Howard's Motive for Shutting Down The Ronnie Mund Block Party

[Neigh]

Calling all amateur psychoanalysts! What is really behind Howard's monster move to not only end Ronnie's Block Party but to tell him to cancel the shows already booked and appointing Gary to carry out the warrant of execution. If he says it is ruining his brand, he is full of shit. Ronnie the performer is only acting out the character that has been revealed and ridiculed by Howard for years... the blue collar Jewish guy with the heavy New York accent who dresses like an Italian, is always angry and is a loud drunk. So the "let's fuck some whores" guy which Howard has played a thousand times is doing the same thing before a live crowd. Same with other guys... JD.. the inarticulate bumbler... Scott the loser and terrible DJ... These shows are not hurting Howard.. In fact they are helping him first by letting Howard lovers have some second hand personal contact with Howard and second by providing some content for the pathetic Howard TV.. I assume Ronnie and cast make a few bucks and have themselves an adventure..Gotta to be fun to cheered by a big crowd... Really cold of Howard to shut them down... I think he wants to do the same to Gary and John's TV show. So what is the motivation here? Artistic integrity? I don't think so. Taking the spotlight off Howard? Diminishing his stature as "America's Judge"? Maybe. Personally, I think Howard loves to the emasculate his minions whenever that he thinks they are riding a little too high or just when they seem too comfortable. He has done it over and over again.. Stuttering John was a favorite target, Gary of course ... and the one time he tried it on Fred, Fred walked out...

 

[TSS Taylor]

They were discussing this on Super Fan Roundtable last night and I find it fascinating. Here is my personal take on it. It's something I feel I can relate to being a boss/owner and not being as passionate about things as much as I have been.

Howard RARELY takes any blame. In fact his whole structure is to let everyone else take the blame for any error or fault. IE Tim takes all the blame for programming. Gary for guests and segments.

Howard knows the show is not as popular as it once was on Satellite. But he isn't that motivated to raise the bar himself. So he blames everything else on all the rest of the guys. It's Gary's fault for not spending extra time planning and producing and instead is doing another TV Show. It's Will and Jasons fault because they are working on Back Office Radio instead of the Stern show.

Everyone else is getting blamed for doing side projects. But you won't hear Howard (yet) say "I gotta admit, my time spent on AGT is hurting the radio show." Howard just isn't as passionate about the show. I think it's evident. But he also knows the avenues for other projects will not present themselves unless the radio show gets better.

Right now he is bitchy and angry about the situation. So he wants his audience to know he isn't pleased about the state of the show, but wants them to know it's not his fault at all. If he mans up he will take some responsibility. But I can't see that happening in the short term.

 

[Neigh]

Excellent take. Sounds right. The emasculation part is probably just a secondary benefit.

 

[scotchandcigar]

These annoyances fall into different categories for Howard. Some of the non-HSS stuff they do gets in the way timewise, and I understand Howard being upset about that. But Howard's point about Ronnie's block party is that it's a collection of HSS people providing crappy entertainment in the name of Howard.

However, Gary & John's VH1 show doesn't in any way represent the HSS, so as long as they're not cutting into their time working on the HSS to do it, it shouldn't be a concern to Howard.

 

[robhurlburt]

However, Gary & John's VH1 show doesn't in any way represent the HSS, so as long as they're not cutting into their time working on the HSS to do it, it shouldn't be a concern to Howard.

except howard ridiculed gary for doing it instead of focusing on THSS, even though gary did it on his own vacation time. howard could not understand that.

TSS Taylor has a good idea. i think it just takes away from howards "everything revloves around" me mentality. NO ONE is successful in ANY form without howard (according to him), and these guys are doing sold out shows without any input from howard, or any guest appearances from howard. it rubs him the wrong way, and i don't think he is getting any kickback ($$$$$) from these shows.

 

[Neigh]

. But Howard's point about Ronnie's block party is that it's a collection of HSS people providing crappy entertainment in the name of Howard.

Seems to me (although I have not seen the show) that it is Ronnie being Ronnie and JD being JD .. a mainstay of hundreds of hours of the HSS. And the show is not remotely in the name of Howard... It is in the name of the master of bad taste, Ronnie Mund... No one going to those shows thinks it is put on or backed by Howard... They go to see a train wreck...

 

[scotchandcigar]

Seems to me (although I have not seen the show) that it is Ronnie being Ronnie and JD being JD .. a mainstay of hundreds of hours of the HSS. And the show is not remotely in the name of Howard... It is in the name of the master of bad taste, Ronnie Mund... No one going to those shows thinks it is put on or backed by Howard... They go to see a train wreck...

All true, but it's still like "hey, let's go see those losers from the Howard Stern Show". It's not like seeing standup comedian Artie Lange, just because he's a witty comedian who tells good stories. It's a bunch of guys with no act, no agenda, not unlike Charlie Sheen's standup tour.

I challenge you to find another example of untalented side-characters from a show, who perform en-mass without the show's headliner.

 

[TSS Taylor]

All true, but it's still like "hey, let's go see those losers from the Howard Stern Show". It's not like seeing standup comedian Artie Lange, just because he's a witty comedian who tells good stories. It's a bunch of guys with no act, no agenda, not unlike Charlie Sheen's standup tour.

I challenge you to find another example of untalented side-characters from a show, who perform en-mass without the show's headliner.

Totally agree. This isn't the B-List. This is the C or D list of the show. I get a lot of entertainment out of the show but the Block party is on a lower level. Ronnie, JD, Scott the Engineer and Shuli. No offense to any of them. But it's the Limo Driver, Engineer, TV Watcher and the headliner, the Comedian.

I went to see the Killers or Comedy in 2006 when the show was very hot. It was Sal, Richard, Shuli, Bob Levy, Craig Gass and some others. I would say that was B list and very hilarious. Sal and Richard were new to standup but they were fantastic.

 

[TSS Taylor]

Going along with my original point that Howard is a master of the blame game. He BLAMED his staff for FORCING him to come back and work the current contract. He told them they had to take this time to find there own stuff to do so they would be set when this final contract was over. Now he is blaming them for focusing on their own stuff. You couldn't find a bigger contradiction and spin than this.

 

[Neigh]

I challenge you to find another example of untalented side-characters from a show, who perform en-mass without the show's headliner.

So?

This brings me back to one of my points... Howard Stern addicts are so attached to the show and to Howard that personal contact with his family of train wrecks is an acceptable substitute for personal contact with Howard...

Of course there is no other example of an untalented side-characters show... There are no other fans like Howard Stern fans...

 

[sjam613]

I don't know his true reasoning for it, but my favorite times listening to Howard the past 26 years is when he is pissed at something.

 

[beaniemac]

They were discussing this on Super Fan Roundtable last night and I find it fascinating. Here is my personal take on it. It's something I feel I can relate to being a boss/owner and not being as passionate about things as much as I have been.

Howard RARELY takes any blame. In fact his whole structure is to let everyone else take the blame for any error or fault. IE Tim takes all the blame for programming. Gary for guests and segments.

Howard knows the show is not as popular as it once was on Satellite. But he isn't that motivated to raise the bar himself. So he blames everything else on all the rest of the guys. It's Gary's fault for not spending extra time planning and producing and instead is doing another TV Show. It's Will and Jasons fault because they are working on Back Office Radio instead of the Stern show.

Everyone else is getting blamed for doing side projects. But you won't hear Howard (yet) say "I gotta admit, my time spent on AGT is hurting the radio show." Howard just isn't as passionate about the show. I think it's evident. But he also knows the avenues for other projects will not present themselves unless the radio show gets better.

Right now he is bitchy and angry about the situation. So he wants his audience to know he isn't pleased about the state of the show, but wants them to know it's not his fault at all. If he mans up he will take some responsibility. But I can't see that happening in the short term.

I love this entire response. It's 100% correct.

 

[Kryptonite]

I just find it odd that the guy with a top-rated morning show can totally nose-dive it over a few years, yet somehow his other job which requires tons of travel isn't responsible for it at all.

As Taylor said, Howard is the first one to take the credit, yet he diverts the blame to people like Booey, Scott, and Tim Sabean.

 

[TSS Taylor]

I saw some clips of Jon and Gary's show online and there are a lot of parts that look hilarious. Gary and Jon probably have a ton of stories that would make for good radio just like it makes for good radio for Howard to bust on him. And people are constantly telling me how great Back Office Radio is. It's too bad Howard can't appreciate his channels like the fans. I miss the days where Howard got into Bubbas show or called into SFRT or Celebrity SFRT and what not. A couple years ago he would blast GEEKTIME! for the fact that he seemed to think Ralph wasn't spending enough time finding him pants or shirts. It's insane to think Howard would rather someone find him a good outfit than provide a 2 hour entertaining show on his channel.

He's always been pretty consistent about not watering down his brand by not selling things and trying to reel in the guys on gigs. But taking away content on his own channels makes no sense whatsoever if the fans are the priority.

 

[Kryptonite]

I saw some clips of Jon and Gary's show online and there are a lot of parts that look hilarious. Gary and Jon probably have a ton of stories that would make for good radio just like it makes for good radio for Howard to bust on him. And people are constantly telling me how great Back Office Radio is. It's too bad Howard can't appreciate his channels like the fans. I miss the days where Howard got into Bubbas show or called into SFRT or Celebrity SFRT and what not. A couple years ago he would blast GEEKTIME! for the fact that he seemed to think Ralph wasn't spending enough time finding him pants or shirts. It's insane to think Howard would rather someone find him a good outfit than provide a 2 hour entertaining show on his channel.

He's always been pretty consistent about not watering down his brand by not selling things and trying to reel in the guys on gigs. But taking away content on his own channels makes no sense whatsoever if the fans are the priority.

Those first few years were fantastic. Bubba would go to NY to do his show and he'd even stop in on Howard's show. Ferrall would do the "live from the MMA" events. Howard would call into other shows. Howard and Robin did the "ISDN test show" and we all wondered why they would test something they'd never use.

At least once, the WUS went after 12 PM.

Now? The priority is Howard's wallet and AGT.


AGT is a ratings-driven event. Howard obviously has to worry about that to some degree...if it gets canceled, I'm sure he'll take some of the blame, or at least feel of it like that.

 

[Vols44]

Howard will be the last person on earth wanting any employee on his payroll to have success after the run ends. I hope two of them win the lottery, Ronnie gets a TV show gig, Gary's books stay on the best seller list and as much of an anti-Robin fan as I am want to see her on The View. Then mister big ego can stare at a wall for hours and play with himself with his ipad in the bathroom til it falls off.

 

[limegrass69]

Or, maybe this is all a planned plot twist in a contrived soap opera designed to stir up some conversation and generate show content...

But maybe I give them too much credit.

 

[Ehilbert1]

The truth is guys like Ronnie, JD, Jason and so on are in for a big shock when Howard is done. No more Ronnie block party. No more JD getting to bang strippers. I agree with what Taylor and a lot of you have said. The thing is if Howard would have hung it up after his last contract most of his staff wold have been screwed. That's the truth. JD likes to hate on reality stars but that's what he is. Would he have 100,000 Twitter followers if not for the Stern show? Would he be banging chicks? Hell no! He needs to get his shit together. He's 30 something not 20 something.

Yea Ronnie has his business but no more strippers and strip club openings. Jason might have to actually work in a place where you can't throw people under the bus. Trust me it's coming.

I have said this before but how can they justify a full time staff for 3 days a week? There is not much content on 101 either.

 

[jef]

Yea Ronnie has his business but no more strippers and strip club openings. Jason might have to actually work in a place where you can't throw people under the bus. Trust me it's coming.

If you can't ever throw one of your coworkers under the bus, you are doing it wrong.

 

[Ehilbert1]

If you can't ever throw one of your coworkers under the bus, you are doing it wrong.

:jump: That's funny! I guess it depends on where you work. You do that with my co workers your getting your ass kicked!