Problems For Profit: Trash TV

November 20, 1995

Do TV Talk shows have culturally redeeming value? Are they educating the public on matters of relationships, mental health and coping? There are over 20 daytime Talk TV shows with 54 million viewers and revenues of $150 million a year. Seventy percent of the viewers are women.

Do you know that 650,000 American children ages 2-11 watch these shows? There’s even heaver viewership among teenagers. Talk show hosts claim they give a moral message, but their overall message is, "anything goes," "abnormal is normal," and "welcome to our culture of depravity."

A friend, Stuart Fischoff, wrote an article, "Confessions of a Talk Show Shrink" in the Sept/Oct. issue of Psychology Today. Fischoff has a PhD in clinical psychology, has been in private practice for 25 years and teaches is a university professor. He is a veteran of "Oprah," "Sally Jessy Raphael," "Geraldo," "Montel Williams," and other similar shows. He describes his initial high-minded motivation as a TV talk show guest expert and then his descent into disillusionment and ultimate refusal to participate.

"The simple truth sunk in," Fischoff stated. "Talk shows exist to entertain and to exploit the exhibitionism of the walking wounded. If you want to explore your problem, you go to a counselor. If you want to exhibit your life, attack and humiliate your spouse or exact revenge for some misdeed, you go on a talk show."

In a paper, "Tuning in Trouble: Talk TV's Destructive Impact on Mental Health," psychologists Jeanne Heaton of Athens, Ohio and Nona Wilson at South Dakota State University summarized their research into the effects of Talk TV. They found that Talk TV:

distorts psychological problems both in symptoms and frequency

provides cliched bits of sound bite advice that misrepresents responsible treatment

panders to and exploits existing stereotypes about gender, race, and sexual orientation

debases and ethically compromises the mental health profession in their improper use of "experts."

Heaton and Wilson note that all problems are presented with the same sense of urgency and significance. Pain and conflict are highlighted under the pretext that something helpful and therapeutic is happening. The last segment of the show, once the parade of pathology has run its course, presents - in abbreviated fashion - solutions and "useful" information.

Routine problems are exaggerated beyond recognition. Extremely unusual problems are presented as though they are common. Heaton and Wilson decry the four-step problem-solving format of Talk TV: attack, confront, hug, all done. Life isn't "fixed" that easily - on TV or in real life.

Heaton and Wilson point out that young children are particularly susceptible to the chaotic, intrusive and

hostile quality of the shows. Young viewers see the shows as parallel to the "You did it, no I didn't," fights on the playground.

A tell all ethic. Fischoff worries about the seducing effect of the bright lights, cameras, charismatic hosts, and clamoring studio audiences that evaporate the self-restraint and good sense of the guests on the show. They publicly reveal information that can damage their lives and relationships once the glare of the spotlight recedes.

There is little acknowledged responsibility for the well-being of the guests once the show is over. The "Donahue" format encourages a circus atmosphere. The audience takes sides, attacks, and jeers. Fischoff notes how the audience is laced with sharpshooters and soapboxers who want the spotlight on themselves. "The more their questions make the guest squirm and lose control, the more powerful the audience feels."

Guests go on the show for their own exploitative reasons, but generally they want sympathy or validation. What they get is a host that whips up conflict, an audience with fangs bared and a psychological expert - who doesn't know them - giving glib sound bite advice. Then they are sent back to the airport in a limo to face the consequences of their exhibitionistic disclosure.

Fischoff doesn't fault the guests. "Until people fully understand the risks of parading their life-flaws for a few moments of cheap celebrity, until they understand that a talk show exerts an intoxicating pull on self-disclosure . . . , they are far less responsible for the degrading spectacle than are the savvy producers of the talk shows."

Fischoff compares the attraction to circus freak shows. The difference is that guests are being paraded around exhibiting their psychological and emotional freakiness. He compares the producers with the "haves" exploiting the "have not" exhibitionists for the amusement of voyeuristic audiences. The guests leave with more trouble than they brought.

A talk show psychology expert gives legitimacy to the enterprise. Fischoff explains, "Experts are the laugh track to help the audience identify whom to blame, whom to side with and who ‘just doesn't get it.’" Fischoff takes of dim view of the public actually being educated by the expert. "The dirty little secret most media psychologists know is that, with rare exceptions, if a psychologist truly wants to educate the public, the last place to do it is on a contemporary tabloid talk show."

Oprah recently channel surfed to look at her competition in the TV talk show business. What she saw made her consider quitting. In the Nov. 11 issue of the TV Guide she wrote, "It's only when viewers decide that they've had enough of violence, sensationalism and trash that it will end."

That is good advice, right from the queen of the TV Talk hosts herself.

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	Val Farmer 35 Years of Counseling General Topics VII. Parenting and Family Life 6. Media, TV, Internet, Sex, Social Media and Pornography Problems For Profit: Trash TV November 20, 1995 Do TV Talk shows have culturally redeeming value? Are they educating the public on matters of relationships, mental health and coping? There are over 20 daytime Talk TV shows with 54 million viewers and revenues of $150 million a year. Seventy percent of the viewers are women. Do you know that 650,000 American children ages 2-11 watch these shows? There’s even heaver viewership among teenagers. Talk show hosts claim they give a moral message, but their overall message is, "anything goes," "abnormal is normal," and "welcome to our culture of depravity." A friend, Stuart Fischoff, wrote an article, "Confessions of a Talk Show Shrink" in the Sept/Oct. issue of Psychology Today. Fischoff has a PhD in clinical psychology, has been in private practice for 25 years and teaches is a university professor. He is a veteran of "Oprah," "Sally Jessy Raphael," "Geraldo," "Montel Williams," and other similar shows. He describes his initial high-minded motivation as a TV talk show guest expert and then his descent into disillusionment and ultimate refusal to participate. "The simple truth sunk in," Fischoff stated. "Talk shows exist to entertain and to exploit the exhibitionism of the walking wounded. If you want to explore your problem, you go to a counselor. If you want to exhibit your life, attack and humiliate your spouse or exact revenge for some misdeed, you go on a talk show." In a paper, "Tuning in Trouble: Talk TV's Destructive Impact on Mental Health," psychologists Jeanne Heaton of Athens, Ohio and Nona Wilson at South Dakota State University summarized their research into the effects of Talk TV. They found that Talk TV: distorts psychological problems both in symptoms and frequency provides cliched bits of sound bite advice that misrepresents responsible treatment panders to and exploits existing stereotypes about gender, race, and sexual orientation debases and ethically compromises the mental health profession in their improper use of "experts." Heaton and Wilson note that all problems are presented with the same sense of urgency and significance. Pain and conflict are highlighted under the pretext that something helpful and therapeutic is happening. The last segment of the show, once the parade of pathology has run its course, presents - in abbreviated fashion - solutions and "useful" information. Routine problems are exaggerated beyond recognition. Extremely unusual problems are presented as though they are common. Heaton and Wilson decry the four-step problem-solving format of Talk TV: attack, confront, hug, all done. Life isn't "fixed" that easily - on TV or in real life. Heaton and Wilson point out that young children are particularly susceptible to the chaotic, intrusive and hostile quality of the shows. Young viewers see the shows as parallel to the "You did it, no I didn't," fights on the playground. A tell all ethic. Fischoff worries about the seducing effect of the bright lights, cameras, charismatic hosts, and clamoring studio audiences that evaporate the self-restraint and good sense of the guests on the show. They publicly reveal information that can damage their lives and relationships once the glare of the spotlight recedes. There is little acknowledged responsibility for the well-being of the guests once the show is over. The "Donahue" format encourages a circus atmosphere. The audience takes sides, attacks, and jeers. Fischoff notes how the audience is laced with sharpshooters and soapboxers who want the spotlight on themselves. "The more their questions make the guest squirm and lose control, the more powerful the audience feels." Guests go on the show for their own exploitative reasons, but generally they want sympathy or validation. What they get is a host that whips up conflict, an audience with fangs bared and a psychological expert - who doesn't know them - giving glib sound bite advice. Then they are sent back to the airport in a limo to face the consequences of their exhibitionistic disclosure. Fischoff doesn't fault the guests. "Until people fully understand the risks of parading their life-flaws for a few moments of cheap celebrity, until they understand that a talk show exerts an intoxicating pull on self-disclosure . . . , they are far less responsible for the degrading spectacle than are the savvy producers of the talk shows." Fischoff compares the attraction to circus freak shows. The difference is that guests are being paraded around exhibiting their psychological and emotional freakiness. He compares the producers with the "haves" exploiting the "have not" exhibitionists for the amusement of voyeuristic audiences. The guests leave with more trouble than they brought. A talk show psychology expert gives legitimacy to the enterprise. Fischoff explains, "Experts are the laugh track to help the audience identify whom to blame, whom to side with and who ‘just doesn't get it.’" Fischoff takes of dim view of the public actually being educated by the expert. "The dirty little secret most media psychologists know is that, with rare exceptions, if a psychologist truly wants to educate the public, the last place to do it is on a contemporary tabloid talk show." Oprah recently channel surfed to look at her competition in the TV talk show business. What she saw made her consider quitting. In the Nov. 11 issue of the TV Guide she wrote, "It's only when viewers decide that they've had enough of violence, sensationalism and trash that it will end." That is good advice, right from the queen of the TV Talk hosts herself.