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Howard Stern called an ‘idiot’ after comparing Sony hacking to 9/11 terror attack

The New York Daily News called Howard Stern an idiot after he compared the hack attack on Sony to 9/11.
The New York Daily News called Howard Stern an idiot after he compared the hack attack on Sony to 9/11.
( / New York Daily News)
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The New York Daily News blasted Howard Stern and called him an “idiot” Tuesday after the radio host compared the Sony hacking assault, in which embarrassing emails and other papers were released, to the terrorist attack on 9/11 that left almost 3,000 people dead.

UPDATE: Theaters pulling 'The Interview' amid threats invoking 9/11

( / New York Daily News)
( / New York Daily News)

The front page newspaper headline declared the self-described “King of all Media” as the “Cringe of all Media” and on the inside pages it published a photo of Stern next to a picture of the World Trade Center towers on fire.

“Hey Howard… this is 9/11, idiot,” the copy blared.

The harsh headlines came just hours before it was reported that the hackers, who call themselves "Guardians of Peace," made new threats Tuesday that actually referenced the September 11, 2001 attacks and warned people to stay out of movie theaters showing the film "The Interview."

Stern was discussing the cyber-attack Monday with guests Seth Rogen and James Franco who star in the aforementioned Sony comedy which some say may have been the impetus for the hacking. In the movie, Franco and Rogen book an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and are then tasked by the CIA with assassinating him.

The movie trailer shows Franco and the ruler bonding over a puppy and Katy Perry.

'You want us to kill the leader of N. Korea? WHAT?'

The communist nation, however, does not look kindly on unsympathetic depictions of their supreme leader. According to Newsweek, the country has been actively pressuring Sony Pictures, U.S. government officials and even the United Nations to halt release of the film.

The security breach resulted in the release of thousands of pages of movie studio documents including celebrity aliases and star’s salaries, not to mention what Rogen and Franco were paid for their roles in the film. (Rogen got $8.4 million and Franco was paid $6.5 million.)

Stern said President Barack Obama should have called on the public to ignore the released material as an “act of patriotism.”

“This attack is no different than a 9/11-type attack," Stern said. "They stole this material. It probably was North Korea. It’s outrageous. The president should have announced immediately we’re under attack."

Stern frequently roasts others in the media in his no-holds barred approach to broadcasting. Among other things, he has called long-time nemesis Jay Leno “insane," a “crook,” and a “robot” who makes him want to throw up.

Stern insulted “Precious” star Gabourey Sidibe about her weight and did the same with “Girls” star Lena Dunham.

But for his part, the shock jock seemed genuinely upset and taken aback when he was on the opposite end of the insult train.

"I can't stand being called an idiot by the New York Daily News,” said Stern on his Tuesday morning show. “Bill Cosby wasn’t even called an idiot."

He also said that “his heart was in the right place.”

But that did not stop his fans or his detractors from taking him to task.

Here’s just a small sample of what they had to say on Reddit.

“I get the feeling Howard owns a lot of Sony stock or something.”

“Has he lost his (expletive deleted) mind? Equating this cyber-attack to 9/11?”

“Howard can't honestly believe that. It's lunacy.”

“Howard has been watching too much FOX News."

On Twitter there was more of the same. But not everyone said the New York native, who stayed on the air that dreadful 9/11 morning broadcasting the news of the terror attack, was wrong in his comparison.

'It's an act of war'

Not everyone however, even some of his fans, were in his camp.

What do you think?

Let us know with your vote.

Is Howard Stern an idiot for comparing the cyber-attack on Sony to 9/11?

Yes, of course. No one died in the Sony hack attack. 9% (499)

No. This is an act of agression on the U.S. by another country and should be treated as such. 82% (4508)

He was already an idiot. 8% (465)

5472 total votes.

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