The Jerry Springer Show: Modern Day Roman Coliseum
This afternoon, I had some car trouble. And, as I sat in the hot, dingy waiting room of what will undoubtedly be a an overpriced mechanic, of course the TV show blaring in the corner of the room was Jerry Springer. Today’s topic was “I Spent All the Money on the Hooker”. Well. Now, I’m invested.
As I sat and watched the physical and emotional carnage, I felt absolutely no empathy. Now, I know that it’s probably staged – all an act. But, even so what does that say about our society? That whether it’s real or not, we don’t even stop to check, do we? We just sit there and gaze, slack-jawed at the screen. I started to feel bad… well as much as I could until one realizes that someone else in the history of the world has done something MUCH worse.
That’s when it occurred to me, Jerry Springer, and it’s Maury Povich, Judge Judy counterparts are the modern day equivalents to the epic battles, hunts and live executions that took place at the Roman Coliseum. Royalty and peasants alike gathered around as innocent people were killed, eaten or maimed. Pure entertainment. No empathy. And, these TV shows are no different.
But, like so many others sometimes I just can’t look away.