Mancow to Steal Howard Stern’s Show

NewsMax.com ^ | January 11, 2005 | Jean Pearce

[EveningStar]

Step aside Howard Stern -- your replacement is waiting in Chicago and his name is Mancow.

In 2006, when Howard Stern leaves his syndicated morning talk show for the unregulated freedom of Sirius Satellite Radio, the 46 radio stations that carried his popular show will be looking for someone to fill the vacuum.

[Incorrigible]

I seem to remember something about Howard, Mancow's father's skull, and some action Howard would like to take...

Hmmmmm

[Clemenza]

I was a loyal listener of Stern's from the mid-80s, when he was on WNBC, up until shortly after his divorce from Allison. The divorce and his partying in the Hamptons crowd has really taken a toll on his ability to entertain.

[wardaddy]

Good.

Better looking chicks too.

[Clemenza]

Ping!

[PilloryHillary]

Here's ManCow

[Lovergirl]

Ummm. I honestly don't know. I don't get either one that I know of. I sure wouldn't listen to Air America even if I did get it. I don't know about Radio America. Whew, glad to know what I thought is not right.

[Darkwolf377]

OUr experiences are very similar. After he dumped Billy West he bagan to slip; after Jackie was gone from the show and Allison gone from his life, he stopped being a guy the average Joe could relate to (even though he was rich he lived as a middle class, frustrated married with kids guy)and became a Celeb. I tuned out. My brother listened until he couldn't take the All Bush All The Time format and bailed out.

[Lovergirl]

I HATE Howard Stern. I hate the fact that my oldest son LOVES Howard Stern. I have never found him funny. Mancow just lost his dad about a year or so ago. Howard Stern is an idiot.

[Rodney King]

Mancow is somewhat of a conservative, from what I have seen of him on TV.

[NJ_gent]

Since Christmas, several stations have taken Howie off the air and replaced him. Some have gone to using sanitized segments of the Opie and Anthony show, which is now on XM Satellite radio. What's absolutely hilarious is that, ever since then, Howie's been spending upwards of 15, 20 minutes a show saying over and over and over again that he doesn't care. You know it's just killing someone when they can't stop talking about how much they don't care. :-)

There's a pretty funny thing an O&A fan put together using clips of Howie saying he doesn't care. It's here.

[SheLion]

He a Chicago conservative shock jock. He has a bit on Fox and Friends almost every morning. I think he's funny.

Mancow is the best. I love him!

[dfwgator]

Same here with Stern, I admit I read the books and even say "Private Parts" in the theater when it came out. But then I grew up.

[Ozone34]

Mancow was on the air in San Francisco before Chicago. He was sacked after pulling some stunt where he blocked traffic over the Golden Gate Bridge while he was getting a haircut...

[Common Tator]

The problem is, he's not funny.

Being funny is not what a morning talk show host wants to be.

People look for a companion.. a friend or friends, some people to share the morning with as they get up, get ready, and travel to work.

To be funny on Radio or Tv requires a live audience. Being funny is all about timing. And no one has ever gotten the timing right with out a live audience to play off of.

Low budget TV shows tried to do it with laugh tracks. People do not laugh when alone or almost alone. But the timing of the laugh track has to be just right. And the only way to get a laugh track right is to use a live audience.

Radio tries to fix the listenera mostly being alone by using audio stingers right after the punch line. They do not work very well.

Some shows like Imus and Stern try to use the other people on the show as a sort of laugh track. But the problem is the pro's working the show do not respond like listeners. They try to laugh on cue.. It rarely works.

To gain and maintain an audience, a morning show host has to relate to his listeners. He has to be someone the audience likes to listen to.. someone with whom the listener feels comfortable. The show must provide needed information, and be staffed with people with whom the audience likes to spend time.

The success of a morning show has almost nothing to do with being funny. A morning show host has to be fun to listen too.. not funny.

[Darkwolf377]

That's your opinion. Mine is he has to be funny.

[Caipirabob]

Mancow does a comedy show based on humor, not on softcore porn from what I know. Anyone doubt what Stern will become once he goes satellite?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

He has a bit on Fox and Friends almost every morning.

I've watched some of his bits and I swear he lurks on FR. Just judging by some of the things he talks about and they way he phrases things...it has a familiar flavor to it.

[Darkwolf377]

"People do not laugh when alone or almost alone."

Not true. People don't laugh when they're watching a funny movie by themselves? They don't laugh when one other person is with them? On what planet?

[t_skoz]

fowlmouth?

[muleskinner]

Howard peaked when Billy West was doing voices and impersonations, and wasn't hindered by the politically correct crowd as much. Had to be the funniest radio in the history of the planet. Also a few years before his divorce. But that was nine years ago.

Mancow was O.K.