Talk shows have filled my late nights and afternoons as long as I could remember. Cat-fights, shouting matches, revelations and tears--all before the credits rolled. Whenever you tune into a talk show, you get the usual "real life" soap opera antics. And after the titilation, the on-air therapist (while hawking a self-help book or two) would try to soothe the offended parties…for five minutes. And they haven't even cracked the surface of the problems at large.

People have their opinions about Ricki Lake and its talk show host. In fact, they peg dear ol' Ricki as being a "wanna-be Oprah" to someone who's entertaining to watch when you're sick and bored with the malaise of the world. After all, you can tune into her show when you think that nothing else is going on in your life that could even equal the misery that is presented on screen. Well, that's what I feel when I tune into the show. It's like popping in and watching Jerry Springer late nights. Seeing the talk show guests battle it out over cheating spouses and revealed secrets is some sort of bizarre therapy. I guess there's proof in what the billboard advertising the Ricki Lake show says: "It's cheaper than therapy."

So, the question of the hour is why even watch the show? Because there's truth in advertising. It is theraputic. After all, think about it this way. Say, there's something bothering you…but not in the same excessive tones as the talk show guests. Instead of dropping your thirty-five cents into the telephone, posting on a message board or spewing everything in a chat room, you see the topic being depicted on the show and tune in. You could be a mother who has an unruly teen. Or you could be pregnant and single, dealing with a cheating and uncaring boyfriend. Or you might have trouble with friends who borrow your stuff and never bring it back. Watching the program might cause you to think about what action to take concerning your issue. And even the five minutes worth of therapy might prove helpful for seeking out other avenues to approach the problem in a different way. Even more, it might give you a good laugh after a hard day.

The most important thing to get out of watching Ricki Lake and its ilk is considering the bigger picture. There are a lot of people who are voiceless in the world. They don't have the resources to solve their problems. And of course, revealing a problem in front of a live audience could be a humiliating enterprise, but might do some good in terms of confession. This could be a viable option for finally solving buried problems and getting a fresh start in life. But if you look at the lower end of this enterprise, it could be a cheap ploy on publicity. Whether you think this is a way to get ratings or a venue for "forgetting or forgiving", the entire talk show craze has shed some light on the fact that people in their daily lives have a fear of revealing what's on their mind. Because the average everyday Joe and Jenny can't face their interlocutors, they keep their problems bottled up inside until it eats at them. By seeing others bravely tell their stories on air (no matter how altruistic it is in the long run), programs like Ricki Lake could help people approach the matters that bother them. But hopefully without throwing chairs or getting into fights within the home.

"dime store therapy" ©1999 by Ceci M.

If you have any comments on this essay, please e-mail me at cecim999@yahoo.com.