Shocker radio host Howard Stern on Thursday balked at suggestions that he had an “awakening” amid retirement rumors, calling both claims untrue.

Stern was once at the forefront of shaking up sports radio, best known for his decades-long battles with the FCC to defend his vulgar and politically incorrect programming. In later years, Stern was accused of losing the devil-may-care approach to humor that initially led to his rise. This claim has been repeated over the years, as have rumors of his retirement.

“I was on vacation, and the next thing I knew, I was in ‘Stephen Colbert land,’ and somehow I was dumped by the FCC for, I don’t know what, whatever it was, or was it because I was too woke…too woke? I didn’t even know what ‘woke’ was. What was woke?” Stern asked.

“If I got too woke, the world would be upside down,” Stern claimed. “I mean, the things I do and talk about, I don’t even know what that means. But you know what? God help me if it means I’m awakened.”

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Howard Stern has been criticized by many in recent years for allegedly losing the politically incorrect edge that made him famous in the first place. (Noam Galay/Getty Images)

Radio host Andy Cohen said the accusation “probably means you care about other people.”

“Yes,” Stern agreed. “Suddenly it’s not macho to give a shit about anyone, but I’m not getting fired and I’m now talking to Sirius about extending the contract in some way, which would be great if that works out.”

However, Howard actually Hugging is called “waking up” In the past, he’s been accused of being soft on comedy and his views on the definition of comedy have been raised.

Stern said in September 2023: “I hear this all the time: I’m no longer good because I’m woke. And by the way, I take that as a compliment. To me, the opposite of woke is asleep. Being woke means I can’t support Trump… or I support people who want to be transgender… or I support vaccines — man, you can call me awake, whatever you want.”

He further added, “I woke up and, damn, I loved it. I wanted to wake up. I wanted to read legitimate news sources. I woke up like this: I believe the election was not rigged,” Stern said of the 2020 presidential election. “I’m awake. I take that as a compliment.”

In 2022, he was accused of contradicting his past defense of free speech for appearing to sympathize with efforts to target podcaster Joe Rogan, the podcaster many believed had replaced Stern with an American male.

Neil Young recently asked Spotify to remove his tracks from its service in January 2022, declaring that the company “can have Rogan or Young, but not both.” Yang has previously called on Spotify to censor Rogan for claiming false or misleading information about the pandemic.

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Howard Stern believes that being labeled “woke” can be interpreted as a compliment. (Getty Images)

“I don’t think Neil Young supports censorship,” Stern argued at the time. “I just think he’s saying, ‘Listen, I don’t want to be a part of this organization because if my music helps bring people to the table and then they spread something as deadly as not getting vaccinated, then so be it.'”

Stern later added, “I’m against any kind of censorship, really, you know, I’m really against it. I don’t like censorship, but when you’re talking about life and death.”

The radio host has repeatedly alienated some fans during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as arguing that those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine should be denied treatment.

“If you don’t get it, in my America, all the hospitals are closed to you. You go home and die. That’s what you deserve,” he said.

Stern also reportedly spent years hiding in his houserefusing to return to the studio out of fear that he might contract the virus.

“I’m freaking out about it. My wife was yelling at me last night. We had a fight. You know how paranoid I am about getting COVID. I haven’t gotten it yet, and I’m safe, and I really don’t want to get it,” Stern said in September 2023. News of a new strain of the virus made him consider going back into lockdown after noticing he had been exposed through certain events.

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Shortly after assassinating the president for the second time, Howard Stern compared Trump to Hitler. (Getty Images)

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Most recently, after receiving a phone call shortly after the second assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, Stern said he “couldn’t agree more with you.” Comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler September 2024. “It’s the same playbook. We’ve seen it before historically.”

“Hitler was seen as a clown in Germany… He was one of these funny characters. Somehow he won the election. That was the end of Germany. He dragged them to hell and back,” Stern continued. “This does feel like a rerun of pre-World War II. I’m one of those people who believes if the election goes the wrong way, it’s the end of America.”