Jerry Springer has been lying low since the latest episodes
of his show were yanked from syndication by a nervous
Studios USA. Now it looks like he may jump ship to British
television, where they aren't afraid to handle risque
topics, such as marrying your horse, and the whole
bare-knuckle, down and dirty, gossip talk show format.
In Chicago, where
the Jerry Springer show is produced, they are practically running the talk show
host out of town. The city council dragged him in last Friday, and demanded to
know whether the violence that occurs on his show on a regular basis is real.
If the guests are really beating each other up, the council wants them hauled
off to jail. On the other hand, if the violence is fake, they want to compel
the show to obtain a city entertainment license. Under intense grilling,
Springer refused to answer harassing questions about his salary and his studio.
"You're not my boss," he told a city council member. The public audience
applauded when he objected to questioning.
Meanwhile, in England, hardcore Jerry Springer episodes continue to air. In
May, the British Independent Television Commission (ITC), which censors British
television, dismissed all complaints about the show.
Back in December of last year, we reported that a Jerry Springer show entitled,
"I Married a Horse" was canceled in the US., because it was considered too racy
by the network, and British television snatched the topic away, running their
own breakthrough special about bestiality, featuring the exact same guests -- a
guy from Missouri, and his 22-year-old mare named Pixel (see: "UK Takes Lead In
Bestiality" below). Considering that the English government is so accommodating
to Springer, and the topics of his show, is it any wonder that he has been
spending considerable time across the pond this year?
In March he addressed the Oxford Union at Oxford University. "My show is a
crazy, crazy show...." he told students. He also passionately defended his
guests. "Just because they do not talk properly, have not been to Oxford and
do not have qualifications, it doesn't mean they are trash."
In April, he was the guest host on "This Morning," a British morning show,
where he dropped hints about doing a project for British television. "I love it
here.," he told the BBC, "I'm going to do something if I can and it fits in
with my show in the States."
In Chicago, where
the Jerry Springer show is produced, they are practically running the talk show
host out of town. The city council dragged him in last Friday, and demanded to
know whether the violence that occurs on his show on a regular basis is real.
If the guests are really beating each other up, the council wants them hauled
off to jail. On the other hand, if the violence is fake, they want to compel
the show to obtain a city entertainment license. Under intense grilling,
Springer refused to answer harassing questions about his salary and his studio.
"You're not my boss," he told a city council member. The public audience
applauded when he objected to questioning.
