Ringmaster

So Jerry Springer is calling it quits after 4000 episodes.  Truth is I didn't know he was still on the air.  I don't recall hearing anything about him in years.

Not that I ever watched the show.  I understood the concept--(fake) everyday people get together, discuss their problems, scream at each other and then come to blows before security guards break it up--and it wasn't for me.

There were apparently a lot of shows like this, though Springer's was the most notorious, and, I assume, the best in the genre.

I remember reading a profile of Springer years ago. He had a surprising past--a lawyer from Northwestern who had a career in politics, ultimately becoming the mayor of Cincinnati.

This truly turned me around on Springer.  Whereas before I assumed he was simply an entertainer who brought happiness to millions, turned out he was a slimy politician.  I've never really liked him since.