Jerry Springer, the man who ruined a culture and fronted a tawdry, outrage-inducing and popular talk show for three decades, is given the netflix documentary treatment 18 months after his death. Fights, Camera, Action according to a review is a damning insight into TV’s most notorious show. One insider said ‘It really was the modern version of the Roman Colosseum.’ They pitted warring families against each other, got guests drunk, abused their confidence, coached them to perform onstage and offered no duty of care to clearly mentally vulnerable people. After an on-air altercation, one woman was killed by her ex-husband, who hours previously had appeared together on the show. It didn’t hurt the ratings.
After a slow start in 1991, With clean-cut Springer harbouring aspirations of a senate run, The Jerry Springer Show collected a new producer, a former tabloid journalist Richard Dominick, variously described as a Svengali, a mob boss and an evil genius. Outrageous behaviour and sleaze on the show turned Springer into an international superstar and a pariah.
Another review raises an interesting point about what the show’s popularity says about human society and psychology and whether Springer paved the way for the sensationalisation of US politics.
When it launched on 30 September 1991, admittedly low key at the start, tr Uranus Neptune in Capricorn were opposing the USA Cancer Sun; with the US Solar Arc Uranus moving to oppose the US Sun. All were conspiring to throw a hand grenade at the white-picket-fence family-togetherness Cancerian image of old.
Springer himself, 13 February 1944 11.45pm London, England, keyed into the USA chart in an intriguingly pointed way. He was a Sun Aquarius (conjunct the USA Moon) in a confident opposition to Jupiter. But even more significant he had a communicative Air Grand Trine of Neptune trine Mercury South Node in Aquarius trine Uranus, formed into a Kite by Mercury South Node opposition Pluto North Node in Leo in his 10th. He was destined to be hugely influential and with his ‘leadership’ North Node being conjunct the USA’s North Node exactly he would become the man of the moment, at one level the face of USA.
Springer did have an unsettled Mars Uranus conjunct in his 8th house and Saturn conjunct Mars – so he would carry a good deal of inner turmoil, externalised into the wild and wayout stories of his show guests.
Richard Dominick, 21 May 1952, NJ, has his Sun Gemini with Algol sitting between his Sun and Venus which in turn squared Pluto. Emotionally ramped up and manipulative. Dominick’s Pluto fell in Springer’s career 10th conjunct his Jupiter, making Springer a mega-success by controlling him; and RD’s North Node was conjunct JS’s Sun for a fated coming together. RD’s Moon, Jupiter, Mercury were in JS’s 7th for a good partnership. Though it would be an uneasy combo with RD’s Sun conjunct JS’s 8th house Uranus and RD’s Saturn Neptune in JS’s 12th; plus RD’s Mars in Scorpio square RS’s Pluto.
The relationship chart is illuminating with a composite Sun trine a chained-together (and resenting it) Saturn Pluto; with Saturn Pluto conjunct Mars for additional aggravation which they coped with by projecting it out onto their show guests. Plus a lucky Jupiter Uranus square Venus. Pluses and minuses writ large.
In later years Springer showed his embarrassment and contrition by trying to project a more serious, cultured image.
The post Jerry Springer – the man who wrecked US culture first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
