Pantomine
By Sean O Donaile
- The Jerry Springer Show UTV
- The Chris Barry Phone In Show FM104
- Winning Streak RTE1
The man on the Jerry Springer Show was eager to tell
his tale of woe. He had his penis surgically removed in
order to shake off the interests of a stalker, who had
``tormented my body and soul'' for two years.
The stalker was then wheeled in, to the horror of the
audience, and revealed that in fact he was his lover
and after much ado, the amputee acknowledged his
``error'' and after some ``advice'' decided to reverse his
misfortune.
The Jerry Springer Show could be labelled the ultimate
in tabloid TV or is it the American version of
pantomine? Run on similar lines as Oprah Winfrey and
Ricki Lake, the programme has a huge following. It has
its designated good guy victims and baddies to be
hissed at by a dummy audience.
Characters attack each other physically, cry
uncontrollably, reveal secrets they somehow cannot
discuss at home and all willingly undergo humiliation
for the sake of appearing on TV. People often assume
Americans are motivated primarily by money. But the
publicity of TV for whatever reason is an even greater
spur.
It is the ultimate accolade. In one case the occupant
of an electric chair attempted to have his execution
shown live on The Phil Donahue Show. ``Respect'' is
extremely desirable in the US and one could argue that
this has led to some deranged folk attempting to garner
this respect by massacring innocent people in order to
become ``infamous'' and a household name. Who doesn't
know David Koresh or Michael Ryan?
To appear on TV confers one in a milion status,
regardless of why. Participants seem to know their
roles, even if the programme isn't rehearsed or staged.
Before entering the studio Bill doesn't know his
girlfriend was once a man, but he senses he's the bull
entering the arena and must charge at someone. Springer
is the matador, cruelly taunting and leading his
victims, but standing well out of harm's way himself.
If Adolf Hitler was still with us, he would make a tidy
living on the US talk show circuit getting booed and
hissed at, as he ranted about annexing his inferior
next door neighbour's garden or partner.
There's no point satirising American television, it
does that well enough itself every day. Springer and
his ilk use the perverted motivations of their society
in order to boost their TAM ratings and do so
successfully. The unfortunate thing is to see elements
of the ``public privacy TV'' creeping into the Irish
media courtesy of the Chris Barry Show and his phone
callers who seem to have no sense of Irish modesty.
It was not too long ago that Frankie Byrne's sponsored
radio programme dealt more discreetly with people's
problems, ``And you know Frankie, he was only after you
know what. He put his hands you know where...''
Now bored housewives and househusbands have moved on
from the 70s vouge of the drinks cabinet; instead
mortifying their partners at the office with saucy
tales of their underwear. The Irish have been accused
of sweeping their personal problems under the carpet,
but to hang their personal laundry out to dry for the
sake of pantomine is of no real benefit to anyone.
Barry's show is also notoriously right wing and
regualry calls for the extermination of drug addicts,
republicans and more. I recall on one occasion calling
the station to complain about Barry's derogatory
comments about Irish women. On reaching the swichboard
I was met by a matador who egged me to call women
``sluts'' etc on air, in order to stoke up a row. I
refused and was switched off. Needless to say, within
five minutes Barry had recruited some moron to slander
Irish women, thus ensuring a jammed switchboard and
much pantomine, but to no debate of any value.
Springer and Barry would claim to be catering for the
wishes of the people, but does the media have the right
to lead the people in a vacuous world of tabloid TV,
devoid of any values bar titillation and pantomine?
Ray Bates, Director of The National Lottery was derided
for describing Mike Murphy's ``Winning Streak'' as ``not
bad for a bunch of stiffs from down the country''.
I knew a man who once met a man who declined the chance
to spin the wheel in order to avoid Mike Murphy's
interrogation about his private life; ``So I hear you're
bad on the aul drink..Ha ha...and sure the whole
parish is talking abou you''.
However, Murphy's brand of pantomine is a lot less
harmful and entertaining than that of Springer, and
millions of Irish viewers regularly tune in to see the
myriad of banners in the audience, ``Come on Dad'', ``Good
Luck Auntie Frances'', and methinks I even spotted ``John
3:7'' but I think he was probably up for the All Ireland
Final that weekend and wandered off the set for Trom
agus Eadrom!
A cynic might claim that Mike Murphy is a frustrated
Jerry Springer eager to stoke up a row with personal
questions, but it seems he is more likely trying to
liven up those ``frightened culchies''.
As one of those down the country folk, I was delighted
to see fellow culchies and republicans Bernadette and
JB O Hagan cleaning up on Saturday last. Speaking of
pantomine, David Trimble has submitted an objection on
the grounds that the wheel was spinning to a republican
agenda.
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