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On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Paul Street at Jan 10, 2006

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As some of this blog's readers may know, I occasionally undertake common-sense left content analysis of America's corporate-crafted "popular culture." I also think that "entertainment" media is loaded with richly ideological messages that may be as relevant as news and public affairs media to the enginerring of mass consent to empire, inequality, and social hiearchy. For some examples of my dark and occasionally semi-humorous thoughts on these and related matters, see "The Manly Scent of the Hummer" ; "Killing Us Softly: Politics and Entertainment" ; "Politics and Entertainment" . Now that it's off ZNet's top page, here is a copy of a very recent article in this vein that received a lot of mostly favorable response via private correspondence, including one note from a self-described "libertarian" who claimed to inform me that the people are in fact mostly idiots and that human nature is in fact vile. The People Are Unfit to Rule: The Ideological Meaning of Maury Povich and Jerry Springer by Paul Street ; January 03, 2006 One morning last Fall I witnessed a mass-cultural war crime in the comfort of my own living room: The Maury Povich Show. It was an engrossing episode. A married couple was waiting for Povich's paternity testers to come in with the verdict on whether or not the husband was the father of his pregnant wife's baby. The judgment came in a sealed envelope. Povich held the results in the air and proclaimed that the husband “had nothing to worry about. It's your child, Stewart!.” “Stewart” issued a victorious war whoop and punched the air with his fist. He gave Maury a big hug. Stewart's wife rolled her eyes. “I told you you were the daddy,” she said with a distinctly southern accent, “you big [bleep].” The audience roared. Maury likes to build his shows around paternity tests. The last time I saw him do one of these, things turned out differently. A cuckolded husband collapsed in tears. As he lay sobbing on a couch, a winking Maury pretended to console him. His wife wept as the crowd howled. This kind of atrocity has been commonplace on American daytime corporate television for some time. Povich is neither the first nor the last daytime television host to construct a broadcast around the employment of marginal and poor people as tragic sociological circus freaks. This was how “Jenny Jones” and Sally Jesse Raphael made their talk-who names and how Montel Williams got his start. The worst is probably Jerry Springer, who loves to pit cheating lower-class couples and their lovers against one another. On a typical Springer episode, audience members leap “Jerry, Jerry” while the freaks chase each other around the stage. Security personnel are carefully positioned to prevent excessive violence. Then there's the real-life judicial shows, wherein small-claims and divorce justices likes “Judge Judy” and “Judge Joe Brown” preside over dysfunctional poor people who can't stop bitterly arguing with each other. These television judges lace their proceedings and judgments with lectures on proper behavior and values, accompanying their legal verdicts with cutting comments about the rabble's insufficiently middle-class comportment and conduct and instructing them in the virtues of work, fidelity, family responsibility, and the respect for authority. What's going on here? Beyond their profitable (for broadcasters) appeal to the public's most base and voyeuristic instincts, these and other “real—life” television shows play a neglected ideological role in the corporate-crafted “popular culture” of parasitic late capitalism. They are part of an elitist thought control project: the cultural engineering and enforcement of mass consent to social hierarchy. Along with numerous other corporate television productions they propagate at least two central authoritarian ideas. The first such idea maintains that poor people –--- it is practically always working- and lower-class people who get held up for ridicule in the human cockfights staged by Maury, Jerry, and the rest –--- deserve their own poverty and related isolation and criminalization in America. A college student who has been mass culturally weaned on Jerry (Springer), Jenny (Jones), Sally (Jesse-Raphael), Judy (the judge), and Maury et al. is not a good candidate to follow his left-liberal sociology, history, or English professor's discourse on the role that structural forces and elite agents of class, race, and/or gender oppression play in creating mass inequality and misery in the United States. The endless army of stupid, hateful, alienated, and hopeless poor people paraded across her television screen by Maury and his friends strike the student as being oppressed by nobody or nothing so much as themselves. Of course, Maury and Jerry don't do shows about the rampant social injustice that produces the people who show up on their stages. Judges Judy and Joe Brown and the authorities on Divorce Court don't adjudicate on the political-economic abandonment of the inner city or the corporate globalization that destroys jobs, families, and communities. They all profit, however, from the personal and group crises and the desperate and self-destructive behaviors that are so naturally endemic among the “dysfunctional” people stuck on the wrong sides of these forces and processes. The second richly authoritarian idea “taught” by Maury and Jerry et al. holds that the ordinary populace is too stupid, vile, savage, selfish, atavistic, and ignorant to be trusted with the possession of any particular power in “democratic” America. The prolific left intellectual and media critic Noam Chomsky probably wouldn't be caught dead watching Maury Povich if he could help it. Like most left intellectuals (myself included), he engages dominant media primarily through its upper-end news and commentary outlets: the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and the Washington Post etc. Interestingly enough, however, Maury, Jerry, and the rest are excellent disseminators of a notion that Chomsky rightly places at the heart of the venerable thought-control project of the corporate master class: “the people who are supposed to run the show” (the society's power elite) must “do so without any interference from the mass of the population, who have no business in the public arena” (Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World [New York, NY: Metropolitan Books, 2005], p. 21). “No business in the public arena”…except as angry and tragic circus-freaks who deserve their position at the bottom of America's steep socioeconomic pyramids. The mass populace that appears on Maury and Jerry (both on stage and in the audience) is more than merely unfit to rule. It is a modern-day embodiment of the wretched, unruly, and childish “mob” – the dangerous and all-too “masterless” and “many-headed monster” – that aristocrats have always claimed to see when they describe the common people. It is proof of the classic authoritarian and self-interested ruling-class idea that the ordinary citizenry is unqualified for freedom and must always be checked, coerced, and manipulated from above. It is evidence for the venerable bourgeois thesis that “human nature” is essentially nasty, violent, disagreeable, and brutish. Especially at the bottom of the supposedly merit-based socioeconomic pyramid, this thesis maintains, civilization's majority is composed of ignorant and boorish louts. That thankless rabble must be controlled for their own good and the good of society by benevolent, far-seeing masters, who are supposedly less tainted with humanity's inherent inner savagery. To be sure, it's hardly just on the daytime freak-shows that these viciously hierarchical ideas find modern media expression. These oppressive notions are ubiquitous in various forms (especially in crime dramas) across the spectrum of America's corporate-crafted “popular culture,” with authoritarian consequences that deserve serious consideration by progressive media critics and activists. They color the content of numerous situational dramas and comedies as well as pseudo-documentarian law-enforcement shows like the dangerously repression-friendly broadcast “COPS.” Specific shows aside, the “manufacture of [mass] consent” to the shocking concentration of American wealth and power takes place just as significantly in the entertainment media as well as in the news and public affairs media that preoccupies most left media critics and activists.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Casten, J.d. at Jan 28, 2006 02:38 AM
Frederic Christie- As to buying elections—Ralph Nader noted that 93% of congressional districts belong to one party (e.g. red and blue states). Studying median voter theory, you will see this concerns voter predisposition. Although money may matter in close races (studies have not shown these races are “bought”); money equates with winning largely because special interest groups bet on winners, and a candidate's popularity raises money as well as votes. If elections aren't bought, then democratically elected power is a matter of legitimate political positioning, &/or deceptive image making propaganda. A slim majority of the people may be getting what they want. As to corporate power, I believe encouraging employee ownership & merit proportional democratic decision making is a critical and an immediately survivable meme. Education and motivation is a key empowerment towards breaking into the back door of “the power network.” The front door? Educational, social network, and monetary inheritance. Yet, “survival” always depends on your “product” selling to the mass consumer.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Casten, J.d. at Jan 27, 2006 23:56 PM
Paul- I love & find it difficult to disagree with this piece about TV shows that equate poverty with stupidity & hence promote an “elitist power hierarchy” status quo. However: 1) Bush was elected despite being portrayed as stupid in the media. 2) “Poor freaks” vote too (see www.jdcasten.info for my simple-minded poor schizophrenic political stance). We poor freaks often semi-self-consciously see our status with a sense of humor. Your interpretation assumes that power centralizing (“elites” amassing money & institutional policy shaping positions – to the end of amassing even more) is mostly held unaccountable to the public (due to secrecy & propaganda). Hence: cronyism, corruption & secret agendas seem to abound. But, given that ~4% of people are sociopaths, I would hazard that ~4% of “institutional authority” is corrupt. On a global scale, that 4% is huge, and must be fought (as you do). Yet, indiscriminate rejection of authority makes no sense to me: I question my own authority too. Maybe 96% of the time, “thought controlling elite masters” are held accountable due to competition among themselves for the “base” vote, and to another controlling master: morality. Marginal corruption problems don't equal rotten to the core: pruning institutional structures may be safer than clear-cutting them.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 24, 2006 07:51 AM
what about propaganda from magazine such as the one you buy in groceries stores? Today on front cover of macLean the Iran prez was being demonized as Most dangerous person alive;; and theSun was having end of the world predictions..

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 19, 2006 07:13 AM
Agrees with mr. Zimmerman [quote]The under-classes are boxed in (literally) and packaged within the frame of the television screen, which make them somehow ‘unreal' or relegated to the status of the ‘Other'. [/quote] may be one of the underlying reason why my 8 years old daughter don't watch these shows

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Cmzimmermann, Cmzimmermann at Jan 18, 2006 20:15 PM
Dear Paul Street, Mikhail Bakhtin wrote that, ‘ one ridicules in order to forget.' You certainly suggest as much in your article, however I simply wanted to re-emphasize the distancing function of these sorts of TV shows. These shows do not merely reflect social inequalities inherent in contemporary capitalism, nor is it simply a question of voyeurism or exhibitionism. Rather, there is a conceptual turn at play in these shows, in that by parading ‘lower-class' individuals on the screen there is a tacit recognition of class divisions. This recognition further distances us from any responsibility as to the larger socio-economic framework within this country. The under-classes are boxed in (literally) and packaged within the frame of the television screen, which make them somehow ‘unreal' or relegated to the status of the ‘Other'. No longer are we merely presented with sports, entertainment, and the cult of the movie star to occupy our minds with what is essentially irrelevant so that we are happy not to participate in any political process. Rather, there is a certain awareness (or postmodern irony) of the constructions of these shows, which evoke the desire to ridicule on behalf of the audience. In other words, the function of these shows is to elicit ridicule of the characters on the show as well as the shows themselves in order to ‘forget' the structural problems facing American society.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Ttrihe10, Maxirullah at Jan 18, 2006 17:24 PM
we in Australia are bombarded with the T.V shows Paul is commenting on, such as the Jerry Springer show. i agree with paul's comments about the social injustices that the particpants of the show reflect, the bigger issue being the way society produces the underpriverlige should be the concern and content of the show, against feeding on and packageing it for t.v ratings.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Jautter, Mind at Jan 18, 2006 03:08 AM
The "Manly Hummer" --Love that phrase. I was tailgated by a vehicle the other day and when an opening occured in the right lane I moved over and let him pass. When I realized it was a Hummer I thought to myself ,Gee,when you were riding to school you rode the short bus.But now you showed everyone-Now you're driving the short bus.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Rastafarianrobot, Noherosnomasters at Jan 17, 2006 22:43 PM
d"epends on what you mean by "elite." We do not have an offical inherited aristocracy in the US. People can of course be born rich here, but there are several other ways." Wow, insightful! You truly are stupified by your own ideology. Look at the lineage of the last two candidiates for President in this country. Both were distant relatives of British Royalty. Trusts, Foundations, Tax evasion overseas. Old money runs this country...in fact it's an institution and just like any institution those who are lucky enough to achieve membership conform to the dominant ideology of the instituion. So even if you want to rehash the tired social mobility lie you are blinded by your own reactionary, masturbatory inclinations. Since you start with a conclusion (that the majority of people who post here are wrong because they are leftists or anarchists) and work backwards your posts have NO value whatsoever. "So the "elite" are now the people who are wealthy because of special talent, good looks, intelligence, and most of all luck." LMAO...in psychology we call this just world phenomenon. You would have made a great Commissar for Soviet Union you know that? Why do you come here? There are plenty of websites out there for fascist cheerleaders such as yourself. Think. You could even get the added bonus of validation from your enlightened peers.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 17, 2006 03:44 AM
a big tahnk you to Paul Street for the link and also for the interesting topics he brings.. ( also Paul is an excellent writer..)

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 16, 2006 21:11 PM
laughs this is funny I googled the Cirino of paul street and a cyrano came up... cyrano-cirino <---- click there!

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Ratipik, Bayaronn at Jan 16, 2006 19:12 PM
an excellent article. thank you.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Yurallnuts, Realpc at Jan 16, 2006 17:08 PM
There is no fixed definition of "elite." The lawmakers are elected, and anyone can run. We have classes in our society, in that people can be classified to some extent. There are educated professionals who tend not to watch Jerry Springer or wrestling while drinking beer. There is the less educated working class, with their own preferences, the upper middle class, the old rich, the new rich, etc. There are socialists and libertarians, religious fundamentalists, atheists, everything in between. People are influenced by the family they grew up in, although they will not necessarily share its beliefs and preferences in adulthood. Going to college can dramatically change a person's class allegiance -- they might take on the speech patterns and tastes of the professional class after getting a professional degree, for example. If your parents ate at McDonalds and watched wrestling, you might continue the tradition and pass it along to your own children. Unless you went to college or in some other way changed your social environment. When leftists are appalled by lower-class tastes, they feel the evil ruling elite must be to blame (since that is who they blame for everything).

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Mjc7373, Mcorbin at Jan 16, 2006 04:45 AM
"I've noticed over time that you really don't actually read people's comments very closely, which tells me that you are probably not a good listener either." Welcom to realpc-land,VWood. What I've come to believe from reading many of his posts on this blog is that he isn't even trying to understand anyone's point of view, he seems only interested in attacking straw men.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 15, 2006 20:37 PM
realpc I've noticed over time that you really don't actually read people's comments very closely, which tells me that you are probably not a good listener either. You say that "It depends on what you mean by 'elite.'" I explicitly said what I mean by that term. Of course, others, including yourself, can and will have their own opinions, but I have mine and I gave it. And then you go on to imply that only by having wealth can one be among the elite. A very typical materialistic answer. I will not re-visit what I meant by elite, so please take a moment to see what context I am talking from in the previous statement. And being famous or being rich do not place one among the elite, though the elite are usually famous or rich or both. It has to do with the power to impact humanity. I don't consider sports or entertainment figures to be of that caliber at all. They are merely fodder for elitist propaganda cannon.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 15, 2006 17:54 PM
Our children are conditioned from a very early age that sitting in front of a TV will entertain them and playing a computer game will entertain them. The producers of TV shows and computer games have always been aware of this. When a child spends hour after hour pursuing such activities, he in reality is growing up without much choice as he/she has been conditioned for their entire lives. Their begin by having parents who sit them in front of a TV to keep them occupied while the parents do other things. They are soon addicted. Now when you have an addict who does not know how to live without that which he is addicted to, you have the means to "control" him. So the "content" of whatever you are sending over the air becomes supremely important as an agent of propaganda. And today the messages that are being sent over the air are ones promoting violence as the ultimate answer to conflict resolution, that capitalism is the only true religion, moeny is the only thing that REALLY brings happiness, that democracy exists, the the USA is as kindly and misunderstood giant whose duty is to enter other countries at will and replace regimes if they do not stand for its values, and that only the enlightened among us should rule. Sports and entertainment are not only used as propaganda machines, but also as opiates to keep people entertained and under control.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Yurallnuts, Realpc at Jan 15, 2006 16:44 PM
It depends on what you mean by "elite." We do not have an offical inherited aristocracy in the US. People can of course be born rich here, but there are several other ways. You can start a successful, which requires luck as well as hard work and/or talent. You can become famous as an athlete, fiction writer or entertainer, which also requires a lot of luck (especially for entertainers), as well as some talent. You can become well-known as an intellectual of some kind -- this does not usually result in great wealth, but fame of any kind can be profitable. People can become famous very suddenly now because of technology, and we are a culture that worships the famous, and we spend fortunes on entertainment. So the "elite" are now the people who are wealthy because of special talent, good looks, intelligence, and most of all luck. There is no reason to resent them, as we are not obliged to worship them and spend all that money on entertainment.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 15, 2006 15:04 PM
I didn't say "economic" elite. I said elite, which of course can also include economic elite as one category. And when I say they rise to the top, I don't mean wealth necessarily. Many of the elite died in poverty. Wealth has little to do with it. The elite impact the whole of humanity in some measurable way. "You don't even know me" Point well taken - I don't know you, so I am being extremely presumptuous!... :red: Sincere apologies for that.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Fritzerbuster, Fritzerbuster at Jan 15, 2006 14:07 PM
Einstein had influence because of the celebrity that his work bestowed on him, but he wasn't, by any means, a part of the economic elite. Mozart, in his lifetime, made a pretty typical amount of money, nothing extravagant. He had become famous before his passing because of his precocity, which was often showcased like some sort of strange oddity in a sideshow, but his serious reputation didn't become firmly established until roughly 18 years after his death. [quote]Each of them had something that you and I can't even begin to touch.[/quote] Hey, you don't even know me!! :)

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 15, 2006 12:38 PM
First, I have recanted my statement but having said that I would like to offer some clarification of what I said. First, the elite, IMO and in an amoral sense, are the movers and shakers of humanity, whether for "good" or "evil". In this context you can place Julius Caesar, Stalin, Hitler, Mozart, Beethoven, Einstein, Newton, Gandhi, et al into the same box. They rose to the positions they held via some incredible talent they possessed whether it be intelligence, leadership, persuasiveness, musical talent, business acumen, whatever. Each of them had something that you and I can't even begin to touch. And so I place them into a category called "elite". Yes, they each take a shit just like you and I, so they are truly human but they do more, much more. From a business management perspective, these people are likened to top management, and all the rest of the leaders of the world must be considered mid-management, or below, if one chooses to think heirarchically. And these always rise to the top of their field. Secondly, there is the concept of "elitism" which might be described as a philosophical position that in so many words says "I am enlightened. You are not. So you are shit and I will lead". When I call someone "elitist", it is usually within this context. And these are the folks who would have us believe that only they are capable of making society's decisions, and work religiously to make certain that the rest of us are kept under control.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Fritzerbuster, Fritzerbuster at Jan 15, 2006 09:01 AM
[quote]I question your assertion that the elites are elite because of superior intelligence and that those of us who are not elites are not so because we lack superior intelligence.[/quote] Non-elites with superior intellect: Albert Einstein Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Franz Schubert Nikola Tesla William James Sidis (Phenomenal child prodigy who chose to live a life comprised of the performing of assorted odd jobs and the composition of bizarre books, one of which devotes itself entirely to instructing the reader in methods concerned with the efficient interpreting of streetcar transfers) Feel free to add to the list.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 15, 2006 04:58 AM
I do have a friend that owns a business by inheritance, he is probably worth 40-50 millions, He cannot read 2 pages of an ordinary news paper, he does not know how to write. He seem to be a good worker driving trucks and demolishing buildings His sister in the business is able to perform his paper work.. What determine success in business is most often determined by luck and sometimes by a good product.. Fortunately, most people knows that the pseudo upper class, or the rich pretending to be smarter or better leader is absolute, the truth is they use the same toilet as you... Truly, how many of you had a supervisor or employer for morron ?

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Fritzerbuster, Fritzerbuster at Jan 15, 2006 03:57 AM
[quote]This seems to be quite an elitist statement typical of social Darwinism, which, ironically is one of the central 'theories' employed by the elites to reinforce and justify their positions in power.[/quote] The next time a conservative tries to push all of those hackneyed, pseudoscientific Social-Darwinist lines on you, present them this conundrum: If the laws of capitalism favor whatever is ideally suited to its environment, then why is it that a piece of petrified dung that has lasted millennia and may last many millennia to come isn't valued over a wealthy man who will last a much shorter amount of time and is impotent?

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 14, 2006 16:34 PM
CM Zimmerman I accept your criticism. What you say is absolutely true. My mistake. Perhaps I should say, superior leadership ability? You have truly made me think about this now!

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Cmzimmermann, Cmzimmermann at Jan 14, 2006 16:18 PM
VWood, You wrote: 'Realistically, we have to recongnise that those with superior intelligence will always float to the top of any social structure.' This statement is problematic, especially from the intended perspective from which you are coming. This seems to be quite an elitist statement typical of social Darwinism, which, ironically is one of the central 'theories' employed by the elites to reinforce and justify their positions in power. I question your assertion that the elites are elite because of superior intelligence and that those of us who are not elites are not so because we lack superior intelligence. It takes great intelligence to be able to work on an automobile engine, for example. Chomsky often points out that the ability of many non-elites to analyze all facets of sports certainly takes great intelligence. Evidently, it does not take superior intelligence to become the president of the US. More later... CMZ

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 14, 2006 15:54 PM
Thomas Jefferson had a dream. The US quickly left that dream behind. But his dream will never die... "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." Amen.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 14, 2006 14:46 PM
Realistically, we have to recongnise that those with superior intelligence will always float to the top of any social structure. So if the structure is changed to favor the lower classes, the elite will again rise to the top. So what we need is a mechanism by which the elite become "ours" in philosophy. People like Martin Luther King or Gandhi - intelligent, practical, but with great social conscience. So the same elitist mechanisms that are used against us, the Great Unwashed, should be used against the Elite, to develop a classless, socially conscious society led by socially conscious people.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Victor_wood, Vwood at Jan 14, 2006 13:45 PM
What's going on here? Beyond their profitable (for broadcasters) appeal to the public's most base and voyeuristic instincts, these and other “real—life” television shows play a neglected ideological role in the corporate-crafted “popular culture” of parasitic late capitalism. They are part of an elitist thought control project: the cultural engineering and enforcement of mass consent to social hierarchy. Paul and others see an elitist "project" here, and orchestrated series of activities toward a planned objective - thought control. Others see little more than the selling of sensationalism in order to bring in loads of audience and advertising money. I see it as class war. It is not "planned" as such. There are no people in darkened back rooms formulating plans. There are only elitists doing what they have done for centuries - finding new and better (and of course more profitable) ways of projecting their message that the lower classes need to be led by the elite class. Simple as that. The elitists take their task very very seriously, and take every opportunity to enforce their views. They control Government, the corporatins, the media, Hollywood, and to an increasing extent, academia. They don't need to conspire - they ARE the plan. The other classes don't realise what they are up against, and those few who do, don't seem to have the power to do anything about it anyway. Indeed, most even cheerfully and willingly support elitist propaganda.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Fritzerbuster, Fritzerbuster at Jan 14, 2006 12:23 PM
What I personally feel to be most revolting and unsettling about these shows is not what agendas their producers may or may not have in mind, but what already established cultural mores they reflect: There's no shame in reveling in the consignation of others to hardship and the eccentric conditions concomitant to it; in other words, schadenfreude is okay because in this system, if you've fallen into an economic black hole, it can be the consequence of no one's fault but your own because of the supposedly meritocratic foundations underlying all of the most prominent and effectual organs of our society. I myself don't believe in meritocracy as it is. It's eugenics with a slightly less luridly transfigured face. It doesn't seek to directly intervene in the breeding patterns of a population as eugenics does, but its aim is the same: To entitle a person to a degree of recognition of their humanity in accord with their purported "usefulness" to society.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Doubt, Nagging at Jan 12, 2006 12:47 PM
There was a case in the UK where a Springer like show (only not so extreme) on the BBC turned out to have used actors: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/277302.stm

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 12, 2006 05:51 AM
[quote]would assume that most of the people in the studio are actors, kind of like professional wrestling" I used to think that. But apparantly they are real people. There are exhabitionists who would die to air their dirty laundry on TV. Being on TV alone is quite enough an incentive for such people.[/quote] I am willing to agree that the public is not all actors, bwong , lets agree there is a mix..how could you make a show without actors ? I also agree that a lots of people are not interessed of this type of show

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Gammon101, Bwong at Jan 12, 2006 05:02 AM
'I would assume that most of the people in the studio are actors, kind of like professional wrestling" I used to think that. But apparantly they are real people. There are exhabitionists who would die to air their dirty laundry on TV. Being on TV alone is quite enough an incentive for such people. I am not versed in advanced media theory. At the risk of sounding naive I think some maybe reading too much into these shows. There are enough people who would watch them "for a laugh" as Keir puts it and there are enough people who would make fools out of themselves for practically naugh.It is a VERY cheap way for networks to get ratings. I don't think most viewers take these shows very seriously, they are just bored. In a class society everything in some way serves a class interest, perhaps indirectly and in a round about way. But that is quite different from saying that it is consciously created for that purpose.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 11, 2006 23:59 PM
- Actually this issue of advertising "passively forced" on people reminds me that there is some alternative TV filter called MythTV a linux/gnu project that strip commercials from TV programming... ahh its free. MythTV [quote]" Like if American bombs, bullets , murders and repression weren't enough wepaons used against the poor, they also have to "torture' the minds with their presidential TVs.. "[/quote]

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 11, 2006 23:38 PM
Thanks to Paul Street for his articles about our black brothers, on the blackcommentator, it is very interesting mainly because i was unaware that propagandist were trying to make believe black people were closing the gap in classes in the US. I will try to read Cirino and see this guy opinion.. Don't get me wrong it is not that I will try to defend realpc or will try to side up against him, but I think where realpc has difficulty to believe how intensive the propaganda machine is working, is underlying to the fact that we are percieved as enemies of his beloved country ( this I assume). This is not exactly true realpc , we just want to reform it and reajusted it so the US cease to be a threat to the rest of the world and finally welcome it as participant of the world community I have a friend on the interenet that was just like him, he was upset because he blieve the war in Iraq being right, then during the "famous" election debates " he said: you were right about Iraq and Georges Bush I dont think realpc should be perceived as an enemy of Paul Street.. realpc has difficulty to believe.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Doubt, Nagging at Jan 11, 2006 23:37 PM
realpc writes: "Your mistake is that you are appalled by low-class entertainment, and you are appalled that your heroes the working class seem to love it." realpc's mistake is to assume that "low-class" entertainment is meant to be watched by the "working-class". I've no idea if it is or not (and I don't think realpc does either), but take one example: Springer's show. The guests are carefully selected members of the working-class (usually selected to meet the trailer-trash stereotype, which is likely to be offensive to the working-class), but the studio audience (who spend their time insulting and laughing at the guests and goading them into fighting) appears to be largely middle-class. Given that programming is targeted at the middle-class (since they have more buying power) it shouldn't be much of a surprise that shows like Springer's are aimed at the middle-class. It is low-class entertainment for the middle-class.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Ess, Shyela at Jan 11, 2006 22:12 PM
Thanks for the info,CMZ. I wasn't aware of the long history of the knowledge of the function of tv ads. realpc, I disagree with your belief that a circus or sideshow is a good comparison to tv. Going to either is actively participating in a social event. TV, imo is a passive, antisocial medium of entertainment. The real entertainment being promoted on tv is shopping. Radio, and the internet have more in common with tv, radio not having the visual impact of ads, and browsers allow you to browse in text only mode. The internet allows for active participation.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Yurallnuts, Realpc at Jan 11, 2006 22:00 PM
"Anti-drug references have been written into the script of at least one prime-time show in return for payment." Oh, horror! Warning people about the dangers of drugs, in prime time -- what is the world coming to? "they are not forced to watch TV, but they are forced to watch commercial" You know, if you ever had a great idea for a new product and wanted to sell it, you might consider advertising. If you think advertising is devious brainwashing, well so is just about any form of communication. Including and especially the outpourings of left-wing ideologues.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Mjc7373, Mcorbin at Jan 11, 2006 20:53 PM
Product placement seems to be evolving. Typically a product appears in a movie as a prop, either in the background or front & center. Recently I read about how product placement is being applied to the real world. Models were hired to use products on city streets posing as regular people, in another case a package delivery company paid doormen at fancy hotels to allow packages with the company logo clearly in sight to be stacked next to the entrance so entering and exiting patrons would see them. The tactic seems to be to make advertising as invisible and inseparable from the real world. Now in the US the government has been paying TV show producers to write propaganda into the scripts of shows. Anti-drug references have been written into the script of at least one prime-time show in return for payment.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Cmzimmermann, Cmzimmermann at Jan 11, 2006 19:35 PM
Shyela and Nagging Doubt, Marshall McLuhan wrote about TV commercials being the true content of TV back in the 1960's. The commercial is not a 'commercial break' in the TV show, rather the show is the break in the commercial. Product placement is important, however this is somewhat of a secondary strategy. McLuhan notes that ads are not meant for concious consumption. TV commercials present a commodified view of the world and codified and standardized system(s) of desires. In this discussion, commercials are not a break from the horror of voyeuristically watching these persons' lives being played out on screen, rather the show functions as a stark contrast to the utopian vision or panacea presented in the commercial. The same goes for watching the news, which is predominantly of disaster, crime, death, tragedy, as a short break from the dream world of commodity fetishism.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 11, 2006 17:52 PM
realpc , they are not forced to watch TV, but they are forced to watch commercial and they are taught to be obedient.. the people watching are submitted to mind abuse and subservience. Shh that remind me the old mind washing trick OLDER men in Montreal use to [pseudo]seduce younger women in Montreal.. The older man ask multiple questions to the girl where the answer is "always YES" The girl does not know whats happening, the older man is -pre-conditionning her into saying yes.. He then goes on to tell her to take off her clothes; since she is pre-conditioned to obediently say yes, she take off her clothes..[sic] the same system is uses to sell YOU KFC.. "TV is now an interesting concept were viewer are kept entertained until the next commercial"...

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Yurallnuts, Realpc at Jan 11, 2006 14:53 PM
No one in the US is forced to watch TV. It is not a mind control conspiracy. We belong to a particular culture with its own odd practices and beliefs. I find this culture to be interesting in some ways, appalling in others. There is no one to be pissed off at, it just evolved this way, primarily because of technology. Any American who is not in love with American culture is free to be an eccentric, or form his/her own weird community of outsiders. It's ridiculous to see evil conspiracies in every crazy thing that goes on here. Before TV, there were circuses with side shows. Different entertainment appeals to different classes and types of individuals. Yes people are different, and there are classes. The alternative would be one giant class including everyone. But that would quickly differentiate. Your mistake is that you are appalled by low-class entertainment, and you are appalled that your heroes the working class seem to love it. First, you apply your own personal judgement as if it were infallible eternal truth. Then you are confused because not everyone shares your taste in entertainment. Aha! It must be an evil mind control conspiracy.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Doubt, Nagging at Jan 11, 2006 14:37 PM
Thanks for the link, Shyela. I should have also mentioned the number of ads shown. In the UK at least on the two main ad funded channels (which everyone can receive without extra equipment, or payment), there used to be one set of ads shown in a half-hour show, or two in a hour show (with another in between shows). Over the last few years this has increased considerably, and is now more in line with the US (or UK satellite/cable). Take one example, Channel 4 airs the US show "Lost" -- this is 40 mins long (without adverts), and I'd guess it runs for an hour in the US; however C4 run it for an hour and five mins. This got them in trouble with the body that regulates broadcasting (Ofcom), but they still kept doing it!

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Ess, Shyela at Jan 11, 2006 14:16 PM
N_D, sounds like advertisers have direct control over content with this arrangement. I remember when PBS started using product placement in place of actual commercials. The difference isn't that great. Here is the quote I referenced, and link to the full interview. "Chomsky: It's very open. Take say television. In the industry when they have an hour of program, whatever it is, a comedy, a cop show, or whatever. In the industry there's what's called content and fill. The content is the advertising. The fill is the car chase or the sex scene or something, that's supposed to keep you going between ads. And if you look at a television program, actually I do it some times because I'm intrigued, the creativity and the imagination and the expenses and so on are for the ads; the car chase you can pull off the shelf. And in fact this has led to a serious deterioration of the political system. http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/20051207.htm

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Doubt, Nagging at Jan 11, 2006 14:05 PM
Shyela, the products the shows are selling are the ones in the ads or placed in the show. The advertisers need the shows to keep people watching the ads, but they can also influence the content by pulling the ads or direct sponsorship of the shows. I read somewhere recently that (at least here in the UK) advertisers are starting to include in their contracts clauses saying that their ads must automatically be pulled if there is any content that may have a negative impact on sales. With regards to product placement: in the UK this is verboten, particularly on the BBC (however this may soon change). However the BBC has recently been in trouble for placing products in its shows. Spooks (fictional show about MI5) recently got caught advertising apple macs. A new show started the other day on BBC, called "Life on Mars" (about a time travelling cop). I counted a number of blatant product placements, including: "I drive a Jeep", "I'll just have a diet coke", and an ipod shown playing the theme from the show (the Bowie song of the title).

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Ess, Shyela at Jan 11, 2006 13:50 PM
I haven't seen any of the shows listed, and not having a tv, won't be going out of my way to verify Paul's conclusions, so I'll accept them as accurate. Recently I read an article/interview(?) by Noam Chomsky in which he said, to paraphrase, the real content of tv is the commercials,the programs being fillers to keep the attention of the audience between commercials. How does the content of the shows listed work in conjunction with the advertisers who sponsor the shows? What products are these shows selling?

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Doubt, Nagging at Jan 11, 2006 13:22 PM
Inspired by Paul's post I sent him an e-mail on my observations about propaganda in the entertainment industry. I thought I'd share this with other readers, so I adapted the e-mail for my blog, and it can be found here: http://theirconscience.blogspot.com/2006/01/propaganda-and-entertainment-industry.html

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Man, Laughing at Jan 11, 2006 11:02 AM
r4d20, whatever you may think of Paul aside, I reccomend that you go look back over his comments. Paul may very well have contepmt for those on the springer show, but that isnt the question. The fact is that these people are being portryaed as brutes of their own right without giveing the social circumstances wich give rise to their behaviors any light. Whatever you may think of Paul, he is actually fighting for these people, for them to be portrayed as people rather than having them made fun of on public TV. `Jerry and Maury are just trying to make some money, giving some people what they want. There is no authoritarian conspiracy. For an elevated upper-end intellectual like yourself, these shows seem barbaric and brainless. There must be some evil mind-control scheme going on. There isn't. Taste in entertainment varies. Just be glad public executions have gone out of style. ` Realpic, its not a question of wether their trying to make money or not. And the fact that they make people seem brainless isnt good, and the fact that it reinforces the ends of people who butcher innocent farmers is really bad. The two dont have to have a buisness deal in order to unknowingly reinforce eachother.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 11, 2006 09:11 AM
my sincere excuse for mental sodomy comment, I have to admit that i feel frustrated by the comments posted by other when I do undertsand for well that the vast majority of americans are the likely victims of unrelented propaganda.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 11, 2006 08:20 AM
what about the milk you give your kids.. what is the advertisers whom reserve time for these TV shows.. Would you puke if youd' learn what type of chicken you eat ? If you are American and you eat KFC like chicken you better know that not only this chicken is fed with hormones it is also fed with its own excrements and the day this chicken is sent to the butchery , owners drugs the chickens for fear this chicken dies of an heart attack during transport, a sudden death which would be " spoiling the chicken" before consumption. Hey YOU are lead to BELIEVE THAT THIS CHICKEN IS finger licking good! The worst is, you are probably so endoctrined you probably feed you kids with it, believing nothing is wrong. So, could you tell what affect, this chicken, this moo moo cow you fed your KIDS, will have on your children and grand-children in 15-20 years from now, what affect will it have on future generations? You as an american is being physically poisoned and you are mentally sodomized into believing it is all good for you!

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 11, 2006 07:56 AM
All of these shows are some kind of mental abuse on people. My 8 years old daughter wont even tune this stuff in..! I don't know Paul Street must have opened a can of worm but it is true the media elite portray the poor as mentally dysfuntional.. Sheesh the propaganda coming from Hollywood is even worst and this propaganda is being distributed across Canadian Cinemas..( like if it relates to canadian that the Prezident lok presidential) and feeding canadians with weird stories in make believe..it is Barney shit!... Just look at the propagandist titles coming out Hollywood the past few years.. specifically about american heroism that has vacated Washington. So many movies which enforced a blind presidential obedience with weird patriotism, an american patriotism which does not really means anything to Canadian. I will give you best example of insane propaganda; American people you are but you are over fed with the most unsafe MAD COW meat.. yet the president and the US declares that the Canadian is banned because it found one cow.. The truth ; it takes 5 years for mad cow disease to manifest symptoms in a cow; so a average age a cow is killed in the US is 2 years, tell me how are you supposed to know the HERD you ate did not have mad cow ?

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Yurallnuts, Realpc at Jan 11, 2006 03:34 AM
Jerry and Maury are just trying to make some money, giving some people what they want. There is no authoritarian conspiracy. For an elevated upper-end intellectual like yourself, these shows seem barbaric and brainless. There must be some evil mind-control scheme going on. There isn't. Taste in entertainment varies. Just be glad public executions have gone out of style.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Street, Paul at Jan 11, 2006 03:11 AM
"realpc" it's so good to see you back gracing my blog with your brilliant insights. As I recall from you earlier comments, you always get everything completely backwards. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. You actually think there's some sort of braggartry involved in saying that one engages the corporate media mainly throughout the Times and the Post etc.? Not at all. I'm saying that serious left intellectuals probably should be paying some very serious attention to Maury and Jerry and the rest. I'm not calling for burning people who watch Springer at the stake...but rather for burning Springer and the elites who produce and disseminate his radically anti-democratic shows. And I'm certainly not calling for the further political disenfranchisement of the masses, whether they watch Povich or not, but quite the opposite and of course I'm suggesting that Jerry and Maury are part of the authoritarian project.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Yurallnuts, Realpc at Jan 11, 2006 02:55 AM
"The prolific left intellectual and media critic Noam Chomsky probably wouldn't be caught dead watching Maury Povich if he could help it. Like most left intellectuals (myself included), he engages dominant media primarily through its upper-end news and commentary outlets:" Yeah, Chomsky should be made king of America. We can't trust the low-class Povich-watching masses to rule wisely. Paul and other upper-end leftists could be his advisors. Anyone caught watching Jerry Springer would be burned at the stake.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Tolsen1, R4d20 at Jan 10, 2006 23:47 PM
"Your attempt to blame Paul is a pathetic attempt to cover your own contempt for the very "sister-f***er" you pretend to care about." The fact that even you have grasped my contempt should make it obvious that, in fact, I am very open about my contempt for (and unlike) subhumans such as yourself.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Street, Paul at Jan 10, 2006 23:38 PM
Cyranoo yes on Dr. Phil. See the piece I did on how race-and-class- based devastation is reflected and expanded by Dr. Phil's original sponsor Oprah Winfrey: "The Full Blown 'Oprah Effect'," Black Commentator (February 24, 2005) at http://www.blackcommentator.com/127/127_oprah.html Thank you joshd. Yes, I've seen that Parenti book. Also, Robert Cirino wrote a book titled We're Being More than Entertained (1977). Sure this goes way back. The popular Mike Hammer detective series was maybe as important an agent of anti-communism as was the news press in the 1950s. We have good readable common-sense left content analysis of more highbrow news and public affairs media (e.g. Chomsky and Herman's Manufacturing Consent) but often with the "popular culture" the literature seems held by academically incestous weavers of indecipherable, self-referential "theory." Parenti is quite readable and so I think was Cirino. "r4d20"'s comments above and below are thoroughly unacceptable and should result in his disappearance from this venue.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Jdoc1357b9, Joshd at Jan 10, 2006 23:14 PM
Excellent piece Paul. I've often had similar thoughts about these shows (Springers / Judge Judys / Cop dramas..etc.). They do tend to transmit the implicit (and sometimes explicit) assumptions and conclusions you describe. Michael Parenti has written a book on this topic called "Make Believe Media: The Politics of Entertainment": http://www.michaelparenti.org/MakeBelieveMedia.html I think it's from the mid or late 1980's, so the references won't be as current, but this is not a wholly new phenomenon and it is similar in analysis.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Cryofan, Cryofan at Jan 10, 2006 22:16 PM
that said, I do believe that this sort of TV does relate to a social dominance hierarchy. I mean, most humans need to feel that they are better than someone else. But as for the elite enforcing this dominance hierarchy thru Spring Et al, I seriously doubt that it is done consciously. I look at it more in an ecological sense, in the sense that whatever ideas are brought forth in mass media have to survive the filter of the elite. If an idea does not favor enough elite players enough, then it does not survive. Any idea put forth in the mass media is treated like a mutation of an animal species. And the environment is more or less controlled by those at the top of the dominance hierarchy. UNnatural selection. THe ideas that survive are put forth for the masses only if they are adapted to serve the elite in some way. As generations of mass media go by, the culture of mass media becomes an organism evolved to serve the elite, by this UNnatural selection process implemented by the elite filter. The same idea applies to much of American culture itself--evolved to serve those at the top of the dominance hierarchy. Evolved like a domesticated animal.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Cryofan, Cryofan at Jan 10, 2006 21:16 PM
Paul, we are still animals inside, and much of our behavior reflects that. You wonder why fingernails on a blackboard make you feel strange? Well, that frequency of sound is the same as a baboon troupe's "predator alert" call, which causes an autonomic emergency response that raises the hackles on the back and boosts adrenaline. That tingling of your spine? Muscles raising the hair to make you look bigger. You ever see a lion chase a herd of gazelles and see some leaping into the air? A theory goes that this shows the lion the gazelle is strong and not worth chasing. We need to look strong to avoid predation. Ever slip & fall in front of a crowd of people? Notice how you try to show others around you that the fall did not hurt you. Sometimes in this situation people will even get hurt and pretend otherwise. Perhaps they are afraid of being eaten, of seeming to be easy prey. Subconsciously of course. So, what we are is predators. And our prey is often the weakest amongst us. That is why the USA is so good for the strongest: it breaks up the village/small tribe dynamic. That is how they break the organizing of the people to protect the weakest. Even the Neanderthals proteected their disabled--because it was a village/tribe. But the USA is about destroying that dynamic. And Springer et al is playing to the animal instinct. A predator is always fascinated with crippled prey. Watch a cat toy with a string (wounded prey reflex)

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Mjc7373, Mcorbin at Jan 10, 2006 20:04 PM
"The pmost illeterate sister-f***er on Springer is a better human beings than you will ever be." r4d20, Your attempt to blame Paul is a pathetic attempt to cover your own contempt for the very "sister-f***er" you pretend to care about.

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Re: On The Ideological Role of Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Judge Judy et al.

By Tolsen1, R4d20 at Jan 10, 2006 19:39 PM
"This kind of atrocity has been commonplace on American daytime corporate television for some time." Your attempt to blame the media is a pathetic attempt to cover your own contempt for the very people you pretend to care about. The most illiterate sister-fucker on Springer is a better human being than you will ever be.

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By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 10, 2006 07:01 AM
et al, the same could be said with doctor Phil [sic]. American TV as no bounderies to generates profit..

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