The Observer, April 25, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 26
Jerry Springer: a first person account
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When our campus had the pleasure of hosting distinctive television personality Jerry Springer, who I like to think of as the patron saint of outrageous television, I was given the opportunity to interview him. It turns out, however, that his show is not what occupies most of his time. I was quite surprised to find out that he spends most of his time talking to college students.
There I sat, in the dank little side room of Amasa Stone Chapel wondering exactly how serious this interview was going to be. However, he instantly gained my respect by complimenting Cleveland, claiming "[Cleveland] is a great city. And you have got great universities…so it was a natural place to go."
My co-interviewer and I were curious if there was anything that kept the show fresh, after 17 years and about 3400 episodes. Is there anything different for Springer? "No. It's all stupid… It's a crazy escape."
At this point I thank the heavens and relax because it is clear that Springer is not as batty as those who frequent his show. He does, however, enjoy doing the show, which isn't surprising since he still manages, as he pointed out, to come up with a final thought day after day. I had to know what prerequisites were required to land your own show on network television. It turns out Mr. Springer was a mild-mannered TV news anchor prior to his stardom.
But at this point the question on everyone's mind has to be if the show is real. "Oh yeah, the show is real," he responds, laughing. "I'm fake, but the show is real." I find this idea fascinating. Springer goes on to report that he is not he is not very aware of people who dismiss him as a person because of his actions on the show. His career has treated him well in various facets of his life, from television and show business to personal encounters and politics.
In fact, it seems while he does enjoy his diverse jobs, including The Jerry Springer Show, competing on Dancing with the Stars¸ and hosting America's Got Talent, politics are where his true passions lie. Springer served as mayor of Cincinnati for a year in 1979 after serving on its city council for a number of years. He currently is a very strong advocate for national health care, claiming that a poor policy sis the number one threat to national security since illness threatens the lives of American citizens every day.
The most impressive thing about Jerry Springer is the enthusiasm he demonstrates while speaking about those issues which are important to him. I found myself drawn to every word that came out of his mouth, which is an odd feeling when I note that I am talking about a politician. The passion is well directed as well. He is not passionate about himself at all, often referring to himself as a normal schmuck who got lucky.
As the interview drew to a close I posed the scenario that he had to actually give the "final thought" of his life, and in that situation, what would that final thought be? His answer was quite simple: "Be good at whatever you are doing… You can't map out your life, because you are not in charge of it. But, if you are really good at what you are doing, whatever the job is, someone will notice." I found this advice comforting as a graduating senior, since I and many of my fellow classmates have no idea exactly what we want to do. It is always comforting to hear someone extremely successful tell you it is alright not to know.
In the end, my initial fears of this interview were quashed, and Jerry Springer turned out to be an intelligent, well versed, and affable person. It is clear that there is more to him than you see on TV, and I think it is wonderful he chooses to spend his time speaking with students around the country.
