.gif)
Private Parts (book)
Encyclopedia
Private Parts is the first autobiography
of American radio presenter Howard Stern
. Released on October 7, 1993 by Simon & Schuster
, it is the fastest-selling book in the company's history. It was later adapted into a film in 1997
starring Stern and his radio show staff
as themselves. The early chapters are autobiographical, covering Stern's upbringing and early career, while later chapters are more in the style of a memoir
, covering recurring themes from his radio show such as sex, flatulence, and celebrities.
Stern's choices for the title were I, Moron, Mein Kampf
and Penis (the last was considered as Stern thought it would lead to the amusing newspaper headline "Howard Stern's Penis is a bestseller") but were refused by the publisher, although Mein Kampf would be used as the title of the book's fifth chapter regarding the beginning of his career. They then compromised with the title Private Parts, suggested by Stern's co-host Robin Quivers
, which Stern liked as a sexual pun referring to the personal "private parts" of his life with a popular euphemism for genitalia.
The book received mixed reviews from critics, often drawing comparisons to Lenny Bruce's How to Talk Dirty and Influence People
. Like Stern's radio show, it received a great deal of opposition due to its content. It is number 87 on the American Library Association
's list of the "100 Most Frequently challenged books Between 1990 and 2000."
A paperback edition was released in September 1994, where Pocket Books
, a division of Simon & Schuster, printed a further 2.8 million copies.
In late 1995, Stern published a second book called Miss America
.
chain of book stores modified the New York Times Best Seller list
which was displayed in stores to remove Private Parts from the top position, moving all subsequent books up one. The inclusion of the book in library lists was also frequently challenged in subsequent years. The book spent five weeks at the top of the non-fiction list from the weeks of October 9 to November 6, 1993 before being displaced by See, I Told You So by Rush Limbaugh
. Private Parts spent a total of twenty weeks on the Times Best Seller list, hitting the number one spot after a week of its release.
as well as his staff and family. The first chapter is a story of a male listener of Stern's show masturbating while driving on his way to work to an interview of a woman about her first lesbian sexual encounter. Chapters two through six focus on Stern's upbringing and family. Initially Stern focuses on his birth, parents, sister and family through marriage. He then moves out to focus on his upbringing in Roosevelt, Long Island
where he was one of few white boys in a predominantly black neighbourhood. Stern also uses this chapter to relay his thoughts on the topics from the time the book was published such as Spike Lee
and his film Malcolm X
, and Rodney King
and the 1992 Los Angeles riots
. The fourth chapter deals with Stern's adolescent sexual development including his earliest sexual experiences. He also details his sex life in college and the courtship of his eventual marriage to his wife Alison.
The fifth and sixth chapters deal with Stern's career in radio from childhood interest through his rise to prominence. Stern cites an early interest in radio from the age of five, and his father's assistance and encouragement in growing his early career. His days in college radio are detailed followed by his earliest jobs at radio stations along the East Coast of the United States. He then details his career at radio stations WWWW
in Detroit, Michigan
, WWDC
in Washington, D.C.
and finally WNBC
in New York City
. Stern's conflict with management at various radio stations are relayed, including a rather detailed conflict with WNBC Program Director Kevin Metheny
(whom he refers to as Pig Virus).
, Bob Hope
, Jessica Hahn
, Richard Simmons
, and Sylvester Stallone
and his family. The book then moves into Stern's views on various groups especially the French
, the Germans
, Filipinos
, and "everybody else".
The book then details the Fartman
character including the origins, and his appearance on the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards
. This is followed up by a listing of various regulars on his show referred to as the Wack Pack
. Celebrities are revisited as Stern details those who irritate him, such as Oprah Winfrey
, Arsenio Hall
, and Madonna
. Stern follows this up by revisiting his various sexual topics with stories of stripper
s, nudity, masturbation, and more lesbian sexual encounters.
Stern then returns to the familiar topic of celebrities, this time detailing feuds he has had with people such as the musical group Bon Jovi
, Sam Kinison
, Magic Johnson
, and a physical altercation with Elaine Boosler at the Grammy Award
s. Stern revisits homosexuality once again, this detail his musings on gay men. He then goes into comedy as he lists various comedians of the day and gives his opinion, including show regulars Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay
. Lesbianism is revisited for the last time as another lesbian sex story is relayed. The seventeenth chapter details his interviews conducted by staff members Gary Dell'Abate
and "Stuttering John" Melendez
. The last chapter is reserved for Stern's critics and their efforts to have his show prohibited, and his response to them. An afterword is written by two psychologists
who analyze Stern's personality and provide their professional opinion of the man.
, but it was also characterized as nothing more than an extension of his radio show with little more to offer. Stern was praised for his populist
message and attracting a group of people who normally do not read either by choice or for lack of ability. Another frequent criticism was that the material was juvenile, with little more to offer than stories of "breasts, behinds, penises, masturbation, defecation, and the expulsion of gas".
's well regarded book
from thirty years earlier. In some instances the comparison was favorable, citing Stern's as the best book by a comedian since Bruce's. Others felt Stern fell short of the mark, or at least not influencing people as suggested by his ratings in certain radio market
s.
.
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of American radio presenter Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
. Released on October 7, 1993 by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
, it is the fastest-selling book in the company's history. It was later adapted into a film in 1997
Private Parts (1997 film)
Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and released by Paramount Pictures. Written by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko, the film is an adaptation of the 1993 best-selling book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, who stars as himself. It...
starring Stern and his radio show staff
The Howard Stern Show staff
Throughout its nearly 30 year run The Howard Stern Show has gone through a number of staff members and contributors.-Current staff:These staffers currently work for and appear on the show on a regular, if not hourly basis.-Howard Stern:...
as themselves. The early chapters are autobiographical, covering Stern's upbringing and early career, while later chapters are more in the style of a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, covering recurring themes from his radio show such as sex, flatulence, and celebrities.
Stern's choices for the title were I, Moron, Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
and Penis (the last was considered as Stern thought it would lead to the amusing newspaper headline "Howard Stern's Penis is a bestseller") but were refused by the publisher, although Mein Kampf would be used as the title of the book's fifth chapter regarding the beginning of his career. They then compromised with the title Private Parts, suggested by Stern's co-host Robin Quivers
Robin Quivers
Robin Ophelia Quivers is an American radio personality, most notable for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in nursing. In 1975, she joined the United States Air Force...
, which Stern liked as a sexual pun referring to the personal "private parts" of his life with a popular euphemism for genitalia.
The book received mixed reviews from critics, often drawing comparisons to Lenny Bruce's How to Talk Dirty and Influence People
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People is an autobiography by Lenny Bruce, the scathing social satirist and comedian, who died in 1966 at age 40 of a drug overdose...
. Like Stern's radio show, it received a great deal of opposition due to its content. It is number 87 on the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
's list of the "100 Most Frequently challenged books Between 1990 and 2000."
A paperback edition was released in September 1994, where Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
, a division of Simon & Schuster, printed a further 2.8 million copies.
In late 1995, Stern published a second book called Miss America
Miss America (book)
Miss America is the second book by American radio and media personality Howard Stern. Released on November 7, 1995 by ReganBooks, it became the fastest-selling title in the publisher's history...
.
Popular success
Upon its release, the Private Parts quickly became the fastest-selling title in publisher Simon & Schuster's history. The sales were supported by Stern's book signing tour of various cities across the United States, with the largest crowd attendances ever. The success was in spite of mixed reviews and the refusal by several stores to carry the book over objections to its content. The CaldorCaldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
chain of book stores modified the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
which was displayed in stores to remove Private Parts from the top position, moving all subsequent books up one. The inclusion of the book in library lists was also frequently challenged in subsequent years. The book spent five weeks at the top of the non-fiction list from the weeks of October 9 to November 6, 1993 before being displaced by See, I Told You So by Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
. Private Parts spent a total of twenty weeks on the Times Best Seller list, hitting the number one spot after a week of its release.
Upbringing and rise to stardom
In the book's opening acknowledgements Stern thanks his co-author Larry "Ratso" SlomanLarry Sloman
Larry "Ratso" Sloman is a New York-based author best known for his collaboration with Howard Stern on the radio personality's two best-selling books, Private Parts and Miss America. He also appears in all of Kinky Friedman's mystery novels as the Dr. Watson to Kinky's Sherlock...
as well as his staff and family. The first chapter is a story of a male listener of Stern's show masturbating while driving on his way to work to an interview of a woman about her first lesbian sexual encounter. Chapters two through six focus on Stern's upbringing and family. Initially Stern focuses on his birth, parents, sister and family through marriage. He then moves out to focus on his upbringing in Roosevelt, Long Island
Roosevelt, New York
Roosevelt is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 16,258 at the 2010 census.Roosevelt is in the town of Hempstead.-Geography:Roosevelt is located at ....
where he was one of few white boys in a predominantly black neighbourhood. Stern also uses this chapter to relay his thoughts on the topics from the time the book was published such as Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
and his film Malcolm X
Malcolm X (film)
Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
, and Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
and the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
. The fourth chapter deals with Stern's adolescent sexual development including his earliest sexual experiences. He also details his sex life in college and the courtship of his eventual marriage to his wife Alison.
The fifth and sixth chapters deal with Stern's career in radio from childhood interest through his rise to prominence. Stern cites an early interest in radio from the age of five, and his father's assistance and encouragement in growing his early career. His days in college radio are detailed followed by his earliest jobs at radio stations along the East Coast of the United States. He then details his career at radio stations WWWW
WDTW-FM
WDTW-FM is a classic rock formatted radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WDTW-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations; its secondary channel carries Clear Channel's "Pride Radio" format, which features music geared toward the LGBT audience...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, WWDC
WWDC (FM)
WWDC is a commercial radio station in Washington, D.C., broadcasting to the Washington, DC-Baltimore, Maryland area. WWDC airs an alternative rock format on 101.1 FM branded as DC101.-History:WWDC-FM signed on in 1947 as a beautiful music station...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and finally WNBC
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Stern's conflict with management at various radio stations are relayed, including a rather detailed conflict with WNBC Program Director Kevin Metheny
Kevin Metheny
Kevin Metheny is a radio executive, famously nicknamed "Pig Virus" by Howard Stern from his days as Program Director at WNBC. He and various other historical Stern program directors were portrayed by Paul Giamatti as a composite character under the name Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in the 1997 movie,...
(whom he refers to as Pig Virus).
Stern's show and views
Chapters seven through eighteen move through a variety of topics beginning with his celebrity interviews. This includes individuals such as Sandi KornSandra Taylor
Sandra Taylor , also known as Sandi Korn, is an American model and actress.Under the name Sandi Korn, she was the March 1991 Penthouse Pet of the Month...
, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, Jessica Hahn
Jessica Hahn
Jessica Hahn is an American model and actress. She is best known for a sex scandal involving televangelist Jim Bakker while she was employed as a church secretary.-Jim Bakker scandal:...
, Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons
Milton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos and DVDs and is known for his eccentric, outgoing and frequently flamboyant personality...
, and Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
and his family. The book then moves into Stern's views on various groups especially the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Filipinos
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
, and "everybody else".
The book then details the Fartman
Fartman (Howard Stern)
Fartman is a fictional superhero, popularized and acted by American radio "shock jock", Howard Stern. The character first appeared in an issue of the National Lampoon humor magazine in the mid-1970s . A recorded version of the character also appeared on National Lampoon's White Album in 1979...
character including the origins, and his appearance on the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
. This is followed up by a listing of various regulars on his show referred to as the Wack Pack
The Wack Pack
The Wack Pack is the name given to a wide assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of The Howard Stern Show. As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, they are a considerable part of what the radio show became notable for...
. Celebrities are revisited as Stern details those who irritate him, such as Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
, and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. Stern follows this up by revisiting his various sexual topics with stories of stripper
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
s, nudity, masturbation, and more lesbian sexual encounters.
Stern then returns to the familiar topic of celebrities, this time detailing feuds he has had with people such as the musical group Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, Sam Kinison
Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl "Sam" Kinison was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Kinison was known for his intense, harsh and politically incorrect genre humor...
, Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, and a physical altercation with Elaine Boosler at the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s. Stern revisits homosexuality once again, this detail his musings on gay men. He then goes into comedy as he lists various comedians of the day and gives his opinion, including show regulars Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay is an American comedian and actor who played the lead role in the film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.Clay has been in several movies and has released a number of stand-up albums...
. Lesbianism is revisited for the last time as another lesbian sex story is relayed. The seventeenth chapter details his interviews conducted by staff members Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
and "Stuttering John" Melendez
John Melendez
John Edward Melendez , commonly known as "Stuttering John," is an American television writer and former radio personality. Prior to his work on television as a writer and announcer, Melendez was a regular on-air personality on The Howard Stern Show...
. The last chapter is reserved for Stern's critics and their efforts to have his show prohibited, and his response to them. An afterword is written by two psychologists
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
who analyze Stern's personality and provide their professional opinion of the man.
Criticism
Stern's venture into literature drew much of the same criticism as his radio show. Private Parts drew favorable comparisons to Lenny Bruce and his book How to Talk Dirty and Influence PeopleHow to Talk Dirty and Influence People
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People is an autobiography by Lenny Bruce, the scathing social satirist and comedian, who died in 1966 at age 40 of a drug overdose...
, but it was also characterized as nothing more than an extension of his radio show with little more to offer. Stern was praised for his populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
message and attracting a group of people who normally do not read either by choice or for lack of ability. Another frequent criticism was that the material was juvenile, with little more to offer than stories of "breasts, behinds, penises, masturbation, defecation, and the expulsion of gas".
Comparisons to Lenny Bruce
The book frequently drew comparisons to Lenny BruceLenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
's well regarded book
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People is an autobiography by Lenny Bruce, the scathing social satirist and comedian, who died in 1966 at age 40 of a drug overdose...
from thirty years earlier. In some instances the comparison was favorable, citing Stern's as the best book by a comedian since Bruce's. Others felt Stern fell short of the mark, or at least not influencing people as suggested by his ratings in certain radio market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
s.
Extension of radio show
As the host of a highly rated radio show, the comparison between the book and his radio show was inevitable. The radio show was often the starting point from which the reviewer based their opinion of the book. Sometimes the praise for the book came in spite of the critic's distaste for the show, but often it was used to damn the book as nothing more than a collection of radio show highlights in print, but in more explicit detail. Critics would sometimes qualify that they could not adequately relay the stories because of their papers' editorial standards.Mass appeal
With the considerable audience from his radio show, Stern was able to sell the first printing of his book within hours of its release. This was in spite of a perception of Stern's listeners who were considered to not be given to reading books, or even illiterate. The strong sales were seen as reflection of his populist appeal to a middle-class white male demographic who compose a large part of the fan base of his show. The main reason given for his appeal at the time was as backlash from a push towards what was considered political correctnessPolitical correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
.
Juvenile
Another frequent observation about the book was that it was juvenile both in its topics and layout. This included being compared to a comic book for its heavy use of pictures and varying fonts. Margo Jefferson of the New York Times enjoyed the way it broke up the book, as this allowed readers to read the passages out of sequence. The reliance on stories of body parts, functions, and human sexuality were also cited as a reason for what constituted the entirety of the book, and were not seen as compelling to some readers. In one instance the review was given by a high school student.Quotations
- It's weird, but I always wanted to be in radio. That was all I could think about from the time I was five years old.
- I grew up the only white man in a black neighborhood in Roosevelt, Long Island, a pawn in my mother's little social experiment in integration.
- I'm an obsessive-compulsive, anal-retentive, miserable neurotic because I was raised by a woman who ran her household with the intensity of Hitler.
- My father's favorite sport was yelling.
- Basically, my mother, Ray, raised me like a veal. It was like growing up in a box with no lights on.
- So my father jumped up, banged on the glass in his control booth, and screamed, "SYMPHONY SID! BY THE POWERS VESTED IN ME BY THE FCC, I COMMAND YOU TO GET ON THE MICROPHONE IN A SERIOUS MANNER AND CONTINUE THE BROADCAST!" It worked.
- It dawned on me that if you were half a mutant you could probably get on the radio to entertain people and to make them forget about the drudgery of that shitty commute.
- I always resented the label of "shock jock" that the press came up with for me, because I never intentionally set out to shock anybody.
- You want the secret of life? Here it is: You wake up in the morning. You eat a little breakfast, maybe read the newspaper. If you're lucky enough, you're married. You yell at your wife, you make up with your wife. If your testicles feel alright, you bang your wife. You watch a video you rented or maybe you go out to the movies. The secret of life is so simple. That's life. If you have kids, you live with the kids. You don't move out on your wife. You stay with her even if you've banged her nine thousand times and you're sick of it. Nobody follows that. That's the secret to life.
- The rule is: Don't say anything that is 'patently indecent' or offensive to your community. Well, I live in a community where priests rape young boys, where you get shot in your car, where angry black mobs stab Hasidic Jews, and the mayor turns his back, where crack runs free like the River Ganges, and where movie directors fuck their wives' daughters. NOW YOU TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD TALK ABOUT ON THE RADIO!
Publication
- Stern, Howard (1993), Private Parts (1st edition - Hardcover), New York: Simon & Schuster (Published on October 7, 1993), ISBN 978-0671880163, OCLCOCLCOCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
28968496 - Stern, Howard (1994), Private Parts (2nd edition - Mass Market Paperback), New York: Simon & Schuster (Published on October 1, 1993), ISBN 978-0671510435
- Stern, Howard (1997), Private Parts (3rd edition - Mass Market Paperback - 1997 Motion Picture), New York: Simon & Schuster (Published on March 1, 1997), ISBN 978-0671009441
Adaptations
- Thomas, Betty (Director) (1997, March 7), Private Parts [Motion picture], United States: Paramount Pictures
- Stern, Howard (1997), Private Parts. Das Buch zum Film mit Howard Stern in der Hauptrolle [Private parts. The book to the film with Howard Stern in the main role], Munich: Goldmann Wilhelm GmbH, ISBN 978-3442440221
See also
- Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
- The Howard Stern Show
- Private Parts (1997 film)Private Parts (1997 film)Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and released by Paramount Pictures. Written by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko, the film is an adaptation of the 1993 best-selling book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, who stars as himself. It...
- How to Talk Dirty and Influence PeopleHow to Talk Dirty and Influence PeopleHow to Talk Dirty and Influence People is an autobiography by Lenny Bruce, the scathing social satirist and comedian, who died in 1966 at age 40 of a drug overdose...
- Judith ReganJudith ReganJudith Regan is an American editor, producer, book publisher and television and radio talk show host. She is the mother of a son and a daughter and lives in New York City and Los Angeles.-Early life:...
- Larry SlomanLarry SlomanLarry "Ratso" Sloman is a New York-based author best known for his collaboration with Howard Stern on the radio personality's two best-selling books, Private Parts and Miss America. He also appears in all of Kinky Friedman's mystery novels as the Dr. Watson to Kinky's Sherlock...
- Miss America (book)Miss America (book)Miss America is the second book by American radio and media personality Howard Stern. Released on November 7, 1995 by ReganBooks, it became the fastest-selling title in the publisher's history...
External links
- Private Parts at Simon & SchusterSimon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...