Did Howard Become Imus? 

I worked in NYC 1989-1996, and I listened to Howard and bought the tapes. He's exactly what he used to rail about. He's the definition of SELL OUT.

Howard is the epitome of selling out. Spent his entire career hiding behind free speech while perpetrating the media agenda. He's the nerd, playing victim while bullying other nerds, all along screaming how he's different. Good to see people are starting to see it

The difference is that Don Imus never betrayed his audience.

I think Howard would have sold out a lot earlier if not for Artie, especially when he went to Sirius. Artie was the glue that held the remnants of the Golden era of the Stern show together. Howard was definitely showing signs of what he would eventually become back in the early sirius years.

People need to send this to Howard on a daily basis. Every day nonstop

Howard Stern died the day he stopped having Gilbert Gottfried on his show.

Yes, Howard became the person he most despised.

He became EXACTLY the person he made fun of. Hamptons Howard is a perfect name for him.

Howard has finally been allowed at the table in the high school cafeteria he always longed to be at...the popular kids. he would unleash vitriol on them till he was accepted in the click...now he has morphed into them and lost all punk cred . he is now remade as the person he hated. he is worse than imus because it was premeditated

My opinion of Howard has been turned completely on its head. I would never have believed how unlikable he'd become if you told me 20 years ago.

Hollywood Howie just wants to be besties with Ellen

Howard's makeover also meant banning comic geniuses like Gilbert Gottfried from the show. Brilliant move. Gilbert rocked on that show.

That is NUTS. That is LITERALLY, Howard talking about himself.

Whenever Jackie would howl or bark it was because he wrote whatever funny thing Howard just said.

That Howard rant about his future self was brutal. I guess it's true that we eventually live long enough to become the person we hate.

You guys were the only radio guys who battled Howard and beat him at his own game! all I have to say is WOW!

Anthony is on fire lately. I am glad he found a good co-host with Dave.

And that is exactly why Patrice didn't want to sell out. If you sell out once, it becomes more and more easy to keep doing it until you turn into what you hate like Howard has. Sadly the PC police have neutered good radio personalities by going after sponsors if they feel offended by something the personality says. The same will happen to the big Podcasts in time too. I think Ant has the right Idea by creating his own company with his own money and can tell them to fuck off if they try to do the same to him. Of course, I have NO Idea if he's making or losing money since he started it but the concept is great. I hope when he moves he keeps doing this. We'll see. Thanks for reading my rant lol

The true end was when Artie left

I agree with Jackie’s departure being the beginning of the end. As much as Stern would NEVER admit it, Jackie was absolutely crucial to that show. He was the tastemaker as far as humor went and his inhuman laugh punctuated (his own) jokes in a way that was perfectly digestible for the average listener

Imus was actually smart/wise. He learned from his mistakes. Howard hasn’t.

He who laughs last laughs the loudest. Anthony is totally enjoying this and so am I.

Howard Stern show was at its best when He had Jackie and Billy West.

Jackie laughing in the background and Fred playing the sound effects is the greatest thing EVER!! That show from the nineties will never be replicated by any other form of entertainment.

Ari Shaffir was right about Stern on every level.

Anthony is like a fine wine, he gets even funnier and more enjoyable with age. Love ya love the show.

Howard passed Imus and went straight into the arms of liberal Hollywood. He sucks now.

Boy- This video nails the shell of a person that Howard is today. Great job!

Imus regularly referred to howard as "that punk".

Howard became everything that he raged against!

The difference is that I never lost respect for Imus

i started to hate howard in the late 90,s when he started saying he invented EVERYTHING, AND NOBODY ELSE WAS FUNNY--and now of course he has become his own yenta

Imus: starts a charity for kids. Stern: lets everyone around him die of cancer.

Stern show died after Artie left

Yet, here we are 35 years later, and John DeBella is still on the radio in Philly.

Howard didn't even know that all those years back he would have made one of those prophetic statements about his future life. Too funny.

On a professional level, Imus was a Shock Jock trailblazer who influenced Howard. Imus successfully transitioned his show toward politics in the 1990s. Howard transitioned his show to a Morning Zoo. Opie, Anthony, and Jimmy by the mid-2000s had equaled and in some ways exceeded Howard at his peak.

Howard became worse than Imus.

The show tanked when Jackie's stint was over, throw in Howards divorce, and then it really went south.

Can’t stand Howard Stern now. He should just retire and go on his way already

And here we have Ant still putting out quality content decades later.

Howard made his name knocking the celebrities who rejected him unfortunately what he always wanted was to be accepted by them and ultimately be one of them. That's when I stopped listening.

I think Ant is correct, once he got that divorce it was a slow peel back to the realization that Howard was full of shit. He was huge for me and I turned and refused to read about him or listen to him.

All Howard needs is a cowboy hat and a coffin.

Brilliant video exposing Howard for what he really is.

Absolutely Yes

Towards the end of terrestrial radio and the first few years of Sirius, Howard sort of transitioned into the “straight man” host in some ways where he didn’t have to be funny every moment and he was able to be the ring leader with a lot of people around him providing the content - Sal’s antics and the emotional friend stuff, everything involving Artie, the news team, staff fights, a newfound exposure to adult content due to not being censored, etc. It worked during that era, but he’s become less and less relatable over time and the last straw for people was all of the small “PC” type of changes made to the show with the refusal to admit it or be transparent about it. Eventually, he started admitting it by calling it “maturity” and being happy with life, which is partially true, but it doesn’t cover the entire story. Many of his opinions changed out of nowhere, he banned and stopped communicating with certain people who visited the show for years, he uses his A list celebrity interviews as a major part of the show instead of a separate series/venture, he goes on press tours and these journalists and tv hosts congratulate him on his maturity while he basically apologizes for his older persona, and honestly...it seems like he shames his audience for having listened to and enjoyed old school Howard Stern. There’s no denying that towards the end of his career after having made all of his money and being set, he chose to join the A list crowd that he railed against for decades. It tells people that he secretly always wanted to be there because he’s embracing it at this late stage in his career when he doesn’t need it.

Howard didn't become Imus. He became Ryan Seacrest

The Jackie years were the best. Jackie made Howard funny. When he left, Howard lost his mojo. He had the great luck/fortune to find Artie, who then carried the show until 2010. It’s been all downhill since. And the tension between Howard and Artie really only came to light in the last few years as Arties fame and heroin addiction increased.

I grew up listening to Howard through the years, I never listened to Oand A because I knew Howard hated them boy I wish I could go back in time ! Artie was the best part of that show!

The stern clip is literally the greatest clip ever!

Amazing that Howie could describe himself so well.

I remember a friend of mine hooked up Sterns workout equipment back in the 80s and he came back to us and said Stern broke his heart. He said he was nothing like how he is in the radio and he was not funny not nice and all business. He said he was dismissive and told my friend his show is his show and it at all how he is. With Cumia what you see is what you get but Stern is just like Chevy Chase in they could do funny but it’s a character. They found out what works and they do that but it’s not genuine to who they are.

The liberal version of Imus, yes!

That video was amazing, well done to the people who put it all together.

Jackie, was the real genius behind the throne!

Its great to hear Anthony's appreciation for Howie being that O&A had such a rivalry for years. Howard was king from 88-07. Artie leaving was the beginning of the end

I was just thinking the other day how he is all the things he accused Jay Leno of being but I’m sure that Imus comparison would insult him more.

I remember, and I lived through every second of what you're talkin about. You are 100% spot on.

Howard is a brilliant salesman. If he never went into radio, that’s most likely what he would have become. The guy can (or could) talk anyone into just about anything. He’s stayed too long though. Now he’s a frightened old man afraid to leave his house because of covid.

I think the only thing that saved Jackie after he left Stern was I believe he was probably very good with managing his money. They always said Jackie was cheap, plus he still did gigs. I always liked Jackie. For some reason I read a lot of venomous comments towards Jackie, and I never got it.

That clip is from 99/00, I remember that rant... I was skipping college and smoking weed in my cousins trick at the time... thought this was extra harsh, and he was projecting... fast forward 20yrs later and boom

Not only that, Howard became Ben Stern, all self-important and serious. Fans watching this probably saw the video of Howard telling his staff to make up Internet identities to help the show. I was waiting for him to say, "Shut up! Sit down!" I did not follow the Howard Stern Show to subscription radio so I missed the great decline but hope there is a fan who kept a diary. What was the turning point? Howard's marriage to Beth? America's Got Talent? Marci Turk?

love you Anthony thanks for posting more clips to YT for all us paupers

Stern has become the joke we all used to laugh at. He takes himself so seriously and thinks he’s better than the common man.

Don Imus wasn't a closeted homosexual.

Worse. Imus never played with puppets for a show.

Ant: quick Floretine impression Me: Oh yeah, Ant's brilliant

I like the show with this co-host guy. They have a great dynamic and he's really funny.

The show was at its peak in 95. It was so fast moving he had couple guests bits they really passed the ball around omg they had the great billy west & Jackie writing on the fly Jackies writing. Then like dominoes things started changing. The movie talk was a turn off for people bc it was oversaturated. Billy left bc they paid him nothing & the john krisfaluski ambush just pushed billy over the edge. Then he announces his divorce & starts " his mad tear days " then it was all beth & how hot she is. Then jackie was gone it really was the end of this juggernaut. I know people love artie but I found his stories the first time good but then they got repetitive & artie was lying a lot than the heroin reveal & things got so dark. 80% of the content was artie. Artie is gone & howard decides not to put another comedian in the room which they really needed. Then Howard started star f ' ing & having in every person he hammered & the butt kissing. The show today is so bad. Howard is only there as little as possible bc hes dont but he needs to be there for his 3 days a week bc his ego needs to be fed. The recent ny post article was so spot on. Esp how all along he wanted to be friends w/ celebs. He was the one guy & show that would rag on the overblown egos of celebrities. That video was great bc he did become imus but only worse. Also imus stayed the same guy. Howard didnt.

I agree that the divorce was a huge element to why his show changed, I loved the stories of him complaining about his marriage.

Stern has admitted the "big bird" comment came from Journey's Steve Perry. He actually got along with the Detroit DJ on before him. Just changed it for the movie.

I stayed for awhile. Right up till the pandemic , I was fast forwarding almost everything, I listened for the back office drama and fights, the best part IMO. The banter between him & Robin is just awful. I tried listening now that they are during a “zoom” show. It’s terrible last week he berated everyone who watches football on sundays, saying we could be doing something better with their time, like chess or painting!!!!! Him berating anyone who isn’t “quarantining”. The dip for me started after Artie.

Howard's fall goes way back. Pretty much right after the divorce. I stopped listening completely in the mid-2000's even before Sirius. By that time the show had become an hour of him talking about his weekend in the Hamptons; an hour and a half of him complaining about Bush; an hour of Howard talking about the 93 "projects" he was working on; a call from Shuli gushing about how Beth is the most beautiful woman in the world; and then Howard rushing through the news because he had a bunch of meetings to go to.

Imus was still funny as an old guy. Stern hasn't been funny since around 2010. And even that is probably being a little generous.

"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

I love this! And you know Howard's staff is going to see this and try to keep it from him hahaha

I could never have imagined that I’d live to enjoy listening to Anthony bag on Howard. This is a strange timeline.

One of my favorite Howard/Jackie arguments was over plugging that Miami hotel. “The Cordova Hotel, in beautiful Miami!”

Are there any true rebels left within the entertainment business? Howard more than anyone has the audience and power to say fuck off to wokeness.....instead he went on an apology tour about his past and bent the knee for more money and to be liked. Artie was the best part of that show and that eats Howard up when he hears that from former fans.

It started with him liking Ellen's dancing and ended with him throwing softballs and Hillary Clinton

Pulling up the ladder behind him. Just like Borat. There is something else that they have in common but I just can't place it.

The power of Beth O ! She might of had a big influence on the direction the show went.

Howard made up the Imus scene in Private Parts

I loved DeBella in Philly till I heard Howard, and I couldn't believe how dumb I was. Then I loved Howard till I heard O&A, and the same exact thing happened...they were like a breath of fresh air, it was amazing how they exposed what a hack Howard was. And no one has come close to O&A at their peak.

Sorry Boomers but Howard was at his peak with Artie and they first moved to satellite. When Artie left the show went to SJW shit.

Ant is 100% right about losing the fans post private parts, he was no longer one of "us" His listeners would have done almost anything for him before that. Also that synched Howie/Imus video is fucking world beating.

I was a devoted Stern fan from around 1987 to 1999, maybe 2000. I just got sick of him bitching, it was 4 hours a day, 5 days a week of Howard complaining about the FCC, George Bush, the radio company he worked for, they were all out to get him. Thank God Opie and Anthony came along, I remember very well the first O&A show I heard, you an Opie did the staple gun challenge, I was hooked. That was on WYSP Philly radio was never the same after you guys.

Once Jackie left the show was over. Howard became everything he hated.

Howard talking about Imus is fucking painful! Goddamn that was hypocritical

Howard talking about Imus is stunning. Just proves how much self awareness he actually has.

whats really odd is that howard made his hair look just like imus's

He absolutely has, I’ve been saying this for 10 years

Also before the internet certain jocks could bounce around the country stealing other guy's shows. Ant should go on the Quite Frankly podcast. One of the only places around you can hear the truth about Stern.

Anthony, I heard Soder and Oakerson are looking for a new home. Bring The Bonfire to your network! It's one of the best shows now.

I hope Howard sees that video it is just to good

Everyone is always blaming Beth but he got with Beth in 2000 so he had a decade of good radio while being with Beth. I think it 100% was Marcy Turk that clipped his nuts. I can’t even listen to a second of it nowadays

The issue isn't Howie's lifestyle (getting divorced and marrying a younger woman); but how he flipped so hard politically/socially. Ex) Going from disliking Ellen to LOVING her. And, all the other ass kissing of things he used to loath. But, yeah...that video is hilariously and pathetically ironic.

The Stern Show has been dogshit since Artie Lange's departure.

I would argue Howard's best years as a show extended all the way to 2008ish, up until Artie's issues really began to come out.