Courtesy of Wikipedia
Jerry Springer (February 13, 1944 – April 27, 2023) was an American broadcaster, journalist, actor, lawyer, and politician. He was best known for hosting the controversial tabloid talk show Jerry Springer from 1991 to 2018. Springer was noted as a pioneer in the emergence of “trash TV”; his eponymous show was a “commercial smash and certifiable cultural phenomenon” in the 1990s.
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Tomorrow, February 14: Jack Benny
I lived in Cincinnati when Springer was an anchorman, and I remember his commentary at the tail end of news broadcasts.
Shortly after his passing, there was a podcast eulogizing Springer. When he started his show, he wanted to be the next Phil Donahue, a platform to seriously discuss the issues affecting society. Unfortunately, serious discussions don’t make for great ratings. Then, when a fistfight broke out, the crowd went wild and his producers took notice. Springer hated the direction that his show took after that. All dignity was lost, but a lot of money was gained, so he rolled with it. I could judge him for this, but in all honesty, I can’t say that I would have done differently.