sumers, and television producers had to adjust the
face of talk shows and their personalities to attract
and accommodate this growing and diverse new de-
mographic. Women and minorities such as Oprah
Winfrey, Sally Jessy Raphael, Arsenio Hall, and
Geraldo Rivera began dominating the talk show cir-
cuit, ushering in changes in topics, guests, and audi-
ence members. The 1980’s redefined what was ac-
ceptable to discuss on television, expanding talk
show topics to include traditionally taboo subjects
such as teen pregnancies, alternative lifestyles, and
eating disorders.
With the 1980’s obsession with self-improvement,
talk shows adopted the term “infotainment” and of-
fered information about health, news events, and
trends affecting Americans. Talk shows began to in-
clude ordinary people as guests, not just celebrities
or experts, to discuss issues that were relevant to
viewers’ lives. In doing so, the average person was el-
evated to celebrity status, and viewers received tele-
vised therapy in the security of their own homes.
Hosts acted as surrogates for the audience at home,
asking personal questions and supporting their
guests as they responded.
The queen of therapeutic and informative talk
was Winfrey, whose debut show aired in September,
- Winfrey comforted guests as they opened up,
and she shared her own stories of abuse and neglect,
relationships, and weight problems, frequently cry-
ing with her audience. Although Donahue had dis-
cussed controversial topics since the 1970’s, his ap-
proach was more intellectual than emotional.
Industry and Technological Changes Technologi-
cal advances in hardware and syndication distribu-
tion methods, along with changes within the broad-
cast and cable industries, also contributed to the talk
show revolution of the 1980’s. Cable television and
its new networks offered viewers more entertain-
ment choices, and videocassette recorders (VCRs)
and remote controls offered viewers more ways to
pick and choose their entertainment. These ad-
vancements created new challenges for producers to
overcome in order to retain their sponsors.
Cable and satellite networks, along with the
emerging television networks, found themselves with
numerous hours to program. Talk shows provided
needed “filler” programming at a low cost, since they
required no writers or actors and minimal sets. Also,
the prevalence of syndication and the ease of distrib-
uting programming over satellites made it afford-
able for small stations to receive new talk shows, free
from network constraints.
During the 1980’s, Americans had more con-
sumer choices because of deregulation policies, more
disposable income as a result of a soaring stock mar-
ket and a sense of prosperity, and more entertain-
ment choices because of technological advances and
broadcasting distribution methods. Viewers’ ability
to “channel surf” (and their diminishing attention
spans) meant that producers had seconds to capture
and retain viewers. In order to do this, talk shows
transformed into quick, over-the-top programming
based on attention-grabbing sound bites.Impact During the fast-paced decade, Americans
turned to talk shows for both emotional security and
entertaining escape. Shows became ethnically di-
verse to meet societal expectations and to compete
in the changing media landscape, and they became
more prevalent through syndication advancements
and an abundance of cable and network channels.Further Reading
Day, Nancy.Sensational TV: Trash or Journalism?
Springfield, N.J.: Enslow, 1996. Explores the mo-
tives and practices of television talk and news
shows.
Grindstaff, Laura.The Money Shot: Trash, Class, and
the Making of Talk Shows. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 2002. Examines ambush and emo-
tional tactics employed by talk shows.
Kurtz, Howard.Hot Air: All Talk All the Time. New
York: Basic Books, 1997. An in-depth look into the
biggest names in talk shows.
Manga, Julie Engel.Talking Trash: The Cultural Poli-
tics of Daytime TV Talk Shows. New York: New York
University Press, 2003. Investigates sociological
factors contributing to talk shows’ popularity.
Parish, James Robert.Let’s Talk: America’s Favorite
Talk Show Hosts. Las Vegas: Pioneer Books, 1993.
Includes biographies of television talk show hosts.
Scott, Gini Graham.Can We Talk? The Power and Influ-
ence of Talk Shows. New York: Insight Books, 1996.
A history of the rise in popularity of talk shows.
Shattuc, Jane M.The Talking Cure: TV Talk Shows and
Women. New York: Routledge, 1997. Analysis of
the interaction between women’s issues and talk
shows.
Sara Vidar940 Talk shows The Eighties in America