Jerry Springer, a sower of TV chaos whose impact was also felt in Trump-era politics
One day in the late 1990s, I was standing on the New York set of “The View,” having just introduced myself to Barbara Walters. I was writing a profile of Walters for the Globe.
I suddenly felt a presence at my side, and turned to look. It was Jerry Springer.
A startling sight, let me tell you.
If memory serves, the great New Yorker humorist S.J. Perelman, who spent some time in Hollywood as a screenwriter, was once asked by a friend if he had met a particular actress. Perelman replied no, that he had merely “abhorred her from afar.”
That was essentially my view of Springer. But there he was that day in New York, inches away, and surprisingly … normal-looking. He was not a guest that day on “The View.” He apparently just wanted to chat with Walters. I moved away so they could converse, celeb-to-celeb.
Fast-forward a decade-and-ahalf, to 2016. Now, many forces converged that year to make the election of Donald Trump possible, even though he was, and is, manifestly unfit for office.
But I think one of those many factors was the cultural climate “The Jerry Springer Show” (1991-2018) had helped to create, the way it normalized nolimits crudity — or at least made it a ratings-grabber.
Trump is essentially a political version of Springer, though Springer leaned left. (And Springer also had a career in politics, serving as mayor of Cincinnati and running for governor of Ohio.) Trump has a Springer-like instinct for when to take the lowest common denominator even lower. And, as with Springer’s TV audiences, the crowds at Trump’s rallies eat it up.
There’s no question Springer, who died Thursday at 79, was a force in popular culture. He was a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.” He made guest appearances on “Roseanne,” “The X-Files,” and “Married… With Children.” He was the subject of a British musical titled “Jerry Springer: The Opera.” He even performed on Broadway, doing a stint as lawyer/flim-flam man Billy Flynn in “Chicago.”
One of his most memorable moments was the cameo as himself he made in “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” (1999). Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) and his son Scott (Seth Green) are appearing on a segment titled “My father is evil and wants to take over the world!” Needless to say, the show devolves into an all-out brawl, with Springer biting Dr. Evil on the leg.
Say this for Springer: He may have been a force for toxicity and chaos, but he was selfaware. The New York Times reported that in 2008, when Springer was asked to give the commencement address at Northwestern, some students were opposed.
“To the students who invited me — thank you,” Springer said during his speech. “I am honored. To the students who object to my presence — well, you’ve got a point. I, too, would’ve chosen someone else.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a comfortable measure of success in my various careers,” he added, “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.”