Howard Stern: Professional bully
By Nicholas Sanchez
web
posted December 11, 2000
Please, please, please. Let it be so.
The Washington Post is reporting that Howard Stern, the "King of All Media", and the epitome of shock jocks, is possibly going to be off the air in mid-December. I cannot think of a better Christmas gift than that!
Howard
Stern is, for those of you who are too cultured to know such things, the
popular radio talk-show host that has come up with such antics as "Lesbian
Dial-A-Date", "butt bongo", and "Homeless Hollywood
Squares". He has a pre-pubescent obsession with lesbians and other
sexual matters. His stic is so over the top, and the topics that he brings
up are so scatological, that most radio markets have refused to pick up
his show. However, taped segments of his radio show can be seen nationally
on the cable "E!" network.
The Howard Stern radio show is the number one rated show in New York City...easily surpassing another radio talkmeister who is situated in the Big Apple, Rush Limbaugh. However, according to the Post, his audience share has been slipping in some of his other markets.
I first came into contact with the pugnacious Mr. Stern on the E! channel. One night I was channel surfing when I came upon his show. Having done a bit of radio work myself, both in college and professionally, I was impressed with the ease that he handled himself. Relevant criticism aside, he truly seemed to be at home in this medium. However, it only took a few minutes for my admiration of his talents to subside.
On this particular broadcast, he had invited an attractive woman on the show who had suffered some sort of brain damage. This woman, who was a big fan of Mr. Stern -- as are most of the miscreants who are ultimately embarrassed by this man on his show -- sought nothing more than to have someone pay for breast implants. Seizing upon the opportunity, Stern immediately agreed to pay for them...provided that he could do a post interview.
Sadly, I must admit, curiosity provoked me to watch the follow-up interview. And never had I seen someone so degraded, so reduced to a sub-human standard in all of my life.
With a smile on his face, and ribald thoughts obviously shooting through his mind one could tell, Stern poked, pried, and utterly humiliated this poor woman who had absolutely no notion of what she was doing to herself. Stern, however, knew of the vulnerability of this woman and seized upon it.
Seeing this with my own eyes was too much. What kind of man is low enough to prey upon such a weak-minded woman? And then I thought, he could only do this if he had sponsors who were willing to finance his shows. And those sponsors are there because there is a market for this kind of thing. What a sad commentary on our society.
Stern has become internationally famous and made millions of dollars because he has been able to take individuals and, through his linguistic prowess, lower their stature beneath that of a barnyard animal. Like the schoolyard bully, he has been able to build himself up by tearing others down.
Personally, I think it would do Mr. Stern a great deal of good to visit an Ethiopian Orthodox priest of the old school. Way back when, in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, it was not uncommon for those who went to Holy Confession and admitted to serious sin to have received the penance of placing upon themselves animal skins and, in the front of the church, making loud animal noises.
I can think of no other punishment for Howard Stern that would be more
fitting. Give him some of that old time religion! 
Nicholas Sanchez is the Free Congress Foundation's Director of Development.
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