Talk Show Internet Assignment - Research Paper Example

TV emerged in the 50s as America’s dominant cultural form, presenting an image of authority that was mainly middle-class, middle-aged, white, and male. TV soon took over American prime time activity. Beginning in the 60s, family breakdown, religious, and education crises, diminishing state authority, and a growing vocal and visible minority with new ideas and groups. All these led to a dramatic change in public perceptions with the most significant being the impact that progressive movements and social crises had on media talks regarding political correctness and multiculturalism (Quail, Kathalene & Loubna 33).

TV talk shows have always been around since the TV was commercialized. They are a crossover from the radio talk shows that had dominated America in the 40s (Grindstaff 22). Therefore, the beginning of the talk show can be considered to have been in 1948, even though most people did not have TV at the time. From the early 50s to the early 70s, almost half of all programming on NBC, CBS, and ABC had to do with talk shows. The talk show hosts, rather than kill the talk show hosts that reigned on radio, actually made them bigger stars.

For instance, Jack Paar, Dave Garroway, and Arthur Godfrey were all vital in coming up with the talk show format that has been so popular over the decades (Grindstaff 22). One of the reasons why there are so many talk shows is because talk is actually cheap. Talk shows are probably the cheapest TV shows to create (Grindstaff 24). For example, where they can cost as low as $100,000 to produce per each episode, majority of current dramas on TV cost approximately $1 million for each episode. Therefore, if a talk show is successful, it can give the TV Company more profits than most dramas.

However, it is still work-intensive. Since their beginning in 1948, very few of them are able to keep the audience’s attention for a long time (Grindstaff 24). Several forms of talk shows that range from outlandish shows like The Graham Norton Effect to Late Show with David Letterman exist. However, all talk shows have similar formats because the format for a talk show is very limited (Grindstaff 31). Most Americans are used to the informal host-guest format where the hosts of the talk shows welcome talk-worthy individuals and celebrities in informal discussions.

These are further spiced up using musical and comedic segments. Another common format has to do with public affair show, where the hosts of the show interview individuals who are experts in particular fields, or they are in the news for one reason or another. Specific shows that adhere to this latter format are shows like; Meet the Press and Good Morning America. Issue-based talk shows include The Jerry Springer Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Other talk shows are mainly a hybrid of the two formats (Grindstaff 32).

The basic goal on TV of talk shows has to do with attraction of curious viewers while also selling services and products, rather than selling revolutions (Kunkel 11). This results in the need for funny and bizarre participants and topics, as well as the circus-like atmosphere. In addition, the influence by cultural and social movements like feminism, as well as the results, made it contradictory and interesting. Oprah Winfrey, Donahue, and others have been able to reproduce the experience of