Jerry Springer. Even if you have never seen his wildly popular self-titled show, you know who he is. He's brought sleaze to the mainstream and made chair-throwing, fisticuffs, and lurid confessionals acceptable behavior. So just who is Jerry Springer really? "Ringmaster," a semi-fictionalized vanity movie a la Howard Stern's "Private Parts," purports to answer that question, but instead provides more of the same nonsense featured on his show.
In "Ringmaster," Springer plays bemused talk-show host Jerry Farrelly, a guy who wonders how he went from an Emmy-award winning journalist to the butt of jokes. Jerry feels his mission in life is to let the nation's poor and desperate population spill their guts on TV about such topics as having sex with a step-parent, having sex with a transvestite, and having sex with a friend's boyfriend. Notice a trend here? According to Jerry, if you don't like his show, you're an elitist--he's just letting disadvantaged people tell the same stories that rich people tell everyday. And besides, nobody gets hurt by appearing on Jerry's show; they just get their allotted 15 minutes of fame.
The problem with this weak justification and hence the main problem (among many) with "Ringmaster" is that it sugarcoats the truth. Why do we really need to know about people who want to marry their pets? How is it uplifting for people--poor or otherwise--to be treated as circus freaks on national television? And why is it never mentioned that the person who ultimately benefits from all of these public shenanigans is Jerry himself?
This is not to say that Jerry does not have a right to have his television show; moreover, those who find Jerry entertaining on the small screen will probably find fiction Jerry just as stimulating. But to make a movie saying his show serves a deeper purpose is insulting. Starring Jerry Springer, Jamie Pressly, Molly Hagan and Michael Jai White. Directed by Neil Abramson. Written by Jon Bernstein. Produced by Jerry Springer, Gina Rugolo-Judd, Brad Jenkel, Steve Stabler and Gary W. Goldstein. An Artisan release. Comedy. Rated R for strong sexual content and language. Running time: 90 min.
In "Ringmaster," Springer plays bemused talk-show host Jerry Farrelly, a guy who wonders how he went from an Emmy-award winning journalist to the butt of jokes. Jerry feels his mission in life is to let the nation's poor and desperate population spill their guts on TV about such topics as having sex with a step-parent, having sex with a transvestite, and having sex with a friend's boyfriend. Notice a trend here? According to Jerry, if you don't like his show, you're an elitist--he's just letting disadvantaged people tell the same stories that rich people tell everyday. And besides, nobody gets hurt by appearing on Jerry's show; they just get their allotted 15 minutes of fame.
The problem with this weak justification and hence the main problem (among many) with "Ringmaster" is that it sugarcoats the truth. Why do we really need to know about people who want to marry their pets? How is it uplifting for people--poor or otherwise--to be treated as circus freaks on national television? And why is it never mentioned that the person who ultimately benefits from all of these public shenanigans is Jerry himself?
This is not to say that Jerry does not have a right to have his television show; moreover, those who find Jerry entertaining on the small screen will probably find fiction Jerry just as stimulating. But to make a movie saying his show serves a deeper purpose is insulting. Starring Jerry Springer, Jamie Pressly, Molly Hagan and Michael Jai White. Directed by Neil Abramson. Written by Jon Bernstein. Produced by Jerry Springer, Gina Rugolo-Judd, Brad Jenkel, Steve Stabler and Gary W. Goldstein. An Artisan release. Comedy. Rated R for strong sexual content and language. Running time: 90 min.
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