When the Jerry Springer show debuted in the autumn of 1991, it actually featured serious topics on news, politics, and current events. That's not surprising given the host's background as a reporter and politician. In fact, the program's signature “Final Thought” ending segment allowed for thoughtful commentary on some of the most complex issues of the day. This is something I remember well from around that time.
With ratings tanking, a choice had to be made. Retool the Jerry Springer show into something that would grab audiences or face certain cancellation. The host and producers chose the former rather than the latter and the rest is history. For the next two decades the program remained on the airwaves making Jerry Springer one very rich and famous individual...but at what cost?
For a guy who loved talking politics, all meaningful discussions on his show quickly disappeared. Even the Final Thought segment became irrelevant. (Seriously, what real insight could Jerry give his viewers about that lesbian stripper threesome gone wrong?) As his program devolved into a moral garbage sideshow, Jerry Springer himself tended to stay on the sidelines during taping as not to get caught up in the fights among guests that would frequently break out. Despite Mr. Springer's tag line, “Take care of yourselves and each other” it seemed like he was profiting off of lots of people who did not take care of themselves or each other.
Mr. Springer's death had me thinking of a sermon I heard at St. Mary's in Beverly many years ago. Our priest asked what price we were willing to pay to live a moral life in keeping with the Church's values? Would we always strive to do the right thing or would we turn a blind eye to immortality in our pursuit of material wealth and status? He then used the example of a nameless Catholic man who worked as a scientist at a bioengineering lab and made a very comfortable living for himself and his family. One day he realizes that his company is using aborted fetal tissue in its experiments. Does the man take a moral stand and quit his job or does he simply do nothing? Taking the moral stand would certainly upend that comfortable life he enjoyed and it would also cause a heck of a lot of stress for both himself and his family. Our priest continued by saying there were times when standing up for your beliefs invited failure but “it's better to be a failure in this world and a success in the next one than the other way around.”
He then pointed to the crucifix and added, “In many ways, that's a symbol of failure.” The sermon was so moving, it stayed with me after all these years and I sometimes think about it during some of caregiving's most difficult moments. Living at home and working a dead-end job in order to care for my elderly mother certainly hasn't brought me wealth and fame (...or a girlfriend) but it's where I need to be right now because she has no one else in her life.
There's no shortage of Catholics who ignore this advice, however. Maybe it's the guy in the Catholic Match chat room who talks about stocks, 401Ks, and wealth management more than he does about giving to the poor. Maybe it's the woman who places moral character far below having a successful professional career in her prerequisites for a husband. Maybe it's the Catholic politician who betrays his beliefs to become well-liked. In the face of failure, we all must make decisions on how strong our moral compass really is.
Some say Jerry Springer sold out for ratings. In interviews, he didn't seem too proud of his show's legacy. Instead, he made light of it much like the Hollywood scream queen who is eternally embarrassed by her part in a cheesy slasher flick but won't say anything for fear of alienating her fanbase. Mocking his critics, he started introducing the program as “the worst television show of all time.” No doubt there were viewers who saw value in the Jerry Springer show, but speaking from personal experience, I knew a few die-hard fans who would have been much better off reading a book or going for a walk instead.
There were certainly winners from Mr. Springer's embrace of the lowest common denominator. Those producers who wanted higher ratings got what they wanted. Steve Wilkos, a security guard on the program, also gained fame and eventually became the host of his own talk show in 2007. Many others who worked behind the scenes earned a steady paycheck but at what price?
I think part of the Jerry Springer show's legacy is that it taught us to take pleasure in other people's misery like never before. Grievances guests aired weren't a big deal as long as the spectacle they provided was entertaining enough. Whether or not Jerry Springer himself becomes as well-remembered as other purveyors of schlock and shock like Joe Pyne (Who?) or Morton Downey Jr. (Who?) remains to be seen.
