Rites of Springer (4/23/98)
In the wake of charges from former guests of the Jerry Springer show that fights were staged and their tragic stories were made up out of whole, if very tacky, cloth, even more allegations are coming out of the woodwork.Several audience members have come forth to claim that most of the audience members on the show are actually computer-generated models with an advanced "hooting and hollering" engine. The few who stand up and speak are paid actors culled from Saturday afternoon USA action series such as "Pacific Blue", to ensure that they won't be recognized.
To add more fuel to the fire, set designers from the show came forth to announce that none of the flowers or books on the Springer set were real, and most of what passes for upholstery is in fact a bluescreen effect added in post production.
But the biggest shock came when the millions of people who have been catapulting Springer to the top of the syndicated ratings charts all came forward, and, in unison, declared that they, too, were coached individually not only to watch the show, but to discuss it at work the next day.
In a related story, "actress" Lacey (Lost In Space) Chabert denied rumors that Springer himself was a prototype test shot of the animatronics that give her her own disturbing semblance of "life". But then, she would, wouldn't she.
