Howard Stern on 'America's Got Talent': Can Shock Jock Keep it Clean?
Howard Stern is coming to prime time TV, which has some fearful that the controversial radio show host will not be able to keep himself in check for an audience that includes children. After several years as a "shock jock," Stern has committed himself to keeping it clean for the kids.
"I respect what 'America's Got Talent' is. It is a family show; it is not 'The Howard Stern Show.' It is a show that I love. I have been watching it for years and I don't want to come in and do 'The Howard Stern Show.' I don't want to interrupt the flow of the show, I only want to make it better," Stern told reporters last week.
Though Stern's radio show has transitioned from the traditional FM station to Sirius, due to adult content, he has said that he hopes people will give him a fair shake at judging the competition on NBC. "You can't complain about a show until you see the show," he explained.
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"This is a family show. It is a different form of entertainment. We will see what happens. Hopefully America will like this and put everybody's fears to rest," he said. Yet one can expect him to be at least a little controversial in hopes of preventing the show from getting "too dull."
Fans are supportive of executive Simon Cowell's choice of judge for the show and say that he "will do great" and "be a breath of fresh air."
"I think he will do just fine," writes Yahoo! user Liz. "He knows where to draw the line…and this is where he will do just that. In a way it is good for Howard, too. We will see another side of him, the human side."
"I think when you bring someone in who will tell it like it is, it gives some more credibility to the shows and the talent (or lack thereof)," added Lestat.
Stern himself is a father of three and insists he knows the importance of his new role. "I took a leap of faith," he told Rolling Stone. "That's the only reason I did it: I thought it would be fun, and I thought I might be good at it because I sit at home watching this thing, and I'm doing commentary to the wall."
"America's Got Talent" premieres tonight on NBC.
