Class in daytime talk television

Abstract

Whether you are openly addicted to them, despise them, or secretly watch them, daytime TV talk shows are an integral part of American popular culture. Many people deny watching such “trash” or insist that they watch it simply for entertainment. The “trash” label accompanying these shows is revealing considering the claim made by an Oprah Winfrey Show publicist, as reported by Jane Shattuc, that these shows typically cater to “a housewife with about a ninth‐grade education in a lower socio‐economic bracket.” Demographics show that, indeed, 58% of the audience for daytime talk television is female and most viewers have less than a year of college education. What makes daytime talk shows attractive to this stratum of society? And can we really be sure that the educated middle class is not also watching these programs? What is the relationship between gender and class in daytime television talk shows? The spectrum of daytime television talk shows ranges from Jerry Springer, Leeza, and Sally Jessy Raphael, with their emphasis on deviant individuals, morals, and behaviors, to The View, Rosie O'Donnell, and Oprah, with their celebrity appearances and discussions of everyday issues. Altogether, up to twenty different shows are offered between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., most of which are hosted by women or couples. In contrast, night‐time talk shows are usually hosted by men. While many people conjure up an image of daytime talk shows as depicting demented individuals with deviant opinions, screaming at each other and providing a spectacle of uncontrolled language and behavior, this does not apply to all daytime talk shows. A great continuum of people, topics, and behavior is represented on these shows, a continuum that in some ways reflects the fluidity of the concept of class itself.