Final thought: Love him or loathe him, Jerry Springer was millennials' 'babysitter'
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Is this why millennials are not OK?
Talk show host Jerry Springer died Thursday in Chicago at age 79, and the reaction to his death spurred a mix of nostalgia and weighty discussions about the mental health of ’90s kids who grew up watching his salacious talk show.
"Jerry Springer tried to show America it’s [sic] mental health, and we didn’t listen," one Twitter user wrote Thursday.
"the Product that Jerry Springer unleashed upon America was ruinous to our society It normalized disfunction [sic] and craziness. It was the foundation of the mental health crisis," was another user's assessment.
Jerry Springer tried to show America it’s mental health, and we didn’t listen
— Captain FlyGod the 16th (@The16th_FlyGod) April 27, 2023
There is an outpouring of love for Jerry Springer. My sympathy does go out to his family
That being said, the Product that Jerry Springer unleashed upon America was ruinous to our society
It normalized disfunction and craziness. It was the foundation of the mental health crisis— H. Huntsman (@HHuntsmanWrites) April 27, 2023
Springer, a former journalist and Cincinnati mayor, became a grandmaster of escapist daytime entertainment on "The Jerry Springer Show," the syndicated talk series that made him a household name as it evolved into one of America's biggest guilty pleasures.
The self-proclaimed "ringmaster of civilization's end" and late-career podcast host helmed the nation’s top-rated syndicated talk from 1991 to 2018 and became a TV and pop-culture staple in the process. The ratings powerhouse — also often considered a cultural pariah — invited oversharing panelists and traded in sensationalized content that embroiled the hit series in controversy for years.
Brawls, flying chairs, profanity-laced tirades and an overzealous studio audience chanting "Jerry! Jerry!" eclipsed each episode's matter at hand, ultimately resulting in the program eliminating physical violence in 1998. Still, numerous unhinged clips from the show flooded social media Thursday in the wake of Springer's death, as did tributes from his colleagues and former security guard Steve Wilkos.
Acutely aware of his show's reputation, Springer would usually end each chaotic episode with a sobering "Final Thought" and a reminder to viewers "take care of yourselves and each other."
Several fans on Thursday thanked the daytime-TV fixture for actually taking care of them when they were home from school or had to call out sick and spent their day consuming daytime TV's offerings. During the salacious series' 27-year run, Springer became a de facto caregiver to 1990s kids and was remembered as such on social media.
"Jerry Springer wasn’t just a talk show host, he was also the babysitter for many millennials who were home sick from school. May he rest in peace," journalist Yashar Ali tweeted.
"Gen X and Millennials grew up watching his supremely entertaining shows when they stayed home sick from school He was an American cultural icon If his show was around today, he’d have billions of viral views Rest in Peace Jerry," @DC_Draino's Rogan O'Handley wrote.
"From a new[s] anchor to the Mayor of Cincinnati to legendary talk show circus ringleader and game show host of Baggage AND guested on WWE Raw, Jerry Springer has died at age 79. What a wild life he led," Eric Alper tweeted.
"Jeez, this sucks. RIP Jerry Springer, 79. TV icon & such an intelligent, warm, funny man. Loved working with him (on @AGT), loved hanging out with him (we lived in same hotel for 2yrs), loved arguing with him (he loved his politics), loved everything about him. Gutting," tweeted pundit Piers Morgan.
"JERRY SPRINGER I LOVE YOU FOREVER BUBBA. THIS VIDEO REMIND ME THAT YOU WERE THE LEGEND OF THE EARTH LIKE THE IRON SHEIK. GOD BLESS YOU FOREVER," wrestler the Iron Sheik tweeted along with a video of his appearance on the talk show.
"Jerry Springer walked so Maury Povich could run," one user tweeted.
"Say what you will about Jerry Springer. But nobody else would invite KKK members onstage so guests could punch them in the face. Respect," one fan tweeted.
Jerry Springer wasn’t just a talk show host, he was also the babysitter for many millennials who were home sick from school.
May he rest in peace.— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 27, 2023
But not everyone's send-off was so loving. Springer was also criticized for showcasing some of Americans' worst proclivities and for normalizing derogatory language.
"Jerry Springer exploited n— for fame and money for 30 years and n— today saying RIP to him like he ain’t play out stereotypes, misconceptions, and blatant racist tropes on national tv lol him and Maury Povich gotta special place in hell," a Twitter user wrote.
"A couple years back I tried to catalogue every time Jerry Springer had an episode title, segment name, chyron, whatever with a derogatory reference to queer or trans folks, and I gave up within a week. It was soul crushing. It wasn't worth my mental health to chronicle," wrote another.
"Oh no...a horrible person who exploited countless hurt people to enrich himself and in the process created a culture of pointing and laughing at folks with personal, mental health, or relationship struggles has died. How will we ever get over it. F— Jerry Springer," another tweeted.
Here's a look at how Springer was regarded on social media:
So sad to hear this. He came on my show shortly after we launched and told the best stories about his fascinating life & his deep love for America. R.I.P. Jerry Springer. https://t.co/WWBAG7ymtt
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) April 27, 2023
Jerry Springer has died. His 90s talk show changed American TV forever. Not for the better. He made it acceptable for TV to devolve into putting on people who are enemies and letting people have crazy barroom brawls on TV. He opened the door for TV to be far more wild.
— Touré (@Toure) April 27, 2023
Damn not jerry springer 💔 I’m gone cheat today in honor of you 🙏🏽🕊️
— toxic king (@777jorgeivan) April 27, 2023
00s parent: I’ll just leave my kid in front of the tv it’ll be fine
00s kid w severe mental issues:
9 am - steve wilkos show
10 am - maury
11 am - judge jerry
12 pm - divorce court
1 pm - the ppls court
2 pm - judge mathis
3 pm - jerry springer
4 pm - maury
5 pm - ppls…— bbg (@BIGBABYGANDHI) April 27, 2023
Jerry Springer's show may have served America a steady diet of mental junk food but it was entertaining as heck. https://t.co/PzhNrbOi8S
— kereD (@i__m__kered) April 27, 2023
Jerry Springer was a Jewish dude who normalized creating dramas out of the exploitation of his subjects’ mental health struggles to which I say, same
— eric eidelstein (@ericeidelstein) April 27, 2023
I hated the Jerry Springer show when it first aired, I thought it was the worst TV that played on people's insecurities & mental health problems but as I saw #JerrySpringer outside of that environment more, I really began to like him as a person and it's so sad that he has died.
— Wayne Smith (@WayneSmithUK71) April 27, 2023
Not Jerry Springer leaving us! He, along with Bob Barker & Maury Povich, were my babysitters when I had to stay home sick from school. May you keep it messy by exposing everyone in heavy, uncle Jerry. Rest in peace.
— Sarah (@ThatsSarah4Ya) April 27, 2023
A couple years back I tried to catalogue every time Jerry Springer had an episode title, segment name, chyron, whatever with a derogatory reference to queer or trans folks, and I gave up within a week. It was soul crushing. It wasn't worth my mental health to chronicle.
— Derek Van Dyke (@DerbyCityDerek) April 27, 2023
Me: "Wow, Jerry Springer died!"
Student: "Wasn't he the 'You're not the father guy?'"
Me: "No, that's Maury Povich. Common misconception."
Don't let anyone say I don't teach the important stuff...— Jarod Richmond (@juniorrich) April 27, 2023
Absolutely.
Jerry Springer. Ricki Lake. Jenny Jones. Phil Donahue. Sally Jesse Raphael. Maury Povich. https://t.co/tR0hg4S94b— ARIA (@arianicoleb) April 27, 2023
Let's honour Jerry Springer by remembering that he used to invite wyt supremacists on his show for good faith discussions, expose them to an international audience, and then almost throw punches. RIP Jerry.
— ViolaKaur (@viola_kaur) April 27, 2023
I don't think anything else kept me in the closet longer than the way Jerry Springer sensationalized trans people into a mockery for profit. This isn't ancient history he continued to do it till this year.
I'm not exactly sad to see him pass.— Alejandra Caraballo 🏳️⚧️🇵🇷 (@Esqueer_) April 27, 2023
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.