Jerry Springer Explained It All
The talk-show host, who died today, defined the American ’90s—and predicted our current moment.
The chants of his name defined a decade: “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”
Jerry Springer died today at 79. His most obvious legacy will be the syndicated talk show that bore his name—one that embodied the frenetic voyeurism of the American ’90s. Sex, affairs, secret children, incest, love triangles, love trapezoids, more sex, people wrestling and sparring and throwing chairs at one another: was the tabloids come to life. The program democratized scandal and then exploited it. It allowed its viewers to peer into
