Jim Ross Says That The Howard Stern Show Was Largely An Impetus In Kicking Off The Attitude Era

The peak of wrestling’s popularity was easily Monday Night Wars, and the Attitude Era of WWE, as ratings were at an all time high and merchandise sales were breaking records left and right.

On the latest episode of “Grilling JR” with Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson, the two looked back at the life and career for former WWE Superstar Umaga, who passed away on December 4, 2009. During the episode JR starts to talk about the attitude era, and goes on to credit The Howard Stern Show largely for kicking off the attitude era.

JR talks about Howard Stern’s shock jock appeal, and the creativity of Stern and his show, and the characters and oddities that they created and featured. JR says that it was kind of a bleed over from that Howard Stern shock radio creativity that led to the early stages of the attitude era.

“It’s the attitude era man. Everything goes. The more coarse the better, at times, at least it would seem that way. So yeah, it was, this is that part… you and I were talking about your friend Shuli of the Howard Stern show who now lives in Huntsville.. I think a lot of the boldness of the Howard Stern show, was largely an impetus of kicking off the attitude era. And I think Howard’s creativity, and his staffs creativity and creating all these characters and these oddities, and freaks of nature.. ya know, all these.. ya know the wack pack.. I think it kinda bled over into the early stages of the attitude era.

And then once the attitude era started getting over, and people liked that R rated pro wrestling, then uh you just took it from there. But I think Howard Stern’s influence, his shows creativity, the oddities and so forth and so on, was a big part of what we were doing in that glory years.”

(Please credit Bodyslam.net when using this transcription.)

You can check out the entire episode of Grilling JR below.

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