The Phenomenon of Talk Shows

How desperate and bored do you have to be to go on a talk show?

For the last week I’ve been unemployed.  In the midst of looking for a job for a few days, I’ve had the distraction of talk shows. Mainly Maurey and the Steve Wilkos show.  As I’m watching these shows, I don’t feel so bad for myself anymore. These people are so ghetto and so trashy. Or at least act that way.

Clearly, these people have nothing better to do than to go on a talk show. But I can’t talk too much smack, because I’m sitting at home watching it. As I’m watching these shows I’m wondering what drives these people to call talk shows and put their lives on national television like this. I understand Oprah and Dr. Phil or even Ellen because they discuss real life issues like the woman’s role in the household or child abuse. But some of the guest on some other shows are nuts.

I watched Maurey the other morning and this black girl from the south was fighting with her boyfriend because after 4 years he started denying their children and accusing her of cheating. Obviously this couple is having some major issues and probably don’t belong together. But why go to a talk show to determine paternity of your children.  Why go on a talk show and air your dirty secrets for the entire world. Its great entertainment for some people, but not at my expense. I suppose, some of the guests may not be able to afford paternity or lie-detector testing without the show.

The funny thing is, when these folks get on stage, they just act a hot mess. There’s no other way to describe it, but a hot mess. One girl was 17 and talking about how she wanted a baby because she just started babysitting and loves little kids. She had on a honey brown wig. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard at a talk show. She had such an attitude and was trying to smack her lips and roll her eyes all the time. Flipping off the audience telling the host she didn’t care and that she would never take birth control again. Then her parents came out. And I could tell they were hard working people. A middle-class southern family. They gave that girl everything she wanted and even bought her a Land Rover when she turned 16. She was on stage pointing in her mother’s face and cussing her. The kid was so rude and I thought her mother was going to slap her at one point. They gave her a doll and she named it Damarius or some dumb ghetto name. After a while, I had to wonder if it was acting.

When I picked my friend up from the airport and told her about all the talk shows I was watching, she told me that most of those people are paid for going on. That got me wondering. It can’t be a large amount of money. So, I keep coming back to the same question…why go on national tv? Each guest cant’ be getting more than a thousand dollars? Maybe some are actors, but they really suck if they are.

I’m so glad I start working again next week. I can’t take anymore daytime drama.