RIP to the former mayor of Cincinnati.

If you want a good hearted laugh - partially at his expense but I’m sure he would have laughed too - Red Letter Medias “least viewed episode ever” about Springer: https://youtu.be/RTosyCJQrmA

Dude is as American as sickly-sweet, high fructose, made-in-Mexico Apple pie. That’s pretty American in my book.

The first half of this obit goes harder than you may guess.

> There is nothing about “The Jerry Springer Show” to be applauded — after all, his guests, representing an enormous variety of lifestyles deviating from what is perceived as the norm, were packaged as freaks and brought onstage to be mocked by the audience, and to be (at least seemingly) sternly judged by Springer.

There's a lot of interesting lines to be studied between this show and media in the current era, from Fox News to TikTok to politics to the comment sections. Something about intentionally rallying the worst emotions we can conjure up out of vulnerable people for the ratings.

What stands out to me are the comparisons to Donahue, as if he were some serious sort of journalist that Springer made a mockery of. And while Donahue did sometimes try to be serious, sweeps month for Donahue could seem much like Springer ended up becoming, in kind if not degree.

“…and at the memorial service his estranged half-brother from a different mother stormed out from behind the mourning crowd, flipped over the casket, and screamed, ‘Gimme ma goddamn money!’”

Watched this on TV in Europe back in the day, and thought that this was depicting typical average American life.

While these shows in the 90s were the beginning of the scripted reality TV genre, these talk shows were an interesting blend of scripted situations concocted by the producers and real world situations that were greatly exaggerated for drama purposes. People were encouraged to call in with their situations (whether they were real or not on your end was up to you) and producers would work with you to get the best angle for maximum drama.

It was. Just about twenty years early…

To be honest, it's extremely common wherever the impoverished are located in the U.S. I've witnessed so much chaos from inner-city venturing, to growing up with some households that absolutely belonged on that show.

> and thought that this was depicting typical average American life

The show was very bizarre. It invariably selected for the lunatic fringe of America. These people and their wild stories were all edge cases and definitely atypical.

After watching Jerry Springer: The Opera a few years back I looked up some interviews with Springer; I was curious what he thought of it. He seemed like a pretty nice guy with some fairly down to earth views of his show and its participants.

The Have I Got News For You episode he did a bunch of years ago is pretty good as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luYG9uWnVDY

Used to watch this show during the day when I would come home from school early and there was nothing else on. R.I.P Jerry, the entertainment was... awakening to how some people actually live life.

Emphasis on "some" since most of what was on display was manipulated, fake, coached, or just plain written for TV.

"TV's most controversial show" is hyperbole at best. In the 90's maybe. In 2023 there is children's programming that's more controversial than Jerry ever was.

He had the foresight to see, the true core of America.

I mean, honestly yes. His show was shocking because it was so surprising how people behaved. In truth, it was a foreshadowing. The momentum had already began back then.

Without The Jerry Springer show I doubt we would have got Idiocracy.

Apparently not many RIPs were given.

Or, nobody gave a RIP.

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