Very well said. Whatever happened to Jenny Jones? I did see Sally Jessy a few months ago on Daily Blast Live (RIP - great show!) when she shared memories of Phil Donahue, who had just passed away.
I was just thinking recently about the long-term effects Jerry Springer and other American daytime talk show hosts have had on the culture at large. There was also Maury "you ARE the father!" Povich, who started out as a serious newsman. Then there was Oprah, who didn't really go in for cheap theatrics - but once she reached a certain tax bracket, she became totally unrelatable. Not to mention that she has the distinction of introducing the likes of Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz to the world.
Even as a naive, sheltered teen, I found it incredibly stupid that a politician would actually use a PERSONAL CHECK!! What, he couldn't have used cash???