Here He Is . . . ‘Miss America’ : 15,000 Fans Line Up as Radio Rogue Howard Stern Signs His Book in Westwood

The gap between the two booksellers Friday in Westwood was only the width of a four-lane street. But it might as well have been a million miles.

Raunch-meister Howard Stern was on one side of Westwood Boulevard in a sprawling new bookstore promoting the book he calls “Miss America.”

Feminist-bookstore owner Adele Wallace was on the other side of the street in a tiny bookshop promoting books she calls “Ms. America.”

Wallace surveyed a line estimated by police at 15,000 waiting for Stern to autograph copies of his book and acknowledged that she was Miss-ing out.

“It’s almost like we’re invisible. That’s what’s so frustrating. We’ve been here 23 years talking about human dignity. Now, this,” Wallace said, glancing at a cart of unsold Sisterhood Bookstore titles, such as “The Centerfold Syndrome: How Men Can Overcome Objectification and Achieve Intimacy With Women.”

As she spoke, a man carrying a sign encouraging females to bare their breasts walked past. And a roar went up from the five-block-long line of autograph-seekers as security guards escorted a miniskirted starlet into Stern’s book signing.

At a table in a far corner of the Borders bookstore, Stern, 41, was using a blue felt-tip marker to scrawl his signature at the rate of one book every three seconds. .

Stern was basking in the limelight after his controversial appearance Thursday night on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Leno, he complained, was wrong to have edited out “the lesbian kiss” and other antics by a pair of statuesque, bikini-clad women who accompanied him.

Leno’s staff issued a statement Friday saying Stern had been on the show many times and had always stayed within the “boundaries” but had crossed them Thursday night. For his part, Stern claimed he was only trying to serve up some fresh entertainment for TV viewers.

“He’d been after me for a year to come on the show. Jay just freaked out . . . he lost control of the show,” Stern said. Unlike a recent New York book signing at which he dressed in a gown and wig reminiscent of the drag queen photograph on the cover of “Miss America,” Stern wore a maroon jacket over blue jeans Thursday. And unlike his radio persona, he was warm and courteous to those in line.

Although he had warned he would only sign one book per person, Stern signed five for Scott Mushik, a 33-year-old machinist from Temple City who had staked out his spot at the head of the line at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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“You were waiting a long time,” Stern told him. “I want to make sure you’re satisfied.”

Stern thanked others for coming. “When you write a book you never know what the reaction will be. This is great.”

Beatrice Ramos, 22, of Venice, came away with a bold blue “Stern” written across her chest. The dental assistant said she waited 17 hours in line to see him. “Despite what people think, Howard doesn’t put down women. He just speaks his views. I don’t agree with all of them, but I’m not offended,” she said.

Fontana resident Tim Wilson, 27, emerged lugging a pillow, blanket and toothbrush along with his autographed book. Wilson said he doesn’t take offense at Stern’s radio show shtick either--even when some jokes seem to be aimed at African Americans.

“If he only put down brothers, I wouldn’t be here,” said the UC Riverside psychobiology student. “But he puts down everybody.”

Said Justin Pecot, 29, a Harbor City writer: “I hope you’re not going to describe Howard as a ‘shock jock.’ You’ll peg yourself as totally out of it if you do. He’s just a guy who is funny and honest.”

Although the city will foot the bill for the 60 Los Angeles police officers who closed down several blocks of Westwood Boulevard during the signing, Borders spokeswoman Lollie Ragana said the store will pay for the removal of trash left behind by the crowd.

But homeowners who live nearby, such as Ferenc Gorog, praised Stern’s fans. The contractor put up a sign in front of his Wentworth Avenue home thanking them for being “incredibly polite” and respectful. Even though the event enlivened the generally quiet Westwood area, many merchants were grumbling. Ticket agency operator Fred Ross said he had contacted a lawyer about filing a class-action lawsuit against Stern and Borders over loss of business because of the street closure and the huge crowds.

“Nobody did any business here today,” he said. Except for Howard Stern, at $27.50 a copy.