Show Rundown: March 13, 2018
Stern Show Celebrates 20 Years of Benjy Bronk … Finally
Stern Show Celebrates 20 Years of Benjy Bronk … Finally
After putting it off for many, many weeks, Howard pays tribute to his longtime staffer
Two decades worth of memories were looked back on during Tuesday morning’s Stern Show as Howard celebrated his 20th anniversary of working with the one and only Benjy Bronk.
“Just the idea that we’re getting to the Benjy tribute is exciting,” Howard joked since this on-air tribute has been getting repeatedly pushed back for several weeks now. Gathered in studio to share their favorite Benjy moments were Gary Dell’Abate, Jason Kaplan, Brent Hatley, Shuli Egar, Memet Walker, and Ronnie Mund.
Check out the highlights from Tuesday’s Benjy tribute, including some new info about his past, in the rundown (below).
Benjy the Intern’s First Time on the Stern Show
What better way to begin the day’s festivities than with the very first time Benjy’s voice was heard on the Stern Show. While he was still an intern, Benjy somehow got his hands on Howard’s email address and sent him a note describing a supernatural experience that happened to him thanks to the King of All Media.
“How he got my email, I don’t know. I should have thrown him right out,” Howard said.
In the email and later on the air, Benjy described how he felt an electric shock when Howard tapped him one day. Benjy also claimed Howard’s touch miraculously cured an old skiing injury he had and that soon after the Virgin Mary appeared before him.
Hear Benjy’s historic first time on the Stern Show in the audio (below).
The Many Screams of Benjy Bronk
Any bit involving Benjy usually involves a few of his infamous screaming fits. So when he heard about a “Scream for Peace” rally, where strangers gather in public and scream out for world peace, Benjy made sure to be in attendance.
The crowd assembled that day appreciated his passion and lung power, that is until he began shouting about the size of his penis. One of the demonstration’s leaders asked him to leave in a huff.
“Benjy managed to incite violence at a peace rally,” Howard said with a laugh.
A similar event was held recently in New York City on the anniversary of Donald Trump becoming the 45th president. Gatherers were instructed to shout out their frustrations, but Benjy began by asking everyone there to please stop since Howard was trying to sleep. When he started screaming himself, Benjy was again asked to go home — probably not a bad idea since, according to Memet Walker and Brent Hatley, Benjy showed up wearing only a t-shirt and shorts even though it was the middle of winter.
Benjy Gets Fingered by Perez Hilton
No one will ever forget the day Benjy Bronk learned firsthand what gossip blogger Perez Hilton’s finger felt like. Benjy had bet his co-workers that he’d be able to lose a certain amount of weight, but when he didn’t drop the pounds Howard had to come up with a suitable punishment. Perez happened to be on the show that day and offered to stick it to the Stern Show staffer, so long as he was wearing a rubber glove.
Stern Show executive producer Gary Dell’Abate recalled how quickly the segment took shape that day, telling Howard they all rushed to Perez’s pad but only with two pairs of headphones.
“I had to lay on the bed next to Benjy and share the headphones with him,” Gary explained. The other set of course were on Perez’s ears as he stood behind Benjy whose pants were down around his ankles.
“I was really scared that he was gonna damage something,” Benjy said of the experience which, of course, included many earth-shattering screams.
Benjy Bronk’s Bit in Front of Lehman Brothers Gets Him Arrested
Stern Show staffer Jason Kaplan wanted to include some of Benjy’s stunts on the street during Tuesday’s tribute. “I am a big fan of how fearless Benjy is,” Jason told Howard.
For example, on the day the finance giant Lehman Brothers met their demise in 2008, Benjy ran over to their headquarters in Midtown Manhattan to try and sneak himself onto one of the many news outlets covering that day’s events. He succeeded in getting himself on the air, but he also got himself thrown into the back of police car as well.
“I ended up in a jail cell that day,” Benjy revealed on Tuesday. “I was scared cause the cops were driving me around for a while.”
He was only held for a matter of hours for disturbing the peace and the charges were later dropped.
Benjy Hooks Up With Anna Nicole Smith
During one of Anna Nicole Smith’s many visits to the Stern Show, she got a chance to meet and mingle with staffer Benjy Bronk. To say the two hit it off would be putting it mildly. Benjy and Anna wound up together in the bathroom making out. On Tuesday, Howard listened to the now legendary audio of them kissing.
Their love affair didn’t end after Anna’s appearance that day, either. “We went on a couple dates,” Benjy said. “She wanted me to fly back with her but I was stupid. I should have done that.”
He’ll never know what romance they could have had — Anna Nicole Smith died of a drug overdose in 2007.
Benjy’s Best Phony Phone Calls
Two of Benjy’s best phony phone calls were featured during Tuesday’s tribute. The first involved an elderly woman whom Benjy had formed a relationship with. He called her up one day and asked if she’d have phone sex with him while he pretended to be a neighing, galloping horse. For whatever reason, she agreed.
Another classic call highlighted by the staff on Tuesday was when Benjy convinced a stranger looking for an apartment that he was a woman who had eaten her own brother as a child and was still racked with guilt by the experience. Take a listen to Benjy’s “I Ate My Brother” phony phone call (below).
Benjy Throws Up on Robin at the MTV Awards
It’s all fun and games until someone throws up. When the Stern Show broadcasted live from the MTV Video Music Awards, a few members on the staff had a bit too much to drink. Though it looked like Robin Quivers was about to vomit, it was actually Benjy who threw up … on Robin.
“It’s the end of the night and everybody’s really fucked up,” Gary remembered on Tuesday morning. “For some reason he wanders right over to Robin’s lap.”
“He threw up on me,” a still disgusted Robin said. “When I’m out of a glass booth I get thrown up on.”
“I forgot about that. Boy, this 20th anniversary is wild,” Howard said with a laugh.
Benjy Gets Nude at the Playboy Mansion
The image of Benjy Bronk streaking while at the Playboy Mansion is still ingrained in Howard’s memory. “That was maybe the least sexy moment in the history of the Playboy Mansion,” he joked.
The Stern Show was doing a special broadcast from the Playboy Mansion near the infamous grotto. Without any warning, Benjy stripped off all his clothes and jumped into the water. Howard joked on Tuesday that all of the bunnies immediately exited the pool as soon as Benjy jumped in.
Benjy’s Days as a Prostitute Chauffeur
His 20 year’s worth of work on the Stern Show is well-known, but what was Benjy Bronk doing before he began working for Howard? He revealed on the air on Tuesday how he once had a short stint driving female prostitutes around the city as they went from gig to gig. In addition to transport, Benjy was also supposed to protect the girls should any of the johns get out of hand.
“These girls were definitely tougher than me,” Benjy admitted.
On his fourth night on the job, Benjy said he was driving one woman home to Brooklyn when his car broke down as they were driving down the highway. In order to get his car over to the side of the road, Benjy had the prostitute get out and push.
“She was stronger than me,” he explained. “She had to push the car to the side while I steered it over.”
With his car out of commission, he was no longer able to do the job, though he heard from the girls’ madam that they all loved working with him. The same can be said about those who work with him now on the Stern Show.
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary, Benjy!