The Wack Pack is the name given to an assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of The Howard Stern Show . As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, Stern biographer Richard Mintzer has labeled them a key part of the show. [1] Members tend to be unusual in some way: being blatantly racist, mentally disabled, having a comical appearance, voice or ability, or some combination thereof. As of 2023, twenty-two living individuals are designated "Wack Packers" [2] (along with a number of deceased). 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]
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 in 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]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(July 2018) |
On February 24, 2015, Stern and crew voted on an "official" list of Wack Pack members. [2]
The following individuals are official [7] Howard Stern Show Wack Pack members:
The following individuals were at one time considered Wack Pack members. However, since 2015, they were excluded by Stern and his staff from the Wack Pack for reasons including their ability to hold a job and function in society, while still having a funny or unusual personality.
The following individuals were determined to be Wack Pack members either by Stern and his staff or by other sources prior to their death:
The Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays the zany hijinks of a family of wildlife documentary filmmakers known as the Thornberrys, which consist of the nature documentary television host Nigel, his wife and camera operator Marianne, their 16-year-old daughter Debbie, their younger daughter Eliza, their adopted son Donnie, and a chimpanzee named Darwin. The series focuses in particular on Eliza, who has a magical ability to communicate with animals. The Thornberry family travels to every continent and wildlife environment in the ComVee, a recreational vehicle equipped with safety mechanisms to handle any terrain or body of water, to document their journeys in detail, with typical episodes involving Eliza befriending an animal and subsequently finding herself in peril.
The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 and Howard 101, Stern's two uncensored channels on the subscription-based satellite radio service SiriusXM, since 2006. Other prominent staff members include co-host and news anchor Robin Quivers, writer Fred Norris and executive producer Gary Dell'Abate, along with former members Jackie Martling, Billy West, John Melendez, and Artie Lange.
Matthew McGrory was an American actor. At 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m), he was recognized as the tallest actor by Guinness World Records. He portrayed physically imposing characters throughout his career, including Tiny Firefly in the horror films House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005) and Karl the Giant in the fantasy comedy-drama Big Fish (2003). McGrory also held the Guinness World Records for biggest feet and longest toe.
Daniel Carver is an American white supremacist and former Grand Dragon of the "Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" based in Georgia. Carver was suspended from wearing Klan robes and from attending Klan rallies after a 1986 conviction for "terroristic threats".
Nicole Fuchs was an American bodybuilder, actress, professional wrestler, and professional wrestling valet. She worked for companies such as Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation and XPW. From 1993 until her death, she made numerous appearances on The Howard Stern Show and took part as a contestant in Stern's 1993 pay-per-view television event The Miss Howard Stern New Year's Eve Pageant. She then became a member of the show's Wack Pack and appeared in Stern's movie Private Parts.
Elephant Boy may refer to:
Lester Green, better known as Beetlejuice, is an American entertainer, comedian and actor. Green rose to prominence in 1999 due to his appearances on The Howard Stern Show, becoming a member of Stern's Wack Pack. He was named the greatest Wack Packer of all time in 2015. He has also appeared in such feature films as Bubble Boy (2001) and Scary Movie 2 (2001).
Howard 100 News was a radio news team established by American radio personality Howard Stern. The group was formed in October 2005 following Stern's announced move from regular radio to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006. From January 2006 until February 2015, Howard 100 News would broadcast an hourly summary of stories related to Stern, his radio show, and those associated with it, on Howard 100 and Howard 101. The team was downsized in 2006 and again in February 2015, with only a few staffers remaining to follow the lives of the unusual Stern fans and callers known as "The Wack Pack."
Bigfoot is an alleged human-like creature of North American folklore.
Supertwink is a 2006 American comedy film directed, written, and filmed by Richard Christy and Sal Governale. Produced and made for subscribers of Howard TV, an In Demand digital cable service operated by Howard Stern, the film stars members of Stern's radio show staff and "Wack Packers". The film premiered at the Pioneer Theater in New York City on January 4, 2006.
Riley Lee Martin was an American self-described alien contactee, author and radio host. Martin was the author of the book The Coming of Tan, which describes his life and his alleged alien visitation. He hosted The Riley Martin Show on the Sirius XM Radio channel Howard 101. He appeared on The Howard Stern Show and was considered part of the Wack Pack.
Eric Shaun Lynch, once known as Eric the Midget and later Eric the Actor, was a member of The Howard Stern Show's Wack Pack. Lynch was, at his peak, 3 ft 5 in (1.04 m) tall, weighed 85 lb (39 kg), and had various health issues, including Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome.
Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and directed by Betty Thomas. The film is an adaptation of the autobiographical chapters from the best selling 1993 book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, developed from a script by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko. It follows Stern's life from boyhood and his rise to success in radio. Stern and several of his radio show staff star as themselves, including newscaster and co-host Robin Quivers, producers Fred Norris and Gary Dell'Abate, and comedian Jackie Martling. The film also stars Mary McCormack, Allison Janney, Michael Murphy and Paul Giamatti.
Dead Air Dave was one of several on-air names used by the radio personality who currently calls himself Dylan. He has also broadcast as Nigel, A.B., A.B. Love and Ashok. He got his start in the radio business as an intern at WXRK New York in 1994.
Mammary Lane was a listener request show featuring clips of The Howard Stern Show. The show aired on Howard 100 and Howard 101 on SIRIUS XM Radio, during certain weeks when the Stern Show was on vacation. The hosts of the show rotated, including Richard Christy, Sal "The Stockbroker" Governale, Jason Kaplan, Will Murray, Gary Dell'Abate, and Jon Hein. The show was a production of "The Tapes Team" at SIRIUS, along with Master Tape Theatre, Stern Spotlight, The History of Howard Stern and Road Trip. Past Mammary Lane episodes aired on Howard 101.
Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter is a 1995 American independent family film about the legendary creature Bigfoot and a young boy he befriends. The film was written and directed by Corey Michael Eubanks and stars Zachery Ty Bryan as the young boy Cody and Gary Maloncon as Bigfoot.
Between 1982 and 1994, American radio and media personality Howard Stern hosted a number of pay-per-view specials and released various VHS and audio tapes.
Finding Bigfoot is an American reality television series on Animal Planet that follows a team of four researchers investigating potential evidence for Bigfoot, a human or ape-like mythical creature alleged by some to inhabit the North American wilderness. Despite the team never capturing conclusive evidence for Bigfoot's existence and mixed reviews from critics, the show gained high ratings and was a top earner for Animal Planet. It premiered on May 29, 2011, and the series finale and 100th episode was released on May 27, 2018; one special episode released in 2021.
Jeff Curro, also known as Jeff the Drunk and Jeff the Bore, is a member of the Wack Pack on The Howard Stern Show.