Wack Pack

The Wack Pack is the name given to an assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of The Howard Stern Show, American entertainment talk radio show. As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, they are considered part of what the radio show became notable for.[1] Members tend to be unusual in some way such as being blatantly racist, mentally disabled, having a comical appearance, voice or ability. As of 2015, twenty four living individuals are designated "Wack Packers" (along with seven deceased).[2] Not every regular guest on or caller to the show is considered a member, nor are any of the show's staff members; Stern has stated that Wack Packers are not defined by having any disability or peculiarity, but by their inability to understand why they are funny.

Through their appearances on the radio show, some Wack Packers have gained notoriety for personal appearances around the country and occasionally, played roles in films and television programs.[3]

History

In the 1993 book Private Parts, Howard Stern lists early members of the Wack Pack, including Irene the Leather Weather Lady, who is essentially the first Wack Packer, having met Stern in May 1980 when he was broadcasting from WWWW in Detroit, Michigan.[4][5] Upon the introduction of Fred the Elephant Boy on the radio show on November 28, 1988, among a collection of others, Stern began calling the group of show personalities the "Wack Pack" on July 6, 1990, as documented Stern's The History of Howard Stern radio series. Since moving to Sirius XM Radio, Stern has offered some members of the Wack Pack their own shows.[6]

Official list

On February 24, 2015 Stern and crew voted on an "official" list of Wack Pack members.[2]

Living Wack Packers

The following individuals were determined as official Wack Pack members:

Deceased Wack Packers

The following individuals were determined to be Wack Pack members prior to their death:

"Not Wack Pack Material"

The following individuals were at one time considered Wack Pack members; however, in 2015, they were excluded by Stern and his staff from the Wack Pack:

Other Wack Packers

The following people have been considered Wack Packers in the past, but were not featured on Stern's 2015 list:

References

  1. ↑ Mintzer, Rich (2010). Howard Stern: A Biography. Greenwood Biographies. p. 86. ISBN 9780313380327. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
  2. 1 2 "Tuesday, February 24, 2015". HowardStern.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Mintzer, p. 88
  4. ↑ Lucaire, Luigi (1997). Howard Stern A To Z. St. Martin's Press (Google Books). p. 100. ISBN 0-312-15144-6. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  5. ↑ Stern, Howard (1997). Private Parts. Pocket (Google Books). pp. 159, 162. ISBN 978-0671009441. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  6. ↑ Edgers, Geoff (January 7, 2007). "A year after getting Sirius, Stern's entertaining as ever". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  7. ↑ "Wednesday, March 18, 2015". HowardStern.com. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  8. ↑ http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2015/02/howard_stern_personality_king_of_all_blacks_files.html

External links

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