The Effect of Talk Shows on American Society "You are too hot to be a mom!" "You took my man!" These are just some of the topics one would run across while watching Jenny Jones, Jerry Springer, or one of the many other daytime talk shows otherwise known as dysfunction forums. Fortunately, these shows are not representative of our society as a whole. Rather, they represent the underbelly. Talk shows do not accurately reflect our society, but affect it adversely by making immoral situations seem common place.Talk shows are meant to get ratings, and they do this by discussing sensational and inflammatory topics. They neither reflect nor give a fair representation of American society as a whole. Phil Donahue admitted that he was torn between wanting to cover important issues and the need to get high Nielson ratings (Day 55). Interestingly, he feels that the more outrageous the subject, the better the ratings will be. This need for sensationalism can be seen in all of us to one degree or another. Why is there always a group following the ambulance or the fire truck as they speed their way to a crises? Any traffic slowdown on the freeway clears immediately as cars pass the accident. That slowdown was just morbid curiosity. While these incidents are natural outcomes of our busy society, sensational television is not. Rather, this kind of program caters to the baser instincts in most humans. Two researchers from the University of Georgia, Patricia Joyner Priest and Joseph R. Dominick, conducted an interview of people who had appeared on Donahue. They found that the majority of the people interviewed were not part of our main-stream American culture. People who would be considered different in our society, such as, transsexuals, AIDS victims, rape survivors, gay parents, and prostitutes constituted the guest list (Day 43). Most of these shows do not pay their guests. Guests are recruited by a trailer at the end of each show...
