For over a decade, Artie Lange sat within arms length of Howard Stern to pioneer some of the funniest moments in radio show history. The two were close friends, both on air and off. But, following a two-and-a-half month stay at a Florida rehab facility to kick a heroin addiction in 2011, Artie claims that his old friend has completely distanced himself from him.
In the past, Artie has been very vocal about the bitterness he feels towards Howard’s betrayal, claiming he’s called and left voicemails on Stern’s phone, to no avail. This past June, Artie said, “I earned ten minutes off the air to just let me say in person ‘I’m sorry’ and hear me out and hug and say goodbye. But that never happened, that closure never happened.”
On his Artie Quitter Podcast Monday, the comedian spent close to 15 minutes speaking plainly about how his former boss has gone soft, veering away from the politically incorrect persona that helped him amass millions of loyal fans to a man whose “lost his mind.”
‘All those years, when we were laughing at the rebel, when we were laughing at Hunter S. Thompson, he was our guy, he was the Hunter S. Thompson of radio, all those years, we were the boobs!’ the It’s The Whiskey Talkin’ star said. ‘He wanted to be at the table, he didn’t want to set the table on fire.
Lange uses the example of Stern inviting James Corden on the show for a puff piece segment.
‘When James Corden opens his fat fucking mouth to do karaoke in the car – something that wouldn’t be fucking funny to the secretaries at an accounting firm – and gets an Emmy for it, I’m allowed to say he sucks. But instead, “Everybody’s great” … need I say more?’ Lange said.
In Artie’s defense, those fucking carpool karaoke segments fucking suck.
Artie claims that he isn’t hating on Stern, he’s actually giving him the upmost compliment.
‘You people might think that I’m insulting Howard right now – you’re wrong, that’s where you don’t get it, I’m giving him the biggest compliment on the planet,’ Lange said. ‘He’s the only guy that could’ve said, “Fuck you, I think Ellen’s dancing is stupid.”
Listen to the entire segment below if you’ve got the time. It’s highly entertaining.
[h/t Daily Mail]