Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show is on life support, and it’s time to pull the plug.
His $500 million contract, signed in 2020, expires this fall, and reports suggest SiriusXM may offer him less than he demands to stay. The writing’s on the wall: “The Howard Stern Show” should end.Once a fearless shock jock who thrived on pushing boundaries, Stern has become the very establishment he once mocked.
Gone are the days of crude humor, like joking about masturbating to Aunt Jemima, or sparking feuds with stars like Chevy Chase. The raw, unfiltered edge that made him a cultural force during America’s toughest moments is long gone.
Now, he’s a fawning fanboy, kissing up to celebrities with the enthusiasm he once reserved for ridiculing them. He’s become “Ass Smoochio,” a nickname he once slapped on Arsenio Hall.
Last summer, Stern’s interview with Joe Biden was a low point. The old Stern would’ve roasted Biden’s tall tales about facing down “Corn Pop.” Instead, he gushed over Biden’s high school football days and called his scandal-plagued family “extraordinary.”
He even declared Biden a leader “we’re lucky to have.” The interview didn’t just expose Biden’s frailty—it revealed Stern’s own irrelevance.
This from a man who built his empire mocking the powerful. Protecting a potential president from jokes? That’s not just hypocrisy—it’s betrayal of his legacy.
Worse, Stern’s turned on his loyal listeners.
Holed up in a two-year COVID bunker, he called fans “stupid” for living their lives and voting differently, saying he has “no respect” for Trump supporters.
These are the same fans who kept SiriusXM afloat when Stern’s $100 million-a-year deal in 2006 made him the “King of All Media.”
Now, in a world flooded with podcasts—many outdoing Stern’s old schtick—he’s a faded jester in a crowded court. SiriusXM’s subscriber base, built on his name, deserves better. It’s time for Stern to take his final bow and let the show die. (Charley Thomas)