RIP Jerry Springer

[CameronBornAndBred]

For better or worse, you can't say that he didn't make an impact on Americana.

[House P]

Fun fact. Jerry Springer was born in London in 1944. What part of London, you ask?

Answer: The Highgate underground station, which was being used as a bomb shelter.

[Bluedog]

Oh wow. I was expecting to see him in person on Saturday (I'm not joking...). I live by him and he would hang out with his grandkids at parks quite a bit. He was very proud of his show and would love talking about it, this many years later. RIP.

[duke2x]

It would surprise you to look at his Wikipedia page. I'll omit the criticism out of respect.

My 7th grade Social Studies teacher made us watch his editorial on the local news every night. He and his co-anchor Norma did not get along and took verbal shots at each other during the news for a couple years. "Take care of yourselves...and each other" -Jerry Springer.

[Green Wave Dukie]

Fun fact. Jerry Springer was born in London in 1944. What part of London, you ask?

Answer: The Highgate underground station, which was being used as a bomb shelter.

Another fun fact - without looking it up, anyone know where he went to college? Or, wanna guess?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Another fun fact - without looking it up, anyone know where he went to college? Or, wanna guess?

I don't know that, but I know he was the product of Forest Hills High School, which seems to have just been overloaded with talented graduates. (And my mom!)

[MartyClark]

Oh wow. I was expecting to see him in person on Saturday (I'm not joking...). I live by him and he would hang out with his grandkids at parks quite a bit. He was very proud of his show and would love talking about it, this many years later. RIP.

He probably had a good side, maybe a great husband and family man, but it's hard to honor him for that television freak show. He exploited weak, human frailty and encouraged irresponsible behavior for a profit.

Just my opinion, but his television show had no redeeming social value. I'm curious what, exactly, he was proud of.

[Bluedog]

Another fun fact - without looking it up, anyone know where he went to college? Or, wanna guess?

Hmmm "Green Wave Dukie" asks this question....

His most recent gig was a show called "Judge Jerry" and people questioned his legal chops....graduated from Northwestern Law.

[CameronBornAndBred]

He probably had a good side, maybe a great husband and family man, but it's hard to honor him for that television freak show. He exploited weak, human frailty and encouraged irresponsible behavior for a profit.

Just my opinion, but his television show had no redeeming social value. I'm curious what, exactly, he was proud of.

His show was in production for 27 years. If I was able to hold an audience's attention for almost three decades, I'd be patting myself on the back.
This is America...a country that loves shows that are value free. Like it or not, he found a niche that was there to be filled.

[MartyClark]

His show was in production for 27 years. If I was able to hold an audience's attention for almost three decades, I'd be patting myself on the back.
This is America...a country that loves shows that are value free. Like it or not, he found a niche that was there to be filled.

Yup, he made money and recognized how low he could go to attract a certain type of viewer.

[dudog84]

He probably had a good side, maybe a great husband and family man, but it's hard to honor him for that television freak show. He exploited weak, human frailty and encouraged irresponsible behavior for a profit.

Just my opinion, but his television show had no redeeming social value. I'm curious what, exactly, he was proud of.

There's a lot of that going around. And I can say no more

[OldPhiKap]

Shouldn’t there be a fight at the funeral?

[missfinch]

Shouldn’t there be a fight at the funeral?

At the will reading maybe some will find out they’re not really his heirs.

[Jeffrey]

Yup, he made money and recognized how low he could go to attract a certain type of viewer.

There’s probably a lot more of them than we realize and/or admit.

In the late 90’s, one of my employees (a very attractive young lady) informed me that she would love to be on the Jerry Springer show. She said it was a life long dream. She probably could have made it given she had recently broke up with her boyfriend (who was about 3’ tall) for another guy (who was definitely 300+ lbs.). I could never shake the image of the little guy kicking the big guy. The little guy claimed he recently attempted suicide….. with a BB gun.

[Jeffrey]

At the will reading maybe some will find out they’re not really his heirs.

Damn…. I was really counting on the inheritance.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Shouldn’t there be a fight at the funeral?

A topless one.

At the will reading maybe some will find out they’re not really his heirs.

That's Maury. The results say he's still alive.

[missfinch]

That's Maury. The results say he's still alive.

Not that I ever watched, mind you, but I’m pretty sure Springer did paternity bits too.

[Phredd3]

I'm sad that there is more chatter here than in the Dick Groat thread. Dick Groat is way more worthy of remembrance.

[missfinch]

I'm sad that there is more chatter here than in the Dick Groat thread. Dick Groat is way more worthy of remembrance.

Yes, just more here to make cracks about.

[brevity]

Another fun fact - without looking it up, anyone know where he went to college? Or, wanna guess?

Hmmm "Green Wave Dukie" asks this question...

Yeah, I was surprised a few years ago to see the Jerry Springer stuff on the wall at Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers in Uptown New Orleans, on the opposite end of St. Charles Avenue -- until then, I had no idea he went to Tulane.

I used to live in Cincinnati, so I knew the connection there. Surprised it hasn't come up yet in this thread.

NPR: Jerry Springer, talk show host and former Cincinnati mayor, dies at 79

He practiced law in Cincinnati, eventually getting elected to the city council in 1971; by 1974 he had to resign, admitting he'd paid a sex worker by check, but was re-elected in 1975. And in 1977, he served for a year as mayor of Cincinnati.

But his emergence as a TV personality came in the 1980s, when Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT hired him as a political reporter and commentator, eventually promoting him to primary news anchor and managing editor.