The King Of All Media Comes Into His Own

A credible argument could be put forth that Howard Stern came into his own a long time ago, however prime time TV is one area where he has yet to leave his indelible mark.  Perhaps because he's aware of this himself, he's taken up residence this season as the left sided judge on NBC's televised gong show, America's Got Talent.  Not surprisingly, he's making the most of it.  

You love me, America! You really love me!

Thirty-five years in show business, mostly on the radio, have prepared Stern for this role and what may be the commencement of his final act.  At one time he ruled the AM/FM spectrums, a morning radio ratings hit in every market.  Since moving over to satellite radio on Sirius XM, he's kept a substantially loyal following, but become largely irrelevant outside the private digital signals.  Older and newly married to his second wife, one could assume he was content to just fade away doing what he knows how to do best.

Yet, here he is once again and looking very comfortable in his big prime time opportunity.  He's been on TV before.  There were a couple of stints on the Fox network, the second attempt a short lived and ill conceived attempt to go up against Saturday Night Live.  He was on the E! Network in the U.S. during prime time, but it was a smaller cable network with a limited audience and the show was merely a televised version of his morning radio show with Howard and his crew hiding behind microphones, trying to uncover the bridge between good audio and good video.  It didn't always work.

Now he finds himself front and centre on a major network and a hit show with an established fan base.  Call the brand of humour that made him famous what you will — crude, sensationalistic, sexist, low brow or downright mean and petty.  In his new prime time slot, he's been forced to leave most of that behind and rely on his years of honed comedic timing and a comfort in who he's become to keep things entertaining.  

It's working.  The other two judges, Howie Mandel and Sharon Osbourne, seem to like having Stern around.  There is an ease and good humour at the judge's table, like they might actually be having fun with this preposterous gig.   Piers Morgan, Stern's predecessor, could never manage that.  Piers always seemed to be sporting a perpetual grimace as if internally he was debating whether his decision to be on this show was helping or hurting his career.  Howard, a self confessed fan of AGT, appears to be relishing the opportunity.  Unlike Piers, Howard is willing to engage and ham it up on stage with the contestants, something he's no stranger to having done it for years on his radio show.  His 6 foot, five inch frame vertically challenges the TV screen and he looks a little awkward climbing out of his seat and slouching about on stage.  But, he pulls it off.

And why wouldn't he?  AGT is a natural extension of what he's been doing for years, discovering the truly bizarre oddballs and freaks of the world and turning them into comedic entertainment.  He has a knack for uncovering the interesting human element in even the most undeserving loser and transforming that into something of value worth watching.  And with his ridiculous Wack Pack and morning show team left on the sidelines, he's able to step out and just be Howard.  He still manages to bring a much needed edge to the proceedings.  On one episode, when an escape artist contestant narrowly misses being crushed by snapping steel jaws, Howard quips that he won't be content with the act until he sees someone die.  The joke feels a touch inappropriate for prime time family viewing, but it's sly enough to slip by.  After all, it's what every viewer is thinking and if there is one thing Stern is not afraid to say, it's what everyone is thinking.   Howard continues to ride that edge just as he's done all throughout his career.

The only thing holding this season of AGT back from truly busting out is the inane host, Nick Cannon, who seems so starved for attention, it's embarrassing.  One has to wonder just how shitty he must feel about himself when he looks in the mirror and remembers his antics from the previous evening's show like a bad hangover.  Don't try so hard, bro.  Learn from Howard.  Keep it real and just be yourself.

During the filming of episodes in his home town of New York, Stern brought his elderly father up on stage for a comedic bit that no doubt melted the heart of even the most hardened Howard hater.  Stern's always had a contentious relationship with his father, the paternal tension forming the driving force behind his life long desire for attention and approval in any manner he can get it.   This night, with his father on stage beside him, the two berated a contestant in a classic Stern family dressing down.  Yes, it was a funny, but one couldn't help wonder if it was a contrived effort by Stern to prove to his father that after years of being loathed by mainstream America, he was now experiencing his shining moment.   "I'm on TV on a station where you and everyone can watch me.  I made it Dad.  I made it."

Yes, Howard.  Indeed you have.  Enjoy.