A syndicated radio show. Two best-selling books. A nightly television program. Just when we thought Howard Stern had run out of venues for controversy, the shock jock is at it again with Private Parts, a top-grossing film ($14.6 million opening weekend) chronicling his foul-mouthed rise to stardom.
There’s plenty to dislike about Private Parts. Strings of obscenities. Full female nudity. A lesbian orgy. Whether mentally undressing women or arousing a caller to orgasm over the air, Stern’s penchant for poor taste dominates the movie. But as blatantly offensive as Private Parts is, one of its most unsettling messages is more subtle. Claiming to be misunderstood, Stern boasts of physically honoring his vow of marital fidelity despite lewd remarks and lustful antics with other women that have, by his own admission, deeply hurt his wife. (Turn teens to Matt. 5:28 for a biblical perspective on this contradiction.)
The film is rated R, but Stern’s other public pulpits are not restricted to adults. TV. Radio. Magazine interviews. As a rule, young people should avoid all incarnations of this self-proclaimed “King of All Media.”
