79
Of pancreatic cancer.
Far more cultured and principled than one might think from the shock TV
show that bore his name.
RIP Mr Springer
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/27/jerry-springer-talkshow-host-dies-79
RIP Jerry! Jerry! Springer
Someone who brought appalling car crash TV to the masses. Can’t believe this is (was?) top headline on the BBC. We truly do live in a celebrities rule culture.
Condolences to his family and friends if they are reading this.
By all accounts one of the genuinely kindest and nicest men in showbusiness. Low bar, but apparently cleared with fathoms to spare. That’s a good thing to have people say about you when you die, I think.
Yes. But can they look back at his recorded legacy with fondness? You can be a nice person and still do crappy things. None of us knew him (presumably), but most of us will have caught at least part of one of his shows.
I don’t think a run of trashy TV shows matters one way or another.
He was a pioneer. The fact that most of TV (at least in North America) is unwatchable today is partially due to his influence
Some would argue Phil Donohue paved the way with Donohue.
If nothing else, JS nabbed his practice of running up and down the aisles between audience members and barking out questions at uncomprehending tour group members.
It’s never occurred to me until now that fathoms could go up as well as down 🤯
The funeral should be entertaining. Each emotional eulogy interrupted by someone shouting “you bastard!” followed by flying pews, scuffles, security men, etc.
Sadly, this is one show where Jerry won’t be back after the break.
And the arrival of Boris Johnson.
I recall an interview with him that made it obvious that he was witty and erudite, and thus very far removed from the idiots that made up the bulk of his shows. It definitely seemed like there was Normal Jerry and TV Presenter Jerry, who knew it was all a bit mad.
He seemed to fully appreciate that he wasn’t making TV to be really proud of, but he obviously knew what buttons to push to get people to watch, and that is some kind of talent. And let’s face it, however ridiculous and trashy his shows were, nobody could ever say they were dull. RIP.
I agree with that – not tv I wanted to watch but it put food in the mouths of his family and money in his bank. I don’t think he can be criticised for doing that.
Hmm, a successful drug dealer puts food in the mouth of his family and money in the bank. I wouldn’t call that the best yardstick. However, Springer’s show may have opened the floodgates of bear pit TV, but it can’t all be laid at his door.
He just recognised the fact that arseholes would often love to be on TV, so why not put them on TV and see how they get on? Maybe encourage them to reveal themselves?
I only ever watched his show once (briefly) but just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad TV.
The JS show was the logical outgrowth of Andy Warhol’s dictum that “in the future, everyone will be famous/world famous for 15 minutes”
Git or not, Pancreatic cancer is a bastard and I would not wish that on anyone.
Jeremy Kyle with brains, wit and charm. In fact nothing like Jeremy Kyle.
Chris Morris got Jerry Springer once in an edition of Blue Jam. This interview is pretty astonishing.