Is this why millennials are not OK?
Talk show host Jerry Springer died Thursday in Chicago at age 79, and the reaction to his death spurred a mix of nostalgia and weighty discussions about the mental health of ’90s kids who grew up watching his salacious talk show.
“Jerry Springer tried to show America it’s [sic] mental health, and we didn’t listen,” one Twitter user wrote Thursday.
“the Product that Jerry Springer unleashed upon America was ruinous to our society It normalized disfunction [sic] and craziness. It was the foundation of the mental health crisis,” was another user’s assessment.
Springer, a former journalist and Cincinnati mayor, became a grandmaster of escapist daytime entertainment on “The Jerry Springer Show,” the syndicated talk series that made him a household name as it evolved into one of America’s biggest guilty pleasures.
The self-proclaimed “ringmaster of civilization’s end” and late-career podcast host helmed the nation’s top-rated syndicated talk from 1991 to 2018 and became a TV and pop-culture staple in the process. The ratings powerhouse — also often considered a cultural pariah — invited oversharing panelists and traded in sensationalized content that embroiled the hit series in controversy for years.
Brawls, flying chairs, profanity-laced tirades and an overzealous studio audience chanting “Jerry! Jerry!” eclipsed each episode’s matter at hand, ultimately resulting in the program eliminating physical violence in 1998. Still, numerous unhinged clips from the show flooded social media Thursday in the wake of Springer’s death, as did tributes from his colleagues and former security guard Steve Wilkos.
Acutely aware of his show’s reputation, Springer would usually end each chaotic episode with a sobering “Final Thought” and a reminder to viewers “take care of yourselves and each other.”
Several fans on Thursday thanked the daytime-TV fixture for actually taking care of them when they were home from school or had to call out sick and spent their day consuming daytime TV’s offerings. During the salacious series’ 27-year run, Springer became a de facto caregiver to 1990s kids and was remembered as such on social media.
“Jerry Springer wasn’t just a talk show host, he was also the babysitter for many millennials who were home sick from school. May he rest in peace,” journalist Yashar Ali tweeted.
“Gen X and Millennials grew up watching his supremely entertaining shows when they stayed home sick from school He was an American cultural icon If his show was around today, he’d have billions of viral views Rest in Peace Jerry,” @DC_Draino‘s Rogan O’Handley wrote.
“From a new[s] anchor to the Mayor of Cincinnati to legendary talk show circus ringleader and game show host of Baggage AND guested on WWE Raw, Jerry Springer has died at age 79. What a wild life he led,” Eric Alper tweeted.
“Jeez, this sucks. RIP Jerry Springer, 79. TV icon & such an intelligent, warm, funny man. Loved working with him (on @AGT), loved hanging out with him (we lived in same hotel for 2yrs), loved arguing with him (he loved his politics), loved everything about him. Gutting,” tweeted pundit Piers Morgan.
“JERRY SPRINGER I LOVE YOU FOREVER BUBBA. THIS VIDEO REMIND ME THAT YOU WERE THE LEGEND OF THE EARTH LIKE THE IRON SHEIK. GOD BLESS YOU FOREVER,” wrestler the Iron Sheik tweeted along with a video of his appearance on the talk show.
“Jerry Springer walked so Maury Povich could run,” one user tweeted.
“Say what you will about Jerry Springer. But nobody else would invite KKK members onstage so guests could punch them in the face. Respect,” one fan tweeted.
But not everyone’s send-off was so loving. Springer was also criticized for showcasing some of Americans’ worst proclivities and for normalizing derogatory language.
“Jerry Springer exploited n— for fame and money for 30 years and n— today saying RIP to him like he ain’t play out stereotypes, misconceptions, and blatant racist tropes on national tv lol him and Maury Povich gotta special place in hell,” a Twitter user wrote.
“A couple years back I tried to catalogue every time Jerry Springer had an episode title, segment name, chyron, whatever with a derogatory reference to queer or trans folks, and I gave up within a week. It was soul crushing. It wasn’t worth my mental health to chronicle,” wrote another.
“Oh no…a horrible person who exploited countless hurt people to enrich himself and in the process created a culture of pointing and laughing at folks with personal, mental health, or relationship struggles has died. How will we ever get over it. F— Jerry Springer,” another tweeted.
Here’s a look at how Springer was regarded on social media: