Op/Ed

Letter to the editor: Springer show served as precurser to Trump era

Last night, I watched a documentary about the Jerry Springer show. In case you’re younger than me and missed it, the show brought on people in scandalous, often stressful situations. There was always some big reveal (like someone was cheating on someone else) that led to a fist fight.

The documentary about the show was really depressing. I kept hoping there would be some twist or at least a fascinating insight, but it just kept bumming me out more and more. One helpful thing did emerge for me, though. Watching clips of the show in the doc reminded me of seeing bits of Springer on TV as a kid. I remember the shame I felt when I was intrigued by it. I thought, “This is bad,” and maybe extrapolated: “If I’m in any way into it, I’m bad.”

As an adult, I can see that it’s normal, not “bad,” to be turned on by the illicit, or entertained by violence. You don’t need to feel shame about it, but you do need to engage with those impulses ethically — like in consensual role-play, or fiction, etc. What Jerry Springer did was engage with that part of humans in a deeply unethical way. The show exploited people and put it up as entertainment. Some viewers, I imagine, watched this and thought, Wow! I was so ashamed of myself for some of the things I felt, but apparently, it’s ok! Other people, like me, just got more ashamed.

Neither of these reactions are right, but they make sense in American culture, which at that time was really repressed. And now, even with sex everywhere and swearing more common, I’d argue we’re still repressed. Many Republicans claim to want old family values, and many liberals push too far for moral purity. Nobody can breathe.

The documentary pointed out the parallel between Springer and Trump. It was very clear and unsurprising — just so depressing.

There’s been an evil brewing and now it’s here. It seems so powerful. What do we do? I think the answer has to do with addressing shame. Trump and Springer offer the solution: “Let it all out! Embrace the id!”

I guess I’d just counter with: “Embrace the id ethically.” Could it be as simple as that?

Lou Gervais

Vergennes

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