can say that his appeal for me had long worn off and there were times that I was wishing he'd leave.

But even during these times, there were always things for me to enjoy about the show and not feel as if I were getting ripped off. Say what you will about paying for Howard now, but back on terrestrial radio, I felt I was paying with the endless commercials and having to listen to the stupidity that is censorship at the level they had to apply it. Still talking about "doody" in 2005 is just ridiculous.

Anyhow, so now, it's the same thing. I'm tired of Joan Rivers, and don't care that much for the Jack and Rod bits. But I do find other things about the show to enjoy. EVERY time I try to find something else to listen to in the mornings, I almost always come away disgusted or disappointed.

 

[Ifandorbut]

I guess not growing up with the show in my youth maybe gives me a different perspective on the show. I did get to hear some of his early days here on W4 in Detroit, mainly just before school and on those occasions when the bus driver wasn't turning it off because of something she found dirty.

I started my daily listening routine in 1995 when I moved to NYC. And while I definitely see the ebb and flow of the show over the years, I'm certainly not willing to write it off just yet. Billy leaving did leave a hole in the show, a very obvious "quiet" that hung around for a while. However, there were times that even as good as Billy was, he didn't always know when to stop (either on his own, or being pushed by Fred and Jackie).

Stuttering John bits were interesting at times, and he did bring a certain pot-stirring element to the show. However, by the time he left, I can say that his appeal for me had long worn off and there were times that I was wishing he'd leave.

But even during these times, there were always things for me to enjoy about the show and not feel as if I were getting ripped off. Say what you will about paying for Howard now, but back on terrestrial radio, I felt I was paying with the endless commercials and having to listen to the stupidity that is censorship at the level they had to apply it. Still talking about "doody" in 2005 is just ridiculous.

Anyhow, so now, it's the same thing. I'm tired of Joan Rivers, and don't care that much for the Jack and Rod bits. But I do find other things about the show to enjoy. EVERY time I try to find something else to listen to in the mornings, I almost always come away disgusted or disappointed.

Exactly. There are elements to the show of today that are as good as anything at any time in his past. The freedom to which the flow of conversation is allowed to exist being prime among them. I only wish that the crew from the early 90's were allowed this freedom rather than the current crop of players. But that thought is really only a fantasy. I was hoping that his move to satellite would reawaken the sleeping giant, but it often feels to me that for Howard his move to satellite has been a mixed blessing. Sure he was able to clear a fantastic payday, and yes he is able to flex his conversational muscle, but I feel as if he is often going through the motions and he cannot wait to be out of the studio.

I would take a shorter show, I would take a three hour show, but one that sounded as if HE was enjoying himself. I've given up on him being quick and funny, I've given up on the anything can happen at any time aspect of the show. I have settled on the aim low(salandrichard come in to show their dicks)appeal to their more broader fan base, the ones that write "if u dont liek the show than cancel.bitch" type of responses.

I won't give up on the show, but I have another show to fall back for my laughs. I'm going to see this current show all the way until the last show.

 

[Neigh]

I've given up on him being quick and funny, I've given up on the anything can happen at any time aspect of the show.

I think he is still quick and funny when he is riffing with Artie. If Fred laughs, what they do is generally funny (in my opinion).

 

[Ifandorbut]

I think he is still quick and funny when he is riffing with Artie. If Fred laughs, what they do is generally funny (in my opinion).

I think Fred laughs at Artie no matter what Artie says. I find that Howard repeats himself with his takes during the news. And by that I mean when he's "riffing" and not speeding Robin up to finish the news. He'll riff when he feels most comfortable. If there's a story about Ted Kennedy, well...he'll rev the "Er-ah" machine up and do that bit. It's stuff I've heard him do a hundred times before, but at least he's burning some calories trying to come up with the funny.

The only bit I enjoy him doing time and time again is when he does his mother in any situation. I always find that to be funny. It feels like that comedy is coming from a deeper place, a place that still resonates within his soul, the part that talking about it four or five days a week with his psychiatrist cannot erase. That's funny.