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Assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of The Howard Stern Show
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]
History
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]
Official list
On February 24, 2015, Stern and crew voted on an "official" list of Wack Pack members.[2]
Living Wack Packers
The following individuals are official[7] Howard Stern Show Wack Pack members:
Asian Pete
Ass Napkin Ed
Beetlejuice, named "Greatest Wack Packer of All Time"[8] (Lester Green)
Bigfoot (Mark Shaw, Jr., not to be confused with actor Matthew McGrory, who previously had the name "Bigfoot" on the show.)
Hanzi (Imran Khan) (permanently banned from show, April 2016)
"Not Wack Pack Material"
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.
Angry Black
Big Black
Bobo (Steve Bowe). Bobo lost his name temporarily and was known as Steve from Florida. In June 2017, Bobo endured a humiliating act to win his name back on the show.[13]