Howard Stern funny? Are you SIRIUS?

Being that I launched this BLOG with a testimony to my musical addiction, it should be no surprise that I’m a satellite radio subscriber. SIRIUS to be specific, a decision admittedly capped by Howard Stern’s move from terrestrial radio.

I realize Howard is not for everybody and, honestly, there’s times when he’s not for me. Specific bits he holds onto—like the whole farting thing—are just too stupid and I change channels quickly when he moves in that direction. And I’m sure many wondered if his move to uncensored satellite would be even worse, or at a minimum, he would be dropping the f-bomb constantly in a lame attempt at third-grade laughs.

But Howard is smart, and he was smart enough to avoid predictable turns when he made the move. And while his now-uncensored show is definitely for “adults only”, it is funnier on SIRIUS than ever before.

Part of what makes it fresh and interesting is the collection of misfits he surrounds himself with such as Robyn Quivers, Artie Lange, Richard Christie, Sal the Stockbroker, and a host of others. So it was that fresh perspective that led me to the “Killers of Comedy” (www.killersofcomedy.com) show in Tempe last Saturday featuring several regulars from the Stern show including Shuli, Sal Governale, Yukko the Clown, the Reverend Bob Levy, and Beetlejuice.

Going in, I really didn’t know what to expect. If I had to guess, Yukko would be extremely crude, but hopefully creative with his profanity and off-color humor. Beetlejuice? A real wildcard, as he’s barely coherent on the show and I couldn’t see him capable of organizing a routine. Bob Levy seems like a funny guy and I suspect a key contributor behind the scenes. Sal the Stockbroker hangs with one of my cast favorites, Richard Christy, which gives him some credibility by association.

So how was the show?

I can’t begin to describe how bad it was, or rather, how “unfunny” it was. It’s hard to believe these dopes spent any time considering what they were going to say before they stepped on stage. Shuli and Levy would drum up cheers and applause with references to the Stern show, but offered NOTHING original, and I mean NOTHING. Yukko was equally lame. Crude as predicted, but nothing more. All performers put forth little more than one caustic, recycled racial slur after another in a bogus attempt to shock and awe. And to make it worse, Shuli and Levy came back out and “coached” Beetlejuce on what to say. It was painful. I’ve heard funnier jokes from the Timmie’s on XBOX LIVE than I did from these so-called “comedic professionals”.

So aside from a waste of time and money, I was left with a lingering question: how much of Stern’s show is “Stern”, and how much is tied to hiring a group of really smart and funny people? The answer is likely mixed, in that he has succeeded in surrounding himself with talent like Artie Lange, Fred Norris, Gary Dellabete, and even the annoying Robyn Quivers. But the rest of these goobers that I saw on Saturday must be there because Howard watches them closely and pulls the plug when they stop being funny. That must be an exhausting task and I admire him for “mining” the funny moments I do hear on the radio.

So in closing, I have two recommendations. If you consider yourself a rabid music fan like me, satellite radio is worth the $12.95 / month. And if you are a Stern fan, use the money for the radio show, lest be another fatality associated with the “killers of comedy”.