Jerry Springer - The Opera

I agree with a lot of your intelligent points Trance, but one bad or insensitive comment under stress does not make one a bad person.

John seems like a great guy and that is all I mentioned, he may have strong views as you do also.

I understand your anger because if we followed through with that logic some of my family and friends would be given the death sentence also and many of us right here on the forum also.

But I think he was thinking about the children mentioned and not thinking of the adults, many think like that, for example, if I caught so and so doing it to the kid in the act, I would kill him, I myself have said such things when discussing abused children.

So off the cuff comments like that are common in discussions like this, I just hope you don't hold opinions we express here against anyone and we can somehow come out of these threads friends.

That is difficult, I know that for sure, but we are all members of the same community here at the same time.

Be cool Trance, you are a good man and thoughtful.

 

AC, I have no sympathy for those who abuse children (although I have worked with them in the past, both in prisons and in hospitals-my only aim is to ensure that I do as much as I can within my power to prevent their activity continuing to damage children). Nor do I have any sympathy for the idea that homosexuality increases the likelihood of abusing children (though I don't think that was implied in John's statement). I know you can be a provocative sod at times but I do like you and your general slant on things. But John has to realise that if he makes such a comment on a public forum, he is going to make things personal and offend many in the process.

Lever doesn't agree with homosexuality, but the way in which he expressed it doesn't personalise anything. I would happily discuss the issue with hime into the early hours of the morning over a few beers. If I came across John expressing such ideas, I would probably have to put as much distance between myself and him as possible.

I think you're too late, man but I ain't gonna leave that shit unchallenged.

 

Yes, if there is no moderation and understanding no one can learn, I guess there are folks that believe in strict discipline to avoid these problems in the first place.

Many communities in this world have lost their way through ignorance, I seen a story yesterday that 1 in 9 South Africans are infected with HIV.

So education is the key, tolerance and understanding is necessary to educate folks, if none have the patience to help and educate, these human problems will continue to destroy communities and nations.

The problems in the world seem insurmountable Trance, so some folks just think the only solution is to pray for one.

In the mean time we try to understand why we have so many troubles in the world.

You know communication and working together are much better than destruction and war and that is what is missing in the world.

Just look at how western nations are rushing to help the largest Muslim countries in the world to recover from the recent earthquake and tidal wave. Many vacationers stayed to help in the recovery effort and many said that it changed their lives forever, just helping those folks who they deemed needed them.

One couple from the UK mentioned that they use to think of how much material things they could acquire, but now they see that they will stay and help the locals and have seen their future in that.

 

Well I hope everyone's OK. This has been a very good thread and the strength of some people's convictions (are they really criminals ) have been interesting.

I think if anyone in the "anti" camp, pardon the pun there , were to have someone in their circle of family or close friends admit to being gay then it would be interesting to see what happened... do they suddenly cut-off their best friendship, ignore their favourite aunt, shoot their brother... that remains to be seen.

But as for the matter in hand of the Jerry Springer Opera...

There was an hour prequel about Jerry Springer, whom I learnt a lot about. I knew he was an intelligent guy, but get this... his family fled Nazi Germany, he was born in London 1944, emmigrated to the US at age 5, was a campaign aide to Robert Kennedy, Mayor of Cincinnati, lawyer, 7x emmy award-winning newscaster, lawyer, country music recording artist...

And then they interviewed the guys that wrote/produced the show. Fascinating. They come from the alternative comedy/fringe theatre background.

As for the Jerry Springer Opera, I thought it was brilliant. I haven't seen an opera since "La Traviata" some years back and an English language version was (obviously) so much easier to follow.

It was funny (I cried laughing), satirical, ironic, good fun. Yes, there was a lot of swearing, but try swearing at someone in an operatic style, you get my drift?

I don't wanna spoil it for those who haven't seen, so I'll be deliberately sketchy on the plotline... JSO part1 was about the show with all its freaky guests and part2 about Jerry arbitrating between the devil and Jesus. Needless to say, the devil had a hand in it; cue irony and hilarity.

The "Jesus in a nappy" thing was a pun on the "baby Jesus" and the "I'm a bit gay" quote was assigned to that fact that Jesus said he loves all men. And that was it. Much ado about nothing and no pro-homo agenda detected. David Soul, who played Jerry, was excellent and was quoted on Radio 4 as saying

So, as a straight, raised-as-a-christian guy I took no offence whatsoever. Best 3 pence I ever spent

 

I don't know, I would rather watch entertainment like Shakira live in concert and look at God's handiwork in her.

Then everyone would know that he made them male and female and that it was good, real good If God was gay why did he make females? I guess Satan and those that fall for his lies really are dumb spirits that have no logical thought even when fact is before their eyes. Well one can't see in the dark, that is taught throughout the word.

So folks can make fun of whatever issue they wish, but those who are offended by this "art" need not watch it or even discuss it as they play into the hands of the producers who subtly and with tact stick this out for free publicity.

If Weirfire would not have posted this it would have gotten no attention here either, but that is how they gain free publicity by understanding that they can enlist those who object to promote their cause for them.

PS: Lever, did Jerry Springer produce this show?

You say it was not sending a message, but is that really true? The show seems to plant or attempt to plant an idea in the minds of those who watch or discuss the show even if it is subliminal.

Do you feel that the producers are just trying to make money off of a well known name and the resulting publicity that would come from the right's objection to this subject?

 

Jerry Springer did not produce the show, AFAIK.

I didn't say there wasn't a message, just that there was no sexual agenda attached to this. One strong quote was that Jerry Springer "doesn't solve problems, he just airs them" or something like that. What message can be gleaned from that? Is it just some cynical capital-raising exploitation of peoples' issues? Or is this a "look how immoral and freaky society can be - do we really want to be like this?" Or how about simple curiosity? Interest? Voyeurism?

As for making money off the back of Jerry Springer... I cannot answer that. The show was originally intended to run for only a short while, a couple of weeks, but happened to become a huge West End hit. And all the BBC did was film and televise it.

Are you assuming there's a negative subliminal message in the show Anthony? If so, you had best look out for me buddy, please, just incase I take a turn for the worse On the flipside, could there possibly be a positive subliminal message here? Or is the positive message more overt than that? The cards were on the table.

If i were religious my main concern might be what happens when my religion is hijacked for political agendas? This has far greater and more far-reaching consequences than 2 hours of TV. Four years being in control of a country playing sleight of hand to divert public funds/taxes *is* more underhand than any Opera *might* be. And what happens after 8 years? How do you feel that since the demise of Nixon, political "skullduggery" may have had to work on far deeper levels to avoid the mistakes of the public awareness/attention that "Watergate" bought about? Nobody in charge would want to make a mistake like that again, would they?

Anyway, I don't think the Springer Opera was anything like as bad as it was cracked-up to be

 

A future Digital Point Moderator you have just seen folks

That is if he does not put the David Leverman show into syndication and make millions.

 

And don't forget your fees, Anthony LOL

 

Glad you got to see it and enjoy it

Congratulations to the BBC on not giving in to the pressure of a vocal minority

There always will be those who are intolerant of any opinions differing from their own. As a committed Christian myself I have to agree with David Soul and I too did not see it as blasphemy. It was very funny and as one of my Jewish friends says "What soap is to the body - laughter is to the soul".

- Michael

 

Wish I'd seen that in London, Michael, would have been well worth it, even at full box-office price.

Not laughed that much in a long time, it was definately a tonic

 

hmmm ... so why won't they televise it in the U.S.

 

Hehe, Sitetutor, if I'd had a vcr the tape would have been in the post to you tomorrow Let's hope that the good old BBC can get the show to a station near you sometime soon.

 

I don't know about TV but the show is scheduled to run for six weeks in San Francisco this spring and open on Broadway next fall.

- Michael

 

What does that tell you about agenda and the message?