The Truth About Michael Rapaport's Relationship With 'The Howard Stern Show'
He's loud. He's opinionated. He's highly divisive. And he loves controversy... Nope, we're not talking about Howard Stern... we're talking about Michael Rapaport. If you're reading this article, chances are you're already well aware of who Michael Rapaport is. First and foremost, he's an actor. And a pretty successful one at that. He's been featured in a number of great movies (including Sully) and shows (like Friends). But he's also one of the leads on the hit Netflix show Atypical. But most people know him from either his internet antics, his various scandals, and his numerous 'appearances' on The Howard Stern Show.
Given his level of involvement in the long-running and acclaimed SiriusXM radio show, fans are extremely curious about the true nature of Michael's involvement with the self-proclaimed King Of All Media. Here's the truth...
Michael Yelled And Screamed His Way Into Representing A Major Element Of The Howard Stern Show
While Michael Rapaport has never actually sat down for a formal interview on The Howard Stern Show, he's been featured on it A LOT. Particularly over the last decade. Even though he's been featured as a guest-host and celebrity guest on The Howard Stern Wrap Up Show, his involvement with the main program is usually through phone calls, Tweets, and stories from the staffers who are featured on the show.
This is because Michael is probably best known for all of the feuds he gets himself into with Howard's well-paid staffers. Specifically, Michael adores teasing Howard's longtime producer, Gary 'Ba Ba Booey' Dell'Abate.
Gary tends to be a target for Howard's comedy and has been since they started working together in the early 1980s. Clearly, Gary knows that it's all in good fun. But when Michael attacks Gary, there seems to be a true level of animosity there. And this is something that gets a lot of reaction from the fans... and from Howard Stern himself. But it's not just Gary who gets the shape end of Michael's stick... or, should we say, the sharp end of his extremely acerbic and vulgar tongue.
Producers J.D. Harmeyer, Jason Kaplan, and Jon Hein, writer Richard Christie, and former staffer Brent Hatley have also been involved in some extremely vicious on-air feuds with Michael. Usually, these feuds are about fantasy football, which is how Michael first got involved with The Howard Stern Show in the first place.
While Howard was vaguely aware of Michael before he joined the Stern Show staff's fantasy league, he really only became acquainted with the man after the fact. It's not entirely clear how Michael got involved socially with producer Gary Dell'Abate, but he soon found his way into the inner circle of the Stern Show and was invited to join their exclusive fantasy league. Almost immediately, Michael joined in with the staff's often brutal teasing and banter. But while the staff knows the rules and which lines not to cross, Michael always found a way of taking things too far... And that's how he ended up getting featured on the radio.
Even though Howard has almost zero interest in fantasy football (or football for that matter) he always wanted to chat with his staff on air about what kind of antics was going on between them all in their off-work hours as well as how crazy Michael was acting. And by 'crazy' we mean yelling, screaming, and sending outrageously politically incorrect threats to his fantasy opponents.
It's hilarious in all the wrong ways.
AKA... it's The Howard Stern Show. ...At least, it's what The Howard Stern Show used to be.
Over the years, Howard has evolved both in a personal and a creative sense. In turn, he's become a far kinder man. That doesn't mean he doesn't tease the s*** out of his staffers... he just does it less. Instead, he leaves the worst of it to the staffers themselves. Staff in-fighting has been and remained a staple of The Howard Stern Show. But by Howard stepping back to maintain and more approachable public image in order to get the best guests for his show, there's been a vacancy in the 'attack the staff' department.
Enter Michael Rapaport.
If Michael is the one hurling the most obscene insults for the sake of entertainment, it takes the pressure off of Howard. While this is something some of Howard's fans dislike, many claim that it's actually a good thing. This is because Howard has found some truly inspiring and fascinating ways of evolving without losing some elements of the show that make it what it is. Howard can still be Howard when he wants but shift some of the most colorful elements to his staffers and super-fans like Michael.
Michael Is A Mega-Fan Of Howard Stern
It would be easy to claim that Michael Rapaport just calls The Howard Stern Show for attention. Well, it wouldn't be entirely true... just partially. There's no doubt that Michael enjoys all of the responses and backlash to his copious and consistent appearances. But first and foremost the man is a longtime Howard Stern mega-fan.
While Gary could have left Michael into the Stern Show fantasy league for any number of reasons, it seems as though Michael's true allegiance to The Howard Stern Show was the reason why. Any Stern fan knows who is 'true' among them. They know who just wanted to climb into Howard's inner circle and who genuinely loves and respects the legendary radio host, philanthropist, best-selling author, and film star.
The combination of Michael's entertainment value, his ability to roast the staffers while taking the pressure off of Howard, as well as the fact that he's genuinely a superfan is why he's become such an important part of the satellite radio show.
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