Considering this may be the end of my website, I thought I should write a little something to get my thoughts down on “paper”. I don’t think I wrote anything enlightened here but I figured that this is what the site is here for - a place where i can write stuff and hopefully others would too.
April 10th 2008 has already gone down as a red-letter day in Howard Stern Show history and it was very sad to listen to. We were all shocked as Artie Lange flew off the handle towards his assistant Teddy. Some of us saw this day coming and some of us hoped this day would never come. Artie has erupted on people before, so that part was no surprise but you just don’t expect it to happen when it does. Teddy unfortunately just happened to make the mistake at the wrong time. No doubt Artie has valid reasons to be upset with Teddy but the way he treated him was just wrong.
SBG
Save Baby Gorilla was created in January of last year because I, as the rest of you, had listen to Artie go through a downward spiral of sorts. His weight gain and on/off drug use worried me, a devoted fan of the Stern show for years. When Artie joined the show back in 2001, the show became so much better. Ironically, Jackie Martling was the source of a lot of issues on the show and no one would guess that Artie would fill Jackie’s seat in more ways than one. Whether or not you agree that Artie was better than Jackie - that is solely up to you. In some ways I look back at the Jackie years as the golden years, but that was another time.
In creating this website, I had hoped in some crazy way that chronicling his behavior and bringing more attention to it would some how get back to him and give him a push. In May of last year I started the Save A Baby Gorilla drive in order to raise money so I can donate it to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and by doing that would raise some embarrassment to him via getting the show to announce. It did but was laughed off.
All in all my efforts were for not. Even though my website was mentioned many times on the show (big thanks to Steve Langford), Artie does not use the Internet. Big shocker. Not only that but the amount of crap that each cast member gives to each other is nothing to what I could come up with.
Artie Lange – the man, the myth, the gorilla
Although I have met the man briefly, it was about as much time as any other fan has probably gotten to spend with him. Most of what we know about Artie is from what he tells us on the show and from what we have heard over the past 7 years is that Artie has only given us just pieces of him. He is a man who has and always had many problems and demons.
Artie drugs and gambling issues are nothing new. The use of these vices is an obvious cover up to more serious problems in ones life. From what little I know of the man, he has had issues ranging to problems with his father’s death, guilt, overly weight conscious, general insecurity, depression, addictive personality and the list goes on and on.
Society to Blame?
Recently, Artie has been criticized for his language and beliefs. His use of offensive language towards gay people has been magnified so much these days. This partly has to do with the addition of fellow cast member George Takei and also in part to the overall political correctness climate in this country to be at an all-time high. Artie grew up not too dissimilar from me and I understand that mentality. My friends still use the word “fag” or “gay” to describe a guy that is not living up to the stereotypical man. This same stereotype that has been rooted in Artie all his life. These days he has been forced to compromise his identity to appease others. Compromise is something that a comedian isn’t so keen on. A comic is naturally cynical and rebellious which in many ways is just what this society needs. Artie represents the collateral damage of our society. What you can and cannot say seems to be more important that the actual context of what you were trying to get across. For all the need for acceptance of all types of people in our society, we for some reason don’t allow for some to be themselves.
Rock Bottom
Whatever his issues may be, only years of counseling will help get those to the forefront. But counseling is something that works only when you want it to. Artie has been told by Howard for a long time that he should get some help but it seems Artie’s stereotype of what a real man is counters Howard’s suggestion. Real men don’t go to doctors. That would be gay.
I don’t know whether it is necessary for Artie to stay on the show in order for him to get help. I am sure Howard would want him to stay if that meant Artie got healthy. If Artie leaves, I am sure his life will get much worse before it gets better. He would have to completely hit rock bottom. Fortunately Artie seems like he has a good family behind him and that is important.
Will Artie Return?
In recent polls on HowardStern.com, Artie has led as the most popular Stern show member. Howard knows this and wouldn’t blink for the opportunity to keep Artie on the show. Howard also cares very deeply for guy and has never fired anyone… why would he start now?
Short of it being an HR issue (which I doubt), Artie may be back. Artie and Teddy both went to Amsterdam this week- on the same plane no less. That in and of itself is a good sign. My bet is that they will make up while they are there but I imagine Teddy will no longer serve as his assistant – maybe only temporary until a replacement is found.
The way I see it – Artie will return to the show either to say goodbye properly or full-time. Artie holds too much guilt and responsibility to Howard inside to want to let down the show. The words he spoke on yesterday’s show were out of pure anger and he does not know how to express himself. Whether his rage was chemically induced or not is another story. The bottom line is that if Artie wants to come back he can. I am not making excuses for him. His actions were unacceptable.
Rumor has it that Teddy left the show as well and I imagine he will stay on too. What we saw on Thursday was so shocking that I think we all blew this up to be more than it is. Certainly in any other job, Artie would be fired. But this is show business. This is the Howard Stern Show.
- matt
