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The Tragedy Of Howard Stern
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00:01Howard Stern is one of the most polarizing interviewers of all time.
00:05Known for his no-filter discussions, Stern was sometimes seen as a shock jock.
00:09What many don't know, however, is that he struggled with his own personal issues throughout.
00:14Here is the tragic, real-life story of Howard Stern.
00:18Howard Stern was born in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, New York, and grew up in
00:22Roosevelt, Long Island.
00:23He remembers his neighborhood in rough shape.
00:26In an interview with Rolling Stone, Stern revealed,
00:28"...when I was young, I was very misunderstood, and I was put into a lot of dangerous situations."
00:33What's more, he felt his parents never addressed the poor living conditions.
00:36As Stern recalled in the interview,
00:38"...my family lived in such a bad neighborhood, and it was so disturbing to be one of the few
00:42white families left in the community."
00:44As he saw more and more of his friends move out of the neighborhood, he never complained
00:48about it to his parents, but also never allowed himself to feel anything about it.
00:52Thinking back, Stern still questions why he felt unable to discuss his feelings with his
00:56mother and father.
00:57The radio host realized that later, after moving to a white neighborhood, the problems
01:01persisted.
01:02Stern confessed in the Rolling Stone interview,
01:04"...it turns out it wasn't race, it was me.
01:06I was the awkward one."
01:08He realized people of all colors hated him and felt more alienated than ever.
01:12While Stern felt alone, his realization is also what pushed him into radio.
01:17Stern told Rolling Stone,
01:18"...I came to the revelation that if I was going to go anywhere, I can't be playing records
01:22if what I have to say was important.
01:24No one can replicate that."
01:26Terrestrial radio stations had a tough time figuring out what to do with Howard Stern early
01:31in his career.
01:32His controversial comments brought fans but also put pressure on show executives.
01:36In 1982, Stern's run at DC 101 reached a breaking point.
01:40As the Washington Post reported at the time, Stern was suspended for criticizing the station's
01:45management.
01:46The young DJ said the decision took him by surprise, saying,
01:49"...I've really tried to fulfill my contractual agreement to DC 101.
01:53I've been treated very shabbily."
01:55However, Stern quickly landed on his feet at WNBC AM in New York that same year.
02:01But history repeated itself, and after three years on the air, Stern was once again fired.
02:06With two years remaining on a five-year contract, the station's vice president cited, quote,
02:10"...conceptual differences," as the main reason for releasing Stern.
02:13This put an end to Stern's career working as a DJ for other stations, but set the groundwork
02:18to start his own show.
02:20"...Oh my goodness, what's your reaction to all of this?"
02:22"...I'm fed up.
02:23I mean, you know, I don't even understand what happened.
02:24You're gonna ask me what happened?
02:25I don't know."
02:26The first words people think of about Howard Stern probably aren't romantic family man.
02:31And yet, the shock jock married his college sweetheart Alison Burns with the couple
02:35sharing three daughters together.
02:37However, while Stern's career took off and he became a household name, the couple ultimately
02:41split, with Burns leaving him in 1999.
02:44As Stern confessed to Rolling Stone,
02:46"...divorce was so theoretical to me because no one in my family had really been divorced."
02:50He cited his parents' longtime relationship as a model he couldn't live up to.
02:55He also admitted the separation was difficult for his children.
02:58And like so many others who have loved and lost, Stern dwelled on what went wrong in the
03:02relationship, saying,
03:03"...I think there were a lot of stressors, especially with what I did for a living."
03:07Not surprising, given his history of controversy and penchant for interviewing porn stars.
03:12Still, the two stayed together until it could just no longer work.
03:16With his rising popularity on the radio, Howard Stern wanted to take on another form of leadership.
03:22In 1994, he announced his candidacy for New York state governor, deciding to run as a
03:26Libertarian in the New York Libertarian Party.
03:29What would you say to Governor Cuomo?
03:31I'd say he's in big trouble if he has to run against me, because I will win.
03:34His platform consisted of just three main points, which included reinstating the death penalty,
03:39forcing construction workers to work at night, and staggering highway tolls to alleviate
03:44traffic jams.
03:45But he also started with an exit strategy in mind.
03:47He claimed once his goals were accomplished, he would promptly vacate the seat.
03:51Though many considered him a long shot to win the actual race, other candidates feared
03:55Stern would steal votes and hurt their chances.
03:58As Stern continued to receive more votes and appeared ready to reach the final ballot, he
04:02abruptly ended his run.
04:04At the time, the DJ needed to disclose his personal finances if he wanted to run.
04:08After unsuccessfully asking a judge to waive the requirement for him, Stern dropped out.
04:13Once back on the radio, Stern further explained his decision to his listeners,
04:17"'I spend 25 hours a week telling you all the most intimate details of my life.
04:22One fact I've never revealed is how much I make and how much money I have.
04:26It's none of your business.'"
04:28Behind all the bravado and scandalous discussions on The Howard Stern Show, the host mostly hid
04:32mood disorders that affected his daily routine.
04:35Years after becoming a star, Howard Stern admitted in his book, Miss America, that he once suffered
04:40from an obsessive-compulsive disorder, which forced him to enter rooms with his right foot
04:44forward.
04:45Stern's respite from his compulsiveness came while working.
04:49In the air, he claimed it was easier to keep distracted and forget about his problems,
04:53but ultimately Stern felt his compulsive behavior was tough to ignore.
04:57Even worse, Stern would have serious physical reactions, admitting to becoming, quote, literally
05:01paralyzed because of his obsessive-compulsive disorder.
05:05Working on The Air for decades, Howard Stern matured in front of his listeners.
05:09That being said, he also burned bridges along the way.
05:12Looking back on his earlier days, Stern spoke with David Letterman on his Netflix series,
05:16My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, admitting that he was a young man, quote, full of rage.
05:22Looking back, it became clear that he erred in many relationships.
05:25Stern went on to add that he apologized to many of the people he wronged throughout his
05:28career.
05:29The radio icon also confessed that he did a lot of growing up over the past few years.
05:33He attributes his personal progression and change of heart to decades of psychotherapy.
05:38With these tools under his belt, Stern said he finally started to appreciate life and
05:42the people around him.
05:44On-air radio seems like the perfect place to avoid body-shaming culture.
05:48Behind the mic, one can depend solely on personality and a sonically-friendly voice, but Howard
05:53Stern confessed he struggled with self-image as he became more popular.
05:57As the New York Daily News recapped, Stern talked about enhancing himself through two plastic
06:01surgery procedures.
06:02His first change happened shortly after filming his biographical film Private Parts.
06:07Stern went under the knife for rhinoplasty.
06:10According to the report, Stern confessed that his biggest fear was not how he'd look after
06:14a nose job, but how he'd sound.
06:16Instead, as an added bonus, the DJ admitted that the surgery actually improved his voice.
06:20For his second procedure, Stern decided to go for liposuction to remove some unwanted
06:24fat underneath his chin.
06:26Though perhaps with some buyer's remorse, Stern revealed he felt few people except his sister
06:30noticed the changes.
06:33During his tenure on the radio, Howard Stern maintained a relatively clean bill of health.
06:37That is, until he received news that would alter his life.
06:41Doctors noticed his white blood cell count dropping and recommended chemotherapy.
06:44Luckily for the radio personality, another doctor suspected an elevated mercury issue.
06:49Sure enough, Stern's levels were through the roof from eating too much fish.
06:53He changed his eating habits and returned to a normal mercury level.
06:56Suddenly, things got even scarier.
06:59As Stern revealed to Rolling Stone,
07:00I went and got this body scan, and then they tell me they think 95 percent chance I've got
07:05cancer in my kidney."
07:06On the day of his surgery in 2017, Stern canceled his daily show.
07:10When he returned, he played it off as if he had the flu.
07:13Luckily, the procedure went well for the radio host.
07:15When you have a health scare like that, and I'm saying to myself, wait a second, my parents
07:19are 96 and 91.
07:21I'm supposed to live forever.
07:22Yeah.
07:23Not the rest of you.
07:24Me!
07:25Looking at this scenario, Stern told NPR that he initially freaked out upon hearing the news
07:29that he may have cancer, but after the fact, he credits the experience as a positive one,
07:34explaining,
07:35"...it gets you into a frame of mind where you're like, wow, how much time do I have left?
07:39And what is it I'm really trying to accomplish with that time?"
07:42The same personal drive that turned Howard Stern into a nationally known name is also one
07:47of his biggest issues.
07:48In an interview with Rolling Stone, Stern said he takes his long-running radio show too seriously,
07:54which is a problem for him.
07:55Stern went on to add that it's not fulfilling enough to think he had a successful show,
07:59confessing,
08:00"...no, I gotta know, do you think I did a good show and are you satisfied?
08:04And that's the neurosis, and that's the source of all problems for me."
08:07In another story, Stern talked to NPR about a study that claimed one out of four cars in
08:12the largest market in the United States, New York, were listening to his show.
08:16However, Stern looked at the report pessimistically and dwelled on the other three cars not listening,
08:22explaining,
08:23"...if you want everything and nothing satisfies you and you only want to be in a narcissistic
08:27kind of way, the center of the universe and the focus, I was clearly a starved person who
08:32only would believe that the focus needed to be on me."
08:35Even though he built a career on interviews that others would only dream of, Howard Stern
08:40still regrets several moves.
08:42As an older and more mature DJ, Stern reflected on those times that now make him cringe.
08:47He admitted the younger Stern was completely self-obsessed and wanted to be the star of
08:51every interview.
08:52He needed to be the funniest person in the room.
08:54Stern remembered an occurrence when George Michael came into his studio,
08:57"...I said to him first thing, are you gay?
09:00Okay, yes, that's outrageous, and it's not fair to the guy."
09:03The DJ also created a remarkably uncomfortable interview with Gilda Radner.
09:07Stern revealed the SNL star cut the interview short and, while escaping, hit her head on a
09:11speaker because she was so unnerved by Stern's insane questions.
09:15But Stern's biggest regret of all is how he treated the late, great Robin Williams.
09:19Despite the DJ's complete love for the actor, Stern had to act indifferent, because he was,
09:24quote, "...angry at the world."
09:26Instead of a genuine discussion, Stern put on his outlandish persona.
09:30Stern said he threw away the opportunity to celebrate an amazing talent and the beauty of
09:34Williams' career.
09:35In 2012, Howard Stern planned to show off his sweet side, if that existed.
09:41He joined the summer variety show America's Got Talent as a judge.
09:45The move shocked many in Stern's orbit, including his longtime agent Don Buchwald.
09:49Stern lasted four seasons to the delight of fans, and his grand plan worked.
09:54As the radio personality later admitted about his unlikely tenure on AGT,
09:58"...I went from America's Nightmare to Santa Claus.
10:01Literally, people were putting their kids on my lap."
10:03After his TV stint, Stern sat with longtime friend Jimmy Kimmel and spilled his secrets
10:08about the show.
10:08The former judge said he hated every minute of the show, and that the family-friendly
10:13format wasn't in line with him.
10:15Stern admitted,
10:16"...here I am, fart man, and to see me juxtaposed within a family show like that was interesting
10:20to me."
10:21Stern also joked that his body type is much better suited for a radio studio than on
10:26camera, saying,
10:27"...I'm 6'5'' and the cameraman was shooting up my huge nostrils.
10:30I had no good side."
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