Jerry Springer Admitted His Show Was Stupid to Dave Letterman

When Jerry Springer joined David Letterman on The Late Show on April 24, 1998, he began the interview by quipping, “What, you couldn’t get Oprah?” I like to imagine he’s using the same line on St. Peter right now.

The late, great daytime TV legend passed away in his home in Chicago this morning, just months after his family revealed his diagnosis for pancreatic cancer. Springer leaves behind a legacy of honest shamelessness, in both his trailer-trash-fight-night talk show and his unique political career. That unembarrassed sincerity was on full display almost exactly 25 years ago when Springer openly discussed the scandal that stained his mayoral career in Cincinnati and, when Letterman asked Springer if his self-titled TV show had any cultural impact, he calmly replied, “No, my show is plain stupid!”

With all due respect to the deceased, Springer sold himself short – With all due respect to the deceased, Springer sold himself short – the show was cataclysmically stupid, which is why we all loved the shit out of it here and there.