BDSM & Jerry Springer... oy vay

[Pandora's Box]

I was watching Jerry Springer the other day (yeah yeah, hush, it's an occasional guilty pleasure ) and they had a BDSM couple on there. Yes, it was a lot of bullshit hype. But there are a couple of things that got me.

Her "dominant" had filmed her being a puppy girl in the park. Using the term "little bitch" and to go fetch, etc. She said that when she saw the tape of her doing it that she felt utterly degraded and ashamed.

On the tape however, she wasn't having too much problem with it. But in the studio, in front of the audience, she described it as an utterly negative humiliating experience to see that tape.

After seeing her "dom", I could understand why she didn't want to delve as deeply into the lifestyle as he. He was one of those order barking doms. Order now, ask questions never.

We've all seen it before and many of us have experienced it before. I mean you should have seen this dork. He came out in leatherette short shorts, a black netting shirt, a leather collar with 5 O-rings... yes, he was ready for a dungeon fetish party. Before saying anything to her, he charges out on the scene waving her collar and ordering her to put it on.

So of course, this is the image that national TV exposure gave d/s. Or this is the image that these two portrayed. Which that bothers me, but not as much as the core of it. At least the core of it to me.

As a submissive, you do many things that could be considered as "odd", "embarrassing" etc for your dominant. But... in a healthy d/s relationship these acts are mutually reaffirming. Both dom and sub both give and receive.

I guess all this rambling comes down to the fact that she wasn't getting what she needed out of it. I don't think he respected her. I think he was one of these little insecure twits that uses d/s to get laid and to feed his inner kinkster. It was a one way street.

And then, beyond that... this is what millions of people saw as a representation of bdsm.

Don't know if there is a point or order to all this. But apparently it was something I felt the need to express.

Carry on...

[allalone46]

To bad i wasn't home to see a fool and some foolet playing at the D/s life. But what burns me is that everyone thinks that thay are real. What you described son'd to me like two wantabes or a wantabe and female sub that doesn't know better showing just howstupid thay are. and demeening thouse like use in the prosess.

[spike]

In Britain we have had a couple of shows of this general nature closed down after using participants who were fake and either inspired by or not sufficiently vetted by the production company. It sounds to me like this was what was going on here. Bad research, pre-ordained attitude for the audience to pick up, emblematic fetish costume straight out of late-night comedy.

But any kink on television seems to be either bad pay-site style soft porn or journalism with a predetermined conclusion. One of the forums on this site has an advert for a Canadian program inserted by BDSM_Tourguide which may well be an exception to this. I look forward to what the Canadians have to say, but good coverage is rare over here.

Spike

[allalone46]

Jerry Sringer is the norm in the U.S. for the stooped and thefools that will do or say anything on TV and for the fun of it thay get them to fight as well. I just suprised that this, I don't know what to call him for i don't even think he was a wantabe but i am suprised that he did't start betiging her right there on TV for the fools there that would belive he as real.

[mythicat]

You know that show is fake, right? The producers claim that they "try to validate" the guests' story as much as they can; but let's face it, they're just taking the word of people who want their 15 minutes of negative attention. And even if you want to suspend reality completely and believe for a moment that it's all true...you're still never going to see a healthy couple on Jerry Springer. How would you even promote that?? lol

It's fluffy entertainment, take it with a grain of salt.

[allalone46]

I know it is fake but if you ever watch the talking heads describe it thay think that stuff is for real. And one wonders why thay can't get the new reght.

[mythicat]

I honestly don't think they believe it either. I think they're looking for an excuse to get some attention too. It's all about pandering to the ratings gods.

[spike]

How would you even promote that??

In today's show: My husband makes my cocoa every night! My sister paid my college fees but won't let me pay her back!! and My wife and I don't like to talk about sex in front of other people!!!

Spike

[mythicat]

In today's show: My husband makes my cocoa every night!

That is so wrong...those people should be ashamed of themselves!

[allalone46]

Pepole think it is real, and the produsers put that on thinking it is what people want. Oh well.

[mythicat]

Pepole think it is real, and the produsers put that on thinking it is what people want. Oh well.

Some people think it's real. I would reckon that the vast majority don't. But apparently it is what a lot of people want or the show would have been axed long, long ago.

[Finding_Fantasy]

Shows like Jerry Springer are all about sensationalism. Rarely do they concern themselves with facts or guests that actually seem to have a clue between them. The show that Spike refers to here in Canada is called Kink and it goes into their everyday lives as well as their d/s ones. If people wouild watch stuff like that instead of Jerry Springer and the like, there would be a better name for d/s, I'm sure.

The only talk show that I watch is Dr. Phil when I can cacth it because he seems more concerned about actually helping people than what will get him the highest rating.

[AndrewBlack]

The 'BDSM couple' on Jerry Springer are likely to be as fake or dysfunctional as every other couple he gets on his nauseating little programme. I mean the vanilla couples are dreadful, everyone on the show is awful, it stands to reason that any BDSM representation is going to be of the same quality. Does anyone intelligent actually watch it though? And if so WHY?!!

[Mobius]

Many times on the springer show the couples are actors.
I will some times find the same couple that were on springer I would find on Montel or Jenny jones. Well any way I did until her show bit the dust.

Jerry sringer is much like wrestling. You know it is fake but you watch it to find out what the audiance will do.

[slavelucy]

That is so wrong...those people should be ashamed of themselves!

ROFL! This really made me laugh.....these twisted fiends, making each other's cocoa *much shaking of head and clicking of tongue*

In terms of Pandora's post, whether or not those people were actors, there's one point which remains the same and which winds me up a bit...and that is the fact that millions of people saw those two as a representation of BDSM...which seriously sucks.

Another point which i liked, was:

I think he was one of these little insecure twits that uses d/s to get laid and to feed his inner kinkster.

Grrr...now, this is seriously one of my personal pet peeves, people who masquerade as dominants in order to get sex or to try and quench a kink that they can't place; BDSM kinda becomes a handy peg for them to hang their coats on...and meanwhile, our reputation, as a group takes yet another blow.

sl

[mythicat]

millions of people saw those two as a representation of BDSM...which seriously sucks.

Those people have oh so many! issues of their own, that I really don't care what they think of me.

people who masquerade as dominants in order to get sex or to try and quench a kink that they can't place

I dunno, I've always found them lots of fun to toy with.... :[

[Pandora's Box]

Yes... I do know that most of the people on that show run the gamut from liars to attention whores to white trash. I also realize that even if there is a grain of truth in every story on there, it is sensationalized to the extreme.

But it still bothers me that those images were portrayed. Not just the image, but of the substance as well. From the ultra tacky dungeon gear wearing "dominant" to the "put your collar on now, bitch".

It was like a double whammy. Of course, it's not like I expect high and lofty things from the Jerry Springer Show. Just the opposite. But it's not the show that bothers me.

Like it or not, all walks of life watch Springer. The show is exported across the globe, all socioeconomic groups, all sexual orientations, all class groups. I've seen the rich and classy hooked on this show just as much as the white trash. It's reach is amazing.

And this is what they picked up from it.

With any luck, they'll have thought it was a joke too. Granted, I wasn't laughing. But it was a joke.

[allalone46]

It still makes use look like some sick freaks. And people will think that everyone in this lifestyle is like that.

[mythicat]

It still makes use look like some sick freaks. And people will think that everyone in this lifestyle is like that.

According to that show, everyone everywhere is a sick freak. Which places us well within the norm either way.

[allalone46]

According to that show, everyone everywhere is a sick freak. Which places us well within the norm either way.

In that show thay are more freek than sick. And no way are anyone that is realy in this life that freaky.

[mythicat]

In that show thay are more freek than sick. And no way are anyone that is realy in this life that freaky.

There are people that freaky everywhere, the world of BDSM is no exception.

[MrJerseyGuy]

I had to chuckle as I read this because I have Springer on in the background (New season and all). And in thinking about it, I'm probably more embarrassed that I watch Springer everyday than I am about being into bdsm!

I guess one of the advantages of getting a little older is that I couldn't care less about most people's opinion. I think bdsm is one of those things where...either you get it or you don't. If most people don't, that's their loss. I actually get a kick out of it when vanilla friends are over because they have to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom. Not once has anyone asked about the big I-bolts sticking out of the walls next to the bed...but you know damn well they noticed! My cleaning girl & her boyfriend have been good friends of my g/f & I for years and she has never said one word about it! (Even though I know she's dying to ask).

Back on topic...as much as I hate to admit that I am one of them...the opinion of your average Springer fan really wouldn't mean much to me one way or the other.

Oh...and for the record, I live in a condo, not a trailer!

[GaryWilcox]

I think a lot of people watch Springer to feel better about themselves, kind of like listening to the blues. "At least I'm not being jilted by my cousin for my aunt..."

[AndrewBlack]

I know what you mean, look at these dysfunctional fuckers. It just makes me feel sickened though. I don't like the 'we can help these people by getting them to talk about their problems' pretence that gives it a misleading sincerity when actually it's just pure spectacle. Putting a load of volatile characters together for a 'therapeutic time' (of oh, about 15 minutes should be enough to 'help' them sort their extensive problems out?!) where we witness the lowest form of human interaction gently goaded on by our 'well meaning' host. If he really cared about people he'd do something that might actually help them. What a fucking arsehole, I'd headbutt him if I every saw him. ( That's one of those, 'I'm not a violent person but...', comments I know, but you have to admit he'd be pretty high on your list of people you'd enjoy beating the crap out of for their 'services to humanity' )

[rallan]

I was always under the impression that Jerry Springer was real. Or at least real in the sense that it doesn't hire actors or give the guests scripts. But it's like Springer himself has said when he's being interviewed on other shows. Let's imagine that only one percent of the public as a whole are involved in something Jerry wants to do a show on. And only one in a thousand of them is actually willing to go on the Jerry Springer show and talk about it. At the end of the day that's only one person in a hundred thousand that he's got a chance in hell of getting on any given show. But in a country of almost three hundred million people, it means that for any given show his producers could theoretically get a few thousand potential guests to choose from, and all they've got to do is weed through them to pick the most stupid, sensational, and all round idiotic candidates they can find. And considering the massive amount of money that show makes I don't find it very hard to believe that they've got people all over the country to make it easier for wannabe guests to try their luck.



Rallan