Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

 

"I would never watch my show.  I'm not interested in it."

I honestly do not know why I haven't done this blog sooner.  Back in the 90s, I was a huge fan of The Jerry Springer Show, so when I was passing through Chicago in 2024, I knew I had to stop and pay my respects. 

Jerry Springer was born Gerald Norman Springer in London, England on February 13, 1944, during the height of World War 2 (see Trivia below).  His family immigrated to America in 1948, eventually settling in Queens, New York.

As a teenager, Springer became interested in politics.  He was impressed by then-Senator John F. Kennedy and decided to pursue a similar career for himself, earning a Bachelor's degree in political science from Tulane University.

After graduation, Springer worked on Robert F. Kennedy's political campaign, which was cut short by an assassin's bullet.  Springer relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he began practicing law and running for office.  He was first elected to the city council in 1971 but resigned three years later after being caught with a prostitute (see Trivia below).  The voters forgave him however, and he was re-elected the following year.  He'd eventually retire from politics after losing his bid for the Ohio state house in 1982.

Around the same time, Springer began his career as a political journalist and commentator for the local NBC affiliate.  He was an overnight success, and it was clear that the public wanted more.  The Jerry Springer Show was launched in September 1991 to meet that need.  When it began, it reflected his experience and interest in politics.  Early guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and it would cover broad social topics still in play today, such as gun control and homelessness.  The best was yet to come.

By 1994, the show's ratings were in serious decline.  Springer and his producer revamped the format to appeal to a broader audience.  Gone were the politicians and issues, replaced by transvestites, cheaters, and midgets.  The switch worked, so much so that by 1998, Jerry was winning the daytime ratings war, beating out the longtime queen herself, Oprah Winfrey.  It remained a television staple for the next 27 years, most of which I watched.  He finally called it quits in 2018.

This blogger attended a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.

In early 2023, Springer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The battle would not be a long one however, as it took his life just a few months later, on April 27th.  He was only 79 years old.

Jerry Springer was laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jerry Springer, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Jerry was born in London's Highgate station, an underground facility used as a bomb shelter during World War 2.  Both of his grandmothers perished in concentration camps, one in Poland, the other in Czechoslovakia.
  
  
• Springer's visit with a prostitute came to light as a result of his having paid for it with a personal check, something he'd admit to in later political campaigns.  Check out his confessional campaign spot on YouTube.
  
  
• This blogger was fortunate enough to attend a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.  Prior to the show, Springer addressed the audience, taking questions from a few of the fortunate, this blogger included, while passing out "Jerry beads" to others.
  
  
• During the early days of the show, Springer appeared as himself in a classic episode of Married With Children, wherein Al Bundy and his friends take "the masculine feminist" hostage during his talk show.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1998, Springer appeared as himself in the box office film Ringmaster, which was loosely based on the show.  You can check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• Memorial Park Cemetery is also the final resting place of Brady Bunch star Robert Reed, previously profiled by this blog.