I have some serious concerns about Jerry Springer's role in this culture-of-violence equation.

I belive kids can look at a cartoon and probably understand that dropping an anvil on someone has consequences beyond birds chirping around your victim's head.

But what about the Jerry Springer show? I know its trash, yadda, yadda, yadda,...but people watch it. And like silly putty on the Sunday funnies, that shit rubs off on ya.

People get into fist fights on the show constantly! And with no consequences. Lesson: Real people on TV solve their problems by hurling chairs and pulling hair. If you get *really* violent, they ask you to take your seat. That's it. The same jilted lover attacks her ex with her high heeled shoe half a dozen times throughout the show. The viewer is witnessing criminal activities without any legal repercussions. That scares me. Assault and battery are not acceptable methods of problem resolution. But for the zillions who watch Jerry's show (I hear he's beating Oprah), I fear its not so clear.

Maybe if they made it into an animated series, instead?

April 13, nineteen98


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