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Howard Stern did an interview on The Tonight Show last to promote his new book, Howard Stern Comes Again, his first in over ten years. It’s an anthology of transcripts of his favorite interviews along with his personal commentary. He put a lot of himself into it, you can tell by how he’s described it. In the first part of his interview with Fallon, he comes across as a better interviewer than he is an interview subject. His self-effacing nature got to be a bit much, but the second part was highly watchable and much more interesting. I was impressed by his comments about his second wife of 11 years, Beth Ostrosky, and how she makes him a better person and has changed his life. Beth is an animal activist who works to foster kittens and cats. Howard said she’s made him into one too.
My wife is so amazing and I’m in such a good loving relationship with her. One of the things she’s passionate about is saving animals. This is over the top. We have placed over 1,000 animals out of my home, 1,000 cats and kittens. People think I’m Attila The Hun and I won’t be into it. I’m absolutely into it. I love it.
Jimmy’s kids love Beth too and he said they love seeing her and think of her as a princess in a castle with kittens. It sounds like they live in the same neighborhood and are all friendly. In the last post we covered about Howard, many of you said that you canceled him a while ago and that only a white dude would get as many chances as he has. I understand and agree so much with that perspective. However as someone whose job is to be snarky and who used to be much ruder, I appreciate that he’s not reduced to just his past, that he’s been able to evolve, and that he’s still around doing his thing. Beth did a lot to rehabilitate his image, but he’s also changed too, some of it due to her influence, which he’s grateful for and acknowledges.
In the second part of the interview, he made some really insightful comments about the work that goes into building a career:
We all think it’s easy. You take a guy like Steve Martin and you go ‘he’s just naturally funny.’ When he starts talking about his career and the work and the hours that he put in. I don’t really care what your business is. People don’t see that climb and they don’t see the work and the effort that goes into it.
Billy Joel was talking about his work ethic and how important it is to enjoy what we do. No matter what we do, you have to find a way to enjoy it and have fun.
He said that Mike Tyson described drug addiction to him in a way that made him understand it completely. Mike explained “Have you ever gone two days without food? To a drug addict, that stuff is food. When I can’t get it, I need to eat or I’ll die.”
He also claimed he was planning to call Robin Williams to apologize to him about being a jerk during an interview he did with him years ago, but that Robin committed suicide that day before he could do it. That made me gasp out loud. It didn’t sound like a put on at all.
Here’s that first part of the interview. Howard sings The Name Game around 10 minutes. I’m surprised he didn’t do “Chuck.”
Here’s the second part. He really sold me on the book and this is the more interesting part. Howard talked to Jimmy about the flack Jimmy got for ruffling Trump’s hair. He understood how it happened. Howard also brought on his biggest fan, Marianne.
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Howard is the best interviewer in the bussiness, imo. I always thought he was smart and that he got a bad wrap. Sure he’s gotten a little soft in his older years. I like his humor, I appreciate his perspective on politcs. If Beth made him a better man, then I’m happy for him.
Better than Terri Gross? She’s my nominee for greatest, but I never listened to Stern, so can’t compare.
i would say yes. i listen to both regularly and i love both.
Jerusha – have you heard Terry’s interview with Howard? It aired earlier this week or late last week. I think it’s available online. Terry is a big fan. He said it was a lot of fun and a great discussion.
I follow Beth on Instagram and believe her devotion to animals to be unspeakably beautiful. She’s an inspiration. And Howard clearly loves cats, too. It warms the heart. I used to kind of detest him, but I’ve come around, cognitive dissonance from his past misogyny notwithstanding.
I follow her too, she’s wonderful. I’ve come around to Howard. Just bought his book to take to the beach, can’t wait!
I adopted a kitten from the North Shore Animal League in Oct. 2017 and they told me that her code meant that Beth Stern rescued her/brought her in. I’ve never liked Howard Stern, but I now have such gratitude for her, that I now like him a little just because he’s married to her.
Also, that she is apparently responsible for bringing in so many cats and kittens that they have a code to designate that is beyond impressive to me.
Too many years of Howard’s meanness to over look, because he had a health scare or Beth, he is a changed man.
Like the wig he is not wearing.
His hair is a wig??
I didn’t know that.
Laughing. It’s not a wig. It’s his hair. It sometimes gets really kinky, and he needs to fluff it up. He’s always lamenting it never looks good.
I’m not going to watch the clips because I have canceled Stern (and was such a fan until the 2016 election). But of course he empathizes with Fallon on the ruffling of the hair – they both did their part to get Trump elected so I don’t care about either one (after the past week I’m even angrier at all these white guys giving each other a pass).
I honestly don’t recall Howard promoting or coddling Trump before the election. He had him on as a guest a lot over the years, sure. But he certainly didn’t think Trump should be president.
I agree with you all about how I’m annoyed at the “Beth is the best” stuff given that Alison was with him during his lean years and raised his kids.
I actually miss the old Howard who would call out the rich and powerful on their BS.
He didn’t promote him, no, but he also didn’t drag him. He voiced his support for Hillary but he never went in on Trump. He joked about how he wanted an invite to Camp David. It was all very soft and I speculate it was because he didn’t want Trump to spill Howard’s personal dirt if he poked that bear. (By his own admission Howard and Beth have been to Mar a Lago to personally visit with Trump and Melania in the past.)
I actually listened to the first iteration of stern before his national expansion and he was a nyc shock jock. it’s a bit annoying about how he carries on how awesome his current wife is; does he mention the endless ugly comments he’d make daily about his then wife, Allison had to endure. has he ever mocked the current one?
No. Because as a longtime listener, Allison didn’t put up with his sh*t while Beth babies him.
I like Beth and her cat Instagram. But, she’s a trophy wife and I think she’s well aware that she’s a trophy wife. So she doesn’t rock the boat and just goes along with whatever he wants.
Yeah, I remember watching his show on E! back in the 90s, and he was always downing his first wife, especially sexually. Even my young self thought he was a real asshole towards his wife, on air, no less. I’m sure his first wife is happy to be rid of him.
He talked about a miscarriage Allison had when he was on DC101. He crossed a lot of lines with his first wife. I’m a long-time Howard fan, but have gone off of him in the last years since he went to Sirius.
He’s so gross.
Oh for heavens sake! He’s a misogynistic asshole! Just because he married an animal lover doesn’t make him nice!
THANK YOU!!!!
Lol. Am I the only one who tries to ‘like the cute IG posts in the arricle?
I love Howard and I love Beth.
Same! Amazing there are still so many haters.
I’ve never actually listened to his show, and only know him from his Letterman/Seinfeld/other talk show appearances, etc, when he always seems quite humble and relatable. So as far as his making some sort of conversion recently, I have no real opinion. The only thing that strikes me is that– does anyone remember the movie he made about his life about a million years ago? This whole thing seems like kind of a reprise. It was the origin story of “fartman”, the history of his rise to fame. He was portrayed as misunderstood, rough around the edges, sometimes a bit misguided, but a good guy underneath it all. And the centrepiece was how devoted he was to his wife, Alison. I only remember her name because of how many times his says her name reverentially in voice-over at the end, almost like the entire movie was made as a tribute to her steadfast tolerance and support. Then they got a divorce.
since you brought up ‘fartman’ … the one tale that cancelled my listening to him was how he’d fart in bed and then push Allison’s head under the covers to smell it… hahahaha… so funny; the yuks those boys got that day.
Interestingly, in all the publicity for his new book, he mentions how he can’t bear to look at Private Parts. He claims it’s because it is a reflection of his meaner, narcissistic self, but I suspect it may also be because it shows how much Allison did for him. (The real Allison is actually in it for a few seconds as a switchboard operator.)
I loved the movie when it came out but I would have a hard time watching it if I came across it, knowing how things turned out.
My husband loves Howard Stern and it drives me crazy because it’s all he has on in the car. Beth’s IG has helped humanize him a bit for me and she does such wonderful, needed work. I love her for it and my daughter always asks to look at the cats in her feed! However, unless it’s an interview I still can’t stand to listen to his show. Such misogynistic, crude, mean spirited garbage.
Does he ever talk about his actual 3 children?
Yes, he does. I just heard him describe a weekend where they were all hanging out (the girls and their SO’s) and played games, talked art and shared interests. I got the impression he “sees” (as in knows and appreciates them for who they are) his girls.
He talks about them sometimes. Two of them don’t want to be discussed on the radio, and he respects that. They are all very close.
Wasn’t there a blind years ago about beth and Jake gyllenhaal having an affair and that they felt so guilty they ended it!??
Ohhh I remember this blind and assumed it was Jessica Seinfeld! Beth makes a lot of sense too!
i feel howard on the energy and strength of being in such a supportive and loving relationship that it make you wanna clean up all your ISH….
he’s still not my cup of tea but i’m happy the nerd rude dude got his blond kitty princess i suppose lol