Editing The Jerry Springer Show (section)

===Critical response===
''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' listed it as one of the worst television shows of 1995 and the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''{{'}}s Steve Johnson listed it as the second worst show of 1996.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leonard |first=John |title=Television: Worst |url={{Google books |SOECAAAAMBAJ |page=133 |plainurl=yes}} |page=133}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/05/15/networking-31/ |title=Fox Would Be a Contender, but 'Sunday' Effort Doesn't Rise Above the Beltway |last=Johnson |first=Steve |author-link=Richard Setlowe |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=May 15, 1996 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> The show also topped ''[[TV Guide]]'' magazine's 2002 list of "The Worst TV Shows Ever"; for a time, the show itself would even frequently boast about this ranking in its opening credits as a form of [[self-deprecation]].<ref>Bootie Cosgrove-Mather [https://web.archive.org/web/20020810010245/https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/12/entertainment/main515057.shtml The Worst TV Shows Ever] CBS News, July 12, 2002</ref> In 2005, the program became a subject of criticism in [[Bernard Goldberg]]'s book ''[[100 People Who Are Screwing Up America]]'', being called "TV's lowest life-form"<ref>{{cite book | last = Goldberg | first = Bernard | author-link = Bernard Goldberg | title = [[100 People Who Are Screwing Up America]] | publisher = [[HarperCollins]] | year = 2005 | location = New York City | page = [https://archive.org/details/100peoplewhoares00gold/page/15 15] | isbn = 0-06-076128-8 }}</ref> and [[Jerry Springer|Springer]] himself being ranked at 32 and labeled an "American Pioneer".<ref>[[Ibid.]], 208</ref> Goldberg also claimed that Springer was knowingly capitalizing on the disadvantages of his guests and the stupidity of his audience, also citing the controversial episode revolving around the man who [[bestiality|married his horse]].<ref>[[Ibid.]], 209</ref>

As the show's popularity peaked in 1998, a backlash grew against its tawdry content and increasing violence. [[Bob Iger]], then chairman of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], dubbed it an embarrassment to the television industry, and then-U.S. Senator [[Joe Lieberman]] implored stations to stop broadcasting it.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/entertainment/local/1998/05/03/springer-s-15-minutes-fame/50565156007/|title = Springer's 15 minutes of fame may be dwindling|last = Bauder|first = David|date = May 3, 1998|accessdate = May 5, 2023|newspaper = [[The Standard-Times (New Bedford)|The Standard-Times]]|agency = [[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Many major companies refused to advertise on the show due to its reputation. Consequently, ''The New York Times'' reported that while the program had higher ratings than ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' at the time, the cost of a 30-second advertisement was less than a third of that charged by ''Oprah''. Most commercials during ''Jerry Springer'' were "1-800-number ads -- for technical schools, personal-injury law firms, mortgage lenders, insurance companies and health services".<ref name="returns to antics">{{cite news|last=Mifflin|first= Lawrie|title='Springer' Returns to Its Antics|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE2D6133EF93AA35752C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 9, 1998|access-date=September 22, 2007}}</ref>