died today from pancreatic cancer at age 79. He was a well known political figure in my home city and later became a well known host of several shows-some of which irked the sensibilities of some. I knew Jerry Springer. I liked Jerry Springer and he was a much better person than perhaps what people thought of him due to his shock entertainment productions. When I was a teen, the father of one of my friends-a member of city council with Jerry-proposed a curfew for teens. I wrote a letter objecting-as did many others my age, Within a week, Jerry Springer called me. Now, I assumed it might have been because my father was major league businessman, GOP committee member etc and my mother was a prominent women's rights advocate, volunteer and had her hands in everything from the fine arts to Planned Parenthood. I was wrong-Springer called just about every kid who wrote him. He invited us to meet with him and some were invited to speak to council. He helped defeat the proposal. I always voted for him when I was able to. Years later, I was a guest on several of his news programs. Mainly on gun issues. Later, when his show had gained him notoriety, I ran into him at a TGIF diner where my then GF was the bar manager. We talked a bit and I suggested that the purpose of his show was to prove to racists and bigots, that no race had a monopoly on crazies, idiots, sluts etc. He gave me one of those looks that told me I was right but I knew he wouldn't say it. In a way, he was more effective as an egalitarian than many others. I will miss him.
I saw a sort of documentary on how his show got big. Very interesting. I try to always remember that the people we see on TV are more often than not just following a script written for them by their employer (that being wherever it is they get their primary funding).
