Here’s one which escapes me. Why do the guests on Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake and the rest agree to go on these shows? What’s in it for them? Are they paid, or do they enjoy finding out that their husband/wife has been screwing their sister/brother on (inter)national TV? Are they all just actors? Do all Americans enjoy humiliation?
Have any of the dopers been on or known someone whose gone on one of these shows? How did they come to be on the show? You’ll have to excuse my morbid curiosity on this one…
Many reasons. Lots of people just want to get on TV, even if they look like idiots for their appearance. They’ll tell friends and neighbors, “We was just pretendin’!”
Some are professional talk-show guests, who pretend they fit whatever the show’s topic is that week. They’re paid for their appearances. Talk show hosts/publicity people usually deny that such people exist, but they’re out there.
And, of course, there are the “ambush” people, which don’t exist much these days, what with the Jenny Jones lawsuit. They tell the woman, “Come on Ricki Lake, we’ll give you a free makeover!” then surprise her onstage with her sister’s confession that she’s been sleeping with her husband’s mistress or whatever.
Just looking at and listening to these people doesn’t answer that question in and of itself? These are modern day freak shows and there is apparently money to be made by dragging generally poor people of sub-normal intelligence, enmeshed in trailer trash soap operas in front of the sensation hungry masses. Nero himself couldn’t have devised a more perfect entertainment.
Many people want to be on TV more than almost anything in the world in order to suckle their full 15 minutes at the beckoning teat of fame.
God bless this modern world!
Another one that gets me is the Judge Judy plaintiffs & defendants. So often they are just plain freaks. At least she yells at them for screwing their lives up so much.
One case was concerning the damage that a little boy purportedly did to someone’s car. He denied it until JJ started talking to him and he 'fessed up. They (the boy’s parents) could’ve saved so much hassle if they’d had the cojones to give him the third degree.
On an only slightly higher level . . . I was caught like a deer in the headlights last night and watched a few minutes (OK, a half-hour) of “Trauma,” or whatever that real-life show is that takes place in a hospital emergency room.
One old lady was in a car wreck, and spent most of the show on life support while her sobbing family decided to unhook her so she could die. Who the hell would agree to sign off so that could be aired on TV?! I could see if grandma woke up, but yikes! Would you really want the death of a family member to be aired for people’s entertainment?
I knew a girl who went on Ricci Lake with her friends because her friends wanted to tell her to drop her inmate husband.
THe reason she and the girls went… “Free trip”
Nuff said.
My friend Chris went on Ricki Lake for the free trip, the publicity for her website, and because she’s totally in love with herself. I went with her for the free trip. The audience boo’d me. I’m still so proud of that!
Opal, I am Extremely Impressed. What did you do or say to get boo’d? Did anyone tell you to talk to their hand?
I said that people who did naked things for money were no more being “exploited” or “used” than anyone is by their employer.
Astro, I think you’re right, and others who use the word ‘freak.’ I listened to a long story on NPR a few years ago about circus freaks (who use the term proudly). It was taped at their winter home in Florida. Anyway, as the story concluded, they ruminated on why there is a decline in the popularity of freak shows and other oddities. One of the ‘freaks’ asserted that the public still demands them; they’re on television every afternoon. So, though we turn away from physical oddities and deformities, we still get our fill of subpar humanity by watching these wretched creatures on Jerry Springer. I don’t suppose this offers an explanation as to why <i>they</i> do it. Money and status, a little bit o’ fame…? Maybe it does.
it’s the same reason why I’m making this post to the board–a pathetic attempt to get attention.
Maybe I should make an exception for the “ambush” guests Max Torque talks about.
I don’t know anyone who has been on one of the talk shows, but I did know someone who appeared on Divorce Court (the role was clearly an “act”). I ran into the person later and kidded her about it–she was a bit embarrassed. Not sure if she wanted to dabble in the “B” acting thing, or what her motivations were. I suppose I should have asked.
2 guys I worked with saw one of those blurbs on Riki Lake trolling for new guests and called the number. The topic was something about how you no longer like your friend now that he’s your boss. They made up the entire story for a free trip to New York and a chance to be on TV.
I’ve never thought about the “modern-day freak show” angle, but it sure makes sense to me. And I’ve always suspected that at least some of the guests were paid actors.
BTW: Does everyone remember that lame-ass high school project where you had to care for an egg or sack of flour or somesuch as if it were a real baby? In my high school, if the egg broke, one of the ways the students could avoid a failing grade was to appear on some local talk show and pretend that they were a young couple who’s baby had died in some horrible tragedy. (Yes, really!) To my knowledge, no one ever used this method, and my school has since abandoned the faux-baby project. Still, I have to wonder about some of those guests on Montel Williams…
I think that pretty much sums it up. It’s the Darva Conger syndrome, in a slightly milder form: Ooh, goody, I get to be on TV and get a free trip!
That and, as also mentioned, some are just actors out to make outrageous and just plain stupid TV.
Not that I’m too good to watch some of it. 
I noticed they don’t have doctors or lawyers very often as guests…
Jerry once said on his show that he wondered why people kept coming on the show, since when does anything nice happen to them?
'Cause all the girlies said they were pretty fly for white guys?
All the people get paid for their appearances.
Judge Judy even mentioned that one, there is a fund from which both sides are paid, if a judgement is issued, the amount is deducted and the remainder split between plaintiff and defendant.