Reunions with first lovers, ending a relationship with a pregnant girlfriend, tattoos, dating more than one woman at a time, gay couples and marriage, "America's Sexiest Housewife," mothers and delinquent child-support payments, infidelity, adopting one's own sibling, attraction to men with criminal records, teen pregnancy and drug use, and social repercussions of weight loss are only some of the topics listed in TV Guide for Monday September 18, and, all before noon. This year the talk show scene exploded increasing last year's line up of 24 talk shows to 30.

But why are there so many talk shows? For the same reason rubbernecking creates traffic jams. People love to dwell in other people's misery. And you are no better. How many times have you been channel surfing and stop (just for a second, you tell yourself) to watch what happens when the audience convinces Trixie to kick her drug abusing transsexual lover out of the house. These people's lives are spiraling down into sheer disaster and the studio audience just cheers them on. But this is nothing new. You know all of this. But what happens to Trixie? Where did she come from? And, why did she agree to have her life effected by a hundred screaming strangers?

Well, all these questions were burning in my mind so I decided to devote my summer to finding some answers. No, I didn't park myself in front of the tube for some 30 plus hours a day. Although, that might have been quite an experience, I strive for more. I did an internship with Geraldo.

So, what did I learn? For starters, none of the guests are paid to appear on Geraldo. Then why do people risk public humiliation and the possibility of ruining their life to appear on talk shows? The prospect of a trip to New York coupled with fifteen minutes of fame is too much for these people to turn down-- no matter what the repercussions of their appearance might be. Additionally, many talk show guests are found as a result of their writing in or calling a particular show with story ideas. Therefore, the prospective guests want to be on the show, are already fans of the host and want the chance to meet their favorite talk show personality.

So, I learned all this great stuff, met tons of cool people, and had a great time at Geraldo this summer. Yeah, I'd like to think so, but that was not the case. True, when the show was taping, my responsibilies did include working with the audience and guests. Yup, now I'm a great usher and ready to work at a movie theater near you. Supervising guests was an experience. The interns were responsible for meeting the guests when they arrived at the studio and staying with them until the show taped (usually an hour or so later). I got to hang out with gang members, car jackers, abusive husbands and all sorts of agreeable types. While in the studio, I also had the chance to observe backstage and in the control room, which I must admit were educational and at times even enjoyable.

However, for a majority of the summer, we were not taping. That meant the interns were relegated to the office. Ok, that's not so bad, I thought at first. At least I can do some story research, assist the producers, and work with future guests. Yeah right! I spent more hours than I'd like to count reading viewer mail, making photo copies, filing, and listening to the viewer call in line (yes, someone does actually listen to all the crazy people who call Geraldo). That's how I spent most of my summer. Just thought I'd let you know that talk show internships are a lot less than glamorous.

But, back to the main point here. What is the big deal with talk shows these days anyhow? Five years ago you could have tuned in and seen only Sally Jessy Raphael, Donahue, Oprah and of course my favorite, Geraldo. But now, there are over 30 talk shows from which to choose. The new faces joining the ranks this season include Carnie Wilson (of Wilson Phillip's fame), Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family), Gabrielle Carteris (Beverly Hills 90210), and Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show).

These shows, in addition to the other 26 talk shows garnishing the airwaves this season, are trying to capitalize on America's growing interest in other people's misery. It is not only talk shows that are capitalizing on this growing trend. Tabloid shows (such as Hard Copy and Inside Addition), news magazines (including NBC and Primetime Live), Court TV and even the news have jumped on the exploitation band wagon.

Where does it all end? Is this obsession with the misfortune of others just a passing trend or has America quenched its thirst for Trixie and her transexual lover? The sad but true fact is that talk shows are not just a trend but a part of human nature. Geraldo may go the way of the hula hoop but talk shows are here to stay as they have imbedded themselves in American culture.

Here are some links, for further research:
Ricki Lake
The Ultimate TV List
EINet Galaxy Television Search

© Trincoll Journal, 1995.