RIP Phil Donahue

[HanSenSE]

Same here. He had such a wide variety of guests and topics.

He had at least two shows devoted to pro wrestling; one of which infamously had on Vince McMahon and a host of others and dealt with their steroid and sexual assault scandals. Another one hosted the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

One of the last ones I remember watching was when he got Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco on his show during their scandal.

One of his more important episodes, which I can't find online right now, was when he had on Ryan White talking about having AIDS. The studio audience was made up entirely of kids, asking all sorts of questions. I'm sure a lot of schools showed that episode in classrooms for a few years.

RIP.

This is what separated Donahue and Oprah from the rest. They got on the newsmakers instead of trying to make news.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

This is what separated Donahue and Oprah from the rest. They got on the newsmakers instead of trying to make news.

Yeah, until the mid-90s, when Oprah started using her show as a celebrity gab-fest and started hawking products, doing her book club and doing a bunch of new-age "knowing your spirit" ga-ga.

 

[wicked]

Oprah was always comfort-food TV. She made the careers of a couple well-known snake oil salesmen. I remember one episode where she had a woman on talking about the massive problem of no longer being able to orgasm without her sex toys. She was never high-brow entertainment.

 

[Slacker]

I remember one episode where she had a woman on talking about the
massive problem of no longer being able to orgasm without her sex toys.

That would REALLY get the attention of the old men in the diner.

 

[garrow]

 

[HanSenSE]

Yeah, until the mid-90s, when Oprah started using her show as a celebrity gab-fest and started hawking products, doing her book club and doing a bunch of new-age "knowing your spirit" ga-ga.

And worse, force fed Dr. Phil on an unsuspecting nation.

 

[Webster]

This was really well done by the NYT

What Phil Donahue Meant to Me