“Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” Although Jerry Springer often said that he wouldn’t watch the titillating talk show that turned him into a household name, the outrageous life he lived could’ve qualified him to be one of its guests. Although critics despised the show, Springer argued that his show wasn’t directing the culture, but merely reflecting it. “Television does not and must not create values,” he noted. “It’s merely a picture of all that’s out there—the good, the bad and the ugly.” Despite the outrage—or perhaps in part because of the outrage—audiences flocked to Springer, which peaked at an average of over 8 million viewers in 1998. Springer often expressed humor about both death and his complicated legacy. “I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a comfortable measure of success in my various careers,” he noted in his 2008 speech at Northwestern. “But let’s be honest, I’ve been virtually everything you can’t respect: a lawyer, a mayor, a major-market news anchor and a talk show host. Pray for me. If I get to heaven, we’re all going.”
Jerry Springer - Special Tribute Issue: His Amazing Untold Story
The Ringmaster • THE LATE JERRY SPRINGER WAS A SCANDALIZED POLITICIAN, A CONTROVERSIAL TALK SHOW HOST, A DEVOTED FATHER—AND AN ICON OF INFAMY
DEVOTED DAD Daddy’s Girl
The Jerry Springer Show TOP 50 MOMENTS • THE RINGMASTER PRODUCED ALMOST 5,000 EPISODES OVER 27 YEARS WITH THE HELP OF HIS GUTSY GUESTS, FEARLESS SECURITY TEAM AND GOBSMACKED AUDIENCES—HERE ARE THE VERY BEST.
Springing INTO ACTION! • ALTHOUGH HE WAS NEVER AT A LOSS FOR WORDS, PHOTOS OF JERRY’S LIFE TELL A STORY OF HARD WORK, GOOD TIMES AND LOTS OF LOVE
TALKING TRASH & Remembering a Treasure • HOSTS WITH THE MOST: JERRY’S PEERS RECALL THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW’S CONTROVERSY—AND JERRY SPRINGER’S KINDNESS
WHERE ARE THEY Now? • MOST OF SPRINGER’S GUESTS DISAPPEARED FOREVER AT THE END OF EACH SHOW. MOST, BUT NOT ALL!
JERRY in His Own Words • GERALD NORMAN SPRINGER’S LIFE WAS JUST AS INTRIGUING AND FASCINATING AS ANY OF HIS INFAMOUS GUESTS.
Statement From t of Jerry Springer on His Passing
