The first year we did the show it was on interracial dating and there were protesters outside the studio [shouting], ‘How could you?'” he said. “This was 1991, and now less than 20 years later we have a president who’s the product of an interracial marriage, which shows you how much society has changed. Even though The Springer Show has no social merit other than as entertainment, as a byproduct of it we’ve become much more progressive, much more open. People are not surprised by interracial dating or gays or transgender people. I kind of like that.
—Jerry Springer, insisting there was some merit to watching “grown” men and women throw tantrums on national television [via]
jason
Jerry Springer is a goose whose show contributed to discrimination against gay and bisexual men. Whenever he had gay or bisexual men on the show, the audience was encouraged to boo. When he had lesbians or bisexual women on the show, the audience was encouraged to cheer. This says everything you need to know about this piece of liberal diarrhea.
Jerry, you’re a sack of shit.
Kieran
Phil Donahue was regularly doing serious and dignified programming dealing with gay issues back in the 70s and it was nothing at all like the cheap, sensationalist exploitation of vulnerable gay people as found on the Jerry Springer freak show.
Andy
@jason: Correct. And of course, it was always completely dysfunctional LGBT people who were on. I remember thinking when I was in middle school that I really had nothing in common with “these” people.
DR
@Andy:
Uhm, EVERYONE on the Jerry Springer show was dysfunctional, not just teh gays.
dvlaries
The show does and always did traffic in the lowest and most insulting sexual and racial stereotypes. Now, an aging Springer wants to say whatever it takes to buy off his own conscience.
But he’s full of shit.
kevinVancouver
ummmm he tried to pay a prostitute with a personal cheque ! OTAY!
ps I’m Canadian that’s how you’re suppose to spell cheque..
kenny
Sorry Jerry I don’t mind you but as far as the gay representation on that train wreck of a show of yours? Hell no all it did was further stereotypes make us look bad and also further homophobia and ignorance.So in closing thanks….for nothing.
L.
Springer is the opposite of L’Oréal: it will make *anyone* look worse.
Joe
Even Jerry’s little fake “Can’t we all love each other” semon at the end of each show belied the homphobic pandering that went on before it. Nice try Jerry; we’re not drinking your Kool Aid.
missanthrope
Jerry Springer has probably down more damage to transgender people than any other living person.
DR
@missanthrope:
It’s not like anyone forced their asses on the show. Let’s keep that in mind. It takes a special kind of snowflake to willingly humiliate yourself on Jerry Springer, and there never was a shortage of folks willing to do so, LGBT or het.
THEY kept HIM in business. Let’s blame the right people, shall we? Jerry provided the platform for all the imbeciles everywhere around the country who wanted their fifteen minutes of fame.
Tori
@DR: I think what she’s saying is that while he’s patting himself on the back for being progressive all he did was to help further perpetuate stereotypes about gay lesbian and trans people.
Lamar
@jason: I actually noticed that too but I think in general the men are booed and the women cheered like when a woman accuses some guy of being her baby daddy and he says no everyone starts booing him for example. It’s a pretty sexist programme actually Jerry has said that men on his shows are not allowed to hit women but the women are and do that every single episode.
Lamar
@jason: I actually noticed that too but I think in general the men are booed and the women cheered like when a woman accuses some guy of being her baby daddy and he says no everyone starts booing him for example. It’s a pretty sexist programme actually, Jerry has said that men on his shows are not allowed to hit women but the women are and do that every single episode. Has anyone noticed that as soon as the men come out from behind the door everyone starts booing them even though none of the woman’s accusations have been proven.
Kev C
Global viewers who watched Jerry Springer became convinced that all americans were evil. Jerry Springer is the reason why terrorists attacked on 9/11.
bobito
@Kev C: I suppose that’s at least as plausible a reason as “They hate us for our freedoms”.
bobito
@Kev C: I suppose that’s at least as plausible a reason as “They hate us for our freedoms”. Was his show aired in Saudi Arabia?
ewe
Jerry Springer is a narrow minded homophobic bigot who is only interested in making money for himself.
DR
@Tori:
I realize that. But the GLBT folk who appeared on his show are the ones who bear the blame, not Jerry Springer. They were dumb enough to sign on the dotted line and bring their trashy drama to television. THEY are the ones who perpetuated the worst stereotypes, Springer just gave them an avenue to do so.
Remember, he wouldn’t have had a show if idiots didn’t watch it or clamor to appear on it. Jerry fully acknowledges in that quote that his show was about “entertainment”, not hard-hitting social commentary. And America, including GLBT America, was more than happy to be on that show, watch that show, and keep it on the air for those many years.
The only people to blame are the ones who appeared.
S
I am not convinced that the participants on his program are who they are purported to be (whether gay, transsexual, dating their daughter’s boyfriend, etc.) but have always suspected they are actors. If you pay close attention to the precise words used by Springer to describe the program (not only here but historically), it is clear that he views it not as an actual talk show but as “entertainment” – a parody of a talk show.
I’ve inferred (this is my personal opinion, clearly others’ interpretations may vary) that he had viewed with subtle contempt anyone who views the program believing it to be genuine.
The etiologies of gender variance (gay and transsexual) are explained intelligently and without bias in innumerable scientific studies and reputable television documentaries (such as PBS’ Nova) which are available for free on the web. However, many prefer not to educate themselves, but rather to base their opinions on the more visible source such as Mr. Springer’s program.
It is truly a sad career turn. As a youth, Mr. Springer worked on President Kennedy’s campaign. He ran for Congress at age 27 (earning an impressive 45% of the vote in a rock solid Republican District) and served as mayor of Cincinnati.
Somewhere along the line he decided to sell out. I suspect that it is only now, at age 66, that he has looked back upon his life and understands how much his exploitation has hurt the LGBT community. Rather than accept responsibility for his acts, he has apparently decided to crown himself as a social progressive.
Despite his material success, this man’s life is a tragedy. Consider how much positive influence a man with a television talk show could have had if he’d chosen to exercise that power wisely, rather than waste it.