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<title> TALK SHOWS - A WAY OF LIFE? </title>
In this essay I have chosen to write about the phenomenon of talk shows on American television and why it is that they are so popular. I have spent time in the United States myself and know that these types of shows are very important to the channels, since it helps to bring up the ratings. But what is it that makes them so popular?

One of the answers to the question above is of course that they deal with everyday problems such as how to make a marriage work, child upbringing or infidelity. On the other hand, it is the different forms in which these topics are being discussed that are more important. Roughly, you could divide the talk shows into two categories where talk shows such as Ricki Lake and Jenny Jones could be compared to more established and serious ones like Oprah Winfrey.
	The first two shows often deal with situations involving sex and relationships. The invited guests usually find themselves in all sorts of trouble and they are generally not shy to reveal intimate details about their private lives. A typical topic could be about a relationship of three where one of the involved hasn't been informed of the fact that he or she is sharing his or her significant other with someone else. This person may, in turn, have had a partner on the side that has been kept hidden. When the guests want their thoughts to be heard and the studio audience interferes with questions or remarks of their own, it often leads to serious arguments in which the host may find himself or herself in the line of fire.
	
If you want to go one step further, there is a talk show called The Jerry Springer Show whose ratings have increased dramatically during the last couple of years. This is mostly due to the fact that hardly any topic is not fit for discussion. Apart from this, the arguments often result in serious fights on stage, and in some rare cases deaths have occurred off-stage. Judging by the audience's reaction, which is usually egging them on, they enjoy watching people humiliate themselves on TV.
On the other hand, Oprah Winfrey distinguishes herself from many others in her way of dealing with more "serious" issues. Topics can include those in which a mum can still maintain a functional family life and devote attention to her children despite her working full-time, how to prevent oneself from getting mugged or raped, or what to do when a child is kidnapped. She also has her famous book club in which she introduces a new book every month for people to read. She later invites the author and some readers for a discussion of the book.
	This kind of talk show, whose aim is to educate people on different matters, is a necessity to have. However, a large group of the people who watch talk shows is teen- agers and they often seek some kind of entertainment in which they may prefer Ricki to Oprah. What isn't so good is that they often take after behaviours they have seen in the belief that there is nothing wrong with it. Therefore it could be a good idea to not have all talk show on the air during the daytime but maybe have a few of the "less serious ones" at night.
		Are there any conclusions that can be made by the way that talk shows are portrayed on television? Well, different talk shows appeal to different kinds of people. Many viewers want some kind of escapism from their ordinary lives to see how other people tackle theirs. Could you call it junk entertainment? Partly yes but people are not likely to stop watching anyway.
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