There was a time when Howard Stern was the most inappropriate person on his iconic radio show. The man built his career by saying things that caused every 'concerned mother' in America, as well as the FCC, to get up in arms and start boycotting. But it also encouraged millions of people to flock to their cars or homes to listen to Howard on the radio every single morning. But as time went on, Howard went through a series of creative and personal metamorphoses. While some original fans have abandoned Howard for this very reason, the gift of Howard's growth is undeniable. It's why he's remained relevant and one of the most beloved celebrity interviewers of all time. But that's not to say that his show can't push buttons. It's just that nowadays that role tends to be filled by his highly paid staffers who have almost all been made on-air celebrities in their own right.
Howard knows that fans tune in to hear his staffers expose off-color and often inappropriate aspects of their lives. Most of the time, Howard is with the audience and laughs at his staffer's antics. Other times, he is the puppet master, pitting one writer against another. But even he knows that one staff member, in particular, is great because he causes a ton of controversy. Sometimes the fans love this staffer and other times they think he goes too far. Either way, he's undoubtedly the most inappropriate on the staff...
The Runners-Up
From day one, Howard has let his on-air co-hosts, such as Robin Quivers, or his behind-the-scenes writers and producers come on the show to entertain the listeners. As time went on, each one of these individuals has built a major fanbase. And most of these fans love when the staffers push people's buttons and delve into gross-out humor.
Let's face it, there are multiple staffers on The Howard Stern Show, both past and present, that could be seen as the most inappropriate. Former staffers like Artie Lange or John The Stutterer may be politically incorrect, but they still rank lower than the likes of Ronnie 'The Limo Driver' Mund. Ronnie would be an obvious choice due to his sex tips and spilling way too many beans about what goes on in his bedroom, bathroom, living room, and car... but even Ronnie has limits.
Someone like Benjy Bronk has fewer limits, but fans find him the most annoying versus the most inappropriate. A quick Google search or scrolling through the comment section on Instagram will prove that fans think Richard Christie and Sal Governale are the two most inappropriate members of the Stern Show staff. But while Richard may have the worst hygiene, it's Sal who comes out on top.
Why Sal Is The Most Inappropriate Member Of The Stern Show
First of all, Sal, along with Richard, is the king of gross-out humor. He is always willing to take part in a disgusting skit, expose his body, or talk about various things that grow on his body. In a lot of ways, Sal and Richard the inappropriate school boys always trying to gross out the girls. They haven't grown up. But Richard is a lot more childlike and innocent than Sal. In fact, Sal lacks a basic understanding of most social norms and can be quite a bit racist.
Given how politically correct the culture has become, it's pretty remarkable that Sal Governale hasn't been ousted from The Howard Stern Show. But this is unquestionably a good thing. After all, we'd lose a massive source of entertainment and one of the show's biggest punching bags. Most of the time, Howard, Robin, and the rest of the crew are mocking Sal whenever he comes up with a ridiculous comment that would get him fired or blacklisted from any other show.
Sal has also admitted to doing a bunch of highly questionable things in the past, most of which involve his own family. Then there's the time he got caught in an intimate act off-air, dressed up as a woman to enter a lesbian chat room, used his uncle's water pick in a revolting way, insulted various celebrity guests, interloped on Howard's marriage, and even attempted to sleepover at Howard's house.
There's no end to the Sal antics. And while fans absolutely adore hearing about each and every one of them, there's no doubt that they love it because he is, by far, the most debaucherous, unseemly, and downright tasteless member of The Howard Stern Show.