Jerry Springer

Jerry Springer
File:Jerry Springer.jpg Jerry Springer while hosting his popular TV show.
Born	(1944-02-13) February 13, 1944 London, England
Occupation	Host of Jerry Springer Show
Spouse	Micki Velton

This article is about the talk show host. For the 1998 "Weird Al" Yankovic song, see Jerry Springer (song).

Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer (born February 13, 1944) is English-born American celebrity, a former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, musician, television personality, and host of the controversial television tabloid talk show bearing his name, The Jerry Springer Show. He also hosted a talk radio program called Springer on the Radio. He'll also replace Regis Philbin as the new host of America's Got Talent.

Early years

Springer was born in East Finchley tube station, London, England. His parents, Margot and Richard Springer, were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. In January 1949, he emigrated to the United States, settling in Queens, New York. He attended forrest hills high school. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University in 1965, majoring in political science. He earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Northwestern University in 1968. He then became a political campaign aide to Robert Kennedy; after Kennedy's assassination, he joined the Cincinnati law firm of Frost & Jacobs, now Frost Brown Todd.

Political career

In 1970, Springer ran for Congress, but failed to unseat incumbent Republican Donald D. Chlancy, garnering 45% of the vote. He had previously spearheaded the effort to lower the voting age, and had testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of ratification of the 26th Amendment.

Springer was elected to the Cincinnati city council in 1971. He was forced to resign in 1974 after admitting to hiring a prostitute. The episode was uncovered when a police raid on a Fort Wright, Kentucky "massage parlor" unearthed a check Jerry Springer had written for its "services". Jerry Springer came clean at a press conference. His honesty helped him win back his seat in 1975. In 1977, he was chosen to serve one year as mayor by the City Council. Springer was also alluded to in a number of episodes of the television series WKRP in Cincinnati, but never appeared.

In 1982, Springer sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Ohio. As part of the campaign, Springer appeared in a TV commercial where he admits that he once paid a prostitute for sex with a check. He used this admission as way of proving that he wasn't afraid of the truth "even if it hurts". In 2006, the video began appearing on several internet sites. [1]

After failing to win the party's nomination, Springer put his political career on hiatus.

Politics to journalism

His broadcast career started while he was still Mayor of Cincinnati with album-oriented rock radio station WEBN FM, noted for its laid-back and irreverent radio format. The station featured commentaries by Springer under the banner "The Springer Memorandum". The popularity of these commentaries helped launch his broadcasting career.

He was hired as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT TV, which had, at the time, the lowest-rated news program. Later, having been named primary news anchor and Managing Editor, he needed a broadcast "catch phrase" in the model of other great newsmen. With the help of some others at WLWT, he created his signature line: "Take care of yourself, and each other". Within two years he was Cincinnati's number one news anchor, along with partner Norma Rashid, and for five years, the most popular one in the city, garnering 10 local Emmy Awards in the process. It was a position he held until January 1993.

The Jerry Springer Show

The Jerry Springer Show debuted on 20 September 1991. It was developed by WLWT-TV to replace its Phil Donahue Show. It started as a politically oriented talk show, a longer version of Springer's commentaries. Guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and topics included homelessness and gun politics.

Springer revamped the format of the showboat in order to garner higher ratings. The show became more and more successful as it became more and more lowbrow. Its guests are typically lower class, minimally-educated, blue collar people confronted on a television stage with a spouse or family member's adultery, homosexuality, prostitution, transvestism, Ku Klux Klan membership, or other such situations. These confrontations often lead to profane shouting, chair-throwing, fist-fights, and removal of clothing. Though under some harsh criticism, Springer has always maintained that he has no control over the guests. If they were making up their story to get their 15 minutes of fame, he and his producers knew nothing of it. He showed outtakes in which a lesbian couple was caught lying about their affair.

On 10 July 2002, the sons of guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz, who was murdered by her ex-husband after they appeared on an episode with his girlfriend, filed suit in Sarasota County against Springer, his producers and his distributor, claiming he created "a mood that led to murder."

In 2005 a UK version was shown on ITV1 entitled The Springer Show. It beat its talkshow rival Trisha Goddard five to one in the ratings.

Modern political involvement

Jerry Springer while giving a politically charged speech at Emory University

Outside of his show, Springer remains politically active, particularly in Ohio. He has contributed large sums to the Ohio Democratic Party and he was a member of the Ohio delegation to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Many Ohio Democrats hoped that he would challenge George Voinovich, who ran for re-election to the United States Senate in 2004. However, Springer decided early on that his contractual obligation to his television program would prevent him from running for elective office in 2004.

In 2004, the Ohio Democratic Party named Springer Democrat of the Year for his fund-raising accomplishments on behalf of the party.

Springer had also expressed interest in running for office in 2006; ultimately, however, he chose not to run for either the Senate or the governorship.

Currently, Springer lives part time on Bird Key in Sarasota County, Florida. There he has occasionally helped raise funds on behalf of the local Democratic Party.

Latest endeavors in entertainment

On January 17, 2005, Springer began hosting Springer on the Radio, a liberal talk show on Cincinnati's WCKY-AM. He did the show from the Clear Channel studios in Kenwood on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and in Chicago (where his television show tapes) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

He also hosted the Miss World beauty pageant in 2000.

In June the same year Springer traveled to the UK where he hosted a British version of his show entitled The Springer Show on ITV1.

Jerry also hosted the British version of the game show Greed on Five. He also appeared on the series Dancing with the Stars on ABC; he finished in fifth place, and was eliminated in week seven on 10/25/2006.

In 2006 Springer was the guest host on the third series opener for The Friday Night Project for Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.

The VH-1 "celebreality" series The Springer Hustle, to premiere in mid-April, is a look at how The Jerry Springer Show is produced.[2]

In summer 2007, he will take over as host of the popular US series America's Got Talent. The first season, which aired in the summer of 2006, was hosted by talk show host Regis Philbin.

See also:

• Ohio's 2nd congressional district
• Election Results, Ohio Governor (Democratic Primaries)

Guest Starred as Benny's ex-boyfriend, Wayne Michaels on The George Lopez Show in the episode George is Lie-able for Benny's Unhappiness.

Scandals

In May 1998, a photo story about Springer having sex with porn star Kendra Jade in Chicago's Executive Plaza Hotel appeared in the tabloids News of the World and The Globe. Kendra's stepmother Kelly Jade was also present in the hotel room, and Kendra, Kelly and porn director John Bowen appeared on Springer's show the next day, discussing a 350 person gang bang. Another tabloid reported that Springer's wife Micki left him because of this event. Kelly Jade later alleged that it all had been set up by Bowen who would receive several hundred thousand dollars from Springer to suppress a video tape of the romp shot with a hidden camera. Bowen denied the payoff and said that he had signed an agreement with Springer's lawyers not to discuss the matter.

Inspired by Springer

• Springer essentially portrayed himself in the 1998 movie Ringmaster, though his TV host character is named Jerry Farrelly. "Ringmaster" offers a behind-the-scenes look at would-be guests who apply to a Springer-like show.
• Jerry appeared in the sketch show Chums on Saturday morning UK TV show SMTV Live with Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnely & Cat Deeley.
• Springer made an appearance as himself in 2001 on the claymation series Gary and Mike where he has Gary appear on his show to tell his psychopathic dad about the loss of his SUV and credit card all for the sake of ratings. In this depiction, his show is called "Jerry" as opposed to being Springer. At the near end of the episode, Gary's dad punches him out after Gary slips out of the studio with Mike.
• A musical by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, Jerry Springer - The Opera, is based on his show. It first became popular at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2002. It has since played at the Royal National Theatre in London, and has moved to London's West End. It was also screened on BBC 2 Television, causing some controversy.
• The 2002 Brad Paisley country music video for "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin Song)" featured a Jerry Springer episode with the show's title being "My Husband Left Me For a Fish" during the music video's run.
• The Peter Gabriel song entitled "The Barry Williams Show" (released on the Up album) is a reference to The Jerry Springer Show and shows like it.
• Dutch punk rock band Heideroosjes made a song called "Jerry Rules In the Land Of the Free" that was featured partly in a compilation of clips in a Jerry Springer show episode.
• Jerry Springer made a cameo appearance in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me as himself during an episode of his show featuring Dr. Evil and his estranged son Scott Evil
• Jerry Springer made a cameo appearance in Domino (film) as himself during an episode of the show featuring Mo'nique.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody of "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies called "Jerry Springer" that appeared on the Running With Scissors album.
• Springer has also appeared on the improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, as well as on the 2006 version of I've Got a Secret. On episode 25 of the show (first aired May 19th of that year), he revealed that he was born in the East Finchley station of the London Underground during World War II. This was because all women in their final month of pregnancy spent their nights in the stations, which were being used as bomb shelters during The Blitz. However, East Finchley is an 'above ground,' elevated station, not part of the tunnels and would hardly have provided bomb protection! A V-1 bomb landed near there and obliterated a ten square block area blowing out some of the station's windows in 1944. It's more likely that his mom's time had come and had nothing to do with the Blitz which was in 1941, three years before Jerry was born. This in no way detracts from the fact that he was born in wartime London where even the suburbs were dangerous - that V-bomb killed over a hundred people and destroyed five hundred houses in seconds.
• The popular Peruvian talk-show Laura en América features on-air fights amongst guests and scandalous topics similar to the Springer Show.
• On the NBC soap opera Passions Jerry Springer made an appearance as "Larry Winger" and as the same type of talk show host. During his appearance, he was featured in Eve's nightmare, where she believed her daughter was impregnated by her son.
• On the 1990s sitcom Full House, DJ Tanner remarks, "You're watching the Jerry Springer Show?"
• After winning the lottery, Roseanne Conner and her family appear on the Jerry Springer Show to discuss their newfound wealth.
• Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, during one of her episodes, was on the Jerry Springer Show with her two aunts.
• On "The Simpsons", Jerry Springer guest stars on the episode "Treehouse of Horror IX" as the Simpsons fight to keep custody of Maggie away from Kang and Kodos.
• On an episode of "The X-Files", The Post-Modern Prometheus, Jerry Springer made a cameo appearance as himself.
• In an episode of "Freakazoid", Freakazoid is in a high-speed car chase with another motorist, mostly to notify him that his left rear taillight is busted. Freakazoid then proceeds to write the motorist a ticket ... to the Jerry Springer Show.
• In various movies, including the movie titled Intermedio, when something unusual happened or people argue they often say such things as "This is some Jerry Springer-"
• In an episode of "Married With Children", Jerry appears as a talk show host that is a "feminized" man. Al and his MAAM group eventually take over the show and poor Jerry gets gagged and tied up!
• Springer appeared and performed a short stand-up routine on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Sept. 12, 2003, when the program visited Chicago.
• During fights or arguments on The Jerry Springer Show, people would often start a "JERRY JERRY" chant.

References

• John Kieswetter. "Springer ready to take radio show national". Cincinnati Enquirer. March 21, 2005. D1.

External links

• The Jerry Springer Show
• Springer on the Radio
• Springer at the William Morris Agency
• A story about Springer (in RealAudio format), with clips of his political speeches, from This American Life
• Jerry Springer - the Opera
• NNDB Profile: Jerry Springer
• Baby pictures of Jerry Springer

• Jerry Springer at IMDb