“Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” Although Jerry Springer often said that he wouldn’t watch the titillating talk show that turned him into a household name, the outrageous life he lived could’ve qualified him to be one of its guests. Although critics despised the show, Springer argued that his show wasn’t directing the culture, but merely reflecting it. “Television does not and must not create values,” he noted. “It’s merely a picture of all that’s out there—the good, the bad and the ugly.” Despite the outrage—or perhaps in part because of the outrage—audiences flocked to Springer, which peaked at an average of over 8 million viewers in 1998. Springer often expressed humor about both death and his complicated legacy. “I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a comfortable measure of success in my various careers,” he noted in his 2008 speech at Northwestern. “But let’s be honest, I’ve been virtually everything you can’t respect: a lawyer, a mayor, a major-market news anchor and a talk show host. Pray for me. If I get to heaven, we’re all going.”

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