When Howard Stern first became well-known, it was as an outrageous radio personality. He was known as a "shock jock" and Stern seemed to enjoy offending as many people as possible. Whether it was his offensive jokes or the way he treated some of his guests, Stern's past still comes back to haunt him today.
Stern has released three books during his career. The first two were titled "Miss America" and "Private Parts," the latter of which was made into a film. In 2019, he released his third book, "Howard Stern Comes Again," which featured the best of his celebrity interviews.
Stern has evolved past his "shock jock" past and once opened up about why he doesn't want people reading his first two books.
Howard Said He Cringes When Watching Past Interviews He Has Done
In 2019, Stern was interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning. During the discussion, he spoke about his past interviews. Stern said that watching old clips of himself made him "cringe."
"I was telling somebody the other day, because now that I'm promoting the book I'm going out and doing late night shows," he began. "And I don't like being interviewed, I don't like going on late night shows. For somebody who interviews, I don't like it. And because of the book, and I'm excited about it, I decided to do all of this press. So you know, in looking at my life, all of a sudden it's a big retrospective, it's very difficult and painful. And going back and looking at old shows is difficult."
Related: Howard Stern Disinvited A Staff Member From His Wedding Due To Their Unpredictable BehaviorStern continued, "I was looking at an appearance I did on Letterman, and I was cringing. It was just, my presentation was different. It's like a different guy to me. And if I've done anything in my career, I've evolved all along the way. I don't feel I ever stayed the same."
Howard Said He Was Never Listened To Before Therapy And The Experience Changed Him
When promoting his book "Howard Stern Comes Again" on ABC News, Stern talked with George Stephanopoulos about his career and journey to self-improvement.
Stern said that journey began following his divorce in 2001. He said that he was scared during that time, especially when it came to his daughters.
"My daughters are the most important thing in the world to me ... How do I, as a man, have a relationship with my daughters ... if my wife is no longer there to facilitate that?" Stern said. "How am I going to have a successful relationship with any woman or man, for that matter, if I don't even know -- if I don't know what's up and what's down?"
According to Stern, one of the most surprising things about therapy was how it taught him to "be a man."
"I didn't have any lessons," he admitted. "I didn't really have that level of communication with my own father."
While Stern is known for talking and listening to his guests on the radio, he said therapy was the first time he felt listened to.
"The first session I went in, I'm sitting there, and I'm telling him stories about my parents," Stern said, adding that he didn't think therapy was something he needed at first.
"I have it all together," Stern joked. "And I'm doing some of the best radio routines I've ever done. I'm doing impressions of my mother. I'm doing impressions of my father."
Related: How Beth Stern Changed Howard's Show And His Relationship With His Daughter, Emily
Stern said the therapist saw through his act, however, and attempted to break down the barrier.
"He turned to me, and he goes, 'None of this is funny,'" he added. "He goes, 'Why don't you get real with me? Some of what you're telling me sounds very sad. And yet ... you're laughing at it.'"
Stern said he found this "mind-blowing."
"No one had ever said that to me, and I had never had a real conversation like that before," he reflected. "And as the years went by, I got more and more turned on by being listened to."
Stern also said this mindset has helped improve his skills on the radio as well.
"I said, 'What would it be like to really hear what someone has to say?'" he said. "And it has led to some incredible conversation."
Howard Said His First Two Books Are 'Hurtful' And No Longer Represents Who He Is
Stern also spoke about his first two books, "Private Parts" and "Miss America." He specifically spoke about why he doesn't want anyone reading them.
"It just doesn't represent me anymore, so it's hard for me to go back and look at it," Stern said. "Those books, they could be hurtful and they were a little too intense. At that point, my attitude was, it was a scorched-earth policy. I'm gonna blow you out of the water. I'm gonna be pure id and bam, let it all out. That was my approach to radio."
Stern was then asked if it was a "conscious approach" or if it was just him.
"It was a conscious approach," he replied. "That's what I had to do. But it was me. When you're on the radio and you're trying to attract an audience, everything is intense and everything is super blown up."
Related: Why Howard Stern Thinks A Snub From NBC Caused Donald Trump To Run For President
Stephanopoulos told Stern his new book read as though he didn't like his past self.
"I'm not in love with that guy that much and it's hard for me," Stern said. "I never was in love with myself and I think that comes across in the book. I have problems, but I have learned through therapy, maybe I could love myself a bit and love what I'm doing."
He continued, "It's been a long process and a long journey."
