"Sirius" Stern: An Oxymoron

Who is Howard Stern? To me, he is the social outcast turned bully: the awkward, self-conscious kid who finds pleasure in verbally tearing others to shreds. His behavior has been reinforced by a society who gets a kick out of people who can get away with saying outrageous things on air. This "shock jock" as he's been so appropriately called, has made a lucrative career for himself simply by saying what's on his mind, however offensive or obscene. Furthermore, it has made him "cool," an image he seems to be stretching for with his dark shades and rock star duds.

For someone who has been called a revolutionary in shaping radio, Stern seems to have little to say that is of real importance. Sometimes it seems as if his sole purpose on his show is to say the most shocking thing he can think of. With a reputation for being the most heavily fined DJ in the history of radio, he is famous for pushing (and frequently crossing) the boundaries of what you can and can't say on air. If only he would put his intelligence and lack of inhibition to better use and ask female guests more relevant questions than, "Are those real breasts?"

To me, Howard Stern is a novelty, nothing more. His shallow rants and degrading attitude toward women wear thin rather quickly, and it was to my amusement to discover that many of his fans are apparently as shallow as he is, and have not stuck with him through his move to Sirius Satellite Radio. I believe his style of broadcasting is a fad that people will eventually get over, but hopefully remember as a lesson on what not to do.