Morals to be learned from daytime TV

Daytime television always conjures up mixed emotions. The myriad of daytime television… Daytime television always conjures up mixed emotions. The myriad of daytime television consists of everything from soaps to talk shows and even court shows. Talk shows more specifically air out the emotions of hundreds in any given season. The problem, however, is that many people watch these shows and don’t fully understand them as entertainment that is used to showcase appropriate moral values.

For example, I have a friend who is a recent graduate of Pitt and she, to this day, watches Jerry Springer religiously. Despite the many conversations I’ve had with her on the subject, she fails to acknowledge the disdainful, morally driven nature of this program. Because people fail to realize this, the line between daytime television and real life is becoming increasingly blurred.

This lack of comprehension causes people to object to the existence of talk shows because they view the behavior in them as destructive to the American value system. I, however, believe these shows can be used to showcase appropriate morals. My reasoning for this is that the audience is very adamant about showing their disapproval with the guests’ actions that they deem immoral.

Many people watch these controversial shows the way one might watch NASCAR racing for a fiery car crash. Viewers patiently wait for the confession that would ruin someone’s life or cause a brawl that would require hospitalization for at least two guests per episode. Once this confession has been made, most viewers will admit to disapproving of the immoral deed just confessed.

Some people will argue that viewing these programs makes it much easier for individuals to view the world as a violent and much more sexually explicit place. Or others might assert that it gives rise to an apathetic culture, one in which people would rather indulge in gossip than console those hurt by the rumors.

However, I argue that these shows teach valuable morals as well. Watch any episode of Springer and you are sure to see the audience chastising the guests for actions deemed immoral. Moreover, Jerry Springer, the host and consequent pedagogical figure on the program, joins in on the chastisement and ridicule.

And while certain shows, like Springer for example, have been forced to rethink their format slightly, the appeal to morality in content remains the same. What’s most interesting about Springer are his words of encouragement that seal each episode with the moral to the madness a viewer has observed for the last hour.

Then observing another talk show, you add to the equation the young, single 19-year-old on Maury testing the last of 13 men for the paternity of her three different children while the crowd shows signs of disgust toward her and the first 12 men. Add this example and the appeal to morality of daytime television becomes painfully clear.

Senator Joseph Lieberman said, “The preponderance of perversion on daytime talk shows is affecting our entire society, pushing the envelope of civility and morality in a way that drags the rest of the culture down with it.” Lieberman complained that the constant confrontations, emotional violence and sexual messages seen regularly on talk shows teach perverse lessons about adult behavior and problem solving.

I say he’s wrong! If you watch these shows closely it becomes very evident that most people do not agree with the lifestyles on display. Talk shows aren’t ruining American society. The people that become guests on these shows were, more likely than not, so far along on their life course that they were beyond the point of constructive change before they were ever given the chance to appear on the show. And then, of course, there is the likelihood that the madness we are observing is a hoax, and that’s another story all together.

Maria Elizabeth Grabe, associate professor of journalism at Indiana University wrote that not only was Springer a “morally conservative” show, that it was indeed an aid to parenting, based on the reactions of the guest and chastisement of host.

Whether these shows are products of society, no specific evidence can be cited to affirm this, despite how far-fetched they may seem, some of it is true. The overall disgust that most people have when watching these types of programming proves to me that there is still strength in the moral fiber of America. Thus, there is a lesson to be learned from all of this. While participating in judging people you don’t know can sometimes be disdainful, there is much to learn from watching people. Whether it’s Oprah’s life story or a stranger from the deep south, people have the effect of teaching us things about ourselves – for better or for worse.

So students, don’t turn off the Springer show, don’t stop watching Maury and do whatever it takes to catch Judge Maybelline hand down her verdicts. Together we can make not only Pitt, but also the country, a morally sound place for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen: if you’re interested in discussing how anyone could possibly mistake 12 different men as her baby’s daddy, send an e-mail to Ble34@hotmail.com.