They've always been kind of a guilty pleasure (my faves are Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer). ;D

I'm mainly referring to "Daytime" stuff, you can also include comedy/night time ones, such as Jay Leno or Conan. I enjoy those too.

Were talk shows particularly big in the '90s? I watched them alot back then during the summer. I also remember those sleazy daytime news shows focusing on children with deformities and such.

Were talk shows particularly big in the '90s? I watched them alot back then during the summer. I also remember those sleazy daytime news shows focusing on children with deformities and such.


Yeah, I'd definitely call them a c. 1995 "90s thing". I also watched Dateline and Inside Edition alot when I was 12, 13 or so, and I remember tons of stories like that.

Yeah, I'd definitely call them a c. 1995 "90s thing". I also watched Dateline and Inside Edition alot when I was 12, 13 or so, and I remember tons of stories like that.


What's the Ricki Lake show like? What's the "sleaziest" talk show? Yeah, 1995-1999 or so was when I watched them alot, without my parents knowing.

What's the Ricki Lake show like? What's the "sleaziest" talk show? Yeah, 1995-1999 or so was when I watched them alot, without my parents knowing.


In one word, I'd say casual. The set was brightly colored (not '80s bright, but very "open looking"). Ricki had a fun, semi teenage/young adult personality (which wasn't really a stretch - I think she was, like 26 when it peaked), and they usually had relationship shows, or dating stuff, "everyday" problems with someone's friend, etc.

Although it tended to remain friendly in atmosphere, unlike, say Maury or Jerry Springer.

It actually was the first role model for Jerry. He started out as a typical, serious show, but they decided to appeal to a younger audience to improve ratings around '94. Even the "Jer-ry Jer-ry" chant came from "Go Ricki, Go Ricki" which they always did.

His show was easily the sleaziest (which influenced the others too), although I always liked him personally.

In one word, I'd say casual. The set was brightly colored (not '80s bright, but very "open looking"). Ricki had a fun, semi teenage/young adult personality (which wasn't really a stretch - I think she was, like 26 when it peaked), and they usually had relationship shows, or dating stuff, "everyday" problems with someone's friend, etc.

Although it tended to remain friendly in atmosphere, unlike, say Maury or Jerry Springer.

It actually was the first role model for Jerry. He started out as a typical, serious show, but they decided to appeal to a younger audience to improve ratings around '94. Even the "Jer-ry Jer-ry" chant came from "Go Ricki, Go Ricki" which they always did.

His show was easily the sleaziest (which influenced the others too), although I always liked him personally.


I used to watch the Queen Latifah show sometimes, and I actually think I watched Ricki Lake a little bit. Jerry Springer always sort of had a cult following around people my age who learned about sex through it when they stayed home from school and their parents were at work. I loved Ricki Lake from her John Waters movie work. What do you think of the state of talk shows now?

I used to watch the Queen Latifah show sometimes, and I actually think I watched Ricki Lake a little bit. Jerry Springer always sort of had a cult following around people my age who learned about sex through it when they stayed home from school and their parents were at work. I loved Ricki Lake from her John Waters movie work. What do you think of the state of talk shows now?


Yeah, I also remember Ricki in the dark 1994 comedy Serial Mom (where she actually played a teen still).

I think you're right about Springer's fandom. I was into it alot around 1998 and most of '99, and it seemed fans were either younger than me (for the "rebellious" aspect of watching it) or older (for actually being able to go on it, I guess). Even when the show gets too stupid, I still like him. On one hand, he jokes around alot and seems like one of those "fun older guys", but he's also very intelligent and nice rom what I know. He's got a unique past too - he even was in politics when he was younger (City Council and later Mayor of Cincinnati).

Today I think talk shows are "popular but slightly past their glory days" - Dr. Phil is okay, Jerry is still on, although not nearly in a phenomenon sense, Maury always has boot camp kids or paternity tests, lol. It's okay, but very predictable.

Yeah, I also remember Ricki in the dark 1994 comedy Serial Mom (where she actually played a teen still).

I think you're right about Springer's fandom. I was into it alot around 1998 and most of '99, and it seemed fans were either younger than me (for the "rebellious" aspect of watching it) or older (for actually being able to go on it, I guess). Even when the show gets too stupid, I still like him. On one hand, he jokes around alot and seems like one of those "fun older guys", but he's also very intelligent and nice rom what I know. He's got a unique past too - he even was in politics when he was younger (City Council and later Mayor of Cincinnati).

Today I think talk shows are "popular but slightly past their glory days" - Dr. Phil is okay, Jerry is still on, although not nearly in a phenomenon sense, Maury always has boot camp kids or paternity tests, lol. It's okay, but very predictable.


I hear Maury is being sued for sexual harrassment and Connie wants to divorce him. I think it's ditto with tabloids and stuff like the World Weekly News-they were at their peak in the late '90s, and since then have mostly switched to glossies focusing on celebrities. They went out for a field day around 1999 with the Y2K/apocalypse stuff. One thing that always fascinated me about Jerry Springer is why people would go on it. The fact is, I think most families (particularly mine...we have a very f*cked-up, Jerry Springeresque past) have stuff like that, even though we're too much of upper middle-class, Ivy-educated professionals to actually go on a daytime talk show. Alot of people of my middle class to upper middle-class position probably like it because it's so fascinating for them, that people would actually go onto daytime TV and do that.

I hear Maury is being sued for sexual harrassment and Connie wants to divorce him. I think it's ditto with tabloids and stuff like the World Weekly News-they were at their peak in the late '90s, and since then have mostly switched to glossies focusing on celebrities. They went out for a field day around 1999 with the Y2K/apocalypse stuff. One thing that always fascinated me about Jerry Springer is why people would go on it. The fact is, I think most families (particularly mine...we have a very f*cked-up, Jerry Springeresque past) have stuff like that, even though we're too much of upper middle-class, Ivy-educated professionals to actually go on a daytime talk show. Alot of people of my middle class to upper middle-class position probably like it because it's so fascinating for them, that people would actually go onto daytime TV and do that.


Yeah, I think that very reason was why the show got so popular circa 1998 - Jerry himself said things like, "We know that behavior exists in real life, but it's shocking to see it played out on television, which usually tends to portray a white, middle class existance". Something like that.

As for why anyone would go on it (I wouldn't, but I know there's alot of people who would)? I'd guess either to get someone's attention, or just the excitement of being on TV.

Yeah, I think that very reason was why the show got so popular circa 1998 - Jerry himself said things like, "We know that behavior exists in real life, but it's shocking to see it played out on television, which usually tends to portray a white, middle class existance". Something like that.

As for why anyone would go on it (I wouldn't, but I know there's alot of people who would)? I'd guess either to get someone's attention, or just the excitement of being on TV.


I think the people who went on the Jerry Springer Show were sort of symbolic of the cross-section of American life being ignored in the late 20th century, struggling through the immense social changes and economic difficulties of life in the yuppie era-poor blacks and Hispanics, lower middle-class rural whites, and urban, working-class white Catholics. And, of course, all those problems can be solved by going on TV! I was watching a c. 1998 episode, the people on it were VERY sleazy looking "guido" Italians from Brooklyn or Staten Island dressed up all nu metal/hair metal (sort of in between, lol) with thick accents, and it made me realize how much nu metal sort of was the soundtrack of the white working-class.

I think the people who went on the Jerry Springer Show were sort of symbolic of the cross-section of American life being ignored in the late 20th century, struggling through the immense social changes and economic difficulties of life in the yuppie era-poor blacks and Hispanics, lower middle-class rural whites, and urban, working-class white Catholics. And, of course, all those problems can be solved by going on TV! I was watching a c. 1998 episode, the people on it were VERY sleazy looking "guido" Italians from Brooklyn or Staten Island dressed up all nu metal/hair metal (sort of in between, lol) with thick accents, and it made me realize how much nu metal sort of was the soundtrack of the white working-class.

Yeah, nu metal almost seemed like "angry suburban music", it sort of became what emo is today (although that has some vague '80s influences, and is more whiny than angry).

I know alot of the guests from around that time were people that used excuses for cheating, such as "You're never there!" or "You're always working too much, so yeah I went and slept with your friend"! ;D So I clearly can buy them having a more difficult life, or just not able to control themselves being alone or ignored for any period of time.

Yeah, nu metal almost seemed like "angry suburban music", it sort of became what emo is today (although that has some vague '80s influences, and is more whiny than angry).

I know alot of the guests from around that time were people that used excuses for cheating, such as "You're never there!" or "You're always working too much, so yeah I went and slept with your friend"! ;D So I clearly can buy them having a more difficult life, or just not able to control themselves being alone or ignored for any period of time.


I think that's sort of a lynchpin of American culture: go out and do something bad, make an excuse for it in a childish fashion, and then get exposed for it on national TV.