Interview: Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer has courted controversy for decades – but from the outset it is his charisma that I am struck by. He greets me with a warm handshake and an easy-going smile; needless to say, I am instantly charmed when he takes my coat for me with a witty “Some Americans have manners.”
Springer does not have the imposing presence you would expect of a household name in every Western society, nor that of the self-proclaimed “father of the destruction of Western civilisation.” Throughout our conversation, I am set at ease by his ceaseless humility; he gushes about the excitement he felt before giving a speech at the Oxford Union back in 1998, and consistently refers to The Jerry Springer Show as “our show”, rather than his own.
Springer certainly views himself as someone who has been incredibly lucky with his lot in life. He tells me that he didn’t audition for the show but was assigned to it; when I put to him that he was head-hunted, he replies, “This is a head they didn’t want to get!
“The show has done well but, honestly, anyone could do what I do. It’s true, I always koke about it – what do I do? I say ‘Come on out!’, ‘You did what?!’ and ‘Coming right back!’”
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He clearly didn’t envisage that the show would catapult him to international super- stardom when he first undertook it. I ask him whether he thinks that the show is not as controversial now as it was. “Well I think what was shocking back then is that we had never seen something like it on television,” he replies. “We know those things happen – all you have to do is read a daily newspaper. But we’ve not seen it on television before because television, particularly in England, tended to be very proper. When I first started you didn’t even have commercial television: it had censors all over it. But now, because of technology and the internet, everything is out in the open.”
Can this shift be seen as a change for the better, or should television be regulated, I wonder? “Well the question is irrelevant because the whole world is becoming more open,” he says. “There is a trend aided by technology that leads to the democratisation and liberalisation of society. So whether it’s politics, the media or your personal lives, everything is visible.
“There is more that you reveal about yourself on Facebook than will ever be revealed in a television show. So it doesn’t even matter if I say it’s good or bad – it’s unstoppable. Dictators are falling because people can go on their cell phones and topple governments.”
I question whether the show is exploitative, but I’m met with an absolute rebuttal. Interestingly, Springer sees his work as a network anchor as more exploitative than hosting a talk show. “Journalism and news exploit people – and we did that every day. The news always does stories about people without ever asking their permission or ever saying ‘If this story hurts your marriage or hurts your career, or puts you in a bad light or embarrasses you in front of your children then we won’t run it.’ On our show it’s purely voluntary. You decide to be on, so the word ‘exploitation’ is knocked out straight away.”
He runs me through the set up of the programme. Guests get to decide what they do or do not want to talk about and are allowed to use fake names or wear disguises. He stresses that the guests are given a list of twenty-one possible surprises and have to agree to each of them as a possibility before they can go on. “If there’s something you don’t want to be told on national television then you’re not on the show. Imagine if some reporter called up and said ‘We’ve got this story about you but if this hurts you we won’t run it.’ You’d be laughed out of the newsroom. So exploitation is what news does but certainly not what our show does.”
Where some have deemed that the show is exploitative, others have claimed its danger is in its potential to corrupt. Residents of Connecticut, for instance, opposed the show relocating to their neighbourhood for fear that it could “morally corrupt the town”.
Springer has no time for this idea. “Our show is stupid. I’m not suggesting that this improves the culture; this is just a one hour escape from life but it’s certainly not damaging to someone… You’re not going to be corrupted by watching a one hour television show.”
Springer has previously stated that The Jerry Springer Show isn’t something he himself would watch. When I ask why, he responds, “Because I’m seventy years old. It’s aimed at you, your age group. When I was in college there is no question that I would have watched this. Us guys, we’d get together and we’d hoot about it.
But your tastes change. We don’t aim it at older people; it’s a young person’s show. Young people are much more
open about their lives and they don’t take everything so seriously.
“The guests get angry but they get angry because their girlfriend has been cheating on them or their boyfriend has been cheating on them. I’m not saying the anger is not legitimate because it is – but the next day they’re dating someone else. It’s not life changing.”
He notes that his show does not offer pregnancy tests and claims “the reason the show has lasted twenty three years is because whoever comes on the show knows that I’m never gonna yell at them.” With this in mind, I ask for his opinions on Jeremy Kyle. “Well I’m not going to comment on any of the other shows, everybody does what they want,” he states. “Besides, I don’t see the show that much. I’m sure he’s good at what he does but I have no idea. I know that other people have shows – but I don’t even watch my show!”
Humble as ever, he attributes the appeal of the show to his guests, rather than himself or the premise. “The stories are always the same. What makes the show interesting, or why people keep watching is not the subject matter but the personality of the guests. And as many people as you have, you have personalities. That’s what makes it fascinating.
“There is nothing new on television. Human behaviour has not changed in at least three thousand years. There is nothing that has ever been on our show that is not in the Bible. There is nothing that has ever been on our show that is not in literature, that is not in Shakespeare. “We are social beings and we are always fascinated by how human beings behave. Thousands of years ago people would gather in the town square and discuss what is going on in the neighbourhood. Three thousand years later the neighbourhood is now global, because of technology. Nothing is new.”
“And when we say that television is aiding the deterioration of society, we are so self important. Let me tell you: we had a holocaust before anyone had a television set. You want to talk about the deterioration of western culture? A very sophisticated western culture called Germany exterminated six million people in my lifetime when nobody was watching television.” The knowledge that Springer’s parents were Jewish refugees and many family members died in the Holocaust adds weight to these already impossibly heavy words.
I proceed to ask about his opinions on Jerry Springer: The Opera, a British musical based on his show which received 55,000 complaints when broadcast on BBC Two. “It’s a serious opera,” he says. “It’s about me but I have nothing to do with it so I can’t say that I created this great opera or whatever. My mom would have been proud; she would have said, ‘Oh my God, Gerald, you’re an opera! You got culture.’”
He adds, “The controversy was not so much when it opened but when the BBC decided to air it. It shouldn’t have been on television because of the language – it was sacrilegious.” Regardless, he speaks glowingly of its humour and seems to enjoy the idea that he could bring Jesus and the devil “together at the end with a final thought,” as he does in the production.
As the room fills with students desperate to meet Springer, we wrap up. He proceeds to pose for an endless number of photographs, alternating between warm smiles, peace signs, and nimbly extending his leg to ensure that his quirky orange sneakers are in frame. Happily, despite being swarmed by eager Oxonians, he still takes the time to pose for a photo with his completely star-struck interviewer.
Bargain Bin: The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat
Drugs, dodgy lobotomies and a wayward ‘sister’ more concerned by the fact blood will ‘stain the carpet’ than a murder. Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat seemed somewhat out of place in the midst of the pop records of a second-hand vinyl store in Dublin where I found it.
The album’s black cover is deceptively demure, giving no hint of the sounds within that jut out like a broken thumb of most genres. It’s a mongrel of composition, yet it all strangely fits together. A catchy chorus fuses with the aural replication of the effects of amphetamine usage in the bass of the title track. A flip of the record and the beautifully calm tones of ‘Here She Comes Now’ slams into the assaulting feedback of ‘I Heard Her Call My Name’. But the record’s masterpiece comes in the final furious seventeen minutes. ‘Sister Ray’ has garnered a legendary status as a bizarre mutated jam – many have heard of it, yet few have man- aged to sit through its’ entirety. The three chord jam creates genius out of simplicity, a cacophony that is held together by Lou Reed’s drawling narrative. Instead of shunning this lengthy track, I want to move the needle back and start again. If my speakers can handle it, that is.
Review: The Notwist – Close to Glass
When electronic music first appeared about 35 years ago, sceptics predicted that its inherently artificial nature would stop it from ever being sincere or soulful. I think it’s fair to say they’ve been proved resoundingly wrong, but you can understand where they were coming from when you listen to Close to Glass.
The title is more than just a title here – it’s a pretty good description of what it actually sounds like. The electronic elements on the songs are almost always cold, clean and mechanical. The laissez-faire vocals on many of the tracks only increase this lack of sentiment, and it’s hard to really connect with anything here.
A lot of the songs aren’t particularly catchy either, with some very unremarkable synth work to be found. Having said that, there are some notable ex- ceptions on the album, which call into question whether The Notwist’s foray into electronica was a good idea. On the most straightforward indie rock track ‘Kong’ they excel, giving us a brilliant example of warm, sunny and sophisticated songwriting, even giving a subtle nod to The Beta Band’s track ‘Dry the Rain’.
The other few rock pieces, ‘7 Hour Drive’ and ‘Steppin’ In’, are again pretty strong, one noisy and one acoustic, and I can’t help thinking that if they’d have stayed more conventional the band would’ve been putting out a better album.
Experimenting is fine, and the easiest way for a rock band to do that is to start adding more electronic into the mix. But it’s by no means a guarantee that your music will get better, and on Close to Glass it feels too forced to be listenable. It’s no coincidence that on the best tracks the album has everyone sounding more relaxed, as if playing more conventional music is what comes naturally to them. They’re good songwriters, with a good ear for a hook, and I’d love to see them stick to that more.
I really think The Notwist haven’t done themselves justice with Close to Glass, which is a real shame. I will however be continuing to play ‘Kong’ on repeat for a while longer, so it’s not all bad I suppose.
Rating: 2/5
Review: Nothing – Guilty of Everything
When I first saw the title of this album, together with the band’s name, I was certain I was about to hear a barrage of hardcore; it screamed of the angry, disaffected aesthetic of bands like Crass and Minor Threat. I was to be proven wrong.
What you get here is certainly disaffection, but in a more defeated way. Singer Domenic Palermo has done jail time, where he “got into metaphysics”, and started playing music as a form of escapism from the despair he felt in his life.You probably won’t be able to directly empathise with Palermo’s situation, but Nothing can offer you some of the same escapism. A blanket of fuzz engulfs the guitar and the drummer is liberal with the crash, creating a wall of noise over which soar the ethereal vocals. Though the singing steals the spotlight somewhat, the rest of the group should be applauded on expertly creating the mesmerising backdrop to it.
They grew up listening to My Bloody Valentine, and you feel like this record is nothing more than an attempt to recreate the sound of their heroes. Which is fine by me – the songs are well written and bizarrely catchy, and there’s a real sense of emotion throughout the album; the band really cares about these songs, and after a few listens so will you.
Rating: 4/5
Review: Ava Luna – Electric Balloon
Electric Balloon is the second major release from the Brooklyn-based quintet Ava Luna, following their 2012 EP Ice Level. In the seven years since their inception, the band has assumed various guises, and sounds, and even different members, but now they finally seem to have settled into an individual and recognisable sound. While they retain the under-produced harmonically challenging vocal melodies and low-fi, minimalist guitar riffs, the album is a more coherent and mature work than their previous efforts. Lead singer Carlos Hernandez’s sensitive and intelligent writing shows through in the restrained instrumentation, rich, defiant harmonies, and stark changes in tempo.
Opening track ‘Daydream’ is a frantic rush of sharp and caustic tones; the combination of snappy, syncopated drums, Hernandez’s falsetto and the stripped down distorted guitar is reminiscent of Lonelady’s album Nerve up. The title track features a repeating synthesiser bass line with CDOASS-style vocals and clipped drums. ‘Aquarium’, revolves around a mesmerising, galloping drum track, paired to Hernandez’s discordant acoustic guitar and vocal musings. Electric Balloon is not a relaxing album, but it is rich, interesting, challenging and ultimately a rewarding listen.
Rating: 4/5
Interview: Bombay Bicycle Club
Almost 10 years after their formation, North London natives Bombay Bicycle Club are back with their fourth album, So Long, See You Tomorrow. The indie four-piece have released a varied and daring record that’s moved away from the folky tones of past successes Flaws and A Different Kind of Fix. The album is “an indie pop band exploring hip-hop, R’n’B and bhangra and seeing what happens when you throw them all together,” guitarist Jamie Macoll tells me from his living room sofa.
Forming at 15, getting coverage at 16, and debut album at 18, the band are often noted for their youth. However, Jamie point this out as a misconception. “People seem to have quite selective memories and portray us as being mas- sively hyped since the age of 16. In reality it was only six months after our first album came out that people started to think that we could be an important band.”
But the comparative youth has enabled the band to be fearless (and positive) when varying and switching up their sound. “The most important thing when making an album is to create something that first and foremost you are proud of. Trying to make an album that you think other people will just end in unhappiness, even if it’s successful. The fact that we’ve changed our sound a number of times is reflective of the fact that we are young, we are restless, and ultimately we’re still trying to figure out our place in the world, as many people our age are.”
The band’s growing up process has been documented in their releases. We talk about the progression the band have been making since the release of I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose in 2007. “The first couple of albums were definitely a reflection of our lives at that time. They were about being young and everything that goes with that: in short they were about teenage boys lusting after girls, having their hearts broken, and most especially, not wanting to grow up.”
The theme continues on this fourth record, but in a more sophisticated line, describing “the ups and downs of a relationship. Life is both always changing and staying the same. It may seem like the relationship is ending, but deep down both parties both know they will still be there tomorrow.”
If there’s one thing this band have been unceasingly good at, it’s appealing to our softer nature. Jamie tells me about the tour induced homesickness that triggered ‘Home By Now’, an electronic based ballad from the new record. “Jack came up with a very simple beat on his iPad and the chorus melody that he began to sing over it seemed to encapsulate the way we were all feeling.” It was to be the first of ten tracks that would form So Long, See You Tomorrow.
Jamie concludes the interview by telling me that he “prefers music to act as a kind of escapism.” I can’t help but feel Bombay’s music fits this description well. From homesick to reckless, their ability to encapsulate a mood is testament to their talent, but it’s fearlessness that gets them there.
Varsity Squash ends honours even
On Saturday 22nd February the RAC club on Pall Mall, informally renowned as “the home of squash”, hosted the annual Oxford vs. Cambridge Varsity squash fixture.
The first men’s varsity match was held in 1925 and 2014 marked the 83rd contest, making this one of the sport’s oldest and most celebrated f i xtures. Both the men’s and women’s sides came into this year’s Varsity looking to overturn defeats, aided by healthy additions to the teams.
In the reserve fixture Lauren Crichton stepped up her performance to win the string in four games. Alysia Garmulewicz entered her first Varsity at number five but found herself down 2-0, frustrated by her opponent’s serve. Garmulewicz fought back to a 3-2 victory and give Oxford a 1-0 lead. Fresher Anna Gibson (Exeter) lost out in the fourth string match, battling both a crafty opponent and injury, to tie the fixture at 1-1.
Playing at third string, last year’s Oxford captain Mabel Li (Queen’s) faced Kristen MacAskill. Li took a quick fi rst game, and whilst her opponent fought back in the second, Li’s length game and patience was rewarded with a straight sets victory to put Oxford 2-1 ahead. New captain Emily Peach (Magdalen) faced Laura Mullarkey of Cambridge in the second string. The first game could have gone either way as both players found it difficult to adjust to the court conditions. Peach gained more control in the second and third games to secure a comprehensive win, as well as the match for Oxford. The addition of Canadian junior international Laura Gemmell (St Cross) proved decisive in strengthening the squad. The Harvard graduate proved far too strong for her Cambridge counterpart, Tab captain Ali Hemingway, in the fi rst string, which saw her win less than four points. Their hard work paid dividends and the Oxford team turned the tables from their 5-0 loss in 2013 to win the match 4-1 and secure victory for the seventh time in eight years.
The men’s varsity match began at 4pm with fresher Tom Paine (Oriel) making his debut in the reserve string against George Johnson. Paine’s patience frustrated his hard-hitting opponent, and after a tight first game, Paine took more control, taking the second and third games in convincing fashion.
Last year’s reserve Andrew Lindsay (Jesus) made the step up to gain his first Blue in a fifth string match against experienced Harvard graduate Charles Gertler. The Cambridge player took a tense first game. Lindsay gained composure and confidence to pull off impressive tactical and technical play to level the string at 1-1. Gertler upped the pace after the break and Lindsay failed to sustain his momentum. Gertler took the third and fourth games amid some extremely tight rallies and referee warnings of crowd behaviour in a match that took over an hour and gave Cambridge a 1-0 lead.
Also gaining his first Blue at number four was former Indian junior Devkaran Bhatty (Wolfson). Bhatty got off to a blistering start, winning the fi rst game and taking a 5-0 lead in the second. The warm and humid RAC courts led to severe cramping in the Oxford player’s legs, and his tireless opponent Matthew Lees took full advantage and the third and fourth. This meant that the fifth set was the decider and it seemed that it could only go one way. Bhatty fought his way back into the match to get to 7-7 but the fi nal set ultimately went to the Cambridge player. Nonetheless, the incredibly close string led to both Bhatty and Lees being awarded the man of the match awards for their universities.
Alexander Roberts (St John’s) was next on court to against Cambridge’s Henry Pelham in the third string. A bloody nose forced an interruption, and, although Roberts returned to the court, he could not find his feet in the fi rst game, losing 9-1. The second and third games proved much closer, but Roberts was unable to prevent his Cambridge counterpart taking his victory.
Oxford captain, Owen Riddall, faced new Cambridge graduate Alec Greaves-Tunnell, highly regarded on the American squash circuit in the second string match. Riddall and GreavesTunnell both played an aggressive hunting game which seemed to favour the Cambridge player. Despite a tactical re-adjustment, Riddall couldn’t quite nail the comeback.
The men’s first string featured a match that has become legend in recent years. Oxford’s Nelson Fung gained his seventh Blue, Scotland international Harry Leitch his tenth. Fung showed excellent stroke play but failed to convert game balls, losing 10-8 in the tie-break. An eventual loss led to a fi nal 5-0 victory for Cambridge.
Oxford left noting that this was the strongest Cambridge men’s team in several years– and as such the Oxford side did far better than the one-sided scoreline reflected. The Blues were justly proud of the success of the women’s team though.
Mixed results in Varsity Duathlon
In spite of not having had a winter particularly conducive to running and cycling – especially with most of Oxfordshire being currently underwater – the Oxford University Triathlon Club sent a record number of forty athletes to race against Cambridge’s paltry twenty five in this year’s Varsity Duathlon.
The Duathlon consists of a 5km run, a 20km bike and another 5km run, and is typically held at the stunning Dorney Lake. In past years we have encountered sleet, rain, and sub-zero temperatures at this event; however, we were greeted at dawn by perfect sunshine and relatively still winds which, after the recent weather, were more than a blessing!
Perfectly flat courses and very straight cycling sections along the lakeside mean that it is an excellent venue for some super-quick sprint times, and certainly Oxford did not disappoint. However, it became clear that it takes more than speed to win a race; Oxford’s very own James Felce – performing in his last ever race in the Blues category – narrowly missed out on first place by a mere ten seconds simply because he missed the last turning into the finish line.
Unfortunately this, and some excellent performances from CUTriC meant that Oxford lost the Men’s Blues competition. However, the same cannot be same for the ladies, with international triathlete Sophia Saller and Marie McHugh coming in first and third place, securing an excellent victory for the Women’s Blues. Oxford went on to dominate in the squad mob matches, with both the men and women of the OUTriC squad beating Cambridge once again.
As well as this, for the first time Oxford and Cambridge were competing in a new category, allowing alumni to return to race with the clubs. Our very own Hannah Johnston, last year’s Club President, returned to win fastest female alumnus (although she was at a slight advantage, being the only female alumnus there).
The result was a decisive 3-1 victory to Oxford, a real confidence booster this early on in the season. With only a few months until Varsity and BUCS Triathlon – and a very gruelling training camp in Portugal in between – the club will have their work cut out for the months ahead before the busy triathlon season starts in earnest come May.
Many triathletes were involved in ferrying fellow athletes to and from the event, while Sam Banner organised an excellent post-race meal with the Tabs in Windsor, all of which speak volumes as to the great team spirit within the club.
It was an exciting race which owed much to the mix of beginners and experienced triathletes, and this bodes well for the future. OUTriC is open to all levels of ability. so anyone with an ambition to combine running, swimming, and cycling is invited to get involved
The Sporting Bio – Rupert Allison
Rupert Allison has played hockey since the age of seven. With sixteen years of experience now behind him and a range of representative and university honours, he could be forgiven for seeking a new challenge. But his passion and commitment to the sport remains evident. Rupert clearly balances sporting commitments successfully with academic study. Allison is conducting research into Astrophysics, with the aim of completing his D. Phil. over the next eighteen months. This has followed on from recent graduation from Cambridge.
Having grown up in Sheffield, Allison was introduced to hockey from a young age along with his siblings. His natural talent was quickly evident, and by the age of ten Allison was playing men’s hockey at his local club. Allison told Cherwell that “though a challenge, this experience has served my hockey career well.” By the time he was 17, Rupert was playing for Sheffield Hallam in the National League. A very high standard for experienced hockey players let alone a teenager. Additionally, he was representing England at under 18 level. These experiences were again a steep learning curve for Allison, but it has not dissuaded him from harbouring aspirations of playing in the National League once more.
Captain of the Blues Hockey team this year, Allison enjoys the responsibility that this role entails. His respect and admiration for coach John Shaw is clear, as is his close relationship with the rest of the Blues squad. “That so many of last year’s Blues remain in this year’s squad shows continuity,” he says, and this is something he feels has contributed to recent success. The Blues have enjoyed significant amounts of this lately. In 2012/2013 they finished second in the South Premier Division 1, one tier below the National League. This year they have continued this success in the South League and dominated the BUCS South Premier Division. This culminated with a 3-1 victory over Bristol which ensured the championship for the 2013/2014 academic year. The squad’s achievement is all the more remarkable given the quality of opposition, with the universities of Bath and Exeter both f ielding teams in the National League on a Saturday.
For this reason Allison is confident of leading the Blues to success in this year’s Varsity match. The motivation for the squad is even greater given the memory of last year’s disappointment. The match finished 1-1 with the Varsity Cup remaining in the Light Blues hands following their victory the previous year. Allison also points to the stability provided by coach John Shaw as reason to be confident. Whereas Oxford have had the same coach for ten years, Cambridge have had numerous coaches and have a new one this year. Allison hopes that this will play into Oxford’s hands come 9th March. Having been an undergraduate at Cambridge and represented the Light Blues in Varsity matches against Oxford, Allison “certainly expects some banter from members of the opposition”, some of whom are close friends. Nonetheless, he is driven by the desire to lead the Dark Blues to victory.
Few individuals represent their country at any sport. That Allison has coupled this with academic achievement is remarkable. The Men’s and Women’s Blues Varsity Hockey matches are on 9th March at Southgate Hockey Club with transport available from Oxford to the venue. The Men’s Blues play the full England Women’s side at Iffley Road on 3rd March
