The Jerry Springer Legacy

It's hard to believe that television became trashier after The Jerry Springer Show. Most reality shows are unwatchable or a waste of time. I dare you to name anyone who appeared on The Voice. It is hard to name one American Idol contestant in the ABC era.

I couldn't name anyone who appeared on Springer. It was never appointment television. There was something interesting about it. Were the guests real? We'll never know. I was always fascinated at the end of the show when the maniacs in the audiences yelled questions and/or insults at the maniacs on stage.

This was a show I watched. It was on constantly while I was in the hospital. Compared to blunt force trauma and hospital employees who constantly took blood- it felt like a front for vampires.

When life is turned upside down- Sinbad was right when he said nothing good will come from being in the secret booth on Jerry Springer. Either your girlfriend is dating a man or dating a woman.

I have never watched The Bachelor. Not unlike pornography; most of what I know about where it is going comes from Howard Stern. As if it isn't tough enough being a stepdaughter.

I don't think Jerry Springer incited more rudeness than Fox News. G. Gordon Liddy was goaded by a caller to berate the newly elected Bill Clinton and his reply was "He is the President."

Even if you didn't vote for him you have to respect the office. Could you imagine Rush Limbaugh saying anything like that? Since he succumbed to cancer no one has wondered what his view on current events would be.

Create a legacy that people want to revisit. Jerry Springer mostly let the guests do their thing. The first time I visited Chicago a Dutch traveler wanted to see the Jerry Springer Show in person.

Another guest saw the show live and noted "You can't turn it off when you are in the audience." He could not get tickets for that show and sat in for Jenny Jones instead.

In the future, everyone will have a talk show. All I remember about Jenny Jones is a man professed his love to a guy whom he knew and that man ended up murdering him. Not a good legacy. If not for A Christmas Story I would not recall Sally Jesse Raphael because Ralphie had similar glasses.

I recall when Maury Povich hosted Panorama on pre Fox Channel 5. His career degenerated into paternity tests. At this point I don't watch any of these shows. I did not really watch Oprah Winfrey although I knew who she was.

It was surprising to learn pancreatic cancer has a ten percent survival rate. It seems the most fatal of cancers which is what Jerry Springer had. I also learned he was born in London after his parents escaped Nazi Germany. Dr. Ruth is a Holocaust survivor. Never forget.

Syndicated television won't further your progress. Reality television will stunt your growth. Some shows that are considered "Bad" or "The Worst Ever" are entertaining. There is no reason to revisit these shows. I wasted my time with other programs that do not need mentioning.