Jerry Springer Vs. Oprah Essay, Research Paper

Talk Show Host s

In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have flooded television. Many of us have seen and

heard the topics found on Geraldo and Sally Jesse Raphael. Someone who watches talk shows on a

regular basis knows that each one varies in style and format. A person might enjoy watching the trashy

subjects on Jenny Jones, while someone else might prefer the more serious feel of the Maury Povich

show. But no two shows are more opposite than the Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey shows.

Jerry Springer could be considered the king of trash talk. The topics on his show are as bad as

they come. For example, the show takes common talk show themes of love, sex, sexuality, cheating,

guilt, and hate to a different level. In a Springer show, you would find women who cheat on their

boyfriends and are ready to confess. But the boyfriends are in for an even bigger surprise when they find

out who their girlfriends have been cheating with. As the people the women are cheating with are waiting

back stage, the girlfriends confess that they have been cheating on their men with other women, but the

list of talk material goes on from dangerous love triangles, broken homes, devil worshippers, and the

occasional kkk episodes. The Jerry Springer Show is a display of pure violence, yet people are willing to

watch it on a regular basis.

Oprah Winfrey was once a follower of the trash TV format, but her TV talk show has been

reformed. Like Jerry Springer, the Oprah Winfrey Show takes talk TV to its extreme, but Oprah goes in

the opposite direction. It is unlikely that you will find guests on Oprah that have sold their souls to the

devil. Instead, the show focuses on the improvement of society and politeness. Topics often range from

teaching responsibility, and entertaining interviews with celebrities.

Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer Show looks like garbage. Still, Jerry Springer helps the

troubled people on his show. One time he helped extremely obese people get to the hospital and helped

them turn their lives around. Jerry also ends every show with a final word. He makes a short speech

that sums up the entire topic of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn

something very valuable.

Even if Oprah is as polite as they come, the show is not for everyone. The shows main audience

is women. A majority of these people usually have the time, money, and stability to deal with life s

tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults.

These are 18-21 year olds whose main troubles are love, relationships, sex, money, and peers and

influence. They are the ones who see the value of Jerry s show.

While these two talk shows are as different as they are, both are the favored ones for many

years now. Each one serves a different audience. Jerry Springer s rude topics might be looked down on,

but no other talk show even comes close to it. Oprah Winfrey was able to break away from the pack and

create a very successful talk show. Even though these two talk shows are as opposite as they are, both

stand alone and are considered the best at what they do.

Bibliography

1.http://cinemaspace.berkeley.edu/ judd/jerry.html

2.http://www.starpulse.com/Television/Oprah_Winfrey_Show/

3.http://dmoz.org/Arts/Television/Programs/Talk_Shows/Oprah_Winfrey_Show,_The/