Friday, December 03, 2004

RINGMASTER

I've been reading Jerry Spring's book Ringmaster. I know. Don't ask.

Irritatingly, he leaves out the single most interesting bit of information. He mentions that in his first year, he was doing happy shows about uniting mothers and their children. Then he got into his groove.

But how did he get into it? Did he go sleazy out of sinking ratings? Because he tried one crazy thing and it paid off? Did he plan ahead? Did he get flack from the network?

I mean, it's fun to know he was mayor of Cinncinnati, and that he was a newsman after that. It takes a newsman to truly appreciate sleaze entertainment, and he is the first to point out how little network news is really news you need. But how did he find his template?

The book does answer the interesting question "how do they find these people." It turns out they don't have to. Those people call in. Thousands of them every week. Wanting to confront lovers, etc., on national TV. They're not even paid.

Yikes.

9:32 AM

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