Sunday, April 30, 2017
Howard Stern
Known by many today as a judge on America's Got Talent and and an ex-entertainer, Howard Stern has a famous legacy from the 1990's that few of today's younger generation are informed of. As a popular radio host during the 90's, Stern was not only a greater entertainer, but a brilliant innovator. In an America that was still pulling out of a largely conservative and modest age started by Ronald Reagan in the 80's, Stern introduced a style of humor that was free of limitation and unafraid to say absolutely anything in order to make an audience laugh.
Born into a Jewish family from Queens, New York, Stern set his eyes upon entertainment from the early days of his life. After studying at schools such as Boston University and the Radio Engineering Institute of Electronics in Fredericksburg, Stern earned degrees in Latin and radio-telephone operation and began chasing his dream to be on the radio. Through the 70's and 80's, Stern moved between various stations and accepted various small offers from different radio stations on the East Coast, but never really gained the publicity that he desired from these jobs. It wasn't until the 90's where Stern began working for the station WXRK that Stern finally made his breakthrough as a radio host and became a national icon.
Stern's appeal lied mostly with his "off the cuff" style of humor on the radio which he was not afraid to be vulgar with. In various interviews with his fans, Stern was described to be "dirty, clever, and funny," showing that he was fearless toward being suggestive with his words when trying to make people laugh. Stern's humor was especially popular amongst the men of the 90's who were more attracted to his dirty jokes and occasional comments about the annoyance of women, causing him to have an audience largely comprised of men, but a very large one nonetheless. Beyond his work in radio, Stern was also famous for various appearances in on-screen/TV projects as well as his autobiographical book Private Parts which he wrote in 1993 and sold over a million copies of within two weeks of its release. Overall, while he was and still is an eccentric character, Howard Stern should forever be remembered for the boldness of his humor and his wild ability to entertain.
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119951/
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2015/01/brief-history-of-howard-stern-show/
http://www.biography.com/people/howard-stern-9494041
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-popular/top-10-greatest-moments-in-howard-stern-history/
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This post is very informative as to why people listened to Howard Stern and how he came to be such a well-known celebrity. It is important to mention the influence that personalities such as Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh have over the nation. Because they have such vast audiences, these hosts are able to spread their opinion across the nation in seconds and effect the beliefs of millions of Americans.
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ReplyDeleteGreat post! It's really interesting to see that American people were so enticed with Howard Stern at the time – I like how you explained why they found him to be such a great entertainer. It also says a lot about the expansion of the radio – people were able to reach wider audiences and spread their views easily across the nation.