Howard Stern Changes Moniker to "The Howard"
Shock Jock Wants Distance from Lawyer Howard K. Stern
By Phil Dotree
In the wake of Anna Nicole Smith's death and increasing media attention on her partner and lawyer Howard K. Stern, controversial Sirius DJ Howard Stern asked listeners today to stop calling him by his full name.
The lawyer Stern has been frequently confused with the disc jockey in recent weeks, both in print and in broadcasts.
While the disc jockey did admit that he appreciated the free press to an extent, he didn't want to be confused with the other Howard Stern, and was angered when he heard some news outlets dropping the "K." from the lawyer Stern's name during reports.
"I don't want to be associated with that retard," Stern said on his daily radio show when announcing the change.
Though obviously not completely serious, Stern corrected his listeners several times when they addressed him by the wrong name, and mentioned that his other moniker, The King of All Media, took a while to catch on, too.
Howard brought up a news article from an Australian paper that had infuriated him into making the change. The article mistakes Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith's dedicated partner, with the shock jock, and falsely declares the disc jockey as the father of the deceased Smith's youngest child. Stern felt the paper went too far, and contacted an Associated Press reporter on the air to announce his name change.
The Howard also read a heartfelt but misdirected letter from a confused Danish woman who expressed her condolences for his unsustained loss.
Howard said that he hoped his name change would help international fans and fans who haven't yet subscribed to Sirius Satellite Radio realize that he had nothing to do with Anna Nicole Smith.
Stern attributed his name choice to Donald Trump, who self-applied his nickname "the Donald" during the success of his television show, The Apprentice. The Howard also gave some credit to rapper Puff Daddy, whose frequent name changes have been a staple of his persona.
"If Diddy can do it, why can't I?", said a smirking Stern.
Stern moved to Sirius satellite radio from terrestrial radio last year, and has since brought a tremendous amount of listeners--and revenue--to the satellite radio station. Anna Nicole Smith, widow of billionaire J. Howard Marshall and former model for Playboy, died last week in her sleep due to unresolved causes which may have included complications from drugs. The death has received huge amounts of media attention.
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