By Allen Bacon
Editor
The Daily Bosco
I am going to say right up front I am not a big fan of Howard Stern's intergallactic radio show or whatever they call it over on Sirius Satellite Radio but I admire the man's genius. Sound like a contradiction? Let me explain.
Two times over the last few weeks he has managed to get himself into the news over something he said or has done. And you know the old saying "Any News is Good News". First of all, he makes statements about the morality of that controversial Billy Ray Cyrus and daughter photo spread. As if Stern is the moral compass of the country. Now, the latest....Apparently Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers are getting ready to lawyer up against the King of All Media for his slice and dice job of Dolly's latest audiobook.
What Stern does is take audio clips from people and edits them in such a way that they sound nasty or in this case say something outrageous. Which is not original by the way...Conway and Steckler used to do it with Huell Howser and Jesse Jackson years ago. It's actually pretty funny stuff until you understand that you are slandering the reputation of some good people.
I love Dolly Parton. This love affair has gone on since the day in 1974 when I saw her home in Nashville and saw that guitar shaped pool of hers. That was cool. She is the Queen of all Media. I love her music. I love the fact that not only can she sing and play guitar well...she writes some great music. I love people that take chances and do other things too which she has done. But Dolly is also very tough. She might have let it slide (because she has the ability to laugh at herself) if it wasn't for the fact that Stern got her good friend Kenny Rogers messed up in his little skit. Don't mess with the Gambler!
But you know, Howard Stern is having a good laugh right now. As in the past, this stunt is going to cost his company a lot of money. But it's like paying for advertising and paying a PR firm. Many newspapers and yes even yours truly is carrying the story and feeding the Howard Stern media machine. You can't buy this type of publicity. It probably comes out cheaper in the long run... And I bet a lot of people are signing up for Sirius radio today to see what other stuff he's going to say and do. So that's why I think he is a genius. I hear a lot of people always railing against what he is doing on his show and oh, how bad and vulgar it is...but these same people can recite line by line what he was doing on the show that particular day.
And I say...if you really don't like him and you want him off the radio...Just don't listen. It's as simple as that. Eventually if enough people do that then there is no market for his show and he will go away. But that will never happen. We like watching train wrecks here in America.
Photo Credit: TV Guide
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